At the end of his life Jacob gives each of his sons a prophecy concerning their future. This event along with the death of both Jacob and Joseph will close out the Genesis record.
After reuniting with his brothers after a separation of 20 years, Joseph lays a plan that will determine if a reconciliation will be possible (Genesis 45:1 - 46:27).
Family Reunion
This lesson describes the final episode in Joseph's story where Jacob, Joseph and their families are reunited and settled in Egypt.
After reuniting with his brothers after a separation of 20 years, Joseph lays a plan that will determine if a reconciliation will be possible (Genesis 45:1 - 46:27).
After languishing in prison for several years Joseph is called upon to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and in doing so successfully is transformed from being a prisoner to becoming a prince of Egypt. (Genesis 41:1-57)
Confrontation
Joseph finally confronts his brothers who initially sold him into slavery (Genesis 42:1-44:34).
Biblical
Examples of Enemies Being Blessings in Disguise “Cherish your enemies; they may be blessings in
disguise.” – Woodrow Kroll
Devotional: 3
Biblical Examples of Enemies Being Blessings in Disguise
Meant for
Evil
When Joseph’s brothers despised him and
sold him into slavery, they were actually doing Joseph a favor because he ended
up being second in command next to Pharaoh (Gen 41:37-45). By his prudent
planning, he saved all of Egypt and all the known world in the Middle East from
starvation (Gen 41:53-57). Joseph’s enemies, his own brothers in this case,
meant it for evil, but it turned out for everyone’s good (Gen 50:20), and their
evil deed was actually part of God’s sovereign plan to save Joseph, his
brothers, and what would later be the whole nation of Israel.
The Blood of
the Martyrs
Saul was perhaps the greatest persecutor of the Christians during the 1st
century. He was good at what he did in breathing out threats and murder of the
believers in the early church (Acts 9:1-2), but the primary persecutor of the
church would later become possibly the church’s greatest missionary. The man who was greatly responsible
for persecuting the church and was the church’s chief enemy caused the church
to spread due to the persecution, and instead of destroying the church,
persecution actually spread the gospel message throughout Judea (Acts 8:3-4).
The enemies of the church did what the church itself couldn’t do or wouldn’t do
on its own–that is to spread the message of Jesus Christ far and wide. The
saying that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church has proven true
time and time again over the centuries.
Judas’ Evil for our Good
When Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matt 27:3), he was doing
exactly what had been prophesied for centuries (Zech 11:13), and when Jesus’ own friend betrayed Him (Psalm 41:9), God was not
caught by surprise. Nothing ever just occurs to God. God knew this would be so,
and Judas’ evil and the evil done by the Jewish leaders and even Pilate and the
Roman soldiers fulfilled what was long ago prophesied (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53).
These men’s evil deeds, as the enemies of Christ, were used by God to bring the
greatest blessing that anyone could ever know–that Jesus died on the cross for
our sins so that we might be saved. This Satan-inspired evil was the downfall
of the very one who inspired it, and Jesus’ death on the cross brought victory
for those who would believe in Jesus and sealed Satan’s fate that very day at
Calvary.
Conclusion
Martin Luther was right when he said even the Devil is God’s
Devil and the evil he does fulfills God’s purposes, so the next time your
enemies do you harm, see them as a blessing in disguise because God can bring
good out of the worst of evil.
The story of Jacob's family focuses in on one particular son, Judah, through whom the Messiah would eventually come, and examines his unusual relationship with his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Joseph's Story
After explaining Judah's connection to the coming Messiah, the Genesis writers finish their narrative with the telling of Joseph's story. (Genesis 39:1-40;23)
Read Genesis 37 After a long period of silence Jacob's story picks up again as his sons cause trouble and we see Jacob in the familiar role of being on the run.
The Beginning of the End
This lesson begins the story of Joseph, Jacob's son with Rachel, who will become the bridge for the family's travel to and 400 year settlement in Egypt.
After gathering his wives and children and leaving Laban behind, Jacob faces the dangerous confrontation with his brother Esau who had vowed to kill him because of his deception in the matter of the blessing from Isaac. (Genesis 32:1-33:20)
In this lesson we will see the outcome of Jacob's deceit in obtaining Esau's blessing and how God's will is completed despite the manipulations of men. (Genesis 27:1-46)
God says, beloved, trust Me to do in you what you could never do for yourself. I am indeed with you—watching over you wherever you are, wherever you go.
