Genesis Sermons (written)

Genesis 47:27-31
If I Have Found Grace in Your Eyes

Introduction: In 1941, General Douglas MacArthur was the commander of the US Army Forces of the Far East. After the attack at Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the war. Following soon after that, the Japanese invaded the Philippines.

By February of 1942 just a short time after the US entered the war, the Japanese had such a hold on the Philippines, that President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to relocate to Australia. Upon his arrival there, he made a promise to the people of the Philippines, “I came through and I shall return.”

This wasn’t taken too well by Washington and they asked him to amend his words to “we” instead of “I” but he refused. For almost four years, he led the army forces under him. Eventually, the overwhelming might of the United States military beat back the Japanese to the point where his promise could be fulfilled.

On 20 October 1944, he kept his promise to the people of the Philippines, arriving on the island of Leyte. While snipers were still active around the area, and with the sound of sporadic mortar fire ringing out, he asked for a landing craft. When one couldn’t be secured, he waded off the boat, through the waters of Leyte and onto the beach.

In his prepared speech, he said “People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring upon a foundation of indestructible strength, the liberties of your people.”

For almost four full years, and through much death and destruction, the people of the Philippines awaited their deliverer. Even to this day, Douglas MacArthur is a hero to the people of the Philippines. He is held in extremely high honor for having kept his word to them.

In the first year of creation, man was attacked by a much harsher foe than the Japanese. The devil himself came against us and deceived us. Humanity was imprisoned and the devil became the ruler of this world. But the Lord God promised that He would return; a Deliverer would come and cast out the aggressor.

Text Verse: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Those in the Philippines were confident in MacArthur and his promises, and their confidence was rewarded. Those in this world who trusted the Lord God and had been confident in His word were also rewarded. The Messiah came and defeated the devil for any and all who call on Him.

The Messiah will come again and will rule some wondrous day. This is our hope and our expectation. It is a hope which is anticipated in today’s five verses and one which will surely come about. God’s wonderful plan of redemption is carefully recorded for us in His superior word. So let’s turn to that word again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The days of Jacob, the Years of His Life (verses 27-28)

²⁷ So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen;

Exactly as was promised by Pharaoh to Joseph, the people of Israel were planted in Goshen. The name Goshen means “drawing near.” Egypt in Hebrew is mitzraim, or “double distress.” It is a picture of the gentile world, without God and without the covenant blessings.

At the same time, Israel is drawing near to its deliverance from the famine and from the exile from Canaan even though it will be a 215-year wait for it to be come about. There in this land of double distress, they will live and await their return to the land promised to them by God.

In a dramatic parallel to their situation, living in the land of distress, and yet secure in an open place, we read these words from the 118th Psalm which uses the word metsar, a shortened from of mitzraim, or Egypt –

“I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.” Psalm 118:5

The parallel is perfect to the picture in Genesis. This 118th Psalm is a song of deliverance centering on the work of the Messiah in bringing salvation to His people. It is an ideal reflection of the years ahead for Israel as they are delivered from the bonds of Egypt, which in itself is a picture of the greater deliverance of God’s people from the bonds of the devil because of sin.

Everything about this time in Egypt and then the coming exodus is used to picture the incredible work of God for all people in His overall plan of redemption. One of the immediate advantages of God’s plan in the journey to Egypt is that it kept the covenant people together.

If you go back through the previous 46 chapters of Genesis, there is a continual pattern of families separating. Cain was separated from his family after committing his wicked deed against Abel.

Noah and only seven family members were separated from the world they knew and their millions of extended family members as they ushered in a new life in a new age. Abraham was called out to a land he didn’t know, from his family and his land.

Abraham and Lot separated because the land couldn’t support them both. The same is true with Jacob and Esau. Others were separated for various reasons as well.

Isaac and Ishmael were separated by Abraham at God’s direction to ensure Isaac remained the sole recipient of the covenant. Even for a time, Judah departed from his brothers and family and took up residence in Adullam and elsewhere. Had this continued, there would have been a breech in the cohesion of the family.

However, God intended for the sons of Israel to remain united as a clan in order to establish His purposes in leading to the Messiah. If Judah had remained apart from them, or if they later separated in any other way, they wouldn’t have been able to assume control of the land of Canaan.

If they did separate, they would have divided into their own warring factions, something that will actually happen later in their history. What God did in bringing Israel to Egypt is ingenious. By directing the famine as He did, they had to remain together to keep the family alive.

Eventually, they were brought down as a group and placed in one location where they wouldn’t be able to divide. As shepherds, they wouldn’t be welcome anywhere else. And in the location they were given, they could prosper and so have no need to move elsewhere.

Their growth then would necessitate not division, but rather even greater cohesion. The plan was ingenious. Eventually, this single and cohesive group would be brought out, as a unit, to receive the law and then be prepared to enter their promised possession.

Everything that seems random and arbitrary is exact, precise, and filled with more than just planning, but detailed pre-planning that could only have come from the divine Creator who is working out His plans within the framework of His creation. It is, to say the least, astonishing to see.

²⁷ (con’t) and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly.

The multiplication of Israel seems baffling to many scholars. The Bible records a total of 75 people within the covenant community who came to Egypt and only one named daughter. And yet, within 215 years, this small group of people will total 603,550 fighting-aged men, along with women, children, and old folks.

The number will be actually then be between 2 and 3 million people. For this reason, many disbelieve the biblical account. However, this doesn’t take into consideration many things. First, Jacob had lots of daughters, not one. Only one is recorded and the reason was given many long sermons ago.

In addition to this, there would have been multitudes of unnamed servants, along with their families, who came to Egypt with them. They could have numbered in the thousands at this time. And finally, there will be, according to Exodus 12:38, a mixed multitude who will depart with them.

These would have been assimilated into the records of individual tribes of the sons of Israel. This isn’t without biblical support. In Ezekiel 47, for the people who join to Israel who dwell in the land, the Lord gives them this direction –

It shall be that you will divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. Ezekiel 47:22

Regardless of the mixed multitude of the future though, in the immediate time while in Egypt, we are told that Israel multiplied exceedingly. It is a testament to God’s hand upon them. They have been kept together, they have been given good land that produces much, and above all, they have His divine blessing upon them.

²⁸ And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.

Jacob entered the land of Egypt in the year 2299AM at the age of 130. However, he continued on in Egypt for a total of 17 years. Interestingly, this is the same amount of time that he had with his son Joseph before he was sold off to the Egyptians by his brothers.

Like bookends on the span of Joseph’s life until the death of Jacob, these two 17-year periods mean that in all, Jacob had 34 years with his beloved son. That is actually close to, maybe a bit more than, Mary had with her own beloved Son who, like Joseph, was given the title “The Savior of the World.”

^{28 (con’t)} So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.

vayhi yeme yaakov shene ha’yav (6:10) – “and the days of Jacob, the years of his life.” Again the Bible records, as it will, the days of the life of the man. In other words, our lives are reckoned, not so much by decades or years, but by days which accumulate into years and decades.

It is our constant reminder that each day is our only day. The ones which are past cannot be re-collected and used again. And the ones which are future cannot be counted on to come. We are to live out our one day in the presence of God, hoping for another, but understanding that He has already numbered each and He may even today require our soul of us.

Jacob was born in the year 2169AM and his death at 147 years of age occurs in the year 2316AM. Jacob, who is Israel, lived seventy-seven years in the land of Canaan before moving to Padanaram where he stayed 20 years.

After that, he moved again to Canaan and lived there for thirty-three more. And finally, as directed by God, he moved once again from the Promised land to live his 17 final years in Egypt.

The events of the life of Jacob were used in a most astonishing way to reveal future events in the history of redemption. Only God who knows all things, including the future, could have so carefully woven the stories and their intended fulfillment together.

I called on the Lord in my time of distress
The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place
He took from me the feelings of overwhelming duress
With comfort and hope, my fears he did erase

The Lord is on my side and so I will not fear
He has brought me safely through the days of my life
He has been with me year after year
Through times of trouble, hardship, and strife

And so the Lord I will glorify, and Him I will praise
With all of my heart and throughout eternal days

II. If I Have Found Grace in Your Eyes (verses 29-30)

²⁹ When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him,

The Bible speaks particularly of two different types of death for the individual human. There is the death of the spirit which is separation from God, and there is the death of the physical body which is the end of this earthly life. The first death, the spiritual death, is inherited but can be reversed. In an act of faith in God’s provision through the work of Jesus Christ, man is regenerated in his spirit and this is eternal; it is being “born again.” For those who are never “born again” the death of the physical body means that the spirit will never be received by God.

For those, the Bible gives a term – the Lake of Fire. This is the rewards for a self-inflicted wound which has never healed. And so a wise man made it very easy for us to remember the thought by giving us these words – “Born once, die twice; born twice die once.” Jacob was born twice and he had no fear of passing over that great abyss of physical death.

And in an act of grace, God bestowed upon him the knowledge that his time on earth was coming to a close. The many stings of life would be behind him and only a blissful anticipation of eternal glory would remain.

His death then can’t be seen as a type of punishment, but rather as a reward. The punishment would be continuing on in a life of ever getting older and more tired of useless days under the sun. Instead, Jacob’s reward would be eternal life under the heavens.

Knowing that this time of passing was closing quickly upon him, we are told that he summoned his beloved son Joseph. This meeting, which is recorded in the Bible for us to participate in, is given for us to learn from. We are to hopefully gain both insight and wisdom as we read.

The ancient ritual has been passed on to us, the blessed recipients of witnessing a drama, not recorded with a video camera, but by the mind of God as a gift for us to share in.

^{29 (con’t)} “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me.

“Now if I have found ‘favor’ in your sight” is literally translated, “If now I have found ‘grace’ in your sight.” This type of language is normally spoken of one who is in a subordinate position to one in a higher position, or one in need to one who possesses the ability to meet the need. The latter is the case here. Jacob has a need and he will make his request to one who can meet that same need.

In this request is seen a rite which is only the second, and the last time, such a rite is recorded in the Bible. When things are recorded only twice, we must ask, “Why?” And then we should determine what the significance of the occurrence is.

Both times they are noted, it is with the assumption that the one being charged understands already the significance of the rite. And so it is correct for us to infer that this was an ordinary custom of the times. And yet, it is a custom mentioned but two times. Why?

Anytime the number two is mentioned, or anytime something is recorded only twice, it is given to show us a contrast and yet, at the same time, a confirmation of something. Only twice in the Bible is someone asked to take off their shoes because the ground where they are standing is holy. Why only two times? Why the shoes? What is the contrast between the two events and what do they confirm. These are the questions we should continue to ask as we find these hidden treasures which are found in God’s superior word.

And so, in order for us to understand the immediate significance of Jacob’s request to Joseph, as well as the contrast and the confirmation of what it is picturing, we need to go back to the life of Abraham and read the only other time that this ritual is conducted. In Genesis 24, this is recorded –

“Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. ² So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, ‘Please, put your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; ⁴ but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.'” Genesis 24:1-4

Under the thigh is the source of man’s posterity. It is where the life, or seed, continues on as a starting point to bring in the next generation of humanity. In Abraham and Jacob, it is the where the seed from which the Messiah would eventually come is derived, just as promised even to the first man and his wife; Adam and Eve.

Under the thigh is also where the covenant sign was given to Abraham; a sign which continued through to Jacob. It is the sign of circumcision. It is a picture of the cutting away of sin from man. It is a picture of Christ who was born of a woman, but not a man, thus cutting away the inherited sin-nature of man.

And under the thigh is the symbol of the man himself as the head and authority over his household and from whom his household is derived. Placing one’s hand there in an oath is thus tantamount to professing surety of accomplishing the oath in reverence and allegiance to the superior who has requested it.

It is a picture then, ultimately, of the One from whom all life came. As Christ formed man and breathed into him the breath of life, to swear upon the man under the thigh is to invoke allegiance to the One from whom man originally came.

It is to this sacred spot that Jacob now asks for an oath from the ruler of the greatest country on earth. And yet, despite his exalted position, Joseph is subordinating himself in this act. First, having come from Jacob, and secondly having been asked to swear to him.

^{29 (con’t)} Please do not bury me in Egypt,

The request is about his internment… It’s not about something he hopes for in another, nor is it about something that will continue on the line of the people of Israel, or to usher in the Messiah. It is simply to not be buried in Egypt, the land of double-distress. It is not his home, nor is it where he wishes to be interred.

But dead is dead, is it not? So what difference does it make if he is interred in Egypt, in Canaan, or in Thailand. What possible difference could it make to Jacob after he is dead? In other words, this request must be a hope which somehow transcends this life.

³⁰ but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”

Jacob is asking to be taken out of the land of double-distress, the land of Egypt, and to be buried with His fathers. He desires to be placed along with them in their burial place. In two more chapters, we will read the same charge being given to all the sons of Israel. There it will say –

“Then he charged them and said to them: ‘I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. ³² The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.'” Genesis 49:29-32

The purchase of this cave is recorded in Genesis 23, and to understand fully the importance of it, one should go back and watch that sermon. It is where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah were all buried.

