Doug Batchelor: Hi,
friends. Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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I have a very
important announcement
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I'd like to share with you.
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About 25 years ago, even more
than that, Amazing Facts began
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broadcasting our Sabbath
School Study Hour programs.
00:00:11.74\00:00:15.44
Now, we initially did this as a
service for the church because,
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well, there were very few
churches back then that were
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media-ready to do
programs like that.
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In the intervening
years, hundreds of churches and
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ministries have been
able to start recording and
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producing Sabbath
School Study programs.
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Well, right now, we'd like to
put our energy into doing things
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that are more evangelistic and
so, beginning July, this year,
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2022, we're only going to
be providing our Sabbath School
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program on our streaming sites,
social media, like Facebook and
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YouTube, as well as the
Granite Bay Hilltop website.
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We've got some new things
planned during the regular slot
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where we've been airing the
Sabbath School Study times on
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Hope Channel, 3ABN, and AFTV,
and we want to do all we can to
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be as innovative and
fresh as we can, to be
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evangelistic and
reach as many as we can.
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And so, once again, if you want
to see the Sabbath School Study
00:01:07.93\00:01:11.20
Hour, it will be broadcasting on
the Granite Bay Hilltop website,
00:01:11.23\00:01:15.17
but on our stations, our partner
stations like Hope Channel and
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3ABN, we're going to be having
some new programs for you.
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Thank you so much for
your continued prayers
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and support of Amazing
Facts as we move forward
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together in
sharing the good news.
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CC by Aberdeen Captioning
1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io
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Shawn Brummund: Hello, and
welcome to the Sabbath School
00:02:06.72\00:02:08.42
Study Hour right here in
the Granite Bay Seventh-day
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Adventist Church in the Greater
Sacramento area of California.
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My name is Pastor Shawn
Brummund and it is my privilege
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both to host and--both
to host as well as to be
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able to teach our
lesson here today.
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We are coming to
the very last lesson
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of this particular
quarter of the year.
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And we are finishing up our
study in the book of Genesis.
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So I hope you have
your Bibles with you because
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this is a Bible study,
as well as your Quarterly,
00:02:35.72\00:02:38.32
if you have a
copy of that as well.
00:02:38.35\00:02:41.76
Just want to give a special
welcome to everybody that is
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watching as far as our online
members across the country,
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different people
around the world, and also
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those who are
friends of our church
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here, in different
parts of the world as well.
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It is just such a privilege to
be able to come together on this
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particular morning as we
continue to study God's Word.
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Before we invite our musicians
out to lead us out in song and
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worship, I just want to invite
you to take advantage of a free
00:03:05.08\00:03:08.52
gift offer that we
have for you here today.
00:03:08.55\00:03:11.15
It's entitled, "The Culture and
Christian," "The Culture and the
00:03:11.19\00:03:15.99
Christian," and it's written
by Joe Crews, the founder of
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Amazing Facts Ministries,
and all you have to do
00:03:18.66\00:03:21.46
is dial 1-866-788-3966.
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Now, that's mailed out to
all those who are in the US, or
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US--North America, I should say,
as well as the US Territories,
00:03:28.94\00:03:32.81
and you just ask for
Free Offer Number 143.
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And again,
that's 1-866-788-3966.
00:03:37.38\00:03:41.95
If you want a free digital
download and you live in the
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United States, you can go ahead
and text the code, "SH020,"
00:03:44.39\00:03:49.19
and you want to
dial that to 40544.
00:03:49.22\00:03:53.80
Now, if you're not in America
and you still want a free
00:03:53.83\00:03:56.23
digital download of
that, that is also available
00:03:56.26\00:03:58.67
on a website that
we have available for
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anybody that
has Internet access.
00:04:01.17\00:04:03.30
You just simply go
to study.aftv.org/SH020.
00:04:03.34\00:04:12.85
Again, that's
study.aftv.org/SH020.
00:04:12.88\00:04:18.19
We'll be happy to be
able to get that out to you.
00:04:18.22\00:04:20.32
Very good read, very important,
especially today, as the culture
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is deteriorating at a rate that
I think anybody in my lifetime
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has ever seen and so we
want to be able to see how
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can we stay
faithful to the Lord, what
00:04:31.80\00:04:33.10
does the Lord have
for us in that counsel.
00:04:33.13\00:04:36.00
And so, nice to
see you, good morning.
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Nice to have you
with us here this morning
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as we study the book of Genesis.
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We're going to ask
the Lord to be with
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us in prayer, first thing.
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Father in heaven, we want
to thank You so much for the
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opportunity to be
able to study Your Word.
00:04:46.75\00:04:49.62
I thank You so
much for Your church.
00:04:49.65\00:04:51.92
I thank You so much that
I can count myself a member
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and family member
of Your Church, Lord.
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And God, I want to thank You for
the privilege of being able to
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serve Your Church and each
and every person and interested
00:05:00.30\00:05:02.53
friend that might
be watching here today.
00:05:02.56\00:05:05.27
I want to pray that
Your Holy Spirit will do
00:05:05.30\00:05:06.94
its special work
that I could never do.
00:05:06.97\00:05:09.77
And God, I want to pray that You
will teach us, that You fulfill
00:05:09.80\00:05:12.67
Your promise that when Your
Spirit comes to all the sincere
00:05:12.71\00:05:15.51
in heart, that You will guide
us and lead us into all truth.
00:05:15.54\00:05:19.11
And so we ask for
that again, even right now.
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In Jesus's name we pray
these things, God, amen.
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All right, friends, I want to
invite you to go with me, not to
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the book of Genesis,
but to the book of Hebrews.
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We're going to start our lesson
study here by reviewing a little
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bit of the highlights of one
of my favorite chapters in the
00:05:33.73\00:05:36.83
Bible, which is
Hebrews chapter 11.
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And in the book of Hebrews, the
apostle Paul is inspired and led
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by God to do a little bit of
review of a family tree that we
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have been studying in detail for
the last couple of months now,
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and it's the most important
family tree that we can find in,
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not only all the Bible, but in
all of history, all of mankind.
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There is no more important
family tree than the family tree
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of Abraham and Isaac and then
finally, Jacob and his 12 sons.
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And so let's go to
Hebrews chapter 12.
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We're going to pick it up with
verse 8 through 10 as our first
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spot that we'll
look at here together.
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That is Hebrews
chapter 11 and verse 8.
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It says, "By faith," this
is the great faith chapter.
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Some call it the Hall of Faith.
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"By faith Abraham obeyed when
he was called to go out to the
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place which he would
receive as an inheritance.
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And he went out, not
knowing where he was going.
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By faith he dwelt in the
land of promise, as in a foreign
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country, dwelling in
tents with Isaac and Jacob,
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the heirs with him
of the same promise.
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For he waited for the
city which has foundations,
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whose builder and maker is God."
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I just want to invite you to
park that in your mind here as
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we move on to verse 13
now in this chapter and also
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into the following
chapters in Genesis.
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And where
Abraham's mind was, first
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and foremost,
throughout his lifetime.
00:07:04.02\00:07:06.72
We're going to
go to verse 13 now
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and read through to verse 16.
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In Hebrews 11, verse 13 it says,
"These all died in faith, not
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having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off
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were assured of them, embraced
them and confessed that they
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were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth.
00:07:24.37\00:07:28.64
For those who say
such things declare
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plainly that
they seek a homeland.
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And truly if they had called to
mind that country which they had
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come, they would have
had opportunity to return.
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But now they desire a better,
that is, a heavenly country.
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Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God,
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for He has
prepared a city for them."
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Now, it's reflecting on the same
city again that God had revealed
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to Abraham, and the
heavenly country that God
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had revealed to
that whole family line.
00:07:58.67\00:08:01.88
Then we go to verse 22 and
verse 20--verse 21 and verse 22.
00:08:01.91\00:08:07.25
In verse 21, there's that word
again, "By faith Abraham--sorry,
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Jacob, when he was dying,
blessed each of the sons of
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Joseph, and worshiped, leaning
on the top of his staff."
00:08:15.19\00:08:20.00
So as we look at the Genesis
record shortly after this, I
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just want us to picture Jacob
in his dying hours and his last
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breath that he's taking,
and he's giving these deep
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prophecies of the future to his
sons, and he's sitting on the
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edge of his bed, and even
sitting on the edge of his bed,
00:08:34.54\00:08:37.31
he needs to lean on
the top of that staff.
00:08:37.35\00:08:42.15
"By faith Joseph, when he
was dying, made mention of the
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departure of the children of
Israel, and gave instructions
00:08:45.35\00:08:49.02
concerning his
bones," his burial.
00:08:49.06\00:08:54.36
And now that we've reviewed this
Hall of Faith and reviewed this
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great family and
family tree, come with me
00:08:58.60\00:09:01.14
now to Genesis
chapter 50 and verse 24.
00:09:01.17\00:09:05.01
So we're going to go back to the
book of Genesis that we've been
00:09:05.04\00:09:07.04
studying, and today
we're looking at the last five
00:09:07.08\00:09:09.88
chapters, but we're going to
start our study by looking at
00:09:09.91\00:09:12.31
the very last verses of
the last chapter of Genesis.
00:09:12.35\00:09:20.06
So we're going to verse 24 and
it says, "And Joseph said to his
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brethren, 'I am dying; but God
will surely visit you, and bring
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you out of this land to the land
of which He swore to Abraham, to
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Isaac, and to Jacob.'
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And then Jacob
took an oath from the
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children of Israel, saying, 'God
will surely visit you, and you
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shall carry up
my bones from here.'
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And so Joseph died, being
110 years old; and they embalmed
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him, and he was put
in a coffin in Egypt."
00:09:51.59\00:09:56.06
Now, Joseph was the
second oldest of all
00:10:02.70\00:10:04.53
the 12 sons of
Jacob, was he not?
00:10:04.57\00:10:07.04
There's only one younger than
him, and his name was Benjamin.
00:10:07.07\00:10:11.24
Okay, many of
you know the story.
00:10:11.27\00:10:13.07
All right, so Joseph was,
by far, one of the youngest
00:10:13.11\00:10:15.71
brothers and one of
the youngest sons of Jacob.
00:10:15.74\00:10:18.95
And so, when we read those last
verses of Genesis and we find
00:10:18.98\00:10:22.75
there those last dying words
of Joseph before he gives up the
00:10:22.78\00:10:26.35
ghost, as we say, we find there
that he is almost for certain
00:10:26.39\00:10:33.96
one of the last ones,
if not the last one to die.
