Podcast appearances and mentions of israel jacob

1 Chronicles - Genealogy from Adam, Descendants of Abraham, Genealogy: Twelve Sons of Israel (Jacob), Genealogy of David.Psalms - Prayer for Help.

When you've been hurt, it can be hard to keep hoping. But God wants to lift the weight you've been carrying today. Learn from the life of Israel (Jacob, Jacob), how God will give you a strategy to unburden your heart and move forward. If you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: ele.vc/tIepfr Scripture References: Genesis 45, verses 25-28 Genesis 46, verses 1-5

When you've been hurt, it can be hard to keep hoping. But God wants to lift the weight you've been carrying today. Learn from the life of Israel (Jacob, Jacob), how God will give you a strategy to unburden your heart and move forward. If you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: ele.vc/tIepfr Scripture References: Genesis 45, verses 25-28 Genesis 46, verses 1-5

Cuando has sido herido, puede ser difícil seguir teniendo esperanza. Pero Dios quiere levantar el peso que has estado cargando hoy. Aprende de la vida de Israel (Jacob, Jacob), cómo Dios te dará una estrategia para aliviar tu corazón y seguir adelante.Referencias Bíblicas:Génesis 45:25-28Génesis 46:1-5

When you’ve been hurt, it can be hard to keep hoping. But God wants to lift the weight you’ve been carrying today. Learn from the life of Israel (Jacob, Jacob), how God will give you a strategy to unburden your heart and move forward. If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: ele.vc/tIepfr Scripture References:Genesis 45, verses 25-28Genesis 46, verses 1-5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Messianic Torah Portion Vayechi (and he lived) This Torah portion wraps up the book of Genesis with the death of Israel/Jacob (the person) and the end of Joseph's life. This Torah portion contains big clues that salvation has always been available to both those of the nation of Israel and those of the nations. Specifically, Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh were mixed race, with their mother being Potifera, the daughter of an Egyptian priest. Jacob was embalmed as a Pharaoh while buried in the promised land, which also gives a hint to the future and how we live in Babylon today, but will ultimately be joined to Messiah in the true Israel. Our study was long and included much discussion. Please enjoy this discussion and feel free to join us each Shabbat! https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

AN IMPORTANT LESSON SHOWING THE VERACITY OF GOD'S WORD   Abram arrives at Shechem (lesson 26) in 2091 B.C.  Really?  Who says?  Time goes on and then we read in Exod. 12:40 that the sons of Israel (Jacob) lived in Egypt 430 years till they left with Moses.   Where does that number come from?  Why doesn't anyone explain it?  Also it is taught to us that the early date of the Exodus was 1446 B.C. and no one ever justifies this date.  It is just stated.  Why won't anyone help us understand that this date of 1446 B.C. is supported by REAL archaeology and not someone's opinion or speculation.  Well, I will.  This lesson is to show that the early date of the Exodus, 1446 B.C. is very likely considering the archaeology supporting it and the study of the events in their historical context.   I mentioned I will provide a number of links to resources to help you study further.  These links and resources are shown below. Link 1 - slides that may help you put all this together - https://www.dropbox.com/s/jdvuqdvqg6q88fh/Egypt%20W% Link 2 - an article on Edwin Thiele that shows how he connects the Assyrian King List (calendar) to 1 Kings 6:1 - https://www.dropbox.com/s/m9au2fpr9suktj8/Dating%20Old%20Testament%20History%20Thiele.pdf?dl=0 Link 3 - video from the Associates for Biblical Research on dating of Exodus Part 1 - https://biblearchaeology.org/mediainfo/digging-for-truth/digging-for-truth-episodes/4538-digging-for-truth-episode-43-archaeological-evidence-for-the-early-date-of-the-exodus-part-one Link 4 - part 2 of the previous video - https://biblearchaeology.org/mediainfo/digging-for-truth/digging-for-truth-episodes/4544-digging-for-truth-episode-44-archaeological-evidence-for-the-early-date-of-the-exodus-part-2 Link 5 - Dr. Bryant Wood's article on setting the date for the Exodus - https://biblearchaeology.org/research/chronological-categories/exodus-era/3288-recent-research-on-the-date-and-setting-of-the-exodus Link 6 - Dr. Bryant Wood's video on the Hebrews in Egypt part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT6giGYerx4 Link 7 - part of of previous video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJn09u8cYRA Link 8 - part three of previous video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EMecjtl-MA Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0  

Just because someone says "I'm a Jew," does not mean they are the biological offspring of Israel/Jacob. Fritz Berggren, PhD bloodandfaith.com  

God used Joseph to execute integral parts of his much greater plan for humanity. And it was during the times of waiting and holding and longing for a change that he prepared Joseph to do the important work he had ahead. Joseph chose to do what he could, where he could, while he waited to see what God had for him next. He made good use of the time in between.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Working While We Wait  by Deidre Braley  Genesis 39:22-23: And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him.  I have been attached to my phone for the last ten days, refreshing my email at consistent intervals between all my daily tasks. Unload the dishwasher—check my email. Walk the dog—check my email. Kiss the kids goodnight—check my email. I'm in the querying process, which for a writer means the period of time when you send your heart and soul and life's work into the world and then wait to see whether anyone cares or if you should go back to your day job.  When I left my career two years ago, I had my eyes set on one goal: to publish a book. I thought by now I'd be well on my way, would have something to show. But it turns out there have been a lot of slow-moving parts, like the gears on a clock moving at half-speed. How infuriating! I've been waiting for this email to let me know whether it's time, finally time, to do the work I've been wanting to do for so long now.  This holding pattern is nothing compared to what Joseph experienced, though. The son of Israel (Jacob), Joseph was his father's favorite. As if it wasn't already enough that his dad had given him a beautifully colored cloak, Joseph also started having dreams that his brothers and family would one day bow down before him. Ouch. His brothers decided to kill him.  At the last minute, his brother Reuben stepped in with an alternate plan to try to spare his life—they'd just throw him in a pit and leave him. While Reuben was away, however, the brothers decided they might as well make some money from the whole ordeal, and sold Joseph to some Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt, instead.  This could read as an incredibly cruel and frustrating tale—one in which a promising young man's life is needlessly upended. Being sold into slavery in a foreign land sounds like the kind of holding pattern you don't escape from. But Scripture tells us otherwise. “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master,” Genesis 39:2 says. In fact, Joseph was so respected and things went so well under his care that his master, Potiphar, put him in charge of everything he had.  Later, when Potiphar's wife wrongfully accuses Joseph of indecency, he is thrown into another holding pattern: this time, a jail cell. But just as he did after being sold to Potiphar, Joseph (with God's help) finds favor with the keeper of the prison, who puts him in charge over everything there. And Genesis 39:23 tells us, “...whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”  Joseph is the embodiment of the old adage, “Bloom where you are planted.” It's probably safe to assume that Joseph didn't want to be sold to an Egyptian master, and would have preferred to spend that time otherwise. And it's probably even safer to suggest he didn't want to spend years of his life in a jail cell for a crime he didn't commit. But what stands out about Joseph's story is the way he used the time that others may consider ‘wasted.' Rather than mope and wallow or wait for it to be over so he could just get on with his life, Joseph walked closely with God and worked at whatever was put before him with integrity and wisdom. It was his time served in Potiphar's house and the jail cell that prepared him (though somewhat unconventionally) to eventually serve Pharoah as governor of all the land of Egypt.  God used Joseph to execute integral parts of his much greater plan for humanity. And it was during the times of waiting and holding and longing for a change that he prepared Joseph to do the important work he had ahead. Joseph chose to do what he could, where he could, while he waited to see what God had for him next. He made good use of the time in between.  When we find ourselves in our own holding patterns, we can look at how God was with Joseph in the waiting and be encouraged. Yes, it might be taking longer than we'd like and no, we might not understand how it's going to result in anything of value, but our job isn't to worry about all that. Our job is to put our hand to what's before us with integrity and to walk with God while we do it.  Whether we're longing for career-changing news or freedom from existing commitments or just for something fresh and exciting to happen in our lives, today let's take a page from Joseph's book and assess what we can do with where we are right now, at this very point in our lives. We might be surprised to see how God can use that humble obedience.  Intersecting Faith & Life  What areas of your life feel like holding patterns (or jail cells!) right now? Consider bringing them before the Lord and asking him:  How can I use this time in a way that would be fruitful? What would it look like to walk with you and work with integrity in this area?● Will you please give me endurance to stay faithful in this season of waiting?● Would you give me a glimpse of how you might use this work as part of your granderplan for my life and the lives of others? Further Reading  To read through Joseph's entire story, look into: ● Genesis 37-50 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dios tiene en este mundo un pueblo escogido, llamado, elegido para reflejar su carácter, guardar sus leyes y mandatos y convertir a las naciones a la verdad. Partiendo de la conformación de este pueblo con el llamado de Jacob en la antigüedad hasta la reunión de todos sus elegidos esparcidos entre las naciones en los últimos tiempos, esta serie relata el peregrinaje de este linaje escogido a lo largo de los siglos, sin nunca perder de vista su propósito y su misión en esta tierra.

1 Chronicles - Genealogy from Adam, Descendants of Abraham, Genealogy: Twelve Sons of Israel (Jacob), Genealogy of David. 1 Corinthians - Lawsuits Discouraged, The Body Is The Lord's.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Let me ask you to do a little math… Everyone divide 1 by 3. What's the answer? .3 repeating, right? Now, what's .3 repeating times 3? It's not 1! It's .9 repeating. Somewhere we lose .1 repeating… [mind blown]. Math doesn't work! this is why bridges fall down eventually! Lol… Have you ever discovered that something you believed your whole life was wrong? like Math… ;) I know you've felt this before -I've had friends who found out the people they thought were their birth parents had adopted them -I've seen families torn apart finding out that the person who was supposed to be faithful had a secret life It's almost never good when you discover that what you've believed was wrong… Today, I want to take you into a struggle I had with this, and then walk you through my study in the story of God to find a way out of it.. To start, we have to go back into the story of God back to a prophet Isaiah. When we covered Isaiah, I mostly told you about how his prophecy impacted me and brought me back to God… Isaiah was prophesying right before the fall of the Southern Kingdom into the hands of the Babylonians… b One of the key themes in Isaiah is what scholars have called the “Servant Songs” (Song 1 - 42:1-4; Song 2 - 49:1-6; Song 3 - 50:4-9; and Song 4 - 52:13-53:12.) b Christians say the Suffering servant in Isaiah is Jesus… If you've been a Christian for a long time, you've probably heard a sermon on some of these verses about Jesus… Except, the Suffering Servant isn't a person, it's the nation of Israel… ILLUSTRATION: Heard Rabbi's say this and thought they couldn't be right, I've read these passages over and over again, listened to pastors preach on it and never heard one of them once say that it's not referring to Jesus but Israel. The problem is, their right - Isaiah clearly identifies the suffering servant as Israel. I'm not going to read these all, but I will show you quickly on the screen that this is the case… [Anthony, can you get these references all on one screen] Isaiah 41:8-9 (NIV):"But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen…I said, ‘You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you." Isaiah 44:1-2 (NIV):"But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen…” Isaiah 44:21 (NIV):"Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant…” Isaiah 45:4 (NIV):"For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen…” Isaiah 48:20 (NIV):“…'The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.'" Isaiah 49:3 (NIV):"He said to me, 'You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.'" Here's the problem… The prophecies about the suffering servant are some of the clearest prophecies of what Jesus would do & He fulfills them… b If the prophecies are talking about Israel (Jacob) and not Jesus then what do we do? Look, let me set this straight - even if these prophecies were not directly about Jesus, it would be ok, wouldn't be the end of faith in Him, but would be difficult… Let me read something to you that on first blush will seem innocuous: John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. b Jesus says, “I am the true vine" b That's a weird thing to say, why does He say it that way? He could have just said “I am the vine” and not have to qualify His metaphor… To answer, we have to go back to the OT and to Isaiah… Isaiah 5:7 7 The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Or Jeremiah 2:21 [God speaking of Israel] I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? b In the Old Testament Israel was called “the vine” and now Jesus is saying, “I am the True Vine…” b Jesus is saying He is replacing Israel as the vine… b But what about Israel is He replacing? We've been in the story of God for a long time now, and have covered a lot of ground… Do you remember the promise that God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? "through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed" b Israel was meant to be a blessing that would bring relationship with God back to all nations… and they failed… -Instead in the Story of God, we see them bringing division, war, pain, selfishness, and idolatry (with little moments of blessing) It's not their fault, not sure any group of people could do it, I actually think that was God's point, to show us “this” had to be the way… Jesus is the new Israel - He comes to redo their story and become the blessing… b Let me show you… Jesus will start His ministry by being baptized… he even says… Matthew 3:15 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this tho fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. b John's baptism was a baptism for forgiveness of sin and repentance (Mark 1:4). Jesus is being baptized not for sin and repentance, but because Israel began in a baptism of the red sea… b Jesus gets baptized, immediately goes into the desert and is tempted by the devil for 40 days (1 day for each year the Israelites were in the desert). b I believe the righteousness He's fulfilling is redoing Israel's story… He is redeeming their failure to follow God b As a matter of fact, Jesus does a TON of things Israel does or that happen in Israel's History… [Anthony, I will not read all this - will you put a caption for people to take a picture and schedule to post it on FB on Sunday at 1pm as well - I'll reference a few things, but that's it] Jesus does this over and over again: Baptism > Red Sea Crossing Temptation in Desert - Grumbling and abandoning the worship of Yahweh Water to wine > Moses will bring water from a rock Jesus multiplies loaves > Moses gives manna in the desert Jesus is the vine > Israel is the vine Jesus walked on water > Elisha made an axe head float Jesus fed multitudes (both Jews - 5k, and Gentiles - 4k) > Elisha fed 100 (2 Kings 4:42-44) Jesus raises woman's son to life, Jairus' daughter, & Lazarus > Elisha raises Shunammite woman's son Jesus came to serve not be served > Rehoboam - "you'll be my slaves" 12 Disciples > 12 Tribes Jesus heals lepers > Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy Jesus is in a turbulent sea following God's mission asleep in a boat, stands up and rebukes the storm > Jonah in a boat running from God's mission, asleep in the boat, asks to be tossed into the sea Jesus blood and body take becomes the new passover, quotes Moses "this is the blood of the covenant", Jesus will rescue us from the authority we gave over to the enemy "the god of this world" > Passover is given to the Jews as rescue from slavery Jesus goes up on a mountain, his face and clothes become brilliantly white, like light > Moses goes up to meet with God and get the 10 commandments and his face glows Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a Donkey > Solomon rode a donkey to be coronated King b What does all this mean? It means that when we read Isaiah, we are reading a prophecy written hundreds of years before Jesus came into the world that describes Jesus perfectly… b Jesus came to become the blessing to the whole world… A blessing to you… CLOSING: Isaiah 53 I want to close by reading Isaiah 53 to you… Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b] 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e]; by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g] and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h] because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Continuation of teaching on the prophecy of Obadiah against the character of the Edomites against their brehtren Israel/Jacob and how it will bring Godly judgment against them.  The passage also speaks towards how we should spiritually examin our character as believers.  Spiritual references: Obadiah 1:10-12

