E-pistle for July 31, 2009
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation July 31, 2009
"My Son, The Prime Minister"
(Genesis 47:1-31)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the events of this chapter
1. Joseph presented five of his brothers to Pharaoh, who officially
gave them Goshen and employed some of them as chief
herdsmen over his own livestock, vv. 1-6.
2. Joseph presented his father to Pharaoh, and Israel blessed this
Egyptian ruler, vv. 7-10.
3. As the Prime Minister of Egypt, Joseph supplied the people with
food during the famine in exchange for their freedoms . . . the
Egyptian population (except for the religious leaders) agreed to
become slaves of Pharaoh, and their land and possessions
became property of the state; essentially, they became share-
croppers, paying 20% of their crops to Pharaoh, vv. 13-26.
4. At age 130, Israel entered Egypt, and 17 years later he sensed
that his death was near, so he asked Joseph to bury him back
in Canaan, not in Egypt, vv. 27-31.
II. Meditation and Revelation: on the spiritual implications of these events
1. Which brothers did Joseph present to Pharaoh? We do not know,
possibly they were the four oldest (Reubin, Simeon, Levi, and Judah)
and the youngest (Benjamin).
2. Israel humbly answered Pharaoh's question about his age, saying
that his "few and evil" years had not attained those of his grandfather,
Abraham (175) and his father, Isaac (180), vv. 8-10. Yet, Israel's "mere"
130 years put him in the position to bless the younger Pharaoh.
3. Here we observe an example of government taxation and of religious
exemption to such taxation, an arrangement which has been a part
of the structure of many societies in many nations over the centuries.
4. It was important to Israel that he be buried in the Promised Land,
rather than on foreign soil . . . "There's no place like home!"
III. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Honor others in my human family, recognizing that regardless of
their degree of prominence or economic position, each of us stands
equal before Almighty God, Who created us all.
2. Show proper respect for my local, state, and national government
leaders by praying for and blessing them daily, Romans 14:1-8;
I Timothy 2:1-2.
3. Realize that whether I live in a democracy or a dictatorship, it is
proper for citizens to pay taxes to provide needed services, and it
also is proper for the government to recognize the important
contribution made by organized religion to the moral, ethical, and
spiritual fiber of society by allowing certain charitable tax exemptions,
Matthew 22:17-21.
4. Recognize that my life on earth is very brief, and that my true citizenship
is not here but in heaven, Psalm 90:10, 12; Hebrews 11:13-16.
Israel Blesses Joseph's Sons
(Genesis 48:1-22)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on Israel's testimony about his spiritual pilgrimage
1. Israel, on his death bed, gathered his strength to speak with Joseph
and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, vv. 1-2.
2. Israel told them how God had appeared to him in a vision at Luz
(Bethel), v. 3; Genesis 28:12-19.
3. Israel reviewed God's covenant promises to him and to them, v. 4.
4. Israel recounted the death of Joseph's mother (Rachel) and her
burial . . . at the future site of Messiah's birthplace Ephrath
(Bethlehem), v. 7; Micah 5:2.
II. Meditation: on Israel's blessings upon Joseph and his sons
1. Israel worshipped God, giving thanks for His mercy in allowing him
to "see" his son and grandsons, vv. 8-12.
2. Going against Joseph's wishes and ancient tradition, Israel, under
God's guidance, deliberately gave the "right hand (greater) blessing"
to Joseph's second son, Ephraim, and the "left hand (lesser) blessing"
to his first son, Manasseh, vv. 13-14, 17-20.
3. Israel blessed Joseph and his sons with the formal "Abraham and Isaac"
family blessing, giving these two grandsons equal shares of the
inheritance in the Promised Land . . . essentially giving Joseph the
"eldest son's double share" of his father's estate, vv. 15-16, 21-22.
4. Israel (Jacob) pronounced these blessings by faith, believing that God
would bring to pass the words he spoke, Hebrews 11:21.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications of these events
1. It is beneficial to the family for the patriarch (oldest member) to review
God's providential care and divine guidance over the years.
2. God's will and purpose often goes against human wisdom and tradition.
3. Christians are heirs to the promised blessings contained in God's covenant
with Abraham, Galatians 3:7-9, 13-14, 26-29.
4. The key to Godly living is faith in the Lord, for without faith, it is impossible
to please Him, Hebrews 11:6.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Speak regularly to my family about God's spiritual dealings with me over
all the years of my life.
2. Realize that the Lord is not bound by human wisdom or tradition, but that
He delights in doing a "new thing" to accomplish His divine will and purpose,
Isaiah 43:18-19.
3. Rejoice that I have received the blessing of "Abraham's Seed" (Galatians 3:16)
. . . that the Lord Jesus Christ is my personal Savior.
4. Cultivate a living faith and a growing confidence in my Lord, the Almighty
"mountain-moving" God, Matthew 21:21-22.
"You know there is a problem with the education system when you realize
that out of the 3 R's only one begins with and R."
- Dennis Miller
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