Hey everybody. Welcome back to another edition of the Daily Bible Podcast. Hey, and I'm back to this time, he is. He's back. I hope you did not miss me too much when you were gone. No. No. Are you revived? I am revived enough and I think everyone is sufficiently revived, having gone to appropriately titled Revival. Winter edition. Yeah. Yeah. How did, how was it? Give us a, we're dying to know. You gave us a recap on Sunday a little bit, but yes, it was a, it was so good. Part of it was the fact that the weather was just phenomenally perfect. I mean, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. And given the fact that we just had snow and there was a potential for more snow, we just had such good weather. We were able to play and have a great time. The weather was just so accommodating and the place itself. Speaking of accommodations was just Amazing. It was beautiful. We went to this great place last year in Anna this year. This place was even better. Had so many other, I mean, some of the same features, but we had so many new things to explore and to enjoy. And Louis Azuma handed all the games and we just had so much fun playing and doing fun things together. The messages I put a ton of time in as I usually do. That's nothing unusual, but. It was in a topic that I was really passionate about, still am, and it was fun to talk through some of the implications of a Christian's responsibility for tech and how they should interact with it in 2025, which is kind of a challenging thing to do. You don't think about it. We all take it for granted, but how do screens shape us and form our relationships and how do they form our relationship with God? They're distracting and consequently they can steal our attention from what really matters. And so we just discussed a lot of those implications. And I hope I'll have the audio of those Messages up within the next couple of days. Yeah. For anybody, right? For anybody. Yeah. That'll be in our podcast. Yep. That's good. That's good. Awesome. Well, we're glad to have you back. Glad to be back. Students. Glad to have you back on the podcast team. I missed it a little bit. It's lonely to sit in there and record by yourself. I know it. Someone recently went on like a 30 day California vacation. That was not accurate. And I had to do it all by myself. Yeah. Well, and that's when we had the days of like seven or eight minute podcasts. It was a really short time of time of life there. I think I went like 10, 15 minutes at most. I was tracking the numbers. I was looking at that and I'm like, all right, well. That's, that's good. I think it's probably better to be brief when you're by yourself. It's hard to do it. This is hard to do. And to talk to someone by yourself and to make it interesting. Just I respect the radio DJ so much more than I ever did. And you might think, yeah, but you guys are pastors. You talk by yourself for a living. Like this is what you do. No, not the same. It's totally not. Because when you're preaching to a group, you're feeding off the responses of the people in the room. Yes. And ideally they're responding to us. Right. So we do respond to that and it helps give us a sense of direction. Should I spend more time on that? Should I spend less time on that? So you're right. It's a very different experience, which on that note, listen actively, please. It helps us. And not that you have to sit out there and go, amen and preach it and things like that. We wouldn't mind it though. I mean, people do if you want to do it. Yeah. But when you, when we can look out and see you and, and realize that you're leaned forward or you're engaged, you're taking notes, you're making eye contact with us, you're tracking, that's an encouragement to us. And maybe you're like, I don't know if I want to encourage you right now. I'm going to sit back and yeah, well get this when I was preaching in California. And Mark Kogan was one of my leaders. This is one of the reasons Mark stood out to me in the first place, because he would always be such a good and attentive listener. He would look at me when I'm making a point, he would nod his head slowly. And I did, I liked it. I would find myself gravitating toward him because he'd give me feedback. And I think that's always the case when you're preaching to somebody or an audience. Anyway, the per the person that gives you the response is the one that you end up saying, I'm going to go back to my safe place. Where are you friend? Exactly. Tell me totally. Yeah. A hundred percent. Mark does it really well. So listen actively. That's helpful. All right. Well, Hey, let's jump into our text for today. Genesis 48, 49 and 50. We are finishing up the book of Genesis today. Unbelievable. All done. All done. All done with beginnings until next year. Right. Mold willing. If he doesn't return. And then it's a different beginning, a better beginning anyways, Genesis 48 now that we are, are reunited and it feels so good. We've got this situation where Jacob comes and basically says, Hey, hey Joseph, your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, they're, they're mine and you can have any other kids that come. Yeah. After this, but I'm going to take those two and he takes them and he gives them this blessing in this chapter here which is interesting. And in a way that has been repeated over and over again, the younger is going to supplant the older and the blessing here. And Joseph brings his two boys to his father and sets them. Up to where it would be easy for, for Jacob to lay his hands on the oldest and the, the youngest in accordance with the hand of honor versus the hand of, of not dishonor, but that there was a hand of honor. The right hand was the hand of honor. And so Jacob instead crosses his hands and blesses them on the inverse of what Joseph wants. And in fact, it says in the text that it displeased Joseph. He didn't like this. He said, this is not the way it should be, but Jacob says, no, this is the way it's going to be and I know what I'm doing. Don't try to correct me, son. This is what. I'm wanting to do so, I guess this is the, the formalized adoption of Manasseh and Ephraim and and of note here, really, I think