THE STORY OF JOSEPH - lesson 17 ALL ISRAEL BEFORE JOSEPH 144,000 BEFORE JESUS Joseph - the prototype of Jesus   This can't be!  No way!  Is there a possible connection in the saga of Joseph where his father Jacob comes to Egypt - all Israel before Joseph - and the events in Revelation 7?  Could be?  Just as "all" Israel (Jacob's name) and his entire family is delivered from the terrible 7 years of famine) so too will ALL Israel be delivered and saved in the days of the return of Messiah.  The saga of Joseph is so timely and has so much for us today in the 21st century. In this podcast, as in part 1, I provide four valuable links to study the amazing connections between Joseph and Jesus. The first is a short video that is a great introduction to this topic.  Here's the link ...  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQKadh0fVCo The second resource is an article at the excellent website "Hebrew4Christians."  The article goes deeper into the connections between Joseph and Jesus providing over 60 indisputable connections solidly based upon scripture and not opinion or speculation.  Here's link to the article ...    https://hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html A third resource you must have access to is a scholarly paper written by my graduate studies advisor, Dr. Ron Mosely.   In his paper Dr. Mosely discusses Joseph as a prototype of the the suffering Messiah just like David is a prototype of the conquering Messiah - https://www.academia.edu/3796976/Twice_Rejected_Mashiach_Ben_Joseph The final link is to Netivyah (The Way of the Lord) ministries in Jerusalem.  This is a Messianic Jewish ministry founded by Joseph Shulam, an amazing Jewish scholar who helps us reconnect to our Jewish roots of our faith.  This link is to a book written by one of their resident scholars, Elhanan ben Avraham, "Moshiach ben Yosef (Messiah the Son Of Joseph)".  I highly recommend you get this book and all the books you can buy from this ministry - https://netivyah.org/product/mashiach-ben-yoseph/ Another thing we studied in part 1 and it carries over into this podcast is what is a disciple?  A disciple in Jesus' day is one who follows a rabbi and wants more than anything else to be just like the rabbi; a disciple wants to live a life so that they are a reflection of their rabbi.  Here's the links I promised that are the vidcasts (videos) I did on the topic of Disciples and Apostles.  The video is in two parts. Part1 - Disciples and Apostles - https://lightofmenorah.podbean./e/truth-nugget-28-lesson-2-part-1-disciples-and-apostles/ Part2 - Disciples and Apostles - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nugget-28-lesson-2-part-2-disciples-and-apostles/ Here's a link to an excellent article on what a disciple was in the 1st century by Ray Vander Laan - https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim Ray has also done audio sessions on the concept of disciples of a rabbi in Jesus' day.  I will link you to the audio library and it is easy to slide down to the studies regarding disciples.  Check out the "Age of a Disciple" and the sessions entitled "Disciples Parts 1, 2, and 3" and the audio sessions "The Dust of the Rabbi." Here's the link - https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/category/Audio In this podcast I again mention that Bible study is a requirement for us as true followers of Jesus.  Matter of fact there is a renowned Messianic Gentile scholar, Dwight Pryor, who suggests that a church must provide Bible study and classes in order to obey Jesus to make disciples. As one studies what it really means to be a disciple of our rabbi, our Lord and Savior, our Yeshua, we find that as our "rabbi" was sent to teach so too His disciples are called to be sent by Him to teach.  But, to teach means we need to learn and thus we need to do Bible study.  That's for all believers in the church and just a select few. What is interesting, for those of us focused on the Jewish roots of our faith and our Hebrew heritage, is that the study of the Bible in Jesus' day was considered the highest form of worship!  Not prayer.  Not speaking in tongues.  Not singing and music.  No.  None of these.  The study of God's word by the young and the old in Jesus' day was considered at the top of the list for true followers of the Lord.  Below are two links to two excellent articles discussing this.  The first is written by Dwight Pryor - a highly credible and well known Gentile Messianic Christian Bible scholar and the second is written by Professor WA Liebenberg, a Messianic Jewish scholar at the Hebraic Roots Teaching Institute in Pretoria South Africa.  These are a must read to understand that to be true disciples of Adonai yeshua requires Bible study and not just Bible reading.  Check them out at these links ... Dwight Pryor's article - https://www.scribd.com/document/52577969/The-Highest-Form-of-Worship WA Liebenberg's article - https://se1490ea64a00a596.jimcontent.com/download/version/1685034709/module/12434580160/name/The%20Highest%20Form%20of%20Worship%20Is%20Studying%20The%20Word.pdf As we studied we encountered the contradiction between Gen. 46:27 where it says 70 came to Egypt and in Acts 7:14 it says 75.  I mentioned I would provide you with the text of the Septuagint for Genesis 46 to show it was changed!  The rabbis changed it.  Shown below is Genesis 46 of the Septuagint. Finally, I mentioned the links to study THE JEWISH RAPTURE.  These are videos of my personal study of the rapture and how I found it to be already in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament.  It is a totally Jewish concept and since we are "grafted in" as joint heirs with Israel it includes all of us as disciples of Adonai Yeshua.  Here's the link to the videos. Video 1 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-27-episode-1-part-1-the-rapture-restored/ Video 2 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-27-episode-1-part-2-historical-context-of-matt-2429-31/ Video 3 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-27-the-rapture-restored-lesson-2-part-1/ Video 4 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-27-the-rapture-restored-episode-2-part-2/ Video 5 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-27-rapture-restored-episode-2-part-3/ Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0  

Jacob, the patriarch who's name becomes Israel, has a history of not being fully obedient and running a very dysfunctional family. In this episode of Bible Backdrop, we see Jacob leave Laban, wrestle with God, reunite with Esau, not follow God's directions and then have his son's slaughter a Canaanite city. Jacob's story is one of constant failure, grace, and reconciliation. His story is both a warning and a beacon of hope for us. If you are enjoying Bible Backdrop, please leave a 5 star rating and review.

Jacob Magid, Times of Israel US Bureau Chief explains the aid situation in Gaza.

Jacob Magid, Times of Israel US Bureau Chief explains the aid situation in Gaza.

The Deliverer comes out of Zion to take away ungodliness and sin from all Israel-Jacob and Gentile.

In this podcast I overviewed the amazing dating of the Hebrew Bible by the great scholar Edwin Thiele.  I mentioned in the podcast that how did I come up with the date of 1916 B.C. for the year Joseph entered Egypt at age 17.  So, as promised, this rest of this article is to give more detail on Edwin Thiele's work and how we get to these dates.  Again, this is not something I came up with.  I don't teach my opinion or my speculations as fact.    I have studied the great scholar Edwin Thiele's work on the dating in 1 Kings 6:1 …   Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel (Jacob's other name) came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD Edwin Thiele's work and research is documented in his book, “The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings.” He shows that the 4th year of Solomon's reign is 966 B.C. which means the Hebrews left Egypt in 1446 B.C. (we get this by adding 966 and 480 or 966+480 = 1446 B.C. since we are going back in time).  But, how did Edwin Thiele come up with this date?  You'll hear many us this date but they will NOT know the source.  They will not be able to give you the historical research to show where this date came from its total reliability.  However, in Edwin's book this is shown.  Thiele is the one who gave us this date of 966 B.C.  Let's go see what Thiele discovered. Thiele was studying the ancient king lists of the ancient Assyrians.  In these lists, one called the Eponym Canon, references a solar eclipse in the reign of Assur-dan III in the month of Simanu.  Astronomers today easily found the date of this astronomical event as June 15, 763 B.C.  The Assyrians used this solar eclipse to give dates of the reigns of their kings dating from 892 to 648 B.C.  These king lists developed by the ancient Assyrians became their calendar.  Thiele saw that this seemed to be an accurate calendar and could be used to understand dates of events in other cultures and among other ancient peoples like the Hebrews in Israel.  But, was the Assyrian “calendar” correct?  Was it accurate?  Thiele needed to find another “calendar” that would support the dating in the Assyrian calendar. Thiele discovered another ancient writing, the CANON OF PTOLEMY, a Greek astronomer 70-161 A.D.  His writings relate to Middle Eastern history and include a very interesting event; it was a lunar eclipse that happened on March 19, 721 B.C. which was an easy date for our contemporary astronomers to determine.  This lunar eclipse and the dating used from this event in the Canon of Ptolemy result in another “calendar” if you will.  When one matches the Canon of Ptolemy with the Assyrian “calendar” one verifies the accuracy of the other.  Thiele discovered two amazing documents with two amazing astronomical events that resulted in precise dating of key events and reigns of kings in ancient time.  So, how does this help us in Bible dating? Since the Assyrian king list and its dates are now found by archaeology to be accurate we now know the exact dates of the reign of Shalmaneser III.  He reigned from 859-824 B.C.  Two of these years are critical for us.  The 6th year of Shalmaneser's reign and the 18th year.  First, let's focus on the 6th year of his reign. A tall rock with ancient writing was discovered in Turkey in 1851.  It is called the Kurkh Stele (image is public domain accessed at Wikimedia).  On this stele Shalmaneser write about the battle of Qarqar.  This battle occurred in the 6th year of his reign which now has easily been determined from the Assyrian king list as 853 B.C.  What is so awesome is on the stele the Assyrian king gives names of the kings he fought against in the battle.  Ready for this?  Here's our connected to the Bible.  Shalmaneser fought against Ahab who was married to Jezebel.  The Bible says that Ahab ruled for 22 years as we read in 1 Kings 16:29 … Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. So, the next question is of the 22 years of Ahab's reign, when did he fight in the battle of Qarqar?  On top of that when did Ahab die?  If we knew that then we'd know then Ahab started to rule as king of Israel, the northern 10 tribes.  In the year 1846 another amazing stone was discovered.  It is now known as the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III (image is public domain accessed at Wikimedia).  On this stone pillar there is an amazing picture; the picture and description is of king Jehu kneeling and paying tribute to the Assyrian king, Shalmaneser III.  Jehu became the king in Israel 12 years after Ahad died.  Just consider 2Ki 10:35-36 … And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son became king in his place. Now the time which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. Jehu reigned as king for 28 years.  On the Black Obelisk Assyrian ancient records state that it was the 18th year of Shalmaneser III when Jehu paid homage to Shalmaneser.  But, the 18th year of Shalmaneser's reign from the ancient Assyrian king's list is 841 B.C.  But, Ahab fought the battle of Qarqar in 853 B.C. as we saw on the Kurkh Stele.  Subtracting 853 and 841 is 853-841=12.  There were 12 years between the battle of Qarqar and when Jehu offered tribute to Shalmaneser.  The Bible helps us with those 12 years.  First we read in 2 Kings 8:25-26 that Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king after Ahab and was king for one year.  Then in 2 Kngs 1:17 and 3:1 we find that Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Ahaziah's brother became king when Ahaziah died and was king for 12 years.  Thiele also discovered that the first year of Jehoram's reign was what is called an accession year.  He officially became king after the accession year so only served for 11 years.  So, let's put this all together.  In 841 B.C. Jehu offers tribute to Shalmaneser III as we just saw.  841 B.C. is 12 years after the battle of Qarqar in 853 B.C. in which Ahab fought.  But, Ahab is killed in another battle as one can read in 1 Kings 22:29-40.  And in the 12 years after Ahab's death his son Ahaziah reigns for 1 year and then his other son Jehoram reigns for 11 years (we're not counting the accession year).  But, Jehu becomes king after Jehoram. We know the year.  It is 12 years after the battle of Qarqar of 841 B.C.  Which means Ahab dies in 853 B.C. in the same year as the battle of Qarqar and shortly thereafter.  This is huge!!  We now have the date of Ahab's death.  Why is this so important? From this date of 853 B.C. based upon real archaeology and history and also supported by the Bible, we can now go backwards in time to Solomon.  For example, Ahab dies in 853 B.C. but reigned for 22 years.  Ahab's reign then starts in 874 B.C. when his dad, Omri dies.  But Omri was king for 12 years as we read in 1 Kings 16:23.  We go back and through other connections between the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel we come to the year when Solomon became king.  Solomon became king in 970 B.C.  Now we can take this to the verse that we first considered 1 Kings 6:1 … Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel (Jacob's other name) came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign (966 B.C.) over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD If the 4th year of Solomon's reign is 966 B.C. then 480 years prior to this the sons of Jacob (Israel) left Egypt.  Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt in 1446 B.C. that we get by adding 966+480=1446 B.C.  From the Assyrian King list that Thiele discovered we now have the precise year of the Exodus.  Once we have this date things get very interesting very fast. As an “fyi” you can study this in more depth at the following links.  These are scholarly sites that help us understand the amazing and awesome work of Edwin Thiele to gives us the dating in the Bible.  Here's the links to check out … Article 1 – great extensive summary of Thiele's work https://www.andrews.edu/library/car/cardigital/Periodicals/AUSS/1996-2/1996-2-12.pdf Article 2 – a second awesome scholarly article on the exactness of Thiele's Bible chronology and its almost universal acceptance https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1497&context=auss Let's continue and take these dates into the events of Exodus and the events in the life of Joseph.  Jacob is Israel in the phrase "the sons of Israel" so this can be understood to mean that the sons of Jacob left Egypt in 1446 B.C. and in Exo. 12:4-41 … Now the time that the sons of Israel (Jacob) lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt This might be understood that Jacob (Israel) entered Egypt 430 years prior or in 1876 B.C.  All this from the dates Thiele came up with for the battle of Qarqar, Ahab's death, and the date of the 4th year of Solomon's reign. In 1446 B.C. Moses is 80 (Exo 7:6-7) and the likely Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus was Amenhotep II.  If Moses was 80 then Moses was born in 1526 B.C. and the Pharaoh then is probably Ahmoses I.  Ahmoses I defeated the Hyksos and could it be that Ahmoses enslaved the other Semites in the delta, the Hebrews, since Ahmoses needed to strengthen his northern border and stamp out the potential threat that could come from the Hebrews?  Ahmoses did build forts on his northern border.  This means he may have considered the Hebrews potential enemies since they we Semites just like the Hyksos. What better way to stamp out the threat then by enslaving the Hebrews.  Since Ahmoses I reign was probably 1570-1544 B.C. he could have put the clamps down on the Hebrews years before Moses' birth in 1526 B.C.   Returning back to 1446 B.C. and substituting the name Jacob for Israel one may conclude that Jacob (Israel and his sons) entered Egypt 430 years earlier or in the year 1876 B.C.  At this time Jacob (Israel) tells Pharaoh that he is 130 years old as found in Gen. 47:8-9.  He died 17 years later in 1859 B.C. as noted in Gen. 47:28.  Knowing Jacob's age upon entering Egypt and the year (thanks Edwin!!) we can then easily find the following ... * Jacob born in 2006 B.C. since he was 130 in 1876 * Isaac was born in 2066 B.C. since Isaac was 60 at Jacob and Esau's birth Gen. 25:26 * Since Abraham is 100 at the birth of Isaac in 2066 B.C. - as we find in Gen. 21:5 - then Abraham was born in 2166 B.C. * Abraham left Haran for Canaan when he was 75 years old or in the year 2091 B.C. as found in Gen. 12:4 Knowing the years of these events provides me with an interesting door that I have not entered yet.  If I go through the door I would be able to research what is going on in Egypt, the names of the pharaohs, and I could study the culture and history of Canaan and much more.  For example if I know the dating of when Abraham is in Canaan, might archaeology help me determine who Abimelech was that Abraham made a covenant with at Beer Sheba?  Could I determine using archaeology living conditions in the northern Negev and in ancient Hebron?   Once again taking Thiele's work and expanding its connection to the events prior to the Exodus, there is a very interesting result when this is applied to the life of Joseph.  See the chart below ... Since Jacob (Israel) was 130 when he entered Egypt in the year 1876 B.C. and died 17 year later in 1859 B.C. one can easily determine the connection between the ages of Joseph, the events in his life as found in Genesis, and the years these events would've occurred.  Use the chart above as a help as we go through the following.  Also, get your Bible handy and check the verses used. Starting in  Gen. 37:2 we find Joseph is 17 and he begins his work as 2nd in command of Egypt at age 30. He is 37 at the end of the 7 years of plenty in Gen. 41:53 and 39 or 40 in 2nd year of the famine when his brothers come to Egypt and later, probably the same year, Joseph meets his father Jacob again in Gen. 45:6, 47:9.   So, if Joseph is 39 or 40 when he meets his dad again and then Joseph is 56 or 57 when his dad dies 17 years later in 1859 B.C. we can now go back and assign years to the events in Joseph's life.  It is fascinating to consider that Joseph probably served under three pharaohs.  He started his work at age 30 in the year 1886/87 B.C. or the 12th Dynasty in Egypt.  The pharaoh in office at the time was Senusret II.  His reign ends in perhaps 1878 B.C. and Joseph would've been 38 years old and the seven years of famine would've ended.  The 7 years of famine would start 1879 or 1880 B.C. and continue into the reign of Senusret III.   See the chart below ... Above chart from Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. The American University in Cairo Press, London 2004 Joseph would serve under Senusret III (under this pharaoh all the Egyptians sold their land to the king and seemingly the government became centralized), Amenemhat III, and died in 1806 B.C. under Amenemhat IV.  Knowing the pharaohs is interesting that Senusret III took all the control away from the provincial governors in upper and lower Egypt that seems to relate to the events in Genesis where all Egyptians sold everything including their land (the possession that implies power) to Joseph (ala pharaoh).  Another fascinating thing to consider is the area of Faiyum - the amazing oasis west of the Nile.   Consider the following ... and and Accessed from the awesome and credible scholarly site on ancient Egypt -www.ancient.eu/Fayum/  It is interesting to assign actual years of the events in Joseph's life that are a result of Thiele's work as per the ancient Assyrian calendar.  When we do we see that the pharaohs connected to Joseph's reign were using the ancient area of Faiyum to irrigate and reclaim agricultural land.  Why?  What's the big deal?  Is there some reason to reclaim needed agricultural land and provide irrigation for other areas?  Perhaps this is connected to Joseph and 7 years of plenty and the 7 years of famine.  And when we assign years we find that the pharaoh who would've been the pharaoh in the 7 years of famine where the land all came under the control or the king is Senusret III.  And he historically did something similar as we find in the account in Genesis.  The last thing that was very exciting is extending the dating into the years before the Exodus and into the life of Joseph.  We find that Joseph died in 1806 B.C. (chart above) and this was 280 years before Moses was born in 1526 B.C.    However, Jacob and entered Egypt when he was 130 (1876 B.C.) , he died when he was 147 (1859 B.C.) when Joseph was 56/57 years old.  This means the "sons of Israel" or Jacob and his family lived for 17 years in Egypt until Jacob dies.  Joseph was 57 (I will use 57 for ease of calculation) when Jacob dies and lived another 53 years when he died at 110 as we read in Gen. 50:22.  That means the "sons of Israel" or the "sons of Jacob" lived another 53 years in Egypt until Joseph died for a total of 70 years.  But, Joseph died 280 years before Moses was born.  Finally, Moses and the Hebrews leave Egypt when Moses was 80.  So, the Hebrews lived 70 years in Egypt till Joseph died, another 280 years till Moses was born, and 80 more years till they left Egypt or a total of 430 years.  This is the exact number as found in Exod. 12:40.  I have always asked myself where did this number come from?  No one has explained it to me.  And then I extended Thiele's work into the Exodus and beyond.  I was "blown away" that Thiele's work verified Exod. 12:40 by me taking his work and assigning years to the Bible events.  This was so so exciting to say the least.  And we now read Gen. 39:1-4 knowing the year is actually happened, Joseph enters Egypt in 1916 B.C.   Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0  

As a Dvar Torah for Vayigash (Joseph's revealing himself to his brothers following Judah's speech), I explore the mitzvah of redeeming our captives and the limitations on the law "for the sake of Tikkun Olam." The conversation among American Jews about Gaza centers around "Ceasefire or No Ceasefire? What kind of Jew am I if I don't support stopping the bombing?" while the conversation in Israel is "Exchange terrorists for hostages? What kind of Jew am I if I don't bring my sister/brother home at any cost to an Israel bereaved beyond measure?"  In an amazing synchronicity with the Torah reading, the entire drama of all the parashiyot of the Joseph saga lead up to whether Judah will say for his brother Benjamin what he wouldn't say for Joseph, that he will do anything rather than fail to bring his brother home to his bereft father, an Israel who cannot bear further trauma. What kind of Judah/Jew am I if I don't bring my brother home to my heartbroken Israel? And there is Israel (Jacob), saying he will enter Sheol (the underworld) if he is forced to endure another son never coming home. The redemption of Jewish captives is one of the hightest mitzvot in Judaism. Why? And why does the Talmud and Jewish Legal codes say that one only refrains from doing so for the sake of Tikkun Olam?

