23/1/18 Genesis 45, Genesis 46, Genesis 47:1-12 Matthew 16:1-20 Psalm 14:1-7

Gen 45:5 – And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Jospeh dealt kindly with his brothers and didn’t hold their wrong against them – he could see that God was working through the situation for good. God sent him to Egypt to preserve life.

Which begs a question – did God put Jospeh through all that? It seems extreme. But I don’t believe that to be the case – God was at work to preserve Joseph throughout every situation – God preserved life, by first preserving Joseph’s.

The brothers regionally wanted to kill him – but Reuben spoke out against it. God was in that – Joseph would have died otherwise. They threw him in a pit – what was to become of him? He was subject to all kinds of danger in that pit, but at the right time people came by to sell him to. God was in that – Joseph’s life was preserved again.

When Potiphar’s wife accused Jospeh, it could have meant the death penalty. But instead Jospeh was preserved and put in a place where he’d be ready when needed – God was in that. The same applies to the cupbearer and the baker… the life of the cupbearer was spared – God was in that. It must have been highly unusual for a cupbearer to be restored to position after prison, because it was a role of high trust.

God doesn’t cause the bad – but He works in the midst of the bad, reversing and protecting and placing you into a place you need to be. Don’t blame God for the bad – find Him working in the midst of it.

Forgiveness in knowing God’s plan.

Gen 46:34 – you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

I read this and wondered something…. what on earth have the Egyptians got against shepherds? But that line of thinking threw up some interesting points.

Joseph is saying, shepherds are an abomination to Egyptians… so be sure to tell them that’s what you do for a living and have done so for generations. How odd.

But Joseph is actually showing great wisdom here. It would have been easy to bring his whole family to court – after all he was the highest official in the land. But a life in the city would have done them no good. He could have placed them in positions of power – but he doesn’t do that.

He says make yourself an abomination so they keep you separate. That’s how they ended up forming their own community in the land of Goshen.

He keeps them separate.

Why?

Well first – he kept them all together this way. Which meant they kept their identity. In the city, they’d have mingled, intermarried and lost that.

If they had gone to court – as you’d expect jealousy’s to arise – and the threat against them could have been more immediate. Also, they could have got caught up in court life and forgotten the promises of God. It also meant, because they were together when the time came to leave – they all could as one.

He’s a clever one, Jospeh. He used the truth to isolate them and keep their community alive.

Matt 16:4 – An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

I want to see the power of God move. I want to see healings, I want to see the miraculous. Does that mean I’m part of an evil generation?

No… because here’s the key. I want to see those things BECAUSE I believe, not SO I CAN believe. We don’t go seeking signs as evidence that Jesus is Lord, or that God is real – that’s the sign of a faithless people. But because we believe – we know God is mighty and we long to see His might. That comes from a genuine desire for connection and compassion for others, rather than a desire to be impressed. But if we are looking for God to prove himself… we have the wrong heart.

Jesus said to them, the only sign I will give you is the sign of Jonah. They wanted a sign… He died and rose again on the third day. Funnily enough they still didn’t believe. Skeptics are never happy.

Ps 14:3 – They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Paul would quote this Psalm in the book of Romans to indicate that all mankind has fallen. The Psalm gets into a lot more detail about corruption. It says God looks down on the children of men (that’s all of us) looking for anyone who is doing good, but they are not to be found. That’s why we are so desperately in need of Jesus. And verse 7 ends this Psalm with a promise! Salvation coming out of Zion!