Old Testament: Genesis 45
New Testament: Acts 3
God Has Spoken
“God’s Patriarchs”
Genesis 12-50 – Genesis 45:5-8
The Holy Scriptures reveal that God’s Master Plan for our redemption has been unfolding just as He designed it even before the foundation of the world.
- In the Abrahamic Covenant, God established the channel of our redemption through the “seed” of Abraham – referring to Jesus Christ. (Mt. 1:1)
- This covenant also established the doctrine of Divine Election as the method God would use to “call out” a people unto Himself. (Romans 8:30)
- In God’s call for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, God revealed the provision for our redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- The sacrifice for one person – Genesis 22
- The sacrifice for one family – Exodus 12
- The sacrifice for one nation – Isaiah 53
- The sacrifice for the world – John 1:29
- The sacrifice for eternity – Revelation 5
In the first 11 chapters of Genesis, God revealed Himself by His personal involvement in worldwide events – events that affected the whole human race.
- In Genesis 12, God narrowed His focus down to the life of one family – the “seed” of Abraham.
- Out of this “seed” will come the 12 tribes of Israel, and the nation of Israel, through whom the Messiah will come.
- Beginning with Abraham, God said the expressed faith of an individual was sufficient for salvation.
- Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him for righteousness!” (Genesis 15:6)
We have covered the life of Abraham in previous sermons. This sermon will focus on the other two Patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, with a brief look at the life of Joseph.
1. Isaac – the Beloved Son – Genesis 24-26
Isaac, whose name means “laughter”, was not only born as a miracle of God, but he was also redeemed by the grace of God.
- When it came time for Isaac to marry, Abraham sent Eleazer, his servant, back to Haran to find a wife of his own kindred.
- Rebekah, whose name means “to tie or bind”, was chosen by the servant, and she agreed to return with Him, by faith, and accept Isaac as her husband.
- Rebekah was barren for 25 years, but eventually gave birth to twin sons – Jacob and Esau.
- Esau was born first, making him the “legal” heir to his father’s estate and his blessing. He was a hunter and his father’s favorite.
- Jacob grew up as a cultured man who preferred to work indoors and, therefore, he became his mother’s favorite.
- Through two deceptive events, Jacob cheated Esau out of his birthright and his blessing.
- God had chosen Jacob and rejected Esau by His Divine Election – not by their human deception.
- Even though God “allowed” it, He never “condoned” it, and the seeds of distrust were sown in the family.
2. Jacob – the Beleaguered Son – Genesis 27-36
Even amidst all the deception, God’s blessing and God’s covenant was transferred to Jacob, but not without a cost.
- He left home in fear of Esau’s retaliation, and he never saw his mother alive again.
- On his way to Haran to look for a wife, Jacob dreamed of a “ladder” from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending – the first revelation of Jesus Christ as the only way into God’s presence.
- The next day, God gave Jacob the same covenant he had made with Abraham and with Isaac. (Gen. 28:13-15)
- Jacob found Rachel, and Laban, her father agreed, if Jacob would work 7 years for her.
- The morning after the wedding, Jacob discovered he had been deceived by Laban – he had actually married Rachel’s older sister, Leah.
- Jacob agreed to work seven more years for Laban, if he would allow Rachel to be his wife also.
- (God allowed polygamy in order to accomplish His purpose but He never condoned it, and it was not without earthly consequences)
- Jacob lived with two wives and two handmaids, who fought over Jacob’s affection, thinking he would have more love for the one who produced more children.
- Out of the 12 sons of Jacob, only Joseph had a heart for God, and he became his father’s favorite.
- After 20 years of struggle, Jacob returned to Canaan, reconciled with his brother, Esau, and God renewed His covenant with him.
3. Joseph the Benevolent Son – Genesis 37-50
Joseph’s brothers hated him so much they devised a plan to sell him to some slave-traders, but tell his father that he had been killed.
- Joseph was sold to the Midianites, who sold him to Potiphar, the Chief Officer in the Court of Pharaoh!
- Joseph was a servant in Potiphar’s house until Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape, and he was put in the prison with other political prisoners.
- By God’s plan, Joseph was allowed to warn Pharaoh of a coming famine; that he should store an abundance of food to feed his people.
- Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all his affairs.
- As only God could have arranged it, Canaan was also going through a famine, and Jacob’s sons were sent to Egypt to beg for food.
- Rather than sending them away out of revenge, Joseph sent them back to get his father and to bring the whole family back to Egypt:
- “You sold me hither, but GOD sent me before you to PRESERVE your posterity in the earth, and to SAVE your lives by a GREAT DELIVERANCE!” (Gen. 45:5-7)
