Getting our Bearings in Genesis

well it's already been such a great day

gathering together

celebrating all that the Lord has been doing in Sean's life

listening to Ephesians 3

so faithfully taught by Ian

praying together

what a great day it's already been

and I hope what we do tonight won't spoil that at all

just want to read a few verses from Psalm 105

and then I'll pray

and then we'll get to work because we've just got a mere

thousand odd verses to get through this evening

the writer of Psalm 105 says this

verse 16

he called down famine on the land

and destroyed all their supplies of food

and he sent a man before them

Joseph

sold as a slave

they bruised his feet with shackles

his neck was put in irons

till what he foretold came to pass

till the word of the Lord proved him true

the king sent and released him

the ruler of people set him free

he made him master of his household

ruler over all he possessed

to instruct his princes as he pleased

and teach his elders

wisdom

let's pray

together

father god we thank you so much for your word

father we thank you it's complete

father thank you that it is all useful to us

for correcting and admonishing

for teaching

and for training us in righteousness

and so lord as we come to study a big section of it tonight

father would you enable us to see the wood from the trees

father would you teach us wonderful things about the god that you are

and father may we leave here with a better handle

on what you are saying to each of us

that we might go and live differently this week

as those that are known by the living God

those that have been reconciled to the living God by the Lord Jesus

and those indwelt by the living God by the Holy Spirit

so father bless us and help us

teach us

father inspire us by your spirit we pray in Jesus name

amen

so tonight we're starting a new series

we're not really starting it

we're going to have like the warm up

to our new series

Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors

if you're color blind that will just look weird

to you

it is an incredible series

the story of Joseph captures many hearts

many of us would have heard it countless times in Sunday school

particularly when we just got some new coloring pens in

and could do the coat in about 16 colors that Woolworths were selling

back in the day

we would have also seen it portrayed in music

in probably with Jason Donovan or Philip Schofield or somebody else

it's a story that we all know really well

but I do think it is probably the story

that we tend to abstract from the rest of the Bible

they almost treat it as like a lay-by where we go for a little while

to hear about a great story

about a dysfunctional family

about a jealous set of brothers

who sell their brother

who goes off on a journey

who ends up in prison

and by the end of the story

he's the Prime Minister

of the most powerful country in the world

but I think if we're going to get the most out of this series

we have to place the life of Joseph

within the context of Genesis

and within the broad sweep of the entire Bible

or else

it may just be a 10-week study in moralism

that we're going to say

you should all be more like Joseph

and less like his brothers

you should all use your positions of authority

like Joseph did in Potiphar's house

and don't whatever you do be like Potiphar's wife

it's going to be be like him

don't be like her

unless we can place it

within God's grand story

if we can get a handle on Genesis

get a broad overview of how it fits together

then I hope it'll make our appreciation of Joseph all the more

and our sermons in Joseph

just a little bit thicker

that transcend a few lovely choruses

by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

but it does feel a bit like

making a canapé out of a rhinoceros

taking a huge chunk of Bible

and trying to condense it down

in the short time that we have

into something that's useful and digestible

so bear with me

we're all going to have to do a warm-up

if you've got your Bible open

go like this

because we're going to have to turn a lot of pages

if you're in your iPhone

go like this

because you're going to do a lot of scrolling down

and a lot of scrolling up

but we do know don't we

that beginnings are important

beginnings are important

we have phrases like

start as you mean to go on

Mary Poppins

that great philosopher

a job well done

a job well begun

is nearly half done

a job well begun

is nearly half done

Plato

a great Disney character

the beginning is the most important part

of any work

if anyone's ever built anything

