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A Final Word Before the Fall – Exodus 10:27-29
Exodus 10:27-29 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy…
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No Hoof Left Behind – Exodus 10:24-26
Exodus 10:24-26 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also…
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Light in the Dwellings – Exodus 10:23
Exodus 10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days… but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. What a striking contrast. Egypt sat in a darkness so thick that no one could see another person, and no one even moved from his place for three…
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A Darkness You Could Feel – Exodus 10:19-22
Exodus 10:19-22 And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. And the Lord said…
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A Confession Without Brokenness – Exodus 10:16-18
Exodus 10:16-18 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went…
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When the Wind Brings Judgment – Exodus 10:12-15
Exodus 10:12-15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt,…
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No Halfway Obedience – Exodus 10:9-11
Exodus 10:9-11 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I…
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Who Gets to Set the Terms? – Exodus 10:8
Exodus 10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go? Pharaoh sounds softer here at first. He says, “Go, serve the Lord your God,” but then immediately reveals that he is still trying to stay in…
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Hearing What Pride Wants to Hear – Exodus 10:7
Exodus 10:7 And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? By this point, even Pharaoh’s own servants could see what he refused to face. Egypt was already…
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When Pride Will Not Bow – Exodus 10:3-6
Exodus 10:3-6 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I…
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What You Tell Your Children – Exodus 10:1-2
Exodus 10:1-2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in…
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The Storm Stopped, But His Heart Did Not – Exodus 9:33-35
Exodus 9:33-35 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened…
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Mercy Still Left in the Field – Exodus 9:29-32
Exodus 9:29-32 And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for thee and thy…
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More Than Relief – Exodus 9:28
Exodus 9:28 Intreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. Pharaoh sounds stronger here, more decisive, more yielding. He says the storm has been enough. He asks for prayer. He promises again to let the…
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A Confession That Did Not Go Deep Enough – Exodus 9:22-27
Exodus 9:22-27 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder…
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Safe Under His Roof – Exodus 9:17-21
Exodus 9:17-21 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and…
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Raised Up to Reveal His Power – Exodus 9:13-16
Exodus 9:13-16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy…
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Ashes in the Air, Judgment on the Land – Exodus 9:8-12
Exodus 9:8-12 And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon…
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Seeing and Still Refusing – Exodus 9:7
Exodus 9:7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. By this point, Pharaoh is not only enduring plague after plague, he is also being forced to see that Israel is being…
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A Clear Division – Exodus 9:4-6
Exodus 9:4-6 And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel. And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land. And the Lord did that thing…
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When God Touches the Economy – Exodus 9:1-3
Exodus 9:1-3 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle…
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Not Forever – Exodus 8:29-32
Exodus 8:29-32 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. And…
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Not Too Far Away – Exodus 8:28
Exodus 8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me. Pharaoh changes his language again, but the spirit behind it is still the same. This time he says Israel can go and…
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Worship Will Not Work on Egypt’s Terms – Exodus 8:25-27
Exodus 8:25-27 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before…
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A Division Between My People and Thy People – Exodus 8:23-24
Exodus 8:23-24 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be. And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by…
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A Difference Put Between Egypt and Goshen – Exodus 8:20-22
Exodus 8:20-22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send…
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The Finger of God – Exodus 8:19
Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. This is a striking moment because the magicians finally say what they can no longer deny. They had imitated what they could. They had stood…
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When the Counterfeit Stops – Exodus 8:16-18
Exodus 8:16-18 And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it…
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Respite Misread – Exodus 8:15
Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. Pharaoh was given relief, but instead of letting that mercy soften him, he used it as an excuse to harden himself all over again. The frogs were gone. The pressure had…
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The Lingering Smell of Sin – Exodus 8:14
Exodus 8:14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. The frogs were dead, but the smell remained. That is such an honest picture of sin. The plague itself had been stopped by the word of the Lord, yet the aftermath still hung in the air. The frogs were no longer hopping…