00:10:34.00\00:10:36.80
Now, Benjamin may be
alive still, we don't have that
00:10:36.83\00:10:39.33
record, but we
know that Joseph's older
00:10:39.37\00:10:41.47
brothers most likely
had already passed away.
00:10:41.50\00:10:44.67
His father certainly had passed
away 50-something years before
00:10:44.71\00:10:47.08
that, and so there's a very high
chance that he was the last one,
00:10:47.11\00:10:51.81
if not very close to being the
last of this great family tree
00:10:51.85\00:10:56.22
to pass away and
go to their rest.
00:10:56.25\00:10:59.12
The ending--and so when we come
to the close of Genesis, it's
00:10:59.15\00:11:01.92
really the ending of
the fourth generation.
00:11:01.96\00:11:04.53
The four great generations that
are found first in Abraham, and
00:11:04.56\00:11:08.06
then in Isaac, then in Jacob,
and then in Jacob's 12 sons.
00:11:08.10\00:11:13.00
Now, those 12 sons, of course,
as many if not all of us know,
00:11:13.03\00:11:15.94
were eventually to
become the 12 tribes of God's
00:11:15.97\00:11:19.41
country, the country
of Israel that was named
00:11:19.44\00:11:21.41
after that new
name of Jacob himself.
00:11:21.44\00:11:25.35
Now, I think it's important
for us to understand that long
00:11:25.38\00:11:28.22
before Jacob and Joseph's death
ever came to be, God had already
00:11:28.25\00:11:32.92
let them in on the fact
that it would be several
00:11:32.95\00:11:34.76
hundred years before
their descendants would
00:11:34.79\00:11:38.03
inherit the
Promised Land of Canaan.
00:11:38.06\00:11:42.13
I want to bring us back to
Genesis chapter 15 because in
00:11:42.16\00:11:45.70
Genesis chapter 15, verses 13 to
15, we find there that there is
00:11:45.73\00:11:50.04
recorded one of those prophetic
encounters that the first of his
00:11:50.07\00:11:53.88
family tree encountered
with God, and that is Abraham.
00:11:53.91\00:11:58.05
His name was Abram originally,
and as God was speaking to him
00:11:58.08\00:12:01.92
in one of those very first
prophetic encounters, God had
00:12:01.95\00:12:06.05
made and cut a very
deep covenant with Abraham.
00:12:06.09\00:12:10.09
And as He was doing that, He
told Abraham some information
00:12:10.13\00:12:14.30
that must have been very
overwhelming for Abraham, and
00:12:14.36\00:12:18.30
not only for him but I would say
also for his later descendants.
00:12:18.33\00:12:23.47
God says to him, "Know certainly
that your descendants will be
00:12:23.51\00:12:26.04
strangers in a land that is not
theirs, and will serve them, and
00:12:26.07\00:12:30.88
they will
afflict them 400 years.
00:12:30.91\00:12:35.45
And also the nation whom they
serve I will judge; afterward
00:12:35.48\00:12:38.95
they shall come out,"
and there's that promise.
00:12:38.99\00:12:42.02
God says, "Listen, it's
going to be a long haul.
00:12:42.06\00:12:44.89
As your descendants multiply and
become more than just a large
00:12:44.93\00:12:48.80
family," as it was, 70 of them
entered into Egypt as we read
00:12:48.83\00:12:52.07
the last chapters of
Genesis, "but they will become
00:12:52.10\00:12:54.40
2 to 3 million, and
then after that, find
00:12:54.44\00:12:57.04
themselves in the
millions upon millions."
00:12:57.07\00:13:00.58
And so God
confirms His promise again.
00:13:00.61\00:13:02.38
He says, "And also the nation
whom they serve I will judge;
00:13:02.41\00:13:06.21
and afterward they shall
come out with great possession.
00:13:06.25\00:13:08.45
Now as for you, you shall
go to your fathers in peace;
00:13:08.48\00:13:11.92
you shall be
buried at a good old age."
00:13:11.95\00:13:15.52
And so God reveals a couple of
important pieces of information
00:13:15.56\00:13:18.59
with Abraham early on in his
ministry and in his pilgrimage.
00:13:18.63\00:13:22.76
And that is, number one, that
he won't live to see the full
00:13:22.80\00:13:26.27
inheritance of the
Promised Land in this world.
00:13:26.30\00:13:29.40
Thus we find as we read in
Hebrews that Abraham's mind was,
00:13:29.44\00:13:33.17
yes, on the Promised Land and
the descendants and the nation
00:13:33.21\00:13:36.98
that would develop called Israel
in this world, but even bigger
00:13:37.01\00:13:40.72
than that, he was looking
forward to a heavenly country.
00:13:40.75\00:13:43.25
He was looking forward to a city
that was built without hands, a
00:13:43.28\00:13:47.12
city that the Lord
Himself would be a builder of.
00:13:47.16\00:13:49.89
God had revealed to Abraham
that indeed this world would be
00:13:49.92\00:13:53.36
something that is temporary
and that he would not actually
00:13:53.40\00:13:56.23
witness the fulfillment
of the Promised Land being
00:13:56.26\00:13:59.17
fully owned by him
and his descendants.
00:13:59.20\00:14:03.54
Not only that, but his
descendants's descendants
00:14:03.57\00:14:05.67
and his
descendants's descendants's
00:14:05.71\00:14:07.04
descendants would
not see that as well.
00:14:07.08\00:14:09.54
It would be 400 years as they
multiplied before they inherited
00:14:09.58\00:14:14.85
the Promised Land, before they
developed this earthly country
00:14:14.88\00:14:19.42
that was to be the light
to the world of all nations.
00:14:19.45\00:14:26.19
What are the odds
that Abraham shared
00:14:26.23\00:14:27.50
that truth with his son Isaac?
00:14:27.56\00:14:32.30
Pretty great, isn't it?
I would say it's very high.
00:14:32.33\00:14:34.70
In fact, I would put my money
on 100% that Abraham would have
00:14:34.74\00:14:38.57
shared with his prophetic, and
isn't it interesting, you know,
00:14:38.61\00:14:41.08
as I reflected upon
this again this morning,
00:14:41.11\00:14:42.78
as I've been poring
over these chapters over
00:14:42.81\00:14:45.41
this week, is
that what a lineage.
00:14:45.45\00:14:48.38
I mean, you have
Abraham, a prophet,
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.02
prophet of God,
multiple visions.
00:14:51.05\00:14:53.02
Then you have his son Isaac,
00:14:53.05\00:14:54.86
prophet of God,
multiple visions.
00:14:54.89\00:14:56.59
Then you have his son Jacob,
00:14:56.62\00:14:57.93
prophet of God,
multiple visions.
00:14:57.96\00:15:00.80
And even Joseph
was a prophet and
00:15:00.83\00:15:03.67
received
information directly from God,
00:15:03.70\00:15:06.53
interpretations
of dreams and so on.
00:15:06.57\00:15:08.87
And so we have
this deep, spiritual,
00:15:08.90\00:15:12.04
prophetic family
tree and family of God.
00:15:12.07\00:15:16.48
Now, were they
perfect in any--by any means?
00:15:16.51\00:15:18.35
No.
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.38
Did they grow as
they learned through
00:15:20.42\00:15:22.25
their disobedience
at different times?
00:15:22.28\00:15:24.49
Yes, they did.
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.76
And so we find
all kinds of important
00:15:26.79\00:15:29.02
lessons that
we've picked up on that.
00:15:29.06\00:15:30.79
But you know, coming back to
Abraham, after he received that
00:15:30.83\00:15:33.73
information and then Isaac
grew old enough to be able to
00:15:33.76\00:15:36.67
comprehend the great privilege
and responsibility and place
00:15:36.70\00:15:42.50
that God had told him that
he would be holding in history,
00:15:42.54\00:15:46.14
that Abraham certainly would
have shared with Isaac at some
00:15:46.17\00:15:48.78
point in his maturing
years that, indeed, that their
00:15:48.81\00:15:52.01
descendants, the descendants of
Isaac, would find themselves in
00:15:52.05\00:15:55.75
another land, serving them and
being afflicted even for a time
00:15:55.78\00:15:59.32
for 400 years before they became
a nation large enough, populated
00:15:59.35\00:16:03.46
enough, to become a nation of
their own in the Promised Land.
00:16:03.49\00:16:06.23
And what are the odds of Isaac
sharing that with his son Jacob?
00:16:06.26\00:16:10.37
Pretty high.
00:16:10.40\00:16:11.87
I would say probably 100%.
00:16:11.90\00:16:14.54
And so Jacob in his maturing
years, whatever year that Isaac
00:16:14.57\00:16:17.97
believed that Jacob was able
to be able to comprehend and be
00:16:18.01\00:16:20.88
able to come to grips with
the fact that there's a great
00:16:20.91\00:16:24.45
lineage and future
ahead of them, but it
00:16:24.48\00:16:26.61
would be a long and
difficult haul before they
00:16:26.65\00:16:28.62
actually owned the
Promised Land of Canaan.
00:16:28.65\00:16:32.75
What are the odds of Jacob
sharing that with his sons?
00:16:32.79\00:16:36.16
Well, that's pretty
high as well, isn't it?
00:16:36.19\00:16:38.19
And so Jacob's sons including
Joseph would have understood
00:16:38.23\00:16:41.76
that as well and so I think
it's easy for us and certainly I
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.73
think until I park in Genesis
as long as I have over the last
00:16:44.77\00:16:47.57
three months, that I haven't
quite picked up on the fact that
00:16:47.60\00:16:50.17
they were all
conscious of the bigger picture
00:16:50.21\00:16:52.14
all the way through
their lives, through their
00:16:52.17\00:16:54.38
prophecies, through
their struggles in life.
00:16:54.41\00:16:57.81
And thus when we come to Hebrews
chapter 11 I think that explains
00:16:57.85\00:17:02.55
again why when we see that
review and reflection upon the
00:17:02.58\00:17:05.99
lives of this great family and
family tree, that we find that
00:17:06.02\00:17:09.59
their focus is revealed not to
be only or even foremost on the
00:17:09.62\00:17:15.46
land of Canaan but beyond
that, the heavenly country.
00:17:15.50\00:17:20.07
Beyond that, the city that
is made with--by God Himself.
00:17:20.10\00:17:23.94
The eternal kingdom
that God has in store beyond
00:17:23.97\00:17:26.84
the land of Canaan
and beyond this earth.
00:17:26.88\00:17:29.01
And therefore they're
described and understood
00:17:29.04\00:17:30.61
themselves as pilgrims,
foreigners, not only in
00:17:30.65\00:17:33.78
the land of Canaan
but upon the whole earth.
