Genesis 42:6, 9a
Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground…. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.
When Joseph was born, the eleventh of twelve children, he looked to have few prospects of rank. So, when Joseph dreamed that he would stand while his brothers bowed down before him, the dream seemed crazy. It was impossible to imagine what strange turn of events might cause such an odd thing to occur.
What happened? Joseph’s brothers sold him—bad event #1. Joseph was bought as a slave—bad event #2. Joseph was falsely accused of a crime and throne into prison—bad event #3. Joseph was forgotten in prison by one who could have helped him—bad event #4. But then Joseph was released from prison, set up as the second-in-command in Egypt, and placed in charge of Egypt’s food-storage program.
Though Joseph’s life seemed to take him further and further away from God’s promise coming true, in reality, God put Joseph exactly where he wanted him to be. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt during the famine, and they did bow down before him. And Joseph, as the Bible tells us, remembered the dreams that he had as a youth.
Our God is so very sovereign. God is able to do far more than we could ever dream. Whether we are going through good times or bad, we simply have no way of seeing how God is working all of our circumstances to accomplish his will and to display his glory. Joseph’s story reminds us that God can work through any event to do what seems impossible to everyone. This is a God worthy of praise, worthy of trust, and worthy of all glory.
A Strange Reminder of Sovereignty (Genesis 38:27-30)
Genesis 38:27-30
27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
While the passage above might seem very obscure and strange to you, it is one of the most glorious little reminders of God’s sovereignty. This passage is the conclusion of the Judah-Tamar story. If you remember, Judah treated Tamar deceptively, refusing to marry her to his third son after his first two sons died childless. Tamar, in a very unrighteous way, took matters into her own hands. She disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced Judah, becoming pregnant by her father-in-law. When the truth came to light, Judah confessed that he was an even greater sinner than Tamar, and he did not take advantage of her again. (By the way, it is only after this point that we ever see Judah do good.)
Then it became time for Tamar to give birth. It turns out that she was carrying twins. It was significant, then, for people to recognize which twin was born first. God had promised that his plan would be carried through Judah’s family line. In general, the blessing, the wealth, and the promise would go to the firstborn.
Now, here is what we see that is interesting. WE see a hand of a child. The midwife ties a thread around the kid’s arm so we know which one is the firstborn. Then, something happens. The kid backs up. The twins somehow swap positions and the other baby comes out first. This astonishes the midwife. The boy is named “Perez,” meaning to break through.
What in the world ought we learn from this? Oh, this story has a lot to commend it to us. We see Judah learn about his evil. We see God still find a way to use a scoundrel like Judah. We see the sadness of a woman used and abused, and we certainly learn not to treat people like Tamar was treated. But there is something more glorious and much more beautiful in this passage. God’s glory is front and center if we’ll see it.
How can we see God’s glory here? God chose which child would be born first. It is nothing short of miraculous to see how the children switched their birth order. God must have done it. It’s not like there is a ton of room down there for the kids to wrestle past each other. No, God moved, and by doing so, he showed that he, by his sovereign power, was superintending the birth order. God knew which child he would use to carry his promise, and God had that child born first. But, instead of simply having that kid come out first, God made sure to show that he was the one who did it.
Do you ever fear that God has lost control of the circumstances of your life? Think again. God is far more mighty than your greatest hardship. He is in control. He will accomplish is plan. He will arrange circumstances so that, when all is said and done, God’s name is glorified.
God Does the Impossible (Genesis 35:5)
Genesis 35:5
And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
Too often we make decisions about what to do based on what makes sense to us. Too often, we fail to remember that our command to reach the world with the Gospel of Christ has been given to us by the God who is over all the earth. Too often we fail to remember that the Holy Spirit of God is with us. Too often, we fail to grasp that God has the power to do what we think impossible. Too often, we fail to see that God doing the impossible glorifies him and gives us joy.
When Jacob traveled in Canaan with his people, his sons did some things that made them not the most beloved group in the land. Jacob feared that the Canaanite people would come and fight against him and his family. In fact, all logic pointed in this direction. Levi and Simeon had wiped out an entire village [and nobody is arguing that this was the right thing to do]. It only made sense that Jacob’s days were numbered.