Genesis 28:15I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.
In this lesson we see the very real consequences of Lot's choices concerning where he chose to live with his family after separating from Abraham. (Genesis 18:1-19;38)
The Source of Islam
In chapters 20 and 21 of Genesis we read about Abraham's continued walk of faith and a description of the people who where the source for the religion of Islam.
This lesson looks a the very source of the Jewish/Arab conflict as well as the distinguishing mark given to Abraham and all his male descendants... circumcision.
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying we must ask the following questions:
What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations and notice the words that standout)
Biblegateway (NIV, ESV, NET, AMP, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a Great app, better on computers, but works on smartphones)
ESV (English Standard Version) Good translation
with some helpful resources.
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer especially if you have a logos account)
The narratives of chs. 12–50 tell the story of Israel’s patriarchs: Abram (later called Abraham) and the three generations after him. In vv. 1–3, Yahweh calls Abram to leave his home and set out for an unknown land. By following Yahweh’s call, Abram demonstrates his trust in Yahweh’s promise to bless him and make him a great nation. The patriarchal narratives center on Yahweh promises to Abram in vv. 1–3 for offspring, land, and blessing. Genesis 12 marks a shift as Yahweh narrows His focus to Abram and his descendants and begins to work through a specifically chosen people. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ge 12:1–9). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
The Tower of Babel – What’s the Problem? http://johnmarkhicks.com/2012/07/09/the-tower-of-babel-whats-the-problem/With the beginning of chapter 12 the book of Genesis focuses once again on one specific individual. This time the writers will detail the life of Abraham who was to become the father of the Jewish nation and how the Seed of Promise was kept alive through him. (Genesis 12:1-20)
Canaan The region of Phoenicia and Syria-Palestine. It was actually a geographic term, not an ethnic one, but the OT writers employed “Canaanites” to broadly refer to the range of peoples living in the region. After the establishment of the Israelite monarchy, “Canaanite” came to mean the pre-Israelite population without respect to race or social status. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ge 12:5). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. Abraham and Lot Read Genesis & See Chapter Headings Read Genesis 13
This lesson reviews the relationship between Abraham and his nephew Lot as well as the godly wisdom the family leader used to resolve a serious dispute.
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying we must ask the following questions:
What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations and notice the words that standout)
Biblegateway (NIV, ESV, NET, AMP, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a Great app, better on computers, but works on smartphones)
ESV (English Standard Version) Good translation
with some helpful resources.
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer especially if you have a logos account)
The Rainbow Covenant. This lesson explains the promises made by God to Noah concerning the survival of his family and Noah's prophecy about the future of each of his sons and their descendants.
The Table and the Tower Lesson #26 looks at two fascinating source events that explain the origins of all the different nations and languages in the wold today. Genesis 10:1-11:32
The "tower of Babel" is only mentioned once in Scripture (Genesis 11:4-5) and then as incomplete. It was built of bricks, and the "slime" used for mortar was probably bitumen. Such authorities as we possess represent the building as destroyed soon after its erection. When the Jews, however, were carried captive into Babylonia, they thought they recognized it in the famous temple of Beaus, the modern Birs Nimrod. But the Birs‐Nimrrud though it cannot be the tower of Babel itself; may well be taken to show the probable shape and character of the edifice. This building appears to have been a sort of oblique pyramid built in seven receding stages, each successive one being nearer to the southwestern end which constituted the back of the building. The first, second and third stories were each 26 feet high the remaining four being 15 feet high. On the seventh stage there was probably placed the ark or tabernacle, which seems to have been again 15 feet high, and must have nearly, if not entirely, covered the top of the seventh story. The entire original height, allowing three feet for the platform, would thus have been 156 feet, or, without the plat‐form,163 feet.
*************** Worldly Ambition Philip of Macedon, wrestling in the games, was thrown in the sand. Rising, he saw the marks of his body, and exclaimed, "How little a parcel of earth will hold us, when we are dead, who are ambitiously seeking after the whole world while living!"
