and void

A people Walking by faith

in the cruciformity of life And a picture painted of the one

Who from, through, to and for all things were made

The Genesis of Grace An overview of Genesis

• ‘Let there be’

‘and there was’

‘and God saw it was good’

In the beginning God…

In the beginning God…

• God created, hovered, separated, called, said, saw, finished and blessed in the first chapter • 7 words (in Hebrew) in the first verse • 7 days in the first chapter 7 times said good ( last being very good with Adam and Eve )

10 accounts

creation

fall, flood,

nations,

Records of generations:

Shem’s line , Terah’s line

Ishmael’s line, Isaac’s line

Esau’s line, Jacob’s line

And with it the story of Joseph

Israel the person becomes Israel the nation

In the beginning, God…

The garden imagery will come back later (a few being as follows)

• In the garden imagery of the temple, such as the Holy Place and Holy of Holies

• The temptation of Adam in the garden will contrast with Jesus temptations in the wilderness

• The evening and morning imagery comes bak in Book 1 of the Psalms which poetically is like Genesis

• 4 great events – Creation – Fall – Flood – Babel

• 4 great people – Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Joseph

A story of grace

• Grace for Adam and Eve – Covering of animals – They didn’t immediately physically die – Promise of a redeemer

• Fratricide of Able – Followed by a grace and protection from vengeance for Cain

• An expansive violence on the earth – Followed by grace for Noah

• An expansive judgment of the earth – Followed by an expansive grace for Abraham – And sanctifying grace working in the lives of the patriarchs

10 Accounts told generations, records..• Prologue

– Genesis 1 • Creation

– Genesis 2:4 [ Adam and Eve ] This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

• Flood – Genesis 6:9 [ Noah and the Flood ] This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man,

blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. • Nations

– Genesis 10:1 [ The Table of Nations ] This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

• Shem – Genesis 11:10 [ From Shem to Abram ] This is the account of Shem’s family line. Two years after the flood,

when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad • Terah Abram’s father

– Genesis 11:27 [ Abram’s Family ] This is the account of Terah’s family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.

• Ishmael then Isaac – Genesis 25:12 Ishmael’s Sons ] This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom

Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraha – Genesis 25:19 [ Jacob and Esau ] This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham

became the father of Isaac, • Essau , Essau’s line then Jacob

– Genesis 36:1 This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom). – Genesis 36:9 This is the account of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of

Seir. – Genesis 37:2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the

flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Move 1 -Moving from no picture to big picture…

• The world was “Tofu v’bofu” - formless and void • Let there be:

– The world was separated in days 1, 2, 3 – The world was filled in days 4, 5, 6 – 7 times declared good

• Let us make, in our image – Man said ‘made in God’s image’ 3 times – To reflect on and reflect God’s glory – Man was made, the first marriage happened – And it was ‘very good’

• Blessings were upon the 7th day – the animals, the image bearers and on the 7th day ( which also is

the only use of the word holy in the book, for the Sabbath) – And God rested

Move 2 - Moving from big picture to mankind…

• Creation told of the world in Genesis 1 – God created, hovered, separated, called, said, saw,

finished, blessed

• Creation told from another point of view in Genesis 2 and 3 – God made, had not caused rain, put man in garden,

commanded, said, caused a deep sleep, sound of God walking, called, cursed, sent, appointed, created

• Man was the crown in Genesis 1 • But not in Genesis 2 and 3 man is also the

focus

Move 3 - Moving from a very good worldto a sin broken world…

• Sin enters the picture in Genesis 4 • Man sinned and a curse of death enters

the world

( although marred by sin the angels in Isaiah still say this present ‘heaven and earth are filled with Your Glory’ and

in Titus ‘everything created by God is good’)

Jesus in the opening of Genesisbefore the fall

• Light from darkness points to a work of God in the gospel and changed hearts previously dark

• The word of God making the world is Jesus • The sun and moon appearing midst week is like the

incarnation midst history • The Man like the tree of life in Psalm 1 is Jesus • The Man with dominion over creation in Psalm 8 is

Jesus, the second Adam • Adam tending and guarding the garden uses the same

terms as a priest portending Jesus as high priest • Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church • Adam gets a wife when he sleeps and from his side.

