Sunday, December 19, 2021

God’s Timeline – Part 54 Joseph and the Famine

 God’s Timeline – Part 54

Joseph and the Famine

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

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This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church

 




SERMON TIMELINE (2021 A.D. = 5781 Jewish Calendar Year)

 -         Creation Week (Approximately 3700 - 4000 B.C.)

o   Adam, Eve, and the Fall


-         Cain and Abel

o   Evil Fills the World


-         Noah Did All God Commanded Him

o   The Flood (2348 B.C.)

o   God’s Covenant with Noah

o   Noah’s Sons and Ham’s Sin

o   Nations of Noah’s Sons

 

-         Tower of Babel (Approximately 2200 B.C.)

 -         God calls Abram (1921 B.C. 75 years old)

o   Abram and Lot part ways (1915 B.C.)

o   Rescue of Lot (1914 B.C.)

 

-         The Lord’s Covenant with Abram for Isaac

o   Hagar and Ishmael Born (1910 B.C.) Abram 86 years old

o   Sarai and Isaac

o   The Three Visitors

o   Abraham Pleads for Sodom

 

-         Birth of Isaac (1897 B.C. Abraham 99 years old Sarah 90-Hagar and Ishmael sent away)

o   The Lord tests Abraham (1876 B.C.)

o   Sarah Dies 127 years old (1860 B.C. Abraham is 136)

 

-         Isaac marries Rebekah (1857 B.C. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah)

 -         Jacob and Esau are born (1837 B.C. Isaac was 60 Abraham 159)

o   Abraham dies at 175 (1822 B.C. Isaac was 75)

o   Isaac receives the Birthright and his father’s blessing

o   Esau marries two Hittites at 40 (1857 B.C.)

o   Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael

o   Jacob travels to his grandfather’s family to find a wife (1819 B.C.)

o   Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

o   Jacob marries Leah then Rachel

§  Levi is born (1749 B.C.)

§  Joseph is born (1741 B.C.)

§  Benjamin is born (1731 B.C.)

o   Jacob fled Laban and is pursued

o   Jacob Prepares to meet Esau

o   Jacob Wrestles with God & Becomes Israel

o   Jacob Meets with Esau after 20 Years

o   Jacob’s Daughter Raped by Shechem

o   Jacob Returns to Bethel

o   The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac (1716 B.C. Isaac was 180 years old)

 

-         Joseph’s Dreams (Joseph is seventeen at the time)

o   Joseph Sold by His Brothers (1724 B.C.)

o   Joseph Imprisoned

o   Joseph interprets dreams while in prison

o   Joseph Interprets the Pharaoh’s Dream

o   Joseph enters the service of Pharaoh (1711 B.C. 7 years abundance begins)

o   Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt (Approx. 1704 B.C. begins 7-year famine)

o   Joseph’s Brothers Return Home from Egypt

o   Benjamin’s Silver Cup

o   Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (Approximately 1702 B.C.)

o   Jacob Travels to Egypt

o   Joseph and the Famine

 

 INTRODUCTION

Last week we read about Jacob traveling to Egypt and seeing his beloved son Joseph whom he had believed dead for over 20 years.

 

Joseph and the Pharoah had supplied Jacob and those in his household with food, wagons, and animals as well as silver. Once they arrived in Egypt, they were given land in Goshen, where they would live as long as they liked under the care and protection of Joseph.

 

With five more years of famine coming, there were still hard times around the globe.

 

The lands of Egypt and Canaan were fruitless because of the famine and would need the Pharoah if they were to survive.

 

SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 47:13-31

3There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine. 14Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace. 15When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”

 

16“Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.” 17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.

 

18When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

 

20So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21and Joseph reduced the people to servitude b from one end of Egypt to the other. 22However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.”