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    Genesis 47   10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.   (The lesser is blessed of the greater:  Though Pharaoh ruled all of Egypt, Jacob, the lesser, blesses Pharaoh for the people of God are greater than the people of the world!)   11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.   12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.   13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.   14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.   15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.   16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.   17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.   18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:   19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.   20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.   21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.   22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.   23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.   24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.   25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.   26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.   27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.   28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.  

Why was Israel/Jacob mourned by Egyptians? Hint: It's not because of who he was!

A clever infinitive construct, my light, and the holy/mighty of Israel/Jacob. Follow along in Devarim 28:55, Yeshayahu 60:1, 14, 16. Provide your feedback or join the WhatsApp group by sending an email to torahreadingpodcast@gmail.com.  

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    Genesis 41:56-57   56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.   57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.   God showed Joseph what to do and put Joseph in a position to do what God showed him.  By God came provision for many people and kept families alive on the earth, including the 12 tribes of Israel.  

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak Boleng in Labuan Bajo, Diocese of Ruteng, Indonesia. Genesis 46: 1-7.28-30; Rs psalm 37: 3-4.18-19.27-28.39-40; Matthew 10: 16-23 BE PREPARED FOR RISKS   Our meditation today has the theme: Be Prepared for Risks. Getting ready is a mental state full of attention and alertness for actions or deeds to be carried out. If the action is something normal, ordinary and planned, readiness can be understood as something normal and ordinary. But if what is faced is a risk or danger that comes often unexpectedly, that readiness must be something extraordinary.   The risk for Israel (Jacob's family) in the land of Canaan who decided to emigrate to Egypt can be classified in readiness to face risks. The most serious thing was that they had to become foreigners in the land of people who did not believe in God unlike them and had to submit to being slaves under Egyptian rule after the death of Joseph. This risk is the same as accepting the reality of crawling on the ground to be trampled by people compared to living in the promised land of Canaan.   Jesus gave a list of risks and dangers that were awaiting for His disciples because they had believed and used His name. The most serious thing was that they had to experience suffering and persecution like Jesus Christ experienced. This means they were to prepare to lose their lives. This risk is heavy and not to become a slave to any human being, but to become a servant of God. This risk is faced with preparedness, not for the fulfilment of physical needs or survival like the Israelites. This is the price of a call to follow Christ. Its real motivation is spiritual.   Preparation for the risks is different from daring to face risks. Being prepared contains a spiritual power where a person is calm, optimistic, confident and willing for whatever form of risk would be faced. If the risk is heavy and unexpected, he will face it with enthusiasm, willingness and smile. If the risk is small, he does not underestimate or just relax. While the one who dares refers to the determination to react against the risks that will be faced. Even clash and conflict in words and actions easily occur between the opposing parties.   As followers of Christ, we deserve to choose an attitude of being prepared, alert and attentive, because this is a priority. The scriptures always give us advice and commands to always be ready, alert and attentive to God's signs. This attitude will be very useful if we are faced with the risks of every choice we make. Choices and decisions related to our faith and calling do have great risks, so we should be prepared to face them.   Let's pray. In the name of the Father... In Your power O Father, enable us to face all forms of risk for choosing to side with You, by following Your Son Jesus Christ. We hope that by going through those risks, we can achieve perfection as You yourself are perfect. Our Father who art in heaven... In the name of the Father... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/media-la-porta/message

Israel (Jacob) blessed his 12 sons before he died. Last episode of season 4.

Devotional Prayer by Be Inspired by His Word © Song Bow down and worship Him Bow down and worship Him Worship Him Oh worship Him Consuming fire, sweet perfume Its awesome presence, fill this place For this is his Holy ground So come and bow down At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached [the altar] and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back [to You].” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, and even the stones and the dust; it also licked up the water in the trench. 1 Kings 18:36‭-‬38 AMP Prayer Holy one of Israel I honour your name and worship you Jehovah thank you for this beautiful day and grace of life Lord thank you for the forgiveness of sin and your blood shed for my salvation Lord thank you for your word and the divine revelation and understanding given to me through the word Lord you are the consuming fire, I come to you this day consume all unpleasant situation Father let your rain of fire fall on all evil altar raised against my destiny Father show yourself great in my life and show every contender that I serve a living God Lord over my health let your fire consume every seed you have not planted in my health Lord rain your fire upon every authority and leadership that is causing havoc and pain Lord over this nation and nations around the world arise and scatter the plans of the enemy Lord concerning the vessel used for this daily prayers, all impacted by it and our household let your fire consume every evil ordinance written and raised against your will for us *Intercede for your family* Thank you abba father for answered prayers in Jesus name *Confess Daily: Sin shall not have dominion over me I am operating in the power of the word of God. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by faith as Jesus is so am I in this world. The consuming fire of God has destroyed all opposition against my rising. God has silenced the enemies and mockers of my destiny. The grace of God is upon me and His light shines in my path daily. Hallelujah!* Today's Prayer by Be Inspired (by His Word) © 3rd May 2023 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/be-inspired-by-his-word/message

Here's an illustration to start. My wife's favorite book among the Chronicles of Narnia is _The Magician's Nephew_. It is the sixth of the seven in publication order, though it's actually the creation account and so first of them all in terms of Narnian chronology. The reason she likes it the most is because of the treasure of finding out the origin of the tree from which the wood came that was used to make the wardrobe in the Professor's house. You can read the series oldest to newest if you prefer grape juice narratives; but the author has poured this round of plot wine to gladden your heart. Someone says, Who cares about where the wood for the wardrobe came from? The author did, and he thought it a thrill to reveal it at the right time. Don't you want to at least see what he cares about before deciding it's of no value to you? The same author who had an origin story for the wood in the wardrobe had an even deeper origin for the Narnian law that “if a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table would crack, and Death itself would start working backwards.” Aslan's resurrection is quite the spoiler to the wicked. Nothing beats the suffering and death and resurrection story in the gospel of Christ. That news is of first importance, the true myth at both the most woeful low and the highest peak, revealed at the right time. And what we're reading in Romans 9-11 may be next best in terms of glory stories. We're finding out things that could have been known but mostly weren't noticed, things that look one way on the surface but work together toward a perfect last page. It's more than entertainment, it's faith-food; read meat protein that builds hope-muscles. The righteous live from faith to faith. That means the righteous don't live by works, but it also means the righteous don't live by sight. We live by every word that proceeds from God. What about when we groan in a world of sin and suffering? What about when we're led like sheep to the slaughter? Will His Word hold? What about when He said that He would give Israel a new heart? What about that covenant word? His Word doesn't fail. Read the story, follow the foreshadowing, and rejoice in your part. # The Remnant - Chosen by Grace (verses 1-6)At the beginning of chapter 9 Paul pointed out Israel's privileges. At the beginning of chapter 10 Paul expressed his desire and prayer for Israel's salvation. He's talking like this because Israel, for the most part, were more like Pharaoh than Moses; they refused to obey the Lord though He gave them multiple chances. Yet “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people” (Romans 10:21). It's time to ask the hard question: **I ask, then, has God rejected his people?**The Jews, as a nation, those who shared biological descent and ethnic particulars and often specific geographical boundaries, were *God's people*. Yahweh chose them (Deuteronomy 7:6), He led them, He redeemed them, He gave them His law, He made covenants with them, He established them (2 Samuel 7:23-24). All of them were His elect people and yet not all of them were *elect* persons. It was (and is) possible for Israelites to be one of God's people in two ways, though many have only been in one way. Jesus came to His own and His own received Him not. It was not priests of pagan deities that put Him to death, but the high priest of Israel in the Lord's name. What a turn of events. Did God turn away from His Word to Israel? Is He *done* with His covenant to them, finally had too much of their apostasy, their refusal to come to Him with His hands held out? **By no means!** Paul's conversion was at least one proof. **For I myself am an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin,** a Jewish trifecta. To the Philippians he added that he was “a Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). That at least *one* Jew confessed Jesus as Lord meant that God hadn't rejected His people entirely, and Paul had been one of the worst offenders (1 Timothy 1:15-16).**God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.** Samuel told the people as much in 1 Samuel 12:22. “The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for Himself.” So also in Psalm 94:14, “The LORD will not forsake His people; He will not abandon His heritage.” In context that's *Israel* (even if we Gentile believers can sing it, confident in its application to us). He chose them with full-knowledge, with full-intentions for them. “The ‘foreknowing' is the guarantee” (Murray).Paul gives an example.> Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (Romans 11:2b–4 ESV)Speaking of great stories (that the Jews at least should have known), this conversation between Elijah and the Lord happened *after* Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal and had to have his altar drenched and a trench filled before “the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38). But when Jezebel heard that the priests were killed she sent word that she was going to make Elijah's life like theirs within 24 hours (1 Kings 19:2). So he ran. And in the wilderness he prays, in an exhausted if not somewhat exaggerated self-pity, that he's alone; he says he's the “only” one left twice (1 Kings 19:10, 14). But the Lord said, **”I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal”** (1 Kings 19:18).God preserved, *for Himself* (not in the Hebrew of 1 Kings but supplemented by Paul for emphasis), some as no-compromisers. They would not give knee-service to false gods. There's application to the current situation. **So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.** Paul was included in that remnant (see also Romans 9:27). The Jews were—and are—God's people, His chosen nation (in a way that no other nation has or will be. That doesn't mean a nation can't be a Christian nation, in self-confessed allegiance to Christ as Lord. But even a nation such as that isn't foreknown like Israel.) This **remnant** has been around now through 20 centuries post-Paul; all are not lost. They will be around in every generation until the fulness of Israel is saved, more about as chapter 11 continues. But it is not by Israel's doing, or the remnant's special wisdom, that they are saved. **If it is by grace, it is no longer on the bases of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.** The gospel of grace includes justification by faith alone, for the elect alone. # The Rest - Hardened as Planned (verses 7-10)So **what then?** (*Quid ergo?*) There's a remnant, at least, but what about the rest? **Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened**. This goes back to Romans 9. God's purpose according to election stands, for nations (e.g., Israel not Egypt) and persons (e.g., Israel/Jacob not Esau), for temporal and eternal issues. Israel kept seeking, with *zeal*, a righteousness of their own that caused them to stumble (Romans 9:31-32). That the **elect obtained it** isn't meaning that they found it by their superior wisdom, but that they obtained the gift, by grace, as verses 5-6 make clear. **Hardened** here is a form (aorist passive) of the word πωρόω, with the nuance of “to petrify” or in medical terms “to cause a stone to form (as in the bladder) or a callus which unites fractured bones.” Its figurative usage means “to make without feeling, to deaden.” The text does not indicate that they were hardened because of unbelief but instead that the hardening produced unbelief. Paul quotes Isaiah and Moses yet again, then a psalm of David to corroborate. > as it is written, > “God gave them a spirit of stupor, > eyes that would not see > and ears that would not hear, > down to this very day.” (Romans 11:8 ESV)Romans 11:8 is a mashup of Isaiah 29:10 and Deuteronomy 29:4. It's one thing for God to harden Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh was a pagan after all. This is God giving a **spirit of stupor** to God's chosen nation; they were numbed, dazed, drawing a blank. Jesus talked about this a surprising amount (see just one example in Matthew 13:14-15). > And David says, > “Let their table become a snare and a trap, > a stumbling block and a retribution for them; > let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, > and bend their backs forever.” (Romans 11:9–10 ESV)This comes from Psalm 69:22-23, originally a curse directed against David's enemies. Their daily bread become a trap; they wanted the feasting without the fear of the Lord. Their unbelief turned them out of freedom into being servants with their backs bent under heavy burdens. # ConclusionThe story is about to explode; a seed was planted, a tree grew, the tree was blown down, but more wonderful fruit is coming from it. God could have chosen full acceptance by Israel from the start, and from there a simple sequential spreading of faith to the Gentiles. Instead God chose that a majority in Israel would reject the promised Christ, then to send the good news beyond Israel so that many would confess Christ as Lord among many nations, so that Israel would be provoked to turn back to the promised Christ (see Romans 11:11-12). It's Israel's story, and it's not finished. What are you supposed to do with this? Don't pout like Elijah, don't doubt God's purpose of election, and recognize the riches of God's grace you've received.----------## ChargeHave you noticed that I've not once, not ever, charged you to go be a pastor, or a vocational missionary? That might be the calling for a few of you, but never the majority of the body. That means that whatever your gifts and whatever your spiritual maturity, *you* have good to do. Is it sharpening your intellectual acumen for the education of the saints and defense of the faith? Do it. Is it building up your hosting courage and getting outside your food prep comfort zone? Do it. Is it surviving another round of chemo, or another week of being pregnant, or seeking the Lord's help with a sadness that won't lift? Beloved, do that. Get grace for that. Give thanks for those who do what you can't do. Be jealousable where you're supposed to be, not where someone else is supposed to be. ## Benediction:> [M]ay our God may make you worthy of his calling and fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, ESV)

Won't it be interesting if we can know the "common traits" of people who have flourished in the Holy Bible? In this sermon, Rev. Johnson shares deep insights from the life of Israel (Jacob) & King David on some of the common traits that helped them flourish in the will of God. Learn and emulate these common traits so you also can live a life of flourishing. Hear and be blessed! FLOURISH 2023 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 If New Here, We Welcome You And Are Also Glad You Are Here. Subscribe and Click The Bell Icon To Receive Notifications and Stay Motivated during the Week. To Receive Our WhatsApp Broadcast Messages Click On The Link Below : https://bethelag.in/whatsapp Link of Our Previous Sunday Service YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/KGWATAt_Qwg FOLLOW US ! ​ Website : https://bethelag.in Twitter : https://twitter.com/bethelag YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/TempleofGodGlobal Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/TempleofGodGlobal Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/TempleofGodGlobal Download TOG APP on Google play Store : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tft.wow Apple App Store : https://apps.apple.com/in/app/temple-of-god/id1523112898

Sermon Outline: Confess that the Father of the glorious house has children who look fatherless Confess that sin is unthinkable considering how God deals with people Confess that sin is unthinkable considering how sin deals with people Call on the mercy of the Father to complete a household which shows His glory Family Discussion Questions: Why is this passage talking about Gods inner parts? In what ways had Israel started looking fatherless? What is it about God that makes sin so unthinkable? What is it about sin that makes sin so unthinkable? Why is it comforting to be able to call on Gods mercy when we have sinned? Why is it comforting to be able to call on God to complete building his house when we have sinned? What is meant by the fact that Abraham and Israel (Jacob) wouldnt acknowledge these people? How is it that people are responsible for their sin, yet God is sovereign over it? How is that a warning? How is that a comfort? How does 64:5 teach us about what it looks like to walk as Gods children? How does 64:6 correct the thought that we can save ourselves by our good works? How can God take responsibility to have a holy household when he has adopted billions of sinful people? (Hint: justification, sanctification, and glorification). What are some bad ways to call on God after you have fallen into sin?