Jesus sleeps the sleep of death and speared on his side the bride of Christ, the church is born.

Jesus in the opening of Genesisafter the fall

• The seed of the woman portends the virgin birth • Death enters the world and the ground yields

thorns but Jesus enters death and wears the crown of thorns

• The covering of Adam and Eve with animal skins (who had to die) portends the atonement

• The blood of Jesus speaks better than the blood of Abel

And a serpent motifThe God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord

Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

• The serpent will strike His (the coming Messiah) heel but he will crush the serpent’s head

• And the seed of the serpent will strike at the heal of the godly while they will crush the head of the serpent (through history)

• Will the coming one be King Saul who defeats a serpent king in an early battle? No

• Will the coming one be King David who defeats Goliath in his scaly serpent like armor? No

• Note the serpent headdress of Pharaoh

Some say you can divide the Bible in half right here

• A good world, now fallen ( Genesis 1-4)

• The progress of redemption ( everything after)

Watch the order of genealogies…The chosen is last

• Seth after Cain • Shem after Japheth and Ham • Isaac after Ishmael • Jacob after Essau

Death is the rule……and he died… …and he died… …and he died… …and he died… …and he died… …and he died…

But… the 7th (unsurprisingly) from Adam Enoch walks with God and was not for God took him… not dying… and being great grandfather to Noah

Death is the rule……and he died… …and he died… …and he died… …and he died… …and he died… …and he died…

But… the 7th (unsurprisingly) from Adam Enoch walks with God and was not for God took him… not dying… and being great grandfather to Noah

… and we can pause to reflect on why the book was written…

Important questions for anyone Especially important questions to the generation leaving Egypt to enter the promised land

• The nature of God • The nature of man • Where did we come from • Where are we going to • The need for redemption • Why are we doing what we’re doing?

… man began to call on the name of God… at that time

• And yet it seems their religion was shallow

• And the world was filled with violence

Sin and death reigning - many lived and died with one exception (and a godly line)

• Enoch in the 7th Generation – Walks with God and was not for God took him

• His son, Lamech (dying 5 years before the flood) • His son, Methuselah (dying the year of the flood) • His son, Noah (born close to the death of Adam)

A line pointing to Jesus, some point out the series of names are:

Hebrew Noah Rest, or comfort.

English

Adam Man

Seth Appointed

Enosh Mortal

Kenan Sorrpw

Mahalalel The blessed God

Jared Shall come down

Enoch Teaching

Methuselah His death shall bring

Lamech The Despairing

Noah Rest, or comfort.

In the time up to the flood, God…

• took Enoch, saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh said, remembered, made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Promised that when the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember not to destroy the earth with a flood

… but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord…

The Flood

• The entire epoch of Noah is literarily put together not haphazardly but as a large chiasm and an interesting outline is given by: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-the-story-of-noah

The floodpicture form Ark Encounter in Kentucky

Grace in Noah• Noah is born in history shortly following Adam’s

death, calling for attention of the world • The Ark itself would be a object lesson of the

need for repentance and coming judgment to anyone seeing it in progress

• God patiently waited a hundred years for the Ark to be built

• The first occurrence of the word ‘grace’ in the Bible is Gen 6:8 ‘.. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord…’

Cruciformity in Noah

• The future life span of man would be limited to less than the time it took to build the ark and this would be apparent to Noah’s family

• The Bible says that Noah was one of only two men in all of history who “walked with God (the other being his great grandfather, Enoch)

Jesus in Noah

• Noah offered a sacrifice after the flood and God promised never to destroy the earth with a flood portends Jesus sacrifice for the world

• Noah is the one who will give us ‘rest from our work’

• In the Ark Noah is ‘lifted off the ground’ • There is one door and it is opened until the rain

came • Being saved through the water portends baptism

where Jesus is the Ark and Jesus is the one door on the Ark.