00:17:33.82\00:17:36.58
And so this is
certainly something that has
00:17:36.62\00:17:39.12
helped me as I've
reflected upon this truth.
00:17:39.15\00:17:44.19
Now, of course, they understood
in this life, in this world,
00:17:44.23\00:17:48.23
that their place and their role
is one that was going to usher
00:17:48.26\00:17:51.30
in a very special
country that would make up--
00:17:51.33\00:17:54.04
be made up of their descendants.
00:17:54.07\00:17:56.77
That country was designed
to be a light to all nations.
00:17:56.81\00:17:59.74
God had revealed that through
his first revelations to the
00:17:59.77\00:18:02.54
prophet Abraham, the grandfather
of all this family tree and
00:18:02.58\00:18:07.52
certainly God had
said, "And you shall be--
00:18:07.55\00:18:09.15
your descendants shall
be a light to the world.
00:18:09.18\00:18:12.52
They shall be a
blessing to all nations."
00:18:12.55\00:18:15.92
And so there's a messianic,
prophetic, large, international
00:18:15.96\00:18:20.90
picture that God began to reveal
to Abraham as well as to his son
00:18:20.93\00:18:25.83
Isaac, Jacob,
and Jacob's 12 sons.
00:18:25.87\00:18:30.21
They understood that
that country was not to be an
00:18:30.24\00:18:32.31
ordinary country but it was
to be a country that was to be a
00:18:32.34\00:18:35.78
light to all nations to
introduce and to help all
00:18:35.81\00:18:40.45
nations to be able to understand
there is only one true God and
00:18:40.48\00:18:43.85
that one true God loves
you with an unending love.
00:18:43.89\00:18:47.82
And that one true God is
going to send His Son, His only
00:18:47.86\00:18:50.73
begotten eternal Son, that
whoever should believe in Him
00:18:50.76\00:18:54.73
shall not perish,
but have eternal life.
00:18:54.76\00:18:58.83
And so they
understood the bigger picture in
00:18:58.87\00:19:02.30
this world but also
beyond this world as well.
00:19:02.34\00:19:06.61
And we're going to see
more of that as we look at
00:19:06.64\00:19:08.21
chapter 50 in a few minutes
as we review Jacob's prophecies
00:19:08.24\00:19:12.81
that he had shared
with his children there.
00:19:12.85\00:19:18.99
Now this would also--this truth,
this context that I've been
00:19:19.02\00:19:22.76
spending a few moments now
looking at for us here together
00:19:22.79\00:19:26.36
is a context that also,
I think, would best explain
00:19:26.39\00:19:29.26
God's message to
Jacob that implied that
00:19:29.30\00:19:31.70
Jacob obviously had
some kind of anxiety.
00:19:31.73\00:19:34.20
He was being--he was being
challenged with some level of
00:19:34.24\00:19:38.87
fear about moving his whole
camp, his entire family, and
00:19:38.91\00:19:44.25
every family member into that
foreign country south, out of
00:19:44.28\00:19:48.95
the Promised Land, out
of the place in which his
00:19:48.98\00:19:54.56
father, his
grandfather had been buried,
00:19:54.59\00:19:57.76
his mother, his
grandmother had been buried.
00:19:57.79\00:20:01.50
We find there that
Jacob was struggling.
00:20:01.53\00:20:03.30
Let's go to Genesis
chapter 46 which is the
00:20:03.33\00:20:05.60
first chapter that
we looked at this week.
00:20:05.63\00:20:09.17
And we're going to
look at verses 3 through 4.
00:20:09.20\00:20:12.51
Genesis chapter
46, and we're going
00:20:12.54\00:20:16.54
to look at verses 3 through 4.
00:20:16.58\00:20:21.45
In 3 it says, "And He
said, 'I am God, the God
00:20:21.48\00:20:24.05
of your father; do not
fear to go down to Egypt,
00:20:24.09\00:20:27.76
for there I will
make you a great nation.
00:20:27.79\00:20:31.09
And I will go down with
you to Egypt, and I will
00:20:31.13\00:20:33.03
also surely bring
you up again; and Joseph
00:20:33.06\00:20:36.26
will put his
hands on your eyes.'"
00:20:36.30\00:20:38.50
Now, we have to
remember that God gave this
00:20:38.53\00:20:39.97
vision after Jacob had already
learned very clearly that the
00:20:40.00\00:20:44.47
son, his favorite son, in whom
he thought had been devoured and
00:20:44.51\00:20:48.98
killed by wild predators in
the wilderness many years before
00:20:49.01\00:20:52.48
that, some 20 years
before that, is now alive.
00:20:52.51\00:20:55.85
And not only is he alive and
living in Egypt and doing well,
00:20:55.88\00:20:59.02
but he is the
second-most powerful leader and
00:20:59.05\00:21:01.49
person--positioned
person in the land of Egypt.
00:21:01.52\00:21:04.93
Now that was no small
thing because Egypt was the most
00:21:04.96\00:21:07.20
powerful nation in
the entire known world.
00:21:07.23\00:21:10.60
And so this is a huge thing.
00:21:10.63\00:21:13.64
So Joseph is
beside himself, you know?
00:21:13.67\00:21:15.60
He's just--he's
pinching himself.
00:21:15.64\00:21:17.71
He can't believe that
this could hardly come to be.
00:21:17.74\00:21:20.44
And so was he
excited to see his son?
00:21:20.48\00:21:23.51
For certain he was
excited to see his son.
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.71
He was also learning that he
was going to be put up, and his
00:21:25.75\00:21:28.08
family would be put up, in
some of the best, most fertile,
00:21:28.12\00:21:31.69
richest land in all of Egypt,
to be able to prosper, to feed
00:21:31.72\00:21:36.26
their flocks and their livestock
as they were shepherds.
00:21:36.29\00:21:39.76
And so this was important.
00:21:39.79\00:21:41.86
They had also--he also had
learned now that they weren't
00:21:41.90\00:21:44.47
going to starve because the
famine, even though it is also
00:21:44.50\00:21:47.27
revealed to him is going to
extend for several more years
00:21:47.30\00:21:50.74
down the road, that he need not
worry about him and his family.
00:21:50.77\00:21:53.78
God was going to feed
him and his family for
00:21:53.81\00:21:56.24
the next several
years of the famine.
00:21:56.28\00:21:57.91
This is all good news.
00:21:57.95\00:22:00.62
And so one would think that
Jacob was nothing but excited
00:22:00.65\00:22:03.35
and full of faith and
comfort and reassurance, and
00:22:03.39\00:22:09.32
yet God shows up and
says, "Jacob, don't fear.
00:22:09.36\00:22:13.43
Don't be afraid."
00:22:13.46\00:22:15.03
Now, God doesn't
tell you and I not to
00:22:15.06\00:22:16.46
be afraid unless
we're afraid, right, okay?
00:22:16.50\00:22:20.44
I've never said to my daughter,
you know, "Rachel or Ashley,
00:22:20.47\00:22:24.14
don't be afraid,"
when they're not afraid.
00:22:24.17\00:22:27.28
I always say it
when they're afraid.
00:22:27.31\00:22:29.04
And so God is saying to
Jacob, "Listen, don't be afraid.
00:22:29.08\00:22:31.68
Go ahead, you can do it.
00:22:31.71\00:22:33.82
Just go down south."
00:22:33.85\00:22:35.38
Now Jacob understood
that they were to become
00:22:35.42\00:22:37.85
a nation and
another nation in which they
00:22:37.89\00:22:39.92
would be
afflicted for 400 years.
00:22:39.95\00:22:42.92
Now, friends, I don't know about
you but I wouldn't be all that
00:22:42.96\00:22:44.93
excited about leaving the
Promised Land and knowing that
00:22:44.96\00:22:47.30
you're kind of walking into the
lion's mouth in one way and so,
00:22:47.36\00:22:50.10
yes, the reception was good, but
God had already prophesied to
00:22:50.13\00:22:55.04
that family but it's not
always going to stay good.
00:22:55.07\00:22:58.21
And so Jacob must have
been a little bit apprehensive
00:22:58.24\00:23:01.28
about that,
knowing that information.
00:23:01.31\00:23:03.55
And therefore, God comes in His
grace and His graciousness as He
00:23:03.58\00:23:06.75
always does, and He
says, "Do not be afraid.
00:23:06.78\00:23:09.82
It's going to be okay, and
I'm going to reassure once again
00:23:09.85\00:23:13.59
that your people, your
descendants, will come back out
00:23:13.62\00:23:16.96
of Egypt and
inherit the Promised Land."
00:23:16.99\00:23:22.46
Now this also may be
the reason why God brought
00:23:22.50\00:23:24.40
a famine so severe
in the first place.
00:23:24.43\00:23:27.97
It may be that part of the
reason--and God also always does
00:23:28.00\00:23:30.77
so many things for multiple
reasons because he's such a
00:23:30.81\00:23:33.68
sophisticated and complex,
all-knowing, sovereign God, that
00:23:33.71\00:23:38.15
one of the other reasons that He
likely brought that famine upon
00:23:38.18\00:23:42.18
the family and upon the land of
Canaan and not Egypt was because
00:23:42.22\00:23:46.79
this was kind of a
little bit of a boost, you know.
00:23:46.82\00:23:49.66
It's almost like God got behind
Jacob's back and kind of pushed
00:23:49.69\00:23:52.33
him a little bit and said,
"Listen, I know you're going to
00:23:52.36\00:23:54.73
hesitate and the last thing you
want to do is leave the Promised
00:23:54.73\00:23:57.27
Land and know what the future
holds from you because I've
00:23:57.30\00:24:00.50
already told you, starting
with your grandfather, Abraham.
00:24:00.54\00:24:03.84
But I want you to know
that you need to go anyway.
00:24:03.87\00:24:06.51
And just in case you hesitate
and you decide otherwise," God
00:24:06.54\00:24:10.11
being sovereign over all
the circumstances of things that
00:24:10.15\00:24:12.51
take place upon the earth,
He kind of got behind Jacob and
00:24:12.55\00:24:15.75
pushed him and
said--Jacob basically knew
00:24:15.78\00:24:17.65
that if he doesn't take
his whole family to Egypt,
00:24:17.69\00:24:20.46
they're literally
going to starve to death.
00:24:20.49\00:24:23.02
And so it was a
matter of survival
00:24:23.06\00:24:25.63
for them to go to
the land of Egypt.
