Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20090301.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History
Part VII: Explaining God's Plan To Bless Men Regardless Of Apostasy
FF. Accepting God's Plan To Face Unwanted, Relentless Evils
(Genesis 45:13-46:30)
  1. Though moving to Egypt meant Jacob could there meet his long-lost son, Joseph, CONCERNS about facing RELENTLESS EVILS in the process left him unsettled, Genesis 45:13-46:3a:
    1. Going into Egypt for famine relief such as Jacob now sought to do countered God's repeated guidance of his fathers, leaving Jacob anxious about sinning against God for making the move:
      1. Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, saw God direct him out of Egypt when he had gone there for famine relief. (Genesis 12:10-13:1)
      2. Then, God had once told Jacob's father, Isaac, NOT to enter Egypt during a famine, but to trust God for provisions in Canaan, 26:1-3.
    2. Besides, the Egyptians culturally despised shepherds like Jacob's family (Gen. 46:31-47:6), so moving to Egypt would risk leading to long-term tension for his family that Jacob would not want to create.
    3. Also, Jacob knew from God's prophecy to Abraham in Genesis 15:13 that his seed would be afflicted 400 years in a foreign land, so moving to Egypt seemed to risk facing a long-term trial in view of this insight!
    4. Jacob's anxiety is thus evident in the Genesis 46:1-3a text itself!
  2. However, GOD still told Jacob to GO to EGYPT, Genesis 46:3b-4:
    1. Concerned about God's view of his move into Egypt for famine relief, Jacob stopped at Beersheba, a fitting place in his situation, Gen. 46:1:
      1. Repeatedly, Beersheba had been the location associated with the patriarchs' gaining God's help in times of water shortage:
        1. When Hagar had wandered in the desert near Beersheba in need of water, God had satisfied that need, Genesis 21:14-19.
        2. When Abraham had contended with the Philistines over wells of water, they had made a treaty at Beersheba, Gen. 21:22-34.
        3. In digging wells when the Philistines had countered his access to wells, Isaac had found water at Beersheba, Gen. 26:15-33.
      2. Thus, when the lack of water again became an issue in the famine Jacob faced, he appropriately stopped at Beersheba, Gen. 46:1a.
      3. There, Jacob built an altar to worship and seek guidance from the God of his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac, Genesis 46:1; 45:9-11!
    2. In accord with God's precedents in working with Jacob, the Lord spoke to Jacob in a night vision like He had spoken to him when he had fled from his brother Esau long before (Genesis 46:2; 28:12-16). God encouraged Jacob not to fear going into Egypt, for there He would make of his offspring a great nation, Genesis 46:3b.
  3. Thus, Jacob moved to Egypt with God's approval, Genesis 46:5-30:
    1. Genesis 46:5-7 reports on the notable move of Jacob's entire family into Egypt in the wagons Pharaoh had sent for the journey.
    2. Genesis 46:8-27 names those in Jacob's line in this important event.
    3. Finally, Genesis 46:28-30 reports on Joseph's and Jacob's meeting.
  4. God's REASON for letting Jacob's family FACE RELENTLESS evil was its NEED for HOLINESS that the TENSIONS of EGYPT would FOSTER, a holiness to SUSTAIN the Abrahamic Covenant:
    1. Jacob's family, seen in the Genesis 38 history of Judah's line, stood in danger of spiritual extinction by intermarriage with pagan Canaanites.
    2. Thus, the family's exposure to friendly pagan Canaanites threatened not only the family's spiritual influence, but thus the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant where Jacob's family was to become a HOLY nation that could be God's VEHICLE of BLESSING a lost WORLD (Genesis 12:1-3 with Nimrod's Genesis 11:1-9 pagan apostasy)!
    3. Accordingly, God wanted Jacob's family moved into Egypt, a location that was at CONSTANT tense and cultural odds to them so they might develop SEPARATE from the pagan Egyptians toward becoming a HOLY nation that God could use to FULFILL the ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament , p. 88.
    4. So, God let Joseph suffer Egyptian slavery and Jacob's family, Israel suffer future natonal slavery in Egypt for the sake of holiness!
Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Many folk are afflicted by facing relentless evils in all sorts of realms, but a key realm of late has been that of finances:

(1) Many wonder how the ballooning debt of the government's stimulus bill can solve the financial crisis created by mortgage debt!

(2) Drops in the stock market that erode retirement portfolios troubles many people, especially since wrongs by officials fueled it all.

(3) Loose government spending repulses many: they ask why it pours billions of dollars into businesses that later ask for billions more!

