Podcast appearances and mentions of jacob genesis

The End of the Beginning (Genesis 50 Summary) Today, Ally brought our incredible journey through the book of Genesis to a close with a powerful sermon titled "The End of the Beginning." As we conclude this foundational book of the Bible, we see that even in endings, there are new beginnings and enduring truths that resonate with our lives today, even here on the estate. Ally began by expressing her privilege in studying and sharing God's Word, especially as we reached the final chapter of Genesis. Reflecting on the "beginning" that the book's name signifies, she highlighted three key beginnings we've encountered: The Beginning of Creation (Genesis 1:1): Ally reminded us of the profound truth that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." This foundational statement establishes God as the eternal Creator, a concept that can stretch our understanding. She shared a childhood wonder about who created God, acknowledging that some truths are simply beyond our full comprehension. God is, always has been, and always will be. This perfect creation was designed for humanity, made in God's image, to live in partnership with Him. The Beginning of Sin (Genesis 3:1): This perfect beginning was tragically marred by the introduction of sin. Ally recounted the familiar story of the serpent tempting Eve, but emphasized that the core issue wasn't just eating a forbidden fruit. It was an act of rebellion, of placing their own will above God's. Using the simple analogy of spelling "sin" with "I" in the middle, Ally explained that sin is fundamentally about putting ourselves in God's rightful place. The consequences of this act were devastating: a spoiled perfect world, the pain of hard work, banishment from the Garden, a shattered relationship with a holy God, and ultimately, death – a final separation from Him. Ally stressed the gravity of sin, explaining that it fundamentally breaks our relationship with God. The Beginning of the Covenant (Genesis 12): Despite the bleakness of sin's entry, Ally illuminated God's loving rescue plan, hinted at even in Genesis 3. This plan truly begins to unfold with God's covenant with Abraham. Defining a covenant as a formal, binding agreement, Ally read from Genesis 12:1-3, where God promises Abraham land, a great nation, and blessing, stating, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." She further referenced the symbolic covenant ceremony in Genesis 15 and the reiteration of these promises in Genesis 17:1-8, where God declares, "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." This covenant with Abraham marks the beginning of God's plan to restore humanity and His creation. Following this reflection, Ally's son, Caleb, bravely read Genesis 50, our passage for today. This chapter details the end of Jacob's life and its aftermath, providing us with three significant "ends" to consider: The End of Jacob: Ally noted the extensive detail given to Jacob's death and burial (Genesis 50:1-14), far exceeding the accounts of other patriarchs like Abraham. Joseph's profound grief, the 40-day embalming process, and the 70 days of mourning by the Egyptians highlight the significance of Jacob's life. His burial in Canaan, fulfilling Joseph's oath, underscores his deep connection to the Promised Land and God's promises. Ally drew parallels to the New Testament description of Christians as "aliens" or "foreigners" in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Just as Jacob's true home was in the Promised Land, our ultimate citizenship is in God's kingdom (Philippians 3:20). She encouraged us to hold onto this identity, especially during the challenges of daily life, and emphasized the importance of gathering as a church to remind and encourage one another in this truth. Furthermore, Ally acknowledged Jacob's flaws, echoing Andy's previous sermon, yet highlighted that he "finished well" and was honored. This serves as an encouragement that God uses flawed individuals for His purposes, and He can restore us despite our shortcomings. Finally, Ally pointed out that Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, is arguably the true father of the nation of Israel, as his twelve sons became the twelve tribes. His death, holding onto God's promises, and the mourning by the Egyptians, a foreign people, speaks volumes. The End of Hostility: Shifting the focus to Genesis 50:15-21, Ally addressed the end of hostility between Joseph and his brothers. Following Jacob's death, the brothers, burdened by their past mistreatment of Joseph, feared his retribution. They fabricated a message from Jacob asking for forgiveness. While Ally expressed skepticism about the truthfulness of this message, she acknowledged their likely genuine remorse. Joseph's emotional response and subsequent reassurance revealed that he had already forgiven them. His powerful statement, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20), illustrates God's ability to work through even the most evil intentions for a greater purpose. Ally drew a parallel to our relationship with God, highlighting the burden of unresolved sin and the power of God's unrestricted forgiveness, prepaid by Jesus' death on the cross. She encouraged listeners to "claim" this forgiveness through a simple ABC: Admit you're wrong, Believe in Jesus' death, and Commit to following Jesus as Lord. She urged anyone carrying the weight of sin to address it and encouraged those who have been wronged to consider Joseph's example of forgiving even before being asked. This counter-cultural act of forgiveness mirrors God's own initiative in sending His Son for us. The End of Joseph: In the final verses (Genesis 50:22-26), we see the end of Joseph's life. Unlike Jacob, his death is marked by less ceremony, and the blessing of the next generation had already occurred. However, Joseph's unwavering faith in God's covenant shines through. Even though the promises of a great nation in their own land seemed distant after over 250 years, Joseph declared to his brothers, "God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Genesis 50:24). He even made the Israelites swear an oath to carry his bones back to Canaan when that time came, a testament to his enduring faith, which was fulfilled 400 years later. Ally emphasized the theme of patience in waiting for God's promises. Joseph's faith was rooted in his understanding that God was for him, working out His purposes even through difficult circumstances. His statement in Genesis 50:20 – "God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" – reveals his understanding that God's plans extend beyond his own personal well-being. Ally concluded by reminding us that God is for us, even when our circumstances are challenging or His timing differs from our own. Drawing on Romans 8:28, she affirmed that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Jacob and Joseph died trusting in God's promises, and we are called to do the same. Ally concluded with a call to reflection, urging listeners to consider any unresolved sin, broken relationships, or struggles with feeling like a foreigner in this world or doubting God's care. The answer to all these challenges, she affirmed, is to come to the cross, to re-center on God's saving work, where His love and forgiveness are most powerfully displayed. Bible References Used: Genesis 1:1 Genesis 3:1 Genesis 12:1-3 Genesis 15 Genesis 17:1-8 Genesis 25 Genesis 37 Genesis 49 Genesis 50:1-14 Genesis 50:15-21 Genesis 50:20 Genesis 50:22-26 Genesis 50:24 1 Peter 2:11 Philippians 3:20 Romans 8:28 Thank you for joining us for this final reflection on Genesis. We pray that Ally's words have encouraged and challenged you. May we all live in the light of God's promises and the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. Transcription Yes, so I'm Ali. I know some of you, not everyone. A bit about me, I'm Matt Richard, who unfortunately isn't here. He's gone out with the youth. And we have two boys, Jacob, who's also gone with youth, but Caleb, who has chosen to stay in and listen to mum. And he's going to have more later on. I think I was born just before Voyager 1 left, but there we go. Right now, I'm feeling extraordinarily privileged. Firstly, it's a privilege to study and delve into God's Word and help other people understand it. It's one of the favourite things that I like to do. And secondly, what a privilege to bring this incredible series in Genesis to a close. And as I've been preparing this, the realisation that this really is the last chapter has weighed a little heavy. And the fact that this is the last of our one service Sundays just adds a little bit of extra pressure. Let's go. I've called the talk the end of the beginning. And we're going to get into the passage in a bit. Now, most of you won't have heard me preach before, but I'm one for going in and out of the text. So now is your chance to get your Bible or switch your phone on and find Genesis 50 because we're going to be needing it later, all right? But to start with, I wanted to reflect a bit on what's gone on before. So for those of you who haven't checked out the masterpiece in the entrance, well, you are missing out. It is an absolutely incredible collage of what we've been looking at over the last three months, and I highly recommend it. And I think it's just an absolutely fantastic job. So well done, Sheila, for that. Genesis means beginning, and there have been plenty of those over the past 49 chapters. And I'm just going to pick out three. Chapter 1, verse 1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the beginning of everything. And it's hard to get your head round, isn't it? Once there was nothing, and then there was, well, everything. And those opening verses take us back to the very beginning of everything. They remind us that God is truly eternal. Now, I remember as a kid wanting to know who made God. And in fact, I'm not sure I've ever had a satisfactory answer to it. Some things are maybe just too big to understand. God just is. He always has been, and He always will be. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God made a perfect world, and He put two human beings on it to enjoy and take care of it, to live in partnership with Him. We are the pinnacle of creation made in His image. But that didn't last. By chapter 3, the perfect world is spoiled forever. You see, we see the beginning of sin. Chapter 3, verse 1, now the snake was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? And we know the story, or at least we think we do, don't we? But what really went on that day in the Garden of Eden? Was it simply that Eve stole a forbidden fruit? Well, of course, that was the action, but it's what was behind it that's the issue, isn't it? You see, in disobeying God's command, Adam and Eve effectively rejected His rule. Now, as a kid, I was taught to remember sin by spelling it out, F-I-N, and seeing that I is in the middle. And that essentially is what sin is about. All sin is, is when we put ourselves, that I, in the place of God, when we reject that rightful rule that He should have over us. And that is what Adam and Eve did in that day in the garden, spurred on by the devil. And far more important are the consequences of this event. You see, that perfect world was spoiled. No longer would life be pain-free for men or women. Life would be hard work. Adam and Eve, and with them the whole human race, were banished from the Garden of Eden, never to return. And worse than that, their perfect relationship with God was spoiled, shattered, broken. That's what I'm trying to get at with that picture there. No longer could Adam and Eve walk side by side with Him. You see, God is so holy, we've just sung it, He's so holy, so absolutely perfect, that He cannot be in the presence of people that are not. And ultimately the consequence was of death, and with it that final separation from God. Now sin spoils, and I don't know how well you've grasped this, but it is really important, so I am going to go on about it just for a little bit longer. Maybe you're here just dipping your toe in things. Maybe you've heard this all before but never quite understood it. Or maybe you've been in church all your life and you think you already know this. Wherever you're at, grasp this, that sin spoils. It means that we cannot be in relationship with God. That is gone, that is smashed to smithereens. It means we die, and that is bad news, depressing news, maybe even shocking news. But it's not the only news, and you see God is not only a holy God, He's one of perfect love, and He had a plan to put things right. Now when I was doing Bible training, one of our lecturers said that you can divide the Bible into two halves. The first three chapters of Genesis is one half, and the rest is the other. And the second half is basically God's rescue plan. It's not a plan B brought into force when Adam and Eve screwed the first one up. No, the Bible is clear that this was always the plan, and there is a hint of it in chapter 3, but let's skip forward to our last beginning, the beginning of the covenant. Now Google AI tells me that a covenant is a formal binding agreement or promise between two or more parties. And in chapter 12, we see Abraham, later to become Abraham, encounter God. And God states His promise to him as a threefold promise that involves a land, a people, and great blessing. So I'm just going to read a little section from Genesis 12. The Lord said to Abraham, go from your country, your people, and your father's household, to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who curse you, and whoever, bless you, sorry, and whoever curses you, I will curse. And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. And God repeats this twice more. Do you remember chapter 15, that weird ceremony with the blazing fire and the animals cut in half? I'll look it up later. And in it, Abraham looking at the stars in the sky, God using them as an illustration of His promise to make Him the father of a great nation. And God repeats these promises, makes it clear that it's Him that is doing it all. And finally, He repeats them a third time in Genesis 17. Abraham fell face down, and God said to him, as for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram. Your name will be Abraham. For I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and to your descendants after you. And I will be their God. So we've had three beginnings. We've had a perfect creation. We've had a spoiled creation. And we've got God's rescue plan, which starts with a covenant with one man. So can we just hold those beginnings in mind whilst you get a little break from me? And Caleb is going to read our passage for today, which is Genesis 50. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, If I have found favour in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, My father made me swear on oath and said, I am about to die. Bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan. Now let me go up and bury my father. Then I will return. Pharaoh said, Go up and bury your father as he made you swear to do. So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him, the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt. Besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household, only their children and flocks of hurt were less than gotten. Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company. When they reached the fresh floor of Etad near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly, where Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the fresh floor of Etad, they said, The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. That is why the place near the Jordan is called Abel-Musraim. So Joseph's sons did as he commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephraim the Hittite. After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him? So they sent word to Joseph, saying, Your father left these instructions before he died. This is what you were to say to Joseph, I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of God your father. When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. We are your slaves, they said. But Joseph said to them, Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Joseph stayed in Egypt along with all his father's family. He lived 110 years and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also, the children of Micaiah, son of Manasseh, were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Joko. And Joseph made the Israelites wear an oath and said, God will surely come to your aid and then you must carry my bones up from this place. So Joseph died at the age of 110 and after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. Well done little man. He was a bit upset that he wasn't getting one of these roving mics, so I've told him he's got to wait a little bit for that. So to the end of the beginning, our final chapter, and in it we see three ends. Firstly, the end of Jacob. So Andy talked last week about Jacob's final words to his gathered sons and grandsons. So technically his end was in chapter 49 when he, what did you say Andy, hooked up his feet on the bed and went to his father's, something like that. But the first half of this chapter is devoted to his end. Now I don't know about you, but as I've studied it and as I've heard it read just now, my overriding thought was, wow, they made a massive deal out of that. And there is a lot of detail for us, far more than other significant deaths in Genesis. I look back, in Genesis 25, there's just four verses devoted to the end of Abraham and we have 14. And I wonder why. So let's look at them in a bit more detail. Verse 1, Jacob has just died and Joseph is physically distraught. He throws himself on his father's body. He weeps over him and kisses him. And then there's the first ritual. Jacob's body is embalmed. This takes 40 days. Verse 3, the Egyptians mourned him for 70 days. And see who's mourning there? The Egyptians. Not Joseph and his brothers, although clearly they will have been too, but the Egyptians. Jacob is a foreigner in their land and yet they mourned him for 70 days. Jacob's end was a big deal and not just for his family. And the story goes on and preparations are made for his burial, which happens not in Egypt but back in Canaan, fulfilling an oath that Joseph had sworn to his father. And Jacob is eventually buried back at the family burial cave with his grandparents, Abraham and Sarah and his father Isaac, but not without more pomp and ceremony. Verse 7 to 9, we see all of Egypt's dignitaries, well done Caleb, accompanying the family. It was a very large company, such a large company that the locals living there remark in verse 11, the Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. See it again? The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. So what can we learn about all this fuss about the end of Jacob? Well, firstly, it seems like he's a foreigner in two places. You see, he dies in Egypt away from the Promised Land, yet when he's taken back to Canaan to be buried, he's a foreigner there too. And this should maybe resonate a little bit with us. You see, in several places in the New Testament, Christians are described as being aliens or foreigners in the world. But if it sometimes feels like you don't belong in this world anymore, well, that's true, we don't. We're citizens of a new kingdom. But for now, we still live in this one. And that can feel hard, especially on a Monday morning, can't it, when you're at work or college or you're with friends or family that don't know Jesus. Jacob knew his identity. He'd encountered God in a very personal way, illustrated in that picture there. And he trusted in his promises, the very same ones that were given back to Abraham. So for him, his choice of burial site back in the Promised Land, well, that was a given. And for us, well, we need to hold on to that identity. We are children of God and citizens of heaven, and that is why showing up here on a Sunday is so important, because we can remind and spur each other on when we go back into that week when we're having to live as aliens in another country. As well as being encouraged by Jacob as a foreigner, we can also take heart that he was in many ways a flawed man. And Andy covered this last week when he reminded us of Jacob's many failures along the way. So when we announced the birth of our son Jacob to our families, my dad commented on the name. His words were, well, you could have gone for a better character. Possibly a bit harsh for his first grandson. When Caleb arrived, I made a point of asking if that was a better choice. Make your mind up. Dad was right on one hand, but Jacob the Bible did make a lot of mistakes. But looking at the way his end is outlined for us, we see he finished well, and he was esteemed and honored by many. And I'd echo what Andy said last week, that this encourages me. See, throughout Genesis, throughout the whole Bible, God uses flawed individuals to work his purposes out. And so he can and does use us too. With all our flaws, all our disappointments, we let him down, and he gently restores us. And finally, the end of Jacob signals the real star of the nation of Israel. You see, indeed, his name was even changed to Israel. It's easy when there's an Israel on the map to forget that the first Israel was a person. And whilst Abraham is always referred to as the father of the nation, in many ways, I'd suggest that title really belongs to Jacob. You see, from his 12 sons came the 12 tribes, which grew into the great people. As Jacob blessed his sons individually before he died, I think he'd have reflected on that promise of becoming a people and seen a glimpse of what was to come. The end of Jacob, a man who died holding onto the promises of God, who finished well and who was mourned by a people from a foreign land. Let's move on. In the next verses, we see another very different end. We see the end of hostility. Check out verse 15, and you see an obvious change in the narrative. Jacob has died, and Joseph's brothers start to panic. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, what if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him? You see, the brothers foresee a problem. Many years before, they had treated Joseph abysmally, and they know it. They might try to claim mitigating circumstances. After all, Joseph was, by all accounts, a pretty jumped up obnoxious teenager, but what they did was pretty unforgivable. You can read it in Genesis 37. They plotted to kill him. Reuben the Elbdis steps in and suggests throwing him an assistant instead. He plans to go back and rescue him, but the others then sell him on into slavery, and they take his bloodied robe, that technicolor dream coat, back to Jacob and make it look like Joseph was dead. And then they carry on with life, unaware of what happened to their father, living a lie at home with their father grieving his blooded son. But now they have a problem. Jacob is gone, and what's going to happen to them? Without the protection of their father, just how is Joseph going to react? So they preempt it. They get in first. See verse 16, so they sent word to Joseph saying, your father left these instructions before he died. This is what you are to say to Joseph. I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of your servant, the God of your father. Now we have no way or not of knowing what the brothers are saying here is true. The Bible does not document this conversation between Jacob and his sons. And as a mother of children who can be pretty convincing in their stories to explain away misdemeanors, sorry to call you out Caleb, but you know what is true? I have to say, personally, I don't believe them. But neither do I blame them. You see, in all honesty, I'd have probably tried something similar. You see, our sinful nature, that eye in the middle, it's always going to try and protect me, isn't it? And Joseph is moved to tears. And then the brothers come together in person. And whilst I'm skeptical about their story, I do believe they're sorry. Their repentance is genuine. They will have carried that guilt for years. And they literally throw themselves at their brother's mercy, aware that he has every right to punish them. And yet Joseph does respond with mercy. He has no intention of punishing them. You see, it becomes clear that he's forgiven them long ago. There is no hostility on his side. He has seen the bigger picture. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. And this section of the story illustrates a couple of things, and I think in many ways mirrors our relationship with God. Firstly, it illustrates the power of unresolved sin. Joseph's brothers know they have done wrong, and they've lived for years in the knowledge that they sold him as a slave and lied to their father. Secondly, we see the power of unrestricted forgiveness. Joseph's response is gentle and loving. Twice, he says, don't be afraid. He promises to take care of his brothers and their households. And this is the same as us with God. Are you sitting here feeling the weight of unresolved sin? Is this something you've never dealt with, never taken that step of acknowledging to yourself that you've been living your life with I in charge and that that needs to change? Or maybe you're already a Christian, but there's something specific that you're struggling with, a habit you know you need to break, a recurrent thought or behavior that you can't seem to stop. Can I encourage you to come to God who is waiting there with unrestricted forgiveness? Our loving God who longs to say don't be afraid, I forgive you. And we don't earn that forgiveness. It's prepaid. When Jesus died on that cross 2,000 years ago, he was paying the price for every one of my sins and yours. Humanity's rebellion paid for by one perfect sinless man. So we don't earn it, but we do have to claim it. Last weekend was my birthday, and I got a message on my Costa app to say that I would receive a free birthday treat within the next seven days. So when I looked at it, there it was for me on the app. But I had to claim it. I had to click on it and show it to the nice lady in Costa, which I did on Friday, and I got a nice piece of free tip. God's forgiveness is kind of the same. It's there. It's prepaid. And unlike my treat, there is no time limit. All we need to do is claim it. And how do we do this? Well, can I suggest a simple ABC? A, admit I'm wrong. B, believe in Jesus' death that has taken the punishment I deserve. C, commit to following Jesus as Lord with him in charge instead of me. And whether you need to do that today for the first time or the thousandth time, I encourage people to do it. There will be space later to reflect. Use it. Think through the ABC. Grab someone to pray with afterwards. Don't leave this morning unresolved. Before we move to our final end, just a word about the power of unrestricted forgiveness. You see, maybe you're sitting here and you've been wronged by someone, whether deliberately or not. And that is hard to take. But we know in our hearts, don't we, that holding on to bitterness doesn't do us any good? Now, look at Joseph's reaction in the passage and in the earlier ones when his brothers first arrived in Egypt and were oblivious to his identity. He's forgiven them somewhere along the line. And crucially, before they have come and said sorry to him, he has forgiven them. And we can learn a lot from this, can't we? It's very countercultural. We live in a world where it's considered weak to make that first move, to forgive without being asked to, to not make people pay for what they deserve. But we have a countercultural God who did make that first move, who sent his own son to take the punishment we deserve. So maybe we should rethink. And maybe there are relationships that need fixing. Can we be a people who aren't afraid to make that move, either to apologize for where we know we're wrong or to forgive when we've been Time for our final end, the end of Joseph. And there is a lot less fuss and ceremony than the end of Jacob. And unlike the other patriarchs, we don't see a formal blessing of the next generation. That seems to have been covered by Jacob. But what we do see is Joseph's unwavering faith in God's covenant. Verse 24, then Joseph said to his brothers, I'm about to die, but God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, God will surely come to your aid and then you must carry my bones up into this place. There have been many repeated themes in Genesis, but the one that's really lodged with me is the need for patience when it comes to God's promises. And Joseph has got it, hasn't he? He knows the covenant promises given to his ancestors. Remember that they would be a great people in their own land and greatly blessed. But as Genesis closes, we see that more than 250 years on, there isn't much sign of any of this. The family is pretty small and they aren't even in the promised land. And Joseph has seen some blessing in his time in Egypt, but we know that by the time the next book Exodus starts, they're going to be enslaved in terrible condition. Not many people, no land, limited blessing. Yet Joseph's faith doesn't wobble. Twice he says, God will surely come to your aid. Joseph is convinced that this will work out, just as God has said. He's just not going to see it. And so his faith is demonstrated in his instructions for his body to be buried back in Canaan, something that isn't actually fulfilled for another 400 years. And how does Joseph have such great faith? Well, I think the answer comes for us a little earlier in our chapter in the section on the end of hostility. Remember Joseph's reply to his brothers in verse 20. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. You see, somewhere along the line, Joseph has grasped the great truth that God is for him, despite circumstances and events along the way. Throughout the ups and many downs of Joseph's life, God was right there. Move the slide, Michelle, thank you. Joseph has got this. God was right there with him, working out his purposes. Joseph has got this, and this fuels his faith. And he's also got that it's about God and not about Joseph. God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. He doesn't say, God intended it for good, so everything would work out fine for me. Look, in the end, I got myself a family, decent job, some land for us to settle in. No, God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So as I finish, hear this, God is for you. I don't know how life is for you right now. Maybe things are going well. Maybe you feel at rock bottom, God is for you. But also hear this, God is for you in the context of his plans and his purposes. And they're not always the same as we maybe think they should be. And God's time scale may be very different to how we think it ought to be. And that means we may not see answers to situations. Things may not work out how we expect. It may feel that God isn't for us. But learn from the story of Genesis, he is. We have a God who is faithful to his promises, who remains in charge, however things might look or feel. As Paul famously wrote in Romans 8 verse 28, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. And Jacob and Joseph knew this, and they died trusting in their God's promises. So as we finish today, there is plenty to reflect on. Is there unresolved sin that needs dealing with? Maybe you've never acknowledged that till now, and do you need to claim that forgiveness? Maybe for the first time, maybe for the thousands. Is there a relationship that needs fixing? Do you need to make the first move? Be that one to say sorry or to forgive. Are you struggling with being a foreigner in this world? Are you a different person on a Sunday to how you are the rest of the week? Or are you finding it difficult to believe that God is really for you, especially with things how they are now? The answer to all of these is the same as ever. Come to the cross. Re-center on God at saving work for you. He is for you. He is for us. Nowhere do we see this more powerfully than at the cross. Shall we pray? Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the book of Genesis. I thank you for all that we have learnt and can take away from it and keep learning and keep taking away. And Lord God, for wherever we're at this time, thank you for the cross. Thank you that in there we receive your unrestricted forgiveness. Lord, we know we have done wrong. We know we have messed up. We know we have spoiled things. But Lord, we come to you in repentance and in faith that your work on the cross is enough. Amen.