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One More Night with Frogs – Exodus 8:10-13
Exodus 8:10-13 And he said, To morrow… And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river…
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A Strange Request from a Proud King – Exodus 8:8-9
Exodus 8:8-9 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for…
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Counterfeits Only Multiply the Mess – Exodus 8:7
Exodus 8:7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Once again, Pharaoh’s magicians were able to imitate what had happened. Just as they did when the water was turned to blood, so here they also brought up frogs upon the land. But the important thing…
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What Once Was Honored Became a Horror – Exodus 8:1-6
Exodus 8:1-6 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall…
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From Blood to Wine – Exodus 7:22-25
Exodus 7:22-25 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for…
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The River Turned to Blood – Exodus 7:13-21
Exodus 7:13-21 And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the…
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The Rod That Swallowed the Rest – Exodus 7:6-12
Exodus 7:6-12 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you:…
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More Than Deliverance – Exodus 7:1-5
Exodus 7:1-5 And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will…
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He Will Not Give Up on You – Exodus 6:28-30
Exodus 6:28-30 And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of…
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The Third Son and the Greater Deliverer – Exodus 6:24-27
Exodus 6:24-27 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites. And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families. These are that…
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Chosen Line, Appointed Family – Exodus 6:20-23
Exodus 6:20-23 And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.…
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Not First in Line, But Chosen by God – Exodus 6:16-19
Exodus 6:16-19 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years. The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar,…
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Not First, But Chosen – Exodus 6:14-15
Exodus 6:14-15 may read like a simple record of names, but the Lord is doing far more here than preserving family history. He begins with Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, and then Simeon, the second. At that point, a careful reader would almost expect the line of deliverance to continue through one of them. Reuben…
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God Recommissioned Moses in Spite of Moses’ Doubts – Exodus 6:10-13
Exodus 6:10-13 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of…
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Cruel Bondage Could Not Cancel God’s Promise – Exodus 6:9
Exodus 6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. This is a sad verse, but it is a very honest one. Moses brought them a word full of promise, but they could not receive it. Their anguish of spirit…
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He Brings Us In and Gives Us an Inheritance – Exodus 6:8
Exodus 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord. This verse moves from deliverance to destination. God did not merely promise to bring His…
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Taken by God, Taught by God – Exodus 6:7
Exodus 6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. This is where the promise becomes deeply personal. God was not merely bringing…
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Brought Out, Set Free, Bought Back – Exodus 6:6
Exodus 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: This verse is full of the…
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Seized by the Goodness of God – Exodus 6:1-5
Exodus 6:1-5 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And…
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When the People Turned on Moses, Moses Turned to the Lord – Exodus 5:20-23
Exodus 5:20-23 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a…
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They Cried to Pharaoh Instead of to God – Exodus 5:10-19
Exodus 5:10-19 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered. And the…
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Pharaoh Called Worship a Waste of Time – Exodus 5:9
Exodus 5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. Pharaoh wanted the people so weighed down, so exhausted, and so consumed with labor that they would have no strength left to think about God. That is why he called Moses’ words…
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No Straw, No Relief, No Reduced Quota – Exodus 5:8
Exodus 5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. This shows just how cruel Pharaoh really was. He took away the straw, but he…
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Pharaoh Made Their Burden Heavier When God’s Word Came – Exodus 5:5-7
Exodus 5:5-7 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather…
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Pharaoh Had No Use for Worship, Only Work – Exodus 5:4
Exodus 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. Pharaoh’s answer is short, sharp, and very revealing. In essence, he says, “Why are you interrupting production? Why are you turning people away from their work? Get back…
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Before Deliverance Comes Worship – Exodus 5:3
Exodus 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. This request was modest, but it was very revealing. God certainly…
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Pharaoh Refused the Lord Because He Refused to Bow – Exodus 5:1-2
Exodus 5:1-2 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? … I know not…
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When the Lord Visits, Hearts Respond – Exodus 4:27-31
