Genesis (2011) 47A The stry f Jacb tldt enters the final sectin tday And this sectin will bring his stry t a clse This is the stry f Jacb in Egypt He and his family will ride ut the rest f the famine in security in Egypt They were invited int the land by Pharah, and Jseph has a plan fr where they must live He has decided they shuld live in Gshen We ve learned in past weeks why Jacb s family needs t reside in Gshen It s great farming land, very fertile And it keeps Israel separated frm the rest f Egypt Jseph understd that the Lrd brught Jacb s family int Egypt s they culd grw int the natin He intended them t be That grwth must happen away frm the temptatin t jin with ther peple Fr Gd s peple were t be a separate natin, withut ties t ther natins S he determined that his father s family must live in Gshen But Jseph s plan ges deeper than merely separating Israel physically frm the Egyptians He needs devises a cuple f additinal details t help ensure his peple are prperly separated frm the Egyptians First, he must find a way t get Pharah t agree t his plan Secndly, Jseph needs t give Egyptians reasn t leave the Israelites alne And Jseph has the plan 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 2 f 11 Gen. 46:28 Nw he sent Judah befre him t Jseph, t pint ut the way befre him t Gshen; and they came int the land f Gshen. Gen. 46:29 Jseph prepared his charit and went up t Gshen t meet his father Israel; as sn as he appeared befre him, he fell n his neck and wept n his neck a lng time. Gen. 46:30 Then Israel said t Jseph, Nw let me die, since I have seen yur face, that yu are still alive. As the family departs, Jacb assigns Judah t lead the family int Egypt We culd say that the tribe f Judah will be the first f Israel t enter Egypt But actually, Judah is the secnd tribe t enter Jseph was the first t enter s many years earlier But nw as all Israel enter, it will be Judah wh will lead them We can assume Jacb selected Judah because f his emerging rle as the leader amng his brthers We knw he is the seed prmise hlder in the family, which means his tribe will eventually bear the Messiah Wh reigns Jacb s decisin t place Judah in the lead created a remarkable prphetic picture f Christ, ne even the Jewish rabbis detected, thugh they didn t fully understand it The Jewish Midrash, which is the rabbinical cmmentary n the Old Testament, said that v.28 tells us that Jseph will receive the kingdm befre Judah What the rabbis meant was that the suffering, dying Messiah, pictured by Jseph, wuld cme t Israel first And this wuld be fllwed by a secnd cming by the cnquering, reigning Messiah wh rules ver the wrld The rabbis studying the Old Testament prphecies f the Messiah nticed that the scriptures spke f tw kinds f Messiahs There wuld be ne wh died fr the sins f the Jewish peple This Messiah wuld be mistreated and killed The rabbis understd that Jseph was a picture f this Messiah 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 3 f 11 Jseph had the birthright ver his brthers, yet he was mistreated He was left fr dead And then Jseph came int Egypt first, which pictures the Messiah cming int the wrld And the rabbis als understd that the tribe f Judah was the family hlding the seed prmise S Judah pictures the Messiah leading His peple as King And after the suffering dying Messiah arrived in the wrld, then the ruling Messiah wuld fllw Even in Jesus first cming, the rabbis still thught they shuld have been lking fr tw different Messiahs Wh wuld cme in successin, first the fulfillment f Jseph and the secnd the fulfillment f Judah They called the fist the Prphet, since prphets were always mistreated and usually killed They called the secnd Messiah, the Aninted One, which is written Christ in the Greek language Yu can see this clearly in the way the Jewish leaders interrgated Jhn the Baptist Jhn 1:19 This is the testimny f Jhn, when the Jews sent t him priests and Levites frm Jerusalem t ask him, Wh are yu? Jhn 1:20 And he cnfessed and did nt deny, but cnfessed, I am nt the Christ. Jhn 1:21 They asked him, What then? Are yu Elijah? And he said, I am nt. Are yu the Prphet? And he answered, N. Obviusly, we see this picture much mre clearly