Instead of being buried with his beloved Rachel, he asks to be buried there instead. It is a significant spot which looks forward to the resurrection of the righteous. It is to this location that he asks for his remains to be interred.

So what is the contrast between the two accounts – that of Abraham and this of Jacob? The contrast is that Abraham was pursuing an earthly bride for his son in order to continue on the earthly line which would lead to the Messiah. Jacob, on the other hand, was looking forward to a heavenly reward from the Messiah which would be realized in eternal life.

The first was in anticipation of the fulfillment of the earthly promises to the covenant people; the second is in anticipation of the fulfillment of the eternal promises to them. The first is earthly, the hope ofthe coming Messiah; the second is heavenly, hope in the coming Messiah. Further, Abraham’s request was in Canaan, Jacob’s was outside of Canaan. The God who monitors the oaths is not limited to a territorial border.

And thus, the contrast of the two accounts gives us the confirmation of God, in this beautiful treasure we call the Holy Bible, of His Son’s authority over both the earthly and the spiritual realms; He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is the Creator, and He is the Redeemer.

He is the giver of life, and He is the One who decides its termination. And yet, He is in authority even over the man in death. In all things, He is supreme over the physical and the spiritual. The confirmation of the two accounts is Jesus, the Son of God and yet the Seed of the woman.

^{30 (con’t)}And he said, “I will do as you have said.”

anokhi e’e’seh khidbarekha (6:49) – “I will, according to your word.” Without even a hint of questioning why, Joseph simply agrees to the request. The promise is made, and the commitment rests now upon his shoulders.

“What I have spoken, will come to pass.” The guarantee is from the son. The guarantee is from Zaphnath Paaneah, the Savior of the World, and the guarantee is from the lord over Pharaoh’s house.

And the picture is exact. The earthly promises to Abraham and his seed were confirmed in Jesus; the heavenly promises will be confirmed in Him as well. The guarantee is from the Son; the guarantee is from the Savior of the World; and the guarantee is from the Lord over heaven’s realm. The guarantee is . from . Jesus.

If you wondered why Jacob, who is actually the father of Joseph, would ask for grace in a matter, it is explained completely in the picture it reveals. We have a need, Jesus has the ability to meet that need. We don’t come to Jesus and claim eternal life, we come to Him asking for His grace, and He is pleased to grant it – He can, and He will.

Bury me with my fathers there in the cave
In the field of Ephron the Hittite which Abraham bought
And it is now the place of Abraham’s grave
And Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah, and so too my burial plot

It is in the land promised to us by God
And this land of Egypt is not our home
Let it be temporary that here you do trod
But only to the Promised Land let your heart roam

Here we have no true rest, but pilgrims are we
And someday God will return us home to Canaan safely

III. The Word of the Lord (verse 31)

*³¹ Then he said, “Swear to me.”

Jacob has had the assurance from Joseph that he will comply with his requests, but he goes further so that the matter cannot be revoked under any circumstances, by asking him to pronounce an oath about it. The word is binding when the word is spoken.

The word of the Lord which is recorded in the Bible is an oath. When God speaks, it is a vow in and of itself. Therefore, when we hear of a promise made by God, all we have to do is go to the word to find it confirmed.

We don’t need to ask God to swear to His promise to grant us eternal life. His word confirms what He determines.

^{31 (con’t)}And he swore to him.

The one who vows is expected to perform. Jacob has not only asked the ruler of Egypt, but his own son to accomplish his vow. It is under the authority of Pharaoh and it is with the assurance of the son. In this sense, we find ourselves like Jacob.

We have been given a promise and it is under the authority of God Himself. The Son has spoken, He has given His assurances, and all we need to do is rest in them. Nothing else is needed because nothing greater can be obtained. The highest of all authorities will keep His word. We can rest in this.

^{31 (fin)} So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

To end the chapter, we read from the Hebrew text that Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed. In these five verses, he has been called Jacob twice and Israel twice. The two times he is called Jacob, it was speaking of his life – his number of years alive and his number of years in Egypt.

The two times he is called Israel, it was speaking of his approaching death and of his worship of God. There is Jacob the man of flesh and bones who walks the earth, and there is Israel who is dependent on, and in anticipation of, his God in heaven. The two contrast and yet they confirm the physical and spiritual man who fellowshipped with God.

According to the Hebrew text, this man of God bowed himself on the head of his bed. The implication is that he worshipped God as he bowed, acknowledging Him and giving Him thanks for the surety of the promise which was just made.

However, as happens from time to time, something comes up which throws a monkey wrench into our Bible knowledge. In the book of Hebrews, this event is recorded differently. There it says,

“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.” Hebrews 11:21

Referring to two different incidents in one verse, it says that he “worshipped, leaning on top of his staff” rather than “bowed himself on the head of the bed.” And this is how the original Greek translation of the Old Testament records it – staff rather than bed.

The difference between the Hebrew word for “bed,” which is mittah and “staff,” which is matteh, is only a few vowel points which didn’t exist when the Bible was written. They were added later to help in pronunciation, word clarity, and comprehension.

The New Testament is what is correct here and when the scribes who inserted the vowel points did so, they did it probably to keep Jacob from looking as if he were using the staff as an idol. But if he were an old and feeble man, he would worship leaning on his staff simply to stay up. So, whichever is correct, what is implied is that Jacob was thanking and praising God for what has occurred.

This is where this account ends today. It is a story of anticipation concerning the promises of God. Jacob was looking forward to the Messiah and he was looking forward to the resurrection of the righteous to eternal life. Both have been anticipated since the fall of man, and both were still anticipated at his time. But we… we are blessed in a way that he lacked. We have the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have the surety that Messiah has come and that His work was sufficient to restore us to God and to make the hope of eternal life possible once again.

Like Jacob, whether on our bed, leaning on a staff, or jumping for joy at the wonderful work of Christ, we too can praise Him for His promises – because many promises are still to come. Our Lord has promised to return again and bring us unto Himself.

He has paved the way in His first coming and we will be carried along that avenue at the rapture when the reality of eternal life will be realized. But this reality, although offered to all, must be accepted in order to become reality.

Christ died for all – His atonement is unlimited in scope. However, it is limited in reality because we may choose to accept it or reject it. In hopes that you have, or that you will receive His offer, please give me another moment to explain to you His wondrous work…

Closing Verse: For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Romans 14:7-9

Next Week: Genesis 48:1-7 (Adoption as Sons) (120th Genesis Sermon)

On 2 September 1945, General Douglas MacArthur accepted the formal Japanese surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri, thus ending World War II. After this, he was named Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and, for all intents and purposes, was the ruler of Japan during their transition to a democratic society.

Eventually during his command of the United Nations troops in Korea, and through a disrespect of the lines of authority established by the US Constitution, General MacArthur was relieved of his command and ordered home to the United States.

Unlike the sad end to an American hero, the rule and authority of Christ will never end. His throne is an eternal one and His promises to those who call on Him are sure and reliable. Christ has come, Christ will come again, Christ is Lord of heaven and earth!

And this Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Hope of Israel

So Israel dwelt in Egypt the land
In the country of Goshen willingly
And they had possessions there, they did expand
And grew and multiplied exceedingly

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years
Behind him were the days of trials and tears

So the length of Jacob’s life, a life of joy and cheers
Was one hundred and forty-seven years

When the time drew near that Israel must die
He called his son Joseph and to him said
“Now if I have found favor in your eye
Please put your hand under my thigh
Do this my son he pled, as I will soon be dead

And deal with me kindly and truly
Please do not in Egypt bury me

But let me with my fathers lie;
You shall carry me out of Egypt
And bury me in their interment place, after I die

And he said, “I will do as you have said.”
I shall do for you this thing after you are dead

Then he said, “Swear to me.” Yes he pled
And so to him he swore
So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed
In thanks to God whom he did adore

Jacob walked the earth as a man
Israel hoped in God in whom he did trust
And from the moment his life began
He was destined for more than just returning to dust

His hope like ours is in eternal days
A promise spoken by God in His word
Like Jacob then, let us fix our gaze
Upon Jesus, our life-giving Lord

In Him is found the source of life everlasting
The promise is more sure than anything at all
To Him let us all of our crowns be casting
And upon His glorious name let us call

Hosanna in the highest to Jesus our Lord
Praises, glory, and honor to the incarnate Word

Hallelujah and Amen…

מִטָּה – bed

מַטֶּה – staff

 

Genesis 47:13-26
What Will a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?

Introduction: I’d originally planned to do these 14 verses in two separate sermons. The first was to be verses 13-19 and then 20-26. But as I was typing, studying, and thinking, I had an idea about what these verses were showing us, but it somehow didn’t seem right. And it still wasn’t resolved at verse 19.

So, I continued on through verse 26. And it wasn’t until that last verse that I realized that I’d fundamentally misunderstood what God is telling us about the future in these verses. One word, translated in the NKJV as “favor” is what made me stop and reevaluate the entire passage. The word in Hebrew is khen, grace.

Until that word, I had been misevaluating the entire passage. And so, for only the third time that I can think of, I went back and reconsidered every verse under the proper context. Nothing changes with God. We are always and only saved by grace. Without God’s grace, we cannot merit eternal life.

This is the message of the Bible and it is the truth of God in Christ.

Text Verse: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8, 9

Our sermon today will once again be a little bit longer than usual. It has to be that way because I had to fit two sermons into one. But the picture is sure, it is reliable, and it is coming upon an unrepentant world. We can either receive Christ now and be ready for Him at the rapture, or we will face the most difficult choices imaginable – life or death choices.

Let us not be found in such a crummy position, but let’s trust Christ now, placing our souls in His capable hands. The way we know how to do this is through His word and so let’s go to that word now and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. No Bread in the Land (Verses 13-17)

As we’ve seen, the time of Israel in Egypt and then their subsequent exodus is picturing the time of the Tribulation period in the future. The reason for this is that they went to Egypt in the 215th year after the promise made to Abraham and they will come out of Egypt 215 years later – a period of 430 years.

The tribulation is also divided into two halves of 3 1/2 years each. During the tribulation there will be great plagues upon the earth which so closely mirror the plagues during the Exodus that it is not coincidence.

Both of these are times of covenant fulfillment – 430 years from the Promise to Abraham until the law is given at Sinai, and the seven years promised to Israel for completion of their covenant responsibilities as relayed in Daniel 9:24-27. These patterns are more easily understood when we look at the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, a verse which I cite often –

“What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.” Ecclesiastes 3:15 (New Living Translation)

Regardless of the actual time lengths, the patterns repeat. It is sufficient that the famine which necessitated Israel’s move was for seven years and the tribulation is for seven years. After that, both times Israel is delivered by God’s might and power.

These are the important aspects of what is being shown. And I say this because today’s verses will show a dramatic change in the presentation of the events. During the famine in Egypt, it is Joseph who controls and tends to all of the needs of his family.

But Joseph is also taking care of the people of Egypt who are under his authority. The picture we will see in today’s verses is describing a specific group of people mentioned in Revelation. While Israel is being cared for in one way, there is still another group who is being tended to during that period. They are known as the Great White Multitude.

¹³ Now there was no bread in all the land;

It’s important to look back to our previous sermons to determine what is being relayed here. There are two things tied up into one. The first is that there was expected to be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. This is based on Pharaoh’s dreams which Joseph interpreted.

This is literally fulfilled in these Genesis stories. And it also pictures the time of famine which will come upon the world in the future during the tribulation. But during that time, there are also two things which are tied up in the picture. The first is that there will literally be famine on the earth.

This is seen in the opening of the third seal in Revelation 6 where the rider on the black horse appears as a sign of famine. But in addition to a literal famine, it is also looking forward to a famine of the word of God. As we’ve seen in these Joseph sermons, the grain has consistently pictured the word.

There is a time coming when obtaining it will come at a high cost. This is certain and it probably isn’t far off in our future. Jesus is the Bread of Life, and the Bread of Life is found in the word, the grain, the Bible. Here then is the dual significance of this verse.

^{13 (con’t)} for the famine was very severe,

This is given to show the literal and complete fulfillment of what was prophesied concerning Pharaoh’s dreams in Genesis 41 –

“Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; ³⁰ but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. ³¹ So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.” Genesis 41:29-31

In that verse, the term, ki kaved hu meod – “and heavy it, very” was spoken about the famine. The word “heavy” is what we would think of as a crushing burden, something extremely severe. In this verse it says, ki kaved ha’raav meod, “and heavy the famine, very.”

The reason for explaining this isn’t to be bogged down with details, but to see the fulfillment of the details and how they affect the events which occur in the Bible. When God says something in prophecy, we can and should always expect it to be fulfilled literally and completely.

And so, because we have these details proving the Bible is trustworthy, then we can also be assured of the things that it has promised for us. What good is the promise of the return of Jesus to us if other parts of the Bible have been wrong?

What good is believing in eternal life through faith in Jesus if the Bible is untrustworthy. I mean, think that through for a second. How sure are we of anything in life unless we have something which backs up what we believe? But the Bible continually backs up what it says both internally and in real history as well.

^{13 (con’t)} so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.