00:24:25.66\00:24:28.56
God sometimes
pushes us, doesn't He?
00:24:28.60\00:24:30.70
He kind of gets
behind us and He kind
00:24:30.73\00:24:32.03
of pushes behind
our back, just lightly.
00:24:32.07\00:24:34.60
He doesn't push us over,
He doesn't kick us, but He
00:24:34.64\00:24:38.07
sometimes gets behind our back
and He just kind of nudges us a
00:24:38.11\00:24:40.38
little bit and says, you
know, "I know you're hesitating.
00:24:40.41\00:24:42.41
You're not sure if
you should go this way.
00:24:42.44\00:24:43.78
You may even be scared
to go in that direction.
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.38
But I'm going to break some
circumstances and so on in your
00:24:46.41\00:24:48.85
life that's going to just
help you in that direction.
00:24:48.88\00:24:52.25
And certainly I can
look back and God has called
00:24:52.29\00:24:54.42
me to do a number of
things that came with a
00:24:54.46\00:24:56.32
lot of anxiety, a
lot of fear, you know?
00:24:56.36\00:24:59.13
It's like, "Oh,
God, this is not me.
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.20
I can't do this,"
including standing up before an
00:25:01.23\00:25:04.40
audience like this and
preaching and teaching.
00:25:04.43\00:25:07.60
I was
terrified. I was terrified.
00:25:07.64\00:25:11.91
I mean, the first time I was
asked to do a scripture reading,
00:25:11.94\00:25:14.01
maybe I've shared
this before, you know.
00:25:14.04\00:25:15.54
First time I was asked
to do scripture reading
00:25:15.58\00:25:16.88
was the first time I
ever did public speaking.
00:25:16.91\00:25:18.35
I stood in front of the church.
00:25:18.38\00:25:19.68
You know, I could hide behind
the pulpit and my knees were
00:25:19.71\00:25:22.22
knocking, literally, but
you couldn't tell that part.
00:25:22.25\00:25:26.02
But I couldn't hide my
voice, and my voice was
00:25:26.05\00:25:27.82
literally shaking
like this... I'm not--
00:25:27.86\00:25:31.36
I'm barely exaggerating
that. Barely exaggerating.
00:25:31.39\00:25:35.13
You could hear
the shaking and the
00:25:35.16\00:25:36.70
quivering of my
voice as I was speaking.
00:25:36.73\00:25:39.13
God calls us
sometimes to do things and go in
00:25:39.17\00:25:41.57
directions that can
be very intimidating, and
00:25:41.60\00:25:45.31
very apprehension--cause
us to be very apprehensive.
00:25:45.34\00:25:48.51
And I think this is
one of those instances.
00:25:48.54\00:25:54.75
When Jacob arrived
with his family, the Bible
00:25:54.78\00:25:56.42
goes out of its way to
point out that there was
00:25:56.45\00:25:58.52
a total of 70
biological members.
00:25:58.55\00:26:00.86
We find that in
the same chapter.
00:26:00.89\00:26:02.29
In verse 27 it says,
"And the sons of Joseph who
00:26:02.32\00:26:04.96
were born to him in
Egypt were two persons."
00:26:04.99\00:26:07.86
So there's three biological
descendants and sons of Jacob
00:26:07.86\00:26:12.67
already in Egypt that
preceded the rest of the family.
00:26:12.70\00:26:16.34
And verse 26 told us
that there are 66 that were
00:26:16.37\00:26:19.47
still on their way,
including Jacob himself.
00:26:19.51\00:26:22.54
And therefore, when we
come to the end of verse 27,
00:26:22.58\00:26:24.48
it can rightly say,
"All the persons of the house
00:26:24.51\00:26:26.38
of Jacob who went
into Egypt were 70."
00:26:26.41\00:26:30.59
Now, 70 is something
that many of us, you know,
00:26:30.62\00:26:33.15
that kind of
attracts our attention.
00:26:33.19\00:26:34.69
Seventy is not a small number
because seven is one of God's
00:26:34.72\00:26:38.59
key biblical numbers
that He has revealed.
00:26:38.63\00:26:40.80
It is kind of the
ultimate divine number.
00:26:40.83\00:26:42.63
Seven and twelve are the
two biggest numbers, twelve
00:26:42.66\00:26:45.47
representing the kingdom
of God and then we have seven
00:26:45.50\00:26:47.84
representing God's perfection,
completeness, His wholeness.
00:26:47.87\00:26:52.11
When we go to the very first
chapter of Genesis we find there
00:26:52.14\00:26:54.88
that God created the heavens
and the earth in six days,
00:26:54.91\00:26:58.95
but He didn't
stop there, did He?
00:26:58.98\00:27:00.28
Then He blessed and rested and
made holy the seventh day and
00:27:00.32\00:27:04.25
said, "Okay, from now on, there
is a seven-day weekly cycle."
00:27:04.29\00:27:09.16
And all of mankind has somehow
found themselves still operating
00:27:09.19\00:27:13.50
under that perfect
weekly cycle of seven.
00:27:13.53\00:27:16.87
So right from
the get-go, God has
00:27:16.90\00:27:18.27
revealed there
is a completeness.
00:27:18.30\00:27:20.10
There is a
fullness, a perfection,
00:27:20.14\00:27:22.07
found in the number seven.
00:27:22.10\00:27:24.31
And so when we find the number
70 we find that reflection of
00:27:24.34\00:27:28.28
the number 7 and as the
Quarterly points out, I think
00:27:28.31\00:27:32.25
there's some useful and some
legitimate suggestion there by
00:27:32.28\00:27:37.35
God that in Genesis
chapter 10 there were 70 nations
00:27:37.39\00:27:42.39
that were listed that
represented all of mankind
00:27:42.42\00:27:45.13
in those first
generations after the flood.
00:27:45.16\00:27:48.80
And so there's a strong
suggestion there that Abraham
00:27:48.83\00:27:54.17
and his family
arriving in Egypt, every single
00:27:54.20\00:27:57.41
biological family
member of his family.
00:27:57.44\00:28:01.08
It even points out and says
his daughters-in-law weren't
00:28:01.11\00:28:03.68
included 'cause they weren't
his biological descendants.
00:28:03.71\00:28:06.68
But the fact that there are 70
biological descendants that are
00:28:06.72\00:28:10.75
found in the land of Egypt
by Jacob, Israel, that this
00:28:10.79\00:28:16.16
represents the fact that their
journey and the implications of
00:28:16.19\00:28:21.23
Jacob, this budding
infant of a nation arriving
00:28:21.26\00:28:26.27
in Egypt,
represents and has implication
00:28:26.30\00:28:28.90
that affects all the
nations of the world.
00:28:28.94\00:28:32.01
And that's why us, in the year
2022 in the United States of
00:28:32.04\00:28:35.84
North America, which they didn't
even know existed back then as
00:28:35.88\00:28:39.15
far as a continent and certainly
weren't existed as a country
00:28:39.18\00:28:42.45
yet, is also
included in the implications.
00:28:42.48\00:28:45.72
The implications and the results
of Jacob's life and his son's
00:28:45.75\00:28:49.49
life directly
reflect your life and mine.
00:28:49.52\00:28:54.66
And so there's some deep
symbolism there in the numbers
00:28:54.73\00:28:57.70
that are being thrown around
here in the book of Genesis, and
00:28:57.73\00:29:00.57
I think this is
certainly one of them.
00:29:00.60\00:29:03.87
When we come to chapter 47, that
chapter's highlight there is
00:29:03.91\00:29:07.08
when the 5 brothers
of Joseph and, of course,
00:29:07.11\00:29:10.21
the father of those 12
brothers, including Joseph--
00:29:10.25\00:29:14.42
Jacob have a
personal meeting with Pharaoh.
00:29:14.45\00:29:17.69
Now, the Bible
doesn't explain why.
00:29:17.72\00:29:19.32
It's probably a matter of
logistics and so on, but Joseph
00:29:19.35\00:29:22.56
chose five men from
among his brothers to come in.
00:29:22.59\00:29:26.26
So we have five brothers
plus Joseph, so there's six.
00:29:26.29\00:29:29.73
Half of the brothers.
00:29:29.76\00:29:31.43
I don't know, maybe
Joseph didn't want to
00:29:31.47\00:29:32.77
overwhelm the
Pharaoh or--I'm not sure.
00:29:32.80\00:29:34.47
It doesn't explain why.
00:29:34.50\00:29:35.80
But Joseph first introduces
half of his--there's five of his
00:29:35.84\00:29:39.47
brothers, Joseph being the
sixth, and introduces them and
00:29:39.51\00:29:43.65
asks for an official
blessing and confirmation
00:29:43.68\00:29:46.72
that they can dwell in the
land of Egypt, his country,
00:29:46.75\00:29:51.35
Pharaoh's country,
in the land of Goshen.
00:29:51.39\00:29:54.62
And Pharaoh, very
graciously, offers it to him.
00:29:54.66\00:29:58.56
This is a much different
pharaoh than the pharaoh that is
00:29:58.59\00:30:01.36
introduced in Exodus which is
two or three pharaohs later when
00:30:01.40\00:30:05.07
we come to the
next book of the Bible.
00:30:05.10\00:30:07.90
This one is a
very gracious king.
00:30:07.94\00:30:11.31
He is obviously one that is
very open to the God of Joseph.
00:30:11.34\00:30:15.34
We don't know if
he died a saved man.
00:30:15.38\00:30:17.45
There is a high
chance that he would have.
00:30:17.48\00:30:21.52
He had
experienced a prophetic dream
00:30:21.55\00:30:24.35
from the true God of heaven.
00:30:24.39\00:30:26.29
The land of the goats--I mean,
no, not the land of them but he
00:30:26.32\00:30:29.39
had the corn and the cows, the
two dreams that he had received,
00:30:29.42\00:30:32.46
you know, that
represented the seven years of
00:30:32.49\00:30:35.40
plenty in the land
of Egypt, which would be
00:30:35.43\00:30:37.23
followed by seven
years of severe famine.
00:30:37.27\00:30:41.07
Joseph didn't make that up, and
certainly the Pharaoh didn't,
00:30:41.10\00:30:43.27
but the Pharaoh
received it, just very much like
00:30:43.30\00:30:45.41
Nebuchadnezzar who eventually
gave his heart to the Lord.
00:30:45.44\00:30:48.64
And so here we have the Pharaoh.
00:30:48.68\00:30:49.98
He's obviously a
very gracious king.
