Deadly Deceit – Genesis 37-38

Deadly - deceit - Joseph

 

 

Wednesday 08/23/17 

Message – Deadly Deceit

Series: Thru the Bible – Genesis 37-38

***Video is HERE***

 

Deadly Deceit

Chapter 37

  • Joseph at 17 tended sheep with his brothers.
  • Favoritism continues in this bloodline
    • There’s something more to it than Joseph being the son of his old age because that was also true of Benjamin.
    • Benjamin was a constant reminder of his loss of Rachel.
    • I think he saw something in Joseph… his free spirit, his love, his dreaming that created or evoked a deeper connection with God.
    • Joseph may have had a connection with his little brother Benjamin which may have softened him. Perhaps even retelling the “God” stories he’d heard in his youth.
  • He had dreams.
    • He lacked discernment by sharing them.
    • His father retained the information in his heart (like Mary did concerning the prophetic words over Jesus)
  • These were prophetic dreams… God had appointed Joseph for the deliverance of his brothers.
    • Sheaves represented the provision God would supply through him.
    • Stars, sun & moon… Authority and ruling.
    • His brothers disliking of Joseph was growing into deadly hatred.
    • A prophet is not without honor except in his own household…etc.
    • Being a prophet in the old testament was a deadly occupation. While God protected His prophets, many of them in the end were murdered by those they were sent to save by their word.
  • Jacob also lacks discernment concerning the intensity of hatred his older sons had for Joseph… he was disconnected.
  • This disconnection and favoritism poisoned the hearts and dispositions of the older boys.
    • We influence every life around us.
  • Reuben felt responsible.
    • He sought to protect Joseph from the deadly intentions of his brothers.
    • Was despondent at Joseph’s loss, probably not entirely certain at first that the other brothers had not carried out their deadly intentions.
  • Judah had a sense of justice and was practical… “what profit is there in his death… Besides he is our kin.”
  • Sold to non-covenant family members.
  • Egypt is closely tied to Israel through the scriptures.
  • More lies… and Jacob weeps. His heart experiences Rachel’s lots am over again through the death of their son.
  • Jacob’s heart begins to be tied to Benjamin.

 

Chapter 38

  • Judah marries outside the family.
  • His sons are evil.
    • God kills them.
    • Er is wicked
      • It means bad in a moral and ethical sense and is used to describe, along with good, the entire spectrum of good and evil; hence, it depicts evil in an absolute, negative sense, as when it describes the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
      • The Lord is the final arbiter of whether something was good or evil; if something was evil in the eyes of the Lord, there is no further court of appeals (Deu 9:18; 1Ki 14:22).
    • Onan would not raise up a child for his brother.
  • Why was this evil?
    • This is not an issue of “the kinsman redeemer”. Men could refuse this under the law without fear of death. Besides the law was not yet.
    • God counts the heritage of His people holy, therefore the seed was holy.
      • This is where catholics get the notion that contraception is wrong.
    • What is His purpose in the earth at this time? Establishing a bloodline & nation.
    • What did this sin… sin against? God’s purposes.
    • Furthermore… This is Judah! The bloodline of the Messiah Himself and Onan, through base Envy chose to hinder its propagation.
  • Judah his third son is too young… but is promised to her.
    • Offspring was valued.
    • Tamar wanted this.
  • Judah does not watch over his word to perform it.
  • Tamar takes matters into her own hands.
  • Though Judah clearly sees prostitution as evil, he has no problem seeking one.
    • It is possible the “crime”was not so much the prostitution itself as the idea that it appeared to them as a cult prostitute.
      • Hiram, Judah’s Adullamite friend went to pay her and asked about her by the word… quedeshah Which means one consecrated to the worship of Ashtoreth, in which chastity is sacrificed.
  • Judah is quick to demand judgment.
    • He is also quick to recognize and admit her righteousness as greater than his own.
    • Of the two sons Judah has, the actual first born is one through whom the Messiah comes.

 

There is more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!

Blessings! 

 

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Blessings!

 

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!