Genesis 49:29-50:26

Here my notes from my sermon on Genesis 49:29-50:26

Introduction/Review

Joseph, through God’s providence, rose to second in command in all of Egypt. He was able to secure Egypt’s future. He was able to increase Pharaoh’s control over the residents of Egypt. More importantly, Joseph was able to secure salvation for his family in the face of a great and severe famine.

Joseph’s family also came together. The brothers who had desired to get rid of their brother now have been reconciled to Joseph, as he has no desire to avenge their crime. His tears over his brothers express from his heart his desire to be one with them again.

Last week we saw, with the family reunited, Jacob pronounced his departing words to his sons.

Not surprisingly, Jacob gave the fullest blessings to Joseph and Judah. And to the sons who caused him the most grief, namely Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Jacob gave less than desirous words. But these final words had more meaning than just to the sons themselves. Jacob’s words had prophetic significance for the descendants and tribes which would come forth from the sons.

As a preview of where we are going tonight, first we will read the remaining contents of Genesis. Then I will point out important observations from this section. Finally we will consider Genesis as a whole, hitting the highlights, and I will close by pointing out some observations to consider as one moves into the book of Exodus.

Read Genesis 49:29-50:26

Earlier Jacob made his son, Joseph, swear that he would take his body back to Canaan to be buried. And just after he gives his blessings to his sons, he implores them to take him back to Canaan for burial.

Jacob wanted to be gathered to his family. Quite literally, in those days when one was buried in the same tomb, eventually when the flesh completely deteriorated, ones bones would be put with the remaining bones of past family members.

Leah, the forgotten wife of Jacob

In this section of Genesis 49:28-33 what catches my attention is the wife whom Jacob was buried with in the family tomb. Throughout the Genesis narrative Jacob’s love is Rachel. This is the woman whom Jacob worked 14 years to marry. His marriage to Leah was consummated through treachery as Jacob did not realize he had married Leah until after his sexual consummation had already taken place. And although Zilpah and Bilhah were technically not on the same level in Jacob’s eyes as Leah and Rachel, it could be argued that they too were his wives in reality.

Jacob is buried with Leah. The irony here should not escape us. When we recall the struggle Leah and Rachel endured being married to the same man, two things jump out at us. Rachel had Jacob’s love, but she had a great struggle having children. Leah was particularly fertile, as she bore six children to Jacob, but she never had Jacob’s love.

Perhaps in death Leah received some of the honor she should have received in life. Earlier in Genesis, God made the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. He made Eve from Adam’s rib and declared, “therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Gen 3:24).”

Leah never really experienced the holding fast part of the command. Although Jacob never divorced her, he only held to her loosely. Leah was a victim of the wills of two men. She was abused by her father, Laban, as he orchestrated and commanded Leah to deceive Jacob. Jacob, after becoming the husband of Leah still chose to marry her sister.

God’s design in marriage is for one man and one woman coming together in covenant of marriage for a lifetime. Although Jacob did not love Leah at all and although he did not want her as a wife, Leah was his true wife.

In life, Leah was far from the side of Jacob, but God saw that they were united forever in death in a way they had not been in life. Additionally in a way not known before her death, God chose the line of Judah, her son, as the line through which Jesus Christ was born.

God’s Promises Continue to be Fulfilled

As we have stated many times through this studies that a dominant theme running through the book is promises. Many of these promises find fulfillment in Genesis, others find fulfillment in both the OT and NT. The issue of promises and fulfillment is God’s credibility. God promises many things to this family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What we find throughout Genesis and the rest of Scripture is God’s fulfilling of those promises.

In Genesis 49:33 we are told of the death of Jacob after he blesses his children and instructs them about his wish for burial in Canaan. When he dies, Joseph is there by his side and he begins to weep over his father. This event is another example of God’s faithfulness concerning his words.

When Jacob learned that Joseph was alive and the family began its journey to Egypt, God came to him in visions at night and promised to Jacob that his beloved son Joseph would close his eyes (Gen 46:4). This specifically addresses Jacob’s death and Joseph’s presence there. This fulfillment and the host of other kept promises of God give us confidence and assurity in God’s words and his ability to keep them.