But God was involved in his people’s lives. God was keeping his promises to Jacob, to Isaac, and to Abraham. God used his power, his amazing, unseen, invisible power, to make things happen that Jacob did not imagine.
God, by his own power and for his own glory, made fear of Jacob fall upon the people of the land. While it seems that the Canaanites would have assembled and destroyed a similar band to the family of Jacob, God moved. Behind the scenes, out of human sight, God made it so that the enemies never mustered the courage to attack. The men who might have spoken to raise a mob never spoke. The tough guys who might have picked up the spears never quite managed to get their hands to move. God acted, and Jacob remained safe.
What about us? What might God do for us if we would simply be bold enough to follow him? Do you want to move to a foreign country for missions but fear you lack the funds? Why not trust God? Do you want to share the gospel with your neighbor but are afraid that she won’t hear you? Why not pray and give it a shot? God is with us. God is real. God is strong. God changes lives. God changes circumstances that we cannot see. Why not trust him and step out in faith? Why not ask him to do what is otherwise impossible if he does not do it?
God Gave me Success (Genesis 27:20)
Genesis 27:20
But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.”
I have one little thought to point out from this passage. The context is simple. Jacob is deceiving his father. Isaac is too old to be able to see Jacob, and so Jacob, by his mother’s scheme, is pretending to be Esau for the purpose of garnering the blessing for himself. When Isaac asks how he was able to get to him so quickly with hunted game (Isaac had sent Esau to hunt for him), Jacob declares that God had given him success.
Here is the tiny point I have: Not all who claim that God has given them success have really experienced God’s success. Talk to any pastor in any church, to any Christian leader in any ministry organization, and each of them will say that God has given them success. We all say this. If the church is growing, God has given us success. If we have enough money to build, God has given us success. If we have even one member go into the ministry or go on mission, God has given us success. Whether our methods honored God or not, if they worked, we declare that God has given us success.
Be careful, then, when someone tells you that God has given them success. Often it will be true. Certainly, no one truly honors God in their lives without God being behind it all. At the same time, even those who dishonor God are not escaping the sovereignty of God. But, be careful assuming that, just because a man says God blessed him, that he is doing what God really wants. Also be careful claiming that God has blessed you with success. First make sure that you are obeying the commands of God before you credit him with blessing your idea, your ministry, or your local congregation.
Again, I know that God is behind all that is good. Every good and perfect gift comes to us from the Lord. But let’s be careful not to, as Jacob did, use the name of the Lord our God in vain—an in an empty and meaningless and dishonest way.
Keep Pouring the Water (1 Kings 18:31-39)
1 Kings 18:31-39 (ESV)
31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel is the stuff of legend. It is sort of a biblical showdown at high noon. The prophet stands alone atop a mountain against 850 worshippers of a false god.
What is not often at the center of our thinking as we analyze this event, however, is Elijah’s strategy. The contest itself is interesting. The meticulous steps Elijah goes through to build the altar is worthy of note. But it is Elijah’s use of water and his prayer that have my attention this morning.
Remember, this is a test of fire. Whoever’s deity burns up the offering on the altar is the winner. Somebody needs to tell Elijah that water and fire don’t go together. The strategy he uses seems counter-productive to say the least.
But then Elijah prays. He says, “let it be known this day that you are God in Israel… answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God.” Elijah’s whole point is to show the people that God is the one, the only one, who is responsible for what happens. Elijah doused the offering with water so that nobody could think in any way that Elijah had anything to do with making the fire.
What does God do? God answers with fire from heaven. Nobody who saw this could have doubted it was God. There was so much water poured over the wood that it simply could not have burned by natural means. They saw the power of God, and the people fell down and worshipped.
What are your strategies to prove to the lost that our God is the real God? Do your strategies leave no doubt that, if people are won to Christ, it was Christ who did it? Does your church make the preaching, the proclamation, of God’s word central, even though this world thinks that a poor modern strategy? Or are your ways of convincing people of the gospel ways that would “work” regardless of whether not God is real? Is the power of God necessary for your plans to succeed? If your plans succeed, will God have the glory, or will he be forced to share it with your cleverness, your talent, your ingenuity?
