BSF Lesson 31 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 5

May 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

11. On his deathbed, Joseph wanted his brothers to know that God himself would come to their aid and provide for them. God would also take them out of Egypt and back to the land God promised to all of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

12. a. Joseph requested that his bones be buried along with his ancestors. Hebrews 11:22 says returning his bones would be a part of their family returning to the promised land.

b. Exodus 13:19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” 

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BSF Lesson 31 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 4

May 14, 2013 — Leave a comment

8. a. The brothers feared that Joseph would repay them for mistreating him and selling him into slavery now that their father, Jacob, was dead.

b. Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them. He also promised to provide for them and their children.

c. Stay in the love relationship with Christ, seeking Him with all my heart, and trusting Him to direct my path. Avoid taking matters into my own hands and feeling sorry for myself.

9. a. (Challenge) Joseph forgave his brothers, became their provider, showed them mercy, and love – the picture of grace – Joseph gave them what they did not deserve.

b. Although in my head I know that the Lord loves me despite my weaknesses and failures, my heart is not 100% convinced. Remembering to be a living sacrifice and allowing Him to lovingly show me the issues that need to be dealt with will bring me into spiritual maturity.

c. Philippians 3:12 comes to mind…”Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.” (AMP)

For several years I had a bad attitude about something. While standing at a church altar, awaiting prayer for healing, the Lord convicted me about my attitude. He gave me a general instruction to redirect my entire life to do what I was refusing to do.

10. a. God’s purpose for Jacob was to save many lives.

b. (Challenge) New Testament verses directing disciples to save lives –

  • When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:1-2
  • Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8
  • After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.  Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Luke 10:1,9
  • The good Samaritan – Jesus told him (the expert in the law), “Go and do likewise.”
  • Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19
  • The disciples said to Jesus, “Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”   Mark 6:36-37
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BSF Lesson 31 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 3

May 12, 2013 — Leave a comment

6. Pharaoh demonstrated apparent high regard for Jacob by allowing his prime minister, ALL of his officials, all of Joseph’s household, and chariots and horsemen to accompany Joseph in the burial of his father.

7. a. The Canaanites observed a company of Egyptians lamenting loudly and bitterly for seven days.

b. Jacob’s sons honored their father and demonstrated faith in God by burying him with his ancestors per his request.

c. If my citizenship was not in heaven and if I was not eagerly awaiting the promised return of the Messiah, I would be much more distraught about political corruption and efforts to promote, fund, and legitimize murder and immoral behavior.

 

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BSF Lesson 31 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 2

May 11, 2013 — Leave a comment

3. a. Jacob seems ready to join those of his family who have passed on before. The verse in Hebrews says he worshiped. He isn’t begging God for more time on earth the way Hezekiah did.

b. Jacob did not cease to exist when his earthly body died. Jesus says God IS the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.

4. a.

  • Hebrews 9:27 Each of us had an appointment with death. Sometime after that we have an appointment with judgment.
  • Romans 3:23  None of us is worthy of God’s glory.  Romans 6:23 We’ve earned death, but God offers us a free gift of life forever in Jesus Christ.
  • John 5:24 Those who hear and believe have already left death and entered into life!
  • John 8:24 Those who do not believe Jesus is the I Am, will die in their sins.
  • John 11:26 Everyone who lives and believes the Jesus is the I Am will never die.

b. This world no longer has a hold on me like it did at one time. Life has been challenging. As I have endeavored to seek first the kingdom of God more and more, the things of earth seem in the way. For now, I have much work that God has given me to do. I find comfort reading of the death of the saints. They knew when the time had come. What a beautiful scene of Jacob with his sons around him! He was lucid, blessed them and prophesied over them, gave them instructions, worshiped, and voluntarily left this world. That is the way to go.

5. Immediately after the time of mourning was concluded, Joseph approached Pharaoh with Jacob’s death-bed request.

 

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BSF Lesson 30 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 5,Day 6

May 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

DAY 5:

13. By instructing his sons to bury him in the cave Abraham purchased for Sarah’s burial, Jacob demonstrated his faith in God’s promise to bring him back from Egypt.

14.

