Exodus 4 to 6 Three times Moses tells God he is a man with uncircumcised lips, much like Isaiah, who said his lips were contaminated. With Isaiah, one of the seraphs placed a lump of hot coal on his lips and cleansed his lips. For Moses, God gave him some pretty powerful signs of a […]
Exodus 1 to 3 Joseph and his family have passed on to eternity, but their descendants continue to multiply, thus blessing God’s word to Abraham: “Go out…I will make you into a great nation…I will bless those who bless you but curse those who curse you.” [Gen 12: 1-3 paraphrased] Notice the adjectives Moses included; […]
Genesis 48 to 50 The covenantal blessing precedes the deaths of Jacob and Joseph as well as their last words. Abraham blessed Isaac and Ishmael, and now Jacob follows that tradition by blessing his 12 sons. In forward sight, Jacob blessed Judah noting that the Lion of Judah/the Messiah would come from his line. Judah’s […]
Genesis 47 and 47 Back in Genesis 12, God told Abram: “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.” [Gen 12:1] Abram obeyed, but then he went took a detour in Egypt. Neither time did he ask God, nor did he set himself and […]
Genesis 44 and 45 As 21st-century believers, we are more apt to study the NT over the OT but hidden in the OT are the truths that the NT reveals. Take, for example, the life of Joseph. His faithfulness in the times of suffering without complaint but seeking to understand the why is ever-present. Perhaps […]
Gen 41 and 42 Jacob had 12 sons; one was sold, the other remains at home. Christ had 12 disciples, one sold the Savior, and one lied to save his skin. The family dynamics continue. Yet, God in His providence guided each family group to lead others into His saving grace even though they would […]
Genesis 38-40 We have seen the shame of Jacob’s sons. They are jealous, envious, and hateful to their younger brother Joseph. They scheme and finalize a sale of him to the Midianites. Ever willing to go the extra mile to cover his guilt, Judah leaves home, so he doesn’t have to see his father in […]
Gen 35 to 37 It all began with Abraham, who fathered Ishmael and begged God to make him his legacy, but God said no. Isaac fathered Jacob and Esau, heard the prophecy that the younger would serve the elder but because he favored Esau, the eldest, he conveniently chose to forget God’s words. Jacob, favored […]
Gen 32 Jacob feels like he is at the end of his rope. He is fearful when he hears Esau knows he is on his way home. Just as we do sometimes, Jacob conjured up pictures in his mind of what that encounter would entail. The element of fear, both real and imaginary, often causes […]
Genesis 30 and 31 Integrity Neither Jacob nor Laban are considered to be faithful and men of integrity. Their words and actions reveal their hearts, but when Jacob remarks, “my integrity will testify for me later on,” we want to add our yes and amen. How often do we echo words such as those and then […]