I know, I know, I’m sounding more and more curmudgeonly with each paragraph. I don’t want to promote laziness or thoughtlessness in ministry. We need to put forth every effort and use all of our wisdom and giftedness to get the gospel to the nations. My point, however, is that the gospel is the gospel. We cannot modify it. We cannot enhance it. We cannot remove repentance from it. The gospel, if it is the gospel of the Bible, is foolish, even offensive, to those who are perishing. We cannot convince them by any means other than by the clear, Scripture-laden proclamation of truth. It must be God who changes hearts. It must be God who does the impossible. Why? It must be God who gets all, absolutely all, of the glory.
Elijah poured and poured water over the offering. Nobody thought that made sense. But Elijah kept pouring the water so that, when the work was done, God got all the glory. If the plain and honest proclamation of the age-old gospel is water poured on the offering of your church, keep pouring the water. If the strategy is not “working,” but if the strategy is the bible, keep pouring the water. Preach the true Gospel. Preach it in love. Preach it without compromise. Preach it prayerfully. But preach the genuine gospel, pour the water, pray, and let God answer and show the world that he is God.
A Look at Sovereignty and Freedom (Genesis 20:3-6)
Genesis 20:3-6
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.”
In Genesis 20, we see Abraham have a repeat performance of an old sin. Amazing, isn’t it, that after so many years of faith and bold following of God, Abraham would again play the “She’s my sister” card?
What has my attention this morning, though, is the conversation between God and Abimelech. Abimelech took Sara into his harem as another wife, though he did not “approach” her. God came to Abimelech and told him that he was in big trouble for taking another man’s wife. Abimelech, of course, pleads his innocence.
Here is where my interest is peaked. God then tells Abimelech that it was God who prevented Abimelech from acting out his desires toward Sara. It was God who intervened and kept Abimelech from doing what he would have normally done. God sovereignly moved, and Abimelech did not sleep with Sarah.
Note that Abimelech had no idea that God was the one behind what had happened. He could only know that his free decision was really the sovereign working of God after God told him. To all appearances, Abimelech was in charge of his own life. In reality, the sovereign God of the universe worked behind the scenes, molding circumstances and shaping Abimelech’s desires so as to have done exactly what he determined would happen.
God is in control. God is not limited in his power. In fact, God is not limited by man’s freedom. Were it a standard of God’s that he would never touch the free decisions of men, God could not have said that it was He and not Abimelech who kept the king from sinning with Sarah. God gives himself the credit. God acted. God moved a free man in such a way as to get the free man to act according to God’s plan. God moved a free man in such a way so as to make sure that the man could not take credit for his actions, even when his actions were right. Yes, Abimelech acted in accord with his free will, yet God says in no uncertain terms, “It was I who kept you from sinning against me.”
We serve a mighty, sovereign, glorious God. We serve a God who is bigger than we could ever imagine. He is in control. He accomplishes his will. No man can thwart God’s plan.
Does this concept bother us? For some it is troubling. For some, the freedom of man is the highest good and the factor that must limit the freedom of God. However, Scripture does not speak this way. It is the freedom of God that is of highest priority, and God’s freedom shall not be limited by the freedom of man. This is good, because it is the revelation of the One who is truly good, glorious, and holy. Let us learn to rejoice in the fact that our God is sovereign.
Who Enriches the Church (Genesis 14:22-23)
Genesis 14:22-23
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’”
Genesis 14 tells an interesting event in the life of Abram. A major battle between several kings of different cities occurred in which Abram’s nephew Lot was taken captive. Abram gathered up his men and went to rescue Lot. In the process, Abram also defeated one group of kings in order to accomplish is task.
After the battle, Abram met Melchizedek, and gave the first tithe that we see in the Bible. This was clearly an important event, as we see it referenced in the book of Hebrews. But what has my attention is what happened immediately after that moment.
The king of the city of Sodom, the city where Lot was living, came to Abram. This king generously offered Abram the right to take whatever share of the plunder that he wanted. Abram had, after all, won the battle. He certainly had the right to enrich himself.
