It’s not like the guys in the new reality TV show who spend thousands of dollars on equipment they don’t know how to use and put together wrong and spend days and days digging and sifting only to find out they were either digging in the wrong place, had the machines working wrong, or didn’t know what they were looking for. Man, those guys are exasperating.

What’s needed in studying Scripture is time, willingness, a helpful Bible, and a knowledge of where to look and what to look for. That’s why we’re doing this view of the biblical narrative from about 10,000 feet up, surveying the lay of the land, so to speak, and looking for one thing: the thread of salvation running through the entire Bible from beginning to end.

From the beginning, God has been working to restore a fallen humanity back to Himself. That’s significant to the human race – but it’s incredibly significant and awesome for you, personally, because it means that God came looking for you to rescue you, and bring you back to live with Him. He’ll stop at nothing to seek and save you. He’ll use anything and anyone to accomplish His part of the plan of rescuing you. He’s with you in this mess; He’s gone in with you into this world, and He wants desperately to bring you out safely. God uses all things for your good: your sin resulting in His judgment followed up by a big dose of His grace. All you have to do is surrender your heart and life to Jesus Christ and begin living your life for Him.

We’ve learned so far that God is the maker and owner of Heaven and Earth; He created it all for us, because He desired a loving relationship with us; we are the ones who fell from that perfect life in community; and He initiated a rescue plan through Abraham and his offspring as His work to bring humanity back to Himself in a restored relationship, and in all of this, we’ve learned that Christ’s Church – you and me – are the modern installment of that plan to restore fallen humanity back to our loving Heavenly Father.

In this blog we’re looking at what happened to Abraham’s descendents – the family of Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. Ready for the next 10,000 foot fly over? Let’s start by reviewing that Abraham was a friend of God. God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan. Abraham and Sarah grew to be very old – and had only one son, Isaac. Isaac, in turn, had twin sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob stole Esau’s birthright and blessing – and it is through Jacob that the descendants of Abraham are figured.

When Abraham’s wife, Sarah died, Abraham negotiated with the Hittite clans in the area just south of modern-day Jerusalem to buy a cave in a field to be used for Sarah’s burial plot. (You’ll notice the cave is located in the modern-day Palestinian West Bank territory.) Abraham paid 25 shekels of silver for the land. Later, when Abraham died, Isaac buried him in that cave, and when Isaac and his wife Rebekah died, their son Jacob buried them in that cave as well. God promised the land to Abraham – and yet Abraham had to BUY the cave from the Hittites. And when Jacob’s family grew to 12 sons and 1 daughter and all of their offspring, flocks, herds, farmlands, and servants – it was the only land the family owned. . . a cave filled with the bones of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah.

Even after the first two generations have died, we’re still early in the process of the people possessing the land. God’s covenant of Divine Commitment was to give Abraham and “his seed” the Promised Land from the land of the Hittites south to the rivers of Egypt and from the Great Sea to the river Euphrates. But God and Abraham’s covenant of Human Obligation was that God would give them the land of Canaan, and make the chosen people like the sand of the seashore and the stars in the sky, and make them a blessing to the nations – AND that God would be their God, IF they would follow God. They’re still getting their act together – and all they own right now is a burial cave in a field worth 10 pounds of silver.

Just before his father, Isaac died, Jacob had cheated his twin brother Esau out of his inheritance and birthright. For fear of his life, Jacob fled to Haran – way back up north of the Euphrates in modern-day Turkey, to live with his uncle Laban. There Jacob met Laban’s daughter Rachel. They fell in love, but he first had to marry the older daughter Leah before he could marry Rachel. While living there in Haran with his uncle Laban, Jacob had eleven sons and one daughter. Jacob raised his large family in the land of his father-in-law, Laban, but when Laban and Jacob began to have troubles, Jacob moved his family back to the land of his fathers.

The night before Jacob crossed over into the land, he wrestled with the Lord all night, and just before daybreak, Jacob asked the Lord to bless him. The Lord’s blessing was simple: “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, (which means “he struggles with God”) because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome” (Genesis 32:28).