the most significant thing is, is Ephraim really become significant because Ephraim becomes the designation or the, the, the moniker for the Northern kingdom of Israel. He becomes the most powerful of all the northern tribes. And so the blessing that we see here from Jacob comes to fruition later on in Israel's history during a season that we wouldn't say is the greatest season during the divided monarchy, but still Ephraim rises to the, the the top there in that that ultimate scene with the, the northern tribes there. Chapter 49, then as we get in here versus one through 27, we continue with the blessing of the offspring of Joseph or of of Jacob rather and Jacob goes through and blesses each of his sons individually. And here we see where Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, it's worth noting that these are the three oldest. Yeah. Each of them for their own reasons, forfeit. The ultimate blessing because of their various sinful actions. You'll remember Ruben lay with his father's concubine. You had Simeon and Levi who went after the inhabitants there with Shechem and that whole situation with Dinah. And so next up is Judah. And again, we've talked about this on the podcast. Judah was no. Sterling, you know, clean, innocent, pure individual himself, but he's the chosen line, the line of the Messianic blessing and promise. And so his line is identified by Jacob and his is going to be the one that the ruler is going to come from. The scepter shall not depart from between your feet. Again, that position of ruling, ruling and authority there given to Judah. And then he goes through the rest of them. And I think the other one of note here, at least to me is Joseph, because Joseph has an extended blessing really is the son of Jacob's affection, the son that Jacob loved the most. And he gets some extra, extra attention, extra love thrown his way in this blessing scenario. Versus 28 to 33. Then we have the death of the patriarch, the death of Jacob. And what happens from here is, is Joseph says, I'll, I'll bury you. And so Joseph, Joseph takes Jacob up to that cave, that cave that Abraham had bought there in the field in Canaan. And he buries Jacob there, as he had promised that he would do. And so we we have the end of the patriarch, the end of Israel's life here the patriarch in verses 20 through 33 of chapter 49. So what we have here then is basically the very beginning of Israel's history. You have, we've traced now almost through chapter 50. This is really the end of it because chapter 50 is just an what do you call that? An end log, not a prologue. Epilogue is the one I was looking for. About joseph's story in particular, but we've seen abraham isaac and jacob chapters 1 through 11 is primeval history ancient history Chapters 12 all the way through chapter 50 is patriarchal history. That's what the book of genesis is meant to do It's the beginnings of not only life as we know it but also life in particular for the for the nation of israel And how god had led them through the early stages of their of their foundation And so now what we have is really a story that's only just begun Hence the name Genesis, all of this information is going to be information. You're going to kind of refer back to as you read throughout your Bible. And this is the stuff that you want to at least commit to some form of memory. You're never going to do it perfectly, but reading through it and trying to say, okay, who who's doing what? Why is this important scripture has this really cool way of referring back to itself in a million different ways And Genesis is one of the most important books In the whole in the whole bible itself because it provides the foundation for everything else So keep an eye out for references. They're going to be there Yeah, and that's that's such a good point And and that's what doing this reading program is going to give you every single year The more you do it the more familiar you will be with the layout of these books and in or taking a survey class taking a a A New Testament survey class, Old Testament survey class, to be able to kind of know rough and dirty where things happen. You may not know chapter and verse the exact, but you'll know, okay, that's, that's from this section of the Bible. It's good to have that kind of biblical familiarity. And every year it's necessary because we forget and it's so easy to forget. I find myself saying, Oh yeah, I forgot about that one thing and I've read the Bible countless times now, so we're going to need it. Yep. Yeah. Amen. A hundred percent. Chapter 50, then we get into the burial again, Joseph and his brothers, Barry Jacob, like I was just mentioning in the promised land that in the cave that Abraham had purchased. And then we get into what happens after this. So Jacob's gone, he's off the scene and now the brothers are fearing, and you may wonder, well, Why are they afraid now? Why weren't they afraid before? And I think the answer is, well, first they were afraid when they first, when Joseph first reveals himself says, Hey, it's me, they're terrified at that point. But then I think after that, they kind of felt like their, their dad had their back, like Joseph wasn't going to do anything while Jacob was still alive. Cause he didn't want to bring grief upon his father. But now that Jacob's off the scene, they think that their protection is gone. And so they're terrified. And this is where you get the famous line from Joseph, where he says in verse 20, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. I just have been to your point. We forget things. And then we, we just see different things emphasized. I've been struck how deep Joseph's Doctrine is here. His theology, his awareness of God's sovereignty. He, it's, it's not just here. It's, it's everywhere. God sent me in front of you. God ordained this. God did this. I mean, he just, it's his faith. It's his knowledge. And he didn't have the resources that we have at our fingertips to know all of these things. And so it's one of those things of how did he know this? Where did he get this understanding? It's to know all these things about who God is. And I mean, God's revelation of himself to