Finally in this verse, we see a necessary component of what God wants us to see. It mentions both the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan. Both languish because of the famine. In the picture for the future, it means that this will be a worldwide famine, both Israel and the rest of the world will suffer.

Only those who are cared for supernaturally by God will prosper. This is seen in the prospering of Israel in the land of Goshen. But there is a word in this verse translated as “languished” which is important to see. It is the word vatalah – and fainted. It is from a primitive root meaning “to burn.”

By implication is means to be rabid or figuratively, to be insane. In such a state one would become exhausted to the point of fainting. It’s used one other time in the Bible, in Proverbs. There it says –

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, ¹⁹ Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!” Proverbs 26:18, 19

For this reason, some Hebrew scholars apply this to the people. In other words, when it says the “land” fainted, it is speaking of the people of the land. They have come to their wits end and are willing to give anything for their food. This perfectly resembles what we think of as the tribulation years of the future.

When there is no bread how can we sustain our lives
Should there be a famine, would the land yield grain?
How could we feed ourselves, our children, our wives?
Could we survive in a time which is lacking in rain?

And how much more important to us is the true Bread of Life?
Without Jesus, there is no purpose, no reason to it all
Without Him there is only conflict, war, and strife
So now is the time to reach out to Him; on His name to call

¹⁴ And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought;

This verse here is the last time that grain is mentioned in the Joseph cycle of stories. It reverts now back to the word shever, grain in the kernel which needs to be threshed, instead of bar, purified grain, which was last seen mentioned after Joseph’s reunion with Israel.

After the rapture of the church, there will be no pure knowledge of the word among the gentiles as there was before the rapture. And so people will spend their last dollar to obtain the word of God and to understand it. This isn’t a crazy analysis. It will be confirmed as we go on.

But it is also really pointing to the famine for real food too. There is bread to sustain the body and there is Bread to sustain the soul. All of the silver will be spent to obtain these. What was once of value to the people no longer has any meaning.

Man will sell his own children and even himself to eat. But before that point, he will look at the silver in his hands and realize it meant nothing. A life of wasted effort was put into storing up treasures for himself. Jesus speaks of exactly that in Matthew –

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

In Luke, he expands on this and He speaks of the consequences of a life of pursing wealth at the expense of what are true riches –

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’¹⁸ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ ²¹ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-20

So what is it that would cause us to make this connection based on the verse were reading right now? We’ll read it again, “And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought.”

The reason for the comparison is because of the verb which is used for “gathered up all the money.” It is the word v’laqet. This is the only time that this verb is used in the Bible for collecting money. At other times when the Bible mentions gathering money, a different verb is used.

This verb, v’laqet, is usually used concerning gathering things on the ground, such as picking up stones, manna, flowers, or the gleanings of wheat. The symbolism we see here then is money that is tossed away in the purchasing of grain.

The imagery is like someone carrying a bag of silver up to the store house and simply tossing it down and then walking away with a bag of grain. It is a time of absolute desperation and the money no longer has any value to them.

All they can think of is the food. And after the rapture, during the tribulation, those who realized their need will do anything to be given God’s grace. This symbolism is exactly referred to in the book of Ezekiel. There, we get a picture of what is happening at the time of the Lord’s judgment on the land. Listen to how perfectly this mirrors the idea which this verb, v’laqet, implies –

“They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the Lord; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.” Ezekiel 7:19

And so the money is “gathered up.” It is picked up from the ground as if it were a pile of stones…

^{14 (con’t)} and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

What silver there was is now in the possession of Pharaoh. One Pharaoh, Remphis, heaped up silver in this way to the point where he accumulated four million talents of it. If a talent is about 75 pounds, that’s 300,000,000 pounds of silver.

Whether this is the Pharaoh at the time of Joseph or not isn’t certain, but that’s a whole heap of silver. One way or another, it is certainly comparable to what Joseph would have collected.

¹⁵ So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”

The famine continued on longer than the silver held out and so the people have returned once again to Joseph, this time looking for a hand-out. And once again, it notes not just Egypt, but Canaan as well. The land of Canaan wouldn’t be worth returning to because it was caught in the midst of the famine.

Only in Goshen, where Israel was relocated to, was there security for the people and bread for their sustenance. It really is amazing to see how God once cared so carefully for Israel and it is a sure promise to them that they will again be cared for during the tribulation by His amazing grace.

It is those who take Jesus’ advice in Matthew 24 and flee to the wilderness that will be safe. The rest, along with those Gentiles who are willing to seek Jesus, must endure the hardships.

¹⁶ Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.”

This would be the sixth year of the famine as we’ll be able to see later. In what is a wise decision for both Pharaoh and for the animals, Joseph proposes an exchange for their livestock. This includes any type of animal of the herd, such as horses, cows, goats, camels, donkeys, sheep, or whatever else.

The wisdom here is that if the people were short on food, they would feed themselves before their animals and the animals would die. But like the Flood of Noah, the animals are cared for in a unique way. There would be enough food in the royal storehouses to care for them while also increasing Pharaoh’s wealth.

And the picture of the future tribulation period comes into focus here. In Revelation, it says that no one will be able to buy or sell anything unless they have the mark of the beast. But anyone who takes the mark of the beast can never be saved.

Therefore, in order to live, people will have to trade. Without money, it will be the only way to survive. What is being pictured is amazingly exact in concept.

¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.

The exchange is made and the few possessions of value left to the people have become property of Pharaoh. We have to keep remembering that at this same time, Israel is in Goshen and they have maintained their flocks and are prospering.

The Egyptians are living on a subsistence diet and are doing so merely from day to day. At the same time, it is as if manna from heaven was falling on Israel as Joseph cared for his family.

The connection to Revelation needs to be stressed again. In Revelation 12 it says this,

“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. ¹⁴ But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.¹⁵ So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. ” Revelation 12:13-15

The connection to the dragon, also called the serpent, then needs to be made. Here are a group of believers, God’s covenant people of Israel, being divinely protected by God just as Joseph cared for his family in Egypt. Isaiah ties the two together.

First at the end of Isaiah 26, we read this concerning the protection of the Israel during a time of the Lord’s judgment on the earth –

“Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. ²¹ For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:20, 21

Then in the opening verse of Isaiah 27, it says this –

In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea. Isaiah 27:1

Leviathan is the serpent which represents the world’s system of false religion which corresponds in the Old Testament to Egypt and Babylon. It is the power of the devil to bring that false religion into the world.

And this is certain because the term for serpent is nakhash, the same word used to describe the serpent in the Garden of Eden and thus the serpent found also in Revelation. What seems like a story about a famine in Egypt and the care of Israel during that famine is actually so much more.

It is the on-going biblical theme of good verses evil and how God works to protect His people while overcoming the evil that surrounds them. As we saw before from Ecclesiastes 3, God repeats history to show us that He is in complete control over it.

Come and be safe in your chambers
Shut your doors behind you, keep them fast
Hide yourself from the outside dangers
Do this my children, until the indignation is past

For behold, the Lord comes out of His place
To punish those in the earth for their iniquity
The earth will disclose her blood, the murderous disgrace
And no more will she cover the slain of man’s killing spree

In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong
Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent
Leviathan that twisted serpent who has deceived for so long
And He will slay the reptile in the sea; He shall not relent

II. What are You Willing to Give to be Saved? (Verses 18-22)

¹⁸ When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands.

This is now the ending of the sixth year and the beginning of the seventh year of the famine. Everything in Egypt has been reduced to poverty level, subsistence living. The money is gone, the animals have been traded away, and so there is nothing but their bodies and their lands to trade.

It’s not at all unlikely and even probable that they actually owned their own lands. This is still only about 500 years after the flood. Shepherds would have roamed with their flocks living in tents and not making any claim to the land, and no claim would have been assumed under those conditions.

But the people who ventured into new lands and started breaking up the soil for harvesting crops would settle down and claim the land as their own. As no one owned it before they did, it would be considered open to the first who make a living off of it. The land would be assumed to be owned by them.

So this verse is perfectly likely at this time in Egypt’s history. But now, the Nile had failed them, the earth was dry, and there was no relief from the famine except to give up their last remaining possessions – their lands, and even themselves. And so the difficult offer that must be made is now presented…

¹⁹ Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”

The only option for them besides death is to give up everything they have and become servants of Pharaoh. And in exchange for this servitude, they ask for seed. If nothing else confirms the interesting analysis of the previous sermons concerning the words “grain” and “food” this verse does it.

As I said earlier, certain special words were used during the time leading up to the reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers to describe the grain. Then once again in verse 14 one of the words was used one more time. But now, a completely different word is used, zerah, meaning seed, not grain.

It is speaking of the same thing in the same storehouses, but now it is no longer picturing what it did before. This is the amazing treasure of searching out individual words as nuggets of God’s wisdom; they are sown everywhere throughout this beautiful book.

Zerah means seed; it is how life is transferred. It is the word, for example, which is used of the promised coming Messiah in Genesis 3:15 when speaking of the Seed of the woman. It is obvious what is being pictured here, these people must be willing to give their land, and even their very lives in order to live.

Jesus’ words in Mark 8 exactingly picture what is being relayed here. Remember, the church age is over and this is the final seven years promised to Israel and which comprise the tribulation period. People must endure to the end to be saved. Here are Jesus’ words –

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.³⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.³⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?³⁷ Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.'” Mark 8:34-38

As the book of Revelation notes, many, many will be martyred for their faith in Christ, but for those who are, the second death, meaning the Lake of Fire, will have no power over them.

²⁰ Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s.

This shows us with certainty that until this point, Pharaoh had no claim on the lands of the individuals. Only now has he consolidated his power and ownership entirely over the people and the lands. And all of this has been at the hand of Joseph.

Interestingly, this is also almost a mirror picture of what his name means. His name, Joseph, came from two words – asaph, to take way, and yoseph, to add. In one period of seven years, he has taken away all of that which belonged to the Egyptians and has added it to Pharaoh’s wealth.

But notice here, even though Canaan has been mentioned three times since verse 13, it is excluded from this verse. Canaan was never assimilated by the Pharaoh, thus allowing for the continuing plan of God to unfold exactly as it should in the future. And what this pictures is even more revealing.

The land of Canaan is God’s land; He already owns it. The picture of Egypt being completely bought up by Pharaoh, shows the final and ultimate rule of God over the whole earth. This is seen throughout the Bible, such as this verse from Revelation 11:15 –

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelation 11:15

²¹ And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end.

Some versions read differently in this verse because they are based on a different set of source texts. Instead of “he moved them into the cities” they translate it as he made servants (or slaves) of them. This is certainly correct.

Why would this be important? Well, the reason is that for the Jews, saying that Joseph enslaved the people would make Joseph look bad and imply they are the descendents of someone who did this bad thing, but it is much more plausible that of the two, the wrong one is the one that says he moved them into the cities.

Instead, he brought them into servitude. Which, by the way, is exactly what they had agreed to in the first place. And as a confirmation of this we’ll see in just a couple verses that they will pay rent for the land they live on.

²² Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

I can’t help but see the verses from Revelation 5 reflected in this verse here in Genesis. While the world is being subjected to servitude, there is a group of people who are exempt from that servitude. It includes the royalty and the priestly classes. Here is what it says in revelation 5 –

“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9, 10

As Joseph is in charge of both Pharaoh’s house and the priests, having been married into the priestly class, this then shows us the authority of Christ as both our King and our High Priest.

III. Saved By Grace (Verses 23-26)

²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.

We see now that it is the seventh year of the famine. Joseph was aware of the duration of the famine, the people weren’t. But for him to tell them that they have seed to sow indicates that he knows the time for sowing has come.

Because Pharaoh now owns the land, Joseph would never tell them to sow into land that wouldn’t produce a harvest and thus waste what Pharaoh owns. So it is certain that the famine is now ending just as Pharaoh has consolidated all of the resources and power of the land of Egypt.

This power will continue on for the next 200 years until Israel is freed from the land during the reign of a different Pharaoh who is destroyed by plagues of God at the Exodus. But this verse is also picturing the salvation of the people during the tribulation. Those who have given up everything have been given the seed. Their lives will continue. Again, the word zerah, seed, not grain, is used.

²⁴ And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

This is the same percentage that was bought up by Pharaoh during the seven abundant years before the famine. It was enough to save all the people, including Israel, and to make Pharaoh the absolute ruler of Egypt, the land of “double distress.”

Now, using this one-fifth as their payment for renting the land owned by Pharaoh, he would continue to grow in wealth and power while the people would remain his indebted servants.

²⁵ So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

Here is a perfect picture of Jesus. First they say “You have saved our lives.” Thus Joseph was the savior of the people, both as his Egyptian name implied, and as the picture of Christ details. Next they say, “let us find favor in the sight of my lord.”

The word for “favor” is the Hebrew word khen, grace. In essence, they are saying “by this grace we are saved.” It is an affirmative statement that they were saved by him and that the salvation was by grace; it was completely unmerited.

And thirdly, they say that they will be Pharaoh’s servants. This is how we become servants of God, through the saving grace of Jesus, pictured by Joseph. This picture is so exact of what is being anticipated, that it is amazing.

