Day 28: Genesis 46-47

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2046-47&version=NIV

What a Plan! What a God!
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is about One Person, Jesus Christ.

I’ve been waiting all week to send out this message. Sorry, I know it's a little early to be sending it out but the excitement of the message is overwhelming! Finally, I get to share what the Lord has placed on my heart. We are nearing the end of the book of Genesis and the story of Joseph. I hope you give me the liberty to extend my last message a bit longer than usual.

It’s no accident God has placed this story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis or the Book of Beginnings. The Book of Genesis was written by Moses some 1,200 years before the birth of Christ. In the story of Joseph, God has foreshadowed His whole plan toward mankind. From Genesis to Revelation, the story of Joseph reveals it all. We will see the beauty of God’s Word as I go back and place a different perspective on the story of Joseph. I hope it blesses your life as it has mine.

Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day:
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. John 5:39

With the story of Joseph fresh in our minds:
There was born to Jacob a Son. This Son of Jacob was favored above all his brothers

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. Gen 37:3

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt 3:17

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these John 5:20

From his young age, this Son of Jacob had the calling of God upon Him. The Lord was with Him.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52

God’s plan to save his people rested upon this favored son of Jacob even his parents marveled at the plan which was foretold about Him

… but his father kept the matter in mind. Gen 37:11

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Luke 2:33

This favored son of Jacob was destined to be the ruler of his people. It was prophesied that all knees would bow before Him.

"What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" Gen 37:10

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:10-11

This son of Jacob was sent out from His Father to check on his brothers in the field. In complete obedience to His father, He obeyed

Then he said to him, "Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me." So he sent Gen 37:14

Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" Luke 2:49

But His own brothers, his own blood relatives saw him coming and despised him and rejected Him. They hated this favored son of the father.

Then they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming! "Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!" Gen 37:19-20

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. John 1:11

So they plotted to kill him

"But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. "So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Matt 21:38-39

They stripped him of his coat of many colors given to him by his father and they dipped it in blood and told Jacob he was dead.

So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Gen 37:22

So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Gen 37:31

And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him Mark 15:20

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Rev 19:13

As the story of Joseph continues, this son of Jacob was sold into slavery and became the bondservant of Potipher

but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Phil 2:7

While a bondservant, he was tempted to sin against God but he resisted. He would not sin against God.

And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused Gen 39:7-8

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Heb 4:15

They could find no fault in Him so a false witness arose to accuse him

Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; Gen 39:17

But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" Matt 26:60-61

They bound this son of Jacob and led away to be punished. In this place of punishment, there were two others with him.

This favored son of Jacob told one of condemned men after 3 days He would be back in the palace serving Pharaoh but the other would die hanging on a tree

And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. Gen 40:2-3

Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Genesis 40:18

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? Luke 23:39-40

Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise ." Luke 23:42-43

In the wisdom of God hidden from the minds of sinful men, a plan ordained before the foundation of the world it was time for this Son of Jacob to come forth out of his prison chamber and take His place at the right hand of Pharaoh.

Yes, it was now time for this Son of Jacob to fulfill what was prophesied about him many years before. In his place of punishment, He was not forgotten by God.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Psalms 22:1

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Ps 16:10-11

In one day he rises out this prison dungeon and ascends to the right hand of the most powerful ruler on the planet.

which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Eph 1:19-23

It pleased Pharaoh to make him Lord over his entire house

"You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt ." Gen 41:40-41

All power and authority is given to this favored son of Jacob so He commissioned His servants to fulfill His will of bringing in the great harvest. His servants go forth gathering the wheat into the barn

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matt 28:18-20

The harvest was plentiful. They gathered in much grain into the barn.

Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was without number. Gen 41:49

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47

His servants worked for many years to bring in this harvest. They knew the time grew short and the harvest would soon bend.

But these questions remain:
-What about his natural brothers?
-Did the favored Son of Jacob forget about his own blood relatives?
-Was he angry at His blood relatives for what they had done to him?

The 7 years of plenty has now ended and the 7 years of famine has come upon the earth.

Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. Gen 41:53-54

A 7 year tribulation will come upon the whole earth to try the people of the nations and Joseph’s blood relatives. This period will be known as a time of Jacob’s trouble.

Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. Jer 30:7

But during the 7 year tribulation period, the brothers of Joseph start to seek out the grain stored in Egypt In their desperation when all else has failed, they realize they can’t save themselves so they ask for help from this ruler in Egypt.

"When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice' for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. Deut 4:30-31

Joseph has been waiting patiently through the years of plenty and now he recognizes his blood brothers as they come before him but he still hides his identity from them. He is waiting for God’s perfect timing before He reveals himself to them.

"for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Matt 23:39

But now the time has come to reveal Himself to them.

'And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel ,' says the Lord GOD." Ezek 39:29

He tells his blood brothers, it is me, Joseph

And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt . Gen 45:4

They looked upon this favored son of Jacob and realized what why had done.

Zech 12:10
…then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Matt 24:30
"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

There is a great weeping as they realize the reality of their sin.

Gen 45:15
Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him

This Son of Jacob explains to his blood brothers this was God’s plan all along.

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?" Rom 11:32-35


He told them by rejecting him and selling him into slavery, the whole world would be saved by Him. This favored son of the Father now invites all his brothers to come live with Him in the land of Goshen. The best of Egypt will be yours for I am Lord over all the Land.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Matt 25:34

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." Rom 11:26-27


What a story! What a plan! What a God we serve. We praise your holy Name. You are the only Wise God who has hidden your wisdom from the proud and arrogant but you have revealed your truth to your servants. Oh Lord, what a wonderful plan you laid out for all of us to see. We glorify and worship you, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Lord we know you are with us and working in all our circumstances. We love you and thank you for being our God. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen


The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 118:22-24


KW