This is why I believe that Jesus will come back again like he promised. This is why I believe in promises like Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).” This is why I believe in the promise found in Lamentations 3:22-23 which says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”

The Regal Burial of Jacob

From the beginning, God promised to bless Jacob. Throughout the narrative of Jacob, God has been faithful to the patriarch in his life. Now in death, God continues to bless him. Jacob in essence gets a burial reserved only for Kings and Pharaohs.

Not only does Pharaoh permit Joseph to return to Canaan to bury his father, but servants of Pharaoh went with Joseph, and elders of the land of Egypt journeyed to Canaan for the funeral. Pharaoh provided chariots and horsemen for the journey. The picture is one of complete solidarity.

Although Jacob was worried that he would go down to Sheol in disappointment and pain, he was reunited with his long lost son. He even was part of the lives of his grandchildren. He endured through a great famine in the comfort of Egypt’s wealth. And when he died he was gathered to his people in the land of promise with royalty and regalia.

Final Reconciliation & the Sovereignty of God

After the death of their father, the 10 brothers responsible for selling Joseph into slavery begin to fear that Joseph would take revenge out on them now that their father is dead. I suppose the same thought would have crossed my own mind as well if I had been one of the brothers. The human race has proved since the time of Adam and Eve how inept we are at forgiveness and putting things behind us. Joseph has already proved himself to be a very calculating person with his success running Egypt and his series of tests to confirm the honesty of his brothers.

But what we see repeatedly through this narrative is the integrity and godliness of Joseph. We cannot be sure whether Jacob really wrote this letter or whether it was just from the brothers, but I lean towards the latter.

Nevertheless, Joseph continues to demonstrate what forgiveness, reconciliation, and trusting in God truly looks like. Joseph responds first by weeping. Then he reassures them that he has no desire to take vengeance because vengeance belongs to God. He continues to pledge his love and support for his brothers and their entire families. And finally, Joseph continues to look at the good God did through their sin. “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 were today (Gen 50:20).”

The book ends with the death of Joseph, but the focus turns back to the promise of Jacob’s sons inheriting the land of Canaan. In other words, the book ends with Joseph urging his people to remember God’s promise of the land precisely because God is faithful.

The Israelites, as they will be known as in the future, will have a land of their own. They will not live in Egypt forever. And naturally, Joseph also requests that his body be buried in Canaan when his family returns to the land of promise.

Questions & Comments

Now that we have spent nearly a year of sermons going verse by verse through the book of Genesis,

1. What have you learned about Genesis?
2. What have you learned about God?
3. How does Genesis speak directly to your life?
4. What questions remain unanswered for you concerning Genesis?
5. How does Genesis detail the beginning of God’s redemption?
6. How is Genesis important for our understanding of sin, marriage, our purpose in life?

Do any of you want to share some comments about anything related to this series?

Looking forward

We look forward by recalling the promises God gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and what will become Israel.

Gene 15:13 (NASU) [God] said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.

Their sojourn in Egypt leads to the fulfillment of their enslavement in a land that is not their own.

To Abraham

Gene 22:18 (NASU) "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

To Isaac

Gene 26:4 (NASU) "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

To Jacob

Gene 28:14 (NASU) "Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

These promises will span the entire scope of the entire Old and New Testaments. These promises find fulfillment in Jesus’ life death and resurrection by which men from every nation, tribe, tongue, and people can become a descendant of Abraham and participate in God’s blessing and redemption of the earth.

Genesis/Exodus Typology

a. Joseph’s dreams caused his to go down to Egypt.
b. In Egypt, Jacob’s descendants will have to struggle with a King (Pharaoh).
c. An infant is born from Jacob’s descendants, whom the King tried to kill.
d. This infant (Moses) is used by God to deliver his people.

NT Gospel Fulfillment

a. Joseph (husband of Mary) has a dream which causes him to go to Egypt.
b. Joseph’s immediate struggle is with a King (Herod). But his people are in a more penultimate struggle with slavery to sin.
c. The King (Herod) tries to kill the infant.
d. This infant (Jesus) is used by God to deliver his people.