particularly if it was a house

how you start the foundations

are really going to be the foundation

of everything else you build

if you make them shallow

Jesus even tells a story

doesn't he

about foundations built in sand

the rain came down

and the floods came up

and the house on the sand

fell flat

the opening lines of a book

are important

if we don't judge it by the cover

we're going to read the opening lines

and decide whether we're going to continue

did you know

there's a trend in London

that on the same day

you register your birth

with the registrar

you also put your son or daughter's name down

on the waiting list

for the best nurseries in town

because we know

don't we

that we want to give people

the best start in life

the best beginning

they can have

it may surprise you to know

but I spent a disproportionate amount of time

on the introduction

to a sermon

because I think

if I can grab your attention

in the first two minutes

you might just

stay with me

for the next

five

how you begin your day

is important

if I come

and watch you

get ready

that sounds weird

if I come

and see

you're the beginning

of your day

I can pretty much

predict how the rest

of your day will go

if you start the day

rushed and stressed

and tired

then it's going to be

a bad day

I can tell you that

if you start the day

slothful and lazy

and you hit the snooze button

at least five times

I dare say your day

will be largely unproductive

if you start your day

prayerful with the Bible open

thankful to the Lord

for this great gift

that he's given you

it may just be a fruitful

day

beginnings are important

beginnings set the trajectory

for what follows

so when we begin

our Bibles in Genesis

if we can understand it

it will be a massive help to us

because it is from Genesis

that everything else

sprouts and develops

what God starts to reveal

in Genesis

he develops

and ends

in the book of Revelation

it's from Genesis

that we get our cosmology

the doctrine of creation

it's here we get our

the beginnings of our theology

our doctrine of God

it's here we get our

anthropology

our doctrine of man

here we get our

harmatology

our doctrine of sin

our soteriology

our doctrine of salvation

our Christology

the beginnings of our

doctrine on Christ

it's here we get our

pneumatology

our doctrine of the Holy Spirit

our eschatology

where it's all heading

and the doctrine of the last things

Genesis has the dawning of death

the institution of marriage

the initiation of covenant

the theology of work

the biblical role of manhood

and womanhood

the first proclamation of the gospel

the first allusions to the Trinity

and the first sacrifice

and many other prototypical events

that will all be opened and developed

during the rest of the Bible

it's no coincidence that our

in our world

the most ferocious attacks

by those that are anti-theists

are in the book of Genesis

because if we can

dismiss how it all began

then everything else unravels

if we can do away with God as creator

we can live how we like

so we've got 50 chapters

1,533 verses

some 40,000 words

on a time period

from the creation of the world

to about 1600 BC

we've got 21 minutes

so we're going to try to

wrestle this dense

long theological tone

into submission

fingers at the ready

Genesis actually splits

into two great acts

two great acts

and the first one is

Isaiah 1 · chapter mention

chapters 1 to 11

and they're called pre-history

and this is what happens

in pre-history

chapter 1

and the first bit of chapter 2

is creation

that's the bit we know

God spoke and it was

God spoke and it was

and it was good

and it was good

and it was very good

and then in chapter 2

we get a second run at creation

this time looking at

the origins of man

how God created man

and he saw that it was

very good

chapter 3 deals with

the fall of man

man has one rule

he cannot eat from the tree

and he's got a choice

whether he obeys or disobeys

and he gets it wrong

and so do all of we

and then chapter 4

to the end of pre-history

is the relentless spread

of evil

and this happens in

three big events

Cain and Abel

Noah and the flood

and then the tower

of Babel

is this initial

spark of sin

as Eve

and then Adam

eat the forbidden fruit

from the tree

it spreads

like a disease

and a virus

through every iota

of society

and then we get history

which takes 12 to 50

and it's around

three main characters

12 to 25

gives us Abraham

or Abraham

25 to 36

gives us Jacob

and 37

to 50

in multi-colors

gives us Joseph

and Isaac fits just here