00:30:50.01\00:30:52.61
He's one that is very open to
the God of Joseph because of his
00:30:52.65\00:30:57.02
experiences with God, and also
revealed because of his very
00:30:57.05\00:31:01.82
amiable relationship with Joseph
who is a very faithful, devout,
00:31:01.86\00:31:06.73
exclusive worshiper of
the God of Israel and the God
00:31:06.76\00:31:11.00
of Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob alone.
00:31:11.03\00:31:14.44
And so, Joseph was
faithful all of those years,
00:31:14.47\00:31:17.74
and Pharaoh was okay with that.
00:31:17.77\00:31:21.28
And so Pharaoh was--it's not
surprising to find here that the
00:31:21.31\00:31:24.41
king had graciously offered them
the best of the land in regards
00:31:24.45\00:31:28.35
to feeding their livestock and
then also asked them and said to
00:31:28.38\00:31:33.15
Joseph, "Oh, and by the way,
the most competent among your
00:31:33.19\00:31:35.59
brothers, can you please
assign them even to be the chief
00:31:35.62\00:31:38.49
herdsmen of my
herds, of the royal herds."
00:31:38.53\00:31:41.80
And it doesn't give us
the details of how many
00:31:41.83\00:31:43.77
actually took him up
on that, but certainly the
00:31:43.80\00:31:46.94
Pharaoh wanted to
plug in on that as well.
00:31:46.97\00:31:50.11
And then, of
course, Dad comes in.
00:31:50.14\00:31:52.01
So Joseph then goes ahead
and ushers his dad, Jacob, in.
00:31:52.04\00:31:55.28
Now Jacob is 130
years old at this point.
00:31:55.31\00:31:58.41
He's only 13 years
away for--17 years away from
00:31:58.45\00:32:01.28
the end of his life,
and so he's a senior.
00:32:01.32\00:32:04.49
And as he makes
his way into the room,
00:32:04.52\00:32:07.02
Pharaoh asks, "How old are you?"
00:32:07.06\00:32:09.46
And Jacob responds and
in a short answer he says,
00:32:09.49\00:32:12.23
"I'm 137--" no, 100
and, no, what is it?
00:32:12.26\00:32:18.57
It's 130, 130 years.
00:32:18.60\00:32:21.64
Yeah, 'cause he died at 147.
00:32:21.67\00:32:23.30
So he's 130 years old.
00:32:23.34\00:32:25.44
And so then it tells us, as
we read--let's go ahead and read
00:32:25.47\00:32:29.48
those verses,
verses 5 through 9.
00:32:29.51\00:32:33.11
In verse 5 it says, "Then
Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying,
00:32:33.15\00:32:35.65
'Your father and your
brothers have come to you.
00:32:35.68\00:32:38.05
The land of Egypt is before you.
00:32:38.09\00:32:40.16
Have your fathers and brothers
dwell in the land--the best of
00:32:40.19\00:32:42.62
the land; and let them
dwell in the land of Goshen.
00:32:42.66\00:32:44.89
And if you have any competent
men among them, make them the
00:32:44.93\00:32:47.30
chief herdsmen
among my livestock.'
00:32:47.30\00:32:49.86
And then Joseph brought his
father Jacob and set him before
00:32:49.90\00:32:53.27
Pharaoh; and
Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
00:32:53.30\00:32:56.77
And Pharaoh said to
Jacob, 'How old are you?'
00:32:56.81\00:32:59.44
And Jacob said to
Pharaoh, 'The days of
00:32:59.47\00:33:02.14
the years of my
pilgrimage are 130 years;
00:33:02.18\00:33:05.21
few and evil have been the days
of the years of my life, and
00:33:05.25\00:33:09.18
they have not attained to the
days of the years of the life of
00:33:09.22\00:33:11.25
my fathers in the
days of their pilgrimage.'"
00:33:11.29\00:33:13.42
And so Jacob, as he
comes to 130 years old,
00:33:13.46\00:33:16.06
knows that he's not going
to approach the later years
00:33:16.09\00:33:19.06
as Abraham, his
grandfather, and his father had
00:33:19.09\00:33:21.66
reached several decades older
than Jacob was able to achieve.
00:33:21.70\00:33:27.17
And that's probably
most likely because Jacob
00:33:27.20\00:33:29.14
went through a lot
of years of suffering.
00:33:29.17\00:33:31.17
Those 20 years aged
him prematurely, almost for
00:33:31.21\00:33:35.28
certainly, very greatly because
when he was serving his Uncle
00:33:35.31\00:33:38.25
Laban, because when we come
to the last conversation that is
00:33:38.28\00:33:41.78
recorded between
Jacob and Laban, we find
00:33:41.82\00:33:45.29
that Jacob went
through a lot of hard times
00:33:45.32\00:33:47.89
and those hard times
probably took their toll.
00:33:47.92\00:33:51.66
Many people ask themselves,
"Well, how in the world would a
00:33:51.69\00:33:54.63
pagan heathen king, the pharaoh
of Egypt, open himself up and be
00:33:54.66\00:34:00.84
receptive to a
blessing from this Hebrew man
00:34:00.87\00:34:04.27
that he had never met
before, this stranger,
00:34:04.31\00:34:07.01
this shepherd,
the father of Joseph?"
00:34:07.04\00:34:10.61
And that's not
an unusual question.
00:34:10.65\00:34:12.18
I can remember asking myself
the same thing, questioning,
00:34:12.21\00:34:14.82
scratching my head
and say, "Wait a minute.
00:34:14.85\00:34:16.89
Pharaoh's not a
worshiper of God.
00:34:16.92\00:34:19.32
He's the--in fact, he's
recognized as one of the gods of
00:34:19.35\00:34:21.96
Egypt in the false religions
that were existing there."
00:34:21.99\00:34:25.93
But again, as I shared earlier,
we have to remember the history
00:34:25.96\00:34:28.60
that is taking
place with this pharaoh.
00:34:28.63\00:34:30.33
He's very open and receptive.
00:34:30.37\00:34:32.60
Doesn't say that he's fully
converted, but he's certainly
00:34:32.63\00:34:34.54
not antagonistic
against the true God.
00:34:34.57\00:34:36.57
In fact, I'm sure that he
believes in the existence, at
00:34:36.60\00:34:38.94
minimum, the existence and the
power that is found in the God
00:34:38.97\00:34:43.11
of Joseph, because remember, it
was God's--Joseph's God, it was
00:34:43.14\00:34:46.48
Jacob's God, that
had saved his country.
00:34:46.51\00:34:49.55
Pharaoh knows that he would be
destitute and starving with the
00:34:49.58\00:34:52.29
rest of Egypt and
like all the nations around
00:34:52.32\00:34:54.16
him, if it weren't
for the God of Jacob.
00:34:54.19\00:34:57.33
And so, Pharaoh would very
naturally, in fact, it would
00:34:57.36\00:35:00.56
make more sense to be--for him
to be open to the blessing of
00:35:00.60\00:35:03.63
Jacob because of all
that Jacob represents.
00:35:03.67\00:35:07.47
Pharaoh recognizes that Joseph
is a prophet of the true God of
00:35:07.50\00:35:10.81
Israel, and we also can see that
Pharaoh would recognize that
00:35:10.84\00:35:15.08
Jacob is also a
prophet, as Joseph probably
00:35:15.11\00:35:18.31
would have shared
with him, of God as well.
00:35:18.35\00:35:20.55
And so for Pharaoh to receive a
blessing, a religious blessing,
00:35:20.58\00:35:25.12
from this elderly man that has
so much deep experience with the
00:35:25.15\00:35:29.49
true God of heaven,
would be something that
00:35:29.52\00:35:31.73
I think Pharaoh would
be very--found himself
00:35:31.76\00:35:33.46
very honored to
be able to receive.
00:35:33.50\00:35:36.60
And so I think the context helps
us to be able to understand that
00:35:36.63\00:35:39.67
just a little bit clearer
for us as we look at that.
00:35:39.70\00:35:46.21
Now we go on to chapter 48.
00:35:46.24\00:35:48.44
In chapter 48, God leads Jacob
to spiritually adopt both of
00:35:48.48\00:35:51.75
Joseph's sons, and thus
the two become two tribes
00:35:51.78\00:35:55.75
of Israel and not just
the tribe named Joseph,
00:35:55.78\00:35:58.99
Manasseh and Ephraim
are the sons of Joseph.
00:35:59.02\00:36:02.09
So when we come to the 48th
chapter, we find there again
00:36:02.12\00:36:04.39
that the key, the highlight
there, is this conversation that
00:36:04.43\00:36:07.66
Jacob has, first with Joseph,
and then with Joseph's sons.
00:36:07.66\00:36:11.50
And as we come to verse 5 and
as we come to verse 6, we find
00:36:11.53\00:36:17.37
there that Jacob is
declaring that he's basically
00:36:17.41\00:36:25.31
spiritually adopting
both of Joseph's sons.
00:36:25.35\00:36:31.62
So again, in chapter 58 and
verse 5, we have the two sons
00:36:31.65\00:36:35.36
that are being declared
as actual sons of Jacob.
00:36:35.39\00:36:38.96
Now, are they the
literal sons of Jacob?
00:36:38.99\00:36:41.90
No, they're the grandsons of
Jacob, to be certain they're his
00:36:41.93\00:36:44.73
biological grandsons,
but certainly they are
00:36:44.77\00:36:47.17
not--certainly
they're not the direct sons.
00:36:47.20\00:36:53.54
But nevertheless, he
declares them as his.
00:36:53.58\00:36:55.68
Now, Jacob and Joseph apparently
understood that this was a
00:36:55.71\00:37:01.45
declaration that would exclude
now Joseph from being named as
00:37:01.48\00:37:05.65
one of the 12 tribes and
descendants of Jacob and his 2
00:37:05.69\00:37:09.29
sons that came from the loins of
Jacob--I mean, of Joseph, would
00:37:09.32\00:37:14.36
find themselves inheriting the
two tribes that would be named
00:37:14.36\00:37:20.14
after them, which is
Ephraim and Manasseh.
00:37:20.17\00:37:24.11
And we can find that
being picked up in verse 15.
00:37:24.14\00:37:25.94
In verse 15, he said, "And he
blessed Joseph, and said: 'God,
00:37:25.97\00:37:29.71
before whom my fathers Abraham
and Isaac walked, the God who
00:37:29.74\00:37:32.28
fed me all the days of my life,
the Angel has redeemed me from
00:37:32.31\00:37:35.38
all evil, and bless the lads;
and let my name be upon them,
00:37:35.42\00:37:39.25
and the name of their fathers
Abraham and Isaac; and let them
00:37:39.29\00:37:41.69
grow into a multitude in
the midst of the earth.'"