Genesis 47:29-49:27

Here are my notes from a message on Genesis 47:29-49:27

Review

Through extraordinary events God enables Joseph who is sold into slavery by his own brothers, who ends up as an imprisoned slave in Egypt, to rise to second in command over Egypt, the mightiest nation on the Earth at that time.

Joseph's meteoric rise in power in Egypt was not however God’s reward to Joseph for his integrity and faithfulness. His rise in power was important for several reasons:

1. Joseph’s ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams ensured the salvation of Egypt through 7 years of great famine.

2. It placed Joseph in a position where he could ensure that his family would be delivered through the famine.

3. It led to the reconciliation of his family.

4. It led to the family of Jacob migrating to the best lands in Egypt where the family would begin to multiply, thus fulfilling God’s promise that from Abraham would become a nation.

5. It further leads to the fulfillment of God’s promise that Abraham’s descendants would live in servitude in a foreign land for 400 years.

6. It leads to God’s mighty display of power over the gods of Egypt as he brings mighty Egypt to its knees.

7. Ultimately it is a small part of the overall plan to use one family to bless all the nations though Jesus Christ.

The family has been reunited, as Pharaoh invited the family of Jacob to dwell in Egypt during the famine.

We left off last week with Joseph accumulating for Pharaoh almost the entire wealth of all of Egypt, money, herds, lands, and a 1/5 of every harvest.

As we pick back up the narrative this evening, the focal point will be back on Jacob as he is about die. The important custom of a father blessing his offspring will be the focus.

Read Genesis 47:29-48:22

Joseph’s Oath & the Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh

Before Jacob begins to bless his children, he first enlists Joseph to take an oath to return his body to Canaan to be buried with his father and grandfather.

This must have been a soft reminder to Joseph that as significant as he had become within Egypt, Egypt was only a small episode in the plan of God for the descendants of Abraham. They ultimately belonged in Canaan. Victor Hamilton remarks, “Egypt is to Jacob and his family what the ark was to Noah—a temporary shelter from disaster on the outside.”

At a later time, when it was apparent that Jacob’s final days were upon him, Joseph came to him bringing his two sons with him. Jacob begins his blessing by speaking about the blessing God has been to him:

1. Fruitful —Genesis 47:27

2. Multiplication

3. Company of Peoples

4. Possession of Canaan

This was another reminder that their destiny although the first three were taking place was not in Egypt.

Next, Jacob does something completely unexpected. He makes Joseph’s two sons Manasseh and Ephraim his own. Although the reasons for Jacob’s actions here are not explained, perhaps his mention of Rachel gives us a clue. Rachel was by all accounts the one wife Jacob loved but she only was able to give Jacob two sons because she died at childbirth with Benjamin. Perhaps this is Jacob’s way of bringing in more descendants of Rachel into the family.

Additionally, V. Hamilton says, “by making Joseph’s sons Jacob’s, Jacob is elevating Joseph to the level of himself. That is, both men are now ancestral fathers of the tribes of Israel that will come from them.”

But the surprises do not end here. After Jacob is made aware of the two visitors at Joseph’s side, he sets out to bless them, but not in the traditional way. Joseph brings his children to Jacob and places them according to age. He places Manasseh the firstborn under his left hand facing Jacob’s right hand. He places Ephraim the younger under his own right hand opposite from Jacob’s left hand.

However in a surprise move, Jacob crosses his hands and puts the favored right hand upon Ephraim the younger. By his God and the angel that has watched over him, Jacob blesses the boys in two ways:

1. Their names were carried on in the same way as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’s.

2. Their descendants would be numerous in the earth.

Joseph objects to Jacob’s reversal, but it stands just as his own stood even though he had deceived his father, Isaac.

Manasseh will become a people, but Ephraim will become a multitude of nations.

The Bible does not theologize why the second born so often took preeminence over the firstborn. From Cain, Ishmael, Esau, Reuben, and Zerah, now to Manasseh we have multiple examples of God passing over the firstborn and instead using younger sons.