he's kind of spread

between the Abraham narrative

and the Jacob narrative

and act 1

is like a panorama

it's like the broad view

of how it all got started

and of how it all went wrong

and then

in history

God goes zooming

into one family

to one family

that he chose

out of Ur of the Chaldeans

to be his chosen people

through whom he would bless

and bless the rest of the world

and start to set in motion

the most outrageous rescue plan

ever conceived

Genesis is a strange book

it starts with God

and his creation

and ends with Joseph

in a coffin in Egypt

that's how broad

and how specific

it gets

to get a good grasp of it

we're going to need

a vehicle

to guide us through

and Gordon Fee

says in his book

reading the Bible

book by book

he says

the first of the five books

of Moses

relates to the beginning

of everything

and then focuses

on God's call

and covenant

with Abraham

and his seed

promising to make them

a numerous people

and give them

the land

to live in

so all I want to do

this evening

is I want to trace

two themes

through Genesis

the first one is land

and the second one is seed

I want to see what God

is doing with land

and then I want to see

what's happening

with this word

seed

you all look as excited

as I am

so let's crack

on

start with this

start with land

land in creation

land

in

creation

chapter 1

verse 9

says that God

formed

the land

let the water

under the sky

be gathered

to one place

and let dry ground

appear

and it was so

God called the dry ground

land

and the gathered waters

he called seas

and God saw

that it was good

then it goes on

to say

in the immediately

next verses

that God made land

produce vegetation

seed bearing plants

to grow

and to spread

and then in chapter 1

verse 24

on the land

let the land

produce living creatures

according to their kinds

the livestock

the creatures

that move along

the ground

and the wild animals

each according

to its kind

and it's also

on day 6

that he makes man

and there's something

very interesting here

that we should pause

and look at

that there's only

two days

in the 6th of creation

where God speaks twice

the first one

is day 3

where land

becomes life

where land

becomes life

where inanimate

becomes animate

animate

where land

becomes vegetation

and he speaks twice

again in

chapter 6

day 6

where we get animals

and then humanity

these are special days

where God speaks twice

making inanimate

animate

and then making

animal

man

God

formed the land

and then God

filled the land

with animals

and then he says

to the pinnacle

of his creation

man

in verse 28

be fruitful

in increasing number

fill the land

and subdue it

he then says

in chapter 2

verse 7

that man

was formed

from the dust

of the land

then the Lord

formed a man

from the dust

of the land

and breathed

into his nostrils

the breath

of life

and the man

became a living

being

in chapter 2

verse 15

the Lord

took the man

and put him

to work

in the garden

of Eden

to work it

and take care

of it

God formed

the land

God filled

the land

God said

multiply

and spread

out across

the land

man was formed

from the dust

of the land

man was placed

in Eden

to work

the land

it all

starts so

well

but then

chapter 3

comes along

when the land

is cursed

look at verse 17

because you

listened to your

wife and ate

the fruit

from the tree

about which

I commanded

you

you must not

eat from it

cursed is the

land

because of you

through painful

toil you will

eat food

from it

all the days

of your life

chapter 3

verse 18

the land

bites back

it will produce

thorns and

thistles for you

and you will

eat the plants

of the field

chapter 3

verse 19

by the sweat

of your brow

you will

eat your food

until you

return to the

ground

since from it

you were taken

for dust

you are

and dust

you will

return

the land

is cursed

the land

bites back

and man

will return

to the dust

of the land

from which

he was created

the perfect

harmony

purpose

and provision

of creation

is spoiled

and tainted

and twisted

by the fall

and then it

spreads

it spreads

absolutely

everywhere

we get

Cain murdering

Abel

and by the time

we get to

chapter 6

we see

all the thoughts

of man

were only

evil

all the time

chapter 6

verse 5

the Lord

saw how great

the wickedness

of the human

race had become

on the earth

and that every

inclination of the

thoughts of the

human heart

was only

evil

all the time

and God

regretted

he had made

human beings

on the earth

and his heart

was deeply