Exodus 4:27-31 And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. And Moses and…
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The Cost of a Man’s Silence at Home – Exodus 4:25-26
Exodus 4:25-26 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. These verses show us just how…
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Before Moses Could Speak for God, He Had to Obey God – Exodus 4:24
Exodus 4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. This is a very serious moment in the story, because the Lord had just told Moses what to say to Pharaoh: “Let My son go, that he may serve me,” and if…
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Israel My Son, My Firstborn – Exodus 4:22-23
Exodus 4:22-23 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. This is a very weighty…
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The Rod of God and the Hardened Heart – Exodus 4:20-21
Exodus 4:20-21 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before…
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Outliving the Men Who Sought His Life – Exodus 4:19
Exodus 4:19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. There is something quietly encouraging in this verse. Moses had fled Egypt years earlier because there were men who wanted him dead. Their threats were real. Their hostility was real. Their…
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The Rod in His Hand and Humility in His Heart – Exodus 4:17-18
Exodus 4:17-18 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro…
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The Lord Was Angry, Yet Still Merciful – Exodus 4:14-16
Exodus 4:14-16 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto…
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Send Someone Else – Exodus 4:13
Exodus 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. This is where Moses finally says what has really been in his heart through all of these objections. Up to this point he has talked about the people not believing him, about his lack…
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The Mouth God Uses – Exodus 4:10-12
Exodus 4:10-12 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or…
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Water Turned to Blood – Exodus 4:9
Exodus 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry…
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The Hand That Was Made Whole – Exodus 4:6-8
Exodus 4:6-8 And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom…
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Pick It Up Again, But Not the Same Way – Exodus 4:4-5
Exodus 4:4-5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and…
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When the Rod Becomes a Serpent – Exodus 4:3
Exodus 4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. This is such a striking moment, because the very thing Moses had leaned on for forty years suddenly becomes something he runs from. That rod had been…
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What Is That in Thine Hand? – Exodus 4:2
Exodus 4:2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. This is such a simple question, but it opens up a beautiful truth. Moses is full of hesitation at this point. He is telling the Lord why the people will not listen, why this will not…
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When Humility Slips into Unbelief – Exodus 4:1
Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. At this point, Moses moves beyond simple humility and begins to push back against what God has plainly said. In chapter 3, the Lord had…
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Pharaoh Will Resist, but God Will Prevail – Exodus 3:19-22
Exodus 3:19-22 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will…
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Out of Affliction and Into Promise – Exodus 3:17-18
Exodus 3:17-18 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice… and thou…
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I Have Surely Visited You – Exodus 3:15-16
Exodus 3:15-16 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.…
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I AM THAT I AM – Exodus 3:13-14
Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT…
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Certainly I Will Be with Thee – Exodus 3:12
Exodus 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. Moses has just asked the question that rises so naturally in a man who…
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Who Am I? – Exodus 3:11
Exodus 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? This is a very different man than the one we saw forty years earlier. Back then, Moses moved quickly, acted forcefully, and seemed ready to step…
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I Have Seen, I Have Heard, I Know – Exodus 3:7-10
Exodus 3:7-10 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out…
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Holy Ground and a Holy God – Exodus 3:5-6
Exodus 3:5-6 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for…
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When Moses Turned Aside, God Spoke – Exodus 3:4
Exodus 3:4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. There is something very instructive in this verse. God did not speak to Moses while Moses was merely passing by. It…
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The Bush That Burned and Was Not Consumed – Exodus 3:2-3
Exodus 3:2-3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush…
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Chapter 3
The Backside of the Desert – Exodus 3:1 Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. There is something very important in the way this…
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When Their Cry Reached Heaven – Exodus 2:23-25
Exodus 2:23-25 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham,…
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Content in a Strange Land – Exodus 2:21-22
Exodus 2:21-22 And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. This is a striking verse when you remember who Moses had been. Acts…
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A Man at the Well – Exodus 2:16-20