And finally, as a sort of confirmation of this, the law of the land is then enacted by Joseph as we see in our last verse of the day…

*²⁶ And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

The number five, as we have seen many times so far in Genesis, is the number of grace. The entire account today has shown us grace. Pharaoh’s house, as ruled by Joseph, hasn’t done something overbearing or reprehensible towards the people of Egypt. Instead, he has saved many people alive through a great salvation.

And during the tribulation period, God’s house, as ruled by Jesus, will make strict demands on the people, but these demands will be neither overbearing nor reprehensible. They will be the needed proofs that they would rather forsake all for Christ than die apart from Him.

This is the penalty on the world for not accepting Him before the rapture, but there will be grace for many, many who choose Christ. So that you can see the marvelous work of Christ for these people, we’ll take a moment before we close to read a portion of Revelation 7 –

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
¹³ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
¹⁴ And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. ¹⁶ They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:9-16

I know we’ve been a little long today, but what the Bible pictures about the future and what it tells us is coming will really happen. The saving message of the Bible is that Jesus loves us enough to keep us from eternal separation from the Father; from hell.

And the Bible shows us that there is only one way this is possible. That is through Jesus Christ. Please give me another moment to explain to you how you too can receive this greatest gift of all…

Closing Verse: The people will curse him who withholds grain,

But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:26

Next Week: Genesis 47:27-31 (If I Have Found Grace in Your Eyes) (119th Genesis Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

Salvation Belongs to Our God

Now there was in all the land no bread
For the famine was most severe
So that the famine was very widespread
From Egypt to Canaan they languished, life were austere

And Joseph gathered up all the money
That was found in Egypt the land
And in the land of Canaan
For the grain which they bought from his hand

And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house
So much there wasn’t room even for a mouse

So when the money failed
In the land of Egypt and in Canaan the land
All the Egyptians came to Joseph and said
“Give us bread, or we are dead, please fill our hand

For why should we in your presence die?
For the money has failed, things have gone awry

Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock
And I will give you for your livestock bread
If the money is gone, we will use this instead

So they brought their livestock to Joseph
And Joseph gave them bread in exchange
For the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds
And for the donkeys who brayed on the range

Thus he fed them with bread in this time austere
In exchange for all their livestock that year

When that year had ended, again they cried
They came to him the next year and to him said
“We will not from my lord this thing hide
That our money is gone and we are almost dead

My lord also has our herds of livestock
There is nothing left in the sight of my lord
But our bodies and our lands
Now please hear our word

Why should we before your eyes be dead
Both we and our land, our options are so narrow
Buy us and our land for bread
And we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh

Give us seed, that we may live and not die
That the land may not be desolate
Because things have gone awry

Then Joseph bought all the land
Of Egypt for Pharaoh far and near
For every man of the Egyptians sold his field from his hand
Because the famine upon them was so severe

So the land became Pharaoh’s
And as for the people, to them he did attend
He moved them into the cities
From one side of the borders of Egypt to the other end

Only the land of the priests he did not buy
For the priests had rations to them by Pharaoh allotted
And they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them
So they did not sell their lands where there homes were dotted

Then Joseph said to the people
“Indeed I have bought you and your land this day
For Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you
And you shall sow the land in the following way

And it shall come to pass in the harvest
That you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh
Four-fifths shall be your own to invest
As seed for the field, and for your food, and your pet sparrow

And for those of your households too
And as food for your little ones, this you shall do

So they said, “You have saved our lives
Let us find favor in the sight of my lord
And we will be Pharaoh’s servants, we and our wives
To you we speak this committed word

And Joseph made it a law over the land
Of Egypt to this day
That Pharaoh should have one-fifth from every hand
Except for the land of the priests only, he did say

This did not become Pharaoh’s land
It was given only into the priest’s hand

As the leader of the land
Joseph tended to all the people well
They were cared for with food from his hand
While he also tended to the needs of Israel

In the same way, the Lord cares for each of us
Though at times we may face difficulty and trial
There is comfort always to be found in Jesus
And the tough times give way to a happy smile

Tender care for His sheep, this is the way of our Lord
He watches over us on our path as we walk along
And so much comfort is found in His word
To give our hearts a joyful song

Thank You Lord for the care you give to us
Thank You Lord, our precious Savior Jesus

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Genesis 47:7-12
And Jacob Blessed Pharaoh

Introduction: Jacob will come before Pharaoh in today’s verses and there will be a tender exchange between the two. After that, we’ll see Joseph’s planned care for Israel during their time in Egypt. These things, though brought about by Joseph, were actually planned by God.

Every detail that has happened in the lives of these people has been orchestrated to demonstrate His providential hand over the ages, over the elements, even over the choices that the people have made. As RC Sproul says, “There are no maverick molecules in the universe.”

Every atom that flies about is known to God, every drop of water serves His purposes, and the vast distances between the extremities of the universe are traversed by Him at all times and eternally. Let’s keep this in mind as we look at what otherwise seems the futility of life to those around us.

The lies of evolution and global warming show the world a God who is lacking control, ineffective in His capabilities, and unable to keep His promises. This isn’t the God of the Bible. Our God is great in all ways, perfect in His very being, and holds absolute sway over the minutest details of our lives. We are in good hands.

Text Verse: “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. ² He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue. Job 14:1, 2

It’s true, our days are few and they are filled with trouble, but there is purpose and there is reason for it all. Though we are like the flower that is beautiful one day and gone the next, because of Jesus Christ, we have a hope which springs eternal. The radiance of what we will be is worth the wait, worth the grief, and worth the anguish we often suffer.

Hold fast to this truth. It is the constant theme of God’s superior word and so let’s turn to that wonderful book again and … May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Days of the Years of My Pilgrimage (verses 7-10)

⁷ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh;

In our last sermon, we saw the cares taken for Jacob and the family of Israel as they settled in Egypt. We also were shown that only five of the brothers had been brought before Pharaoh. The Hebrew used to describe them was unusual.

This unusual wording was used because it was speaking of those who would survive at the time of the tribulation. It would be those who are left alive by grace and who will be brought into the presence of God’s Great House, represented by Pharaoh.

This verse about Jacob seems to confirm that. Jacob, during these Joseph sermons has pictured the collective body of Israel from all the ages. He represents not a tribe, but all the tribes, or the people collectively from those tribes. After the five brothers are brought before Pharaoh, Jacob is brought in. It pictures Israel in the presence of their God.

^7 (con’t) and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

To bless another carries different connotations in the Bible. We can bless someone by giving a simple greeting – “The Lord bless you.” That’s a nice way of hailing one another, which we more and more fail to do in our society.

It goes all the way back to the high priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24 and is first used between people in the Bible in the book of Ruth (2:4). I try to say this to anyone I greet – a cashier at the store or someone at the mall as I take out the garbage. I wish everyone would still use this type of speech, but it’s fading quickly.

Another way one can bless another is from a position of superiority to one of a lesser position. In Genesis 14, Melchizedek pronounced a blessing upon Abraham. When he did, he said –

“Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; ²⁰ And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Genesis 14:19, 20

In an analysis of that blessing, the author of Hebrews says, “Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.” (7:7) In this, we found that Melchizedek is actually deemed to be greater than Abraham, even though Abraham is considered the father of the faithful.

We can also bless the Lord, such as happens many times in the Bible where someone says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul” or something like that. This isn’t somehow saying we are greater than God. Rather it is using the term “to bless” in a different way; it is a term of honor and praise.

And so we are left with a question as to what this verse means when it says v’barekh Ya’acov eth Pharaoh – “and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” It doesn’t give the blessing he pronounced and yet it makes the point that he, in fact, blessed him. So what is this telling us? Who is the greater?

The answer is that one is greater than the other in reality, and the same is lesser than the other in picture. Jacob is the living covenant patriarch. He is the greatest person on earth at this time in history. He is a prophet of the Lord and the one to monitor faithfulness to the family’s responsibility to God, such as circumcision on the eighth day.

He is also the one who is obeyed and respected by those in the covenant line – as we have seen time and again. Joseph may be the second ruler of Egypt, but he is subordinate to his greater father, Jacob, in person. Pharaoh is no different. Therefore, Jacob’s blessing is from the greater to the lesser. It is a blessing upon Pharaoh, not a hailing of Pharaoh.

However, in picture, the exact opposite is true. V’barekh Ya’acov eth Pharoah – “And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” In picture, Jacob is corporate Israel, brought into the presence of God. And they shall bless God as we see in the Psalms. From a portion of the 68th Psalm, we read these words –

“They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. ²⁵ The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels. ²⁶ Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel. ²⁷ There is little Benjamin, their leader, The princes of Judah and their company, The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.” Psalm 68:24-27

This complex concept of blessing shows us why Jacob’s blessing of Pharaoh isn’t actually recorded here in the Bible. It’s because in reality it was one type of blessing, but in picture it is another. This is certain because if it was one type of blessing or another, such as Melchizedek’s blessing on Abraham, it would have been recorded.

Bless God in the congregations
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel
Bless Him all you Christian denominations
And of His mighty works to all the world, do tell

Bless the Lord with a great resounding voice
Bless the Lord, Yes! O my soul
Bless the Lord you peoples, and rejoice
And all His mighty works shall we extol

⁸ Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

This probably sounds like a bizarre question to put forth as the very first question that you would ever ask of a person. Especially coming from the ruler of all of Egypt, Pharaoh himself. You might expect something like, “So how was your trip down here” or “I hope the royal carts weren’t too bumpy on the highway, were they?”

Or maybe you might think he’d ask, “What about that Joseph, eh? The ruler of the whole world, pretty nifty!” Right? I mean anything but “How old are you?” But considering the circumstances, it was probably the first thing that jumped into his mind.

Joseph, his right hand man, is only 39 years old. He would have been shaven as an Egyptian, youthful, and close to the prime of his life. The obvious difference in appearance between the two, especially because of the huge age difference, must have been shocking.

Jacob would have a gray head and a long gray beard, both of which wouldn’t have been seen in the normal circles of Egypt. He would have been calloused in hand and foot, wrinkled in the face, bent over at the back, and for all we know he could have been wearing a favorite garment made by his beloved Rachel who had died some 30 years earlier.

The question wasn’t “How old are you?” in a flat tone. It was probably, “How old are you?” Each word was uttered in an astonished awe. And to show that this is certainly how Pharaoh said it, we can look at Jacob’s response…

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years;

In his response to Pharaoh, he begins with words of faith, “the days of the years of my pilgrimage.” The word we use for “pilgrim” came from a French word pelegrin. This was a corruption of an earlier Latin word peregrinus.

This implies a stranger or a foreigner and is based on the adverb peregre which means “not at home.” A pilgrim, throughout the ages, is a person that goes on a journey of some sort, even quite often for a religious reason.

As they aren’t home, they can expect hardship and privation. And this pretty much sums up the life of Jacob in both his worldly walk and in his spiritual walk. And this is one attribute which the people of God are especially noted for. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews, speaking of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, it says this –

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13

Like those who went before him in faith, Jacob also confesses that he is only on a pilgrimage. This life isn’t his ultimate destination, but a walk towards something greater. Saying this to Pharaoh would be more relevant because this is what the pharaoh’s believed of themselves.

They thought that they were set for an eternal life with all the trimming of bliss, wealth, prosperity, and contentment. For a commoner from another country to claim that they had another, greater inheritance, would probably have been received with unusual surprise.

In our world today, it is no different when we say, “This world isn’t our home.” If you ask most people if they believe in heaven, they will say “Yes”, but they normally don’t live in that way. Instead, life is filled with self-gratification and a hunger to complete bucket-lists, and to make as much as possible before their demise.

Unfortunately, too many Christians act in the same way. Instead of the faithful response of Jacob, we see the lusting actions of David and Bathsheba or the greedy actions of those who sold in the temple at Jesus’ time. In Acts, Ananias and Sapphira are a perfect example of faithless Christians who put notoriety and profit above devotion to God.

But, if we can really hold fast to the promise of eternal life because of Jesus, the material things will find their proper perspective in this life. All we have is a blessing and it has been given by our gracious God, but it shouldn’t be the consuming drive of our lives.

Finally, in finishing this thought to Pharaoh, Jacob’s words to him say that “the days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years.” Jacob was born in the year 2169AM. He now stands before Pharaoh at the age of 130, and so it is the year 2299AM. From this statement, many important connections can be made to dating elsewhere in the Bible.

God records these things so that we will take the time to navigate through the dating of the Bible and determine where we are in human history. Joseph is now 39 and so he was born when Jacob was 91. No wonder Pharaoh was astonished. Joseph is fully grown with his own family and yet Jacob is 91 years older than him!

And one more point about what is said here is that in both the question by Pharaoh, and in the answer by Jacob, the term yeme sheme “the days of the years” is used.

It is the Bible’s way of reminding us that we don’t live by years until the years are complete. We live by days and moments. There is no control over time and circumstance by us, no matter what we may think. In the end, every day is a gift and each moment is all we have. The Bible asks us to consider this and take it to heart.