troubled

spoiled

one bit

of disobedience

spreads

we get

murder

and then we

get this

everyone's

only thinking

and doing

evil

all the time

and so God

wants to press

reset

the idea

of the flood

comes

and chapter 6

verse 8

gives us

this spark

of a reset

and a recreation

but Noah

found favour

in the eyes

of the Lord

evil spreads

chapter 7

verse 21

the land

is flooded

it's

de-creation

we start

Genesis

with the

spirit of God

hovering over

the waters

of the deep

but now

the waters

of the deep

return

and cover

the land

as God

de-creates

and resets

creation

only Noah

was left

chapter 7

verse 23

only Noah

was left

and those

with him

in the ark

and so we get

this really

interesting parallel

between Noah

and Joseph

Noah preserves

human life

during the

great flood

Joseph

preserves

human life

during the

great famine

there seems

to be a

slight

symmetry

to the role

that each

of them

are playing

chapter 9

verse 1

humanity

is reset

that creation

mandate

goes out

again to

Noah

chapter 9

verse 1

be fruitful

in increasing

number

and fill

the land

but we see

that the reset

isn't going

as well

as we'd

hoped

chapter 9

verse 20

Noah

a man

of the land

proceeded

to plant

a vineyard

when he

drank some

of its wine

he became

drunk

and lay

uncovered

inside his

tent

isn't it

interesting

the symmetry

there between

Adam and even

the garden

getting into

trouble with

the fruit

of the land

and now

Noah again

getting into

trouble with

the fruit

of the land

planting a

vineyard

getting drunk

and passing

out naked

in his

tent

it seems

that sin

is more

than just

environmental

it seems

that the reset

didn't work

because unfortunately

in Noah doing

a geographical

he took himself

with himself

and this ingrained

sin that had

spread to

every iota

of humanity

travelled with

him

so even on

Ararat

he's getting

into trouble

and making

bad choices

it's true

for each

of us

sin in our

lives is not

because we're

being infected

from outside

it's because

we're broken

inside

and until we

get that

we'll only ever

be asking

God to change

our circumstance

and what God

needs to do

is change our

hearts

because we're

so tainted

and infected

by sin

then we get

to Babel

in chapter

11

and God

says spread

out

fill the

land

and the

people in

verse 4

said no

they find

the plain

of Shinar

they build

a temple

and they say

they build

a tower

and they say

come let us

build ourselves

a city

with a tower

that reaches

to the heavens

so that we

may make

a name

for ourselves

otherwise

we will be

scattered over

the face

of the whole

earth

disobedience

again

God says

spread out

and fill

the land

and they say

no

let's build

a tower

to literally

reach to the

heavens

so we can

totally do

away with

God

and again

be the

masters

of our

own lives

the gods

to our

own

selves

but in

chapter 11

verse 9

God sees

he comes

down

he confuses

the language

and they're

scattered

over the

whole

world

the human

disobedience

won't thwart

the plans

of God

that his

creation

might

be indwelt

by his

people

and then the

narrative slows

down a lot

in chapter 12

moving from

these big

global

vistas

to one

family

and we

get

Abraham

chapter 12

verse 1

the Lord

said to

Abraham

go from

your land

your people

and your

father's

household

to the

land

I will

show you

go to

the land

I will

show you

and as we

read in

Hebrews

this is

credited

to Abraham

as righteousness

that his

faith

was credited

to him

as righteousness

that he

left

everything

he knew

to obey

a God

who spoke

to him

he gets

a little

sidetracked

in chapter

12

verse 10

that there's

a famine

in the land

that he's

going through

so he goes

down to

Egypt

to live

there for

a while

because of

the famine

there he gets

into all sorts

of trouble

trying to say

Sarah that

his wife

is actually

his sister

it's always

going to get

you into

trouble

and again

it's

interesting

because during

a famine

Abraham

goes to

Egypt

obviously

the hero

that we're

going to

learn about

Joseph

during a

famine

goes down

to Egypt

not by

choice

but in

chapter 26

we learn

about Isaac

and there's

a famine

and God

says to him

whatever you

do

don't go

down to

Egypt

chapter 26

verse 2

do not

go down

to Egypt

live in

the land

where I

tell you

to live

stay in

this land

for a

while

and I

will be

with you

and will

bless you

seems to

be something

really interesting

there going