Exodus 2:16-20 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How…
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From the Palace to the Wilderness – Exodus 2:15
Exodus 2:15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. What Moses tried to do in secret did not stay secret for long. Once Pharaoh heard what had happened, the…
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Looking This Way and That Instead of Looking Up – Exodus 2:11-14
Exodus 2:11-14 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens… and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he…
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Drawn Out for a Purpose – Exodus 2:10
Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. There is a quiet sadness in this verse, because the time finally came when Jochabed had to bring the child…
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Paid to Raise the Child She Gave to God – Exodus 2:7-9
Exodus 2:7-9 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child…
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Compassion at the River – Exodus 2:4-6
Exodus 2:4-6 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river… and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And…
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An Ark in the Reeds – Exodus 2:1-3
Exodus 2:1-3 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for…
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Pharaoh’s Final Order – Exodus 1:22
Exodus 1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. Pharaoh now drops all pretense. What began with affliction moved to secret orders given to the midwives, and now it becomes a public decree. Every son that is…
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God Dealt Well with the Midwives – Exodus 1:20-21
Exodus 1:20-21 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. These verses show us something very beautiful about the heart of God. The midwives feared Him, and the Lord took note of it.…
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Pharaoh’s Question and the Midwives’ Answer – Exodus 1:18-19
Exodus 1:18-19 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come…
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They Feared God More Than Pharaoh – Exodus 1:17
Exodus 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. This verse is short, but it carries tremendous weight. Pharaoh gave a direct command, and these women simply refused to do what he said. Why? Because they feared God. That is the…
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A Dark Command in Egypt – Exodus 1:15-16
Exodus 1:15-16 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then…
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More Affliction, More Growth – Exodus 1:12-14
Exodus 1:12-14 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of…
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The King Who Knew Not Joseph – Exodus 1:8-11
Exodus 1:8-11 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth…
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From Seventy to a Nation – Exodus 1:1-7
Exodus 1:1-7 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for…
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From Glory to a Coffin – Genesis 50:26
Genesis 50:26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. That is a remarkable way to end the book of Genesis. The book that opens with creation closes with a coffin. The book that begins with life ends with death.…
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Not Egypt Forever – Genesis 50:24-25
Genesis 50:24-25 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall…
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On His Knees at the End – Genesis 50:21-23
Genesis 50:21-23 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of…
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God Was Writing Another Story – Genesis 50:20
Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. This is one of the richest verses in Joseph’s story. Joseph does not deny what his brothers did. He does not paint it over…
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He Wept Because They Still Feared Him – Genesis 50:16-17
Genesis 50:16-17 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of…
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Still Afraid of Grace – Genesis 50:12-15
Genesis 50:12-15 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. And Joseph returned…
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Known Because of Joseph – Genesis 50:10-11
Genesis 50:10-11 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This…
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A Great Company Going Up – Genesis 50:7-9
Genesis 50:7-9 And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and…
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A Son Keeping His Word – Genesis 50:4-6
Genesis 50:4-6 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for…
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A Father Honored in the Land of Egypt – Genesis 50:1-3
Genesis 50:1-3 And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for…
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Gathered to His People – Genesis 49:33
Genesis 49:33 “And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.” There is something very peaceful about that. Jacob finishes speaking to his sons. He says what he needs to say. He gives his…
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Back to Leah, Back to Promise – Genesis 49:28-32
Genesis 49:28-32 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the…
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The Story Is Not Over – Genesis 49:27
Genesis 49:27 “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” Benjamin speaks of a victorious remnant. Jacob closes with a strong image. Benjamin is not pictured as weak, cornered, or barely surviving. He is pictured as a wolf, ravenous, forceful, and…
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The Rejected One Crowned with Blessing – Genesis 49:23-26
Genesis 49:23-26 “The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode instrength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God ofJacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, whoshall help…