00:37:41.72\00:37:44.36
And so we find something very
special there and that's also
00:37:44.39\00:37:47.23
why it also tells us at the end
of chapter 49 or towards the end
00:37:47.23\00:37:52.10
of chapter 49 in verse--note
there, verse 28 says,
00:37:52.13\00:37:56.00
"All these are the
12 tribes of Israel."
00:37:56.04\00:37:58.04
Now, that can be confusing
if you just read 49 in its own
00:37:58.07\00:38:02.58
isolated chapter, and the reason
being is that if you go back and
00:38:02.61\00:38:05.95
actually count the brothers that
Jacob actually prophesied over,
00:38:05.98\00:38:10.82
there's only 11, and
Joseph being one of them.
00:38:10.85\00:38:14.29
And then--yet in verse
28, it says that they're
00:38:14.32\00:38:16.42
the 12 brothers
and tribes of Israel.
00:38:16.46\00:38:19.36
Well, how could
that be? There's only 11.
00:38:19.39\00:38:21.63
Well, that's because Joseph
is representing two brothers and
00:38:21.66\00:38:25.33
that's the two sons of Joseph
which is Ephraim and Manasseh.
00:38:25.37\00:38:30.67
And so that helps explain that
00:38:30.71\00:38:32.11
mystery just a
little bit as well.
00:38:32.14\00:38:34.41
All right, so
let's go to chapter 49.
00:38:34.44\00:38:36.48
Now we're running out of
time fast as we always do,
00:38:36.51\00:38:38.41
and so we're just
going to jump ahead
00:38:38.45\00:38:39.91
and skip Reuben
and Simeon and Levi.
00:38:39.95\00:38:42.18
If we have time, we're going to
come back to them because there
00:38:42.22\00:38:44.19
is some important
insights that we can find there.
00:38:44.22\00:38:46.89
But we want to go to the most
important of all the 12 sons
00:38:46.92\00:38:50.23
which become the
12 tribes of Israel.
00:38:50.26\00:38:53.56
Now when we come to chapter 49,
in verse 1 it says, "And Jacob
00:38:53.60\00:38:56.20
called his sons and said,
'Gather together, that I may
00:38:56.23\00:38:58.43
tell them what may
befall you in the last days.'"
00:38:58.47\00:39:02.17
And so, this is a
prophecy of the future.
00:39:02.20\00:39:05.21
Is it reflecting some
of the current events and
00:39:05.24\00:39:08.51
characters of
those 12 sons of Jacob?
00:39:08.54\00:39:11.15
Yes, but at the same time, we
find that--at the same time we
00:39:11.18\00:39:16.72
find that they are also
talking about the future,
00:39:16.75\00:39:21.96
and so this is a
prophecy, one of the deepest
00:39:21.99\00:39:24.76
prophetic chapters that
we have in all of the Bible.
00:39:24.79\00:39:29.23
And Judah is the most important.
00:39:29.26\00:39:31.03
In chapter 8--or verse 8, I
should say, it says, "Judah, you
00:39:31.07\00:39:34.54
are he whom your
brothers shall praise; your neck
00:39:34.57\00:39:38.57
shall be on the neck
of your enemies; and your
00:39:38.61\00:39:40.58
father's children
shall bow down before you."
00:39:40.61\00:39:44.28
Now, essentially, what God here
is saying through His--through
00:39:44.31\00:39:47.92
this father, through
this dad named Jacob, is
00:39:47.95\00:39:50.59
that the right of the
firstborn has been removed
00:39:50.62\00:39:53.66
from Reuben who is
the literal firstborn.
00:39:53.69\00:39:55.96
It's been removed from the
second and third oldest of the
00:39:55.99\00:39:59.19
brothers, who would naturally
have received the birthright if
00:39:59.23\00:40:01.80
the oldest was
removed from that birthright.
00:40:01.83\00:40:04.10
But God actually skips
all of the three oldest
00:40:04.13\00:40:06.90
brothers and gives
the different reasons why.
00:40:06.94\00:40:09.30
And then He declares that
Judah, that he would receive the
00:40:09.34\00:40:12.21
birthright, that ultimately his
brothers would praise him, and
00:40:12.24\00:40:16.98
his neck would be on--his
hand would be on the neck of his
00:40:17.01\00:40:20.42
enemies, representing
power and dominance over
00:40:20.45\00:40:23.45
the other enemy
nations around Judah, and that
00:40:23.49\00:40:26.69
of Israel, and
your father's children.
00:40:26.72\00:40:29.56
That is all the other
brothers, found as sons of
00:40:29.59\00:40:33.33
Jacob, would bow
down before Judah.
00:40:33.36\00:40:36.16
In other words, Judah
would be the most dominant, most
00:40:36.20\00:40:38.97
powerful, most important tribe
of all the 12 tribes of Israel.
00:40:39.00\00:40:43.20
And of course, the
rest of history as revealed
00:40:43.24\00:40:45.31
in the New
Testament--Old Testament record
00:40:45.34\00:40:46.98
tells us that is
exactly what came to be.
00:40:47.01\00:40:50.65
Verse 9, it says, "Judah
is the lion's whelp; from
00:40:50.68\00:40:54.18
the prey, my
son, you have gone up.
00:40:54.22\00:40:56.55
He bows down, he
lies down as a lion;
00:40:56.58\00:41:01.02
and as a lion,
who shall rouse him?"
00:41:01.06\00:41:04.86
Now, friends, if I was to
ask you, who's the king of the
00:41:04.89\00:41:06.96
jungle in regards
to the animal kingdom?
00:41:07.00\00:41:10.10
Who is it? It's
the lion, isn't it?
00:41:10.13\00:41:12.27
Okay, so all of us here in
our culture when we're growing
00:41:12.30\00:41:14.67
up and this is obviously not new
because it was also part of the
00:41:14.70\00:41:17.61
culture way back then in Jacob's
time as well, and Joseph's time.
00:41:17.64\00:41:23.08
And that is that
the lion is recognized
00:41:23.11\00:41:25.88
as the king of the jungle.
00:41:25.91\00:41:27.32
If there's a lion that is living
in whatever part of whatever
00:41:27.35\00:41:30.02
country in the world it's kind
of almost always, if not always,
00:41:30.05\00:41:33.66
the most dominant, most
powerful animal there is.
00:41:33.69\00:41:36.96
And so, rightly, it is
a representation of Judah.
00:41:36.99\00:41:41.90
Now, a lion, of course, is also
representative of royalty and
00:41:41.93\00:41:46.97
many nations have adopted,
and kings have adopted, for that
00:41:47.00\00:41:50.24
reason the lion as a
symbol of--and sometimes
00:41:50.27\00:41:53.04
found on their flag
or their seal and so on.
00:41:53.07\00:41:56.75
Revelation chapter 5 and verse 5
tells us that Jesus is declared
00:41:56.78\00:42:00.35
the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
and also the root of David.
00:42:00.38\00:42:05.79
And so Judah would be the one,
this person named Judah, because
00:42:05.82\00:42:09.46
you remember, he's a person
originally, the son of Jacob
00:42:09.49\00:42:11.99
would originally give
birth to descendants that would
00:42:12.03\00:42:14.36
eventually usher in the most
powerful, the most successful
00:42:14.36\00:42:18.10
and important kingdom of all
of Israel's history as far as
00:42:18.13\00:42:21.00
earthly kings
goes, and that's David.
00:42:21.04\00:42:23.94
And then the root of David would
come, which is Shiloh himself,
00:42:23.97\00:42:27.78
the one who would bring shalom,
the one who would bring peace,
00:42:27.81\00:42:30.68
or as most scholars,
interpreters, understand Shiloh
00:42:30.71\00:42:34.15
to be interpreted
as which is rest-giver.
00:42:34.18\00:42:37.19
And that is Jesus
Christ, the great Messiah
00:42:37.22\00:42:39.32
and Savior of the world Himself.
00:42:39.35\00:42:41.46
And we read that in verse 10.
00:42:41.49\00:42:43.53
In verse 10, "The scepter shall
not depart from Judah, nor a
00:42:43.56\00:42:46.39
lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes; and to Him
00:42:46.43\00:42:51.30
shall be the
obedience of the people."
00:42:51.33\00:42:55.14
And scepter was the staff, very
royal and important staff that
00:42:55.17\00:42:59.64
was representation
of the authority and
00:42:59.67\00:43:03.61
the kingship of the
king of whatever nation,
00:43:03.65\00:43:06.35
in this case, that
of Israel and Judah.
00:43:06.38\00:43:08.62
And it says that "the scepter
will not depart from Judah, nor
00:43:08.65\00:43:10.95
the lawgiver from
between his feet."
00:43:10.99\00:43:13.15
Indeed, Judah would be the most
prominent tribe throughout all
00:43:13.19\00:43:17.99
of Israel's history,
even in Jesus's time.
00:43:18.03\00:43:20.93
The only part of Israel that was
remaining that was even named
00:43:20.96\00:43:24.57
after any of the tribes
of Israel was that of Judea.
00:43:24.60\00:43:29.47
And that was where
Jerusalem was located,
00:43:29.50\00:43:31.44
where Jesus was crucified,
and it was where the most
00:43:31.47\00:43:34.48
prominent and predominant
population of religious
00:43:34.51\00:43:37.35
Jews was still
living at the time as well.
00:43:37.38\00:43:39.58
And so, Judah
continued to fulfill that
00:43:39.61\00:43:41.62
all the way to
the time of Christ.
00:43:41.65\00:43:43.89
Christ Himself is recognized by
almost all Christians as Shiloh,
00:43:43.92\00:43:49.32
and Shiloh comes, of
course, as a descendant
00:43:49.36\00:43:52.43
of Judah, the Lion
of the tribe of Judah.
00:43:52.46\00:43:56.56
"And to Him shall be the
obedience of all people."
00:43:56.60\00:44:00.44
Now, we can interpret
that in two different ways.
00:44:00.47\00:44:02.37
First of all, "all
people," and a lot of times the
00:44:02.40\00:44:04.17
Bible writers
would use the term "all."
00:44:04.21\00:44:05.84
In Revelation 13 it says
that the dragon would give his
00:44:05.87\00:44:09.01
authority and power to
the beast and all the world
00:44:09.04\00:44:13.55
would wonder and
worship after the beast.
00:44:13.58\00:44:15.75
Then the very next chapter says
there's going to be 144,000-plus
00:44:15.78\00:44:19.42
people that will be faithful
and refuse to worship the beast.