  • Acts 20:35 – We will be more blessed by being diligent to give to others in need than by being diligent to receive from others.
  • Romans 4:7 – We are blessed by forgiveness of our sins. We appropriate God’s forgiveness by accepting the forgiveness provided by Jesus’ sacrifice.
  • Ephesians 1:3 – We have been blessed in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing if we are in Christ.
  • Titus 2:13 – We are waiting for the blessed promise of Jesus’ return.
  • James 1:12 – We are blessed when we persevere in times of testing and persecution.
  • 1 Peter 3:9 – We are blessed when we repay evil deeds with blessing.
  • Revelation 1:3 – We are blessed by reading the word – John’s prophecy recorded in the book of Revelation.

DAY 6:

15. Those who put the kingdom of God first and persevere even through trying circumstances are blessed.

 

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BSF Lesson 30 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 4

May 6, 2013 — Leave a comment

10.

  • Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. vs 22 – Wherever Joseph was transplanted, he grew and produced good fruit, tapping into the spring of living water through his faith in and dependence on God. God had a plan for his life.
  • With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. – Joseph’s own brothers planned to kill him, but later sold him into slavery. vs 23 – Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph – an accusation which ordinarily should have resulted in his execution. God saved Him both times.
  • But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, vs 24 – In the hands of his jealous brothers, in slavery, in prison, and as prime minister of Egypt, God was with Joseph. He excelled in every circumstance and found favor with those in authority. This is one of those “but God” verses. UPDATE: Could also refer to Joseph’s character.

11. Joseph’s blessings transferred to Ephraim and Manasseh:

  • Water – from the sky and from the ground
  • Fertility – many descendents (could also mean fertility for their herds)
  • Abundant harvests – the opposite of famine

12. Benjamin’s blessings:

  • Security
  • The Lord’s protection
  • A picture of resting in the Lord’s loving embrace.

 

 

 

 

 

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BSF Lesson 30 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 3

May 5, 2013 — Leave a comment

5.

  • Your father’s sons will bow down to you.
  • Scepter
  • Ruler
  • Obedience of the nations
  • Purple robe

6. a.

  • The Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah.
  • His reign and kingdom will never end.
  • His robe will be the color of wine.
  • The reference to the donkey and branches foreshadows the triumphal entry.
  • The reference to tethering to a vine.

b. Challenge:

  • The lineage of Jesus: Matthew 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Aram,
  • Luke 1:32-33…The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.
  • John 19:2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him.
  • Mark 11:2-10 Jesus told two of his disciples to bring a specific donkey’s colt to Him. Jesus rode it through the streets while people said, “Hosanna! Praised and blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!Praised and blessed in the name of the Lord is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna (O save us) in the highest [heaven]!” AMP
  • John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

c. I can cry out, “Hosanna (save me/us),” knowing that His kingdom and government will know no end. I have no confidence in the ungodly path our government is taking. On a personal level, I face many challenges. If I remain in Him, I will bear good fruit.

7. The territory of the tribe of Zebulun lines up with the prophecy. Isaiah 9:1 Gives an additional prophecy relating to the Messiah – the area of Galilee that played a prominent role in the ministry of Jesus.

8. Why would Issachar submit to forced labor? The Israelites’ doom was always the result of forsaking God. Keying in on the prophecy’s verbiage, lying down and resting could mean they were lazy or perhaps just passive.

Their resting place would be pleasant. This would likely attract the attention of less passive and opportunistic people. Rather than fight – and neglecting to cry out to God – perhaps they would submit to forced labor.

9. Judges 18:30b …Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses’ son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the land was captured. (I’m not very confident about this answer. What did you find? Please leave a comment.) UPDATE: Samson see Judges 13–16. Judges 13:2 says Samson’s father was from the Danite clan.

 

 

 

 

 

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BSF Lesson 30 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 2

May 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

3. a. “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.” Genesis 49:3-4

b. Matthew 6:22-24 Reuben chose to follow his own desire rather than adhering to God’s ways. He cannot follow two masters – God or lust of the flesh.

James 1:6-8 These verses talk about the instability of a double-minded and unbelieving person – blown and tossed about in the waves.

c. Was Reuben still unrepentant? Did he continue to be ruled by his flesh? We see so many other examples of personal failures and the grace and forgiveness that followed. Abraham lied about his wife to protect himself, David and Bathsheba, Jacob deceived his brother, etc.

UPDATE: In the lecture, the speaker pointed out that in Jacob’s blessing for Judah, there was no mention of his former transgressions. Judah openly confessed his sin toward Tamar and turned his life around. He offered his own life in place of the life of Benjamin. Unlike Reuben, Judah’s repentance changed everything. Reuben’s sin with Jacob’s concubine may have been more about rebelling against his father and seeking power than about sex. Apparently he did not demonstrate a change of heart and attitude.