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Running Over the Wall – Genesis 49:22
Genesis 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:” Joseph, of course, speaks of Jesus. That has been one of the great joys of this whole story. Again and again, in Joseph, you catch glimpses of Christ. Rejected by his brethren, humbled, exalted, and…
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A People Let Loose to Preach – Genesis 49:21
Genesis 49:21 “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.” Jacob speaks of a hind let loose. That is the language of freedom, movement, and swift going. This is not a picture of restraint. This is not a picture of someone pinned down or shut in. It is a picture of something released,…
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Royally Kept in the Wilderness – Genesis 49:20
Genesis 49:20 “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.” In Asher, the scene changes once again. After poison and persecution, now there is provision. After the serpent and the troop, now there is bread. Not lean bread. Not barely enough. Fat bread. Royal dainties. This is the language…
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Overcome at the Last – Genesis 49:19
Genesis 49:19 “Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.” In Gad, we see a persecuted people. The verse opens with pressure and conflict. “A troop shall overcome him.” That is not the language of ease. It is the language of assault. It is the language of being pressed, surrounded,…
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Waiting for Salvation – Genesis 49:18
Genesis 49:18 “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.” Right in the middle of all of this, Jacob suddenly cries out, “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.” It is brief, but it is weighty. After speaking of Dan as a serpent by the way, after giving that dark picture of deception and…
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The Serpent in the Path – Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17 “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.” In Dan we see a poisoned people. At first, the verse sounds promising. “Dan shall judge…
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Strength Under Oppression – Genesis 49:14-15
Genesis 49:14-15 “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.” In Issachar, we see an exploited people. Jacob describes him as strong, like a donkey able to…
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Scattered to the Shores – Genesis 49:13
Genesis 49:13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.” With Zebulun, the picture changes again. Here we see an exiled people. The scene is one of borders, coastlands, ships, and distance. It carries the sense of a…
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The Land Bought by Blood – Genesis 49:11-12
Genesis 49:11-12 “Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.” Now the picture widens again. The Deliverer is no longer seen only…
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Shiloh Has Come – Genesis 49:10
Genesis 49:10 “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Now Jacob speaks of Judah not merely as a lion, but as a ruler. The sceptre is in view. The lawgiver is in view. Authority is…
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The Lion No One Can Rise Against – Genesis 49:9
Genesis 49:9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?” Jacob now moves from praise and victory to a picture of settled strength. Judah is compared to a lion. Not a…
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The Deliverer They Could Not Defeat – Genesis 49:8
Genesis 49:8 “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.” After Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, this verse feels like the clouds begin to break. Up to this point, there has been disappointment, failure, and scattering. But…
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Scattered by Wrath – Genesis 49:5-7
Genesis 49:5–7Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was…
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A Missed Birthright – Genesis 49:3-4
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. Jacob begins with Reuben, the firstborn, the one…
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Around the Bedside – Genesis 49:1-2
Genesis 49:1-2 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Jacob knows his time is short, so he gathers his sons around him. All…
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When a Dying Man Talks About Tomorrow – Genesis 48:21-22
Genesis 48:21-22 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. Jacob…
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Set Before – Genesis 48:20
Genesis 48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Jacob was not just blessing two boys. He was speaking something over them that would carry on into the life of the nation. This was not…
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The Best Is Still Ahead – Genesis 48:18-19
Genesis 48:18-19 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother…
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The Crossed Hands of Grace – Genesis 48:14-17
Genesis 48:14-17 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me…
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The Lord Does Not Need Our Arrangement – Genesis 48:12-13
Genesis 48:12-13And Joseph brought them out from between his knees…… and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. The boys were clinging to…
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More Than He Ever Imagined – Genesis 48:9-11
Genesis 48:9-11And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto…
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Grace in the Blur – Genesis 48:7-8
Genesis 48:7-8And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who…
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The Blessing Comes Back – Genesis 48:3-6
Genesis 48:3-6And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an…
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Strength for the Visit – Genesis 48:1-2
Genesis 48:1-2And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. There is something sweet…
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My Heart Is in Another Land – Genesis 47:29-31