00:44:19.45\00:44:23.59
And so, sometimes when the Bible
writers say "all," they don't
00:44:23.63\00:44:26.06
mean literally to the very final
end, but as a whole there would
00:44:26.09\00:44:29.83
be a whole lot of
people that would obey Jesus.
00:44:29.86\00:44:33.34
And of course, in Philippians
as the Quarterly points out, it
00:44:33.37\00:44:36.87
also points there, I
think it's in chapter 2,
00:44:36.91\00:44:39.57
that there would be a
time in history when all
00:44:39.61\00:44:42.91
will bow down and
worship Jesus as Lord.
00:44:42.94\00:44:46.38
And so that could be
pointing to that as well.
00:44:46.41\00:44:48.65
And of course, that won't take
place until after Jesus comes.
00:44:48.68\00:44:51.49
There's a
judgment that takes place.
00:44:51.52\00:44:52.92
All of the lost,
all the unfaithful,
00:44:52.95\00:44:55.36
will find
themselves bowing down.
00:44:55.39\00:44:56.79
Not because they're now
converted or repentant, but
00:44:56.83\00:44:59.23
because they recognize and are
compelled to acknowledge that
00:44:59.26\00:45:02.36
Jesus is indeed the
truth that they had been
00:45:02.40\00:45:05.07
rejecting all their life,
and indeed, that He is fair
00:45:05.10\00:45:10.57
and just in spite of
their own unfaithful choices.
00:45:10.61\00:45:15.11
Well, friends, we've
run out of time here today.
00:45:15.14\00:45:17.41
I'm glad that we were able to
look at the most important part
00:45:17.45\00:45:19.71
which is that prophecy
of Jacob here in chapter 49.
00:45:19.75\00:45:23.25
And again, if you've never gone
through all those chapters as a
00:45:23.28\00:45:26.25
whole, as you never had
time, this week I want to very
00:45:26.29\00:45:28.69
strongly encourage you, go ahead
and read those five chapters.
00:45:28.72\00:45:32.13
I've given you some insights and
interpretation and information.
00:45:32.16\00:45:35.36
Now you can go ahead
and read that and comprehend
00:45:35.40\00:45:37.70
it in its whole
context there as well.
00:45:37.73\00:45:40.20
For those of you who are
watching, I want to again invite
00:45:40.24\00:45:42.50
you to take advantage of
our free gift offer which is
00:45:42.54\00:45:45.41
"Culture and the Christian,"
written by Joe Crews.
00:45:45.44\00:45:47.51
You just have to dial
1-866-788-3966, ask for Free
00:45:47.54\00:45:52.65
Offer number 143, and we'll be
happy to send that out to you if
00:45:52.68\00:45:55.88
you live in North America
or any of the US territories.
00:45:55.92\00:45:59.05
If you live in the US, you can
also use your phone to text the
00:45:59.09\00:46:03.22
code "SH020," and you want to
dial that to 40544 and we'll be
00:46:03.26\00:46:09.96
happy to be able to
get that out to you.
00:46:10.00\00:46:12.17
And again, you can
see the website which is
00:46:12.20\00:46:14.57
study.aftv.org/SH020 and you can
find that on the Internet as a
00:46:14.60\00:46:22.94
free digital download
anywhere in the world.
00:46:22.98\00:46:25.75
Until next week, God
bless you, God keep you,
00:46:25.78\00:46:28.22
and may you
continue to look to Him.
00:46:28.25\00:46:31.59
Doug: Hi, friends.
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:46:34.59\00:46:36.66
I have a very
important announcement
00:46:36.69\00:46:38.43
I'd like to share with you.
00:46:38.46\00:46:40.30
About 25 years ago, even more
than that, Amazing Facts began
00:46:40.33\00:46:44.57
broadcasting our Sabbath
School Study Hour programs.
00:46:44.60\00:46:48.50
Now, we initially did this as a
service for the church because,
00:46:48.54\00:46:51.61
well, there were very few
churches back then that were
00:46:51.64\00:46:53.84
media-ready to do
programs like that.
00:46:53.88\00:46:56.75
In the intervening
years, hundreds of churches and
00:46:56.78\00:46:59.48
ministries have been
able to start recording
00:46:59.51\00:47:02.15
and producing Sabbath
School Study programs.
00:47:02.18\00:47:05.49
Well, right now, we'd like to
put our energy into doing things
00:47:05.52\00:47:08.19
that are more evangelistic and
so, beginning July, this year,
00:47:08.22\00:47:12.39
2022, we're only going to
be providing our Sabbath School
00:47:12.43\00:47:15.76
program on our streaming sites,
social media, like Facebook and
00:47:15.80\00:47:20.17
YouTube, as well as the
Granite Bay Hilltop website.
00:47:20.20\00:47:23.57
We've got some new things
planned during the regular slot
00:47:23.61\00:47:26.78
where we've been airing the
Sabbath School Study times on
00:47:26.81\00:47:30.45
Hope Channel, 3ABN, and AFTV,
and we want to do all we can to
00:47:30.48\00:47:35.18
be as innovative and
fresh as we can, to be
00:47:35.22\00:47:37.85
evangelistic and
reach as many as we can.
00:47:37.89\00:47:40.86
And so, once again, if you want
to see the Sabbath School Study
00:47:40.89\00:47:44.19
Hour, it will be broadcasting on
the Granite Bay Hilltop website,
00:47:44.23\00:47:48.26
but on our stations, our partner
stations, like Hope Channel and
00:47:48.30\00:47:52.03
3ABN, we're going to be having
some new programs for you.
00:47:52.07\00:47:55.74
Thank you so much for
your continued prayers
00:47:55.77\00:47:57.41
and support of
Amazing Facts, as we move
00:47:57.44\00:47:59.74
forward together in
sharing the good news.
00:47:59.77\00:48:02.21
male announcer:
Don't forget to request
00:48:04.95\00:48:06.25
today's
life-changing free resource.
00:48:06.28\00:48:08.55
Not only can you receive
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00:48:12.32\00:48:14.59
To get your digital copy of
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00:48:14.62\00:48:17.93
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00:48:17.96\00:48:22.76
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00:48:22.80\00:48:25.70
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00:48:25.73\00:48:27.94
It's now easier than ever
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00:48:31.21\00:48:34.28
And most important,
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00:48:34.31\00:48:37.18
announcer: "Amazing
Facts" Changed Lives.
00:48:42.72\00:48:45.55
¤¤¤
00:48:45.59\00:48:49.86
Gary: Early 1980s all the
baby boomers were turning 21 and
00:48:50.66\00:48:54.10
the nightclub
scenes were exploding and I
00:48:54.10\00:48:56.13
started a
entertainment lighting company.
00:48:56.16\00:48:58.53
female: I was the president
and there were six divisions.
00:48:58.57\00:49:01.10
Doing the raves in the
'80s and '90s, you know, in some
00:49:01.14\00:49:03.97
warehouse where you're setting
up lighting and fog and, you
00:49:04.01\00:49:06.91
know, who knows
what's going on in there and
00:49:06.94\00:49:09.58
nightclub--nightclub
installations.
00:49:09.61\00:49:12.18
I loved it and it was who I was.
00:49:12.21\00:49:15.12
Gary: Bought a
new house out of town
00:49:15.15\00:49:16.45
and we moved about
two or three times.
00:49:16.48\00:49:18.82
But we were always
going into different churches.
00:49:18.85\00:49:21.32
We were in a Lutheran church and
00:49:21.36\00:49:22.66
then we were in
a Methodist church.
00:49:22.69\00:49:24.23
I think we were in three
different Baptist churches.
00:49:24.26\00:49:26.66
My wife was raised Catholic.
00:49:26.70\00:49:28.10
I was raised Methodist.
00:49:28.13\00:49:29.43
Currently, I've been reading
all the Hal Lindsey books and
00:49:29.46\00:49:32.47
watching all the "Left Behind"
movies and so I really wanted to
00:49:32.50\00:49:35.14
understand what the book
of Revelation was all about.
00:49:35.17\00:49:37.57
But nothing really
ever made sense to me.
00:49:37.61\00:49:39.64
female: One day,
Pastor Lloyd Logan came
00:49:39.67\00:49:41.71
knocking and he
had that NET '99 flyer.
00:49:41.74\00:49:45.58
Lloyd Logan: We were
preparing for an evangelistic
00:49:45.61\00:49:48.02
series and different people were
going different directions with
00:49:48.05\00:49:52.39
handbills to invite
people to the meetings.
00:49:52.42\00:49:56.62
female: I saw that coming at
me, you know, all the colors and
00:49:56.66\00:49:59.26
I thought, "Oh no, this
is some kind of cult thing."
00:49:59.29\00:50:01.96
Lloyd: And she said, "Thank
you very much and I'm not much
00:50:02.00\00:50:04.10
interested myself but my husband
likes that kind of thing."
00:50:04.13\00:50:08.54
female: And Lloyd said, "Would
you give it to him please?"
00:50:08.57\00:50:11.44
And I said, "Okay, I will."
00:50:11.47\00:50:13.84
So I took the pamphlet
and I put it on the counter.
00:50:13.88\00:50:17.11
Gary came home
and he walked by it.
00:50:17.15\00:50:19.05
Gary: Ran through the
kitchen to quickly eat and take
00:50:19.08\00:50:21.38
a shower and go
back out and work a show.
00:50:21.42\00:50:24.29
female: Two or three days
went by like this and I moved
00:50:24.32\00:50:26.15
that brochure from the
counter, put it on the dining
00:50:26.19\00:50:29.96
room table, put it
back on the counter.
00:50:29.99\00:50:33.29
And I actually
threw it in the garbage.
00:50:33.33\00:50:34.93
As I threw it in that garbage
can, I could hear him and see
00:50:34.96\00:50:38.60
his face saying, "Would
you give it to him please?"
00:50:38.63\00:50:41.90
And I actually
took the garbage out.
00:50:41.94\00:50:43.84
Then--and that night, lying in
bed, I kept seeing his face and
00:50:43.87\00:50:46.71
hearing his voice and
thinking, "Oh boy, I've got
00:50:46.74\00:50:49.41
to get that
brochure out of the garbage."
00:50:49.44\00:50:52.68
And I took that
and I put it right
00:50:52.71\00:50:54.42
underneath the remote control.
00:50:54.45\00:50:57.12
Bright colors, he'll see it.
