PASTOR’S NOTES
Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty, there was no water in it.”
Welcome to our new study in Genesis through the life of Joseph, which is titled “The Grain in Egypt.” The title of this sermon series is taken from chapter 42:1-2 in Genesis when Jacob sent his sons to Egypt so that they could avoid starvation. Many of you know the story, but when famine came for Jacob and his sons, he sent his children to Egypt to gather food, which led to the entire family staying in Egypt at the end of the story. The story of Joseph and his family is a story of tragedy and pain, but also forgiveness and most importantly God’s sovereign goodness.
The story of Joseph is also a reminder of the wreckage that sin causes, which can last generations. For my people that were with us during our Exodus study, the sins of Joseph’s brothers can easily be tied to the decades of slavery that took place in Exodus. The family most likely would have never stayed in Egypt if their brother had not been there. The descendants of all the brothers would find themselves in slavery under a future pharaoh.
All throughout our life we can see God’s goodness and provisions, but we can just as easily see the damage that sin causes that can stretch across the globe for centuries. We are called to trust God in all His promises, but we are also called to know how sin wreaks havoc in our life. This will be a common theme in our study in Genesis.
This week it all begins in chapter 37, as we not only meet the characters of the story, but also witness the damage of sin as well as the provisions of God. We can see it all in the first chapter. There are so many lessons in chapter 37 of the book of Genesis. All the tragedy that would spread to so many out of sin, begins with the sin in one home. The sins of a single family.
There are many lessons to learn, as honestly everyone in the home of Jacob is at fault. We see favoritism from the father, a lack of wisdom from Joseph, and of course anger from the brothers. If you look at the world today in all of its chaos, the breakdown can always be traced back to the family. One of the main lessons in the beginning of our story is that the family unit has the potential to either positively or negatively impact the entire world.
How is your family right now impacting not only the present life you’re in, but the future that will be shaped by it? I pray this week as we start this journey in Genesis that God opens our eyes and hearts to His calling to lead and love our family well. No matter what position you’re in in your home, I pray the same prayer…..
Trust and honor God, follow Jesus, and love well.
SCRIPTURE TO GO WITH THE MESSAGE
Read Exodus 1 to gain a better understanding of how both books not only connect, but also are impacted by each other.