Genesis 47:29-31And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me…… bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: But I…
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Seventeen Years of Tender Mercy – Genesis 47:27-28
Genesis 47:27-28 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. There is a sweetness in this passage that…
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Saved Lives and Glad Hearts – Genesis 47:25-26
Genesis 47:25-26 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which…
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Bought and Given Seed – Genesis 47:23-24
Genesis 47:23-24 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be…
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In the Flow of the Throne – Genesis 47:22
Genesis 47:22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. This verse is interesting because it shows an exception. Everyone else was being brought under Joseph’s administration in deeper…
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Scattered by Wisdom – Genesis 47:21
Genesis 47:21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Joseph now takes charge of the people themselves. First came their money. Then their possessions. Then their land. And now Joseph relocates the people throughout Egypt. That might sound…
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No Divided Loyalties – Genesis 47:18-20
Genesis 47:18-20 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and…
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Bring It to the Throne – Genesis 47:15-17
Genesis 47:15-17 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if…
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Everything to the Throne – Genesis 47:13-14
Genesis 47:13-14 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of…
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Bread for Every Family – Genesis 47:12
Genesis 47:12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families. This is a tender verse. Joseph did not merely place his family in the land. He nourished them there. He did not bring them in and then leave them to fend for themselves. He…
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Placed in the Best of the Land – Genesis 47:11
Genesis 47:11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. There is so much comfort in that opening phrase. Joseph placed his father and his brethren. They did not place…
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Pilgrims Before a Throne – Genesis 47:8-10
Genesis 47:8-9 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the…
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The Greater Blessing the Lesser – Genesis 47:7
Genesis 47:7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. What a scene this is. Joseph brings Jacob into the presence of Pharaoh, the ruler of the greatest empire on earth. Pharaoh had power. Pharaoh had wealth. Pharaoh had position. Pharaoh sat on a throne men would…
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Set Apart in Goshen – Genesis 47:3-6
Genesis 47:3-6 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore…
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Presented by Grace – Genesis 47:1-2
Genesis 47:1-2 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented…
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Marked on Purpose – Genesis 46:33-34
Genesis 46:33-34 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd…
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He Went Before Them – Genesis 46:31-32
Genesis 46:31-32 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and…
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Face to Face at Last – Genesis 46:29-30
Genesis 46:29-30 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art…
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When Jesus Is Added – Genesis 46:27-28
Genesis 46:27-28 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. There is…
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Going Down as Needy Men – Genesis 46:21-26
Genesis 46:21-26 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. And the sons of Dan; Hushim. And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and…
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Brought Near by Grace – Genesis 46:14-20
Genesis 46:14-20 And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri,…
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A Name in the Middle of the List – Genesis 46:8-13
Genesis 46:8-13 And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. And the sons of Reuben Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. And the sons of Simeon Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a…
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The Whole House Comes – Genesis 46:5-7
Genesis 46:5-7 And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt,…
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Fear Not to Go Down – Genesis 46:1-4
Genesis 46:1-4 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God…
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The Wagons Are On Their Way – Genesis 45:25-28
Genesis 45:25, 28 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words…
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Do Not Fall Out by the Way – Genesis 45:23-24
Genesis 45:23, 24 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye…
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No Room for Envy – Genesis 45:21-22
Genesis 45:21, 22 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. This…
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The Good of the Land – Genesis 45:16-20
Genesis 45:16-20 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households,…
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Brought Near – Genesis 45:14-15
Genesis 45:14, 15 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him. The fourth purpose of Joseph’s position is proximity. I like that, because Joseph did not rise to power…
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Tell Dad About the Son – Genesis 45:12-13
Genesis 45:12, 13 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. Joseph now…
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Saved to Preserve – Genesis 45:6-11
Genesis 45:6-11 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it…