Abram responded to the king of Sodom in a very unique way. He refused to take any of the spoil of the battle from the hand of the king. Why? Abram wanted to protect the name and reputation of God. Abram would not have it said that the king of Sodom, the king of a wicked city, had been the one responsible for enriching God’s chosen people.
I think that we in the church today could use a little of Abram’s concern for the reputation of God. Many churches are willing to compromise anything, absolutely anything, in order to get their numbers up and their offering plates filled. Shorten the sermon. Dumb down the teaching. Use more flashy videos. Use louder music. Build a coffee bar. Get rid of the pulpit. Dress more casual. Avoid talking about sin. Give away a new car. Build a nicer building. Accept evolution. Magnify Christian professional athletes. Teach on non-threatening topics. Go grunge. Exalt the family. Downplay controversial doctrine. Play politics. Use 3d commercials.
Is every one of the above things evil? No, we can’t say that. However, this question might be worth pondering: What do you want people to say “enriched” your church? What do you want people to say drew people in? Does it honor God more to say that we have a great church because of our innovative style or because we preach and trust the word of God? No, these are not mutually exclusive. However, we need to be thoughtful. We need to be careful. We need to be sure that, as we see the church grow, we do so in a way that will fix the praise where it belongs. We need to see to it that our methods and not just the results glorify God.
The Kindness of Judgment (Genesis 11:6-7)
Genesis 11:6-7
6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
The men building the great tower to heaven were engaging in a wicked practice. They were uniting to exalt themselves. They were not working together for the name and glory of God. The Lord God could not allow this to go on.
Ask this question: Why would God not allow these men to build their tower? One answer is that it would have been cruel of God to allow them to build. No loving parent allows a child to continue in a self-destructive activity. No loving parent will allow their children to wallow in filth when the parent has something better to offer.
Remember, God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows how he made us and why. He knows that we exist, not to focus on ourselves, but to glorify him. God knows that when we give him glory, we will be most happy, most fulfilled. Thus, it would be cruel for God to allow men to miss his glory for the cheap substitute of focusing on man’s glory in a tower.
There is a second kindness in the fact that God stopped the men from building and confused their language. Just a few chapters earlier, God had flooded the world and destroyed all living persons except for those who had taken refuge in the ark. The entire world shared one corruption, one evil mindset. In confusing the languages of people and dividing mankind into separate nations, God made sure that one corruption would not again sweep the world. As an old seminary professor of mine once put it, “God made it so that one bad apple could not spoil the whole bunch.” God made sure that one man’s bad idea could not bring God’s wrath on the entire globe again.
Isn’t it funny how we often fail to see the kindness of God in his actions? God’s move to confuse the language of men and to stop the building of the tower was, without a doubt, a form of judgment. At the same time, it is also a clear picture of grace. God is good, even when he is judging. God was merciful, as he did not destroy the men who were building, but simply put a stop to their man-centered foolishness.
Where do you need to see God’s kindness in your life? What endeavors has he put a stop to in your world that might be a kindness? How much more do you need to trust him, even when he closes doors you wish were opened? How great and loving and wise indeed is our God?
Knowing Good and Evil (Genesis 3:4-5)
Genesis 3:4-5
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6
Genesis 4:3-4
3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
I see in these two very different passages a running theme that is frightening to behold. The theme is scary, not because it happened 6,000 years ago, but because it is still happening today in our world. In fact, if we are honest, we are tempted by this sin right now.
In Genesis 3, we see the fall of man. The serpent tempted Eve with the ability of “knowing good and evil.” The reason this tempted her, as we see earlier in the serpent’s words, is that such an ability makes one “like God.” In fact, the one with the ability that Eve wanted would be a sort of mini-god all to himself or herself.
Now, look at chapter 4. Cane’s offering was rejected by God. Something about Cane’s heart and his offering was not right to the Lord. How did Cane respond? He was angry.
