August 28, 2013
Genesis 50-Part 3
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Genesis 50:24
LET IT GLOW
What if...Dad had died when he stepped on the mine in France? What if...Mom had not accepted being married to a crippled man and divorced Dad? What if...2 children were enough for my parents?
Then I would not be alive today. God has a purpose for my life and He has a purpose for your life, dear one. We have been seeing God's purpose for Joseph's life. What about yours?
Look at verse 20. Have people said evil against you? Are they spreading gossip or lies? Do they criticize you? Perhaps they won't talk to you at all. Have you been in that pit like Joseph was? How did he react? He didn't let bitterness take root and take over his life. Joseph saw the whole picture. If his brothers had not sold him as a slave, then he wouldn't have ended up in Egypt, second in command, and agriculture administrator. If his family had died, including Judah, the one whom the Messiah came, then we would be dead in our sins and without hope.
What did Joseph say to his brothers?
- Don't be afraid.
- I will provide for you and your children.
- He reassured them.
- He spoke kindly to them.
Jesus gives us those same assurances-Don't be afraid, He will provide for his children.
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:44, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Do I find myself tolerating certain people and not loving them? Do I pray for their change of heart? Guilty, Lord.
What if?
LET IT GROW
Joseph lived 110 years. That means he spent the second half of his life with his family in Egypt with him, and after Jacob died. I did some calculating.
17-Joseph's age when he was sold as a slave
+22-years Joseph spent in Egypt before seeing family
39-age when he saw brothers (maybe 2 yrs. into famine)
+17-Joseph's father Jacob lived in Egypt
56-age of Joseph when Jacob died
110-age Joseph died
-56-age when Jacob died
54-number of years Joseph lived after Jacob
According to my calculation, Joseph lived approximately 54 years after his father died. Ten of his brothers were older than he (Benjamin was the youngest). So they would have been probably died within those 56 years, before Joseph died. (I could not find that information.)
What an influence of faith Joseph would have been to his great-great-grandchildren. And to hear those stories first hand. What a privilege for them.
When it was time for Joseph to die, he reminded his family, in verse 24, God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Although the patriarchs were gone, the covenant promises God had given them would never pass away. They were spoken by the Living God!
Joseph was embalmed, placed in a coffin, by never buried in Egypt. He made his children take an oath that his bones would be buried in Canaan. (along with his father Jacob). And so they did-Exodus 13:19 says that Moses took Joseph's bones with them when they left Egypt, crossing the Red Sea.
Coffin in verse 26 ('aron in Hebrew) is the same word used for the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. (Falwell)
The number of years we live do not matter. It's what we do between the date of our birth and death on our tombstone that counts, the dash.
What Joseph was saying and instructing his people to carry his bones with them when they left Egypt was that God would keep His Word. Joseph's faith was rooted in the Word of God (Rom. 10:17) His were the bones of belief. (Stan Coffey)
In our next lesson, we will review Joseph's life and the Book of Genesis. You won't want to miss it.
Friend, are you ready if death comes today? Are you prepared to meet Jesus face to face?
LET IT GO
Do not be afraid, God has everything under control.
Be grateful for what He provides for me and my children.
Live today! Share joy in Jesus!
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