 

    I.            THE FAMINE STRIPPED EVERYTHING FROM THE PEOPLE

a.      Joseph collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan (VS 14)

                                              i.      The lands had been “exhausted” by the global famine

 

                                           ii.      The first time a global event threatened the world it was flood (abundance of water) and God offered salvation through the Ark

 

                                        iii.      This time the global event is drought, and salvation offered through Joseph’s position in Egypt

 

                                         iv.      Noah was warned of the coming calamity and prepared.

                                            v.      Joseph was warned of the coming calamity, and prepared.

 

                                         vi.      God warns His people of disaster so that they may prepare, survive, and even prosper during those times.

 

                                      vii.      The Word of God warns us of the next coming global calamity, referred to as “the trouble of Jacob”, a reference to the seven-year Famine, as well as references like “as it was in the days of Noah”, we need to listen!

 

                                    viii.      Salvation will not be found in an Ark, or in a godly man placed in a seat of power on earth, but in the one who they allegorically represented, Jesus Christ.

 

 

b.     The people then traded all their livestock for food

                                              i.      During Tribulation money will lose its value, objects and possessions too will have little value. With no real currency, and no material possessions with value, people will have nothing to trade, except, as we read here, themselves.

 

 

c.      Lastly, they traded their land and themselves

                                              i.      The people had nothing left to trade, but their land and themselves to be saved.

 

                                           ii.      But God’s warning of Tribulation gives us ample time to “prepare” for the coming days.

 

 

                                        iii.      We surrender to the Lord, serving Him, and we will be spared the coming calamity.

 

                                         iv.      Otherwise, we will be left with the terrible choice to die of starvation or surrender ourselves to the mark of the Beast so that we may buy and sell.

 

 

II.            A NEW TAX LAW ESTABLISHED AND THE ISRAELITES PROSPERED

a.      Joseph established a 1/5th produce tax on the people

                                              i.      This was prompted by the Spiritual Gift of God’s Wisdom, in order to prevent another time of death and devastation by drought.

 

                                           ii.      A preparation for the future.

 

 

b.     The people thanked Joseph for saving their lives

                                                 i.      We too must thank the Lord for His provision, and Salvation!

 

 

c.      During this time, the Israelites prospered

                                                 i.      While those around them were going broke, selling all their livestock, possessions, and land, and even submitting to servitude, those who were part of the covenant were protected, fed, and prospered.

 

                                              ii.      This is what a covenant of God looks like

 

                                           iii.      His Will is done, and His promises kept, regardless of outward circumstances!

 

 

III.            THE COVENANT FROM GOD TO ABRAHAM GOES ON!

a.      VS 27 states they were fruitful and increased greatly in number

                                                 i.      They were not just surviving, they were living!

 

b.     Jacob lived in Goshen for 17 years and died at 147 (1685 B.C.)

                                                 i.      The records of the global famine/drought coincide with secular records from around the world, which speak of mass migrations of peoples around the world looking for relief, food, salvation from the calamity.

 

c.      Jacob made Joseph promise to bury him with his “fathers”

                                                 i.      “Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.” (Gen. 23:19)

 

                                              ii.      This is called, “The Cave of the Patriarchs”

 

                                           iii.      It is still in the old city of Hebron today!

 

                                            iv.      You can visit it, admission is free. It is located 30K south of Jerusalem

 

 

CONCLUSION –

We see that God’s plan and the promise were coming together, even in the worst of times for the entire earth. The global famine had devastated the world and many nations; however, God was at work revealing Himself to the world, not just as the Creator, but as the sustainer and salvation of all mankind.

 

Through this global event, God revealed His sovereignty, as well as His steadfast adherence to His promises and will.

 

The Israelites prospered (vs 27 “became fruitful”), and “increased greatly in number” Just as God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

 

Though verse 28 mentions how long Jacob lived in Goshen, and at what age he died, this is just a note among the verses. He has not died as of yet.

 

Next week we will see the two replacements for Joseph and Levi to complete the 12-tribes.

 

 

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