King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Saturday, January 25, 2020
Chapters: Genesis 37-39
Message: The Intervention of God
Hello My Friend,
Intervene; A coming in between; To come or be in between persons or things. I cannot tell you how many times God has intervened or come in between tragic events in my life that could have had a terrible outcome, including avoiding a home invasion, rape, and several accidents. I can also tell you that He has not always intervened, and allowed some tragic things to happen, including a severe concussion, a car accident, and a horrible relationship that took me twelve years to completely get out of. So, why does God not intervene in every tragedy? Well, He actually does. While God does not stop all bad things from happening, He does turn every tragedy around into something good. “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:27-28.
So, exactly what purpose does God allow people to break into your house when you are away, and steal your things? Or allow your friends to be influenced by one messed up kid to hold you down, and abuse you? Or allow a relationship that would bring immoral and mental abuse? The truth is, through every tragedy that we escape we live to tell how God kept things from getting worse. And through every tragedy we face, we live to tell how He used that situation to see us through. Through every tragedy that we endure with God, we are stronger, wiser, and more equipped to handle the next. Yes, every faithful Christian will face just as many tragedies in their lives as unfaithful because Satan cannot stand watching faithful, saved, born again Christians, without it. Nevertheless, God will intervene one way or another. We learn this through Joseph, Jacob’s second to youngest son. Now, after all the incidents with Jacob’s family they finally arrived home, which was were Isaac and Abraham lived. Joseph, became favored over all the other sons, and that did not go over too well with the rest.
“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” – Genesis 37:2-4,11-13,18-20.
“And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,” I really do not think he loved them any less, but all they saw was that their brother was this goody goody, who told their father every bad thing they did and they would get in trouble. “and I will send thee unto them.” Joseph was not sinless, he did have a sneaky way about him in that he would spy on them. “they conspired against him to slay him.” This is well beyond sibling rivalry, this is pure hatred brought on not only by envy, they were covetous. However, God sis intervene and instead of killing Joseph, they sold him.
“And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.” – Genesis 37:21-23,25-27,28,31-33,35-36.
“that he might rid him out of their hands,” Reuben, the oldest son, did not want to see him killed, he had every intention of go back to pull him out after they all left. “And they took Joseph’s coat,” Well, Reuben’s plan did not go as planned when the other bothers decided to sell him, and make it look like he was killed by an animal. “an officer of Pharaoh’s,” Now, Joseph is sold to the Egyptians as a slave to the captain of the guard to the king of Egypt, of all people. Now, after all this, Judah separated himself from his brothers, dwelt in Canaan, and lived with a woman of Canaan, of whom he had three sons with.
“And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.” – Genesis 38:1-11.
“And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn,” It was a custom, and many Jews still follow this, that the first son be married first, if he dies before the next eldest is married, she becomes his wife, and any children born would be recognized as the first born sons. “and the LORD slew him.” Keep in mind that God does not intervene in the lives of those who are not nor will become His. God did intervene in a rather strange way, one way or another, Tamar would be used to carry the seed of Judah. You see, Judah’s girlfriend died, grieving, he went into town with his friend, saw a woman he thought was a prostitute, who turned out to be Tamar.
“When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.” – Genesis 38:15-18,26-30.
“therefore his name was called Pharez.” Notice how God often uses the second born? Pharez (Phares) would actually be part of the lineage from which Jesus would descend in the flesh (Matthew 1:1-16). Now, if there is anyone in the Bible who can teach us about purpose and how all things working together for good it is Joseph. It turns out that it was not such a bad thing being a slave to the captain of the guard, as God intervened.
“And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.” – Genesis 39:1-5.
“and he was a prosperous man;” One of the most incredible things is that while God may allow tragic things to happen, He intervenes in that He turns the tragedy into something good. Sadly, our faithfulness to Christ, and the prosperity it brings, often brings more trouble. Someone was watching Joseph, Potiphar’s wife.
“And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” – Genesis 39:7-9,12-14,19-21.
“and sin against God?” Joseph refused to submit to her, he was not about to sin against God nor sleep with his bosses wife, who had been very good to him. She falsely accused him and had him put in jail out of spite. “and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Joseph could have fought with them, but he chose to make the best of the situation and even made a positive impact on people in prison. While none of the tragic things that happen to us are really God’s will for us, God will always intervene and bring good things from it. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” – I Peter 4:12-13.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for the great intervention You have made in saving my soul through my faith and trust in Your Son as my Saviour. I can name countless times that You have intervened in my life, whether to prevent a tragedy, escape a tragedy, or endure a tragedy, I am forever thankful for Your protection, strength, and wisdom through every tragedy, and what You still do to protect, guide, and help me endure every trial. Lord, Lead me and guide me, keep me faithful, trusting, and always looking to You no matter what I face, give me Your mercies and grace to endure, and conquer every trial. I love You, Lord, and ask this is in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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