audio here.
Gen 49:29-50:26 “Jacob’s Burial”
Intro: Waiting at bus stop. Hungry, tired, fearful…What gives you hope? Dad is in control, mom’s cooking, wait will soon be over!
-Our Passage—the people of God are waiting for God to act. Also in the passage: God completely in control.
MI. Because God is in control, we have hope as we wait.
-TODAY: Let’s look at the text, then we’ll consider the idea together.
I. THE TEXT: A Pledge Made; A Pledge Fulfilled; Another Pledge Made; Waiting for Fulfillment
1. Pledge Made: 49:29-33
-A Pledge is given to bury Jacob in the land of Canaan
-Jacob is about to die (29), and requests to buried in the land of Canaan (29)
-This is where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekkah, and Leah were buried. (30-32)
-Why? Mere sentimentality?
-Answer: God promised he would return to Jacob to land: ‘I will bring you up again’ (46:4)
-Also: Jacob has hope of resurrection life and being in the promised land
-Jacob dies and is: “gathered to his people”
-Here we see: Hints of life after death, but more explicitly stated in the NT.
2. A Pledge Fulfilled: 50:1-21
-After Jacob is prepared for burial (1-3), Jacob’s sons and group of Egyptians go to Cannan to bury him (1-13)
-Remarkable at the response of Egyptians: weeping and traveling with Jacob’s sons (1-11)
-Jacob is buried in the cave he requested (12-13) and the PLEDGE IS FULFILLED.
-A Last Conversation Between Joseph and His Brothers back in the Land (14-21)
-Joseph’s brothers are fearful that Joseph will pay back all the evil they did to him (15)
-They request for mercy, supposedly originally given by Jacob (16-17)
-Joseph weeps at the request (17b-18)
-Joseph shows mercy and teaches them (AND US!) about the sovereignty of God (19-21)
-Forgiveness extended and kindness shown (19b, 21)
-God is SOVEREIGN—Absolutely in control (20)
-“you meant evil against me”=their actions were evil, and they are accountable to God
-“God meant it for God”=God used their evil actions to bring about His good purposes
-Good purposes= “to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.”
-Bible’s View: -God is absolutely in control, even over evil. But he is not author or doer of evil.
-Humans are responsible for their actions.
MYSTERY: Compatibilism.
*SUMMARY: Pledge to bury Jacob was fulfilled and we are taught that God is in control.
3. Another Pledge MADE: 50:22-25
-Joseph lives another 54 years in land and sees his children and great, great grandchildren (22-23)
-Joseph is about to die and knows it (24a), but gives a prophesy first (24b)
-“God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
-One day—about 300 years later—Israel will return to the land of Canaan
-This long stay in Egypt was first prophesied back in Genesis 15:13-16
–PLEDGE/PROMISE: God will “visit” them and for Israelites to bring Joseph’s bones to Canaan (25)
–“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
-Prophetic pledge/prediction—The people of Israel will return to Canaan & bring Joseph’s bones to the land.
4. End OF THE BOOK: WAITING for Fulfillment: 50:26
26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
-Joseph died, was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt
-Last words in Hebrew “in Egypt”
-At the end of the book the people of God are waiting for God to fulfill his promise.
-Resolution comes in Exodus and Joshua: God visits his people and ones removed.
SUMMARY: Jacob buried in Canaan; God in control; Joseph dead in Egypt; waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.
-A people in waiting before a God who is absolutely in control.
-Because God is in control, Israel had hope as they waited…
…Transition: Do you know who else is waiting? We are! God is in control and we wait.
***Because God is in control, we have hope as we wait!
I. The Christian Life is a Waiting Life
We are waiting for God to bring about the fulfillment of his promises to us, to answer prayers, and act in our lives.
Clarification: NOT WAITING for SALVATION.
-“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15)
-Salvation by grace through the faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.
-Much fulfillment already: Kingdom on Earth; Holy Spirit; End times began
-Already and Not-Yet: there is much we are waiting for complete fulfillment.
-The Christian Life is a WAITING Life:
-Fulfillment of his promises: Return of Jesus Christ; Day of Judgment; New Heaven and New Earth
-Redemption of our bodies with utter and complete deliverance from sin and temptation.
-Rom 8—Creation is waiting and we are waiting and groaning.
-Answer prayers: Some prayers answered, but others we are waiting on
-Keep praying, and don’t lose heart
-Act in our lives: We need God’s help as we follow Him and face trials and temptations
–Ps 27:14: “Wait for LORD. Be Strong. Let your heart take courage. Wait for the LORD”
-Active waiting; Trusting. A belief that God will act.
- God is in control.
-God is in absolute control of all things in all of history.
-Genesis 50:20 is still true today
-God is still in control, using even evil acts to bring about good for His people around the world.
-God is in control of all things in our lives: Romans 8:28
-Big details and Small Details of our lives
-In Pleasure and Pain, in Plain and Perplexing: God is in control.
-Even evil things we experience or done to us are meant by God for our good!
-God is control of our future and has “good plans for us”
-“Good plans” not easy, comfortable, successful suburban life, but becoming more like Jesus!
-Knowing Christ and becoming more like Christ is more important than comfort.
-Hospitality and evangelism: God has sovereignly put people into our lives we can welcome in
–QUESTION: Who are you going to invite into your home this week?
III. Because God is in control, we have hope as we wait.
-HOPE is the result of these two truths together.
-Because God is in control—absolutely, in history and personal lives—we have hope as we wait.
-WHY Do we have HOPE?
-God will bring about his timeline and purposes in our life and history.
-I can have hope when the timeline of history and my life is not going according to plan
-HOPE IN GOD, when the timeline of your life does not happen—God is in control!
-Though it looks like evil is abounding and everything is against me, God is for me and in control.
-I can have hope in the face of great evil in the world and in my own heart
-HOPE IN GOD, when life is perplexing—God is in control!
-Though we too will die, God is in control, will bring us to Himself and raise us from the dead
-“We believe in the resurrection of the body” (Apostles Creed) à(Daniel 12:2; Cor 15:19-2)
-“All My Tears”
CLOSE:
Do you believe God is absolutely in control of your life and future?
-Consider how much more hope you would have if you were more persuaded of this truth?
-Consider how much more bold you and I would be if we were persuaded of this truth?
**Because God is in control, we have hope as we wait!
