Gen. 41:16 and 38 mercy the big picture.

It would be good to read the whole chapter.  Here is a man.  He is Joseph.  A slave who was so mistreated that he was throne in prison.  It would be easy to miss the thing God was doing to vindicate his servant.  He is noted for not being alone for he is seen to have the Holy Spirit with him.  Surely everyone sees it is a mistake to throw him in prison being he couldn't operate in a gift of revealing dreams unless he was blessed of a---the God. 
      God alone sees to it that he is rewarded for his years of prison.  We sometimes feel we are in some kind of prison, till all of a sudden some mercy from God sets us free.  The gift God gave him to use set him free.  Just to tell of mine---when I feel tempted to feel the weight of trials and troubles I use the gift of music to comfort my soul.  God has blessed with one of the most wonderful gifts that the world has never heard.  It is like a bird singing in a cage.  The bird is all locked up and alone and yet he sings just like he is really free. 
       It was the gift that God gave him that made him free and victorious in life.  If we relate it to the gimmick thing, Joseph never gave money to get all that prosperity Egypt gave him.  No give to get schemes.  Magicians and other people are of no help.  Witchcraft is meant to destroy and so that's why it will take God to do a positive life giving thing.  That is why for many people the world is falling apart around them.  The world doesn't look to God who is the only answer.
prosperity comes to those who are righteous and good.  Even though mistreated.  The blessing of God is only on the things he gives.  You won't have to even make payments on those things.  Faith is a way of trusting God to supply everything.  We may not have everything at once, but we have it in God's timing.  God's mercy extended to all Egypt as well as Joseph's family and then the world----even though Joseph was mistreated.  He learned to forgive though.  The value of forgiveness will pay off when it is time to stand before God in the future.

Gen. 40:4 souls in our care.

We see here that when Joseph is given responsibility to care for the Baker and Butler,  it is like they are turned over into the hands of God.  The dreams were given by God and interpreted by God through his servant.  It is the same for the Christian.  No matter how the souls in our ministry in life may act, we are caring for them.  We pray and all the rest for them.  They may be rebelious and proud but we are just servants.  We see two opposites.  One will die according to Joseph. The other will live according to Joseph.  That is a large understanding.  Souls in our care are a gift of responsibility.  In this case the lives of two.
 False prophesy and misuse of the word of God shall be dealt with by God.  Those who mistreat or abuse God's people may answer now or later.  Some places called church are guilty of sending the poor away. That is because they have nothing to give.  In the last post we speak about gimmicks to get the money.  The  bible is the only thing God gave us to follow.  We cannot add to it or take away.  Even revelations must line up with the bible teaching.   What a trrible thing to ministefr good and bad at the same time. Doctrine keeps us in the safe zone.  May we trust the Holy Spirit to deal with souls entrusted to us God's way.

Gen. 39:2-3 no gimmicks needed.

No he didn't even do anything to get that many colored coat from his father.  All he had was given him. It was taken away by his brothers.  Are they who say they are ministers and our brothers do they try to trick us out of our money by false so called bible principles.  Joseph served as a slave in Pharoah's house.  He was there out of his being made a slave.  God was with him that is all.  He wasn't able to go to church.  I am just talking ideas here I know there was no church.  God was all he had---no gimmicks.  But don't quit me now---he was righteous.  Matt. 6:33 says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added.  Those in the O.T.  times did offer the blood of sacrifice at the alter. 
Joseph's faith was in God.  The new covenant under Christ  has different ways to act faith.  Note Joseph wasn't under the law of Moses. ---Also he gave nothing as a tithe.  He couldn't do anything but believe God.  ------------For a long time.  Not only that but God would use him to give freely to his family who didn't even like him.  He would just forgive them.
         So how does he prosper without gimmicks?  It was all through his living upright.  He was well trusted by all and that prospered him.  He was ready to help those in prison instead of only thinking of himself.  He learned a lesson that God can prosper and bless even when you lose everything and have to depend on God only. 
        On thanksgiving many are thankful for just the food.  There are so many more wonderful things God is doing for us each day. 
       In a church we belonged to in the past  it was only one dollar a year rent. It was a small church who believed God to supply.  The Pastor never asked for money he left a box in the back which said love offering.  He fed the people the word of God abundantly. He earned what went in the box. 
        God's promises are faithful and true. He promised to supply so we would never have to beg or scheme.  God's people learn and copy their teachers. we need good men who will feed us and not be caught up in activities that everybody likes to keep them in the church.
        As  a analogy if we have a computor  with hijackers and malware and adware and cookies etc. we get rid of it fast as possible.  Some people will stay in a church with heresy, false doctrine, gimmicks etc. they will not go to feeding pastures.  It isn't easy to get rid of viruses but it is to get away from the false teachers.

Gen.38 providence reigns.

Here we have a picture of a man who is carrying the seed which will be the Christ.  He is Judah.  He is a whore monger though. He being a brother of Joseph, would have Joseph killed along with his other brothers help.  God sends  Pharoah's men just in time to bring Joseph to Egypt as a slave.  This would preserve Israel from destruction by famine  in the future. Joseph would become a great leader.
God caused the right woman to carry Judah's seed instead of just any woman.  She bare a son who would be the geneological generation that leads to Joseph and Mary.  We see that God has well planned everything to go according to his will.  The same goes for all his people.
Spiritually speaking,  Israel is considered a unfaithful woman who Jesus came forth from. Though they rejected him as Messiah he is going to come one day and show mercy and convince her he is the Messiah they are looking for.