John Dening, Jacob -- Genesis 34-50 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Rocco Collucci, Jacob -- Genesis 31-33 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

"A Life of Faith"Genesis 12:1-9The Book of Genesis Series - In The Beginning, GodPastor Nate ClarkeApril 27, 2025FREE INDOOR PLAYGROUND:Follow Oasis Kids for news on FREE OPEN PLAY dates in our 2,000 sq ft indoor playground in Richmond, VA. https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/reel/C8FqHIipr3u/Learn about this year's Kingdom Builder's project: https://www.oasischurch.online/kingdom-buildersHow should Christians respond to POLITICAL ISSUES? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak82aD16r04WHY WE UPDATED OUR VISION STATEMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0WFhtL7h3ISERMON NOTES:- Genesis 12:1-9- A Life of Faith- Human Race  Individual (Abram)  Nation (Israel)  Revelation (God's Word & ways)  Redeemer (Jesus)- Abraham: Genesis 12-23  Isaac: Genesis 24-26  Jacob: Genesis 27-36  Joseph: Genesis 37-50- Romans 4:3- Genesis 12:1- Acts 7:2-4- Faith is agreeing with God- Genesis 11:4- Genesis 12:1-3- Faith is leaving things behind- Abram's faith required him to leave his land, his people, and his father's household (blessing)- Luke 9:23-25- Luke 9:57-62- Faith is expressed at every step- Genesis 12:7- Genesis 12:8- Faith is believing that greater things are ahead with God- Abram was promised by faith: land, a nation, and a blessing- Left: a land, a people, and his blessing  Received: land, a nation, and getting & being a blessing- Luke 18:29-30 Oasis Church exists to Worship God, Equip the believers, and Reach the lost.We are led by Pastor Nate Clarke and are located in Richmond, VA.Stay Connected:Website: https://oasischurch.online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisChurchRVA/