There are many interesting characters in the Bible story. Among those there is Judah, fourth son of Israel (Jacob). Judah's life journey is a great story of redemption for us to follow. Open your Bible as we discuss this important, sometimes overlooked, Bible character, and some lessons we can learn from his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel (Jacob) finds it hard to believe that his son, Joseph, is still alive and finally makes his way to Egypt when he learns his son is now second in command over all of Egypt. As the family of Israel settles into the land of Goshen, an Egpytian suburb, tensions grow between this growing tribe and the nation of Egypt.

‘If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. ‘ Exodus 21:10-11 ‘“ ‘Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living. ‘ Leviticus 18:18 Several of the great patriarchs of the Bible had multiple wives Moses, Israel (Jacob), Esau, David, Solomon, and many more all had multiple wives. “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭ There has never been a Black Civilization Historically or Present Day where the Black Man was required to have only one woman. Monogamous Marriage is a White Roman European ideal that has never existed in any Black Civilizations EVER CREATED: “Marriage in ancient Rome was a strictly monogamous institution: a Roman citizen by law could have only one spouse at a time. The practice of monogamy distinguished the Greeks and Romans from other ancient civilizations (such as the Egyptians, the Ethiopians, the Persians, the Israelites, etc) in which elite males typically had multiple wives. Greco-Roman monogamy may have arisen from the egalitarianism of the democratic and republican political systems of the city-states. It is one aspect of ancient Roman culture that was embraced by early Christianity, which in turn perpetuated it as an ideal in later Western culture.”

Genesis 45:16–47:28When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.'“You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.'”So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don't quarrel on the way!”So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”“Here I am,” he replied.“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes.”Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.The sons of Reuben:Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.The sons of Simeon:Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.The sons of Levi:Gershon, Kohath and Merari.The sons of Judah:Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).The sons of Perez:Hezron and Hamul.The sons of Issachar:Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.The sons of Zebulun:Sered, Elon and Jahleel.These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.The sons of Gad:Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.The sons of Asher:Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.Their sister was Serah.The sons of Beriah:Heber and Malkiel.These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel:Joseph and Benjamin. In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.The sons of Benjamin:Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.The son of Dan:Hushim.The sons of Naphtali:Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?' you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children.There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”“You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's.Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.

En este episodio leemos sobre el profeta Oseas.

A man lang in ih thau a kiam bang cih bawl ding // Health talk.Kawikawi + Tang thu ngaih pen // Chin Gospel Songs.

Abraham (formerly called Abram) is viewed as one of the most important persons if not the most important person in Scripture besides Yeshua Himself. YeHoVaH introduced Himself to Moses as the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel/Jacob.  The faith we confess today started with the faith of Abraham.  In this passage, Abram was commanded to get out of his country, get away from his kindred, and get from his father's house.  Because Abraham was emotionally connected to his family, he brought with him his father, Terah, and nephew, Lot.  In spite of this, Abraham trusted YeHoVaH and YeHoVaH made several everlasting promises to Abraham in this passage.   

It's been nearly one year to the date we decided to work through the book of Genesis in our podcast. It became it's own animal. We've gone from creation, to the flood, through Abraham and line until Joseph. In chapter 50, Israel (Jacob) is dead, honored and buried, and when Joseph models forgiveness once again. The tribes of Israel are in Egypt, setting them up for Exodus, through which God becomes known to not just a family, but a nation of his people. Join Pastor Galen, Ken Will, Austin Miesner and producer Kasey Orr as we finish the final chapter of Genesis. What's next? Good question! We have lots of ideas of what to do next with our podcast. We'll now run the sermon portion of each Sunday's message the following Monday. On Wednesday, Galen and Nathan Winters will still tackle current events from the Christian perspective. Starting in March, every Friday will be a new set of podcast episodes covering all kinds of subjects in more of a devotional format. Some will be single episodes, some multiple parts, but all of them tackling different subjects while relating directly to scripture and application to our daily lives. They will all come out here on the Cheyenne Hills Podcast channel wherever you get your podcast, so be sure to turn on notification so you don' miss a thing! From all of us, thank you for joining us on this journey through Genesis, and as always, "Be strong and very courageous." God bless you!

Although chapter 48 described the death Israel (Jacob), Genesis 49 goes into detail of Israel giving his sons their inheritance and blessings. For the brothers, it's a mixture of praise, judgement and prophesy with implications reaching generations, if not millennia. Pastor Galen, Ken Will, Austin Miesner and producer Kasey Orr explore all of these in this episode.

Here we see the meeting of Joseph with his father, Israel (Jacob) after some 15 plus years of separation, and really of Israel thinking Joseph was dead.  But the reunion is short and right away Joseph the great strategist starts giving advice to his family on what to say to Pharaoh.  

Reaching the end of his life, Israel (Jacob) has a favor to ask of Joseph. With Pastor Galen, Ken Will, Austin Miesner and producer Kasey Orr.

The adults were all out sick, so the young'ens took over the studio to form this episode's special cast. Israel (Jacob) finally sets eyes upon his son again, and Joseph prepares them for an introduction to Pharaoh with very specific terms. Youth Pastor Austin Miesner, Graphic Designer Evan Greubel and Media Producer Kasey Orr fill in to tackle some hidden questions from this otherwise simple passage.

Unlike his father Israel (Jacob), Judah is willing to step up and lead with action..

The Book of Obadiah is God's word to encourage His discouraged and defeated people who are living in exile, to remind them that God will ultimately triumph over their enemies through retribution, restitution, and restoration. Obadiah prophesies God's judgment on Edom (Esau) for their participation in atrocities against Israel (Jacob). This is a family feud that begins in Genesis 25 in the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau.

Family feuds are tough. Unfortunately, it all centers on pride. For many years, my mom's sister refused to communicate with me or my parents. All over a disagreement my aunt had with my dad. I had nothing to do with it, yet, I was also shunned. Both very prideful, neither would apologize, neither would back down. Even after I moved to Miami, just a few miles away from her, it wasn't until my dad passed away that she finally reached out to me. The Old Testament is full of family feuds, but the one highlighted by the prophet Obadiah, stems way back to the twin boys, Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25. For years, Israel (Jacob) was more powerful that Edom (Esau). Interestingly enough, the Edomites were atheists. Where the Israelites were supposed to worship God, and the other area nations had their respective false gods, Edom worshiped no one but themselves. They behaved badly against their own kin and God here is fed up with them. Let's dig in… Keep reading in my blog where there are links to dig deeper and watch the special video at the bottom…. If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then… Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly… “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Or visit: https://giselleaguiar.com/how-to-invite-jesus-into-your-heart/ FREE Ebook! The Catholic Mission Field in Our Backyards How to help open the eyes of your Catholic friends and family to the Truth about the Salvation of Jesus Christ (without starting a battle). A Guide for born-again Christians. https://giselleaguiar.com/free-ebook-the-catholic-mission-field-in-our-backyards/ Which is the Best Study Bible to Give a Catholic? (affiliate link) http://giselleaguiar.com/which-study-bible-is-best-to-give-a-catholic/ This is a daily podcast, published each evening. Subscribe so can get to know God. And please share this with your friends. Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

The last episode ended with Jacob on the run. A situation many of us have been in with our relationship with God. Yet, the Bible tells an extraordinary story of redemption. It is not all easy though. The same problems Jacob ran from follow him wherever he goes until he is ready to fully surrender to God.Check out more of More Than That:https://www.michaelcoridan.com/Twitter: @themorethanpodInstagram: The_More_Than_Podcast

Moses' life was in danger from the moment he was born. He was an Israelite—a descendant of Israel (Jacob)—living in Egypt after Jacob's family had moved there, seeking food during a famine. Jochebed hid her baby boy as long as she could—about three months—before she put him in a basket among the reeds of the... The post Weekly Leader Training for Preschool & Kids: Unit 4, Session 1—God Called Moses appeared first on The Gospel Project.

Jacob's life was extremely messy! However, through seemingly ordinary events, God was at work in his life. Learn the process of transformation in Jacob's life and how God can do the same for you.Check out more of More Than That:https://www.michaelcoridan.com/Twitter: @themorethanpodInstagram: The_More_Than_Podcast

Wednesday, 20 October 2021   to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” Acts 1:25 In the previous verse, the apostles prayed that the Lord would reveal which two of the candidates to replace Judas was to be chosen. That prayer continues with the words, “to take part in this ministry.”   Here, the same word as was used in 1:17, , or “lot,” is used again (although some texts use the word “place” instead of “lot”). This word signifies the casting of the lot. The Lord is the director of the lot (see the commentary on 1:17). As such, Jesus' decision concerning apostolic appointment was authoritative because He is the Lord.   Having rightly interpreted the Scriptures concerning what happened to Judas (as noted in verses 20 and 21), Peter and those with him are clearly directed to replace him with a suitable candidate in order to further the ministry, which is – as the prayer next states – “an apostleship.”   Not only were they to fill a void in the ministry, but they were to do so in accord with the apostolic ministry. The term “apostle” signifies one who is sent. There is a close connection between the two. Just as an ambassador personally represents the nation or leader of a nation, so the apostle is personally sent and bears the name (and/or title) of the one who sends him.   In this case, it is the apostleship “from which Judas by transgression fell.” In other words, due to his transgression, the apostleship was lost to him. Being dead, that is obvious, but it is specifically noted that the events which brought that about were because of transgression.   The word, translated as “transgression,” is a verb now used for the last of three times. It is a compound word, parabainó, coming from words signifying “beside” and “go.” Hence, it signifies willful, defiant stepping over a set line. A more literal and correct translation would be to simply say, “from which Judas fell away.”   The only other two uses of this word are found in Matthew 15 –   “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 ‘Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.' 3 He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?'” Matthew 15:1-3   Judas' actions caused him to fall away from his part (his allotted portion) in the ministry, so “that he might go to his own place.” The verb “go” is an infinitive. A more literal rendering would be, “fell away Judas to go to the place his own.” It's not that he “might” go there. It is that his actions resulted in going there.   Further, the way the Greek words are stated, translated as “his own,” it is more intensive than simply saying “his.” It signifies that he is specifically designated for this place. This is reflected in the Lord's words in John 17 –   “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” John 17:12   This explains the words “his own place.” The word “perdition” signifies destruction or cutting off. Judas is set to never receive an inheritance with those saved through the blood of Christ. Instead, he is forever cut off from such a hope.   This is the prayer that has been set forth by those gathered. Judas has lost his allotted portion due to his falling away. This must be corrected according to Scripture. Therefore, the apostles rightly take action to do so, first by praying, and next by doing what was the set custom in Israel for handing such matters. That will be seen in the coming verse.   Life application: It is a common teaching that the actions of the apostles are unsanctioned, and that the apostle to be chosen is not legitimate. This is because Paul clearly becomes an apostle of Jesus. The logic is that if this apostle is the twelfth, and there are supposed to be only twelve apostles, then it is Paul who is the rightful twelfth. Thus, this is an illegitimate appointment.   The reason this is accepted as such is because of what is stated in Revelation concerning the foundation stones of New Jerusalem –   “Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14   It is an incorrect analysis, and it bears the exact same problem as the twelve gates of New Jerusalem –   “Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.” Revelation 21:12, 13   The “twelve tribes” of Israel as noted in Revelation 7 are not the same as the twelve sons born to Jacob. Manasseh is listed along with Joseph, while Ephraim and Dan are not named. The pattern of the fourteen names was described in a previous commentary and it explains the pattern set forth for the “tribes (sons) of Israel” and the “twelve (fourteen) apostles.”   The question of which tribes of Israel will be inscribed on the gates, and which apostles will be named on the foundations is an incorrect way of looking at what is said in Revelation.   The point of the symbolism given there is that of the unity of government (the number twelve). Just as there were actually fourteen sons of Israel (Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh for inheritance purposes), and as those sons are variously listed in the rest of Scripture, there are fourteen named apostles (Judas, Matthias, and Paul all reckoned in this). Thus, the “names” of the sons of Israel on the gates, and the “names” of the apostles on the foundation, do not have to be their actual names at all. Rather, this is simply a way of saying that the proclamation of these is united. That proclamation is JESUS.   He is the focus of everything going on in Scripture. The tribes of Israel anticipated Messiah and the apostles proclaimed Messiah that had come. This is actually seen in Paul's words of 1 Corinthians 3:11 –   “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”   When we lose our focus on what the Bible is pointing to, we make the error of inserting our own presuppositions into what is being conveyed. When the apostles gathered together in Acts 1 to choose a successor for Judas they did not err. Rather, they have been obedient to Scripture in choosing a replacement for the one who fell away.   Let each of us likewise be obedient to the word as it is set before us, taking it in context and applying its precepts to our own lives.   Lord God, Your word often has difficulties in it that arise in what is said. And yet, if we take the word as a whole, we can often find out the resolution to the difficulty. It just takes study, contemplation, and setting aside our own presuppositions. So, Lord, help us to be faith in pursuing Your word all our days. Amen.   You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at "Discern the Bible" on YouTube.

We wrap up our summer series on Genesis with one last look at Joseph as he buries his father Israel (Jacob). As he struggles with the promise he made to his dad, Joseph has to make a choice that's all too familiar to many of us…Do we take the path that's safe? Or the path that's Godly? The story that … Read More → The post Podcast – GENESIS: Which Way To Go From Here? appeared first on West Seattle Christian Church.

Isaiah 48:1-11 Chapter 48 stands as a summary of what the LORD has been saying all along in chapters 40-47, only now the prevailing themes only intensify! The LORD is merciful and holy; Israel is idolatrous and unrighteous.  Unless something or someone relents or changes, the relationship will end as an eternal stalemate/deadlock.  In chapter 48, the LORD challenges Israel (Jacob) to define the relationship.  Verses 1-11 define the relationship in light of the present moment.  Next week, in verses 12-22 the relationship will be defined moving forward.

Psalm 114 follows 113 as the 2nd of the 'Hallel' (praise) Psalms which continue through 118. These become the featured songs commemorating the deliverance of the Lord through the ages at festivals and feast. Historians often place the authorship of this Psalm post Babylonian exile due to its use of 'Judah' with reference to the whole of the people of God. One can certainly imagine a worthy occasion for its use, if not its authorship, as the remnant returns to rebuild the Holy City after 70 years in exile. Ps 114 is poetically rich in its use of parallels, a classic example of this recurring feature of Biblical poetry. Virtually every noun appears with a pairing (Egypt/people of strange language, Israel/Jacob, sanctuary/dominion, Judah/Israel, Sea/Jordan, Mountains/hills, rams/lambs, rock/flint, pool/spring...etc.). The implications of this text are manifold especially within the pages of scripture which expound, confirm, and fulfill its themes. Yet applications can be mined from this theologically mineral rich song as well. One application by way of introduction... When one considers the track record of obedience weighing nations vs. nature, which of these 2 'servants of the Lord' has been more faithful through the ages? Has the sea or the wind, the mountains or sunrise ever disobeyed their creator? Though the natural order is featured more extensively in this text... It only adds to the body of revelation proving God's mercy toward us including His grace convicting us to listen to the Word of our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord as attentively as the seas and mountains listen at His command. Sanctify us Lord as behold Your Word...!

