May 17 Worship: Genesis 47: Ruling By Wisdom As A Citizen Of God’s Kingdom

Good morning TRC and Friends! We hope you are doing well.

This morning, we will be studying through Genesis 47 and Joseph’s exercise of wisdom to save his family and Egypt.

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Gather, hear God’s word, worship, fellowship and send one another to the mission!

Note’s are below Brittany’s video.

Have a great day.

 

Brittany for RK!

 

Genesis 47:1-31

Ruling by Wisdom as a Citizen of God’s Kingdom

NOTE: PUTTING A TITLE ON NARRATIVE SERMONS IS HARD BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME MANY “BIG IDEAS”, BUT I KEEP TRYING. 

 

We could not need wisdom more than we do right now. 

 

With conflicting information, moving “goal posts”, competing ideologies, and competition for power all bombarding us, we need wisdom on how to live, how to love each other well by being careful what we say and how we say it, and how to lead well in all the malaise of such information. 

 

Truth and Righteousness.

 

It’s in the Manual!

 

Joseph models how to be wise and innocent, as Jesus taught when he sent us out on mission. 

 

READ GENESIS 47:1-31

 

What does our text say?

46:28-34 – Joseph coaches his brothers up on how to act in front of Pharaoh. He even told them what to say. 

 

47:1-6 – Joseph reports to Pharaoh, and brings in only 5 of his brothers to meet with Pharaoh. 

 

47:4 – The five brothers say what Joseph told them to say, and take some liberty to ask for Goshen when that was not their place to ask. 

 

Pharaoh is gracious because they are “in Joseph” (see gospel tributary in this). 

 

Jacob is brought to Pharaoh and tells about his life and pronounces blessing on Pharaoh twice. 

 

We learn of how Joseph administrates the distribution of the grain, and how the people come into the service of Pharaoh. 

 

We learn how God’s people are settled, become fruitful and then multiply in the land. 

 

Finally, Jacob asks Joseph to vow to make sure he is carried out of Egypt and buried with his fathers, and thus foreshadows the Exodus. 

 

What does the text teach us about God/Man? What does the text teach us about living life under God’s reign?

 

1. 1. God keeps his word to bless nations that bless his people. 47:1-31 (Genesis 12:1-3)
   1. Pharaoh blesses Joseph, by no initiative of his own, and receives the benefit of the wisdom of God through Joseph’s service.
   2. Jacob blessed Pharaoh TWICE in 47:7-12 for his caring for Joseph and rescue of his family. There is a glorious “thing” happening here. 

Since he was the recipient of the promised blessings, his words here were more than a wish; he spoke for God in granting the blessing to Pharaoh, one that began shortly through the wise administration of Joseph.

 

1. 2. God is gracious to give Egypt provision for the coming famine AND preserve them for future grace. 

GOD IS PUTTING ON DISPLAY SOME OF HIS GLORIOUS KINDNESS FOR THE WORLD TO SEE!

1. 1.  In doing this, God reveals a portion of his deep and unfathomable kindness and eternal purposes to aid and save. 
   2. Why Egypt? Why preserve these unbelieving people?
      1. Isaiah 19:16-25

 

Isaiah 19:16-25 (ESV) In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts shakes over them. 17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them.

18 In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.

19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21 And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. 22 And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

 

1. 1. Deep in unfathomable mines of never failing skill; he treasures up his bright designs, and works His sovereign will. – William Cowper
   2. God is slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness toward those who are in the darkness of unbelief. 

 

1. 3. Joseph exercises God’s wisdom to preserve his family and Egypt.

WISDOM BELONGS TO THE LORD, AND USE OF IT IS USE OF GOD’S GREAT TREASURES OF CREATED ORDER! 

1. 1. Joseph is wise and holy.
      1. Matthew 10:16 (ESV) 6 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
   2. Joseph knows Pharaoh, Egypt, their beliefs and tolerances, and coaches his brothers on what to say, do and when to do it without hiding anything in sin. 
   3. In applying wisdom, Joseph secures a future for successive generations of his people. 
   4. The exercise of wisdom carries fruit for now and the future. 

 

1. 4. God’s ways of saving families and nations is not western nor democratic nor free market. 47:13-26
   1. Moses marvels, and wants his people, and therefore us, to marvel at God’s work through Joseph and even Pharaoh.
   2. MOSES IS PUTTING GOD ON DISPLAY NOT HIS FAVORITE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.  

 

1. 5. Moses wants his people to see that the Exodus was God’s plan and that he is not done with them. 47:28-31
   1. Yhwh, who put all this together for his people, will not leave them or forsake them as they move toward the land. 

 

Application: What are we to believe, know, or do?

 

 

• 1. Believe that it matters how God’s people are treated. 

• He blesses those who bless his people.

 

1. 1. The church, composed of people from all nations, is his people.

NOTE: JESUS IS THE FAITHFUL SON OF GOD, THE FAITHFUL ISRAEL, AND THEREFORE, THOSE WHO ARE IN HIM VIA THE SAME FAITH ABRAHAM EXERCISED, ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 

1. 1. 1. God counts how nations treat his people, so how much more should we honor each other?
      2. Romans 12:10 (ESV) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

 

 

• 2. Believe that God has great designs for nations, so don’t hate them. Look for how to bless them with the gospel!

 

 

 

• 3. Get wisdom!

 

Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge (of God’s word, life and other things worth knowing), understanding and intelligence to so inform our common sense so that we think and act in ways that are beneficial and productive. (knowledge – things known through learning; understanding – things known because you’ve experienced it)

 

See Solomon’s exercise in wisdom applied in 1 Kings 3:16-28. 

 

Proverbs 3:19 (ESV) The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

by understanding he established the heavens;

 

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

 

Proverbs 4:7 (ESV) The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight.

 

Proverbs 8:15 (ESV) By me kings reign,

and rulers decree what is just;

 

Proverbs 16:16 (ESV) How much better to get wisdom than gold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

 

How do you get wisdom? 

1. Get the knowledge of God from his word (Read a Proverb a day). 
2. Get the knowledge of how creation works by being curious. 
3. Do the hard work of attempting to do what God says in the way he says to do it. This provides a holy experience. 
4. Get comfortable with trial and error. 
5. Look for the “divine middle ground” as a reconciler and peacemaker between two extreme “gods” of ideas. 
6. Expect mockers and scoffers to howl at what God says works best.
7. Define success by God’s definitions not the other team’s definitions. 
   1. Success = faithfulness to God, his ways and his purposes. 

 

1. 3. Marvel at God’s ways of running history rather than trying to read western, democratic, republic, and free market values on top of them. 
   1. It is not our place to judge Scripture with our ways. 
      1. It is our place to be caught up in God’s ways and be a prophet to our world and bring it under his rule. 
   2. We do the Bible, and ultimately God, a disservice when we try to justify our various ruling preferences as dictated by Scripture when they simply are not. 

 

 

• 4. God is at work all the time in the world redeeming people and systems and creation . Stop. Observe. Marvel. Worship.