00:50:57.15\00:50:58.99
Gary: I finally sat down in
my living room and I picked up
00:50:59.02\00:51:01.09
the remote and I saw that
angel holding out that scroll.
00:51:01.12\00:51:04.43
female: "Whoa,
cool. What is this?"
00:51:04.46\00:51:07.00
And I was in the kitchen,
cooking, and I thought, "Oh no."
00:51:07.03\00:51:10.53
Gary: And I looked at
it and I turned it over
00:51:10.57\00:51:12.10
and then I saw a
little building, a little
00:51:12.13\00:51:14.50
church building, and
it wasn't too far away.
00:51:14.54\00:51:16.81
It was about six houses down
and it said, "Friday night."
00:51:16.84\00:51:20.58
female: And I
certainly wasn't going.
00:51:20.61\00:51:22.28
I mean, it wasn't
my intention to go.
00:51:22.31\00:51:24.41
Gary: I didn't have any
shows going on that night
00:51:24.45\00:51:26.35
and so I thought it
was a one-night deal.
00:51:26.38\00:51:28.58
I went and as I
heard about the Millennium,
00:51:28.62\00:51:30.95
man, I was just blown away.
00:51:30.99\00:51:33.29
I didn't want it to end.
00:51:33.32\00:51:34.76
I knew what I was hearing
was all from the scripture
00:51:34.79\00:51:37.43
and it wasn't
based on Hollywood movies
00:51:37.46\00:51:39.29
or other books
that were written.
00:51:39.33\00:51:40.96
They said, "Come
again tomorrow night,"
00:51:40.96\00:51:42.76
and I thought,
"Wow, great, two nights."
00:51:42.80\00:51:45.33
So I tried to tell my wife
about it and she still wasn't
00:51:45.37\00:51:47.94
interested and then
she decided to come.
00:51:47.97\00:51:50.31
female: I started
to hear the truth,
00:51:50.34\00:51:51.91
you know, and I
started to get fed.
00:51:51.94\00:51:53.94
Gary: Every night
after the seminar, they would
00:51:53.98\00:51:55.81
hand us an
Amazing Facts study guide.
00:51:55.84\00:51:58.48
I couldn't do those fast enough.
00:51:58.51\00:52:00.05
female: The
business kept us going seven
00:52:00.08\00:52:02.28
days a week and
it was night and day.
00:52:02.32\00:52:04.85
Gary: Crews working all
around the clock and so when we
00:52:04.89\00:52:07.82
finally heard the Sabbath
message, you know, so far
00:52:07.86\00:52:10.39
everything's been
true, right from the Bible.
00:52:10.43\00:52:12.13
female: Church on
Saturday, no work.
00:52:12.16\00:52:14.60
Anyway, it all clicked.
00:52:14.63\00:52:16.26
Gary: Both our
heads turned at each
00:52:16.30\00:52:17.60
other, our jaws dropped open.
00:52:17.63\00:52:19.83
female: I said,
"We can't do that."
00:52:19.87\00:52:22.54
Gary: And the
first thing that came
00:52:22.57\00:52:23.87
out of my mouth
was, "We have to."
00:52:23.91\00:52:25.87
female: I knew
that it would be a
00:52:25.91\00:52:27.21
sacrifice and I
was in fear about it.
00:52:27.24\00:52:31.11
Gary: We didn't know how
we were going to do it but we
00:52:31.15\00:52:34.52
talked to the pastor about it
and the pastor said, "Well, just
00:52:34.55\00:52:36.89
pray about it and
God will open doors."
00:52:36.92\00:52:39.19
female: I didn't want to give
up all the connections I had
00:52:39.22\00:52:41.56
made, all the networking, all
the money, all the investment.
00:52:41.59\00:52:45.33
Gary: We went to the board
and asked them if they would
00:52:45.36\00:52:47.56
consider closing on
Saturday and they agreed to.
00:52:47.60\00:52:50.53
So we closed the storefront on
Saturday but we were still doing
00:52:50.57\00:52:53.30
productions and
that kind of bothered us.
00:52:53.34\00:52:55.80
So a couple of months later,
God opened a door for my wife.
00:52:55.84\00:52:59.61
She exited the company.
00:52:59.64\00:53:01.21
I prayed about it and
God opened a door for me too.
00:53:01.24\00:53:04.08
female: Gary, shortly after,
was offered a job being paid
00:53:04.11\00:53:07.95
more money than he made
as an owner of the company.
00:53:07.98\00:53:11.62
Gary: He said, "I'll
give you a $1000 raise
00:53:11.65\00:53:14.52
and you will never
work another weekend."
00:53:14.56\00:53:17.06
female: And we were
able to keep the Sabbath
00:53:17.09\00:53:19.39
and enjoy the
wonderful blessings that God had
00:53:19.43\00:53:22.70
for us on the Sabbath day.
00:53:22.73\00:53:24.63
Gary: My kids never again had to
say, "Quit talking about work."
00:53:24.67\00:53:27.74
After the seminar was over, my
wife and I and my children were
00:53:27.77\00:53:30.44
all baptized in the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:53:30.47\00:53:33.41
Even if I gave up
everything, I knew
00:53:33.44\00:53:35.08
that God would
have something better.
00:53:35.11\00:53:37.31
female: I have much more
understanding and there's much
00:53:37.35\00:53:40.58
more depth in my
Christian walk with the Lord.
00:53:40.62\00:53:44.42
Gary: We
started an Amazing Facts
00:53:44.45\00:53:45.75
Bible School at our church.
00:53:45.79\00:53:47.49
It allows anybody to
understand the scriptures
00:53:47.52\00:53:50.29
and to understand the end-times.
00:53:50.33\00:53:51.83
Church changed my life
dramatically, and I'm very
00:53:51.86\00:53:54.76
happy and excited
to be a part of it.
00:53:54.83\00:53:56.83
announcer: Amazing
Facts Changed Lives.
00:54:05.04\00:54:07.78
female: Well, my conversion
story is when I was in the
00:54:13.31\00:54:16.99
Philippines, I just graduated as
a nurse and afterwards I did not
00:54:17.02\00:54:23.02
have any religion and one time
I found myself inside a small
00:54:23.06\00:54:28.70
church, Catholic church, in
Manila, and before a big cross.
00:54:28.73\00:54:36.07
And I was kneeling before and
I could hear Jesus telling me to
00:54:36.10\00:54:41.54
enter the convent, save
myself and also my family.
00:54:41.58\00:54:46.25
And I said, "Lord, I would
like to follow You all the way."
00:54:46.28\00:54:49.25
At that point, I
seemed to be happy externally,
00:54:49.28\00:54:53.62
but because inside the
convent we don't read the Bible,
00:54:53.66\00:54:57.53
we don't study
about the Word of God.
00:54:57.56\00:55:00.10
We prayed the rosaries, we also
at the same time studied the
00:55:00.13\00:55:04.13
lives of the saints and
also our founders, and the
00:55:04.17\00:55:07.97
encyclicals of the
Pope and the Virgin Mary.
00:55:08.00\00:55:12.41
And so I do not know the
truth and I had this torture of
00:55:12.44\00:55:15.68
conscience, the guilty feelings
that cannot be resolved.
00:55:15.71\00:55:20.35
So I would confess to the
priest in the confessional
00:55:20.38\00:55:22.92
box, saying,
"Father, forgive me.
00:55:22.95\00:55:26.35
Since my last
confession was last week.
00:55:26.39\00:55:29.22
Since then I have committed
the following sin including
00:55:29.26\00:55:32.79
the root cause, why
am I falling and falling
00:55:32.83\00:55:36.20
in that same sin
over and over again."
00:55:36.23\00:55:39.47
And still for 21
long years, I struggle
00:55:39.50\00:55:43.57
and I struggle and I struggle.
00:55:43.61\00:55:46.31
I realized that I
was totally empty,
00:55:46.34\00:55:50.18
I was totally
helpless and hopeless.
00:55:50.21\00:55:53.25
And so depressed
and so desperate that
00:55:53.28\00:55:56.55
I would like
already to end my life.
00:55:56.58\00:55:59.25
I was working for five
years as dean of the University
00:55:59.29\00:56:03.66
of San Agustin
College of Nursing in
00:56:03.69\00:56:06.26
Iloilo City, one of the
islands in the Philippines.
00:56:06.29\00:56:10.30
After five years I received
a commission from my parents to
00:56:10.33\00:56:15.90
help my sister who is
being a battered woman.
00:56:15.94\00:56:20.04
This is one of the reasons why
I came over to United States.
00:56:20.08\00:56:25.25
It is because my
sister needs my help.
00:56:25.28\00:56:29.02
As I was working in
the hospital in New York,
00:56:29.05\00:56:31.95
my boss, Serafin, he
was so gracious enough to
00:56:31.99\00:56:35.19
give me an invitation
to the Millennium Prophecy.
00:56:35.22\00:56:38.86
As I was listening to Pastor
Doug Batchelor's presentation,
00:56:38.89\00:56:43.77
my heart really was beating so
fast, and my mind, I'm able to
00:56:43.80\00:56:48.70
grasp the truth, that this is
the truth that I've been longing
00:56:48.74\00:56:54.38
to hear all my life, that I
have been seeking for so long.
00:56:54.41\00:56:59.68
My personal
relationship with Jesus,
00:56:59.71\00:57:02.88
I can see Jesus as
my personal Savior.
00:57:02.92\00:57:06.76
He is not only the
Savior of the whole world,
00:57:06.79\00:57:09.29
but He is my personal Savior.
00:57:09.32\00:57:12.83
He was the one who
delivered me mightily from
00:57:12.86\00:57:16.36
the depths of sin,
from the mirey clay.
00:57:16.40\00:57:20.27
Pastor Doug
Batchelor has been used
00:57:20.30\00:57:23.27
by the Lord in my conversion.
00:57:23.30\00:57:25.47
The Amazing
Facts, I owe to them.
00:57:25.51\00:57:29.14
The Lord really blessed
this ministry and I'm so proud
00:57:29.18\00:57:33.92
I was able to attend
this Millennium Prophecy.
00:57:33.95\00:57:37.55
My life has never been the same.
00:57:37.59\00:57:40.56
It has given me the peace, the
joy, that never--I have never
00:57:40.59\00:57:46.96
tasted in my life, and
now I am set free to be
00:57:47.00\00:57:51.80
able to work for
Him and to follow Him.
00:57:51.83\00:57:55.30
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00:58:05.11\00:58:15.09
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00:58:15.12\00:58:17.29
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00:58:17.33\00:58:25.07
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00:58:25.10\00:58:28.94