Today you should read: Genesis 49:1 – 50:24
God’s purpose: to bring life
Wow! What a ride it has been through the book of Genesis! But we are not done yet; these last two chapters (49 and 50) are absolutely staggering! There is so much to see here.
We start off by seeing the blessings of Jacob for his sons, blessings that would be carried on through their legacy. It is interesting to note that much of the future blessing of each son is seemingly based on his character up to that point; surely there are some life principles there!
Most of the author’s attention in this passage falls on Judah and Joseph. Judah is referred to as “the lion’s cub”, and this is fitting because the tribe of Judah would bring forth David, Solomon, and the One who is called the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah”. Can you guess who that is? It is our mighty Savior, Jesus Christ!
From there, we see the powerful legacy that Jacob left and what a godly leader he was! A huge gathering of followers accompanied his body as it is taken to be buried; he was greatly respected.
At the end of chapter 50, Joseph’s brothers doubt the genuineness of his forgiveness, but Joseph reassures them, and in verse 20, we read the famous statement regarding God’s sovereignty: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”. This verse is what I want to highlight today.
Today’s “Walk-Away”:
Jacob’s sons’ previous actions—out of personal bitterness toward Joseph—had been used by God to save lives. This includes the life of the Israelites, the Egyptians and all the nations that came to Egypt to buy food during the famine. Maybe Joseph couldn’t see it at first, but through all the difficulties, God showed that his purpose for the nations is life, and that purpose would be affected through the descendants of Abraham.
What is our application here? Trust God. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
So here it is…
Whatever is going on in your life, whatever your situation is—even if it hurts, even it seems unfair, even if you don’t understand, even if it is scary—remember that God’s purpose is to bring life. He has good intentions for you: to bring life to you, to your family, to your friends. Someone once said, “If you can’t see God’s hand, trust God’s heart”. Know that His purpose in your situation is to bring life. The most wonderful example of this is the life He brought to the world through Jesus Christ.
Posted by: (Sam Cirrincione)
JumpstartCPC.com 
Wow, what a lot to think about. Thanks Sam.
I have truly enjoyed the study of Genesis! Thanks, CPC staff!
Thank you Sam, Tim, Todd, Robbie, Zack, & Chad. God has blessed our entire church family through His word and the insightful commentaries you have provided each day. Genesis came alive for me in ways I had never seen before. I am really looking forward to the Gospel of Mark over the next few weeks.
Amen! Me too Mike.
Thanks, Sam….sometimes it’s hard for me to see beyond what’s going on, but I’m trying to lean on and trust HIS heart more.
Even though Genesis is coming to an end I love the fact that we are moving on and continueing our journey. I loved seeing how our existence came to be. The good and the bad.
This is one of my favorite stories, the story of Joseph. But even more is this passage, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” WOW what a mouthfull!! The context in which he is speaking is to his brothers but how can we apply it? Church we can apply this daily. In my own life pre-Jesus I was living for myself and doing my own bidding. Which was for satan and his glory, not realizing I was harming myself and those around me. But what he (satan) intended for harm, God intended for good. Because of my past I can help others in the present and the future. Church our past is that, the past. It’s a learning experience in which we can teach others what not to do and what works for Gods glory, rather than our own. We must live a life that glorifies Him, God, rather than him, satan!
Church how are you living out this passage? Are you truely realizing that he, the world/satan, intends to harm and destroy us, and coming to the realization that God allows this for His glory later on? 1 Cor. 10:13 tells us that God won’t give us more than we can bear. But, as we learned in Job, enough that we can teach others how to come out looking to Him rather than ourselves.
Church lets be a movement of beleivers that look to Him first and live a life that says “satan, you meant this to harm me, but my God meant this to bring Himself glory and show others how HUGE He really is!” May our Savior bless you today and always church.
Thanks Sam these last 2 chapters and Joseph’s whole life are a inspiration to me especially at this time of life when there is much struggling going on in my whole family