• The resurrection of the world, post flood portends the resurrection of Christ

And nations born after the flood

• Mankind is at Babel • Fearing God, but not following God • Build ‘a tower’ in case God sends the flood he

said he would not – Let us ‘brick bricks’ Let us build – Let us burn burn Let use harden the bricks – Very humanistic… a vestige of religion

• And languages are confused by God and man scatters

• And… man largely falls back into idolatry…

A covenant for the world• God promises not to destroy the world with a flood AFTER one

man, Noah offers sacrifice (looking forward to the one sacrifice of Jesus)

• God’s bow now in the clouds and pointing toward the man in heaven (Jesus) In Hebrew the word is simply bow.

See http://feedingonchrist.com/the-symbolism-of-the-rainbow/

And after limiting the lifetime of man for the world…

• God gives a blessing in the life of a couple growing too to have children ( a blessing in the midst of the restraint of length of life)

• The man without children, Abram, would become a blessing for all families on earth

• And a people born ‘out of nothing’ as it were

• Abram had parents who were idol worshipers and lived in a place that worshiped idols and called out of it.

Babel and the scattering of nations

By Peter Bruegel the Elder 1563

Genesis 12:1-4a Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

– I will make of you a great nation, and – I will bless you, and – make your name great, so that – you will be a blessing. – I will bless those who bless you, an – the one who curses you I will curse; and – in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him…

7 blessings

… and Abram believed God and it was counted as righteousness…

From Abram to Abraham - 1

• Told to ‘walk before Me and be blameless’ • Promised a child waits 10 years • Deals with some fears • Deals with some doubts • Makes some bad choices

From Abram to Abraham - 2

• Sarai gives him her Egyptian servant Hagar to have a child in her name

• Hagar becomes ‘with child’ • Hagar is treated harshly and runs away • God names the child ‘Ishmael’ God hears,

for God has heard your cries and tells Hagar to return to Sarai

• God makes the promise that Ismael with have 12 princes some day

Abraham’s descendants will be like the stars that can’t be counted Taken from https://redthreadoflove.com/2013/07/21/promise-giver-promise-keeper/

From Abram to Abraham - 3

• After Ishmael is about 12…. • God promises a son to Sarai (Abram’s

wife) • Abram asks why Ishmael can’t be the heir • Abram and Sarai are renamed – Abraham (was father not father of nations) – Sarah (was princess now also princess)

A deep darkness, a flash of light, and it’s over…. Did you miss it? - 1

• A dark time – Lot and Abram have issues over land

use – Abram offers Lot first choice – Lot chooses poorly and heads next to

Sodom with it’s deceptively attractive appearance

– Kings attack, Lot’s family taken, Abraham mounts a rescue successfully

– And in the midst of a corrupt King of Sodom’s conversation an interruption

A deep darkness, a flash of light, and it’s over…. Did you miss it? - 2

• A Flash of light – interrupting the King of Sodom mid sentence – Melchizadek, the priest king of Jebus (will be

Jerusalem) appears bringing bread and wine – A priest of God most high, with no genealogy

listed – And in Psalm 109, 110 a picture of the

Messiah – And then he’s gone as fast as he came

From Abram to Abraham - 4

• Isaac is born – Sarah casts out Ishmael – But God has promised Ishmael 12 children

• Abraham will have been ready to give up his sons – Lot his nephew (like a son taken away) – Ishmael (cast out by Sarah, grieved Abraham

but God told him to do as Sarah asked) – Now asked to sacrifice Isaac and would

Abraham?

