Archives for August 2014

In Genesis 37:20 Joseph’s brothers said, “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of those cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him…” Later in Genesis 37:26-27 they changed their mind when Judah [one of Joseph’s brothers] said “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him…” Consequently in Genesis 39:1 Joseph is taken down to Egypt and sold as a slave into Potiphar’s house.

Sounds like Joseph is cursed, doesn’t it? But check out what Genesis 39:2 says: “The Lord was with Joseph…”

After rising to second in command in Potiphar’s househould, Joseph is then falsely accused of raping Potiphar’s wife. In Genesis 39:17-18 she falsely stated: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” Consequently, when Potiphar heard the story his wife told him he burned with anger and put Joseph in prison (Genesis 39:19-20).

Again, sounds like Joseph has been abandoned by God, doesn’t it? But check out what Genesis 39:20-21 says: “…but while Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him…”

Later, Pharoah’s cupbearer was put in prison. Joseph interprets his dream and tells him he’ll soon be restored to his position and Joseph tells him that when he is restored to remember him and do what he can to get him out of the prison. But Genesis 39:23 records “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” So Joseph spent two more years in prison.

Surely God couldn’t be with someone who had so many problems, right? But nothing had changed from Genesis 39:2 and 39:20-21. God was still with Joseph! And thirteen years after Joseph was sold as a slave God’s plan for Joseph finally came to pass – and Joseph became second in command to Pharoah himself. All Joseph experienced was to get him to the place God always intended for him. If his brothers never sold him he never would’ve got in Egypt. If Potiphar’s wife never falsely accused him he never would’ve got in the prison. If he was never in the prison he wouldn’t have met the cupbearer. And if he never met the cupbearer, the cupbearer couldn’t mention Joseph to Pharoah. And in hindsight Joseph saw clearly God’s plan, but this wasn’t the case during the thirteen years of trial and tribulation. In hindsight we see that the tough spots were God working out his perfect plan for our lives. But while we’re in the tough spot, we sometimes feel like God has abandoned us…

But here’s the good news if you are a child of God: THE LORD IS WITH YOU!!!

How would you live different if you knew that three generations after you would follow in your footsteps? 

In Genesis 20:1-7 Abraham lies. He says of his wife “She is my sister” because he feared the people of the land would kill him on account of his beautiful wife.

In Genesis 26:6-11 Abraham’s son Isaac lies. He also says of his wife “She is my sister” because he feared the people of the land would kill him on account of his beautiful wife.

In Genesis 27:18-20 Isaac’s son Jacob lies. He tells his father Isaac “I am Esau your firstborn.” Jacob tricked his father to obtain the blessing that belonged to Esau.

In Genesis 37:31-33 Jacob’s sons lie. They let their father Jacob believe that their brother Joseph was killed by a wild animal, when in fact they sold him into slavery because they were jealous of him.

Isaac’s lie took place about 100 years after Abraham’s and took place after Abraham had died. But as we see – Abraham’s influence lived on. And not just with Isaac, but with a couple generations after him. What does this teach us? Our influence will outlive us!

In Genesis 12-17 God promised Abraham three things: 1) to make him into a great nation, 2) to give the nation a bunch of land and 3) that from the great nation and within the promised land he would bring the Messiah.

The Old Testament is the story of how God fulfilled promises one and two. The New Testament is the story of how God fulfilled promise three. In this post I want to focus on how God fulfilled promise 3 in the New Testament.

Matthew recorded in his gospel in chapter 1 v.17, “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” This verse shows that Messiah came from the line of Abraham, just as God promised.

When Mary was told she would be the mother of Messiah she declared of God in Luke 1:54-55, “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Messiah was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

Zechariah said in Luke 1:69 that “He [God] has sent us a mighty Savior [Jesus]..” and then went on to say that this was in keeping with “…the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham” (Luke 1:73).

Jesus said in John 8:56, “…Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day…” Why? Because Messiah’s arrival was the fulfillment of God’s third promise to Abraham.

As Stephen rehearsed Israel’s history in Acts 7:17 he said, “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham…” When he said this he was referring of course to the time when Messiah would come.

The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:16, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” Paul here records that Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

Every promise of God has been fulfilled for the Lord keeps his word and does exactly as he promises (Genesis 21:1). Therefore, we have every reason to believe the promise of John 3:16, “…that whoever believes in him [Jesus] shall not perish but have eternal life.” After all, that’s why God sent Messiah into the world. It wasn’t merely about fulfilling a promise to Abraham. It was about helping mankind find salvation through Christ.