than the rabbis ever did We knw that Jseph and Judah are picturing the Messiah, but they picture the same Messiah Instead f tw different Messiahs, we knw that Gd had in mind One Messiah and tw different cmings The first cming f Christ was the fulfillment f Jseph, the suffering dying Prphet 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 4 f 11 While the secnd cming f Christ will be the fulfillment f Judah s prmise f a ruling King S as Jacb s family enters Egypt behind Judah, they create a picture f the natin f Israel fllwing after their King at His Secnd Cming They enter the wrld represented Egypt And they cme t subdue that wrld and receive the best it has t ffer Thugh the natin suffers fr a time in this land, they eventually leave cnquerers having plundered Egypt Jseph takes his charit and rides frm the capital f Egypt t meet his father as they arrive in Gshen Gshen is lcated in the nrthern mst part f Egypt As the family entered int the land, they wuld have cme int Gshen first Jseph rides ut t meet them there s they wn t travel farther int Egypt This will be their hme fr several generatins What fllws next is ne f the mst pwerful mments in all scripture After twenty-tw years, father and sn are reunited Jseph falls n his father s neck, they embrace and cry tgether fr a lng time The air must have been thick with emtin, nt nly Jseph and Jacb, but als the ther brthers They culdn t have watched this reunin withut cnsidering their wn rles Jacb tells Jseph that nw he can die in peace, having seen Jseph s face again Jacb is 130 years at this ld, and thugh he may feel near death, he was speaking in hyperble It was an expressin f happiness and thankfulness In fact, Jacb will live anther 17 years in Egypt 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 5 f 11 And nw Jseph s explains his plan t keep the peple f Israel separated Gen. 46:31 Jseph said t his brthers and t his father s husehld, I will g up and tell Pharah, and will say t him, My brthers and my father s husehld, wh were in the land f Canaan, have cme t me; Gen. 46:32 and the men are shepherds, fr they have been keepers f livestck; and they have brught their flcks and their herds and all that they have. Gen. 46:33 When Pharah calls yu and says, What is yur ccupatin? Gen. 46:34 yu shall say, Yur servants have been keepers f livestck frm ur yuth even until nw, bth we and ur fathers, that yu may live in the land f Gshen; fr every shepherd is lathsme t the Egyptians. Gen. 47:1 Then Jseph went in and tld Pharah, and said, My father and my brthers and their flcks and their herds and all that they have, have cme ut f the land f Canaan; and behld, they are in the land f Gshen. Gen. 47:2 He tk five men frm amng his brthers and presented them t Pharah. Gen. 47:3 Then Pharah said t his brthers, What is yur ccupatin? S they said t Pharah, Yur servants are shepherds, bth we and ur fathers. Gen. 47:4 They said t Pharah, We have cme t sjurn in the land, fr there is n pasture fr yur servants flcks, fr the famine is severe in the land f Canaan. Nw, therefre, please let yur servants live in the land f Gshen. Gen. 47:5 Then Pharah said t Jseph, Yur father and yur brthers have cme t yu. Gen. 47:6 The land f Egypt is at yur dispsal; settle yur father and yur brthers in the best f the land, let them live in the land f Gshen; and if yu knw any capable men amng them, then put them in charge f my livestck. Jseph s plan is t leave his family in Gshen in nrthern Egypt Then he will g t Pharah and explain that the family is nw settled in Gshen Jseph als plans t casually mentin that they are staying Gshen because they are sheepherders that need grazing land And then Pharah will call fr Jseph s family t present themselves befre Pharah When the get the wrd that Pharah and Jseph are waiting fr them in Memphis, they are t cme Pharah When Pharah asks Jacb s ccupatin, Jacb must say he is and always has been a keeper f flcks 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 6 f 11 This is the nly thing the peple f Israel knw hw t d And therefre, it will be the nly thing they will ever d Jseph s purpse in these instructins becmes clear in the end Egyptians were shepherdphbic, as we might say tday They literally lathed sheepherders S Jseph s plan was t gently lead Pharah in the directin Jseph wanted him t g Pharah needed t endrse the plan fr Israel t live in Gshen The easiest way t accmplish that gal was t lead Pharah t lath Jacb s family We re watching Gd at wrk t keep His peple separate frm the Egyptians, and this principle cntinues t wrk in Gd s peple tday Gd has always called fr His peple t remain unstained by the wrld, distinct and unique amng mankind This is a cmmand fr bth the natin f Israel and t the Church We must frever maintain a degree f separatin frm the wrld t suit Gd s purpses 2Cr. 