Sermon Summary: Temporary Residents, Eternal Home Chris's sermon this week delved into Genesis chapters 46 and 47, picking up the narrative of Jacob and his family's move to Egypt to escape the severe famine in Canaan. He structured his talk around six key "episodes" or scenes within these chapters, ultimately drawing out four significant takeaways for the congregation in Sheffield in 2025. Chris began by addressing the crucial question of relevance: how can a text written potentially 16-18 centuries before Jesus, set in a vastly different culture, speak to us today? His answer lies in the belief that the Bible is "God-breathed," inspired by God, who continues to speak through its pages to those who approach it with humility and an open heart. He emphasized the Bible's unique authority, stating that any teaching, including his own, should be disregarded if it contradicts scripture. Furthermore, Chris highlighted Romans 15:4, reminding listeners that the scriptures were written for our encouragement, hope, and perseverance in our Christian walk. Drawing a parallel to the London Marathon, he likened the Old Testament heroes of faith, including Jacob (mentioned in Hebrews 11), to a crowd of witnesses cheering us on in our own race of faith (Hebrews 12:1). Moving into the text, Chris outlined the six episodes: God appears to Jacob (Genesis 46): Despite being called to the Promised Land, God instructs Jacob to go to Egypt, a seemingly counterintuitive command. The journey to Egypt (Genesis 46): Jacob and his family undertake the journey. Reunion with Joseph (Genesis 46): Jacob is reunited with his son Joseph, whom he long believed to be dead. The brothers meet Pharaoh (Genesis 47:1-6): Joseph presents a delegation of his brothers to Pharaoh. They identify themselves as shepherds seeking temporary residence due to the famine. Chris noted their subservient tone ("We your servants") while also highlighting Joseph's prior coaching to secure their desired outcome. Pharaoh's response is directed to Joseph, granting them permission to settle in the land of Goshen and even offering positions managing his livestock if they possess special skills. Jacob meets Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7-10): Joseph then brings his father Jacob to meet Pharaoh. In contrast to his sons, Jacob seems to possess a greater sense of authority, even blessing Pharaoh twice. Pharaoh inquires about Jacob's age ("How many are the days of the years of your life?"), to which Jacob replies that he has lived 130 "hard years" and that the "days of the years of my temporary residence are few and hard." Chris emphasized Jacob's use of "temporary residence" (or "sojourner" in some translations), a significant theme throughout the chapter. Despite his hardships (fleeing his brother, losing his mother and wife, believing Joseph dead), Jacob's encounter with Pharaoh reveals a man carrying moral authority. Joseph's leadership during the famine (Genesis 47:11-26): This lengthy section details Joseph's strategic management of the famine. He provides the best land of Egypt, the region of Ramesses (another name for Goshen), for his family. As the famine intensifies, Joseph collects all the money in Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain, eventually moving to exchange livestock and then land and the people themselves for food, making them Pharaoh's slaves. The priests are the only exception, receiving direct provisions from Pharaoh. Joseph then establishes a system where the people receive seed to plant and keep four-fifths of the harvest, with one-fifth going to Pharaoh. The people express immense gratitude for Joseph saving their lives. Chris acknowledged the potentially unsettling nature of this narrative, where Pharaoh's wealth increases significantly. However, he pointed out that the Egyptians willingly entered these arrangements and were grateful for survival. He also noted that their situation as "slaves" differed significantly from typical understandings of slavery, as they continued to live on their land and retain 80% of their produce, a potentially lower tax burden than experienced today in the UK. Chris cautioned against a literal "lift and drop" application of Old Testament narratives, using the example of the hand-under-thigh oath later in the chapter as a practice no longer relevant. He stressed the importance of respectfully engaging with the text while discerning its enduring message. Jacob prepares to die (Genesis 47:27-31): The Israelites settle in Goshen, acquire property, become fruitful, and their population grows rapidly, fulfilling God's promise in Genesis 46:3 that they would be prosperous in Egypt. Jacob lives for another 17 years, reaching the age of 147. As his death approaches, he calls Joseph and makes him swear an oath (placing his hand under Jacob's thigh) not to bury him in Egypt but to take him back to Canaan to be buried with his ancestors. Joseph agrees and takes the oath. Chris highlighted the significance of being buried with his ancestors, noting the memorial in Hebron revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as the family grave of Abraham, Isaac, Sarah, Rebekah, and Jacob. He also pointed out that the hand-under-thigh oath was a family tradition, previously used by Abraham when sending a servant to find a wife for Isaac. Jacob's focus on being buried in the Promised Land underscores his deep connection to it. From this passage, Chris identified four key takeaways for the congregation: Depending on God: Chris found Jacob in his final chapters to be an "appealing and beautiful character," contrasting him with figures like Solomon who started well but finished poorly. Despite his past flaws and hardships, Jacob is "finishing well," which Chris attributed to his dependence on God. He affirmed that while we hold onto God, it is ultimately God who holds onto us. He referenced Lauren Daigle's song "Hold On To Me" in this context. Chris encouraged the congregation to have the "desire to finish well" in their own lives, noting that many around us do not. Do to others as you would like them to do to you: This "golden rule" of Jesus is reflected in the cycle of blessing within the narrative. Jacob blesses Pharaoh, and through Joseph, both the Egyptians and Jacob's family are blessed. Chris expressed his hope that the church's activities are a blessing to the local community and encouraged individuals to be a blessing in their families, workplaces, and among their neighbors. He then referenced Deuteronomy 23:7 (in some translations, this is Deuteronomy 23:7-8 or Deuteronomy 23:7), "You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt," noting its counter-cultural message in contemporary politics. Remember you are temporary residents: Chris drew attention to Peter's words in 1 Peter 2:11, "Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very soul." He connected this back to the potential reasons for Joseph choosing Goshen – to protect his family from the idolatrous Egyptian culture and the risk of assimilation. He emphasized the importance of identity: if we truly believe we belong to God, there are certain things we should avoid. Identity acts as a protection against temptation and evil, echoing Jesus' prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13). Where is your true country?: Chris explored the legal concept of "domicile" – permanent home – contrasting it with "residence" and "citizenship." He posed the question: where is our true home as Christians? Like Jacob, we are temporary residents in this world; our true home is with God. He quoted Hebrews 13:14, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." He concluded with a powerful quote from C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle, where a character entering heaven says, "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now."1 Chris shared that Karen had read this passage at Anne's funeral and expressed his hope that it would be read at his own, emphasizing the Christian understanding of our ultimate belonging in God's presence. Chris concluded with a prayer, thanking God for his mercy and love, acknowledging human failings, and expressing the desire to understand and embrace the truth of our eternal home in God. He then invited those who wished for prayer to come forward. Bible References: Genesis 46 Genesis 47 Romans 15:4 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 12:1 1 Peter 2:11 Matthew 6:13 Hebrews 13:14 Deuteronomy 23:7 (or Deuteronomy 23:7-8 depending on translation) Transcript Let's wait for the PowerPoint to appear on the screen. Great, there it goes. So we're continuing with Genesis and continuing really where we were a fortnight ago with the move of Joseph and his family, or Joseph's already there, the move of Jacob and the family into Egypt. So a few things I want to do today. I'm going to kind of walk us through the chapter and bring a few things out, and then at the end I'm going to kind of identify, I think, four things that I think we can particularly take away from this chapter. And after I finish speaking, we're also going to have an opportunity for people who want to be prayed for to come forward and be prayed. I'm not going to make a big deal of that, but we do believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, and if you've come and you would like prayer, then we'd be more than delighted to pray for you and pray that you will encounter God. But before I get into the chapter, I just want to go on to the next slide, because that's quite important, isn't it? We've been spending all this time studying this chapter, and Genesis is set, and nobody's exactly sure when, but probably 16 to 18 centuries before Jesus was born. And it's set in a very different culture and part of the world. So how can that be relevant to us living in the UK in 2025? So that is a very important question. And I think that the start of the answer to that question comes from our understanding of what the Bible is, and that is that we believe that the Bible is inspired by God. Paul actually used the phrase, God breathes—that the Bible is God breathed. And that God speaks through his Bible to us, and he actually continues to speak today through his Bible to us. And that if we approach it with the right attitude, if we come to it humbly and respectfully, not looking to pick arguments with it, but open to any nourishment going, then God will meet us and speak to us through the Bible. And so that's why Genesis is relevant. We also say that the Bible has unique authority. If I as a preacher, or indeed any other preacher here or anywhere else, says something to you that is not in agreement with the Bible, then feel free. In fact, definitely ignore what is being said by me or any other preacher. The Bible has the final authority on difficult points. But there's also something, I think, when we're looking at these Old Testament stories, about recognizing that these were written to inspire us in our Christian walk. Romans 15, verse 4 says something like, the Scriptures were written so that for our encouragement and hope, and to encourage us to persevere in the Christian life. Today is the London Marathon Day, isn't it? And over the past 20 years or so, I spent quite a few times at the finishing line, not of marathons, I will admit, but the finishing line of Iron Man races, and waiting for family members and friends to run the race. And you always stop by, you know, runners, some of them looking completely done in, would kind of turn the corner and see the finishing line ahead of them, and also hear the crowd at that point all clapping and cheering and shouting. And they would kind of brighten and pick up pace and cross the line. And that's kind of the image that the writer to the Hebrews has. In Hebrews 11, there's a long list of Old Testament heroes of faith. And Jacob, who we're particularly thinking about today, is on that list. And at the end of it, the writer goes on, he says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. And it's almost like these Old Testament heroes, with all their difficulties in their lives, are part of the crowd that is cheering you and I on in our race. And so we do say that Genesis is very relevant. Let's just pray briefly. Father, we do just pray, Father, that the goodness that you've got for us in your Word, Lord, that we would receive that today, Lord. We don't want to miss out on any good thing that you've got for us in your Word for us today, and in fact, every day. Amen. Next slide. So, Genesis 46 and 47 are really part of one story. And you can remember about a fortnight ago, Andy took us through Genesis 46. I kind of divided it up into what I'm calling episodes, probably more like scenes, really. But episodes one, God appears to Jacob and says to him, I want you to go to Egypt. And that must have felt really odd, because he called to the Promised Land, and God is saying, No, I want you to go to Egypt. But nevertheless, God speaks to him. So that's episode one. Episode two is he journeys to Egypt. And episode three, he's reunited with a son he had long believed dead. He's reunited with Joseph. And then today we have episode four, a meeting with Pharaoh of the brothers, a delegation of brothers meet Pharaoh. Episode five, Jacob then himself meets Pharaoh. Episode six, quite a longer section, all about Joseph's leadership during the famine that is affecting Egypt at this time. And in the final episode there, Jacob prepares to die. So let me read the chapter. It's been, I think, necessary but still a shame as we've been going through Genesis. Time has just been a pressure to read the whole chapter, but we go off to a good start today, and I want to read it to us, because this is God's Word. This is God-breathed. Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen. Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh asked the brothers, What is your occupation? They replied, We your servants are shepherds, just like our ancestors. We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there, so please, we request permission to live in the land of Goshen. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen, and if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock too. Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. How old are you? Pharaoh asked him. Jacob replied, I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years, but my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors. Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court. So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt, the land of Ramesses, to his father and brothers, and he settled them there just as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph provided food for his father and his brother in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children. Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh's treasury. And when the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. Our money is gone, they cried, but please give us food or we will die before your very eyes. Joseph replied, since your money is gone, bring me livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock. So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food, in exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle and donkeys. Joseph provided them with food for another year. But that year ended and the next year they came again and they said, we cannot hide the truth from you, our Lord. Our money is gone and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give you but our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We offer our land and ourselves as slaves to Pharaoh. Please give us grain so we may live and not die so the land does not become empty and desolate. So Joseph brought all the land, bought all the land of Pharaoh for Egypt and all the Egyptians sold in their fields because the famine was so severe and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. As for the people, he made them all slaves from one end of Egypt to the other. The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh so they didn't need to sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, look today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. Then when you harvest it, one fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths of seed for your fields and it's food for you, your households and your little ones. You have saved our lives, they exclaimed. May it please you my Lord to let us be Pharaoh's servants. Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on this land. Only land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh. Meanwhile the people of Israel settled in the land of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, they were fruitful and their population grew rapidly. Jacob lived for 17 years after his arrival in Egypt so he lived 147 years in all. As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request. Do not bury me in Egypt. When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors. So Joseph promised, I will do as you ask. Swear that you will do it, Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed. Amen. So yes, if we can have that slide. Oh, can we go back to, can we go back a few slides to nearly the beginning? I think it's going to be the first couple of hours. Let's keep it back. That's it. So here we are in what I was calling episode four, and Joseph's taken a delegation of the brothers to meet Pharaoh. And we can probably picture the scene about, I mean, Pharaoh is the leader of a superpower. And they're really quite a small tribe from Canaan. And they are looking to be economic migrants. That's definitely what we call them today. They've come because there's no food left in their land, so they're coming as economic migrants. So it's kind of a subservient tone to it, isn't it? We're your servants, Pharaoh. But also kind of stressing things that they want. You know, we're shepherds. By the way, we've got flocks, but if you would let us stay for a while. And actually, at the end of the previous chapter, we see that actually Joseph had coached them to say this. Joseph was good at managing his boss, and he's prepared this. So this speech is important. Because, you know, this is a difficult moment. Pharaoh could have sent them away. So that's the first of the episodes. And you see that they're coming to live in Egypt for a while. So they're not saying, we're coming here to settle permanently. We're coming for a while. I'll mention that briefly, because that kind of phrase, for a while, or other versions of it, are quite important to this whole chapter. So I'm just picking out the first time it appears. Next slide. And this is interesting, actually, because you remember the brothers were speaking to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's reply is addressed to Joseph. Now, you know, there's a couple of possibilities. One, of course, it's simply that Joseph is kind of the head of the delegation, isn't it? He's still the important guy. And so Pharaoh speaks to somebody of, you know, Joseph's number two in the land. So Pharaoh naturally speaks to him, not to the brothers. But it's also possible it might just be a side meeting. You know, in my career, I saw things like that. You know, somebody very senior would listen to what people had to say, and then have a kind of separate meeting with their inner group of most senior people and make a decision. And that's what kind of is happening here. Pharaoh is sitting down with his number two, and he's making a decision. And he's choosing to let them stay. And there's quite a mention of the word Goshen. I don't know if you picked that up as I was reading it, but Goshen, I think if you take the end of 46 and 47, it gets mentioned something like eight times, something like a lot of times. And Goshen is the place that Joseph has definitely engineered for them to be. So he's told them to go in Joseph. He's mentioned it to Pharaoh himself that they're already there. And then they've asked if they can stay in Goshen. So they definitely are after Goshen. And why is that? Well, I think at least three possibilities, or some mixture of them. One is simply that Joseph just thinks it's going to be a really good place for them and their flocks. So it can be as simple as that. The second possibility, though, is that Joseph is doing this in some ways to protect them. Because at this time, the kind of main center, the kind of equivalent of London, Egypt at that time, a place called Memphis. So Memphis is a big urban center with all the, so that's where the main stuff is happening. So Joseph doesn't want them in Memphis. He wants them kind of on the edge of the territory, and up in the kind of northeast corner of the Nile Delta is Goshen. And is he wanting them to protect them from the Egyptians to some extent? There have been hints, more than hints, actually, of prejudice of Egyptians towards Canaanites through the last couple of chapters. Egyptians didn't eat with Canaanites. Even Joseph didn't eat with them. And apparently they regard shepherds as pretty abominable. So they don't want to kind of mix with shepherds, because they're kind of sophisticated urban people. So is Joseph protecting them in that sense? And if that was right, he probably had seen something that is definitely there, because the whole book of Exodus is based on the fact that these Israelites end up getting very badly treated in Egypt. So, you know, racial prejudice is alive in this situation. I guess a third possibility is one that actually he wants to protect them from the Egyptians, but in a different sense. Does Joseph see that there's a risk of assimilation, that if they're just mingling in with all the Egyptians, that they will pick up Egyptian ways of life and Egyptian habits and start to live like Egyptians? They assimilate, and then they start worshiping Egyptian gods, and suddenly they're distinctive as the people of God has gone altogether. So it may be some mix of those factors. I'm not going to be too definite about it, because the Bible doesn't tell us. So it's conjecture to an extent, so I don't want to lay too much weight on that. But nevertheless, it's something like that that is going on. Next slide. And then we have Joseph brought in his father to see Pharaoh. And it's only because the tone of this one is slightly different, whereas the brothers were deeply respectful, kind of, you know, bowing and like that before Pharaoh. Jacob seems to carry a lot more authority in that situation. And that may be because he's given the respect due to an older man. It may be that, actually, Jacob carries some moral authority that somehow he's just present in the room when this is going on. There's also—not so much in this translation, but in some of the original language—that Jacob by this time has got some mobility issues, because it talks about Joseph bringing him in to see Pharaoh and then making him stand before Pharaoh. Now, you know, it might simply be that he's presenting him, but kind of sometimes I've seen in that that maybe actually Jacob had to be helped into the room and then helped to stand before Pharaoh. And then he has this conversation with Pharaoh, and Pharaoh says, How old are you? Again, the literal question that Pharaoh asked him is quite—Pharaoh says, How many are the days of the years of your life? How many are the days of the years of your life? And Jacob replies, The days of the years of my life—no, the days of the years of my temporary residence are few and hard. The days of the years of my life are 130 years, but they've been few and hard. And it's interesting that having been just asked, in a sense, for a number, he's introduced this phrase, temporary residence. And in some translations, you'll get that translated as sojourner. That's a kind of less common word these days, but it means temporary residence. And, you know, again, we heard that earlier, and one of the features of this chapter is that this thought of temporary residence is quite important to what this whole chapter is about. But Jacob blesses Pharaoh—in fact, he blesses Pharaoh twice. So he's not, in a sense, in a cringing situation. He's actually taking authority in the situation, and Pharaoh almost seems respectful of Jacob. You might think it odd to hear somebody who's 130 and whose son has become the number two in Egypt describe his days as being few and hard, but that is the expression that Jacob uses. And there's a lot in that, because if you think about Jacob's life, he undoubtedly had had a hard life. You know, he's had to run away from home while still quite a young man, immediately after his father's death, because otherwise he's at risk of being killed by his own brother. He had been particularly close to his mother, Rebekah, and he never sees her again. He gets tricked into an arranged marriage that proves unhappy, and he becomes the head of quite a dysfunctional family. The wife he deeply loved dies early in childbirth, and then the son that he's particularly close to he believes has been died, and he's lived with that belief for many years. So Jacob has had a hard life, but nevertheless there is something very beautiful, which I'll come back to, I think, about the Jacob we now see before us. Next slide. So, with the authority of Pharaoh, Joseph gives them the land in the region of Ramesses. Apparently that's just another word for Goshen, so it's the same place. And Joseph provides food for his father and his brother. Again, we see that Joseph is continuing to behave graciously in all this that he's had. He's been through very difficult episodes in his life directly at the hands of his brothers, but he's been continuing to behave graciously in this situation and providing for them all. Next one. And then the next section, which is actually the longest in the chapter, and you had me read it, really running from 13 to 26, is about the famine and what happens with the Egyptians during the famine. And that can strike us as a bit hard, because it's quite clear in all this, Pharaoh is getting very much wealthier. And so we can think, well, it's kind of not sure how I feel about that section. However, people who have kind of studied this deeply said, you know, first of all, you can see that the Egyptians are asking for this, and they seem very grateful. So what they're asking for is what Joseph gives them. He undoubtedly is responsible for saving perhaps even millions of lives, certainly many, many lives who are starving to death, and Joseph is instrumental in their being saved. And the end result for people who are being described as slaves doesn't sound much like slavery as we would understand it, because they're still living on their own farms, and they get to keep 80 percent of all that they grow and produce. So there's a kind of 20 percent flat rate tax and everything else is yours. Well, that's kind of probably not would have been your mind idea of what slavery would ordinarily look like. I mean, in this country today, I think the burden of taxation on people of average income is about 30 to 35 percent. So, you know, they're facing a much lower rate. Comparisons, of course. I don't suppose the NHS was up to much in Egypt. I don't suppose there was a state pension, so all the rest. But anything, just it's a little bit of an aside, but I think this kind of passage is helpful. I meant every word of what I said about the Bible being God's word and God speaking to us through it and about the authority of that word absolutely mean every word of that. But it doesn't mean that we lift and drop everything in the Old Testament and just say we take that on board. It doesn't mean that, say, the way in which Joseph managed that famine is instructive for us in how we might manage a situation today. There's another odd detail about a vow later in this chapter that you might have picked up about putting your hand under somebody's thigh while making a promise. We don't do that. There's a good reason. You know, it's not, so it's not lift and drop, but it is kind of hearing the voice of God and dealing with the passage respectfully. So that was a bit of an aside. Next slide. And the people of Israel settled in the land of Goshen, and there they acquired property and were fruitful and their population grew rapidly. And you remember what I said at the beginning about the previous chapter and about what Andy preached about was it must have felt very, very strange, particularly to Jacob, when having been called to the Promised Land and believed that that's where they belonged to be told to go to Egypt. But in that, God had promised, and it's in chapter 46, I think it's verse 3, he said, I am calling you to Egypt and you will be prosperous there. And this is God keeping this promise, and that is a promise that we've seen at earlier points in Genesis. So this has all been part of God's plan. God's timing in the way that he works can frequently be deeply puzzling to us, because to an extent his ways are not our ways, but God is keeping his promises, and that's what this verse is about. Next. The time of his death do near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said, please do me this favor, put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me, and don't bury me in Egypt. Take me home and bury me with my ancestors. And it almost seems quite a formal little thing for a father and son discussion, but you sense behind it all that Jacob, this is very, very important to Jacob, so he's very insistent about it. He doesn't want there to be any misunderstanding. He doesn't want there to be any wriggle room that would mean that after his death something different would happen. He wants Joseph to understand very definitely that he intends to be buried with his ancestors in Egypt, in Canaan. Actually, if you know this, there's a memorial today in Hebron in the West Bank, which is honored by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, which is the family grave so people believe of Abraham and Isaac and Sarah and Rebekah and Jacob. So this is very important to him, and in this reference to putting your hand under his thigh, he's recalling a bit of family history because his grandfather Abraham had used that same particular formula when sending a servant out to find a wife for who's to be Jacob's father. So he is, and he's thinking about the promised land is what Jacob's thinking about. And as we think about the application of this to us today, we'll definitely come back to that thought. Let's have the next slide. So the first thing I think that we learn from Jacob is about depending on God. I do find Jacob in these last chapters to be a deeply appealing and beautiful character. You know, there are plenty of examples in the Bible, and indeed in church life, of people who have a good start or a good middle with God but finish badly. Solomon would be an example of that. You read the early years of Solomon and how he gets made king, and he says some glorious things, and you think it's absolutely wonderful. But by the time of his death, he was a shadow of the man of faith he'd been when he was younger. Jacob is finishing well. Yes, he's had some bad days. Yes, some of the problems of his dysfunctional family have been of his own making. Yes, he had often been deceitful. Yes, he did days when he felt completely hopeless and sometimes strikes us as being quite self-pitying. What does that tell you? It tells you he's like you and I. But he's finishing well. He's finishing well, and that's about depending on God. Of course, we depend on God. We hold on to God because God is holding on to us. But there is something beautiful. By the way, I love that. If you're familiar with the song Hold On To Me that Lauren Daigle thought, beautiful lyrics. Anyway, that's again an aside. Next slide. I don't think I've warned you this. There's going to be some C.S. Lewis. I think Jacob would have loved this. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep picking ourselves up each time. We shall, of course, be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes are in the earring cupboard. It's a magnificent quote. But you get the sense of that's the kind of thing that Jacob's thinking. And it's beautiful, and it's about holding on to God. And I do hope you put that in your heart, the desire to finish well. There's plenty around of us who are not finishing well. Make that your life's work to finish well. Next one. Do to others as you would like them to do to you. That's, of course, the golden rule. That's Jesus. But we see in this chapter a kind of cycle of blessing. Jacob is blessing Pharaoh. And through Joseph, the Egyptians and Jacob are being blessed through the famine, through the work of Joseph. And the people of God are also being blessed, you know, treating others as you would like them to do. And I think it's great that we as a church, I hope that the things that we are doing as a church are a blessing to the community around us. You know, whether it's the library, the drop-in, the hub, whatever it is, I hope that we're a blessing to the community around us. I hope you're a blessing in your family and in your workplace and amongst your neighbors, called to be a blessing. But in this particular context, we can see actually that the Israelites did get this message. Let's look at the next verse, which is not one of the best known. You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I think quite a few political parties, that's never going to get on the manifesto, is it? But you know, it's important to treat others as you'd have them treat you. Next slide. Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very soul. Here we see Peter, and he's not the only one of these, Peter picking up on this temporary resident thing. And it becomes quite important in the New Testament, and both Peter and the book of Hebrews definitely on it big time. And you get something of what was possibly in Joseph's mind about the choice of Goshen. He's protecting them from this deeply idolatrous culture of the Egyptians. But you see, identity is important to that. You know, if you're living in a country, but you're not pretending to be there forever, there's some stuff you wouldn't get involved in, because actually that's not your long-term home. Some stuff you're not going to do. And there's something about who we are, who do we, if I really believe myself, I am, in Bob Dylan's words, the property of Jesus. If I belong to God, and if my future is with him, then there are some things that are dangerous to me that I ought to be avoiding. You know, Jesus prayed, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, because temptation and evil are very real things. But identity is one of the tools that we use that protect us from temptation and evil. Next one. Where is your true country? There's a concept in law, not only actually in English law, but it's in a number of other countries as well, including Nigeria, I believe, called domicile. And domicile means permanent home. And it's distinguished from, say, residence. Residence is the place you happen to be living. So if you're in the UK for more than six months, you're regarded as resident here. And citizenship is usually about, well, who gives you your passport? So it's about, you know, kind of legal status. But domicile meant something more like permanent home. It's actually probably the deeper of the concepts. And permanent home is something that also kind of sticks to you. So you could go and live abroad for 25 years and come back to the UK, and the UK would say, your domicile was always in this country because your strongest roots and who you felt yourself to be belong to this country. So domicile is about true home. And the very real sense in which, as Christians, we're saying, so where is my true home? Where do I truly belong? Do I understand and see myself to be in this world, as Jacob put it, as a temporary resident? But my true home is with God in hand. There's that difference from temporary residence today, true home and sense of belonging. And the writer of Hebrews says precisely that. Hebrews 13, verse 14-ish. Your permanent home is not in this life. Our permanent home is with God. And we'll have another C.S. Lewis quote. The last battle, I still think the last battle, although it's in a sense a children's book, it's still one of the best things written about the life everlasting. And I commend it to you. But this is a phrase when they've kind of got into heaven effectively, and someone says, I have come home at last. This is my real country. I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. And it's that sense of belonging to our true country. We are temporary residents here. We belong to Jesus. We belong to God's people. And our true country is yet to be. And actually, Karen read this at Anne's funeral, and I hope someone will read it at my funeral. So let's pray, and then I'll hand back to Steve, and we'll give an opportunity if you'd like to be prayed for. Father, we thank you for your great mercy and love, Lord, for all our feelings and shortcomings, for all our messed up-ness, for all the mistakes that we've made in our life. You are faithful, and we can depend on you because you are holding on to us. But Lord, we do want to understand the truth about things, Lord. We do want to receive your truth into our lives, Lord. We do want to know in our hearts where our true home is. Lord, we thank you for Jesus, and we thank you for all that lies ahead of us. The best is yet to be. We thank you for Jesus. Amen.

