Rejoice in the Lord

Joseph Part 6: Judah and Tamar

Deceiving the Deceiver We got to verse 16 but because its been a couple of weeks lets go back and review from verse 12 12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers. 13 Tamar…

Pressing Toward the Prize

Introduction Sometimes we assume that the apostle Paul lived on a completely different spiritual level than the rest of us. We imagine him as a kind of spiritual giant who had already figured everything out. If anyone had “arrived,” surely it was Paul. But in Philippians 3 , Paul shatters that assumption.…

Joseph Part 5: Judah and Tamar

Judah and Tamar This story, for many people, when you read it, you're just like, "What is this doing here?" And that is on purpose. It's a riddle. And the more you meditate on it and the more you meditate on the relationship between the shared words and images with the narratives on either side, backwards…

Rejoice in the Lord

Introduction: A Command and a Warning As Paul turns into chapter 3 of Philippians, he writes, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.” That word “finally” does not mean he is finished. It signals a shift. He is moving from the example of Christ’s humility in chapter 2 to a serious warning in chapter…

Joseph Part 4: Down into the Pit

Down Into the Pit The scene that we were just in was about how Joseph is betrayed by all the brothers, including Abraham's other sons, but especially Judah, that snake, and his really self-oriented betrayal of his brother. He's after a quick 20 shekels. We're gonna pick up in verse 29 and shift back…