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple f Gd with idls? Fr we are the temple f the living Gd; just as Gd said, ı I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 2Cr. 6:17 Therefre, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE, says the Lrd. ı AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcme yu. 2Cr. 6:18 And I will be a father t yu, ı And yu shall be sns and daughters t Me, Says the Lrd Almighty. Paul reminded the Crinthian church that they have becme a temple f Gd, by virtue f the indwelling f the Hly Spirit And as Gd s peple, they must bserve a separatin frm the wrld 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 7 f 11 The Law created that separatin fr Israel, by establishing ritualistic clean and unclean distinctins The idea was simple: if Gd is amng us, then it becmes ur duty t abstain frm things that are cntrary t Gd s perfectin and hliness Dn t drag the Lrd s Spirit int unclean experiences thrugh yur persnal sin But Christians can take Jseph s example and Paul s cmmand and run t far, in the wrng directin, and thereby miss Gd s purpses Gd s isn t asking us t remve urselves frm the wrld Ntice that Jacb s family entered Egypt, which was Gd s intent They came int Egypt, yet even s they remained separate frm the peple Likewise, we re called t be in the wrld but nt f the wrld Jesus prayed t the Father fr exactly that balance in the Church Jhn 17:14 I have given them Yur wrd; and the wrld has hated them, because they are nt f the wrld, even as I am nt f the wrld. Jhn 17:15 I d nt ask Yu t take them ut f the wrld, but t keep them frm the evil ne. Jhn 17:16 They are nt f the wrld, even as I am nt f the wrld. Jhn 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Yur wrd is truth. Jhn 17:18 As Yu sent Me int the wrld, I als have sent them int the wrld. Jesus acknwledged that His disciples were nt f the wrld, because ur faith makes us citizens f a heavenly kingdm Yet fr a time they remained in the wrld with a missin t testify t Jesus and the Gspel Jesus says He sends us int the wrld, just as Jacb was called int Egypt Which is why Jesus clarifies that He did nt want the Father t remve His disciples frm the Earth S we shuldn t strive t remve urselves frm the wrld entirely 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 8 f 11 We must be in it t impact it S what des it lk like when we re in the wrld but nt f the wrld? First, we must seek t fulfill the missin Christ gave His Church we must assciate with thse wh need t hear the truth We must have unbelieving neighbrs, assciates, even friends We must visit places where unbelievers gather, wrk, play and g t schl We must g int Egypt, as it were, s that we may influence their understanding Nevertheless, we must remain separate within thse places we g We cannt share in their sin r participate in their wrld in such a way that it defiles us and pllutes ur message and witness We must remain distinct even as we mve and live amng them We cannt hpe t influence the wrld by ur difference if we chse t blend in t much Have yu ever tld smene at wrk r schl that yu were a Christian and they were surprised t learn that? That s a warning sign that We are called t be salt and light in a dark wrld Secndly, ur difference must be based n the truth f Gd s wrd Ntice Jesus said in Jhn 17 that we wuld be kept frm the wrld by being sanctified in the truth f Gd s wrd The wrd sanctify means t be set apart fr hly purpses Therefre, the church achieves its separatin frm the wrld by hlding t the truth f Gd s wrd We may attend the same