That’s where we pick up the biblical narrative.

Jacob – sometimes called Israel - had these twelve sons – and one of the sons, Joseph – was his favorite.

Take some time now to read about Joseph in Genesis 37:1-36.

Jealousy. Have you ever experienced it? Have you ever had a brother or sister or a classmate or a friend that everyone seems to like for who-knows-what-reason? It always seems like those people tend to act like they’re “all that.” You sometimes just want to pinch their head off. You secretly pray for their downfall. You hope they get a great, big boil right on their nose, or go prematurely bald. Everyone else says something kind to this irritating person, but every time you open your mouth, all that comes out is insults or derision.

Anger, jealousy, spite, hatred, conniving, lies, trickery, deceit. All of these things can be seen in the 12 brothers, but God had chosen Abraham and his descendants to create a people who would live in relationship with God and with one another for the sole purpose of pointing the world back to God. It just goes to show that God can use anything and anyone to accomplish His plans.

Abraham and his wife and son and daughter-in-law are buried in a cave in a field Abraham had bought. That’s all of the Promised Land he owns; but God had a plan – and it was going to involve raising an army to fight the inhabitants of Canaan, and increasing the population of the Chosen People would have to come first. Right now, there are eleven brothers in Canaan, Jacob, their wives and about 55 sons, as well as Joseph and his 2 sons in Egypt. The Chosen People number less than 100.

The brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, and now, Joseph is in Egypt. His spectacular talent for dreams and dream interpretation get him noticed by the Pharaoh of Egypt – and after just a few years, Joseph becomes the second in command over all of Egypt. He becomes known by the titles: “Father of Pharaoh,” “Lord of Pharaoh’s Household,” and “Ruler of all Egypt.” (Genesis 45:8) He’s the grand vizier of all of Egypt, the number one advisor, and the chief “go-to” guy in the land. A time comes when a famine breaks out in Canaan, but, due to Joseph’s great planning, Egypt has spent seven years preparing for this famine, and have huge stores of food. All of the brothers, except the youngest one, Benjamin, come to Egypt to ask Pharaoh for food. They meet Joseph instead.

The brothers don’t recognize Joseph. He’s all dressed up like an Egyptian prince. But Joseph recognizes them. He has a little fun with them – puts them in jail for three days, makes them come back and ask again, makes them bring his little brother Benjamin to see him – accuses them of stealing – and then he reveals himself to them.

Read Genesis 45:3-46:4.

You see – God will use anything in our lives to move us to where He wants us to be. Our lies and betrayal and deceit – God will use it and turn it around to accomplish His goals. Notice – I did not say that God uses deceit or betrayal – but He can use our deceit and betrayal – turn it around or change its course and use it for good. He can also use nature – famine and hunger, for example – to accomplish His plans.

In Romans 8:28, Paul teaches us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” God can do anything with anything. Give God lemons – He makes Lemon Meringue Pie. He can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. He can turn bad situations into good.

Joseph and his brothers are reunited – lots of tears all around – and Joseph tells them to go to their father, Israel, and tell him: You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.” (Genesis 45:10-11)

When Pharaoh heard about the brothers, he rejoices with his friend Joseph, and tells Joseph: “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land. . . 20 Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’” (Genesis 45:17-20)

So Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) goes to live in Egypt. He takes all of his sons, their wives, all of their children and all he owns and sets off for the land of Goshen in Egypt. And God spoke to Jacob in a dream as they approached this beautiful, fertile land: “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4)

Don’t be afraid. I will be with you. I will go in with you – and I will bring you out. God also said “I will make you into a great nation there.” Jacob and his family were not going for a 5-year stay – they were going to be there for generations. It’s kind of like Gilligan’s Island: a three-hour tour turned into being marooned on an island for years. Israel and his descendants were going to Egypt – and there they would stay until they had become a great nation of many, many people. They went in with less than 100, and we learn later in scripture that they come out of Egypt with over 2 million Israelites! (Numbers 1:46) What’s more – God’s message to Jacob just before they settled in Egypt was a reaffirmation of His promise – a great nation. . . in the land I promised you.

