Genesis 45:1-11; Romans 11: 1-2; 29-32   We’ve been studying the life of Joseph. Due to his brother’s sin of selling Joseph into slavery, God worked through this bringing Joseph to a high position where he could help people during the famine even his “disobedient” brothers. Here in Genesis 45 Joseph finally tells his brothers who have come for food and haven’t recognized him, who he is. Joseph realizes how God used this terrible act of his brothers to help preserve life during the famine which came. He tells them that God sent him before them to preserve for them a remnant on earth, and to keep many survivors. God has used their evil for good. In Romans, Paul talks about how the Lord used the disobedience of the Israelites to bring salvation to the Gentiles. Paul starts our passage proclaiming that God has not rejected his people. He states that the gifts and callings of the Lord are irrevocable. They are said to be disobedient now in order that God’s mercy can be shown ...

  Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22,45; Matthew 14:22-33 Our psalmist in Psalms 105 is praising the Lord as he remembers the wonderful works God has done, God’s miracles, and God’s judgements. As an example, he brings up the story of Joseph. When famine was upon the land God had sent ahead Joseph to teach his elders the wisdom of preparing ahead for the famine by gathering and saving extra grain. Joseph didn’t become famous overnight. He went through a life deprived of freedom sold as a slave with all its trappings of fetters and an iron collar. He even served time in prison until the king finally released him. Joseph interprets the king’s dream foretelling the famine to come and how to prepare for it. Due to his wisdom the king appointed him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions. Little did Joseph realize during the bleak slave and prison years that God would use him to save people’s lives by keeping extra food to help the country survive the years of famine. In Matthew the ...

  Genesis 32: 22-31; Psalm 17:1-7,15   We return to the story of Jacob. First he dreams of a ladder to heaven, and declares, “Surely the Lord is in this place.” In today’s account he wrestles with what is said to be a man, yet this man blesses him seeming to represent the face of God. In fact, Jacob afterwards calls the place, Peneul meaning, “The face of God.” Jacob puts up quite the fight here even when his hip is put out of joint, to the point that this man asks to be let go before daybreak, making many scholars think this must be an angelic being since they can’t be seen in the morning light. Jacob seeing his advantage and realizing that he is wrestling a supernatural – maybe even God – says he won’t go unless he blesses him. The man then gives him a name change – like Abram to Abraham, and Saul to Paul. Name changes imply a change of character or stature. Here he is to be named Israel since he has striven with God and humans and has prevailed. Another hint that he is ...

  Matthew 13:31-33, 44-46; Romans 8:26-35   Our Matthew account tells of parables that describe what the kingdom of God is like. It is like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree. Jesus is talking about the growth of the Christian community. It is compared to the yeast a woman puts in her flour – the woman being an agent of the kingdom doing a small thing that can lead to a huge impact. The other two parables talk about doing everything, spending all your money to secure the great possession of God’s kingdom. In Romans 8, Paul tells us how we are to live in this kingdom of God on earth. We are now under the law of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who enables us to do so. The Spirit intercedes for us when we pray and helps us to live what God has predestined for us – to be conformed to the image of God’s son, Christ. The Spirit helps us to see and works with us so that good can come out of all things that happen to us. We have not only been justified by Christ’s death on t...