Allan Wilks, Jacob -- Genesis 28-30 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

The Goal of Creation (Ascending in Victory) (vv. 1-5)Another Way (Ascending in Defeat)The God of Jacob (vv. 6-10)Discussion StartersMonday—What does the “fullness of the earth” refer to in verse 1? What was Adam's job in creation (Genesis 1:28)?Tuesday—What reward would Adam have received for doing his job well? How does that relate the description of the righteous person described in verses 4 and 5 (clean hands, pure heart and an honest tongue)?Wednesday—Who was Jacob and what was he known for (Genesis 25:29 - 28:5)? Did Jacob deserve to see heaven because of clean hands, a pure heart and an honest tongue? What did he deserve?Thursday—What did God promise to Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22)? What did it take for Jacob to be blessed by God (Genesis 32:22-32)? Why does God conquer and subdue them?Friday—Psalm 24 presents God as ascending back up his holy mountain into his house. What does it mean that he has first descended to the earth (Ephesians 4:8-10)? Whom does he bring with him as he goes back up to his home (Psalm 24:7-10)?ean that you will have no problems? Is where does it teach you to set your hope (v. 6)?

This study explores the destructive power of resentment by examining Esau's grudge against Jacob (Genesis 27) and Cain's anger toward Abel (Genesis 4). Unchecked emotions can lead to hatred and potential violence. However, God's Word (particularly, the Golden Rule) offers a transformative path: choose love over vengeance, seek reconciliation and allow God's Spirit to heal wounds. By mastering our impulses and embracing forgiveness, we can break cycles of bitterness and experience divine restoration.

