Genesis 42-45, 38: Joseph: the Triumph of Faith

Rick Warren in his own Words by Brannon Howse

Rick Warren's quotes broken down by Brannon Howse, as per the YouTube video posted. Exposes Warren's ecumenical Global PEACE plan, social justice agenda , false "social gospel" & associations with other religions to achieve global unity. Incisive, direct, no-holds-barred commentary.

Jacob's Posterity & God's Enduring Promise

We end our journey into the amazing book of Genesis in this study. It is a journey of majestic proportions—the story of God unfolded from creation—to the beginning of His redemptive work after the fall. This study will end with the last of the patriarchs Jacob, and his blessing of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob was the most unworthy—if that can be said of anyone—of the patriarchs, and yet, in a show of immense and undeserved grace, God gave him a most prominent and well-attended burial—not only acknowledged for his greatness and his legacy by his own clan but by the Egyptians, as well. It was noted by the Canaanites that “This is a grievous mourning…” But it can also be said that Jacob was honored by the Egyptians because of Joseph. Jacob and his descendants were rescued from extinction and exalted in Egypt because of Joseph. Joseph, as his father Israel had declared in his blessing: “The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob: (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel…” The book of Genesis ends with a declaration of faith by Joseph to the children of Israel: “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.” It ends with hope that God will surely bring to pass all that He had promised. It took 400 hundred years for this promise to be fulfilled. In the same way, the same God who fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had promised his adopted children—the church, that he will return and bring us to His millennial kingdom. Our promised redemption that was declared in Genesis 3:15 had come and He will restore all things. Let us wait with faith and hope for the fulfillment of God’s promise. His promises had never failed: His name is Faithful and True. Hallelujah!

Genesis 42-45, 38: Joseph: the Triumph of Faith

The sovereignty of God is wonderfully displayed in the saga of Joseph. Joseph put it so perfectly in these words: “What you have meant for evil, God had meant for good.” God used the evil circumstances wrought by willful acts of man in order to work out his plans and purposes. God is always in control. Another beautiful truth is displayed in our study today: God uses messed-up, broken and sinful creatures to fulfill his plans in order to manifest his enduring mercy and unmerited favor. This is clearly evident in Judah’s life—yes, the Judah in this episode, who fornicates with his daughter-in-law thinking she was a prostitute; the same Judah who in past episodes, we learned, suggested his brother Joseph be sold as a slave, and lied to his father Jacob about Joseph’s death has become the Judah who put himself on the line interceding for the life of his father Jacob and the freedom of his brother Benjamin. It is not the line of Joseph—who will bring about the Messiah, but the seemingly unworthy line of Judah. Christ came from a shady, if not scandalously sinful stock to demonstrate his humility and his mercy to unworthy sinners like you and I. The heart of God is so clearly & beautifully displayed in this episode. It is the same God who engineered the master plan to rescue mankind from the fall back in the garden, the One who has the heart of a Father for the prodigal, the same heart that willed for His own beloved Son to die on the cross. We saw how Joseph is a startling picture of Jesus Christ in his trials and triumphs. May the Holy Spirit reveal these amazing & mind-blowing truths to you as you seek Him prayerfully in your study today.

Genesis: 37-41: Joseph: from Pit to Prison to Palace

Joseph's life and example demonstrate the triumph of faith over adversity. Joseph along with Daniel and Job are the characters in the Bible that are shown to be without reproach. The beloved of his father, at the young age of 17, he suffered evil and injustice from the hands of his brothers, endured suffering as a slave and prisoner, transplanted from his family into a strange and pagan land. Alone in a pagan society, he maintained his faith in YHWH, persevered in his walk with the Lord, never shown to complain or protest his plight and God lifted him up in His due time. Joseph is a remarkable and powerful picture of Jesus Christ. The parallels between the lives of Joseph and Jesus Christ are striking as we will learn in this episode. Why do the righteous suffer? The same could be asked of Joseph. For no apparent reason he endured suffering. Only later in our study we will learn that God, who is wise, and loving, had a perfect plan and purpose for all the seemingly unfair hardships he went through. The same is true for each one of us. May we learn from the life & example of Joseph today.