on in

the life

of Isaac

and yet

back to

Abraham

gets a

covenant

ratified in

chapter 15

I am the

Lord your

God who

brought you

out of

the

Chaldeans

to give

you this

land

to take

possession

of it

when

Abraham

arrives

in the

land

God

says

you've

arrived

and one

day

this

will

all

be

yours

but in

chapter 15

verses 13

to 16

we get the

beginnings

of the

idea that

Egypt is

going to

play a

role

chapter 15

verse 13

then the

Lord said

to him

know for

certain

that for

400 years

your

descendants

will be

strangers

in a

country

not

their

own

and that

they

will be

enslaved

and ill

treated

there

and I

will punish

the nation

they serve

as slaves

and afterwards

they will come

out with great

possessions

you however

will go to

your ancestors

in peace

and be buried

at a good

old age

in the fourth

generation

your descendants

will come

back here

for the sin

of the

Amorites

has not yet

reached

its full

measure

God says

I'm going

to give

you this

land

Abraham

or

Abraham

by this

point

I'm going

to give

you this

land

but before

you take

possession

of it

fully

you're going

to go

to Egypt

for 400

years

and as we

learn in

Exodus

when we

did it

this oppression

in Egypt

is going

to teach

God's

people

what their

God is

like

that he

is strong

and powerful

that he

redeems

that he

rescues

and he

does it

with his

mighty

outstretched

hand

against the

Pharaoh

but see

as well

that the

promised land

is a

gracious

gift

of God

but also

the promised

land is

severe judgment

on the

Amorites

they're not

going to use

it well

that their

wickedness

will only

increase

and that's

why when we

get to Joshua

they're all

punished

because they've

turned their

back on God

and their

sin

is explicit

in chapter

26 verse

3 and 5

this covenant

is reiterated

to Isaac

and in chapter

28 verses

13 to 15

Jacob

is included

in this covenant

again

but there's a

big twist

there's a big

twist at the

end of the

book that God

has already

told Abraham

about

which

Isaac

will know

about

which Jacob

will know

about

because in

verse 26

chapter 46

verse 1

Jacob

set out

with all

that was

his

and when

he reached

Bathsheba

he offered

a sacrifice

to the

God of

his father

Isaac

chapter 46

verse 5

Jacob

left

Bathsheba

and Israel's

sons took

their father

Jacob

and their

children

and their

wives

in the

carts that

Pharaoh had

sent to

transport him

so Jacob

and all his

offspring went

to Egypt

taking with

them their

livestock

and the

possessions

they had

acquired

in Cana

so we get

this amazing

twist

God says

you've got

this land

but by the

end of the

book

they're all

in Egypt

and there's

only one

bit

of the

promised

land

that they

own

the cave

of

Machpelah

that Abraham

purchased to

bury Sarah

in in chapter

23 verse 9

and in chapter

49 we realize

that's where all

the descendants

have been

buried

chapter 49

verse 29

then he gave

them these

instructions

that's

Joseph

I am about

to be gathered

to my

people

bury me

with my

fathers

in the

cave

in the

field of

Ephron

the Hittite

the cave

in the

field of

Machpelah

near Mamre

in Canaan

which Abraham

bought along

with the field

as a burial

place from

Ephron the

Hittite

there Abraham

and his

wife Sarah

were buried

there Isaac

and his

wife Rebecca

were buried

and there

I buried

Leah

the field

and the

cave

in it

were bought

from the

Hittites

by the time

we get to

Genesis

there's this

great promise

that this

land will be

yours and

your descendants

but they

only own

one little

cave

in one

little corner

of the

land

and yet I

think we

learn as we

read in

Hebrews

that there's

great faith

here exhibited

by Joseph

by faith

Joseph

when his

end was

near

spoke about

the exodus

of the

Israelites

from Egypt

and gave

instructions

concerning his

burial

of his

bones

see how

that is

real faith

that Joseph

was a really

big deal

in Egypt

he was an

absolute hero

who had

saved a

whole nation

from starvation

and yet

he believed

all that

God said

that Egypt

this is not

your home

this is not

where you're

going to

remain

so he says

I'm going

to die

but when

you go

when God

comes and

rescues you

and brings

you into

all that

he's promised

take me

with you

take my

bones and

put them

with Abraham

and Sarah

and Leah

and Isaac

bury me

with my

people in

the land

God has

promised

great amount

of Genesis

is about

land

about God

working out