Steve Lamason, Jacob -- Genesis 25-27 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Faith of Our Fathers: Jacob (Genesis 25–32) - Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla

S4E34. Jacob (Genesis 32:22-23), Being Persistent, & Coming Through The Night

a) Esau and Jacob Are Born (Genesis 25:19 - 26)b) Esau Sells His Birthright (Genesis 25:27 - 34)c) Rebekah Schemes for Jacob (Genesis 27:1 - 17)d) Isaac Blesses Jacob (Genesis 27:18 - 29)e) Isaac and Esau Realize the Truth (Genesis 27:30 40)

God has great plans for you and your family. God can do more IN your family, FOR your family and THROUGH your family than you can imagine. A family that knows God and chooses to serve Him wholeheartedly has exponential potential to influence not only churches and communities but also nations and generations for good and for God.   We live in a world today that is so self-centred, and even Christians and churches can become very me-centred. The idea that families matter is constantly ridiculed as old fashioned, yet it is the very break up of families that is at the root of so many problems in society, whether in the form of depression, crime, or social and economic disadvantages.    Of course, God loves each individual and has personal blessings and plans for each one of us. But we must understand how much the Bible focuses on a much bigger picture of building the best families and family lines in every generation, even in the face of so much previous family dysfunction and trouble.   The God of the Bible is often known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because He is a God who made great family promises to them and to their descendants: promises that also apply to us when we follow Jesus. Galatians 3:29 says: ‘If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.' So, what does this mean for your family, whether you are a two parent or one parent or even a no parent family?  1. Your family can be blessed in every generation (Genesis 12:1-2; Genesis 17:6-8; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:12-14; Genesis 20; Genesis 26:7; Matthew 1) 2. Your family must choose to serve God in in every generation (Genesis 15:5-6; Genesis 17:1,9; Hebrews 11:21; Genesis 26:4-5; Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Joshua 24:15) 3. Your family can be a great blessing in every generation (Genesis 12:2; Genesis 28:14; Nehemiah 3:12; Ezra 1:5)  Apply     1. Your family can be blessed in every generation. The first and foundational book of the Bible is Genesis where we read of God making and repeating His promises of continued family blessing to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-2; Genesis 17:6-8; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:12-14). In short God wants to bless your family no matter how much trouble or dysfunction there has been in your family. If you doubt this, consider some of the problems encountered in Abraham's family and line. Abraham was willing to risk other men sleeping with his wife to save his own life (Genesis 20:2) and his son Isaac did the same (Genesis 26:7). Also, Abraham's wife Sarah told her husband he should sleep with the family maid to have a surrogate child for her, then Isaac's wife deceived him so that her favourite son would get his blessing, and the deceived son Esau was so made he vowed to kill his brother Jacob. Jacob fled for his life and proceeded to deceive pretty much everyone he came in contact with. Two of his sons killed the man who had raped their sister and then wiped out all the men of his town. Ten of Jacob's 12 sons were so jealous of their brother Joseph that they beat him up and sold as a slave. Violence, sexual sin, lying and cheating - this was what this family was like. Yet God had mercy on this family. God helped and blessed this family. From this family Joseph grew up to save his family and nation and many other nations from a great famine. From this family came Israel's greatest King, David, who himself was an adulterer and murderer, and if you read Matthew 1 you will see that it was from this family that One came who would bless all families on earth: the Messiah Jesus Christ. This tells us that God can rescue and restore any family. God can raise up great and godly leaders even if the rest of the family is far from God. There is hope for you. There is hope for your family. It's not too late. It's not too far gone. Even in families which have been dysfunctional for generations, God can suddenly raise up great leaders like Joseph and Josiah in Abraham's family line. Also the Bible shows that although you may have come from a far from Christian family, and you may have messed up yourself, God can get you married into a line of blessing. This is what happened with Rahab the former prostitute and Ruth from a family of idol worshippers.    2. Your family must choose to serve God in in every generation. God wants to bless families but each family needs to be shaped by those who choose to follow the Lord (Genesis 15:5-6; Genesis 17:1,9). This means that we must believe God's word. You need to believe as Abram believed that your family has a destiny. You must live in faith, not fear, for your family, your children and grandchildren, or great grandchildren (Hebrews 11:21). Today there are so many forces at work to pervert, undermine and destroy people, particularly vulnerable children and young people, yet despite all this we must not give way to worry and doubt. For God has another way for us to live, and that is the way of faith. By faith in God's word, we will see a new generation raised up for God: a generation that will experience great deliverance. Also, you need to live in obedience to God's word (Genesis 26:4-5). We need to choose to obey God by training our children in the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). Basically, parents, or a parent, have to train and shape children and decide what goes and what doesn't go in your family even if it is acceptable with other families. When the Israelites were faced with idol worship in Canaan, Joshua made his own position very clear (Joshua 24:15). This was a decision and a determination. If you want your children to be given fully to God, make sure that you lead the way. It is important that children are dedicated to the Lord at an early age. This marks them for God from the beginning of their lives. If you have not done this, you need to do it. As the children grow older renew your vows of dedication as a whole family. Great things can flow from this decision.    3. Your family can be a great blessing in every generation (Genesis 12:2; Genesis 28:14). All through the history of the Israelites, we see that it was through dedicated families that the blessings flowed. Families helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:12). Families helped rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:5). Families were at the core of the small group that Christianity was founded on - there were three sets of brothers in the 12 of Jesus: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew and James. Matthew and James may also have been cousins of Jesus. Families have shaped the church and history: the Wesley family in the 18th century; William and Catherine Booth in the 19th century. And families are at the forefront of Christian advance today. God is touching nations through families such as the Castellanos family, the Joel Osteen family, and many others here today. And who knows what God will do when you and your family are fully committed to Him? Today we need more distinctively Christian families. Today choose to believe that God wants to make your family and every family great. For this is how we can strengthen the church and shape the world. 

God has great plans for you and your family. God can do more IN your family, FOR your family and THROUGH your family than you can imagine. A family that knows God and chooses to serve Him wholeheartedly has exponential potential to influence not only churches and communities but also nations and generations for good and for God.   We live in a world today that is so self-centred, and even Christians and churches can become very me-centred. The idea that families matter is constantly ridiculed as old fashioned, yet it is the very break up of families that is at the root of so many problems in society, whether in the form of depression, crime, or social and economic disadvantages.    Of course, God loves each individual and has personal blessings and plans for each one of us. But we must understand how much the Bible focuses on a much bigger picture of building the best families and family lines in every generation, even in the face of so much previous family dysfunction and trouble.   The God of the Bible is often known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because He is a God who made great family promises to them and to their descendants: promises that also apply to us when we follow Jesus. Galatians 3:29 says: ‘If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.' So, what does this mean for your family, whether you are a two parent or one parent or even a no parent family?  1. Your family can be blessed in every generation (Genesis 12:1-2; Genesis 17:6-8; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:12-14; Genesis 20; Genesis 26:7; Matthew 1) 2. Your family must choose to serve God in in every generation (Genesis 15:5-6; Genesis 17:1,9; Hebrews 11:21; Genesis 26:4-5; Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Joshua 24:15) 3. Your family can be a great blessing in every generation (Genesis 12:2; Genesis 28:14; Nehemiah 3:12; Ezra 1:5)  Apply     1. Your family can be blessed in every generation. The first and foundational book of the Bible is Genesis where we read of God making and repeating His promises of continued family blessing to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-2; Genesis 17:6-8; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:12-14). In short God wants to bless your family no matter how much trouble or dysfunction there has been in your family. If you doubt this, consider some of the problems encountered in Abraham's family and line. Abraham was willing to risk other men sleeping with his wife to save his own life (Genesis 20:2) and his son Isaac did the same (Genesis 26:7). Also, Abraham's wife Sarah told her husband he should sleep with the family maid to have a surrogate child for her, then Isaac's wife deceived him so that her favourite son would get his blessing, and the deceived son Esau was so made he vowed to kill his brother Jacob. Jacob fled for his life and proceeded to deceive pretty much everyone he came in contact with. Two of his sons killed the man who had raped their sister and then wiped out all the men of his town. Ten of Jacob's 12 sons were so jealous of their brother Joseph that they beat him up and sold as a slave. Violence, sexual sin, lying and cheating - this was what this family was like. Yet God had mercy on this family. God helped and blessed this family. From this family Joseph grew up to save his family and nation and many other nations from a great famine. From this family came Israel's greatest King, David, who himself was an adulterer and murderer, and if you read Matthew 1 you will see that it was from this family that One came who would bless all families on earth: the Messiah Jesus Christ. This tells us that God can rescue and restore any family. God can raise up great and godly leaders even if the rest of the family is far from God. There is hope for you. There is hope for your family. It's not too late. It's not too far gone. Even in families which have been dysfunctional for generations, God can suddenly raise up great leaders like Joseph and Josiah in Abraham's family line. Also the Bible shows that although you may have come from a far from Christian family, and you may have messed up yourself, God can get you married into a line of blessing. This is what happened with Rahab the former prostitute and Ruth from a family of idol worshippers.    2. Your family must choose to serve God in in every generation. God wants to bless families but each family needs to be shaped by those who choose to follow the Lord (Genesis 15:5-6; Genesis 17:1,9). This means that we must believe God's word. You need to believe as Abram believed that your family has a destiny. You must live in faith, not fear, for your family, your children and grandchildren, or great grandchildren (Hebrews 11:21). Today there are so many forces at work to pervert, undermine and destroy people, particularly vulnerable children and young people, yet despite all this we must not give way to worry and doubt. For God has another way for us to live, and that is the way of faith. By faith in God's word, we will see a new generation raised up for God: a generation that will experience great deliverance. Also, you need to live in obedience to God's word (Genesis 26:4-5). We need to choose to obey God by training our children in the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). Basically, parents, or a parent, have to train and shape children and decide what goes and what doesn't go in your family even if it is acceptable with other families. When the Israelites were faced with idol worship in Canaan, Joshua made his own position very clear (Joshua 24:15). This was a decision and a determination. If you want your children to be given fully to God, make sure that you lead the way. It is important that children are dedicated to the Lord at an early age. This marks them for God from the beginning of their lives. If you have not done this, you need to do it. As the children grow older renew your vows of dedication as a whole family. Great things can flow from this decision.    3. Your family can be a great blessing in every generation (Genesis 12:2; Genesis 28:14). All through the history of the Israelites, we see that it was through dedicated families that the blessings flowed. Families helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:12). Families helped rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:5). Families were at the core of the small group that Christianity was founded on - there were three sets of brothers in the 12 of Jesus: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew and James. Matthew and James may also have been cousins of Jesus. Families have shaped the church and history: the Wesley family in the 18th century; William and Catherine Booth in the 19th century. And families are at the forefront of Christian advance today. God is touching nations through families such as the Castellanos family, the Joel Osteen family, and many others here today. And who knows what God will do when you and your family are fully committed to Him? Today we need more distinctively Christian families. Today choose to believe that God wants to make your family and every family great. For this is how we can strengthen the church and shape the world. 

I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.

Genesis 35: Renewal of God's Covenant and Jacob's Journey Genesis 35 is a pivotal chapter in Jacob's life, marked by spiritual renewal, reaffirmation of God's covenant, and personal loss. The narrative follows Jacob as he moves his family to Bethel in obedience to God, addresses idolatry within his household, and experiences significant events, including Rachel's death and the passing of his father, Isaac. Key Events in Genesis 35 God Commands Jacob to Return to Bethel (Genesis 35:1-8) God instructs Jacob to return to Bethel, the place where He first appeared to Jacob when he fled from Esau. Jacob tells his household to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their garments as a sign of spiritual renewal. Jacob buries the foreign gods and earrings under a tree near Shechem, symbolizing a turning away from idolatry. As Jacob's family travels, God causes terror to fall on the surrounding cities, ensuring their safety. God Reaffirms His Covenant with Jacob (Genesis 35:9-15) God reaffirms Jacob's new name, Israel, signifying his role as the father of a great nation and his spiritual transformation after wrestling with God. God reiterates the promises made to Abraham and Isaac, including the promise of land and descendants. Jacob responds by building an altar and naming the place El-Bethel (“God of Bethel”). Rachel's Death and Benjamin's Birth (Genesis 35:16-20) On the way to Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel goes into labor and gives birth to her second son, Benjamin. Her labor is difficult, and she dies shortly after naming the child Ben-Oni (“son of my sorrow”), but Jacob renames him Benjamin (“son of the right hand”). Jacob buries Rachel and sets up a pillar to mark her grave, which remains a significant site in biblical history. The Death of Isaac (Genesis 35:27-29) Jacob reunites with his father, Isaac, at Hebron. Isaac dies at the age of 180 and is buried by his sons, Jacob and Esau. This marks the transition of leadership in the covenant lineage to Jacob. Theological Implications God's Faithfulness God remains faithful to His covenant despite Jacob's flaws and his family's struggles with idolatry. This underscores the theme of divine grace and commitment to His promises. The reaffirmation of Jacob's name, Israel, highlights God's transformative power and His intention to establish a nation through Jacob. Repentance and Renewal The call to put away foreign gods and purify the household reflects the importance of repentance and spiritual renewal in maintaining a relationship with God. Returning to Bethel symbolizes a return to God's presence and a recommitment to His covenant. God's Protection and Sovereignty God's intervention to protect Jacob's family during their journey demonstrates His sovereignty and ability to safeguard His chosen people despite external threats. Personal Loss and God's Plan Rachel's death, though tragic, occurs during the fulfillment of God's promise to Jacob of many descendants. Benjamin's birth signifies the continuation of God's plan even in the midst of sorrow. The deaths of Rachel and Isaac remind readers of the human experience of loss within God's overarching plan for His people. Conclusion Genesis 35 highlights themes of renewal, obedience, and God's enduring faithfulness. Jacob's return to Bethel and the reaffirmation of the covenant show that God's promises endure despite human imperfections. This chapter encourages believers to seek spiritual renewal, trust in God's protection, and remain faithful to His calling, even in the face of personal trials and losses.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.