This is the reason why the Bible tells us to pay attention to the days. In the 90th Psalm, Moses said –

“So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

When we look to the years we have lived or that we anticipate we will live, we get our vision out of focus and our thoughts out of perspective. When we count our days instead of years, we see that they are actually few, though greater in number.

James, like Moses, asks us to take to heart the fragility of life. In His little book, the 59th in the Bible, tucked right towards the end, he says this in the 4th chapter –

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'” (13-15)

^{9 (con’t)} few and evil have been the days of the years of my life,

Few were his days in relation to two things. The first is in how long his forefathers lived. But more so in relation to how long he expected to live because of the promise to him and to his people. In them was the hope of the Redeemer who would transform them from death to life, eternal life. In comparison to this, his days were truly few. And evil… He says the days of the years of his life have been evil. Many of his troubles were self-inflicted, but the troubles really existed none-the-less. In his 130 years he had fled from his brother Esau who had threatened to kill him.

He served seven years for a wife he didn’t want and then had to serve seven more for the one he did want. He suffered through many hardships as he served, and afterwards as well when he went to raise his own family and flocks – he had many trials and pains.

He feared for his life again as he fled from his father-in-law back to Canaan. And he feared for it when he returned to face his older brother once again. Later in Canaan, his daughter was violated by the son of a king and two of his sons killed the whole town in response. Something that made him only more fearful.

As he traveled south, his beloved wife Rachel died in giving birth and then just after that his oldest son Reuben slept with another one of his wives. But, of all of the difficulties and trials, probably the worst followed a while later when he was told his favorite son Joseph was surely dead.

The days of Jacob’s life were evil, at least to him. But not everything that is evil from one perspective is evil from another. All of these events which tired him out, wore him down, and gave him grief were used by God in several ways.

In one way, they have all been used to picture both the coming Messiah, in Person and work, and also the corporate body of Israel in the future. And in another, they were all used by God to bring him and the covenant line to the place where he now stood, in front of Pharaoh, safe, secure, and well taken care of.

Every single evil event was used as a stepping stone toward a greater good. Looking at the pilgrimage of Jacob and how God used it for this greater good – of him and others, we can put our own lives into proper perspective. The 119th psalm says this –

“Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. ⁵⁵ I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law. ⁵⁶ This has become mine, Because I kept Your precepts.” Psalm 119:54-56

This is what Jacob often failed to do. Instead of remembering the Lord in his pilgrimage, he wallowed in his own woe and misery. This man, Jacob, had personal visits from the Lord along with other dreams and visions from Him as well.

And yet, it took most of his life to come to the point where he was able to look past himself and to the greater good that God was using him and his trials for. Now, like the promise of eternal days instead of the few he had thus far lived, he finally had a grasp of the goodness of the days ahead in comparison to the evil ones he had experienced.

He now realized that every aspect of life, good and bad, was intended to work for good, and that this good is in connection with the eternal days promised through the hope of the Messiah. Not only could he look forward to eternal days, but He could look forward to perfectly good eternal days. This is the hope that the coming Promise would bring.

^9(con’t) and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

Jacob is now 130 years old.  He will live to 147 years, but the lives of his fathers were more. Isaac lived to 180 years; Abraham to 175. And before them the lives of the fathers were counted in the hundreds, even to Methuselah who lived to 969 years of age.

But much of this was probably known to Pharaoh at this time in history. Jacob and Pharaoh both reached back together to their ancestor Noah who lived until the year 2006AM which was only 293 years earlier. Despite being from different sons of Noah, they ultimately shared a common humanity in their father Noah.

¹⁰ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh

The NKJV says “So Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” This implies something like “thus.” The blessing came during the conversation and the Bible is acknowledging a blessing was made. Some other versions say “Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh.”

This implies that the blessing referred to at the beginning actually was given after the conversation. One uses the word “then” and then adds in the word “again” to indicate two blessings. And still some other versions say, “And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” This then implies two blessings, one at the beginning and one at the end.

It’s probable that Jacob blessed Pharaoh twice, once as he came in and once as he departed. There is a double blessing bestowed upon the Great House by the man of God.

Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life
I’ve walked many miles and was often drowned in my tears
I’ve been through trials, hardships, toil and strife
And was at times consumed in overwhelming fears

But now I perceive that it all was intended for good
What seemed evil, it really wasn’t, I now see
It took so much of my life, but I’ve finally understood
That God has always been there, faithfully directing me

II. A Possession in the Land of Egypt (verse 11)

¹¹ And Joseph situated his father and his brothers,

If the time in Egypt is a picture of the people of Israel during the tribulation period, then what we see here is perfectly expected. Jesus will provide for Israel during the tribulation. It will be a time of grace during a time of hardship. And this is exactly how it is described for them in Revelation.

In this, Joseph situates his father and his brothers. What is done is for their benefit at his direction. It is no different in type than what Jesus is going to do for Israel.

^{11 (con’t)} and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt,

There is a place specifically selected for Israel during their time in Egypt. Egypt means “double distress.” This looks forward to the time of the Great Tribulation in the book of Revelation. Though the time is 215 years for Israel in Egypt and only 3 1/2 years for them in the future, the concept rings true for both.

In Daniel 7, Daniel 12, and Revelation 12 the term “time, times, and half a time” is used, indicating 3 1/2 years. In Revelation 12:14, it says –

“But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”

This will be the 1/2-way point of the seven years of tribulation and Israel has been brought to Egypt at the 1/2-way point between the covenant with Abraham and the Exodus from Egypt, both periods of 215 years. This pattern isn’t to be missed because it points directly to the future events at the end of the age.

^{11 (con’t)} in the best of the land,

Not only is Israel given land in Egypt, it is given in the best of the land. This picture certainly isn’t intended to say that Israel during the tribulation will be given the best of the land for farming, or for mining, or for water skiing.

Instead, it is saying that where they flee to will be the best possible land for their security and their safety. They will have what is needed in order to be sustained until the Lord finally delivers them.

^{11 (con’t)} in the land of Rameses,

This is the first of only five times that the Bible mentions Rameses. The debate about where this is or what is intended by this term is immense. One scholar devoted pages of possibilities as to these things. But the “where” and the “what” are less relevant than the “why.” The name Rameses means “son of the sun” or “child of the sun.” In Psalm 84, God is represented by the sun –

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

In Malachi 4, Jesus is called the Sun of Righteousness and that passage is one which appears to telescope between His first and second advent. Listen to how these verses seem to mirror Joseph’s care for his family and the Lord’s future care for Israel –

“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. ³ You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3

Rameses, rather than the name Goshen, is used here because it is speaking not so much of the tribulation period, but the actual state of those God will care for during it. Israel is the son of the Sun, Jesus. As evidence of this, Israel is elsewhere called the Lord’s “firstborn son.”

And they are called this when Moses, picturing Christ the Redeemer, is told to speak to Pharaoh, the afflicter of Israel. What is being seen here is perfectly detailed, not just of actual events of the past, but of actual events in Israel’s future. This is what it says in Exodus 4 –

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” Exodus 4:22

The name Rameses is used here to show us that Israel is the son of the Sun, exactly as the Bible has described them both. Israel the s-o-n of Jesus the S-u-n. These things that seem unusual are always given to help us weave together the patterns of redemptive history.

^{11 (con’t)} as Pharaoh had commanded.

We have logically divided this verse into five individual thoughts. It is as if we are asked to stop and evaluate each individually. And so this is what we’ve done. Each has shown us of wonderful things which God has done; which God will do.

This final portion of verse 11 shows us that what was done by Joseph is at the direction of Pharaoh, the Great House. And it shows us that the actions of Jesus are all done at the direction of God in heaven. The two are working harmoniously in redemptive history for the sake of fulfilling the ancient covenant of God.

In the time ahead, Pharaoh will take on different symbolism as the once great protector of Israel works against them. We’ll have to take care to not miss the transition as that occurs.

A possession in the land while the famine rages
Care for the people of God at the hand of Jesus
These beautiful things are seen so clearly in the Bible’s pages
The marvelous things God has done for all of us

He gives us the best of all things as He watches over us
His attention never slacks as He keeps us safe from harm
And He does these things through His Son, our Lord Jesus
He is fully capable to keep us, by the power of His mighty arm

III. Bread to Sustain (verse 12)

*¹² Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.

Without being Jacob’s favorite son, the brothers would never have been jealous of him. Without their jealousy, his dreams wouldn’t have enraged them. Without their hatred they would never have thrown him into a pit nor sold him off to the gentiles.

Without being sold off to the gentiles, he never would have ended in Potiphar’s house. If he weren’t there, he never would have been in the royal prison. If never in the royal prison, he never would have heard the dreams of Pharaoh’s officials. If he never heard those dreams, he couldn’t have given their interpretation.

Without their interpretation, he never would have been brought before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. And God gave Pharaoh those dreams which were otherwise not able to be interpreted. Without his interpretations, he never would have been exalted to ruler of Egypt. And if this were the case, then Egypt would have suffered and perished in the famine.

Without the famine, there would have been no need for Israel to get grain from Egypt, or if there was a famine and Egypt had no grain, Israel would have perished. Without coming to Egypt, Israel would never have been reconciled to Joseph and without that, they would never have been brought to this place of safety.

If you were to substitute “Joseph” for “Jesus” and say the same thing I just said again, you’d see that all of history has had an exacting purpose and it is all leading to the end times and it is all about Jesus and Israel. The church is an insert. And thank God we got that chance. Had the Jews not crucified Christ and sent him to the tomb, we wouldn’t have had this chance.

But if they had accepted His resurrection, we still wouldn’t have had that chance. The kingdom age would have come without there having been a church age. But they didn’t accept Him and we were given God’s grace during this time.

Joseph married a gentile bride, and we are Christ’s gentile bride. But despite this, there is still a future for Israel. God is good and He is good all the time. Israel will be brought out of Egypt by God’s mighty power during the exodus, and Israel will be sustained through the tribulation by a great and mighty work of God as well.

Nothing is left to chance, nothing is haphazard, there is no error or confusion in God’s superior word. There is only harmony, wisdom, love, and a marvelous display of God’s glory. If we just look close enough, it is right there for us to see.

So, let’s keep our eyes open as we go through life. Let’s look at the difficulties, the trials, and the many terrible things that arise as a part of God’s greater plan for us. Yes, Jacob had personally talked to the Lord and yet his faith floundered often. But we have something more than he did. We have Jesus, we have the Bible, and we have the past 6000 years chock-full of fulfilled prophecy to validate both. Let’s not let our faith flounder, but let’s be continually built up in our walk with the Lord.

And if there is someone here who has never placed his faith in Jesus, let’s get that straightened out today. Give me just another minute to tell you how you too can have the absolute assurance of eternal life, abundant life, because of Jesus Christ…

Closing Verse: A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 Next Week: Genesis 47:13-26 (What Will a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?) (118th Genesis Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

And Jacob Blessed Pharaoh

Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father
And before Pharaoh him he set
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, not another
But Pharaoh was not done yet

Pharaoh said to Jacob
“How old are you?”
And Jacob said to Pharaoh
My years have been evil and few

The days of the years of my pilgrimage, full of strife
Are one hundred and thirty years
Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life
I’ve lived through many trials and tears

And they have not attained to the days
Of the years of the lives of my fathers’ span
In the days of their pilgrimage
Since the Lord created man

So Jacob Pharaoh he blessed
And went out from before Pharaoh
After Pharaoh had been addressed

And Joseph situated his father and his brothers
And gave them a possession in Egypt the land
In the best of the land, suitable to their druthers
In the land of Rameses, just as God had planned

It is as Pharaoh had commanded
And truly God never left Israel stranded

Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all to be fed
All his father’s household, he provided them with bread

According to their families’ number
Nothing for them did he encumber

This is how God cares for His children
For those who live by faith and not by sight
God looks down upon the sons of men
And those who live this way are His delight

God chose Israel for His own people
And He chose us in the church as well
So let us proclaim His glory from every steeple
Let us this wondrous saving message tell

Jesus, beautiful Jesus, our Lord and our King
To Him all honor and all our praise belong
Let us forever to Him our voices sing
At all times let us glorify Him in song

Hail the Lord who does marvelous things for us
Hail the splendid and glorious name of our Lord Jesus

Hallelujah and Amen…

Genesis 47:1-6
Grace in the Land of Goshen

Introduction: Some time ago while talking with my brother, he said something I hadn’t really thought of from our perspective. We who are a bit younger tend to take Israel for granted. They were there when we were born and like so many other countries, they pop in and out of the news from time to time, but there doesn’t really seem anything special about them.

And so without the Bible, it’s hard to see the miracle of Israel for what it really is. And the more years that pass, the less miraculous they must seem to people because the world ignores the Bible. Only when looking at history and comparing it with the Bible, does Israel of today really shine so brightly.

A very small piece of land and a minute number of people were all but forgotten for 2000 years. The land lay in ruins, the people were scattered around in pockets that kept getting shoved from place to place, and the ancient tongue was all-but gone.

And yet, suddenly things started to change. The word that established them also pointed to their return, and to their blossoming and fruitfulness. And it told us that the dead language would resurrect. Hebrew would again be on the lips of the people.