Can I experimentally ponder this morning that these two sins might be the same? Look at Cane. He wanted to have the right to tell God what was good and evil. He wanted to tell God what offering should be acceptable. He wanted to know good and evil in such a way as to be the god who determines what is right and what is wrong. Go back to Eve. She wanted to be “like God, knowing good and evil.”
Whether my little mental exercise would bear up under scrutiny aside, is it not true that we today still try to sit in the place of god? is it not true that we want to not only know what is right and wrong, but we believe ourselves to have the authority to say what is right or wrong? When we look at a command of Scripture and weigh in our hearts whether we like it or not, are we not saying to God that we, better than he, know what is right and wrong? When we delve into commands that do not make sense to us in order to find a justifying reason for that command to be good, are we not, in a small sense, trying God’s commands by our own standard of good versus evil?
Perhaps one of the key differences between pre-fall and post-fall humanity is that we now believe that we have in ourselves the ability to judge what is good and what is evil. Watch the atheist and skeptic. Watch such people respond to the claims of Christianity by weighing in their own man-centered judgment, whether the faith is good or evil.
A whole solid discussion could also be had, were we to take the time, on how this ought to affect our evangelism. It seems that many of our modern apologetic strategies include inviting the lost to evaluate God’s commands and promises to see if they meet the lost person’s approval. Christ is not, however, a toy on a Wal-mart shelf with a “Try me” button. God has simply commanded all men everywhere to repent and trust in Christ for salvation.
Perhaps it would do us all good to examine ourselves. Are we placing ourselves on the judge’s bench to examine the rightness or wrongness of God’s commands and claims? We need to remember that God is God and we are not. His words and ways are perfect. We will never have the right to judge him or his ways.
the God Who Moves the Sea (Psalm 104:6-9)
Psalm 104:6-9
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.
I never will forget the first time I stepped into the ocean. Because I grew up in Illinois, a very safe place if one fears tidal waves, it wasn’t until I graduated high school that I first tasted salt water. I spent hours in the Pacific the very first day I ever was in the ocean, loving every minute of it.
What I also remember was the first 2 minutes of being in the ocean. You see, I walked in quite nonchalantly, assuming I could handle it. I was a pretty good swimmer. I had even been in a wave pool before. So, I was totally ready to deal with whatever the ocean threw at me. Besides, as I walked into the surf, the waves rolled gently in around my ankles and then up to my waist—no big deal.
In that first few minutes, I turned to say something to my brother about how neat it was to be there. Then I turned back to the west. Rising to meet me was a six-or-seven-foot wave. I was not prepared. The water slapped me in the face, and spun me in a backward summersault faster than I’ve ever flipped before. It dragged me along the sand and filled my shorts with the beach. Then, as I struggled to my feet, I was hit by a second wave that did almost the same thing to me.
As I fought my way back to standing upright and shaking the sand out of my drawers, I realized that I had previously had no Idea of the power of the waves. I had no clue that God’s creation, that water, was so much stronger than me.
If you’ve never experienced the ocean or seen the glory of mountains, you will have a hard time grasping the significance of the verses above. You see, it’s very hard to rightly estimate the majesty of lofty summits or the simply overwhelming power of the waves without seeing or feeling them. And without grasping the forces that are at work in those places, one will miss the great glory of God in the fact that God raised the mountains and set the boundaries for the seas.
Genesis 1 told us that, at one point, the earth was covered completely with water. God, with a command, pulled back the waters and made the dry land appear, mountains and all. God, with a word, overpowered the sea and raised the Alps. While a tiny wave of the ocean on a sunny day in California was enough to slap me around and make me look like an idiot, God shows that he is more powerful than the totality of the oceans. God is so much more powerful than you or me that it should make our heads spin.
I don’t know whether it is the ocean or the mountains or the canyons or the vast forests that most gets your attention in nature. Maybe it is the starry hosts, the shapes of clouds, the fierceness of tornados, or the intricate beauty of snowflakes that leave you in wonder. No matter what it is, remember to see that creation praises the Creator. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—three in one as our one Sovereign Lord—each played a role in creation. God’s massive power and his gentle artistry are on display. Keep your eyes and ears open. See the creation of the Lord. Praise him for being the only one who can move the mountains and calm the sea.
