In this passage, we see Jacob bless his sons which points to the reality that God "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3), and we also see both Jacob and Joseph die in hope that one day God will fulfill His promise of the land of Canaan which points to the hope we have that one day God will fulfill His promise of a "new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
This is a stand-alone sermon by Bill Jackson.
In this passage, God promises to be with Israel as they go down to Egypt. But God's presence with His people doesn't mean that they will always prosper. Israel would later be enslaved under a Pharaoh that did not know Joseph. But God would be with them even in their suffering. We may often doubt God's presence with us. But we can be assured that God will go with us wherever we go.
In this passage, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers after seeing their transformation. In His providence, God used the evil deeds of Joseph's brothers to send Joseph ahead of his family to Egypt to preserve Israel from famine. Ultimately, Joseph points us to Jesus Christ who was sent by God to earth to save His people. But Jesus saves not just from famine but from sin, and not just for a few years but for all of eternity.
This is a stand-alone sermon on more lessons we can learn from the life of Elijah.
This is a stand-alone sermon by Ellwood Splane.
In this passage, Joseph tests his brothers to see if they are the same men who sold him into slavery twenty years earlier, or if they have changed. We naturally don't want our sin exposed. But God loves us so much that He invites us into the light of His presence, so that we might be forgiven of all our sins and walk in newness of life.
In this passage, we see God's good providence in exalting His suffering servant to kingship - first with Joseph, but even more so with Jesus - in order to save the world. We too can entrust ourselves to God's good providence, knowing that He is able to accomplish His purposes for our good.
In this passage, we see Joseph's response to being thrown into prison on account of his faithfulness to his God is to continue to trust in the sovereignty of God. By faith, we too can trust that God is for us working all things according to His purposes.
In this passage, Joseph goes from the penthouse to the prison. But in all of this, the Lord was with him. We are reminded that God is with His people in times of prosperity and in times of adversity.