Various Scriptures Thy Kingdom Come As humans we are very interested in kingdoms. Just consider the concept of a fairy tale. Among other things, the requirements to meet that genre includes some battle with good and evil and royalty. A kingdom that has something wrong that needs to be made right by a hero. Narnia Arendale Neverland Wonderland The Pride lands What compels people to keep writing these kinds of tales? What makes them so interesting to children and adults alike? We even call these timeless classics. Why? Because they transcend generations. And even continents. They have universal, wide appeal. Why? Where does this originate? I believe it is because this reflects the indelible imprint of the image of God in man. We establish kingdoms because God is a king with a kingdom who delegates authority to humanity. And we understand that corruption spoils this kingdom and we want to be in a kingdom with a good king, and joyful subjects and vanquished evil, where everyone lives happily ever after. Take your favorite fairy tale off the shelf this afternoon and go read it and you can predict how the story is supposed to end. The kingdom is one of the key themes in Scripture. The concept of kingdom is all over the Scriptures. From a statistical point of view, all but three books in the Old Testament speak of the kingdom. In the New Testament the kingdom is spoken of in all but six books. All in all, 57 of the 66 books of the bible have the theme of the kingdom.1 So kingdom language is found at the beginning and end. The story begins with God as King and man’s right to rule under Him. It then culminates with God on the throne and man reigning under Him over a new earth.2 The Bible’s storyline shows how the kingdom created goes to the kingdom fallen, which then leads to the kingdom restored. This storyline is centered and anchored in Jesus the Messiah.3 I want to set before you this morning the thrilling reality of Jesus the coming King. He is going to be revealed as king and this is to be our great hope. Last week we saw that the coming kingdom is not connected to the rise and fall of America. It is not brought about through moral or immoral leaders. It transcends any earthly legates. Jesus is bringing about a kingdom that you get the privilege of belonging to. And it is a kingdom that can never be threatened or hastened by wars and rumors of wars. It isn’t guaranteed by the constitution, or a peace treaty, and you lie against Christ, you can imprison and kill his people, but the kingdom will come. As we saw last week, this confounded Pilate. Jesus told him straight up, that his kingdom did not originate from this world. My ambition over the next minutes together is to fill your mind with truth about the kingdom of God. And that as that truth engages your mind, you will be filled with joy… expectation… comfort… hope… anticipation. We are to pray for this kingdom to come. We are to anxiously await the revelation of this kingdom. We are to live as though we belong to this kingdom. We are to invite others to enter with us into this glorious kingdom. This is going to confront some ways that we think wrongly about the coming kingdom. It exposes a lack of faith: Misplaced hope in seeing the kingdom here and now on your own terms—political peace, relational peace, etc. Discontent from trying to find contentment in this current life with a groaning creation—if I could just get to …. If I could just … then I’d be content. Lies abounding… censorship of Christian ideas… immoral men and women ascending to high positions of leadership in powerful organizations and government… tend to get fearful and fret Whether you pine for the good stuff or just want less of the bad, it is within all of our hearts. But how you handle that desire or that fear is very important. Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Matthew 6:9–10 (ESV) Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. What are you praying for, exactly? Are you asking God to save more people? To expand the church? To expand his rulership over all of creation? We get a clue about his will being done on earth as it is in heaven… a clue that the kingdom being spoken of here is looking toward a day where God’s will is not merely decreed and coming about in that manner in the world. But it is being manifested. A time when you could look around and say, “I see that this and this and this and this is according to God’s will.4 If you are anything like me, often times it is a bit fuzzy. I can point to aspects of this kingdom, but it isn’t always the clearest concept with clearly defined lines. We know that one day Jesus will be revealed as the king: Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV) Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We are to be like Joseph of Arimathea in Luke 23:51 who was waiting for the kingdom… I want to introduce this with a couple of definitions and then we are going to look at several passages beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. First, it seems rather obvious, but what is a kingdom? The concept of “kingdom” includes at least three essential elements: Ruler—a kingdom involves a ruler with rightful and adequate authority and power. Realm—a kingdom involves a realm of subjects to be ruled. Rulership—a kingdom involves the exercise of ruling. All three elements are needed for a kingdom, including active ruling.5 This bears itself out. A kingdom requires a ruler (one with authority), a realm (a place to rule over), and a reign.6 J. Alvin McClain There can be no kingdom in the truest sense without the ruler, the realm, and the reigning function.7 Consider then a kingdom isn’t really a kingdom unless you have each of these three components.. So, for example, in Nigeria there are currently many kings—no one has an exact count, but it is estimated to be in the thousands. Every tribe has a king. I met someone who said they were related to the king of Nigeria and I thought, “wow, that’s kinda hard to believe…” then I realized that in Nigeria the kings are tribal leaders. The government in Nigeria has changed and these kings at this point have no real power. One person commented on the irony of referring to kings as such when they aren’t actually ruling: [These kings] … have no authority, no armies, fight no wars, bear no responsibility for the development or prosperity of their domain. Yet we indulge in this pitiful fantasy of them being the all powerful as Kings who did all these and more in the days of yore.8 The point? A king who isn’t ruling over a kingdom is isn’t really a king. A king needs a kingdom to rule over and a kingdom needs a king reigning over it. A ruler, a realm and a reign. Seems straightforward enough. But then we go to apply the concept of kingdom to the Scripture, and we find that the concept of kingdom is used in different ways. This answers the dilemma posed by the question—if there is a coming kingdom, then what is God doing right now? If God will be exalted on the throne one day, where is he and what is he doing now? Specifically is Jesus raining and ruling right now, and if he is in what sense is he? The Bible speaks of the concept of the Universal Kingdom: God’s eternal rule over all creation.9 Goldsworthy writes The Bible does not leave the kingdom in the abstract. If God rules, he rules somewhere, even if somewhere is everywhere.10 This is being a creature in his world. This is my Father’s world. You and I live in it. Recognize or not. Submit to it or not. It is an inescapable reality. And in fact, one day every person will meet this sovereign. As a friend or as a foe. J. Alvin McClain It is not for men to choose whether or not they will be under the rule of the Universal Kingdom. Whether they like it or not, they are already under it (Ps. 75:4–7).11 Every activity under the sun is within the realm of this sovereign. You don’t choose to join it. There are no signups. There are no quitsies. No backsies. No exemptions. Every human is created in the image God for his glory and placed within the realm of his creation over which he rules. Isaiah 66:1 (ESV) Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? Psalm 24:1–2 (ESV) The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Psalm 115:3 (ESV) Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. This is the Universal Kingdom: God’s eternal rule over all creation. And for the Christian this is a source of great comfort and joy. We know this king. This king is pleased with us. He is on our side. He has told us how we can be reconciled to him. To fellowship with him. To be with him eternally. Even the temporary flourishing of evil and the presence of sin is under his purview. Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. From Satan and his demons to every evil potentate, governor, president, judge, commissioner, king, legislator, prison guard, police chief—whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities… they were created through him and for him and he holds all of them together. His invisible reign is in control of every creature and every event. No evil deed will go unnoticed or unpunished. Every wrong is accounted for—either paid for by the person who committed the sin, or else by the Savior Jesus Christ in their behalf. The inescapable universal kingdom of God. That keeps from freaking out. It stabilizes me. It anchors me. But the universal kingdom of God isn’t the only way the kingdom is portrayed in Scripture. It isn’t all that God has established. God is so generous and wise and amazing. God wanted to display his glory by delegating his authority to mankind to rule the earth. His glory was to be displayed by people, created in his image, exercising dominion over the domain he has allotted to them. Theologians refer to this as the: Mediatorial Kingdom: God’s rule on the earth through man who acts as God’s representative. God’s rule on the earth through man who acts as God’s representative. God was pleased to not only rule from heaven directly upon the earth, but to rule from heaven through people ruling on the earth. What we see throughout biblical history then is that God delegated an earthly kingdom to Adam who failed. He kept promising that an earthly kingdom would come that would do what Adam failed to do. Jesus the Messiah is that second Adam, he is David’s son. In his first coming he laid the groundwork for the coming of his kingdom, that kingdom that we are still awaiting. I want to show you this development. It will leave you with such an appreciation for what God has done and what he is doing and what he will do. We’re gonna do biblical theology this morning. We are going to traverse from Genesis to Revelation and select just a few of the many places to see the development of the kingdom. Our outline today is: The Hope of King Jesus Revealed in History The Development of the Kingdom of God in Scripture… The preparation for King Jesus The promise of King Jesus The preview of King Jesus The presentation of King Jesus Let’s begin of course, at the beginning. Once upon a time. Open your Bible to Genesis 1. I want you to see the design here. The kingdom framework beginning on page one of your Bible. Genesis 1:26–28 (ESV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. God eternally pre-existent. No beginning. No starting point. No need to create man. He wasn’t lonely. He didn’t need us. He was fully self-satisfied in his existence. And yet according to his own good pleasure, our Trinitarian God (let us) wanted to make man in his own image. Wanted to magnify his glory by putting it on display in creating. And the very first responsibility… the first form and structure to this creation comes in the second part of v. 26— And let them have dominion… Dominion. Almost sounds like a kingdom. This word is used in fact of royalty ruling in the Psalms. It means to rule, to govern. It is the work of a king. It is the role of a king. He didn’t say let’s make man to just be our royal subjects or to have playdates or to be little robots or to live passive lives on the earth. Let’s make man to rule. To have dominion. To govern. To take charge… … over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, This is instruction is to go and conquer the earth. Fill the globe with people. Bring it into submission. Subdue is a raw word. It means to bring something into subjection. Even by force. In person-to-person usage in the OT subdue sometimes involves violence and bringing someone into subjection against his or her will.12 The idea is to dominate and subjugate. Enslave. This isn’t some license to abuse the earth, but it is the instruction to go and conquer. What a wonderful plan! God shares dominion. He gets glory by sharing glory. He rules. He creates man in his image to rule. The King of kings and the Lord of lords delegating authority to human beings, created in his image. We each have our realms: Psalm 115:16 (ESV) The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.13 As a side note, whatever station of life you are given dominion, you are conquering for his glory. Whether you work in the home or outside the home. Fixing your car. Mowing your lawn. Balancing your checkbook. Sweeping the floor. Wiping a snotty nose. You are bringing the earth into subjection. And he looks as says, this is good… very good (v. 31). And then Eve believes the lie that God is withholding something good from her and she has a better way to find fulfillment and happiness. And in pride she is deceived and eats of the tree. Adam takes the fruit and eats of it as well. The result? You failed to rule in the way God designed. Adam blew it. He was a failed ruler. And so, this realm, this world that man was supposed to rule over as God’s regent, is cursed. It’s why we have desires to exercise dominion and why we want to see a good kingdom—it was the original design. But in our corruption we simply aren’t able to maintain this kingdom. The good kingdom gets so bad by Genesis 6 that God starts all over. He destroys every human and every land animal on the planet except one family and the animals he could fit on a boat. Noah comes out and what is he called to do? Repeat of Genesis 1:26-28. Genesis 9:1 (ESV) And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. What’s humanity do? Mankind, instead of multiplying and filling the earth tries to multiply and stay in one place. Man wants glory for himself. And so, what does God do? He scatters them at the tower of Babel. He is forcing them to fulfill his plan to spread out over the earth. His kingdom plan keeps getting stymied by sin. Adam isn’t the perfect king. Noah and his family didn’t provide the kingdom of perfect righteousness. But God hasn’t given up… and so alongside this failure is also… The Hope of King Jesus Revealed in History The preparation for King Jesus The promise of King Jesus Remember there is a promised seed in Genesis 3.14 Genesis 3:15 (ESV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” There will be one born of a woman who will succeed. These two kingdoms are going to be at war with one another. One kingdom ruled by Satan in his realm. The other kingdom is going to be led by God’s son. You can trace Satan’s enmity through all of human history. The famine that almost wiped-out Israel and his sons, but God preserved his people through sending Joseph to Egypt. Pharaoh trying to kill the Hebrews boys in genocide, yet God delivered them through the Exodus and into the Promised Land. Saul attempting to kill David before he was even had children. Haman trying to kill all the Jews in Persia, yet God preserved his people through Esther. Herod attempting to kill Jesus by slaughtering the baby boys in Bethlehem. When that failed, Satan tried to get Jesus to sin and abandon his mission. He incited hatred in the hearts of the people of Israel at that time to reject Jesus. The story is of a Messiah, God’s anointed facing opposition through all of his history. But God promises in Genesis 3:15 that this seed will prevail. He will crush the serpent. Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV) Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Here’s the promise. Built upon Genesis 3:15 and now expanded with greater clarity. You are going to get a nation. A people group that is blessed of the Lord. And you will have offspring. And all the nations of the earth will be blessed through this seed. I’m gonna promise to send one who does what I gave Adam to do in Genesis 1. He is going to be a source of blessing to the entire earth. He is going to be a descendent of Abraham. And so, we see that Israel and Israel’s land is a microcosm of what is going to happen worldwide in the church and for all of the people groups of the earth. This was Israel’s hope and consolation. This was Israel’s comfort. God’s covenant with Abraham started to make the picture a little clearer. Then we get even more specific. He will be the second Adam. He will be Abraham’s son. A descendent of Isaac, the son of promise. The son of Israel (Jacob, the little brother, not Esau the older one). And then as Israel is blessing his sons we read of the next narrowing prophesy about this coming one: Genesis 49:8–10 (ESV) “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Fast forward to David. David is of the tribe of Judah. Judah was also given a promise. 2 Samuel 2:4 (ESV) And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah… David is the anointed. 2 Samuel 7 (ESV) 1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.” 4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. 18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. 25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” Davidic Covenant15 Prophets The Hope of King Jesus Revealed in History The preparation for King Jesus The promise of King Jesus The preview of King Jesus I want to show you how connected the reign of Jesus was to his arrival and his mission. He came as Savior, but also as the promised king. Matthew 1:1 (ESV) The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. The seed in whom all the nations would be blessed and the Son who would inherit an eternal kingdom. It wasn’t just how Matthew framed things up in his gospel. Look at how the angel Gabriel framed up the son whom Mary would bear. Luke 1:31–33 (ESV) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Simeon. Anna. Zacharias. John the Baptist. All saying the same thing. He came bringing a preview of the kingdom. People think that Jesus did miracles because he was compassionate. Of course, he had compassion on people afflicted in this cursed world. And the miracles attested to his ministry. Just consider: Matthew 4:23–24 (ESV) And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. Mark 1:32–34 (ESV) That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. Isaiah 35:5–7 (ESV) Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water… Matthew 12:22–23 (ESV) Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” This wasn’t the beginning of the kingdom. It was a taste. A sample. Like Costco. Chips and salsa for the family. I had a taste. Every blind person had their eyes deteriorate and their ability to focus clearly wane as they aged. Every deaf person who regained hearing lost it as the sensory hair cells in their ears were damaged. Every paralytic he gave movement to would one day be lifeless in the grave. It was a taste, but it was only a taste. The Christ is the Messiah. The Anointed One. This kingdom motif opens up so many passages. So many places Jesus gives a little taste. A little foretaste. A sample. A preview of what’s to come. Just consider the mount of transfiguration. Matthew 17:1–9 (ESV) 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter is no dufus. Why’s he so excited and ready to set up booths for Moses and Elijah and Jesus? Because he believes it’s the revelation of his kingdom. You say, how do you get that out of Matthew 17? Peter’s own commentary on this passage. 2 Peter 1:16–19 (ESV) 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. We saw his majesty. We saw his power and glory. This is what is on Peter’s mind when he asks in Acts 1—will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Where is Jesus right now? Psalm 110:1–2 (ESV) The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Acts 2:33 (ESV) Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. That is still coming. We are waiting for the day that he is on the throne. Present Age: Jesus is in heaven and the nations do not yet submit to Jesus as King. Typology in the OT—David when he was anointed was in fact given the right to rule over Israel. But there was a period of time between his anointing as king and his ascendency to the throne. In a like manner, Jesus is now exalted to the right hand of the Father and given all authority. But he is not yet reigning on David’s throne. It is worth noting that the establishment of David’s kingship occurs in progressive stages. He is anointed as the rightful king by Samuel in 1 Samuel 16. Much later, in 2 Samuel 2:4, he is anointed king over Judah. Only after a long war between his house and the house of Saul (2 Sam. 3:1) is he anointed king over all Israel (2 Sam. 5:3–4).16 All authority at the Father’s right hand, awaiting his kingdom. The Hope of King Jesus Revealed in History The preparation for King Jesus The promise of King Jesus The preview of King Jesus The presentation of King Jesus What still remains to come? He himself said: Matthew 25:31—When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. He came as David’s true Son. He was and is the Messiah. He came bringing the kingdom and it was rejected and so all that is Israel got was a preview. Just as David was anointed and waited receiving the promised kingdom. So we wait for the glory to be revealed when Jesus returns. Millennial Kingdom: Jesus rules the nations on earth and punishes those nations who do not act as they should. Revelation 20:1–3 (ESV) 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Clearly the age we live in is not this kingdom. For starters all the physical promises of peace and prosperity as the curse is reversed have to be taken spiritually… not physical changes in the world around us, but simply spiritual ones. It divides or dichotomizes the spiritual and physical vs. viewing the kingdom involving both. But most obviously, Satan isn’t bound right now. Jesus isn’t ruling in all his kingdom glory with the devil bound: 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 John 5:19 (ESV) We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV) In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Jesus is reigning during this time. He is on the throne according to v. 11. Revelation 20:4 (ESV) Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. We are not living in this living under this kingdom reign of Jesus right now. Isaiah 65:17–25 (ESV) 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them. 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. Animal kingdom getting along (last time I checked at the zoo the goats and the tigers have a fence between them) No more crying or weeping (you haven’t been in my house this week) No more infant mortality (friends who lost a little one just this past month) Older people not dying early People living long and enjoying what they worked for (friends who have lost businesses) People will build houses and live in them (no evictions) Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of their work (gardens uyielding) Violence will be removed from the land Nations and kings will come to Israel Look, that description does not match the world we live in. And neither does it describe eternity. Babies being born and elderly dying. This is what we await. A world that has basically no healthcare industry because sickness and disease is suppressed A world where I things work the way they’re supposed to. The creation is being restored. All the stuff that continually frustrates you living in a fallen world is it going to be thriving without the curse. A world where peace and harmony prevail. In families. In neighborhoods. The news will be filled with feel-good stories. A world where God’s people are vindicated. God himself is vindicated. This is the beginning of the happily ever after ending that everyone wants. Before eternity, God is going to give Jesus, the second Adam the rulership to do what Adam failed. This view recognizes that the world itself is not bad. It has just been corrupted. And God is going to redeem not just individual souls, but creation. Well, how does this kingdom relate to eternity? Well, they are related. In fact, this kingdom is the opening scene in what the Bible calls the age to come. This kingdom is the first phase of this new era. Jesus will hand this intermediate kingdom over to the Father: 1 Corinthians 15:24–26 (ESV) Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Jesus reigns. He rules until the end of his thousand-year kingdom and then he destroys all of his enemies once and for all. And then he hands the kingdom over to his Father and so begins the eternal state. Eternal State: The nations do exactly as they should with no need of punishment. What a marvelous plan. We are to long for this kingdom. To pray that it would come. To wait for it expectantly. To tell the gospel to those who don’t know this king. God created Adam as a son and king tasked to rule over God’s very good creation on His behalf. But with the fall, Adam and mankind failed the kingdom mandate. Man’s right and responsibility in regard to this world was not forfeited, but in his sinful condition all he could do was fail. God, though, launched a promise plan by which a coming seed of the woman would be victorious in defeating Satan and restoring the creation. Several strategic representatives of God would come including Noah, Abraham, and David, but the fulfillment of the seed promise culminated with the arrival of Jesus the Messiah (Gal 3:16). He is the One tasked by the Father to fix this fallen world by ruling over it successfully, fulfilling the kingdom mandate of Genesis 1:26–28, and bringing the creation into conformity with the perfect will of the Father. Jesus is the One who will succeed from and over the realm where the first Adam failed. Yet Jesus’ kingdom campaign will cover two main phases. With His first coming Jesus laid the basis for the restoration of all things by dying on the cross in fulfillment of the ministry of the Suffering Servant. The second coming will bring complete restoration under the King. When Jesus successfully reigns over the earth He will then hand His kingdom over to the Father so God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28). This is God’s kingdom program. The kingdom of God is the great and grand theme of Scripture. The believer in Jesus can know the kingdom is not a spiritual escape to a cloud in the sky, but a transformed planet earth where the nations serve our great God and King Jesus. Having a proper view of the kingdom gives the believer a clearer understanding of God’s purposes for this planet and a real hope for a wonderful future. When one contemplates the kingdom how can we not help but be excited for its coming? How can it not affect how we live our lives? How can we not be motivated to share Jesus with those who do not know Him? May the prayer of God’s people be exactly what Jesus taught: Pray then this way . . . “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:9–10). Amen! Come Lord Jesus

