When people hear my accent these days, one of the first things they want to know is what I think of Donald Trump being the President of the United States. I typically try to change the subject! But seriously, what subtly underlies the question is a far more important one: On which side of the cultural divide do you stand? The election of Donald Trump was, to use one of … [Read more...]
God Sees the Unwanted (Genesis 16:7-14)
In our text for this study, I want to make the assertion that God sees the unwanted. As I do so, I want to ask, do you? The story of Ishmael is a tragic one in so many ways. It is a story unbelief, adultery, family division, rejection, and being an outcast. It is a story of selfishness, envy and even “biological warfare” (in that the conception of a child was used by both … [Read more...]
Sarcophagi (Genesis 50:22-26)
This is our 105th—and last—study in the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. As we saw in our preceding study, Joseph called together his family (brothers, nephews) at the end of his life and gives them some dying instruction, just as Jacob had done on his deathbed. A significant part of his instruction was that, when God gave them the exodus, they must carry his bones … [Read more...]
A Coffin in Egypt (Genesis 50:22-26)
We have come to the closing verses in the book of Genesis and our penultimate consideration of this wonderful book. It is our 104th study, and we will conclude our consideration of the Bible’s opening record with our 105th. The book of Genesis is, literally, “the book of beginnings.” It records the beginning of the universe, the beginning of the nations of the world, the … [Read more...]
A Story of Grace (Genesis 50:15-21)
After all the time that we have spent in our study of Joseph I think that we would agree that he was an amazing man. He was the kind of believer that we would all desire to emulate. He lived a God-centred life and the result was that the world, literally, was blessed. But more importantly, God was glorified. As we examine the penultimate scene in the book of Genesis we once … [Read more...]