‘…we will return…’ and two happy men return from the mountain

Genesis 22:5  He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy

go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Hebrews 11:8  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive

as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and

builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him

faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the

sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Cruciformity in Abram’s life

• Abram’s fears – He feared losing Sarah and lied – God would have Abram get a group of men and retrieve his

relatives waging war • God increased Abram’s prayers for others

– Before Isaac was born God had Abram pray for the wives of Abimelech, a Philistine King, that they might have children

– Sometimes a blessing comes after looking outside yourself helping others ( God healed Job after he prayed for his friends)

• God stretched Abrams Faith – Abram tried to help God in areas God didn’t need help – God did more than he asked or hoped for – Not just a father of an heir but father of nations

• God did more than Abram asked or hoped for – He was promised a child at 76 – Went Abram died Isaac was about 76

Jesus in Abraham’s life

• All families will be blessed in Abraham’s seed (singular – Jesus) – See Psalm 89 which makes use of singular seed of

David, and Abraham • Abraham was willing to offer Isaac knowing God

promised his blessing through Isaac portending a resurrection

• The encounter with Melchizedek the priest king portends Jesus and priest king – See psalms 109 and 110 of a mini drama on the poor

man helped in 109 and lifted to the right hand of God on the order of Melchizadek

Genesis 21:5  Abraham was a hundred years old when

his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me;

everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to

Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Grace in the life of Abraham

• Grace overflowing, where he was blessed to be a blessing (of all families)

• Although Abram came from a family and tradition of idol worship (his relative’s names relate to moon worship) he was given grace to know the true God

Isaac, a transitional figure - 1

• Sarah dies • Abraham sends the steward of his house to get

a wife for Isaac – He travels to Abraham's relative – He sees the cousin at a well ( the first romantic

well story since Isaac, Jacob and Moses all get their wives in similar way)

• After Isaac is remarried and Sarah gone, Abraham marries Keturah – And has 6 more sons – And an unknown number of daughters

Isaac, a transitional figure - 2

• Rebecca is barren, but Isaac prays and God lets Rebecca conceive (Gen 25:21)

• Rebecca becomes ‘with child’ and there is a war in her womb

• God tells her there are two nations fighting inside her but ‘the older shall serve the younger’ – Esau is born first – Jacob is born grasping at his heal

• A family divided – Mom (Rebecca) favors Jacob, the stay at home type – Dad (Isaac) favors Esau the outdoor hunter type

Isaac, a transitional figure - 3

• The struggle over a birthright – Esau sells his birthright (as first born) for a

meal cooked by Jacob – When Isaac is old, he will bless Esau and

Jacob dresses up as Esau, and successfully steals the blessing

– Esau is angry, threatens to kill Jacob and Jacob flees

– Rebecca never sees Isaac again

Grace in the life of Isaac

• Shown in the provision of a wife at the well Genesis 24:49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

• Shuddered when he realized he blessed Jacob instead of Esau and learned a lesson of God’s gracious choice

• God acted to bring Isaac back to the promised land when he went to Egypt

Cruciformity in Isaac’s life

• Isaac learned (the hard way) his choice can be overridden by God’s choice as to which child will be heir

• Isaac was to stay in the promised land (Canaan) but went to Egypt

• While Abram saying Sarah was his sister was a half truth, Isaac saying similar of Rebecca was not true at all

• He would come back but that was a mistake • Isaac’s favoring of Esau would cause Jacob to flea

home for the rest of his life • Esau and Isaac meeting again at Isaac’s funeral

Jesus in Isaac

• Isaac slept on a rock and had a dream of a ladder that angels went between heaven and earth ( Jesus is the ladder )

Jacob and the conflict continues -1

• The struggle continues with his wives – Jacob flees to Laban’s home, and meets his

future wife (Rachel, God’s lamb) at a well (as did Isaac)

– Jacob agrees to work 7 years to marry Rachel – Jacob the tricker is Jacobed by Laban – He is given the wrong bride, Leah (not as

pretty and not the one he loved) – He must work 7 more years and now is married

to Leah – the unloved and Rachel – the loved

Jacob and the conflict continues -2

• The struggle continues with his wives – Rachel, the loved, has no children – Leah has many Reuben, Simeon, Judah… – Rachel, the loved wife, has Joseph, the loved

son – And there are more sons born to Leah and her

servants – Rachel dies giving birth to Benami (son of my

sorrow) but his father changed his name to Benjamin( son of my right hand)