Servant Nation(Isaiah 41)In Isaiah 41:8 God speaks of “Israel, my servant” (NRSV), and in 42:1 Heintroduces “my servant.” Who is this Servant?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________Is it Israel/Jacob, the ancestor of the Israelites? The nation of Israel?The Messiah/Christ, identified in the New Testament as Jesus?There are two kinds of references to servants of God woven through Isaiah41–53. One servant is named “Israel” or “Jacob,” as in Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah44:1, 2, 21; Isaiah 45:4; and Isaiah 48:20. Because God addresses Israel/Jacobin the present, it is clear he, Jacob, represents the nation descended from him.This is confirmed by the fact that redemption for the Lord’s “servant Jacob”is accomplished at the time when he is to go out from Babylon (Isa. 48:20).In other instances, such as Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 50:10, Isaiah 52:13, andIsaiah 53:11, God’s Servant is not named. When He is first mentioned inIsaiah 42:1, His identity is not immediately apparent. However, as Isaiahdevelops His profile in later passages, it becomes clear that He is an indi-vidual who restores the tribes of Jacob (Israel) to God (Isa. 49:5, 6) anddies sacrificially on behalf of sinners (Isa. 52:13–53:12; see also Isa. 49:5,6). Therefore He cannot be the same as the nation. So, it is clear that Isaiahspeaks of two servants of God. One is corporate (the nation) and the otheris individual.What is the role of the servant nation? (Isa. 41:8–20.)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________God assures Israel that the nation is still the servant of the Lord: “ ‘Ihave chosen you and not cast you off’ ” (Isa. 41:9, NRSV). Then Godgives to Israel one of the most magnificent promises in the Bible: “Donot fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I willstrengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victoriousright hand” (Isa. 41:10, NRSV). Here and in the following verses oneof the basic roles of Israel is to trust the true God to save them (as KingAhaz did not) rather than to trust in other gods and their images as othernations do (Isa. 41:7, 21–24, 28, 29).Notice how in Isaiah 41:14 the Lord calls the nation a worm.What point was He making? Look at the whole text to get a bet-ter answer. What should this teach us, as well, about our need todepend totally upon the Lord?

Hey hey hey! This is Genesis Chapters 37 through 50 (the end). It's basically the story of Joseph and his brothers and all the drama. An exciting ride and I love how Joseph forgives his bros at the end of the day...even though they wanted to kill him but ultimately decided to sell him off into slavery. It was exactly what needed to happen to make his literal dreams come true which ended up being the biggest blessing his family could have asked for. The end of Genesis sets us up for next week saying that the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob) were now living in Egypt (and known as the Israelites.) It's the perfect way to end Genesis because Exodus will pick right up (like 400 years later) where we left off with the Israelites. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/salisha-thomas/support

Exodus - 1446 B.C.In part 1 we focused on real archaeology that shows 1) the Israelites were in Egypt prior to the Exodus and 2) that real archaeology supports the date of the Exodus to the 15 century B.C. or 1446 B.C.  In part 2 we will deal with the dates.  In Exod. 12:40 the sons of Israel (Jacob) lived in Egypt 430 years till they left with Moses.  Where does that number come from?  Why doesn't anyone explain it?  Also it is taught to us that the early date of the Exodus was 1446 B.C. and no one ever justifies this date.  It is just stated.  Why won't anyone help us understand that this date of 1446 B.C. is supported by REAL archaeology and not someone's opinion or speculation.  Well, I will.  This lesson is to show that the early date of the Exodus, 1446 B.C. is very likely considering the archaeology supporting it and the study of the events in their historical context.  I mentioned I will provide a number of links to resources to help you study further.  These links and resources are shown below.Link 1 - slides that may help you put all this together - click here for the slides that summarize this podcastLink 2 - an article on Edwin Thiele that shows how he connects the Assyrian King List (calendar) to 1 Kings 6:1 - click here for the articleLink 3 - an article by Dr. Bryant Wood on setting of the date for the Exodus - click here for this amazing article that completes lesson 5 part 2Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - click here for the teacher's background

AN IMPORTANT LESSON SHOWING THE VERACITY OF GOD'S WORD.  Abram arrives at Shechem (lesson 26) in 2091 B.C.  Really?  Who says?  Time goes on and then we read in Exod. 12:40 that the sons of Israel (Jacob) lived in Egypt 430 years till they left with Moses.   Where does that number come from?  Why doesn't anyone explain it?  Also it is taught to us that the early date of the Exodus was 1446 B.C. and no one ever justifies this date.  It is just stated.  Why won't anyone help us understand that this date of 1446 B.C. is supported by REAL archaeology and not someone's opinion or speculation.  Well, I will.  This lesson is to show that the early date of the Exodus, 1446 B.C. is very likely considering the archaeology supporting it and the study of the events in their historical context.  I mentioned I will provide a number of links to resources to help you study further.  These links and resources are shown below.Link 1 - slides that may help you put all this together - click here for the slides that summarize this podcastLink 2 - an article on Edwin Thiele that shows how he connects the Assyrian King List (calendar) to 1 Kings 6:1 - click here for the articleLink 3 - video from the Associates for Biblical Research on dating of Exodus Part 1 - click here for Dr. Stripling's video part 1Link 4 - part 2 of the previous video - click here for part 2Link 5 - Dr. Bryant Wood's article on setting the date for the Exodus - click here for his articleLink 6 - Dr. Bryant Wood's video on the Hebrews in Egypt part 1 - video part 1Link 7 - part of of previous video - video part 2Link 8 - part three of previous video - video part 3Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - click here for the teacher's background

This episode is part 44 in a study of the book of Genesis. In this episode, Israel (Jacob) and his family come to Egypt at the invitation of Joseph and of Pharaoh. 70 people in all come to Egypt but when they leave they will be a nation.

Akemi Luisa Herráez Vossbrink depicts relations between imperial Spain and the Americas, through Francisco de Zurbarán's paintings, The Tribes of Israel. From Seville's most acclaimed religious artist, Francisco de Zurbarán's portrait series The Tribes of Israel (1640s) depicts the Old Testament patriarch Jacob and his twelve sons. The only such painting series to be found in Europe, de Zurbarán's works inspired colonial reinterpretations in Peru and Mexico. Produced in Spain, destined for Latin America, and currently housed in the north of England, The Tribes of Israel reflect global artistic exchanges and power dynamics. PRESENTER: Akemi Luisa Herráez Vossbrink, doctoral candidate at the University of Cambridge, and Meadows Museum Center for Spain in America (CSA) Curatorial Fellow. ART: The Tribes of Israel (Jacob and his Twelve Sons), Francisco de Zurbarán (1640s). IMAGE: ‘Joseph, from Jacob and His Twelve Sons'. SOUNDS: Gnawledge. PRODUCER: Jelena Sofronijevic. Follow EMPIRE LINES at: twitter.com/jelsofron/status/1306563558063271936 Support EMPIRE LINES on Patreon: patreon.com/empirelines

Genesis 34-38 - the people who become "the twelve tribes of Israel"

Guests: Pablo Rodriguez (old Israel/Jacob), and Aidan shillin (joseph), Humberto valezquez (judah) be sure to share this episode with someone! Social media links: show- Twitter- @readingthegood1 Instagram- readingthegoodbook/ Facebook- www.facebook.com/Reading-the-Good-Book-105856444372980 or your hosts- twitter- blackjesu_5 Instagram- black_jesu5_ website- www.thesquad.me --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/r-t-g-b1/support

joseph and his brothers go to Egypt and joseph recognizes them. Guests: Pablo Rodriguez(old Israel/Jacob), and Aidan shillin (joseph Song: The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun 1964 be sure to share this episode with somone! Social media links: show- Twitter- @readingthegood1 Instagram- readingthegoodbook/ Facebook- www.facebook.com/Reading-the-Good-Book-105856444372980 or your hosts- twitter- blackjesu_5 Instagram- black_jesu5_ website- www.thesquad.me --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/r-t-g-b1/support

An emotional reunion with his father Israel (Jacob) after twenty years. Text is from Genesis 46:28 to Genesis 47:1-31.

So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring. 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all. 16 The sons of Gad: Zephon,[d] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. 18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all. 25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all. 26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring. 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all. 16 The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. 18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all. 19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. 25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all. 26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 46 Jacob Goes to EgyptSo Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”“Here I am,” he replied.3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.9 The sons of Reuben:Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.10 The sons of Simeon:Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.11 The sons of Levi:Gershon, Kohath and Merari.12 The sons of Judah:Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).The sons of Perez:Hezron and Hamul.13 The sons of Issachar:Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.14 The sons of Zebulun:Sered, Elon and Jahleel.15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.16 The sons of Gad:Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.17 The sons of Asher:Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.Their sister was Serah.The sons of Beriah:Heber and Malkiel.18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.21 The sons of Benjamin:Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.23 The son of Dan:Hushim.24 The sons of Naphtali:Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

In Genesis 45, which we are reading today, something profoundly important happens that will determine the next 400+ years in the lives of God's people, the descendants of Abraham. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and tells them to go get their father Israel (Jacob) and bring him to Egypt. Unbeknownst to all of them, the family of Israel would stay in Egypt for hundreds of years, and bloom into a great nation - a nation of slaves - who will be rescued by God through a murderer with a speech impediment named Moses. Job chapter 11 introduces us to a new friend of Job, Zophar, and he is a bit of an idiot from the start. That may sound unkind, but Zophar's first words (to a man who has just lost his entire family -other than his mean wife - and all his possessions) are insults (calling Job a babbler and ridiculer) and false accusations. Zophar accuses Job of declaring himself pure in God's sight, and then urges Job to repent. The only problem is that, according to God, Job hadn't sinned, and had nothing to repent of. There are a lot of Zophars in Christendom - they sound very spiritual, and they say some good things, but there is venom on their tongue and they often accuse the innocent. Let's not be Zophars! Mark 15 is focused on the crucifixion of Jesus, the most unjust occurrence in all of human history - in our favor. In Mark 15, we see something interesting about Jesus' followers. Generally most people focus on the male disciples, but it is clear from the New Testament that Jesus also had female followers that were absolute crucial to His ministry: 40 There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem. Mark 15:40-41 These women "took care" of Jesus - they ministered to the chief minister! That's pretty amazing. Our focus passage today is Romans 15, and we will continue our discussion on unity from yesterday. As we read it, pay close attention to verses 5 and 6: 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice. Romans 15:5-6 By God's grace and nothing else, I have been able to serve in various pastoral ministries for the last 25 years. At some point in those early days of ministry, I encountered Jesus prayer in John 17 that we discussed a good bit on yesterday's episode #42. His plea to God the Father that His followers be in complete unity struck me to the depths of my being - it resonated with me as something very, very crucial. The first two churches that I served in had conflict issues among the senior staff and overall leaders of the church. I was part of the junior staff at both of those churches, and didn't have much say in the direction of the church, so I missed out on most of the direct conflicts, but caught little hints along the way. One day over 20 years ago, I found a little note written from one pastor to another pastor that suggested that I had somehow "chosen sides" in an ongoing church conflict, and I was quite astonished at this, as I didn't really understand the nature of the conflict, nor was a I aware that there were sides to it, and I certainly wasn't aware that I had chosen a side. Heartbroken, I resigned from that ministry to focus on finishing up my college degree. There were no hard feelings at all, as I remained with that church for years after, and respected all of the men in leadership. I just didn't understand the conflict. At the next church I served in, there was also conflict among the leaders - conflict which eventually led to the senior pastor converting to Roman Catholicism (!), and a meeting that threatened to split the church. I am pretty sure, in my young immaturity and zeal, that I contributed to that conflict in ungodly ways, so I quietly resigned from that church as well after three years of ministry with an incredible group of kids. Somewhere in the midst of all of that, I began to be strongly impressed by the Bible's teaching on unity, and resolved to the best of my ability to work towards unity in the church. If Jesus prayed for it to happen, it must be important, right?! The problem is that unity does not come easily. You have your opinions, I have mine, and other people have theirs. We are all sinners with an inborn flaw that causes us to walk in pride and not realize that we are doing so. Unity has to be fought for, and I am one of the chief enemies of unity, so my sinful nature, my pride, and my desire to be right has to be crucified. It is NOT an accident that Paul calls us to make EVERY EFFORT to be at peace with each other: 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling Ephesians 4:2-4 This is an important and central issue in the church - this is not one we can miss on. The eyes of non-believers, baby-believers, children and the next generation of pastors and leaders are on those who are now leading the church. They are listening to our dinner table conversations, overhearing our complaints, and reading our social media posts. If they see us walking in disunity, pride, and demanding our own way, then they will grow up and do the same thing, maybe even worse. Eyes are on us, leaders of the church, and thus does the Bible say to us to make EVERY EFFORT to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. As a Church let us shake off envyings; let us all rejoice in God's light; and as for pride—if any of you have grown vainglorious of late, shake it off. I hope to exercise a ministry in this place which will drive out those of you who will not acknowledge your brothers when they are poorer or of less education than yourselves. What if the man mars the Queen's English when he talks—what does that matter, so long as his heart is right? As long as you can feel he loves the Master, surely you can put up with his faults of language, if he can put up with your faults of action. Then let us cultivate everything that would tend to unity. Are any sick? Let us care for them. Are any suffering? Let us weep with them. Do we know one who has less love than others? then let us have more, so as to make up the deficiency. Do we perceive faults in a brother? let us admonish him in love and affection. I pray you be peacemakers, everyone... Let us remember that we cannot keep the unity of the Spirit unless we all believe the truth of God. Let us search our Bibles, therefore, and conform our views and sentiments to the teaching of God's Word. I have already told you that unity in error is unity in ruin. We want unity in the truth of God through the Spirit of God. This let us seek after; let us live near to Christ, for this is the best way of promoting unity. Divisions in Churches never begin with those full of love to the Saviour. Cold hearts, unholy lives, inconsistent actions, neglected prayer closets; these are the seeds which sow schisms in the body; but he who lives near to Jesus, wears his likeness and copies his example and will be, wherever he goes, a sacred bond, a holy link to bind the Church more closely than ever together. May God give us this, and henceforth let us endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I commend the text to all believers, to be practiced through the coming year. C. H. Spurgeon, “True Unity Promoted,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 11 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1865), 10–11. Jesus commands unity and oneness in His church and prays for it. The very idea that continuationist believers like John Piper, Sam Storms, Martyn Lloyd Jones, J.I. Packer and D.A. Carson should not be in the same church with cessationist believers like Charles Spurgeon, Tim Keller, Thomas Schreiner, and David Platt hurts my heart and goes against the prayer of Jesus for unity in John 17. Do you picture arriving at the gates of Heaven, and Jesus addressing you with something like, "Well done thou good and faithful servant - you only stuck closely and had the biblical oneness and unity I commanded with those who adhered to the 1689 London Baptist Confession, and you refused to worship together with or partner in the Great Commission with anybody else"? Because, I don't believe that is going to happen. When Paul commanded Christians to be of one mind and one voice, and Jesus prayed for unity among His followers, I don't believe we have the freedom to separate from each other over non-essential doctrinal issues like spiritual gifts, our interpretation of the last days, what kind of worship we should conduct, the clothes we should wear, or the exact nature of how God's sovereignty works in determining salvation. We may not all go to the same church, but we must all - clearly and obviously - demonstrate the unity of the Spirit made possible by the bond of peace that binds us together in Christ.