Joseph in part, but I think also just his. Awareness that God exists and if God exists, then he's the one that is ordaining these things. I think it's a logical outcome, a logical conclusion for Joseph to arrive at if he truly trusts in a God who is the creator of all things. Yes. And then on top of that We probably have events that are just not recorded in scripture I mean, that sounds obvious maybe to some, but it's worth us noting that God probably said much more to the patriarchs throughout their lives. And granted, there are high points, peaks and valleys also, but peaks where God has spoken to them. He, he solidified it. He had it commemorated. It's written in the scriptures by Moses. We think that's who wrote the Pentateuch. But there's probably times where he revealed aspects of his character and ways and shapes and who knows how else. In fact, Hebrews chapter one tells us that. Long ago at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our forefathers in part by the prophets. But in his last days, he's spoken to us by his son, which is why we appreciate Jesus so much because he is the exclamation point to all that God has said. And it's as clear as it could be here. They had to work with a lot more input and a lot different and a lot of different ways. And this gives you a sense of appreciation for that. I agree with you. Joseph's statement here is awesome because it showcases something that we talk about so much, the compatibilistic nature of the. The will of man and the will of God you have in this statement where Joseph says you meant it for this God meant it for That two wills one action both happening with freedom. I guess if you could call it that Joseph's brothers meant to do the thing that they did no one forced him But God meant to have that event Work for the greater good of others around him and ultimately for his own glory and that's what we see all throughout scripture Yeah. In fact, we've looked at that in John's gospel too, when when the, the chief priest, when he stood up and said, Hey, it's, it's better that one should die for, for everyone that then that all should perish. And in the Texas, he said this, not realizing what he was saying as he said that, that God meant something else. And when he meant another thing there, what a cool thought it is. It is. Yeah. Yeah. And thankful to that that God. Yeah. Yeah, that we can't mess up God's plan. Cause we would, if we could. Yes, we could. Yeah. And would, if we could. Yes. Should we? Should we? No, we should not. No. Anyways verse 22 through 26, Joseph dies and he dies at 110. I mentioned a couple episodes ago that was about the ceiling of the life of most Egyptians was 110 years old. That was their average age there. And so he dies at 110, he's buried in Egypt, but he makes his brother's promise that they will take him when God returns them to the promised land. And again, there's an, a measure of Joseph's faith. He, he trusted that God was going to restore his, People back to Canaan. And so he made his brother say, Hey, we will make sure that this is something that we take note of and that future generations understand as well, that we're going to carry you with us when we go back to the promised land, which just makes me wonder, because obviously they're going to be here for the next 400 years. His brother 130. Yeah. Yeah. Total. His brothers are going to die there. Other people are going to die there. Did I'm sure Joseph's weren't the only bones that they carried up with them when they went back to Canaan. I wonder. Yeah. Or maybe he's his was the only because they prioritize and they held certain people in high regard and it was too much effort to bring the rest of these guys. Just leave everybody else here. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. Every, everybody's like, Hey, take me with you to when you don't have time, bro. Sorry. Anyways. Yeah. These chapters are all about the future of God's people. He is sovereign. Joseph understood that looking back and he understood that looking forward. And I think that's true for us today too. I mean, we've got a lot of things going on right now and It's interesting just with the change in administration. I feel like there's less questions about like, Hey, is this the end times now? I feel like some of that, Oh, this is coming back. I think kind of a golden glory days for right. Who are conservative. Yeah. Right. We're kind of watching things right now going, this is nice. Wait a minute. This isn't the male and female. All right. And that's why it's important for us to remember, just like with Joseph, when Joseph was in Pharaoh's house, God's sovereign. When Joseph was in Potiphar's house, God's sovereign. When Joseph is in the pit, God is sovereign over all of it. And Joseph knew that, and we have to know that and trust that as well. That's right. All right, let's pray. And then we'll be done with this episode. God, thanks for your word. Thanks for that reality. That truth that you are sovereign, that we cannot thwart your plan, that it is in place. And so help us to trust you like Joseph trusted you and help us to act in accordance with your will in accordance with what you've commanded us to do. Our response is not simply to say, well, you're sovereign. So what does it matter what I do? But our response is to say you're sovereign. So let me obey you. So help us to understand your word in such a way to make that easy. And we ask this and pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Let it be so. Hey, keep reading your Bibles and tune in again tomorrow for another edition of the daily Bible podcast. Please. And thank you. We'll see you then. Bye. Mhm. Hey, thanks for joining us for another episode of the daily Bible podcast. We hope and pray this has been a blessing to you and your time in the word. If it has, if you would subscribe to this podcast, leave a like, leave a comment and share it with some friends and family. That would be awesome. If you need more information about Compass Bible Church here in North Texas, you can go to compassntx. org. Again, that's compassntx. org. And we'll be back with you tomorrow for another episode of the daily Bible podcast.