Perhaps, this is a reminder to us that God’s ways are remarkably different than our own (Isa 55:8-9). God will not be confined to human standards and traditions. It foreshadows the foolishness of the gospel (1 Cor 1:23-25). Perhaps from Jacob’s perspective it could have been as simple that since he was the second born, he placed favor on the younger as he once was.

Read Genesis 49:1-27

The Blessing of the Twelve

Reuben (3-4)

Being the firstborn of Jacob, Reuben was destined for preeminence, however his sexual affair with Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant and his father’s concubine derailed Reuben destiny. So his blessing is not one at all.

Simeon & Levi (5-7)

Simeon and Levi are addressed together because their fates are linked when both men slaughtered the people of Shechem because one Shechemite raped their sister, Dinah. Because of their uncontrollable anger, Jacob distances himself from these sons and he does not give them a blessing.

Judah (8-12)

Along with Joseph, and not surprisingly, Judah receives a prominent blessing:

v11—binds his foal/donkey to a vine (who does that?) This shows how prosperous is. He washes his clothes in wine—wine is plentiful

v9—Judah is compared to a lion, a fierce animal—Judah will be strong

v8—Judah will rule over other peoples and even over his brothers

Zebulun (13)

Issachar (14-15)

Dan (16-17)

Plea for deliverance (18)

Gad(19)
Because of its location, this tribe would be at the forefront of war.

Asher (20)
Because of Asher’s location, it prospered in the area of food.

Naphtali (21)

Joseph (22-26)
Fruitful—v22
He has survived many attacks—v23-24
Upheld by God—v24
Abundantly blessed by God—vv25-26

Benjamin (27)
The tribe of Benjamin was known for its great military prowess.

Prophetic Blessings

These blessing have a prophetic element to them. That is, what Jacob predicts in the blessings or lack of blessings proves true for the future descendants of these brothers.

For example in 7b Jacob says of Simeon and Levi, “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” Simeon future is subsumed in Judah and Levi gains no land as they become the tribe of priests.

Furthermore, Reuben who should have received the lion’s share of the blessing, ends up in obscurity, and Judah, who takes the lead to provide for the family takes the lion’s share and rules over the tribes in later years through King David who is from Judah.

Far in advance of knowing where each tribe would be located, Jacob makes predictions about Gad and Zebulun that prove true in the future

Any foreshadowing of Jesus in the Text?

Although many major commentaries do not note, the blessing of Judah surely contains imagery of Messianic truths.

Judah is referred to as a lion—In the book of Revelation, in chapter 5 a great angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll so that in essence God’s will can be accomplished. John thinks there is no one in all heaven or earth able to open it and begins to weep. However, he is encouraged and that the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David is worthy to open the book.

Jacob prophetically asks of the Judean Lion, “Who dares rouse him?” As powerful as Judah was in her heyday of David and Solomon’s reigns, this question ultimately fits Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords and King of kings. This fits with Philippians 2:10-11, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Genesis 49:10 says of Judah, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” This reference points first to David’s rise as King over Israel and later to his descendants who reigned on the thrown over God’s people. God’s promise to David and his descendants was given in 2 Samuel 7:11-13 where God says:

2Sam 7:11 (NASU) even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.

12 "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

However, the ultimate fulfillment of Jacob’s words in Genesis 49 to Judah point to the Messiah. The reason why the scepter will never depart from Judah is because the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ is Lord forevermore.

Lastly, Jacob says of Judah, “and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Generically speaking, Judah was powerful and peoples listened to her as a tribe like Judah’s brothers listened to him. The tribes even submitted to David, but not perfectly. In Jesus, this proclamation reaches its climax as his rule will include “the peoples.”

Conclusion

Genesis, a book in many respects about blessing, comes near to its close with the “family of God’s unique blessing” and its Patriarch announcing his blessings to his 12 (14 if you count Manasseh & Ephraim) children. Not only do these blessings contain prophetic details about the future tribes of Israel, but they also point to climactic figure in Scripture, Jesus Christ. They point us to the primary purpose of the patriarchal blessings, namely to bring redemption for his creation.