In Genesis 45, which we are reading today, something profoundly important happens that will determine the next 400+ years in the lives of God's people, the descendants of Abraham. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and tells them to go get their father Israel (Jacob) and bring him to Egypt. Unbeknownst to all of them, the family of Israel would stay in Egypt for hundreds of years, and bloom into a great nation - a nation of slaves - who will be rescued by God through a murderer with a speech impediment named Moses. Job chapter 11 introduces us to a new friend of Job, Zophar, and he is a bit of an idiot from the start. That may sound unkind, but Zophar's first words (to a man who has just lost his entire family -other than his mean wife - and all his possessions) are insults (calling Job a babbler and ridiculer) and false accusations. Zophar accuses Job of declaring himself pure in God's sight, and then urges Job to repent. The only problem is that, according to God, Job hadn't sinned, and had nothing to repent of. There are a lot of Zophars in Christendom - they sound very spiritual, and they say some good things, but there is venom on their tongue and they often accuse the innocent. Let's not be Zophars! Mark 15 is focused on the crucifixion of Jesus, the most unjust occurrence in all of human history - in our favor. In Mark 15, we see something interesting about Jesus' followers. Generally most people focus on the male disciples, but it is clear from the New Testament that Jesus also had female followers that were absolute crucial to His ministry: 40 There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem. Mark 15:40-41 These women "took care" of Jesus - they ministered to the chief minister! That's pretty amazing. Our focus passage today is Romans 15, and we will continue our discussion on unity from yesterday. As we read it, pay close attention to verses 5 and 6: 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice. Romans 15:5-6 By God's grace and nothing else, I have been able to serve in various pastoral ministries for the last 25 years. At some point in those early days of ministry, I encountered Jesus prayer in John 17 that we discussed a good bit on yesterday's episode #42. His plea to God the Father that His followers be in complete unity struck me to the depths of my being - it resonated with me as something very, very crucial. The first two churches that I served in had conflict issues among the senior staff and overall leaders of the church. I was part of the junior staff at both of those churches, and didn't have much say in the direction of the church, so I missed out on most of the direct conflicts, but caught little hints along the way. One day over 20 years ago, I found a little note written from one pastor to another pastor that suggested that I had somehow "chosen sides" in an ongoing church conflict, and I was quite astonished at this, as I didn't really understand the nature of the conflict, nor was a I aware that there were sides to it, and I certainly wasn't aware that I had chosen a side. Heartbroken, I resigned from that ministry to focus on finishing up my college degree. There were no hard feelings at all, as I remained with that church for years after, and respected all of the men in leadership. I just didn't understand the conflict. At the next church I served in, there was also conflict among the leaders - conflict which eventually led to the senior pastor converting to Roman Catholicism (!), and a meeting that threatened to split the church. I am pretty sure, in my young immaturity and zeal, that I contributed to that conflict in ungodly ways, so I quietly resigned from that church as well after three years of ministry with an incredible group of kids. Somewhere in the midst of all of that, I began to be strongly impressed by the Bible's teaching on unity, and resolved to the best of my ability to work towards unity in the church. If Jesus prayed for it to happen, it must be important, right?! The problem is that unity does not come easily. You have your opinions, I have mine, and other people have theirs. We are all sinners with an inborn flaw that causes us to walk in pride and not realize that we are doing so. Unity has to be fought for, and I am one of the chief enemies of unity, so my sinful nature, my pride, and my desire to be right has to be crucified. It is NOT an accident that Paul calls us to make EVERY EFFORT to be at peace with each other: 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling Ephesians 4:2-4 This is an important and central issue in the church - this is not one we can miss on. The eyes of non-believers, baby-believers, children and the next generation of pastors and leaders are on those who are now leading the church. They are listening to our dinner table conversations, overhearing our complaints, and reading our social media posts. If they see us walking in disunity, pride, and demanding our own way, then they will grow up and do the same thing, maybe even worse. Eyes are on us, leaders of the church, and thus does the Bible say to us to make EVERY EFFORT to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. As a Church let us shake off envyings; let us all rejoice in God's light; and as for pride—if any of you have grown vainglorious of late, shake it off. I hope to exercise a ministry in this place which will drive out those of you who will not acknowledge your brothers when they are poorer or of less education than yourselves. What if the man mars the Queen's English when he talks—what does that matter, so long as his heart is right? As long as you can feel he loves the Master, surely you can put up with his faults of language, if he can put up with your faults of action. Then let us cultivate everything that would tend to unity. Are any sick? Let us care for them. Are any suffering? Let us weep with them. Do we know one who has less love than others? then let us have more, so as to make up the deficiency. Do we perceive faults in a brother? let us admonish him in love and affection. I pray you be peacemakers, everyone... Let us remember that we cannot keep the unity of the Spirit unless we all believe the truth of God. Let us search our Bibles, therefore, and conform our views and sentiments to the teaching of God's Word. I have already told you that unity in error is unity in ruin. We want unity in the truth of God through the Spirit of God. This let us seek after; let us live near to Christ, for this is the best way of promoting unity. Divisions in Churches never begin with those full of love to the Saviour. Cold hearts, unholy lives, inconsistent actions, neglected prayer closets; these are the seeds which sow schisms in the body; but he who lives near to Jesus, wears his likeness and copies his example and will be, wherever he goes, a sacred bond, a holy link to bind the Church more closely than ever together. May God give us this, and henceforth let us endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I commend the text to all believers, to be practiced through the coming year. C. H. Spurgeon, “True Unity Promoted,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 11 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1865), 10–11. Jesus commands unity and oneness in His church and prays for it. The very idea that continuationist believers like John Piper, Sam Storms, Martyn Lloyd Jones, J.I. Packer and D.A. Carson should not be in the same church with cessationist believers like Charles Spurgeon, Tim Keller, Thomas Schreiner, and David Platt hurts my heart and goes against the prayer of Jesus for unity in John 17. Do you picture arriving at the gates of Heaven, and Jesus addressing you with something like, "Well done thou good and faithful servant - you only stuck closely and had the biblical oneness and unity I commanded with those who adhered to the 1689 London Baptist Confession, and you refused to worship together with or partner in the Great Commission with anybody else"? Because, I don't believe that is going to happen. When Paul commanded Christians to be of one mind and one voice, and Jesus prayed for unity among His followers, I don't believe we have the freedom to separate from each other over non-essential doctrinal issues like spiritual gifts, our interpretation of the last days, what kind of worship we should conduct, the clothes we should wear, or the exact nature of how God's sovereignty works in determining salvation. We may not all go to the same church, but we must all - clearly and obviously - demonstrate the unity of the Spirit made possible by the bond of peace that binds us together in Christ.

Today in Genesis Joseph is reunited in his father Jacob in Egypt, the entire clan of Israel settles in Goshen, and Israel (Jacob) blesses Joseph's sons.

God sends Jacob to Bethel, where he builds an altar and the Lord appears to him—God renews the promise that Jacob will be a great nation and that his name will be Israel—Jacob sets up an altar and pours a drink offering—Rachel bears Benjamin, dies in childbirth, and is buried near Bethlehem—Reuben sins with Bilhah—Isaac ... The post Genesis 35 appeared first on Sacred Text Daily.

God sends Jacob to Bethel, where he builds an altar and the Lord appears to him—God renews the promise that Jacob will be a great nation and that his name will be Israel—Jacob sets up an altar and pours a drink offering—Rachel bears Benjamin, dies in childbirth, and is buried near Bethlehem—Reuben sins with Bilhah—Isaac ... The post Genesis 35 appeared first on Sacred Text Daily.

Jacob, the deceiver, became by the power and grace of God, Israel the patriarch. As patriarch, he had a keen insight into the lives of his sons. What kinds of blessings did Israel/Jacob pronounce over them? Jacob/Israel also pronounced some "disqualifying curses" upon some of his sons for the way they lived their lives. What were those curses? How can those blessings and curses impact our lives even today? Join the Grace United crew as we take one last look at the life of Jacob, listening to his blessings--and curses, upon his sons.

The Well Ministry w/ Rev.Pat - God's Plan of Salvation - The Twelve Tribes of Israel In Genesis 49, Israel (Jacob) blesses what we now know are the twelve tribes of Israel. How does Israel bless each son? You will have to listen to the podcast to learn. Thank you for listening to my podcast, please share with someone. God bless your day. Purpose to reach the churched and unchurched. To expose all hearers to the unadulterated word of God with boldness and truth. To Glorify God in all that we do. To reach those who may not know Jesus in the pardon of their sins. All public contact information: The Well Ministry on Facebook revpathewellministry@gmail.com revpathwellministry@twitter.com revpathwellministry@instagram.com Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Storm Talk 365 Radio, any of the affiliates or concerned parties represented by the network. **We Do Not Own The Rights To Any Music. Or The Contents of This Podcast. Used For Entertainment Purposes Only** www.stormtalk365radio.com https://www.facebook.com/stormtalk365msb/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/stormtalk365radio/ https://www.facebook.com/stormtalk365msb/ Tags: rev.pat thewellministry biblestudy salvation religion spirituality religion Christianity wordofgod jesus saviour stormtalk365

An amazing bond developed between David and King Saul's son, the crown prince Jonathan. "1 When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." (1 Samuel 18:1 RSV) A similar bond was created between Israel (Jacob) and his son, Joseph. "3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves." (Genesis 37:3 RSV) Jacob made a coat of many colors for Joseph. Similarly, Jonathan put his own robe upon David. "4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his girdle." (1 Samuel 18:4 RSV) The bond that was created between David and Jonathan was Destiny's Arrow. You are invited to join Sanjay Prajapati to experience “The Signs of Greatness — Destiny's Bond” on Thursday, August 29 @ 7:30 PM - Breath of the Spirit - 1531 S Sinclair St, Anaheim, CA. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/destined4torah/support

Genesis 36 is the account of the lineage, the family descendants of Esau who became known as Edom. This chapter tells us that Esau and Israel (Jacob) have to part ways because they were both so wealthy the land could not support both families.

Did you know that God can break all the rules? He can. He is God. He used Israel (Jacob) to prophecy over Ephraim and Manasseh. Tradition said Manasseh should have gotten the double portion blessing as the next leader, but Ephraim was chosen. This was a shock to even their father as Jacob spoke. Only God knows why. He knows all. Click to listen to Denise's teaching from Genesis 48. God does the choosing and tradition doesn't matter to Him. He is God.

Did you know that God can break all the rules? He can. He is God. He used Israel (Jacob) to prophecy over Ephraim and Manasseh. Tradition said Manasseh should have gotten the double portion blessing as the next leader, but Ephraim was chosen. This was a shock to even their father as Jacob spoke. Only God knows why. He knows all. Click to listen to Denise's teaching from Genesis 48. God does the choosing and tradition doesn't matter to Him. He is God.

Born into a Moroccan Jewish family, Jacob Ouanounou was very early immersed in Jewish, biblical and Talmudic thinking, and was a student of the ENIO private high school in Paris under the direction of the famous philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. A ‘serial’ entrepreneur, Jacob Ouanounou is an associate professor of mathematics and engineering who graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique (the MIT of France), where he became passionately immersed in Quantum Physics, Artificial Intelligence and telecommunications.

Born into a Moroccan Jewish family, Jacob Ouanounou was very early immersed in Jewish, biblical and Talmudic thinking, and was a student of the ENIO private high school in Paris under the direction of the famous philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. A ‘serial’ entrepreneur, Jacob Ouanounou is an associate professor of mathematics and engineering who graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique (the MIT of France), where he became passionately immersed in Quantum Physics, Artificial Intelligence and telecommunications.

What led Israel/Jacob and his family to Egypt was a desire to escape the hardships of the world. They found a very comfortable life amongst the Egyptian people until things changed into sorrow and suffering. It is an inescapable principle of life: sin promises freedom and happiness, but in the end, it only leads to bondage and sorrow. To set the stage of where we are going to go I want to share what Pastor Mark Trotter wrote in his Bible study titled “52 Weeks of Pursuit”. EGYPT is a picture of the world and sin. It will consistently stand for that which is in opposition to God—and God's people. Just as Egypt held God's people in bondage in the Old Testament—it pictures the world's system that seeks to hold us in bondage in the New Testament. (Eph. 2:2) PHARAOH, the wicked king of Egypt, is a picture of Satan, the wicked king of the world's system who exercises his will in taking God's people captive. (2 Tim. 2:26) ISRAEL is a picture of the individual believer. Please note that Israel is not a picture of the church! In Exodus 4:22–23, God plainly declares that “Israel is my son” and commands Moses to tell Pharaoh to “let my son go, that he may serve me.” In the New Testament, God reveals that as individual believers in Christ, we now posses the title, “son of God.” (1 John 3:2; John 1:12; Rom. 8:14) Making the proper connection between Israel and the individual believer will keep us from “wrongly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:13)—and misapplying God's Word to our lives. MOSES is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the deliverer of God's people. Our message today is titled: “A Child is Born”

Dr. June examines Joshua’s restoration to his family and his reign as Governor over Egypt. We examine the famine in the land and how it affected Jacob and the rest of the family while they were residing in Canaan (remember, that’s the land that God DID NOT want the Israelite’s to go…but they did…which caused Judah to sin and marry a Canaanite woman and it cost him his two sons). So, God restored this family and look how all the favor resided on Joseph and his entire family and ALL was restored because one man stayed PURE to God! God came to see Israel (Jacob) and told him that He was going with him to Egypt and not to fear what was coming! WOW! Amazing Bible Study!

Genesis 46 (NIV)Jacob Goes to Egypt1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”“Here I am,” he replied.3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes.”5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.9 The sons of Reuben:Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.10 The sons of Simeon:Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.11 The sons of Levi:Gershon, Kohath and Merari.12 The sons of Judah:Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).The sons of Perez:Hezron and Hamul.13 The sons of Issachar:Tola, Puah,[a] Jashub[b] and Shimron.14 The sons of Zebulun:Sered, Elon and Jahleel.15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c] besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.16 The sons of Gad:Zephon,[d] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.17 The sons of Asher:Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.Their sister was Serah.The sons of Beriah:Heber and Malkiel.18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel:Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[e]21 The sons of Benjamin:Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.23 The son of Dan:Hushim.24 The sons of Naphtali:Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[g] in all.28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[h] and wept for a long time.30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?' 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”Genesis 47 (NIV)1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[i] Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10 Then Jacob blessed[j] Pharaoh and went out from his presence.11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children.Joseph and the Famine13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”16 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[k] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's.27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”“I will do as you say,” he said.31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[l]Footnotes:Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text PuvahGenesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text IobGenesis 46:15 That is, Northwest MesopotamiaGenesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text ZiphionGenesis 46:20 That is, HeliopolisGenesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine childrenGenesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-fiveGenesis 46:29 Hebrew around himGenesis 47:7 Or greetedGenesis 47:10 Or said farewell toGenesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the citiesGenesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed

Genesis 46 (NIV)Jacob Goes to Egypt1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”“Here I am,” he replied.3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes.”5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.9 The sons of Reuben:Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.10 The sons of Simeon:Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.11 The sons of Levi:Gershon, Kohath and Merari.12 The sons of Judah:Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).The sons of Perez:Hezron and Hamul.13 The sons of Issachar:Tola, Puah,[a] Jashub[b] and Shimron.14 The sons of Zebulun:Sered, Elon and Jahleel.15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c] besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.16 The sons of Gad:Zephon,[d] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.17 The sons of Asher:Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.Their sister was Serah.The sons of Beriah:Heber and Malkiel.18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel:Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[e]21 The sons of Benjamin:Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.23 The son of Dan:Hushim.24 The sons of Naphtali:Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[g] in all.28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[h] and wept for a long time.30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?' 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”Genesis 47 (NIV)1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”“Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[i] Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10 Then Jacob blessed[j] Pharaoh and went out from his presence.11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children.Joseph and the Famine13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”16 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[k] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's.27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”“I will do as you say,” he said.31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[l]Footnotes:Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text PuvahGenesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text IobGenesis 46:15 That is, Northwest MesopotamiaGenesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text ZiphionGenesis 46:20 That is, HeliopolisGenesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine childrenGenesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-fiveGenesis 46:29 Hebrew around himGenesis 47:7 Or greetedGenesis 47:10 Or said farewell toGenesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the citiesGenesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed

Genesis 46 (NIV) Jacob Goes to Egypt 1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. 3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring. 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah,[a] Jashub[b] and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c] besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all. 16 The sons of Gad: Zephon,[d] Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. 18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all. 19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[e] 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. 25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven in all. 26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[g] in all. 28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[h] and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?' 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.” Genesis 47 (NIV) 1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” 5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.” 7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[i] Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10 Then Jacob blessed[j] Pharaoh and went out from his presence. 11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children. Joseph and the Famine 13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.” 16 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. 18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” 20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,[k] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” 25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's. 27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. 28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” “I will do as you say,” he said. 31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[l] Footnotes: Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob Genesis 46:15 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia Genesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion Genesis 46:20 That is, Heliopolis Genesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children Genesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five Genesis 46:29 Hebrew around him Genesis 47:7 Or greeted Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to Genesis 47:21 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Vulgate); Masoretic Text and he moved the people into the cities Genesis 47:31 Or Israel bowed down at the head of his bed

Venimos (en los dos capítulos anteriores) de plantear una dicotomía histórica medular en la Biblia: la descendencia de Abraham (el "hijo del esfuerzo humano" en contraposición al "hijo de la promesa"; Ismael versus Isaac) y especulábamos en torno a los ecos históricos de esta disyuntiva. Como si fuera poco, en Isaac se repite el fenómeno y la vida de los mellizos plantea un reto similar. Si la Biblia, es en un sentido simple "Una Historia de Israel (Jacob)", pues Israel tiene un hermano, Edom (Esaú) y su papel en la Biblia es trascendental.