(4) Ongoing financial corruption in leaders haunts us: I saw Matt Laur on NBC's "Today" show on February 17, 2009 interview Karl Rove of the Bush administration who was claiming Senator Chris Dodd aided by then Senator Barak Obama led a filibuster to block Mr. Bush's January 2005 bill to reform the home lending actions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which actions later led to the economic crisis!

Mr. Laur highly criticized Mr. Rove, but even in the interview, he tacitly conceded to the validity of Rove's claim about this filibuster!

Yet, President Obama says big banks, lenders and homebuyers created the crisis (Star Parker, "End of the American Dream," 2/27/09, Republican-American, p. 8A), but Ms. Parker, an African-American and president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal, asks: "Why would a mortgage originator sell a mortgage that couldn't get paid back? Only if it could be resold to taxpayer-backed Fannie or Freddie." (Ibid.) Anyway we interpret all of this, we can only conclude that our country is hurting due to financially corrupt officials somewhere!

(5) The mismanagement of taxes in our State is a big concern: a man named "Bob" called radio talk show host, Brad Davis on February 26, 2009 at 7:40 a.m. saying that he, a State worker, was disillusioned that the State home for children where he works has 507 staff members for 65 children, and that few of the staff even work with the children!

(6) Some economists claim globalization has partly fueled the economic crisis, and no one really knows what the end result will be!

(7) I have heard people fear the printing of lots of new money to finance the large stimulus bill could greatly devalue our dollar!

We will give solutions for the above-named financial issues in our conclusion, but NOW we ask, "If God seems to be letting me face unwanted, relentless evils, why, and how am I to respond?!"

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "It seems God is letting me face unwanted, relentless evils in my life. Why is this so, and how does He want me to respond?!"

Application: If facing unwanted, relentless evils in our lives, may we be made positionally holy by God through (1) trusting in Christ for salvation from sin, John 3:16; Eph. 2:1-6. (2) Then, (a) since God wants us to become experientially holy in our lives just like He is (1 Peter 1:15-16), may we (b) REACT to the REVULSION we feel over the evils He LETS us RELENTLESSLY FACE, and that by STAYING SEPARATE from the evils in LIVING, 1 Peter 1:14! (3) God can then USE us for HIS glory in HIS ETERNAL PLAN!

Lesson: God let Jacob's family ESCAPE having a COMFORTABLE but DESTRUCTIVE, CORRUPTIVE INTERACTION with CANAANITES through MOVING them to a CONSTANTLY TENSE ENVIRONMENT in EGYPT; this way they could DEVELOP SEPARATE from the PAGANS AROUND THEM to become a HOLY nation GOD could USE!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

In our introduction, we noted key wrongs in financial areas where we face relentless evils, so we view how Joseph handled the crises he faced in each area so we can productively CHANNEL our revulsions at the wrongs we see to make the following holy responses:

(1) In response to seeing parties spend themselves into GREAT DEBT, we like Joseph in holiness can save of our income to maximize our buying power for long-term needs, Genesis 41:29-35!

(2) In response to seeing godless actions by leaders that led to the market drop, instead of freezing all our assets in cash, in holiness, we can heed Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 with Genesis 41:35 and, like Joseph, keep investing boldly, long-term into widely diversified realms (credible stocks, funds, bonds, CDs, savings, land, etc.) This is our best move in view of our ignorance of the future, cf. Eccles. 11:2b, 5-7.

(3) In response to the loose spending of many we see today, in holiness, we like Joseph can make purchases only for valuable goods and services that have maximum long-term results, Genesis 41:54-56.

(4) In response to the financial corruption we see in many realms today, in holiness like Joseph, we can test all men as he tested his brothers before dealing in business with them, Genesis 42:6-10.

(5) In response to institutional mismanagement, in holiness like Joseph, we can live as independently of institutions as possible for our welfare and testimony, 1 Thess. 4:11-12; Genesis 41:33, 45b.

(6) In response to the problems created by past awkward or inept globalization efforts by governments, in holiness, we can adjust to having to interact with the nations by managing our resources well like Joseph did in Genesis 41:57 when he effectively sold them grain!

(7) In response to the possible excessive printing of money that would sabotage its value, in holiness, we like Joseph can value the goods and services money today buys, and get ready to trade in tangible goods and services if money turns worthless, Gen. 47:15-26. This takes STORING some goods and MAINTAINING our health to be able to trade in goods and services if needed (as in the Depression)!

May we thus ACCEPT God's permissive will for us to FACE ONGOING evils, for doing so LEADS us to REPEL such evil in our OWN lives, leading us to HOLINESS, a characteristic necessary for living a life that pleases the Lord, cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16.