Genesis Series

I have completed my 42nd sermon from the book of Genesis. It will nearly take a year to finish this series. It has truly been informative and edifying as I have learned much from my study and sermon preparation. Here are my notes from Genesis 45:16-47:26.

Review

The broken family of Jacob torn apart by favoritism, rivalry, and polygamy has found partial redemption through the most unlikely of circumstances.

God gives the favored son of Joseph dreams when interpreted predict a day when his entire family will bow down to him. Joseph’s sharing of this dream with his family coupled with the tension that already existed led his angry and jealous brothers to sell him into slavery.

Joseph ends up in the nation of Egypt in the care of Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Despite the desperate plot that Joseph found himself in, separated from his family, in servitude, in a foreign country, God was still with him.

God blessed Joseph to the extent that Potiphar made him head of his household. Additionally, when Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison, God blessed him there too, and he was made overseer of the prisoners.

Threw providential circumstances, Joseph was bale to correctly interpret the dreams of two men who were extremely close to Pharaoh. Years later when Pharaoh himself had two dreams that could not be interpreted by the wise men of Egypt, Joseph was remembered and was brought before Pharaoh where he satisfactorily interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams.

Joseph says that Egypt will face 7 years of plenty and 7 years of great famine. He suggests that Egypt prepare in the first seven years to sustain the country in the second seven years. At his suggestion, Pharaoh appoints Joseph to second in command with the goal of preserving the nation.

The famine reaches Canaan where Joseph’s family resides. And his brothers come to purchase food for the family. Through a series of tests by Joseph, the brothers confess their sin towards Joseph, they demonstrate the health of Joseph’s blood brother Benjamin, and Judah demonstrates his own personal redemption when he offers to trade his life for Benjamin.

Last week, as we surveyed, the first half of chapter 45, we witnessed the partial reunification of the family of promise. We witnessed the reconciliation of a family were bitterly divided and full of jealousy. Now we have 12 brothers who are once again one; they are a family again.

The Invitation of Pharaoh (Genesis 45:16-28)

The healing process is only partially complete for Joseph has been reunited with his brothers including Benjamin, but he has yet to be reunited with his father, Jacob.

Pharaoh, who has been a hidden figure in this developing situation enters into the narrative again and commands Joseph’s family to return to Canaan taking abundant provisions for their entire family to make a pilgrimage back to Egypt and live in the healthiest part of the kingdom.

The Pharaoh’s generosity to the family of Jacob is further evidence of God’s fulfillment of his promises. God’s covenant to Abraham included the promise to bless those who bless him. This promise extends to each generation of the sons of promise. Pharaoh’s kindness to Joseph was rewarded by God’s salvation of Egypt through the severe famine. This generosity continues from Pharaoh to Joseph’s family as he invites them to live in his land.

The family returns to Canaan, and after some prompting, Jacob believes in the report that his long dead son is alive. The family makes preparations to move to Egypt.

God’s Promise & Jacob’s Family

The importance of God’s encounter with Jacob in a dream is significant for this reason. The land of Canaan is the land of promise. Canaan is the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His departure from the land of promise might be interpreted as a sign of faithlessness.

However, since God specifically told him to not be afraid to go into Egypt, this sojourn is deemed appropriate.

The author then proceeds to tell us about the vast number of family members who made the journey. The author emphasizes the number 70. Seventy was a Hebrew number which symbolized completeness.

Lamech (seventy times seven) Genesis 4

Days of mourning for Jacob (seventy) Genesis 50

70 nations descended from Noah Genesis 10

Technically speaking there were more than seventy people who were brought into Egypt. For example verse 7 says that all of his son’s daughters came, but none are listed. Additionally in verse 5 it says that his sons’ wives came, but they are not listed. His servants are not listed either. It seems the only ones counted as descendants are sons, grandsons, one daughter, and one granddaughter. A further evidence that the number seventy is more symbolic than technical is that Joseph’s two sons are counted as part of the seventy, but they never came from Canaan. They were born and raised entirely in Egypt.