Sunday October 27, 2024

SCRIPTURE: John 1:19-51, Genesis 28:11-19 YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY'S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS MESSAGE HERE!REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:What do you think is the significance of Jesus being called both the “Lamb of God” and the “Chosen One” by John the Baptist? What about “Rabbi” and “Son of God”? What do these names illuminate about Jesus?How can understanding the different roles that Jesus fulfills impact the way you view your own faith and relationship with God?Consider Jesus's encouragement (which is echoed by Nathanael) to “come and see.” What does this reveal to us about who Jesus is and how he is working? Why is it notable that Nathanael says this, too?The name Jesus gives to himself in John 1 is a reference to a dream given to the Jewish patriarch, Jacob (Genesis 28:11-19). Read that passage… what does it teach us about who Jesus is? What does it teach us about his work and purpose?As “Christians,” we've all been given a new name, too! What do you think this name really means? What responsibility does it carry?We've probably all had experiences with “Christians” who weren't great representatives of that name. Take a moment to reflect on these experiences without personal judgment: what was really the source of the hurt? What can we learn about how we might carry this name ourselves?Christian faith is not intended to be practiced alone. How can we support one another as “witnesses” to the name we've been given? How can a community like our church work together to carry this name well?

First Baptist Church Many LA www.fbcmany.org

We continue our series in Genesis overviewing the lives of the people to whom God's enduring promise was given. In this sermon, Luke Watts leads us in focussing on Jacob, especially his dream at Bethel and how God's confirmation of his promise to him transforms him to a man who would scheme his way to blessing to someone who trusts in the Lord to provide. 

Message from Pastor Kory Cunningham on September 15, 2024

During this summer series, we're going through short stories, diving into examine great characters of the Old Testament. Today's episode is found in Genesis 32:22-31 "Jacob".

Isaac Blessed Jacob ( Genesis Chapter 28 ) 20 Day Challenge dannyhampton70@gmail.com 

Monday, 8 July 2024   The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Matthew 1:1   For this commentary, the main verse at the top of each commentary will be from the NKJV. However, at the beginning of the body of each commentary, a personal (literal) translation will be provided as well. This personal translation will be used for the analysis of the commentary.   “Scroll: Genealogy Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham” (CG).   The book of Matthew begins with a genealogical record of the lineage of Jesus Christ. This is something that is found throughout the Old Testament as well. Genealogies were meticulously kept by the Hebrew scribes, ensuring that the people were recorded according to their family lines, whether in the nation of Israel or – at times – had a bearing on the nation (e.g., see Genesis 5:1, Genesis 25:12, Genesis 36:1, Genesis 46:8, etc.).   Genealogies were kept, thus ensuring those of the nation were eligible for inclusion in the society (Numbers 1:17-19, etc.), entitled to certain inheritances (Numbers 26:33, etc.), authorized for certain duties (Numbers 3:17, etc.), restricted from various rights or entitlements (Deuteronomy 23:2), etc.   In the case of Israel's Messiah, certain requirements were necessary. He was to be of the seed of Abraham (Genesis 22:18), of Isaac (Genesis 17:19), of Jacob (Genesis 25:23), of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Above all other reasons, the maintaining of the genealogical records from Adam until the coming of Christ were meticulously kept ensuring to us that the Messiah could be absolutely identified when He appeared.   So sure is this, that after His coming, the genealogical records of Israel were destroyed when the temple was burned in AD70. As this is so, the only source for the genealogies of the nation and the world are maintained in the pages of the Bible. And the full genealogical record of only one Jew remains to this day, Jesus Christ.   Understanding this, and because His genealogy is recorded in the pages of Scripture, He alone can be identified as Israel's Messiah. No other person before or after can make the absolute claim, directly from Scripture, that Jesus can.   Indeed, apart from this genealogy, prophecies were uttered as recorded in Scripture identifying the timing of His coming, the things that He would do, and the events that would happen to Him. The fulfillment of those prophecies is carefully recorded in the pages of the New Testament to definitively identify this One individual as bearing the right to the claim of being Israel's Messiah.   In Matthew's genealogy, he begins with, “Scroll.” The Greek word is biblos, “Properly, the inner bark of the papyrus plant, i.e. (by implication) a sheet or scroll of writing – book” (Strong's). Matthew was making a concerted effort of compiling the genealogy of Jesus in order to ensure that the record was permanently maintained.   Surely, this was inspired by the Holy Spirit to confirm that when all other Jewish records perished, there would be this and Luke's written account to safeguard – for all subsequent generations – the truth that Jesus did, in fact, descend from those who were given the promises in past times.   Matthew, understanding intimately who Jesus is, then began his recorded scroll with the words, “Genealogy Jesus Christ.”   Matthew was faithfully making a record as so many before him had faithfully done. In this case, the focus is solely on one Person, Jesus (Hebrew: Yeshua, Greek: Iésous). The name means Salvation. As noted in Thayer's Greek Lexicon – “Jesus יְהושֻׁעַ [Yehoshua] and according to a later form, יֵשׁוּעַ [Yeshua].” This later form was a common name at the time. However, Matthew continues with “Christ.”   The Greek word is christos. The word has the same meaning as the Hebrew word mashiakh, Messiah. Both mean Anointed One. The anointing referred to does not necessarily speak of the coming Messiah. For example, Cyrus, King of Persia, was called mashiakh in Isaiah 45:1. However, in Matthew's account, he is specifically noting that Jesus is the true promised Messiah of Israel, the Christ of the world. To further establish this, he next records “Son of David.”   It is a reference, as will continue to be seen in this record, to David, King of Israel. His name means Beloved. Matthew is purposefully tying Jesus into the genealogy of King David to begin his narrative in order to establish that Jesus is fully entitled to the rights of the Davidic throne as promised in 2 Samuel 7, referenced above. From there, he next records “Son of Abraham.”   The meaning of Abraham is debated. In Genesis 17:5, it says –   “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.”   Though not all agree, his name is said to mean Father of a Multitude or something similar.   Again, Matthew returns to a specific figure from Israel's past to ensure that the David who was first referred to is the same David who descended from Abraham. It is Abraham who received the promise given by God in Genesis 22:18, also referenced above.   With this overall genealogy set, Matthew will “fill in the blanks” between these three in a unique way, demonstrating a wisdom that was prompted by the superintending guidance of the Holy Spirit.   Life application: When the disciples were disheartened and thought that all was lost because of the crucifixion of Jesus their Lord, they were gathered together. At that time, just after hearing from two men who had seen the risen Lord, Luke records these words –   “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.' 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.'” Luke 24:36-39   “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?” The words speak to us today. Why should we wonder if God is there? Why should we worry that things are out of control? Why should we be dispirited, disheartened, or dismayed as the world spins into chaos around us? And why should we doubt whether God is in control?   One of the main reasons for the word of God is to ensure that we know that He has a plan, that it has been meticulously carried out since the very beginning, and that He will bring us safely to Himself because of what He has done.   The carefully recorded words of Matthew are a part of that book, and they should fill us with the most joyous hope that when we trust in Jesus, we have trusted in the fullness of God's provision for making that restoration possible. We don't need to wonder, worry, or wobble in our faith. We also do not need signs or wonders to ensure to us that God is there with us.   Rather, God has given us His word and He asks us to, by faith, accept that it is exactly what it is presented as. We are told by Paul that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Open your ears and listen. Open your hearts and receive. Open your minds and think! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! He is God's provision. He is the Messiah of Israel and the Christ of the nations.   Please pursue Him from His word each day and every day of your life. And please continue to join us as we analyze the book of Matthew for the next 2.94 years. We know you will be blessed as you do.   Lord God, help us to spend our time wisely. May we carefully and meticulously research Your word so that our step in faith is not one into a dark tunnel, but one that is directly into Your revealed light. Your word, O God, is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. May we be willing to use it as such. And may doubts no longer arise in our hearts as we contemplate Your goodness in the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. Taught at Agape Bible Church on June 2, 2024. [34 minutes]

Jacob deceived his brother Esau twice, departed from Esau because he didn't want to die and Jacob also declared an oath to a God who is determined to bless the nations through this promised lineage.

In this episode we transition to the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, a pivotal text that bridges the chaotic and disappointing period of the Judges with the establishment of kingship and monarchy in Israel. 1 Samuel picks up where the book of Judges left off, with Israel in a cycle of moral decay and leadership crises. The Israelites, struggling to govern themselves under God's kingship, seek stability through human kings who repeatedly fail to measure up morally or spiritually. This disappointing narrative sets the stage for exploring the theme of kingship—not as a deviation from God's plans, but as a fulfillment of God's longstanding covenant with Abraham and Jacob, promising that "kings will come from you." Throughout the episode, we'll explore how 1 Samuel is not merely a historical account, but a story of God's timing and faithfulness. Then we connect the dots to the New Testament, where Peter in Acts 3 references the prophetic significance of Samuel's writings. Peter's sermon highlights the anticipation of a righteous and just king—foreseen in the books of Samuel—who would lead the people back onto God's developmental path. Key Passages: Kingship was always a part of God's plan, as evidenced in his covenant with Abraham and Jacob - Genesis 17:6; 35:11 Acts 3:24-26 Explainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Video⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on how to use ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.biblehub.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.blueletterbible.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave us a question or comment at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website podcast page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. * Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/onelifenash/support

The final sermon from Genesis 48:8-22 in a series called "The God of Jacob."

Does Genesis condemn interracial relationships?Should Christians date non-Christians?Does God hear me?Join Chris and David this week as they read through Genesis 28-29 and 32:22-32, following portions of the story of Jacob, including one of Chris's favourite stories, Jacob wrestling with God. Grab your Bibles, and come read with us.To find more about Walsingham, go to https://www.walsinghamvillage.org/about/history-of-pilgrimage/.We need your support! Support from listeners like you keeps Come Read with Me going, so please consider donating at www.burningheart.org/comereadwithme.If you're not already, make sure to follow Chris on instagram for 60 sermons on @revchris7, and make sure to give David a follow on @burningheartorg.Come Read with Me, with Rev Chris and David Ingall is produced by the Listenarium. Original music by Jack Gionis.

Pastor Steve Perez | February 27, 2024 The Fountain Apostolic Church Build Your Church (2024) Learn more at tfachurch.com/plus Sermon Notes: Genesis 24:35 Abraham - planted the seed of our spiritual family tree. He began chasing God's vision for him with nothing but a promise and a person-in the seed son, Isaac. Spiritual trailblazer (new lands, new wells, building herds, gold, etc.) Sent his servant Eleazer to get a wife for Isaac. Genesis 24:35 Every family / generation needs someone to get the ball rolling...trailblazers! Isaac - watered the tree of our spiritual family tree. When Abraham died, he not only received his dad's physical inheritance, but also the spiritual blessing of God's covenant with his dad. I believe Isaac got a second measure of blessing. Genesis 26:13 Abraham was great, but Isaac was VERY GREAT! Genesis 26:12 Jacob - grew the spiritual family tree (branched out). When Isaac was dying, he started thinking of Esau & Jacob, & he blessed Jacob Genesis 27:28-29 Jacob increased in wealth, got a word, worked hard, stayed loyal even though mistreated, focused on what he wanted, & under a special generational covenant blessing through Isaac. Genesis 27:27 Jacob had 12 sons between Rachel & Leah. Abraham: 1 son, Isaac: 2 sons, Jacob: 12 sons-increase of blessings! Joseph - The next generation would protect our spiritual family tree. Famine fell in the land, & Jacob had to move to Egypt to protect the family tree (time to stay, time to move). By the time Jacob's family left Egypt, they were 1.5 million, & carried the Egyptians' gold & silver out with them. Psalms 105:37 Fourth generations are unique: they tell if the legacy continues or dies. Moses, Joshua, elders... Judges 2:10 Christian, their tree is ours! Romans 11:18 Israel is the natural seed of Abraham & the Christians / church are a spiritual seed. Galatians 3:29 We are somehow in this with them...I want to know how to pass it in to my boys, grandkids, great-grandkids, etc. When God makes a covenant with a person or nation, He is a long-range/long-term planner/thinker. Four generations of Hebrew fathers prove the existence of generational blessing.