schls, but while they hld t the enemy s lies f Evlutin, we hld t the truth f Creatin in Genesis We are in their wrld, but we remain distinct by virtue f Gd s sanctifying truth 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 9 f 11 We dn t create separatin in ur wn, fleshly way We dn t becme judgmental, surpusses lking dwn ur nses at sinners Instead, we remember we were nce sinners t, s we display grace and mercy We dn t live in islated cmpunds, dress in weird ways, drawing attentin t urselves thrugh utward appearances and making ther peple feel unnecessarily uncmfrtable in the prcess Instead, we remember Jesus ate with sinners and tax cllectrs, laughing, drinking and enjying Himself We make sure that the wrd f Gd living in us creates that distinctin, s that ur message is difference nt ur appearance Finally, when we d these things, a few will fllw as the Lrd appints, but we shuldn t be surprised when mst hate us because f ur message Jseph ensured that Pharah left Israel separated and distinct within Egypt But ntice he achieved this end by calling Pharah s attentin t smething lathsme This is the pattern thrughut scripture In Jhn 17:14 Jesus said that the wrld will hate Jesus disciples because they hated Him first S we fllw Jacb s example when we enter the wrld willingly while remaining distinct We live amng thse wh Gd intends t influence But we dn t allw that influence t defile us We maintain ur distinctin thrugh a strict adherence t the wrd f Gd, and a lifestyle that reflects that belief Nt by artificial attempts t shw ff ur differences 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 10 f 11 And as we live a sanctified life, we expect we will receive sme int faith while the rest hate us just as the wrld hated Gd Himself Then after hearing Jacb s stry, the Pharah reacts exactly as Jseph had hped He welcmes the family t settle in the land f Gshen Furthermre, the Pharah invites Jacb s family t assume care fr the Pharah s herds The Pharah prbably assumed that if Jseph s versight had blessed the natin, then his family might als bless him in their care f his herds And he was prbably right Gen. 47:7 Then Jseph brught his father Jacb and presented him t Pharah; and Jacb blessed Pharah. At this pint, Jseph brings Jacb befre Pharah fr a frmal mment And in that mment, Jacb bestws a blessing n Pharah This is significant because f wh blesses whm Hebrews explains that the ne wh bestws a blessing n anther is always the greater, spiritually speaking Heb. 7:7 But withut any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. S Jacb s mvement t bless the Pharah rather than the ther way arund reflects his awareness that he had smething t ffer Pharah His blessing was a prphetic wrd frm the Lrd This Pharah was indeed blessed by the presence f Israel in the land This is exactly what the Lrd intended when he brught His peple int Egypt The Jewish peple wuld benefit frm their time in Egypt 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Genesis 47A 11 f 11 And while they sjurned in the land, they wuld likewise becme a blessing t thse they lived amng Even thugh Jacb s family was small, virtually pwerless, nevertheless they culd by Gd s pwer bring a blessing t Pharah and the natin f Egypt Cnsider that pattern as yu strive t serve Gd in this wrld The Lrd has left yu in this wrld, as Jesus said, t accmplish a missin Yu are nt wise r mighty by the wrld s standards Yu will be despised at times and yu will always remain separate But yu have been left in the wrld fr a time t be blessed and t be a blessing t the wrld Yu and I are blessed t be in the wrld because we have pprtunity t serve ur Lrd T please Him by ur bedience T earn ur eternal reward T grw in the grace and knwledge f Jesus Christ And we are a blessing t a lst and dying wrld by ur witness and ur message f salvatin by grace thrugh faith in Jesus Christ We exist in this wrld fr a time t serve as Christ s ambassadr S make every day a day we rub elbws with the citizens f this freign natin Speak the truth f Christ, demnstrate His lve, allw thers t experience ur jy and hpe And invite them t immigrate int ur heavenly kingdm 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.