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Near Enough to Hear Grace – Genesis 45:4-5
Genesis 45:4, 5 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to…
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When Joseph Spoke His Name – Genesis 45:2-3
Genesis 45:2-3 “And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.” There are moments in Scripture when a scene turns so suddenly, so…
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Compassion That Waited for Confession – Genesis 45:1
Genesis 45:1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. Joseph had listened to everything. He had heard Judah say, in effect, “Take me…
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The Man Who Stayed Behind – Genesis 44:32-34
Genesis 44:32-34 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go…
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Bound Up Together – Genesis 44:24-31
Genesis 44:24-31 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down:…
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Standing With the Guilty – Genesis 44:13-23
Genesis 44:13-16 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye…
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The Cup Found at the End – Genesis 44:9-12
Genesis 44:9-12 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen. And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. Then they speedily took down every…
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When Men Protest Too Much – Genesis 44:6-8
Genesis 44:6-8 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land…
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The Cup in the Sack – Genesis 44:1-5
Genesis 44:1-5 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to…
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The Test of Another Man’s Blessing – Genesis 43:34
Genesis 43:34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs… And they drank, and were merry with him. Joseph gave Benjamin five times more than the rest. That was not random. I think Joseph was watching them. Years earlier, when…
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The Hidden Brother at a Separate Table – Genesis 43:31-33
Genesis 43:31-32 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is…
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The Tears Before the Revealing – Genesis 43:27-30
Genesis 43:27-30 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his…
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Refreshed in the House – Genesis 43:24-26
Genesis 43:24-25 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. What they feared did not happen. They thought Joseph’s…
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Peace at the Door – Genesis 43:19-23
Genesis 43:19-23 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and,…
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Afraid of the House, Invited to the Table – Genesis 43:17-18
Genesis 43:17-18 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek…
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A Table Prepared Before They Knew Him – Genesis 43:15-16
Genesis 43:15-16 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for…
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Mercy for the Road Ahead – Genesis 43:11-14
Genesis 43:11-14 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: And take double money in your hand;…
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The Surety Steps Forward – Genesis 43:7-10
Genesis 43:7-9 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel…
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When Hunger Forces the Issue – Genesis 43:1-6
Genesis 43:1-6 And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying,…
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A Father Holding Too Tight – Genesis 42:37-38
Genesis 42:37-38 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if…
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When Jacob Talks Instead of Israel – Genesis 42:36
Genesis 42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. This is one of those painfully honest verses in Scripture. Jacob looks at the whole situation and says, “All these…
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Fear in Every Sack – Genesis 42:29-35
Genesis 42:29-35 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. And we said unto him, We are true men; we are…
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Grace Put Back in the Sack – Genesis 42:25-28
Genesis 42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. I love this scene because Joseph does not just feed his brothers. He overwhelms them with undeserved kindness. He fills their…
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The King Who Still Wept – Genesis 42:24
Genesis 42:24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept… That gets me every time. Joseph is standing there before the very men who betrayed him, sold him, and acted like his pain meant nothing, and now he has to turn away because the emotion is too much. He wept. Under all the testing,…
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The One Listening All Along – Genesis 42:22-23
Genesis 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. Reuben finally says what had been hanging in the air all along. “His blood is required.” That is the language of guilt. Not inconvenience.…
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We are guilty – Genesis 42:19–21
If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. And they said one to…
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The Man They Could Not Read – Genesis 42:17
Genesis 42:17 And he put them all together into ward three days. Joseph shut his brothers up for three days. That was not random. In the Bible, the third day is often the day when something changes, the day when God begins to turn the corner, the day when what looked dark starts to break…
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Is There Any Truth in You – Genesis 42:14-16
Genesis 42:14-16 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be…
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True Men – Genesis 42:10-13
Genesis 42:10-13 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons; we are true men; thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, Thy servants…