Rachel's Story Right mouse click and save to download the file of this sermon. Genesis 29v14-30 Now that may be to some a long passage, but it helps set up the story of Rachel. Sounds like a modern day soap opera like Holby City, Eastenders or Coronation Street doesn't it? Rachel had a fairly complicated family structure as we have seen, so lets try to unravel it! Rachel's sister Rebekah was Jacob's mother. Rebekah trained Jacob to scheme in order to gain his father's blessing and promised him that she would take the results of the deceitful act upon herself. Rachel became Jacob's wife, but only after Laban had tricked him into marrying Leah, the older daughter first. We can wonder if Rachel encouraged Jacob in his trickery, or if she was influenced by him to think first of herself at the expense of others. Whether his mother and/or his wife influenced Jacob, or indeed if he influenced them, both Rebekah and Rachel serve as examples of the outcome of sinful deceit and discontent. Some personal details about Rachel So, who was Rachel? Born in Aramea (Syria) Daughter of Laban Second wife of Jacob, her first cousin. Mother of Joseph & Benjamin. Ancestress of three tribes of Israel- Benjamin, Ephraim & Manasseh (Sons of Joseph). Possessed great beauty (Genesis 29:17) Devious (Genesis 31:19, 34-35) Not single-minded in devotion to God. Probably did not put away her idols until shortly before she died. Her sorrow is depicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah. 31), to signify the sorrow of Israel's people at the exile of Israel to Assyria and Babylon. Now let us look at some of the main people involved in the life of Rachel: her father, sister, husband and children. Her Father Firstly, here is Laban - her dad! Laban was a crafty sort of character. Over the course of 20 years he switched Jacob's wives, wages and livestock for his own advantage. He was devious and deceitful. It was probably his philosophy that Rachel imitated in her long search for fulfilment, for she too, was always looking to protect or enhance her own position be means of cheating and deceit. Although she resembled her father in this way, Rachel had little respect for him. The only subject about whom she seemed to agree with Leah about was that their father had cheated them. Jacob told his wives that he had noticed that Laban's attitude toward him had changed (Genesis 31:2), and that God had directed him to return to the land of his fathers (Genesis 31:14-16). But Rachel went one further step than her sister. She stole her father's household gods, the inheritance, and Jacob did not know either. When Laban found out, and caught up with Jacob, Jacob angrily insisted that Laban search among his goods, and he promised to put to death anyone found to have taken them (Genesis 31:33-35). Her Sister Secondly, lets look at Rachel's sister Leah. To a certain point, Rachel's relationship with her sister affected her marriage with Jacob since Leah also happened to be married to Jacob (Genesis 30:11). There began a fierce competition between the Leah and Rachel over their rights to Jacob's sexual attention. Rachel insisted that Jacob sleep with her maid Bilhah so that she could build a family through her servant. Two sons were born, Dan & Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8). When Leah stopped bearing children of her own, she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob. Two more sons were added. Rachel was far from satisfied her jealousy was not eased. (Genesis 30:14-16) During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But she said to her, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?" "Very well," Rachel said, "he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes." So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me," she said. "I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night. We may be surprised to see in this passage Jacob's abdication of his own authority over the household in the face of these fighting sisters!!! We see Leah's readiness to drive a hard but petty bargain when she had the opportunity. But we also see the extent to which Rachel jealously guarded her territorial claim to Jacob against her sister. Rachel was not the older sister, nor the first wife, but she was clearly the more dominant woman. Though she granted her a night with Jacob in exchange for mandrakes, Rachel would have had to answer no the Leah's question, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband?" No, she would have to respond! Discontent continued to smoulder within her, as not one thing was ever enough for Rachel. Her Husband Thirdly here is her husband, Jacob! When Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Esau, he obeyed his mother's advice and went to Haran in search of his uncle Laban. First he found Rachel, a shepherdess, and daughter of Laban. Jacob identified himself as her cousin, kissed her, and wept aloud. Rachel was a very beautiful woman, and Jacob was soon falling head over heels in love with her. He offered to work for Laban to earn Rachel as his bride. (Genesis 29:20). On the wedding night, however, the crafty Laban put his daughter Leah into the marriage bed. Jacob was angry, but there was nothing to be done but to fulfil Leah's bridal week and then marry Rachel. (Genesis 29:30). Later, in the wake of the sisters' competition over children, two maidservants were elevated to wife status as well, but Rachel was always the most loved. We see this in the care with which Jacob protected her by placing her with Joseph at the end of the caravan when he met Esau again after 20 years (Genesis 33:1-3). Years later, Jacob's preference for Rachel's children Joseph and Benjamin was painfully obvious to his other ten sons (Genesis 37:3, 45:18-19). Unfortunately, the only person who failed to recognize this supreme love and to rest in it, was Rachel herself. God's gifts of love, beauty, or intelligence, can only reach their full potential for His glory when they are acknowledged and received by the individual who has received them. The extent to which these gifts are developed depends largely on the person's attitude and response to them. In the same way, a woman may be loved by a man, but she will only radiate that love the degree that she chooses to receive and rest in it. Rachel was more beautiful and beloved than her sister Leah, yet Leah learned to find peace through focusing on God's care in the midst of her difficult circumstances. Neither God's blessing of physical beauty nor the love of Jacob was enough for Rachel. Her Children Now finally: her children. For 13 years Rachel was childless. The social problems for women with no children were terrible. Rachel must have suffered a lot whenever Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah became pregnant, while she remained childless. She took out her frustration on her poor husband Jacob, even though it was not his fault and he would not have it put upon him (Genesis 30:2). God's participation in the miracle of life is evident in these chapters, especially Genesis 29:31; 30:17 when God remembered Leah, and also when Rachel finally becomes pregnant Genesis 30:22-24. Rachel had waited a long time for God to bless her in this way. Perhaps He was waiting to see whether her attitude might improve. It did not. Rachel stubbornly refused to be satisfied with her circumstances. She persisted in looking at the negative side of her situation. When Rachel's maid Bilhah bore Jacob a son in her name, she named him Dan (Genesis 30:6) which means "God has vindicated.". While recognizing God had heard her prayers, she regarded the child as her right to make up for her past suffering, rather than a free gift to her out of His love. When Bilhah's second son was born she named him Naphtali, which means "my struggle". Again she considered the child a sign of victory over her sister in reward for her unhappiness. Even the birth of Rachel's own son Joseph did not satisfy her (Genesis 30:23-24). One son was not enough. Nothing was enough. Many years passed. Jacob built up his herds and left Laban (Genesis 31). He was reconciled with his brother Esau (Genesis 32 & 33). He settled in Shechem, where his elder sons killed all the men and plundered the city in revenge for the violation of their sister (Genesis 34). God told Jacob to move his family to Bethel, where he renewed his covenant. (Genesis 35:16-18). Here Rachel aptly expressed her perception of her whole life and revealed her capacity for self-pity when as she died giving birth, named her baby Ben-Oni "son of her trouble." Her devoted husband over-ruled her choice and gave him the name that means "son of my right hand", Benjamin, suggesting that perhaps not only that he would treasure this son in a special way, but also that Rachel had been like a right hand to him. Rachel was probably a very positive supportive wife for Jacob, but this cannot be proved from what the Bible says. When Rachel died, Jacob honoured her tomb with a pillar, and to this day the site apparently remains an important landmark for Jews in Bethlehem. In her lifetime, however, it seems that all Rachel constructed - was a monument to her own misery. The Story continues There we have the pen portraits of Rachel's father Laban, Rachel's sister Leah, Rachel's husband and Rachel's children - with an gleaning idea of her relationship with all of them. Here it is perhaps helpful to discuss 2 points about culture at that time. First, the household gods represented tokens of inheritance more than just symbols of idolatry. Whoever had them, could lay claim to a man's property after his death. Second, as God later spelled out for the Israelites, it was considered an act of uncleanness to touch a woman during her period of menstruation or anything on which she sat (Leviticus 14:19-23). God intended it as a health precaution, but Rachel used it to hide her theft. As she expected, Laban did not bother searching any further. Because she had an older sister and several brothers, Rachel must have realized that she had no real claim to her father's property, regardless of who had the idols. Her act was spontaneous, motivated by a desire to retaliate against her family rather than for self gain. The combination of stealing and lying was simply another expression of the dissatisfaction. The household gods were buried after Jacob commanded them to be (Genesis 35). What alternative did Rachel have? How can people resolve their feelings of resentment in productive, permanent ways? Leah's life demonstrates a determination to face facts, confess her feelings and focus on the Lord as a reliable source of fulfilment in every circumstance. Jacob also learned to accept his difficult situation by finding evidence of God's blessing even in the midst of hardship (Genesis 31:5, 7, 9). But Rachel consistently refused to be comforted by the blessings God had faithfully provided. She chose instead to brood over her father's treachery, her sister's fertility, her husband's conflicting duties and her own failure to have children. Rather than making the best of her current circumstances, she was haunted be the past and her unfulfilled dream of what could have been; and consistently entered into self-pity parties. She insisted on trying to twist the future into what she wanted. To be lovely and much loved is what so many people want to be and have. Yet it wasn't enough for Rachel: she wanted more. So why is Rachel in the Bible? Firstly she is mentioned in Jeremiah 31, where she signifies the sorrow of Israel's people at the exile to Assyria and Babylon. Then there is Matthew 2, where she symbolizes the sorrow of the women of Israel weeping at the loss of the babies during Herod's killing of children in the early years of Jesus. But thirdly and perhaps the most important reason is found in Ruth 4v11, where she is honoured with Leah by later generations as those "who together built up the house of Israel". This would seem to suggest that despite her obvious and many faults, Rachel with Leah, were well respected by the Jews as the "mothers" of Israel. There were 12 tribes of Israel, all sons or grandsons of Jacob, and heard his prophecies concerning them & their future (Genesis 49). The names of the twelve tribes were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Benjamin and the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi, the third son was not included amongst the tribes given land. Moses instead set the Levites apart to be priests (Numbers 3:1-4, 49). Conclusion Perhaps there are 3 kinds of people here tonight. Firstly, if you are a Christian here tonight, how and in what way are you like Rachel? As you go through your day, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which you may well be deceitful, vengeful, dwelling on the past bitterly or engaged in constant self-pity. Are you like Rachel, headed downhill on a course of dissatisfaction that may end in dishonesty and deceit, or in disappointment and despair? Accept God's love. Believe that in every trial He desires us to draw closer to Him, so that we can be energized by Him and realize that He alone and only He is enough. Ask for forgiveness for dwelling on the past and any inappropriate behaviour where those things were involved. God is faithful and just and will forgive if you go to Him with a penitent heart. Then no long dwell on those things, for they are in the past, are forgotten and not to be remembered any more. So forgetting what is past, go into the future with a new outlook of service to God and others. That way your life will be a living prayer and a living witness to others about the great God you serve, love and worship. Secondly, you may be a Christian but you are the victim of somebody else's deceit and dishonesty - then forgive them before God and as far as it is possible, ask that person for forgiveness. Bitterness, envy and pride can eat away and cause much misery, sin and depression. Finally, if it happens that you are not a Christian here tonight, then please do see one of the leaders or myself and we would be glad to tell you how you can be free from a life of dissatisfaction, deceit and dishonesty - both as the victim and perpetrator of such things. Know that Jesus Christ is above deceit, never dissatisfies and is never dishonest - His word is true and He seeks you, to be in a relationship with you, where His love is always serving, always humble and always satisfies. As I said, come and see one of us after if that is you.. Thank you. Right mouse click or tap here to to download the MP3 file of this sermon.

The Fear of Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 31:1-55, Jan 14th 2023) by Sovereign Grace Church

In recent weeks, I have stressed the fact that each time you hear biblical Hebrew or see a Semitic triliteral in the Bible, like it or not, you are hearing or seeing a cross of the many Semitic languages extant at the time of the Bible's writing. Like it or not, each time you hear or see biblical Hebrew, you are also hearing and seeing Arabic. The word “extant” is derived from the Latin, extans, which means “to stand out.” In English, it has come to mean “still in existence” or “surviving,” like the teaching of Scripture under the boot of Hellenism, written in a concoction of the many Semitic languages that the proto-colonial, Alexander the “small,” tried to “unhouse” in his conquest of everyone. So why all this talk about the Amalekites in biblical literature when one need look only to human history, to Alexander, to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or for that matter, current events, to learn about Cain's building project and its legacy of “unhousing?”The literature—the text—not the history of Scripture, is instruction, a “cautionary tale,” an exhortation. All of us must teach this fact. We must teach it to our fundamentalist Christian friends—those who built a wall in my mom's hometown, in Bethlehem of Palestine—in defiance of St. Paul, who said:“For he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” (Ephesians 2:14)In the parable of Scripture, the Amalekites, the enemies of the literary characters Israel and Judah, are the descendants of the characterEsau (Genesis 36:12, 16). As Fr. Paul explains in his most recent book, Decoding Genesis 1-11:“Early in Genesis, we hear the author using the appellation of sadeh,that is, the earth as life supporting (2:5, 19, 20), and then applying it to the living area of the Amalekites, well before the story of Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23) and the story of the two brothers Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25, 27). In other words, early on in chapter 14, the author magisterially preempts the hearers from concluding that the special story about their ancestor, Abram, and his superman feats, makes them different from other peoples, especially their sworn adversaries.” (Tarazi, p. 197)So why does God command the annihilation of the Amalekites? (1 Samuel 15:2-3)‘Amaleq, is an interesting word in Hebrew. Don't waste time looking it up in a colonial dictionary; you will not find anything useful. melek, in both Arabic and Hebrew, is the triliteral MLK and means “king.” Did you catch my nonviolent irony? I hope so. In any case, the biblical character ‘Amaleq, which begins with the letter ‘ain, has the same root as melek. In Arabic, the word for “giant” is ‘amlaq.So, in the story, these powerful giants are introduced through Samuel as Saul's first test of obedience. There is a parallel tale about Joshua and the Amalekites in Exodus. It's a parable. A mashal. A dark saying. A riddle. It's a metaphoric text contained within an epic storyline, not an historical instruction manual. Pretend you are watching Avengers Endgame. When you leave the movie theatre, ask yourself, is the moral of this story an advisory on how to become Thanos and kill half of all inhabitants in the land? This is not a trick question.Who, pray tell, is the King of Glory, Saul? Who rescued you from Egypt when you could not fight? Who overcame Agag, king of the giants, a people whose strength was beyond your might? Who saved Joshua and Moses in Exodus? Who is the King of Israel, Saul? Again, this is not a trick question.“Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,” taking the spoils of a victory that you did not win, and claiming things that do not belong to you, the Lord “has rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23)“Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words because I feared the people and listened to their voice.” (1 Samuel 15:24)Of course, you did, Saul, because the people demand spoils, security, barriers, and dividing walls in the land—the land—which, like the spoils you took, does not belong to you; it is the property of the Lord. In total view of the biblical epic, long before the story of Ephron the Hittite, (let alone Saul or Joshua), Abraham came from the same sadeh as the Amalekites—from the same earth as life supporting.We human beings refuse to accept our fate as ‘afar,—as people taken from and returning to the dust. This fate, Fr. Paul explains: “Will be unexpectedly redressed in Genesis 23 via 'ephron, (Ephron) the (outsider) Hittite who will prove to be the Lord God's medium for establishing ḥebron, the place of brotherhood, the gathering place of Abraham's descendants, which ironically will end as the inheritance, not of Joshua, but of Caleb, “the (outsider) dog” (keleb, KLB, Arabic, kalb), in the Book of Joshua (14:13-15).” (Tarazi, p. 174)Caleb, the triliteral KLB. In Arabic, kalb, the dog, the barbarian, the unclean thing—the standard bearer for brotherhood in the Book of Life. Let's hope so. Richard and I discuss Luke 5:8-9. (Episode 509) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This episode was taken from our Sunday Morning Sermon (SMS) at First Christian Church of Lubbock on November 19, 2023. The text for this sermon is found in Genesis 35:1-15. This is First Christian Church Lubbock, where we exist to share the Gospel and edify the church through bible-based teachings and content. Follow us on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or your favorite podcasting platform!