And as chance… no, as divine favor would have it, proof of their ancient oracles, the writings we would call the Old Testament, suddenly showed up in a dry, barren place called the Dead Sea one year before they were reestablished.

The ancient words of the past were waiting there for them as they arrived off of ships. God was calling them and they weren’t listening. They still, for the most part, aren’t listening. And so, like Israel in Joseph’s time, God will send a famine.

It will be a tough time on earth, but a portion of them will be saved through it by grace. The mystery of redemption is still alive and well in the world. To those of us who read, study, and believe our Bibles, it’s not a mystery at all. God speaks and we accept. But like creation itself, most of the world, including much of Israel, tries to take God out of the picture.

They ignore the signs, they ignore the wonders, and they ignore the miracle. They take no notice of what was written so long ago to show them what would happen in the future… probably a not-too-distant future from right now.

And they fail to open their blinds eyes and lift them to the God who established them and has so faithfully carried them. It is a problem with both Jew and Gentile and it will lead down a destructive path. But even there God’s grace will shine forth, especially for this cherished group of people, Israel.

Text Verse: Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
¹⁵ I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. Hosea 2:14, 15

In order to be brought into the wilderness and up from the land of Egypt, Israel must first go into the land of Egypt. This is where the story is today. Israel has arrived and they will be planted in the land of Goshen; the land of “drawing near.”

There, for the next 215 years, they will draw ever-nearer to the day when they will be called out of that land. Considering that our nation is only 238 years old, to us 215 years sounds like a long time. But each year of Egypt was a year where they could grow and flourish.

Eventually, like today, they would have a sufficient number to dwell in and assume control of the promised land. Nothing is arbitrary with God and all things, even seemingly long delays in His plans, fit perfectly. As we read the Bible, we can learn that the long delays in our own life actually serve a great purpose.

When we get to the end of them, we can clearly see in hindsight that the delay was exactly what was needed for the circumstances. So don’t fret over them, revel in them. In the process, He is taking care of you and providing for you.

We see this in today’s story about Israel’s arrival in Egypt. It is a story of God’s gracious care for His chosen people and so let’s turn to this superior word again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Five Brothers Before Pharaoh (Verses 1-3)

Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.”

Joseph was finally reunited with his father and his brothers when he went down to meet them in Goshen. They stayed behind and Joseph then went back to Pharaoh with his happy report. They had completely removed themselves from Canaan as is seen in the words, “their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come.”

The move isn’t a temporary one, but rather one that is expected to continue on for at least the duration of the famine, but which will actually last for 215 years. It is now the year 2299AM and they won’t actually depart until the Exodus in the year 2514/5AM.

Interestingly, it is now also 215 years since Abraham was given his original covenant promises from God in Genesis 12. At that time, there was also a famine so he left Canaan and entered Egypt. And this was exactly 430 years after the Flood. That visit to Egypt resulted in plagues on Pharaoh’s house.

Exactly 430 years after that, the chosen line of Israel, who are now again in Egypt, will be enslaved by the Egyptians under Pharaoh’s rule and it will again result in plagues and their being forced out of the land. In both instances, their departure from Egypt results in carrying out the great wealth of Egypt along with them.

As it says in Ecclesiastes and as we will learn is O so true, both in the Bible and in history –

“That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 3:15

The account now with Israel arriving in Egypt is at exactly the halfway point between these two things. The patterns of the Bible are rich, complex, and astonishing. How wonderful it is when we think about how God has woven everything together in this great drama we’re participating in.

During both times in Egypt – that of Abraham and that of Israel, it seemed that things had turned out for the worse for them, but the Lord had a handle on all of it each step of the way. So there they are in Goshen.

This name means “drawing near” or “approaching.” Two things which are drawing near in the future are being pictured. The first is the second half of the seven years of tribulation seen in the book of Revelation. The second is the literal return of Christ.

The name Goshen is being used to show that the end times are truly drawing near. Israel is back in the land and they are being readied for their meeting with the Lord, just as Joseph and his family have now been reconciled here in Genesis.

After these Genesis stories, this place Goshen in Egypt will only be mentioned one more time. That is at the time of the Exodus when the plagues come upon Pharaoh, plagues which are actually parallel to and prefigure the great plagues of destruction in the tribulation period recorded in Revelation.

Details in the Bible repeat time and again we know
And in the stories there is magnificent harmony
This gives us comfort that everything will happen as God says so
And that we can trust every single word of Bible prophecy

² And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.

This verse, right here, was used by one very well known pastor to say that only some Christians will be raptured. The pastor who said this is one of the best speakers and yet he ranks among the very worst theologians.

The notion of a saved believer not being taken out at the rapture violates the premise that we are saved by faith and then given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our promised redemption. Don’t buy into such nonsense. It is bondage designed to scare believers into a state of submission to whatever the pastor dictates.

His analyses are often wrong and they are filled with bad doctrine, misleading statements, and incorrect assumptions. He is one of the great figures in Christian TV today who I wholly recommend people to NOT listen to, though I will leave his name unsaid here.

He is also one of Israel’s worst enemies, not because he doesn’t support them; he does. But he supports them to the point that they believe they are saved as Jews because they are Jews regardless of whether they make a personal commitment to Christ or not.

No wonder he completely botched his analysis of this passage. He came at it under the supposition that it is picturing those in the church, not Israel. But the entire panorama of these stories of Joseph’s life picture Israel’s coming reconciliation with Jesus.

In this verse, there is a most unusual phrasing of the Hebrew. It says umiqseh ekhav laqah khamishah anashim – “from the ‘end’ or ‘extremity’ of his brothers he took five men.”

There is a lot of debate about what this means and six prevalent possibilities have been given over the past two thousand years –

1) He randomly took five of his brothers. 2) He took five of the meanest-looking, because if he took the best looking, Pharaoh would keep them for his own service, thus separating the family. 3) He took five of the healthiest and best-looking in hopes of impressing Pharaoh and thus making him look good in Pharaoh’s eyes 4) He took five of the youngest of them. 5) He took five of the oldest. 6) He took five from both extremes, some of the oldest and some of the youngest.

Using the same word and the same number of men later in Judges 18:2, it says this –

“So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. Judges 18:2

In Judges, it calls them “men of valor” and so it was the best of group who were selected. But whichever five of Joseph’s brothers it is, they aren’t identified for a reason. This is because who they are isn’t important. All of this speculation is irrelevant. It is the number five that is being focused on, not who the five are.

In the Bible the numbers one through three speak of the first three mysteries, that of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Four speaks of the mystery of God’s manifestation through creation. And then five speaks the next revealed mystery, redemption.

It is the people called out from mankind, redeemed and saved. And therefore five is therefore the number of grace. In picture then, these five are those spoken of in Zechariah 13. During the tribulation period, most of Israel will die, but a remnant will be saved by grace. Here is what it says –

And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one–third shall be left in it:
I will bring the one–third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” Zechariah 13:8, 9

The reason for the unusual wording of the verse where it says “from the ‘end’ or ‘extremity’ of his brothers he took five men” is because it is from the end, or extremity of those left at the end of the tribulation who are being pictured.

They are those who are left alive by grace and who will be brought into the presence of the Lord, represented by Pharaoh. The unusual Hebrew of the verse was used to show us a prophetic picture of the future.

³ Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”

This is exactly what Joseph said they would be asked before he took them to Pharaoh. As they are Joseph’s brothers, he would want to know what their trade was so that he might find a position for them in Egypt as an honor to Joseph.

Joseph knew Pharaoh well enough to know that this was coming. And he also knew that it would be important to keep the family together. In order to do that, he gave them advanced instructions on what to say…

^3(con’t) And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.”

And exactly what Joseph instructed them to say, they said in reply to Pharaoh. They are keepers of the flocks and it has been that way throughout their generations. They said this because shepherds are considered an abomination to the Egyptians and so he would keep them all isolated from the people and together as a clan.

God ensured these things would come about in order to keep the people as a collective unit until it was time to bring them out of Egypt. Although the time is 215 years, it is no different than what God will do during the tribulation period.

He will keep the people safe and redeem them by great judgments on the world, just as He will bring great judgments on Egypt at the Exodus. All these patterns keep repeating themselves to show us that God is in control of the entire span of history.

That which has been is what will be
That which is done is what will be done
God repeats the many details of history
And there is nothing new under the sun

He does this for our benefit, that we can trust He is in control
In the repetitions there is a chance for us to believe
That if He can do this in the world then He can do it for our soul
In Him there is no worry and our every burden He does relieve

II. We Have Come to Dwell (Verse 4)

⁴ And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan.

There is the hand of God all over this verse. It is amazing how much is connected elsewhere to what the brothers now tell Pharaoh. First they tell him that they “have come to dwell in the land.” This was prophesied by the Lord to Abraham about 200 years earlier. In Genesis 15, it says this –

¹² Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³ Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴ And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Genesis 15:12-14

Whether they realized it or not, their lives were being directed by a higher Force which had brought them down to Egypt by a series of events which had been ongoing since the world was created. And along the way, God had provided hints as to the plan.

The reason why they came to Egypt is explained next. It was because, as they said, “your servants have no pasture for their flocks.” Despite being the chosen people, they have subordinated themselves to Pharaoh by using the term, “your servants.”

And this goes directly back to the dreams of Joseph from 22 years earlier. His dreams, which he relayed to them, showed that they would bow to him, implying that they would be subordinated to him. Because he is the second to Pharaoh, they have again subordinated themselves to Joseph in their words to Pharaoh.

Every detail, once again, has worked toward the next step of God’s plan. Not a gust of wind nor a drop of rain has failed to be used to bring about His intentions.

And finally in their words, they explain why there are no pastures for their flocks. They say to Pharaoh, “for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan.” In saying this, they confirm to Pharaoh exactly what Joseph prophesied concerning Pharaoh’s dreams about nine years earlier. There in Genesis 41 it said –

“Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; ³⁰ but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. ³¹ So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. ³² And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” Genesis 41:29-32

They have used the exact same term for the harshness of the famine that Joseph used then. It is the word kaved, “heavy.” Even the words within the text show us the overarching hand of God on every detail of the story.

And thus, if we apply these things to our own walk with God, we can see that every detail of what happens around us is used by Him to meet His intended end. As a great example of this, I’ll tell you about a portion of today’s sermon and how it came about.

I had a friend staying with me for a couple weeks. He came in to have some coffee in the morning which kept me from my usual routine. I wasn’t miffed, but I knew I couldn’t practice my sermon as I do each day and so I started typing this one. Because he was there, I got diverted a couple times and couldn’t focus properly.

But because of that, I ended up looking for something in the wrong place and it took me to exactly what I needed concerning Abraham from 86 sermons ago. It was something I’d completely forgotten and yet it was exactly what I needed for understanding today’s passage and fitting it into a correct perspective.

There is nothing that He is unaware of and if He can do this for a sermon heard by a handful of folks in Sarasota and some out on You Tube, then how much more attentive do you think He is concerning the really important issues in your own life.

This is a great God who has every detail in perfect control. Just look at the hundreds of years of planning to bring these sons of Israel into Pharaoh’s presence to say in one sentence exactly what the Bible has already hinted at again and again.

And as an exceedingly great parallel, it was exactly the same word used to bring about the move by Abraham to Egypt 215 years earlier. The brothers said, “for the famine is severe in the land.” In Genesis 12:10, this is what it said about the time of Abraham –

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. Genesis 12:10

Both times, the same phrase is used, ki kaved ha’raav b’erets – “for the famine was severe in the land.”

^4 (con’t) Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

Because of the great and heavy famine which has taken away pasture for flocks in the higher lands of Canaan, they have come to Egypt where their lands still have some pastures left. And so, with this as their only option and their only way to continue as shepherds, they now ask for the right to dwell in Goshen.

Surely the name, Goshen, or “drawing near” would be from this day on a continual reminder that God’s day of returning them to their own land was drawing near. The promise had been made and it would be fulfilled in due time.

Time and again we see God’s divine hand
Upon our lives and everything that happens around us
Even the rain or the lack of it upon the land
Is used to bring us to calling out for Jesus

Nothing is really out of control in our lives
Everything is directed by our Lord, the great God
Let us not be troubled as against us the world strives
He is surely in complete control of the path that we trod

III. Dwell in the Best of the Land; Dwell in Goshen (Verses 5 & 6)

⁵ Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

This seems like an unnecessary verse because of it’s obvious nature. But it isn’t superfluous. Instead, it isn’t repeating the obvious, such as “Your father and brothers have arrived.” Rather it is an acknowledgement of Joseph’s position and authority.

“It is to you they have come, how could I turn you down concerning their request.” The picture is obvious. When Israel is reconciled to Jesus, God will not withhold any good thing from them. The 84th Psalm perfectly reflects the sentiment here –

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

⁶ The land of Egypt is before you.

Egypt in Hebrew is mitsraim which means “double distress.” In this place of double distress, Pharaoh offers to Joseph anything suitable to the task of caring for his family and his people. Someday, the world will truly be in double distress, without God and at war with each other.

