Week 3; Day 6

Genesis 47-50

I apologize for the delay of this post. We’ve had strep throat invade our home over the weekend, so my posting has been put on the back burner. I did want to briefly close last week’s reading due to its significance. This is the week where God has been unveiling His plan to carry out His covenant. Two important things are given in this day’s reading that we must see before moving on through God’s story. The first is that Judah is given the blessing by Jacob to the line from which the Messiah would come. We read this in 49:9-12, specifically verse 10. I want to go ahead and give you some further information. Recall that this is the brother that decided to sell his brother to make some money off of him; remember that this is also the brother who slept with his daughter-in-law? Well, the illegitimate child born from that scandal is the child from whom Jesus would be born. God, again, using the least likely and unfavored one to bring about His plan. Secondly, pay close attention to Joseph’s request just before his death, “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.” Do you see the significance of this? Joseph believed God’s promise that his people would become a great nation. He knew Egypt was not their home. He knew God was going to someday move in their midst to bring them to the promise land. What certainty. As the Israelites sat at the base of Mount Sinai, hearing Moses tell them their history this would have been of particular importance. They knew nothing about their history. This ending to Joseph’s life would have made their exodus from Egypt make sense. This would have shown them the faithfulness of God and brought light to the reason for their circumstance. Imagine yourself as one of the Israelites hearing all of this for the very first time. I think these old stories of the Bible become so common to us that they become just that, old stories. Let’s, however, put ourselves back into their shoes. To hear of the power and faithfulness of God for the very first time would be astonishing, breathtaking. We are only 50 chapters into the God’s story and look at how we’ve already witnessed His love, devotion, patience and power. When this becomes more than words on a page to us, we will be blown away by our God.