Justin and J.L. Gerhardt are on the podcast today, and you will love hearing from them! There is an epic retelling of their meeting and falling in love complete with 90's Hearthrob meet cute and all. More than that, Justin and J.L. share about their journey of God leading them both into ministry with words, calling their family to travel the world, and unleashing their creativity and courage to press into new ways to encounter God and His Word. This journey has given birth to various creative outlets for the Gerhardt family, but the one we talk about the most in this episode is Justin's incredible podcast “Holy Ghost Stories.” “Holy Ghost Stories” is a unique podcast that is more like an immersive narrated experience that takes stories from the Old Testament, unpacks them, and breathes life into the grit and shadow as well as the rapture and delight of God encountering His people. Justin's heart for this podcast is to remind us that we have an inheritance of stories in scripture that we share in an immersive, but often adolescent way to children, to try and captivate them and introduce them to God. And then they grow up. And as Justin says “We stop telling the stories and stop teaching the stories. And a story taught is different than a story told.” There is absolutely fruit to be found in teaching! However, grown-ups can miss out on what these stories have always had for us when we face real suffering, real rejoicing, and everything in between unless we revisit what they really were: real events that happened with real people with a very real God. Y'all hanging out with the Gerhardts is such a delight, and I can't wait for you to get to know them a little better. If you loved this episode, or love Holy Ghost Stories you need to attend a live experience! And for my local friends, there is one coming up in Nashville in December! I really believe you will see the Old Testament in a more alive and engaging way, and it will help you prepare your heart for the coming of Christmas. I hope I see you there. Connecting with the Gerhardts: Hazefire Studios Holy Ghost Stories Podcast  J.L.'s Substack- “The Goodness” Justin's Substack “The Latest” Holy Ghost Stories Instagram J.L.'s Instagram and Books Giving to Holy Ghost Stories one time or via Patreon Please consider joining our Patreon community. If you have enjoyed what you have heard on the podcast today or from other episodes, we would so appreciate your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. If you feel you cannot financially commit at this time, would you please consider leaving us a star rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts? My family and I are so grateful for each of you and how you are part of our story. Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 12:9- Strength in weakness Hebrews 12:2- God is the author Hebrews 4:12-The Bible is alive and active  1 Samuel 28- The witch of Endor Genesis 37-50- The Story of Joseph Jonah 1-4- Jonah and the Whale Genesis 6- Noah and the Ark Genesis 39:12-18-Potiphar's wife calling to Joseph Judges 3:12-30- The story of Ehud and Eglon Judges 1- The book of Judges Genesis 25 (is where it starts)- The Story of Jacob Genesis 32:22-31- Particularly when Jacob wrestles with the Angel  Mark 10:51, John 5:1-15- Jesus asks “What do you want?” Number 23:19, God is not a human, but He is a person Matthew 2:16-18,  There are multiple genocides in the New Testament (encompasses Revelation) Acts 8:1-2, Acts 9-  There is persecution in the New Testament Job 1:21- God gives and takes away  Genesis 6:6, Ezekiel 6:9, God's heart grieves Matthew 9:35-37, John 11:11-44, John 12:27,  John 16- Jesus grieved Ephesians 4:30- Holy Spirit grieves Genesis 1:27-We are made in God's image Luke 24:13-35-Jesus and the Road to Emmaus Exodus 3- The burning bush that is aflame, but doesn't burn up Psalm 84 Psalm 130 (The Voice) Luke 1:5-19-Elizabeth and Zechariah References:  Videos of people seeing color for the first time (OK seriously grab your tissues)  My first interview with J.L.  Peaky Blinders 90's Leo DiCaprio Avengers “assemble!” Fyre Festival  Kate Bowler This is the book of Kate's I mentioned that was under my computer. I LOVE it.  Kuala Lumpur (in Malaysia) Holy Ghost Stories series episode with the Witch of Endor: The Lion, the Witch and the War Zone HGS series on Joseph: The Harbinger, The Fugitive and the Host- Part 1, 2 and 3 HGS episode on Noah and the Ark: The Optimist and the Only One A pie chart of the genres within the Bible Episode 3 of HGS- Ehud and Eglon: The Mastermind, the Southpaw and the Big Boy HGS Episode on Jacob: The Father and the Second Born Curt Thompson's new book The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope Episode of HGS on Jonah: The Pushover, the Runaway and the Belly of the Beast (Part one and two) The Moses Season of Holy Ghost Stories The Exodus episode: Rite and Passage A Storied Family Holy Ghost Stories LIVE in Nashville: the Christmas show! Holy Ghost Stories Live in other cities The episode J.L. wrote for HGS on Eve: The Giver and the Taker What is Advent? 400 years of enslavement in Egypt 400 years of silence from God Rahab's HGS Episode: The Dismantler, the Secret Agents, and the Woman on the Inside Tamar's HGS Episode: The Kinsman, the Widow, and the Mark Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast: Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life) Facebook Twitter Blog   

God's Ladder To Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22, Nov 5th 2023) by Sovereign Grace Church

There is a lot going on in Israel today.  I'm sure you have watched the news and I hope you are keeping up with what is going on.  I would like to share tonight on the subject of Israel, what is going on there today, how we got here, and what will happen as it relates to the middle east.  No, this is not a comprehensive study, rather it will be a general overview as we dive into the truths of God.  1. Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12, 15)In order to understand what is going on, we have to go all the way back to Genesis when God called Abraham (Abram at the time) and made a covenant with him.God determined to call out a special people for Himself, and through that special people He would bless the whole world. This would be through Abram and the Jewish people.God told Abraham that He would bless him with a land flowing with milk and honey, a promised land where the people of God would dwell.  In fact, in Genesis 15, it lays out where this land would be located.  The Abrahamic Covenant included the promise of land (Genesis 12:1). It was a specific land, an actual property, with dimensions specified in Genesis 15:18–21. In Genesis 13:15, God gives Abraham all the land that he can see, and the gift is declared to be “forever.” God was not going to renege on His promise. The territory given as part of the Abrahamic Covenant is expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1–10, often called the Palestinian Covenant.Centuries after Abraham died, the children of Israel took possession of the land under Joshua's leadership (Joshua 21:43). At no point in history, though, has Israel controlled all of the land God had specified. There remains, therefore, a final fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant that will see Israel occupying their God-given homeland to the fullest extent. The fulfillment will be more than a matter of geography; it will also be a time of holiness and restoration (see Ezekiel 20:40–44 and 36:1—37:28).Isaac & IshmaelIn Genesis 15, Abram questions God in his promise, His covenant, because he had no biological children.  (vv. 1-21) God promises that Abram and Sarai will have a child in their old age so that his seed would continue and all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  Then we get to Genesis 16, Abram and Sarai become impatient and rush the plans of the Lord.  In fact, they come up with their own plan.  Abram will have a child with Sarai's handmaiden, Hagar, an Egyptian.  She conceives and an angel of the Lord says his name will be Ishmael.  Ishmael will go on to be the father of the Arab nation, the Muslim nations who are now at war with Israel.  In fact, Genesis 16:12 says that Ishmael and his descendants will be a wild man whose hand is against every man and every man's hand will be against him.The promise of land was never for the descendants of Ishmael.In Genesis 12:7, God promises Abram, who had just arrived in Canaan, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Later, in Genesis 15:18, God expands on that unconditional promise: “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (NASB). Then, in Genesis 17:8, God reiterates the promise to Abraham, adding that the land gift is irrevocable: “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you.” God later repeats the promise to Abraham's son Isaac (Genesis 26:3–4) and Isaac's son Jacob (Genesis 28:13), whose name God later changed to Israel.3.  Boundaries of the Land (Numbers 34)In the Abrahamic Covenant, then, God laid out the extent of the land that would belong to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a territory including all of Canaan and stretching from Egypt to modern-day Iraq. Several centuries later, when it came time for the Israelites actually take possession of the Promised Land, God again spoke of a vast area “from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites” (Joshua 1:4, NLT).The promise of land belonging to the children of Israel is permanent. Even when Israel was expelled from their land, which has happened twice in history, God promised they would return: “Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it” (Deuteronomy 30:4–5). This promise is part of what is today sometimes called the Palestinian Covenant or the Land Covenant (Deuteronomy 29:1—30:10).According to Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4, the land God gave to Israel included everything from the Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (west to east). On today's map, the land God has stated belongs to Israel includes everything modern-day Israel possesses, plus all of the territory occupied by the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Thus, Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God has promised; the rest of their inheritance likely awaits the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God has given His word that the nation of Israel will never cease as long as the sun still shines by day and the moon and stars still shine by night (Jeremiah 31:35–37).So what does the land look like today?  The Gaza strip and the West Bank are mainly controlled by Muslims.  They live there and believe the land is their land, which we know God promised to the descendants of Isaac and not Ishmael.  

6-14-23 – Wednesday Evening Service. A continuation of our study of characters of the Bible and their lessons for our lives today.

- Pick up Knowing God Through the Year by J.I. Packer at the Mariners Bookstore- Visit marinerschurch.org or download the Mariners App for more information

The Names of God and Why You Need to Know This...   Pastor Todd's website: www.PastorTodd.org To give to this ministry: www.ToddCoconato.com/give    ach of the many names of God describes a different aspect of His many-faceted character. Here are some of the better-known names of God in the Bible: EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of “might” remains. ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah, which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible's first sentence, the superlative nature of God's power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1). EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – speaks to God's ultimate power over all. ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God's dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles. YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH [yah-way / ji-hoh-veh]: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3). YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities. YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17. YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy. YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him. YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God's unique name YHWH and the generic word for “God” signifying that He is the Lord who is God. YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M'Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4). YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do. EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship. EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all. EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God's nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2). EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God's enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

Nate D., our Eastside Community Group Leader, preached on the life of Jacob as told throughout the Book of Genesis.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Blake Guichet, better known as the Girl Named Blake, is the host of the Confessions of a Crappy Christian Podcast, and the author of her book with a similar title, Confessions of a Crappy Christian Real-Life Talk About All the Things Christians Aren't Sure We're Supposed to Say and Why They Matter to God. Blake shares a little bit of her story of growing up at war with herself because she felt like she didn't fit anywhere, and the journey of making her faith her own as she grew up. She began asking big questions like who is God really? Who does he say that I am? What have I culturally believed is true and what do I actually believe is true because God's Word says its true? In the middle of that season, she tried all the things that seemed like the next right step for a woman with a voice who loved Jesus, but hustle culture took a devastating toll on her mind, body, and heart. Then, the Lord had to meet her in that place and to trust Him and His timing to be the One who would lead her to what it meant to work and minister for His glory, and to live from her heart for Him from all the platforms He's given her. We talk about what it means to to have self confidence and also posses humility, and how to honor God in the way He designed us. Trying to peel away the stigmas that surround big topics everyone faces, and normalize Christians talking about mental health, shame, being female and maybe not the “typical” and “expected” Christian female, Blake's reckoning with the Proverbs 31 woman, not the one from the tote bags, but the one that was written in the original language of scripture, all of it is on the docket, and you won't want to miss it! I hope that in this conversation you can find some piece of yourself in it. No matter how God made you, no matter whether you feel like you fit in or not, you matter to the Lord, and your story matters.   Connecting with Blake: The Girl Named Blake Website : Home for all her services, the podcast, etc. Facebook Instagram Podcast Instagram Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty Facebook Instagram  Tik Tok  Website YouTube JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!!!! I would be honored to have your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. Resources: Confessions of a Crappy Christian Podcast Confessions of a Crappy Christian  Ann Swindell Adrenal Failure Ennegram 8 Hard work is Biblical  Kāḇôḏ (Honor) (from Psalm 62:7)-  'iššâ (woman or wife) or ḥayil (valor)  Doris Day Katharine Hepburn Ash Abercrombie first episode with her and the second one Mary Magdelene “Vulnerability hangover”- Brene Brown-ism Scripture References: John 1:16-The fullness of grace  Ecclesiastes 3-There is a time to tear down and to build  Gensis 32:22-32- Wrestling with the Lord 1 Corinthians 12- Spiritual Gifts Psalm 62 Genesis 31- Laban is angry at Jacob  Genesis 41:41-46-Joseph being elevated  Exodus 13:20-22, 33:1-23- Shekinah Glory (God's presence in the Exodus and Wilderness) Galatians 2:20-I died and it is Christ who lives in me  Philippians 4:8-9- (whaatever is true, whatever is lovely) Ephesians 6:10-18, John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8- Spiritual attack Colossians 3:3- You are hidden in Christ Proverbs 31:10-31- The Proverbs 31 Woman  Judges 4-5- Deborah  Judges 4:17-21- Jael - the tent peg killer ;)  Acts 18, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19- Priscilla and Aquila 1 Corinthians 12:12-27- The body of Christ needs all its parts for it to work Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2, John 19:25-27- Mary Mother of Jesus Genesis 2-3- Eve Ruth the Moabite Gensis 12:11-13-Sarah- we're gonna do what now?? (Just one example) Genesis 6:22-Genesis 9- Noah's wife Gensis 19- Lot's wife Genesis 1:29-31- Eve was the crown of creation  Proverbs 7:4-23- If wisdom is a woman  Ephesians 5:22-33- The church is the Bride of Christ  Psalm 145:9, 103:8- God is good 1 Peter 4:10-God has gifts for me  Exodus 34:29-35- Moses' face shining from encountering God's glory Esther 4:14- For such a time as this Judges 6:36-40- Gideon putting out the fleece  Judges 6- ALL the signs Gideon asks for Psalm 23 Matthew 11:28-30-Come all you who are weary and heavy laden Mark 6:30-34 - has sent the disciples out two by two, and then afterward, he pulled them away to rest Exodus 31:15-Dishonoring the Sabbath has a severe punishment  1 Kings 19- Elijah- snack and a nap Ecclesiastes 3:1-11- There's a time to fight and a time to rest Exodus 14:14- Let the Lord fight for you, be still John 4:5-42- The woman at the well  Psalm 27:13- “What would have become of me had I not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living?” Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast: Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life) Facebook Twitter Blog  *Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com  

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