Reminds me of the promise of Psalm 23: He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. . .” God used the brothers’ jealousy to send Joseph to Egypt to prepare for the famine. He used the famine to reunite the brothers, and then they all were invited to go live in the best of the fertile lands of Egypt called Goshen. God lead them to the safety of Egypt to save them from starvation.

It’s another thread of salvation found right here in Genesis. God uses all things for our good – to accomplish what He desires. Including slavery and forced labor.

Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) dies and the family and a procession of caring Egyptians take his body to be buried in the cave in the field in Canaan along with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob’s first wife Leah. They go back to Egypt and continue to live in peace and prosperity – then Joseph dies and he is also buried in the cave in the field in Canaan with his family – and we come to the end of Genesis.

Between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus, 400 years pass. We pick up our 10,000 foot view in Exodus. Read Exodus 1:6-19.

The Israelites have grown into a great nation – and are now making Pharaoh nervous - so he enslaves them and forces them to work for the Egyptians. That’s the first of the major genocides directed at the people of Israel, these organized killings of the minority Israelites have been going on ever since. The second genocidal pogrom was to kill baby boys at birth, and a third genocide was to throw all baby Israelites into the Nile to drown. Still they thrived and grew in population. Into this situation, the first hero of the Israelites was born: Moses.

We know this about how God works in the lives of the people He loves:
SIN occurs,
God judges,
Then God provides rescue by His grace.
(SIN-JUDGMENT-GRACE)

Joseph was sold into slavery: SIN
Joseph’s brothers face starvation: JUDGMENT
Joseph has prepared for the famine and has his family come live with him: GRACE

Perhaps Joseph himself put it best: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)

The same SIN-JUDGMENT-GRACE scenario is happening here. The people are facing a genocidal Pharaoh, bent on eliminating them or at least controlling them for his own benefit: God’s JUDGMENT. Along comes Moses – born an Israelite, raised by Pharaoh’s daughter in the opulence of the palace – only to come to the aid of the Israelites by leading them out of bondage to the borders of the Promised Land: GRACE. But, what was the SIN was that brought enslavement to bear on the Israelites?

It’s important to skip ahead in the biblical narrative to fill you in on what was happening so you can see how gracious and loving and forgiving our God is. Joshua was Moses’ general. He was one of only a few faithful who was with Moses from the time they left slavery in Egypt until they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land 40 years later. Joshua replaced Moses as the leader of the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land 2 million plus people strong. This is what Joshua told the nation of Israel as they entered the Promised Land 40 years after being freed from slavery in Egypt: “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

Did you get that? Jacob and his twelve sons go to live in Egypt during a famine and end up staying there for 400 years. The whole time they’re there, they’re worshipping idols and gods made with human hands – and not being true to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were rescued from the famine, and they grew into a great nation in the lush country of Goshen in Egypt – but they worshipped other things as more important than God. God still provided Moses to lead them from slavery to the Promised Land.

SIN–JUDGMENT–GRACE.

The people God chose to begin to lead the world back to Himself has grown from one man, Abraham, to a great nation of 2 million people. They’ve been promised the land of Canaan, but the entire nation of Israel if bound up in slavery in Egypt. God will use the slavery to help them decide to escape and run to the Promised Land, and He’ll use the hero, Moses to lead them as His instrument of grace and salvation.

God can use anything and anyone to accomplish His plans. God will use anything and everything in your life to move you to where He wants you to be. His promise hold true for you: “Don’t be afraid; I will be with you; I will go in with you, and I will bring you out.” God uses all things for your good.

We know how God works in the lives of the people He loves:
Sin occurs,
God judges,
then God rescues you by His grace.

What is God trying to accomplish in your life? Are you ready and willing to let God use anything and anyone to accomplish His plans through you? What might you have going on in your life that you may need to surrender to Him, or set straight, or do over, or dig deeper in order to help the process of Him accomplishing His will in and for your life?