4. a. Their descendants will be scattered and dispersed in Israel.

b. Because Shechem raped their sister, Dinah, Simeon and Levi took revenge by killing every male in the city three days after they were circumcised.

c. (Challenge) God set apart the tribe of Levi to be the ones who would transport the ark of the covenant, stand before the Lord to minister to Him and to bless in His name. I never put these two things together before – the curse that turned into a blessing for their tribe and a blessing to the Lord. They also provided spiritual leadership to the nation. Well, that was the plan. Eli and sons were a mess. But still, it shows the Lord’s grace and mercy, even in their failures.

d. This should be marked personal, for sure. Suffering is primarily the guilt, regret and humiliation that comes a result of failure. The accuser of the brethren seizes every remembrance as an opportunity to derail my journey. By turning those moments into praise and worship, the accuser’s efforts are derailed. I am ever thankful His mercies are new every morning. UPDATE: One’s own failures and the suffering that results can be turned into a testimony.

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BSF Lesson 29 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 5, Day 6

April 29, 2013 — Leave a comment

10. a. Jacob bypassed Reuben giving the sons of Joseph the inheritance of the firstborn. Joseph became the patriarch of the family just as predicted in the dream God gave him as a youth. Jacob also gave Joseph one more ridge of land.

b.

  • Abel over Cain
  • Jacob over Esau
  • Ishmael over Isaac
  • Joseph over Reuben
  • Ephraim over Manasseh

11. Looking back at the question and my answers, I don’t know if all of these verses “helped me”, but these are the ones that jumped out at me.

  • …and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. (or …And Israel bowed himself upon the head of the bed. AMP) Genesis 47:31 – That jumped out at me as unexpected, but at the same time, I realized it shouldn’t be. It should be a way of life.
  • …to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way. Genesis 48:7 – Such a loving and tender glimpse into their relationship. Is there a hint of regret? Perhaps he wonders if the trip was ill-timed or their pace too swift.
  • 48:2-3 When Jacob was old, blind, and ill, he still managed to sit up when Joseph came with his sons. His mind was still alert enough to remind Joseph of his encounter with God Almighty and the promises He made. I think this affected me because my own father’s mind is no longer sharp due to a stroke. I hope that during his last years, he will pronounce blessings on all of us. In my own future, I hope that my mind will retain the memories of my own encounters with God and pass those along to my grandchildren. Trying to remember and preserve the visions and dreams are the main reasons I write them down.

12. The son of God

13.  the blessing that would be pronounced on others, “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” Also, where Jacob said of Ephraim and Manasseh, “they are mine just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.”

14. Genesis 47:29-30 Jacob asked Joseph to swear he would not bury him in Egypt but carry him back to where his fathers were buried.

Genesis 48:21-22 ..God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. He goes on to give Joseph a specific ridge of land he took from the Amorites.

DAY 6:

15.

  • It won’t always look or feel like He is using us.
  • He may choose to use someone who rubs us the wrong way.
  • God’s plans take a L O N G time. We may not live to see the promises fulfilled.
  • God is faithful.
  • Pray that I remember all of the above.

 

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BSF Lesson 29 Genesis Answers to Study Questions Day 4

April 28, 2013 — Leave a comment

8. a. In Genesis 46:4, the Lord promised Jacob, “I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.” So when Jacob asked Joseph to promise to carry his body out of Egypt and bury him in the field purchased by Abraham, he not only believed in that promise, he also believed in God’s promise to give the land of Canaan to all of his descendants. By making this request, it also meant at least some of his descendents would have to return to Canaan.

b. God’s promises to His people and to me personally, survive after me.

9. a. Three stages of Joseph’s famine relief policy:

  • First, the people bought food with money, so Pharaoh acquired all of their money.
  • Second, the people bought food with their livestock, so pharaoh acquired all of their livestock.
  • Third, the people bought food with their land and their bodies. Pharaoh now owned all of the land and the people became his slaves.

b. The people would have faced theft, violence, rioting, cannibalism, and starvation.

c. Joseph did not take the money, livestock, land, or slaves for himself. It all became the property of Pharaoh.

d. Given our profession, we have faced a famine of sorts for almost 10 years. We saw the approaching real estate bubble, but only God could have given us the wisdom to prepare for it. We are still in awe of the day He erased our debts. We have lived frugally before and since, but still find it amazing that we have managed comfortably with so little income. To God be all the glory!

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