But there will be a group of God’s people who have come to Jesus, just as they have come to Joseph. And God will grant them a place where they can be protected, nourished, and continued through the time of distress. When God sees that they have come to Jesus, they will again be His people and He will so tend for them.

^6(con’t) Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land;

While the world suffers through the famine, completely dependent on the grain of Pharaoh for survival, the Israelites will be in the best of the land. It will be close enough to the Nile to allow water to filter into the land and provide grass.

While the Egyptians will stagnate, lose their property and their possessions, the Bible tells us that the Israelites will not only keep their possessions, but they will grow and multiply exceedingly. Every detail is preplanned by God from the beginning to the end.

And again, in future because of their location, they will be close enough to the Nile so that a baby will be placed into a basket and floated down the river to the area near the house of another Pharaoh. There he will be drawn out and he will become Israel’s human redeemer and lawgiver, Moses.

Nothing is left to chance, everything is preplanned, and your own destiny is as set in God’s mind as was that of Joseph, Moses, and all of Israel. It is more than amazing to contemplate.

^6(con’t) let them dwell in the land of Goshen.

The royal decree is given. It is as much an exemption from taxes as one could get. And it is divinely directed welfare for the people of Israel. Soon, the continuing of the famine will leave the Egyptians with nothing left, but in Goshen there will be food and prosperity.

Let them dwell in the land of Goshen, the land of drawing near. Every day that passes will draw Israel that much nearer to their deliverance and a return to the promised land. And for those who are in Christ, each day also draws us one day closer to our own deliverance. As pilgrims, we are living in the land of Goshen.

And so we should live our lives in that manner. As the book of Hebrews says in an amazing parallel to what Goshen pictures –

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25

*^6(fin) And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

These final words for the day show that despite their isolated location, Pharaoh would still like to honor Joseph by offering any of his brothers work based on their ability. The NKJV translates them as “competent men,” but it’s a word khayil, which is widely translated.

For fun, I checked several other versions and here are their translations: special ability, special skills, able men, capable men, men of activity, especially skilled, qualified, men of valor, men of ability, industrious men.

The word khayil indicates strength and comes from the word khul, “to twist.” The idea is that of added strength in a twisted rope. It is to such notable and resilient people as this that he offers care of his own personal flocks. And these certainly would also be in the land of Goshen where the pastures were the best.

The picture here should be obvious. Though the Gentile church has already been raptured, there is what the book of Revelation calls “the great white multitude.” They are Gentiles who have come to Christ since the start of the tribulation. It is these people whom the sealed 144000 of Israel will evangelize.

In fact, in Exodus 12:38, we read these words, “A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.” It won’t be only Jews, but Gentiles as well who will be carried through the tribulation and into the millennial kingdom.

And it is to these shepherds, authorized by God, that Peter writes these words –

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” 1 Peter 5:2-4

These competent herdsmen certainly did their job well in the past. When Israel entered Egypt, there were 70 recorded names. When they leave, they will be numbered at 603,550 fighting aged men, along with women, children, and so on. The flocks will flourish, the people will multiply and God will be set for a great deliverance of His chosen people.

And the chosen shepherds of the tribulation period will do an equally noteworthy job. Revelation 7:9 says, that those saved during the tribulation will be “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

Yes, God is in the business of doing things on a grand scale. He can start with one and end with more than the sand on the seashore. Never underestimate the glorious work of God!

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you
Serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly
And God will amaze with the results that ensue
So shepherd not for dishonest gain, but eagerly

Nor act as lords over those entrusted to you
But being examples to the flock each and every day
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, this thing He will do
He will grant you the crown of glory that does not fade away

We here today serve an awesome God; the awesome God. He has entrusted us with life, time, and place. Your life isn’t your own, but it was given to you to glorify Him. The time you were born was selected as the most advantageous for the person you are. No other time in history would have worked out as well for you.

And the place you are is the place you belong. From your birth to your parents, in the place you came to be – all the way until your dying day, God selected the place where your feet would step in anticipation of you using that placement to bring honor and glory to Him.

Take every advantage of every moment. Time slips by so fast that it will be gone before you know it. And remember this as you go. The cross of Jesus Christ handled our sin problem; the resurrection of Jesus Christ proved that our sin problem was handled.

If you have never resolved this problem which so desperately needs to be fixed before you can stand justified before the holy God, please give me another minute to explain to You how Jesus’ cross can do just that for you…

Closing Verse: For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸ Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:27, 28

Next Week: Philippians 3:4-11 (To Know Jesus Christ and the Power of His Resurrection) (Resurrection Day Sermon

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

Grace in the Land of Goshen

Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said
“My father and my brothers, as well
Their flocks and their herds and all that they possess
And maybe even a stray gazelle

Have come from the land of Canaan
And indeed they are in the land of Goshen

And he took five men from among his brothers
And presented them to Pharaoh
Just these five without the others

Then Pharaoh said to his brothers
“What is your occupation?”
And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds
Both we and also our fathers, it is our vocation

And they said to Pharaoh during the talks
“We have come to dwell in the land
Because your servants have no pasture for their flocks
For the severe famine in Canaan is also at hand

Now therefore, please let your servants dwell
In the land of Goshen
To us that would be so swell

Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, what he already knew
“Your father and your brothers have come to you

The land of Egypt is before you
Have your father and brothers dwell
In the best of the land they have come to
Let them in the land of Goshen excel

And if you know any competent men among them
Then over my livestock make them chief herdsmen

Joseph ensured that Israel would survive
During the years of famine that still lay head
In those years they would be kept alive
And to live without fear or dread

God also has ensured that in the future Israel
Will be kept safe through the Great Tribulation
This is the wondrous grace of which the Bible does tell
Abundantly poured out on the undeserving nation

In the same way, God gave to us such abundant grace
When He sent to Calvary’s cross His beloved Son Jesus
In this act we are restored to His favorable face
And in it eternal life has been granted to us

Thank You, O God, for Your marvelous love
Thank You for the gift of Your own precious Son
Because of Him someday we’ll be in the heaven’s above
When this earthly life is finally done

Hallelujah and Amen…

————————

Flood of Noah ———–>   Abraham in Egypt              = 430 years
                                                 Due to Famine
Visit resulted in plagues on Pharaoh
Carried out great wealth
Abraham Covenant —->   Departure to Egypt             = 215 years
                                                Due to Famine                       +
Arrival in Egypt ——–>   Departure from Egypt        = 215 years
Abraham Covenant —–> Departure from Egypt        = 430 years
                                               Visit resulted in plagues on Pharaoh
Carried out great wealth

 

 

Genesis 46:28-34
A Glorious Reunion

Introduction: There is a famine in the world during Jacob’s time which will continue on for about five years. In order to protect and feed Israel, Joseph called them down to Egypt. Jesus speaks of the time of Great Tribulation coming on the world as well.

He warned them that the time would come when they would have to pick up and leave on a moment’s notice. But those people will be kept, nourished, and carried through that terrible time and they will come out of it in the end.

Joseph is taking steps to ensure his family will be cared for during the continued famine and he will keep them from the corruption of the Egyptians in the process by sending them to an area separate from them.

Sometimes we get our own periods of personal tribulation and we might feel like the world is falling apart around us. It may be so bad that we might wonder if there is any safety or sure foothold left at all. But there is.

As followers of Christ, we have to remind ourselves during the times of trouble that He is there and He will carry us through these things. It might not always be the way we expect, but it is always the way that is the absolute best.

That’s hard to see from the low spots in life, but it is what we must trust is true. In a great song of salvation, Isaiah chapter 26 gives hope to the people. Even in death the Lord promises victory. At one point of the chapter, He gives advice to His people who are facing a world of trouble and horror.

He tells them to go into hiding while He handles what needs to be done. This is something we can do as well. When we’re overwhelmed with the events of life, we can hide away and let Him handle the problems that swirl around us. There, separate from the outside world, we can commune with Him, read His word, and wait on His curing treatment for our woes.

Text Verse: Come, my people, enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

The famine in the world at Joseph’s time was immense, but God gave him wisdom to prepare for it. And with his family now coming to Egypt, he will ensure that they are kept in an area isolated from everything else that will happen.

God gave them a savior from within Israel and He prepared a safe haven for Israel. He has done the same for us too. He has given us a Savior from within humanity and a safe haven in Christ Jesus. He can empathize with us, understand our cares and troubles, and he has given us a place of refuge during our times of trial.

And above all, He has given us food enough to make it through any famine. That food is found in His word. It is what instructs us, comforts us, and nourishes us. Of all the things we could read to have better life and a fuller relationship with Him, His superior word is the very best.

Too often we read book after book about the Bible and we fail to devote that same amount of time to actually reading the Bible. Let’s not make that error, but let’s get into His word every day of our life. And let’s get into His word now too, and so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Son Appears to Jacob (verses 28, 29)

²⁸ Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen.

The family has departed Canaan, having left Beersheba after Jacob made sacrifices to the Lord. On the journey, Judah is selected to point out the way before him to Goshen. There are probably a few reasons why Jacob would have done this.

The first is that they have a very large company coming into the land. There were the 70 mentioned in this chapter, but there were other family members and certainly a huge number of servants as well. Even though they had royal carts, soldiers of Egypt at the border may think they were an attacking force.

Secondly, if Judah arrived to tell Joseph they were coming, he could send someone to pinpoint exactly where in Goshen they were to settle. Judah was selected because his three older brothers fell from favor over things they had done in the past. He was, for all intents and purposes, the trusted leader of the brothers.

Also, he is the one who spoke for the whole when appealing to Joseph before they knew who he was. It was his speech which finally convinced Joseph to reveal himself. Because of this, he would be the most obvious choice to meet with him again.

What is a bit more than ironic is that it was Judah who had suggested selling Joseph off as a slave many years earlier. Now Joseph is the one who is dealing with him to find them a home to settle in. Matthew Henry says, “This is rendering good for evil.”

Two interesting pictures then come out of this. The first is that Judah represents all of the Jews. The term “Jew” comes directly from the name Judah. Secondly, as happens several times in the Bible, Judah is sent forth first.

As Judah means “praise,” it is giving us a picture of our responsibilities before the Lord – “Let praise go first before the Lord.” Judah will be the first to march before the tabernacle each time it is moved in the wilderness. Also, Judah will be selected several times to march first into battle.

In all things, let the praise of the Lord go first. It is an eternal picture for us to see and to act upon – in our prayers, in our lives, and in our hopes. Let praise go first.

The name Goshen means “drawing near” or “approaching.”

As I said in a previous sermon, I’m certain that this is asking us to consider the name. Two things which are drawing near of the future are being pictured here.

The first is that the Jews are to flee from the land of Israel because of the Great Tribulation. The second half of the seven years of tribulation is drawing near. The second is the literal return of Christ to earth to rule for 1000 years.

The name Goshen is being used to show that the end times are truly drawing near. Goshen is also called the land of Rameses in Chapter 47 and the name Goshen is never mentioned in any documents outside the Bible. And so this name is certainly given specifically for us to see the approach of the Great Tribulation.

^{28 (con’t)}And they came to the land of Goshen.

This is where Israel will be kept safe during the time of famine and separation from their home land. They will remain here for the next 215 years, but the story will skip over almost all of that time. It will go from this early period of their time in Goshen at the end of Genesis right into the time of their departure there in Exodus.

The time frames are different, but the pictures are the same. Israel is kept safe until they are brought back to their homeland. The Bible tells us specifically and also demonstrates time and time again, “that which is will be again and that which has been done will be done again, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

We’re given these patterns so we can accurately perceive the world around us and to have faith that God is in control of what is happening.

They came to Goshen where they would be safely kept
During the famine and the time of tribulation
And for more than 200 years, there they slept
Until the Lord led them out of Egypt by a great salvation

²⁹ So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel;

In the first 27 verses of this chapter, the name Jacob was used 15 times and the name Israel was used 4, but only two of those were applied to him as his name. Suddenly, in the last 7 verses, the name Jacob isn’t used at all and the name Israel is used twice.

It is the man in the story, but the collective group of people in the picture. It is to his father Israel that Joseph makes his chariot ready as he goes up to Goshen. It is to His redeemed people, Israel, who Jesus will protect and defend during the tribulation.

In another ironic occurrence, it is Israel who was invited to come to Egypt by Pharaoh and who is being met and lovingly greeted by the chariot of the governor of the land under his authority. But yet, when Israel departs Egypt it will be as they are first expelled and then chased by Pharaoh and his chariots during the Exodus.

There is a famine in the land which made Pharaoh bring them here, and there will be destruction in the land which will cause Pharaoh to drive them out. There is Goshen which means “drawing near” and there will be Moses which means “drawing out.”

And it is Joseph who is coming to greet them as they arrive and it is Joseph whom they will carry out when they depart. This is shown to us in Exodus 13:19 –

“And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.'”

The continued parallels between the two events are certainly noteworthy and it shows immense care in the details.

^{29 (con’t)} and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

Joseph came to his father and in the most tender moment of either of their lives, they are reunited face to face and in tears of joy. In fact, it says that he fell on his neck and wept a good long while. Interestingly enough though, the Hebrew isn’t specific enough to let us know who did the weeping on which neck.