his purposes

great amount

of the story

of Joseph

is about

faith

how it is

God

getting his

people

into Egypt

so he can

rescue them

and teach

them about

himself

but great

faith

exhibited by

Joseph

saying I

believe

God what

you said

is true

and I

want to

be part

of it

Egypt

is not

my

home

but you

are going

to take

us

and be

in the

land

that you

promised

that's

so similar

to us

isn't it

God

says this

is not

your land

this is

not where

you are

meant to

be

this is

not where

you are

to permanently

reside

we are

just here

and in

the exodus

that the

Lord Jesus

has led

being welcomed

into that

land

that has

been

promised

that place

that the

Lord Jesus

has been

preparing

ever since

his ascension

and I

wonder if

that's one

of the

lessons

we're to

learn from

Joseph

to not

let our

roots go

down too

deep in

this land

but to know

that there is a

promised land

far better than

Canaan promised

to Abraham

that's where

we're to be

looking

that's what

we're to be

living for

and that's

where we're

to orientate

all of our

lives

knowing that

one day

we'll reside

there forever

as a gracious

gift

from a good

God

Joseph knew

that through

redemption

they would

take possession

of the land

God had

promised

through our

redemption

through the

Lord Jesus

we like

Joseph

are to have

that faith

that will

be welcomed

into the

land

that new

world

that recreated

perfection

that God

has promised

that's land

there's a lot

of it

to get

through

now let's

go through

seed and

this will

take us

a lot

less time

the whole

story starts

in chapter

3 verse

15

the first

pronouncement

of the

gospel

in the

Bible

and I

will put

enmity

between you

and the

woman

and between

your offspring

and hers

he will

crush your

head

and you

will strike

his heel

the seed

of the

woman

would be

the way

that the

curse

of sin

would be

undone

and this

means that

everybody

born next

are they

that seed

are they

that one

whom God

is going

to use

to redeem

the world

who's going

to be

this promised

seed

and so we

get Adam's

children

and the

promised

seed is

obviously

not

able

because

he's

dead

and it's

obviously

not going

to be

Cain

because he's

the one

who made

able

dead

and is

being

and is

responsible

and is

now

cursed

to wander

the world

alone

but then we

get Seth

and Seth

is the

line

through which

the promised

seed will

come

and it's

from Seth

that we

get Noah

if you want

to read that

chapter 5

we'll let you

into all the

intricate details

about the

family tree

and Noah

has three

sons

and we

wonder which

ones of

these

is going

to be the

line of the

promised

seed

it's not

particularly

obvious

although Ham

is cursed

because he

sees his

dad passed

up naked

and we

learn that

it's not

Japheth

but it is

in fact

Shem

Shem

is the

one

who is

the promised

seed

and we

pick that

up in

chapter 11

verse 10

and from

Shem

we get

terror

and terror

seems to be

a bit of a

weird inclusion

because nothing

really happens

except we

learn that

terror took

terror

was

related to

Abraham

Abraham

promised

and called

by God

and Abraham's

got a bit of a

checkered life

that God says

you're going to

have a son

and Abraham

decides it's a

DIY kind of

job

so he

gets given

Hagar

by Sarah

to try and

give himself

a son

but this is

the DIY

lie

and Ishmael

is not

the promised

lie

and Ishmael

is interesting

it's Abraham's

DIY

attempt to

grab hold

of the

covenant

but Hagar

Ishmael's

mum

is an

Egyptian

a descendant

of the

Hamites

chapter 16

verse 12

we learn

that he's

going to

be a

wild donkey

of a man

his hand's

going to

be against

everyone

and everyone's

hand's

going to

be against

him

we also

learn when

we get

into the

Joseph story

that when

Joseph's

brothers

sell

Joseph

they sell

him to

the

Midianites

or the

Ishmaelites

who take

him down

to Egypt

seems that

Ishmael

has a part

to play

but of

course

the promise

line comes

through

Isaac

and Isaac

testifies to

God

making the

impossible

possible

because Sarah

is about a

hundred years

old which

is no age

to start

mothering

children

but Isaac

is not the

serpent

crusher

he's still

not arrived

because Isaac's

character and

faith are

shaky to say

the least

so then Isaac

has two

sons one's

called Esau

he becomes

the father

of the

Edomites

or the

red ones

if you like

he's not

chosen

but Jacob

is the

chosen one

but you have