The main idea expressed here is his entire family was spared and saved in Egypt. Furthermore, the number seventy expresses the idea that the family of promise was rapidly growing as God had said it would. God’s promises do not always come to pass in the timing we think it should, nevertheless they do not fail and always come to pass.

Joseph and Jacob reunite (Genesis 46:28-30)

The family is one again

Joseph’s instructions (Genesis 46:31-47:12)

Joseph gives a crash course to his family on proper conduct before Pharaoh so that all may go well with them. The family passes test.

Joseph secures all Egypt’s Gold and Land for Pharaoh (Genesis 47:13-26)

The famine was so severe the people of Egypt sold everything to Pharaoh so that they might survive.

Important Phrases, Observations, & Applications:

1. Genesis 45:26, “And they told him, “Joseph is alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them.”

There are so many happenings in this large narrative that remind us of the story of Jesus.

Turn with me to Luke 24:1-12

A son was dead, but now he is alive. Indeed it was hard to believe in both situations. Joseph is Lord of Egypt. Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Joseph was “dead”, but was raised by God to bring deliverance and salvation to Egypt and the family of promise. Joseph was used by God to bring about family reconciliation even through sins and trials.

Likewise Jesus was literally dead, but was raised by God from the dead. In his resurrection, Jesus was declared the Son of God in power (Roman 1:4). Jesus was used by God to bring deliverance and salvation to the entire world. His work set in motion and laid the foundation (Matt 21:42; Acts 4:11) for the redemption of the cursed earth, and forgiveness of sins to all who will believe in his name.

Through Jesus, God brings reconciliation between the families of the earth and God and between the peoples of the earth.

2. Genesis 46:3-4, “The he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt…”

God’s presence brought greater confidence for Jacob as he sojourned in a foreign land that God would continue to work to fulfill all his covenant promises.

The same is true for all God’s covenant partners, especially to those who are covenanted with him through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave us similar words in Matthew 28:20, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” So with the Hebrews author we can say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me (Heb. 13:6)?”

We can with certainty cling to hope in Jesus Christ no matter what context of life we may find ourselves in. God’s words never fail. Jesus said, “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (Matt 24:35).” “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

3. Genesis 46:34, “you shall say, your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers, in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

The power that Pharaoh accumulates and the utter distaste the Egyptians normally hold to the Hebrews who are pastoral shepherds foreshadows the future hostility the family of Jacob will face in Egypt.

When the current Pharaoh dies and the famine is history, a new Pharaoh will turn on the Israelites. God’s abundant blessings to turn a family of seventy into a nation of thousands leads to their freedom being turned into slavery, which in turn would to the great display of the mighty hand of God in power over the Egyptians in the Exodus.

Reflections on the Flood and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

I am preaching from Genesis 6-8 this Sunday. As I was writing out my sermon the thought came to mind, why did so many authors back in December of 2004 just after the Tsunami occurred feel it necessary to defend God's righteousness in light of the massive loss of life? I mean, if God's righteousness was ever in question, it would not have been in 2004, it would have been back in the days of Noah when he decided to blot out the entire human race with the exception of Noah and his family.

The Flood and the Tsunami of 04 were certainly both tragic and heart wrenching calamities. Noah was on a boat for a year, and he must have shed many tears thinking over the massive loss of life. I know I cried my share of tears listening to the stories which came out after the Tsunami of 04. Certainly these were times to mourn with those who mourn, and these were times to love our neighbors.

However, these two events are not occasions for us to put God on trial. In fact, the Flood was a trial of sorts for the human race. We failed. We were judged guilty. And God killed nearly everyone.

No human being is deserving of life. We are fortunate though that God establishes covenants like he did with Noah, sparing his life. God has established another covenant. This one is through the blood of his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Entrance into this covenant requires only that we repent of our sins against God and come to God in faith clinging to the righteousness of Christ. This covenant will protect us from all Tsunami's, floods, and will even save us from the Christ who will come again with eyes aflame and a sword proceeding from his mouth to judge the wicked.