The Greek Old Testament, the Latin Vulgate, John Calvin, and others think it was Joseph. But the Jewish scholar Maimonides says the verb refers to Jacob. I’d have to agree with him. Jacob has for many years been the grieving father.

This is the greatest moment of his life and one he never thought would come about. And it is reflective of the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. In that famous story we read –

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'” (20, 21)

However, having said this, I think the reason the Hebrew is left uncertain is because it shows us exactly the opposite in what is being pictured. Jacob is picturing wayward Israel. Joseph is picturing Jesus. What is pictured is the mourning of the people at the knowledge of who Jesus is. This is seen in Zechariah 12:10 –

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

And as an internal clue to this very thing, we see something unusual in this verse. The words “and he presented himself” is the Hebrew phrase v’yira. It is used 20 times in the Bible in this exact construct which is known as the niphal form of the verb.

Every instance except one in Ezekiel is referring to the appearance of God to someone. The one in Ezekiel is speaking of Jerusalem in a metaphorical way. Because of the unusual term v’yira, it is certainly asking us to look at this in the context of the greater picture which is being presented.

Joseph is said to have “appeared” to Jacob using this special form of the verb because it is picturing the appearing of the Lord to Israel during the tribulation period. The picture is exact. When He does, they will mourn for Him exactly as Zechariah says.

I will pour on the house of David
And on the inhabitants of Jerusalem too
The Spirit of grace and supplication
In the future, this I shall do

Then they will look on Me
Yes on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn
For Him as one mourns for his son – his only
And grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn

II. Now I Have Seen (verse 30)

³⁰ And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

Another reason is here for me to think that Maimonides is correct about Jacob being the one to fall on Joseph’s neck. He is the first to speak. In other words, when he had finishing balling his heart and tears out, he finally gathered himself enough to speak.

And his words echo throughout history. In fact, what he says here is almost parallel to what Simeon said when he beheld the baby Jesus in Luke 15. Let’s read that passage –

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
^29 ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation
³¹ Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
³² A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.'” Luke 15:25-32

It is a beautiful comparison between the two, but there is more than just two old men saying they can now die. One amazing parallel is that Jacob is looking at Joseph who is known to Egypt as Zaphnath Paaneah – the Savior of the World. He is saying to him that he is now ready to die.

And this is literally what happened to Simeon when he said, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation.” Both Joseph and Jesus are the light to the Gentiles around them and both Joseph and Jesus are the glory of the their people Israel. And both are God’s mode of salvation for His people.

It is certain that Simeon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke his words to reflect this ancient passage from Genesis as a remarkable parallel to the picture. But in addition to the parallel is the picture itself. The NIV translates this verse as “now I am ready to die” rather than “now let me die.”

This is certainly the intent of the words. Israel isn’t asking to die, nor is he saying that he would wish to die. Rather he is saying that he is now ready to die. And it is the words on the lips of every true believer in Jesus Christ since He came. Without Christ, nobody is truly ready to die. In Christ, we are set and ready – our bags are packed for the great journey when the heavenly train arrives.

Jacob will in fact live 17 more years, but because of what has happened, anytime – whether a day, a week, a month, or many years… it no longer matters. And how blessed we are in Christ that the same is true for us. We have beheld the face of the Lord and this isn’t really our home.

Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace
According to Your word, I am ready to go
For my eyes have seen your salvation, in wonderful release
I have now a heavenly hope, this I know 

Jesus is our salvation, prepared before the face of all peoples
A Light to bring revelation to the Gentiles as well
They will hail him under all church steeples
And He is the glory of Your people Israel

III. You May Dwell in the Land of Goshen (verses 31-34)

³¹ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

After his intimate reunion with his father, he directs his words to his brothers and all the others. “I will go up and tell Pharaoh.” In verse 29, it said that Joseph “went up” to Goshen. Now he says that he will “go up” and tell Pharaoh.

This has caused confusion for some. How can he “go up” in both directions. But this really isn’t a problem. Goshen is on the way to Canaan from where Joseph is. When one goes towards Israel or towards Jerusalem, they are always said to “go up.”

It is God’s land and His city. One always ascends toward them regardless of elevation. In the case of Joseph going up to Pharaoh, he is going up in legal elevation, toward the royal throne. And so it is “going up” in a courtly sense.

It’s good to remember that the brothers picture the individual leaders and the tribes of Israel. Joseph pictures the Lord, Pharaoh is “the Great House” picturing heaven. Israel will be brought into the wilderness during the tribulation where they will be cared for and nourished according to Revelation.

Joseph is going to Pharaoh to tell them his family has arrived. It is picturing those Jews who have recognized Christ and are reunited with Him. He will ensure that heaven itself tends to their needs.

³² And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’

Here it literally says, they are “keepers of the flock.” As shepherds, they are responsible for the flocks under them. The picture is consistent that the brothers picture the leaders of the tribes of Israel in the future.

The feeding of flocks is symbolically used throughout Scripture as tending to, and caring for, those under a spiritual head. One of many such verses is found in Isaiah 40 when speaking of the Lord caring for His people. Here are those beautiful words –

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.
¹¹ He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11, 10

These shepherd brothers of Joseph and their flocks then would be the people of Israel under their leaders noted in Revelation. During the tribulation they will be tended to and cared for with Christ as their Chief Shepherd. And this is exactly what Peter speaks about in his first letter, addressed to the Jewish believers –

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” 1 Peter 5:2-4

³³ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

There was already at this time in Egyptian history a strict caste system in place. People were categorized and given their status based on their lineage and their work. Joseph is preparing them for their meeting with Pharaoh, knowing that he will ask them their occupation.

The cast system will only get worse in Egypt as the years go by and so this was a serious business. Joseph wanted them to be prepared in advance for the important meeting.

³⁴ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’

The instructions include the words “Your servants.” They are subjecting themselves to the rule and authority of Pharaoh. The connection to the New Testament is clear. They have claimed Jesus as their brother and they have claimed devotion to God because of Him.

It is in this relationship that they are told to state that they are shepherds and this is what they have been all their lives. The reason for it is coming and it is what will keep them alive and yet separate from the rest of the Egyptians during the famine.

And even this picture is accurate of the leaders of Israel. They are, by default, shepherds of the people. They may not have been very good ones in the past, but they have been shepherds. The Bible is filled with such references like this one in Jeremiah 23, speaking of the shepherds of Israel –

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. ² Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:1, 2

A shepherd can only be an effective one if he proclaims Christ, but a shepherd is a shepherd regardless of whether he does it well or not. This is why it’s so important to have a proper shepherd or to be a proper shepherd. Souls really are at stake.

^{34 (con’t)} that you may dwell in the land of Goshen;

There are several reasons for selecting Goshen. The first is that shepherds were a lower class than others. They weren’t shaven, they did what might be considered menial work, and they were probably less educated. This is the perception that many people even today have of farmers and country folk.

The thought of being lower class also lends to the idea of people who are thieves and trouble-makers, whether that is true or not. Another thing that would bother the Egyptians is that they sacrificed and ate their animals, many of which were considered sacred by the Egyptians.

Because of these biases against them, Joseph was hoping to keep them separated and isolated so that the Egyptian people wouldn’t  come after them in the years ahead as they prospered. And being the covenant people, this is something they would surely do.

Another reason is that Goshen was on the way to Canaan and if they needed to leave, the flight and travel would be quicker and easier. Also, Goshen is called the “best of the land of Egypt” implying that it was an excellent area for pasturing flocks.

And finally, the isolation from the Egyptians would be a two-way street. Not only would they be kept from the biases of the Egyptians, but they would also be kept from corruption by the Egyptian’s beliefs and practices.

All in all Goshen is the perfect spot for them to dwell. God surely had it ready in advance for their arrival.

* ^34 (fin) for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Some scholars believe that these last words weren’t actually spoken by Joseph, but were instead given by Moses as an explanation of the state of Egypt at the time of Joseph. Whichever is true, the words are corroborated by the famed historian Herodotus.

He said that shepherds were a part of the caste known as the swine-herds, one of the seven castes which the Egyptians were divided into. They were held in such low esteem that they weren’t allowed to enter a temple. They also couldn’t contract marriage with any others of their countrymen.

They were so disliked that existing monuments from the times of the Pharaohs frequently represent them as lame, deformed, dirty, and unshaven, and sometimes even having a stupidly ludicrous appearance.

It’s funny how being a shepherd is considered so lowly and abominable to the people of the Bible, be it the Egyptians here, or even the Jews at Jesus’ time, and yet it is considered the most noble of jobs in the Bible at the same time.

Both testaments use shepherds as the epitome of character and both testaments ascribe the job spiritually to the Lord. The sons of Israel, Moses, and David were all shepherds. And the Lord is called the  Shepherd in both the Old and New Testaments.

Regardless of what the rest of the world thinks, whatever your job, whether it is good paying or not, whether it seems important to others or just menial and degrading, it is our obligation to do it to the best of our ability and so honor the Lord. Paul explains that to us in Colossians 3 –

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23, 24

As far as what this verse is picturing though, if the shepherds are an abomination to the Egyptians and they along with their flocks are picturing Israel during the tribulation, then the picture is clear. Those faithful Jews of the tribulation period will be considered an abomination to the people of the world. And this is exactly what is expected in the future.

It shouldn’t be missed that Herodotus says the Egyptians called shepherds “the swine-class” of people and this is what Muslims and others today call the Jews. The Koran actually makes references to this. It is common terminology which will only become more prevalent in the future.

The whole world will come against Israel and they will almost be annihilated before Christ returns to defend them, but He will come to defend them. This is the great thing about redemptive history. God makes promises and God keeps those promises. And He does it in a way that the underdog is cared for and protected.

On a more personal level though, this is how God regularly works with man. Paul, writing to the believers in Corinth told them about how God favors the underdog. There in his first letter, he writes these words to you and me –

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— ³¹ that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Whether it is ancient Israel being brought into a foreign land to be safely kept and carried along, or them some years later being brought out and defended at the Exodus, God is there to protect the little guy. In fact, He told them that explicitly in Deuteronomy –

“The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; ⁸ but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 7:7

Again, many years later, Israel was consigned to be destroyed by the wicked Haman during the time of the Persian Empire. But God turned his curse into a blessing upon the people. He has done it again for them in modern times by putting them back in their land, just as the Bible said would happen.

He is the Defender of the widow and the God who cares for orphans. He hears the cries of the oppressed and upholds the weak and broken. So, when you see disaster all around the world, when it seems like things are out of control and falling apart, don’t let these things worry you.

Because of Jesus, we are included in the New Covenant, a covenant He sealed with His own blood. It is a promise and a guarantee from the Everlasting God that we belong to Him and that nothing can ever separate us from Him.

Israel is headed into the future in a foreign land, and we are heading into the future in a land which isn’t our home. But God brought Israel out and planted them again in their own land and God has guaranteed that because of Jesus we will be planted for all eternity in the new heavens and the new earth.

This is our great hope and so let’s hold onto that assurance as our lives go by. He is a great God and our magnificent Redeemer. He is Jesus. If you have never had that moment in your life where you can say, with absolutely certainty that you belong to Him, please give me a moment to explain how that can come about…

Closing Verse: Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:11, 12

Next Week: Genesis 47:1-6 (Grace in the Land of Goshen) (116th Genesis Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.

He Appears to Israel

Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph at his command
To point out before him the way to Goshen
And they eventually came to Goshen the land

So Joseph made ready his chariot as the Bible does tell
And went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel

And he presented himself to him with a smile
And he fell on his neck and wept
On his neck there for a good while
Surely also his beating heart leapt

And Israel said to Joseph at that place
“Now let me die if it is God’s will
Since I have now seen your face
Yes, because you are alive still

Then Joseph said to his brothers
And to his father’s household too
“I will go up and tell Pharaoh my druthers
This is thing that I will now do

And say to him, ‘My brothers and also
Those of my father’s house as well
Who were in the land of Canaan
Have come to me in Egypt to dwell

And the men are shepherds as they were taught
For feeding livestock has been their occupation
And their flocks they have also brought
Their herds, and all that they have for the famine’s duration

So it shall be when Pharaoh calls you and says
What is your occupation?’
That you shall say the following
This shall be your affirmation…

“Livestock has been your servants’ occupation
From our youth even till now we say
Both we and also our fathers, this our vocation
We continue at it to this very day

That you may dwell in the land of Goshen
For every shepherd to the Egyptians is an abomination

All of the pains of Jacob’s broken heart
Those many sad and anguished tears
They were really only a temporary part
Of God’s plans which unveiled through the years

In the end there was a joyous reunion
As Joseph appeared to Jacob in flesh and blood
The beauty of the moment, the intimate communion
Was more beautiful than any blossoming bud

We in our hearts await a reunion as well
With loved ones in Christ since departed from us
But we shall see them again as the Bible does tell
This hope is sure because of the victory of Jesus

And with them together we shall see His face
And sing the song of His marvelous redemption and grace

All hail our king, yes our glorious Lord Jesus
Who has done such wondrous things for us

Hallelujah and Amen…