Jacob and the conflict continues -3

• The struggle continues with his sons – Struggles between loved and unloved wives spill

over to loved and unloved sons – The favored son, Joseph, bring a bad report on

the shepherding behavior of his brothers – Jacob gives Joseph a fancy special coat (of many

colors) and it drives his brothers nuts with envy – And they capture Joseph, plan on killing him

• Judah intervenes and suggests selling them • A band of Ishmaelites (yes more relatives) buy Joseph

and the special child is not ‘history’ is a seized on opportunity

… I will not let you go until you bless me…

Cruciformity in Israel’s life• The tricker would be tricked many times • Jacob would be Jacobed • Jacobs struggles would work themselves our with struggles

with his brother, between his wives, between his children • His favored wife stold her father’s idol which became a snare

to Jacob • His favored son would be taken away but restored/

resurrected and the promises of God back in focus • Jacob in fear meets Esau who has 400 men who could wipe

him out, and wrestles God all night who with a touch dislocates his thigh sending Jacob to limp off to his ‘fre-nemy’ Esau. Knowing God can with a touch kill him Jacob holds on and asks for a blessing and is given it. And name changed to Israel – You have struggled with God and man and have prevailed – Jacob’s struggle was with God not his brother… not his uncle… not

his wives or sons…

Jacob sleeping on a stone, dreaming of angels going up and down from heaven on a ladder

From

http://wildbranches.blogspot.com/2012/10/who-is-rock.html

Jesus in Jacob’s life• Note the names of the son’s of Jacob’

– Reuben – viewing (or behold) the son – Simeon – hearing and obeying – Levi – joining or cleaving to – Judah – confession or praise of God – Zebulon – home or dwelling place – Issachar – reward or what is given by way of reward – Dan – judging – Gad – a company – Asher – happy or blessed (blessings). This word is always in the

plural form. – Naphtali – a wrestler or striving with – Joseph – added, an addition – Benomi - son of my sorrow becomes Benjamin – son of the right

hand

• See http://12tribesministries.com/about/why-the-name/

Grace in the life of Jacob

• When Esau and Jacob meet again, Jacob’s language is full of references to grace, Esau’s is not

• Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

• Genesis 33:5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

• Genesis 33:11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Unfaithful Judah – a dark interlude – 1 but a dawn follows

• Joseph’s coat now soaked in goat blood is shown to Jacob with a story of the demise of Joe by a beast (and the tricker is tricked again)

• Judah intervened in stopping the Jo Bro’s from killing Joseph

• However he may now be alienated by the situation of deceiving his father

Unfaithful Judah – a dark interlude – 2 but a dawn follows

• Judah is at a cave in the dead sea the David will use, far from home

• He married away form home and raises children, who are unrighteous and God kills one, then another

• Tamar, the widow should have been given a surrogate husband of Judah’s sons to raise up a child in her dead husband’s name but Judah chose not to

• And at the barley harvest when men are away from home, Tamar poses as a prostitute and snags Judah and has a child to raise up the name of her dead husband

• Judah’s story of unfaithfulness will proceed the story of Joseph and his remarkable faithfulness

• Judah himself makes some exemplary choices in the account of Joseph following

• Jesus identifies with sinners and outcasts, Judah and Tamar (as well as Ruth, Rachab and Bathsheba) being in his genealogy

Faithful Joseph – rejected, suffering and raised - 1

• Joseph is sold by the Ishmaelites to a high ranking man working for Pharaoh

• The man’s home is blessed by Joseph • The man’s wife is attracted to Joseph and

trouble shortly follows • Joseph is faithful but given trumped up

attempted rape charges • Joseph is jailed

Faithful Joseph – rejected, suffering and raised - 2

• Two jailed food workers look very depressed • When asked tell Joseph about dream problems • Disturbing dreams and what to they mean? • And Joseph volunteers to interpret • Within 3 days he tells them one will be

restored and the other executed • It comes about • And the one restored, the other executed and