Gen. 37:8 hate developed from not understanding.

Joseph told his dreams from God.  The world will not receive us for the things we believe about God. 
The brothers completely hated him though he was not telling just dreams.  He was getting them from God almighty.  More than that, the dreams were including their future hope. They were actually presented so they would reject him and send him away to the place that would bring the fulfillment of the
dream that would bless them.     Jesus came saying he was the son of God and they called him a blasphemer. If they knew that was true they wouldn't send him to the cross. 
    So we learn that it is possible to tell the truth and be rejected and yet God turn it around for good. 
I have seen the devil slap himself many a time when he tried to do me wrong and it turned out to be a blessing in disquise. 
I remenber one day in the past when out sharing Jesus to a kid when a gang wanted to have me take them for a ride in my car.  They were all in the back seat.  The Holy Spirit peace was all over me. The Lord gave me a word of Knowledge and I began telling it.  It was the story of Samson. I told them how he used the jawbone of a donkey to whoop many people. As I was telling I found myself slapping the seat real hard.  Never could have thought to do that in a million years.
  They all were scared stiff and wanted out of the car right now.  Better have God with you when you witness.  He protects us.  What a wonderful blessing for me as I learned how God would do anything to protect me as a witness . All we say to others about God should benefit them.  Their wrong reaction would  possibly hinder the good for them.

Gen. 36:1 choices that sometimes catch up in time.

Esau which is Edom.     All is going well for a long time. Esau chose to forfeit his blessing to Jacob.
it  is providentially ordained by God the blessing. Jacob got it and you can see him go right into it.
Esau seems to be okay. Generations come and go but eventually he has a future that will be a disaster.
Esau didn't know the future of his line.
It all started when Israel wanted to pass through Edom which was Esau's land.  They refused to let them through and mistreated them.  Abraham's covenant included blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.
In Obadiah the prophet who is found in the minor prophets of the bible ,you can see the destruction of Edom.   All that Esau started ws destroyed all because they were not good to Israel.
      One thing that pleases me is that America is helping Israel.  In 1:1-3  we see that pride goes before a fall  and all of the things or even idols people trust in are of no help.  I have seen people who try to get help in their troubles and no one wants to help. 
It is a terrible thing to lose all you have and it be given to one who is good before God. Jacob received al the blessings. He was wise in that he knew God is th only way to real blessing. God is dependable in times of trouble Ps. 46:1.

Gen. 35: Doctrine of Christ--- the God man.

Gen. 35:7,9,13   v.7  This is the first time God appears to Jacob
                            v.9   Now God appears to him again.
                          v.13   God goes up from talking with him.
       notice he's  coming down and going up in order to visit Jacob.  in Gen. 28:12-13  we see the dream he has with both angels and the Lord God on the ladder.  Look at Jn. 1:49-51  it is the same but now it is a better description, it is the son of man, Jesus.
          Gen. 32:24  a man wrestles with him. Back up to v.1-2 of 32: and you see Jacob knew the difference. He calls them angels and they are the Lord's hosts.  Joshua calls him the captain of the lord's hosts. 
            David says the heaven of heaven's cannot contain God.   1Kings 8:27.  When we have the trinity we see God the father and his son Jesus.  Jesus when he appears in the O.T. he is called the pre-incarnate Christ.  God can manifest his personalities in many ways.  The human body--son of man ---was put on God when he was born of Mary by the Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit is the 3rd personality of the triune God. 

           It is a very wonderful picture here that Jesus is God and man
            Jesus in the O.T. is the pre-incarnate Christ.
           The ladder  28:13  shows the Lord God on top of it.
            the ladder in Jn. 1:51  shows Jesus the son of man on top. He is the Lord God.  The Father is much to big to see. 1Kings 8:27  David says he is very big.
      
         The Holy Spirit that Jesus said he would send to take his place when he goes away , would make him be even closer to us than Jacob.  send to you John 16:7   and  be in you. John 14:17 
        God is big enough to bless and protect us.

Gen. 34: Why some are in the church.

In this chapter is a very interesting proof which is much needed today.

Many ministers are not careful to protect their sheep. They are interested in each person being there so to put money in the offering.  They will be very easy on mischievious people with lots of money.  Some who come to visit a church come only for the money. 
Here is how the thing about proof comes in.  In this story we see the deceivers saying let us join them and be circumcised.  Then little by little take away their possessions.  That's how covewtous people work.
      I have seen more mischief in churches than can be counted.   People creep into the church and leave a bad testimony which others say why do I want to go and be part with that church.
      In times of revival you will see people come in that are not known. They are the devils tools to stop revival if they can.
     This chap. shows proof of mischievious people who can join in for selfish reasons.  Of coarse we cannot deal with them like O.T. times.  We should be watchful and then use the bible way of  removing problem people.  It's a issue of money or final doom of a church.   Preachers can just shout judge not.  But judgement really is when wicked money lovers carry away all you got.  We see Jacob with a lot of prosperity , not a lot of get rich gimicks teachings.

Gen. 33:20 A thankful alter

In this day and time we don't have to build real stone alters to thank God.  Heb. 12:15  we can offer the sacrifice of praise to God.  All spiritual sacrifices like giving or serving.  Jacob's alter was awesome. it was a reminder that God who wrestled with him delivered him from his brother Esau's wrath. The alter was special to me when I saw it said Israel after God.  It said the mighty God of Israel (Jacob).
All we have to do is Rom.12:1-3  present yourselves a living sacrifice.  Jesus is pleased with our faithfulness to him.