In this episode we see forgiveness and all sorts of good things that probably a lot of people find a good thing in the Bible. But only after my paranoid angry outburst in the middle. Joseph works out to be a pretty cool kid and the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob) are gonna do some stuff that ought to be pretty rad. www.bensound.com Twitter https://twitter.com/accordtostupid Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gospelaccordingtostupid/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jon-reads-bible-gospel-according/id1156695372# Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Accordingtostupid Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7LjFLpU4NWkmzMj_jhF0EA Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Sci-Fi_c2_1_narr?searchNarrator=Jonathan+Waters

In this episode we go through some blessings from Israel (Jacob) to his kids. Good times for some, some bad blessings to others. www.bensound.com Twitter https://twitter.com/accordtostupid Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gospelaccordingtostupid/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jon-reads-bible-gospel-according/id1156695372# Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Accordingtostupid Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7LjFLpU4NWkmzMj_jhF0EA Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Sci-Fi_c2_1_narr?searchNarrator=Jonathan+Waters https://soundcloud.com/slingshotshow/ep-191-dont-let-the-grinch

The audio and the full text of the sermon are below. There are also questions for reflection at the bottom. Feel free to discuss on our sermon discussion group on Facebook.This is part two in a five part series on The Servant Songs. Isaiah 42:1-61Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it,who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you;I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind,to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;before they spring forth, I tell you of them. In 1922, Bernhard Duhm identified the Servant Songs in Isaiah in a particular way. His theory was that someone other than the prophet, and indeed other than the author of second Isaiah, if there are multiple authors of the book, wrote the Servant Songs, and an editor inserted them into the book.This was really at the heart of Duhm’s identification of the Servant Songs. He contended that the character of the songs was different from much of what is found in second Isaiah. Declaring that they have a different author allows us to pull the songs out of Isaiah and interpret them without reference to the rest of the text.I don’t think we should do this, though. Even if Duhm is correct about the authorship of the Servant Songs, which is seriously disputed, someone did weave them into a particular text, and communities have accepted these as the prophets words, and in fact, God’s word, for centuries. All of this is to say that the context of the Servant Songs is important.Isaiah 42 is not the first use of the imagery of “servant” in Isaiah. In First Isaiah (ch. 1-39), the word is always used to refer to either someone specific (e.g. Isaiah 20:3 “…Just as my servant Isaiah has walked…”), or to servants in general (e.g. Isaiah 37 “When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah…”).In Second Isaiah we get the first instance of Israel being identified as the servant. This happens in Isaiah 41:8-9, one chapter before the first “Servant Song”:“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners,saying to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off ’;”The motif of Israel/Jacob being the servant continues strongly throughout much of Second Isaiah. Servant is used exclusively to refer to Israel/Jacob from Isaiah 44 to 48.It would seem that at least when it comes to the first Servant Song, we need to ask whether it may in fact be about Israel. This is our first question, because the context of second Isaiah demands it.Second Isaiah is addressed to those Israelites who are in exile from their homeland in Babylon. It begins at chapter 40 with a powerful image of a highway being made by God through the wilderness: the promise of a straight road to lead the exiles home. Chapter 41 assures the people that they are cared for by God. They are collectively his chosen servant, and God will strengthen them.Isaiah 42, uses the same language to talk about the servant as is found in Isaiah 41. The servant is a chosen one. This was about Israel in chapter 41. Can it still be about Israel?V. 1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit on him he will bring forth justice to the nations.” This can only be about Israel if we see the servant as a personification of the nation, and if we believe that God’s intention was to bring justice to the earth through his chosen people. There is in fact strong evidence in the Old Testament to support that the very reason God had a chosen people was a bless and to bring about justice or righteousness to the world, through them.As you read through the other verses in the servant song, you will find that the words can be applied to Israel. V. 2 “He will not cry or lift up his voice…” This is in reference to the way God’s people would bring about justice: not through mighty declarations or speeches, but quietly, presumably through faithful actions.V. 3 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” A bruised reed and a dimly burning wick refer to those who are weak. This is saying that God’s chosen people will not bring forth justice by trampling on the weak. God’s justice will come not through the oppression of people. We could continue and draw out how this may refer to Israel, but we should know that this text is not to be seen as referring to what Israel did, but rather the hope of who Israel could be.You may not quite be with me in thinking that the first servant song refers to Israel. Perhaps you’ve been taught that all four of the songs must be about Jesus. We’re coming to that, I promise.But first, we need to know something about the Greek translation of the Old Testament. One of the earliest translations of the Old Testament took place over the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. This version of the Old Testament, along with some other books that are not part of Scripture, is called the Septuagint.The Septuagint is what most of the New Testament writers used when they were quoting from the Old Testament, because it was in Greek. Most of the New Testament writers would have also known Hebrew and would have been familiar with the Hebrew text. Translations are problematic because meaning can be lost or slightly changed. The Septuagint is problematic in an even greater way because it was likely translated from a variant, or several variants of the Hebrew Bible. This means that the Septuagint may not have been translated from exactly the same version which became the authoritative Hebrew version of the Scriptures passed down by the Scribes.So, there are sometimes fairly large discrepancies between the Greek version of the Old Testament and the Hebrew version of the Old Testament. Some worry about these discrepancies, but they can give us insight into how the ancients were interpreting texts. We can get insight into how they understood a text based on the choices they made in translation.Isaiah 42 has a discrepancy. The Septuagint opens like this: “Jacob is my servant; I will uphold him. Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him. I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth judgment to the nations.”Clearly, someone at some point, very early in the interpretation of Isaiah, wished to identify the servant of Isaiah 42, as Israel - just like in the surrounding chapters. An argument can be made that the basic understanding before Christ was that this text was talking about Israel.Enter the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew quotes from the Old Testament more than any of the other gospels. There are quotes all over the place - and no single book is quoted more than the book of Isaiah. The longest quote in Matthew is found at Matthew 12:15-21, just as Matthew is reaching the mid-way point of his story.What does he quote? The first four verses of the first Servant Song: Isaiah 42:1-4.Matthew usually quotes from the Septuagint. But this time he doesn’t seem to. Matthew goes back to the original text, removing any hint of this being about Israel. Why? Because Matthew applies the text to Jesus.Did Matthew not know that the basic interpretation of this Servant Song was that it was talking about Israel? He knew, but Matthew was doing something magnificent. Matthew was saying that Israel being the chosen servant, establishing justice for all peoples, and doing it faithfully without trampling on the already downtrodden - Matthew was saying that all of that - is fulfilled in Jesus. The servant is Israel personified, yes - and that is Jesus. Jesus fulfils God’s hope for his chosen people.Frederick Dale Bruner has an excellent commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Im going to share some of what Bruner writes about Matthew’s use of Isaiah 42:1-4.But first, you need the context of the quote in Matthew 12. It is can be easily supplied by looking at Matthew 12:14-17. Just before this, Jesus had done a healing on the Sabbath day. Then we get this: “The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:”Bruner explains that there are two purposes in Matthew supplying the quote from Isaiah.1) To give an explanation for why Jesus withdrew and why he gave a command to keep silent about his identity.2) To give what Bruner calls a “mid-Gospel review of Jesus’ whole mission.” Bruner points out that withdrawal is “an unusual description of a Messiah.” “Messiahs do not ordinarily retreat, but advance. Messiahs do not seek to be hidden, but to be known.”Christian interpreters have made a big deal about the way in which Jesus went about his mission. This is commented on widely. It isn’t just that he is Savior and Lord, Messiah and King, it is vastly important how he exercises these roles. Matthew Henry commented “He could have secured himself by miracle but chose to do it in the ordinary way of flight and retirement.”What is interesting to me is that Jesus was already attracting great crowds. If he had wanted to lead a political revolution, he could have. But this is not his way. The way of Jesus is not to shout about his Messiahship. He simply heals people and teaches people. When the challenge about his identity comes, he flees and commands silence. This is mysterious, because shouldn’t we shout from the rooftops that He is Lord?The answer to this question, it seems, is no - or at least, not until we understand what it really means for Jesus to be Lord and Messiah. Jesus is Lord, Jesus is king and ruler in the sense of Isaiah’s text. He is a servant King. Jesus’ hesitation to claim his rightful title guards against our misunderstanding of who he really is. The piece about the bruised reeds and flickering wicks is important. Jesus is always one who pays attention to the least of these. We tend to follow powerful people who extend their power at the expense of the weak, even, sadly quite often, when they claim to be working for the weak. The Church has even done this for years and years holding so solidly to the truth that we stop caring for real people in the name of that truth. Jesus challenged the powerful, held to the truth, and never trampled on the least of these. It was as if he knew we needed to see him as servant before we proclaimed him Lord. Bruner puts it this way, quite beautifully, I think:“To be sure, his failure ‘to shout and scream’ as revolutionaries and the Spirit-filled of all times are wont to do, his failure to work at the great social intersections (as contemporary revolutionary and revivalist strategies both advise), and his strange penchant for working with bruised rather than with polished reeds, with flickering rather than with glowing flames, will still turn people away from Jesus.”Then, Bruner quotes Matthew 11:6 where Jesus says, “But blessed is the person who is not offended by me.”Jesus is supremely interested in righteousness, in justice. He works and ultimately gives his life to put us right with God. But while he gives his own life, notice that he sacrifices no one else’s. Jesus is the suffering servant of God. Only when we see him as such can we readily call him Lord, can we understand that his way of ruling over us is in fact to give himself up for us. When we see this, when we place him as the head of our movement, or of our body, we are saying that our gain ought never be at the expense of someone else’s loss, except his. Our King died for the least of these, not just for us. We must see him as servant King.So far, we have addressed the idea of the Isaiah text illuminating the fact that Jesus fled from a fight with his opponents and commanded his followers to keep quiet about his identity. Incidentally, Jesus stays quiet about his identity when on trial for his life as well.We have not addressed the idea of these few verses from Isaiah providing a mid-gospel summary of Jesus’ mission. I’d like us to look at two central aspects of Jesus’ life to this point in the gospel as key for understanding his overall mission. The first is to be found by looking at the opening of the Servant Song: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.”The word servant in Greek can also mean “child,” or possibly “son.” Knowing this, we discover that this phrase seems echoed in Jesus’ baptism. As Jesus comes up out of the water, God’s voice declares in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”We spoke last week about Lent being a time to reflect on the vows we make in baptism, to think about renewing our life in Christ. Here we have another connection. God chooses his servant, as God has chosen you. The servant, Christ Jesus, is declared as God’s beloved in His baptism. You too are God’s beloved child and servant. The second aspect of Jesus’ ministry that is pointed to here is his teaching, and specifically how his teaching is intended to go throughout the world.In Isaiah 42:4 it is phrased like this: “and the coastlands wait for his teaching.”This gets changed by Matthew to “And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” That’s quite different. Where does Matthew get that from? He copied it word for word from the Septuagint. Earlier he followed the original Hebrew text. Here he follows the Greek text. Why? To point us to Jesus. When we reflect on this, we find that taking the Hebrew and Greek together, we find an even greater meaning.First, the easy one: the word “coastlands,” which can also be translated “islands.” This gets changed to “Gentiles.” The first description is geographical. The second is political or ethnic. The geographic description is meant to conjure the idea of those who are far off. The Septuagint interpreter can insert “Gentiles” here, because they are those who are politically and ethnically far off - they are those who are not part of Israel. This makes things more clear for Matthew’s purposes. He is not wanting to say that there are certain coastlands or islands that are awaiting Jesus. He wants to say that all people, even people traditionally outside of God’s covenant with Israel, are in need of Jesus.Saying Gentiles or Nations is perhaps more accurate. Saying coastlands or islands is maybe more poetic. It is like saying - until every last nook and cranny on earth has heard the message.The substitution of “name” for “teaching” is more difficult, however. We can’t know why the Septuagint inserted the word “name” there, but in some ways it is a blessing that it did. Looking at the Hebrew that is translated teaching, we find that it is actually the word Torah. That can be “teaching,” but it can also be “law.” We must also understand what is meant by the Gentiles hoping in Jesus’ name. It isn’t literally the name Jesus. It is who the name refers to. It is the person of the servant - of Jesus. What has happened here, even through translation and interpretation, is that the person of Jesus has taken the place of the law. It’s quite remarkable.As we look on Jesus’ actual teaching, we find that while he provides excellent commands that we ought to follow, the main thrust of what we learn, is in fact about Jesus himself. He is ultimately the content of the teaching, and he is the fulfillment of the ultimate teaching, God’s teaching, the law.This bit of Isaiah points to Jesus’ whole mission because his mission is one of connecting others to God. This was formally done through adherence to the law. Now it can be done in Christ. The new covenant is found in Christ, and is open to more than just Israel. The servant King’s mission is to the least of these, to those who are far off, to the Gentiles of the coastlands and islands.The mission involved obeying his commands, keeping our vows, but it’s more than that. His mission is for us to be connected to him, or as Jesus puts it, to be disciples. This all comes together at the very end of Matthew’s Gospel, where he sends out his closest followers. Listen to what he tells them to do, and where he commissions them to go.Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”With Jesus firmly in mind, the second half of our Servant Song comes alive for us.6bI have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind,to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;before they spring forth, I tell you of them. We should see right away that these verses can apply to both Israel and Christ. The themes of covenant and God’s chosen ones being a light to the nations are all over the Old Testament, but we believe those themes reach their climax in Jesus. Martin Luther said that Isaiah’s prophecy “paints the entire Christ.”Here we have the great themes that weave together in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus: covenant, light to the nations, healing, salvation and freedom, the old life being gone and new things being declared.The early believers saw these connections between their scriptures and this one who had come. He did not rule as anyone else. He did not lord over people, he was a suffering servant and is our king.Questions for Reflection1) Martin Luther said that Isaiah’s prophecy “paints the entire Christ.” What did Luther mean by this?2) In what ways does Jesus fulfill or complete the law? In what ways does Jesus fulfill the entire Hebrew Scriptures?3) How do you feel about the discrepancies between the different manuscripts of the Bible? Does this challenge your faith? Does it add to it in any way?4) How is saying “the Servant Songs are prophecies about Jesus” different from saying “the Servant Songs are to be applied to Jesus” (or “inform our understanding of Jesus”)?5) The argument was made that Jesus commanded his followers to remain silent about him to guard against a potential misunderstanding of his true identity as servant Messiah. Does this effect how we talk about Jesus with others today? 6) When discussing “dimly burning wicks” and “bruised reeds” the following statement was made: “The Church sometimes holds so solidly to the truth that we stop caring for real people in the name of that truth.” What do you think this means? How do you respond?7) If we apply the servant song to Jesus, what does it mean to say he is “a covenant to the people, a light to the nations?” Source Note:F. Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary (2 volumes; revised and expanded edition, Eerdmans, 2004)

Today's show is another Revs. Bob and Margie Brach show as my wife joins me as cohost. I will be reading the transcribed text of Charles Fillmore's lesson "Understanding in Relation to Experience" from his Sunday morning talk on June 19, 1932. Margie and I will share what spoke to our hearts as we reflect upon the text. Mr. Fillmore uses the story of Israel/Jacob being told by God to travel to Egypt without fear, as told in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 46.

Rabbi Eckstein teaches about the foundation of the twelve tribes of Israel – Jacob and his sons.

Genesis 46: By faith Israel(Jacob) leaves the Promise Land to be reunited with his son Joseph in Egypt. Part 39 Genesis 46:1 - 47:12

Genesis 46: By faith Israel(Jacob) leaves the Promise Land to be reunited with his son Joseph in Egypt. Part 39 Genesis 46:1 - 47:12