Joseph’s help forgotten

Joseph in Egypt

From the trailer for Joseph from ‘Sight and Sound’ Lancaster, PA for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09k8d4_Y4fY

… the Lord was with Joseph and he had success…

Faithful Joseph – rejected, suffering and raised - 3

• Disturbing dreams by Pharaoh's of cows eating and corn eating corn

• And the baker remembers Joseph • And Joseph is called to interpret • 7 years of plenty • 7 years of famine • Preparations must be made • And Joseph goes from jail to prime minister of

Egypt and a new title ‘Zaphrath Panea’

Faithful Joseph – rejected, suffering and raised - 4

• A bumper crop of 7 years with grain saved follows and Egypt is saved

• And all the world falls into 7 years of famine • And starts to come to Egypt (and Joseph) for

help • Joseph’s dream of 12 stars bowing to him

(his brothers and sun and moon (parents, although his mother is now gone) is coming to pass

Faithful Joseph – redemption for the Jo Bros

• A test for Joseph’s brothers of his making – Did the brothers harm the new favored son,

Benjamin? –Will they abandon Benjamin in Egypt given a

chance

• And redemption. – Judah offers to take the place of Benjamin (and becomes a picture of Christ who redeems his brethren)

Genesis 50:20 “Even though you intended to do harm

to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people,

as he is doing today.”

Joseph

Cruciformity in the life of Joseph

• Young Joseph may have been – naïve in sharing his dreams – undiplomatic in how he gave a bad report on His brothers – Wearing the favored multicolored coat when checking on them

may have been unwise. • An older Joseph learned patience, grace and to lean on

the sovereignty of God – Gen 50: 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for

good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Joseph like Jesus• God had a plan to save the sinners (his brothers) • And it involved virtually killing Joseph (by selling

him as a slave) • But God raised Joseph up seating him at the right

hand of power • Gentiles saved because of Joseph from famine • Joseph’s brothers eventually saved from famine • Joseph was an advocate in the royal court for his

brothers • Joseph looked forward to a resurrection (of his

bones being brought to the promised land)

Grace in the life of Joseph

• Genesis 39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

• Genesis 50:20 “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.”

Israel the person blessing Israel the coming nation through his sons

• Israel blesses his sons and grandchildren • He crosses his hands between Ephraim and

Manasseh – Manasseh starts the largest tribe then goes to the

smallest… Ephraim becomes the largest

• He chides but blesses Levi who will be scattered over Israel – But as priests scattered teachers would be a

blessing

• He promises the Messiah through Judah

Some aspects of the story helpfulto the generation led to the land by Moses/Joshua

• Many things happen in Genesis analogous to the Jews leaving Egypt and entering the promised land – God chooses Abraham to command his descendants to keep

the law – Abraham is a model of faith – Abraham has a war for his relative Lot’s family – Abraham divides the land between himself and Lot – Abraham goes to Egypt and there are plagues and Pharoah

sends him out with riches – Noah curses Canaan… they will enter the land of Canaan – Joseph made them promise to bring his bones to the

promised land – Abraham had a vision of them being slaves for centuries but

coming out in power and going to the promised land

Jacob dies, buried in the promised land

And the book closes

• Genesis starts with glory and ends with a groan and a portending of centuries of slavery in Egypt

• The patriarchs all buried. – Jacob recounts Rachel dying, being buried, in

Bethlehem. Leah buried with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rachel in the tomb of Machpelah. Then Jacob also dies, also buried there

• A future resurrection. – Joseph charges his brothers to bring his own bones to

the promised land in the far future. • And a redeemed people would be born as if ‘from

nothing’: from an old man, from slavery , from wandering years in a dessert

A slight preview…

• The world was “Tofu v’bofu” or “tohu wa-bohu”— formless and void

• The phrase “Tofu v’bofu” appears again regarding the wanderings in the wilderness, where the wilderness is “Tofu v’bofu” such as Deut 32:10

• In a sense, the world is made out of a formless void and a nation is as well comes out of a formless and void wilderness

see http://biblehub.com/hebrew/8414.htm

Fin