It's Summer 2013!

With each passing year, spending time with the Lord Jesus Christ becomes more powerful and impacting. And studying His Word becomes more impactful the more we study. What keeps me grounded in the Word is the fact the I am, you are and we are all sinners saved by grace. That we can know the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph is amazing to me. Christ is the same today as he was when He created the heavens; powerful, fearsome, loving, and gracious (and that's just for starters!). And that God sent his only son to atone for my sins and the sins of the world is awesome.

Jesus wants that relationship with everyone. He wants to restore that intimate relationship that Adam and Eve experienced in the garden and with everyone, no matter what your walk in life is, no matter the color of your skin, no matter what your ethnicity, no matter what your politics, no matter what your religion. Before we are saved, Christ stands at the door of each our hearts and knocks. He will not force Himself on us, but He will come in to our hearts if asked. And through that receiving of Christ, we can know that we are saved, born again if you will, and that our names are then written in the book of life.

Thanks for joining Chuck and me on our quest to know Christ better, to trust Christ more and to walk closer in His footsteps by studying the Bible. Have a great Summer! Spend time in the Word. Some ideas to help you get started:

• How about homiletics on a New Testament book (use the major sections in each chapter as your guide)
• How about a word or phrase study (look up grace, or prayer, etc.)
• Do a study of the names of God (Jehovah-Jireh as our provider; Jehovah-Shalom as our peace, etc.) 
• Read Proverbs daily (Proverbs 1 on the 1st of the month, Proverbs 2 on the 2nd of the month, etc.)
• Read through an Old Testament book with a trusted commentary.

No matter what you do, spend time in prayer and conversation with God. I'll be doing that no matter what I do in studying the Bible this Summer. As you do, enjoy the fellowship with the creator of the universe and see what adventures He will lead you on.
See you in the Fall!
John B 

Genesis 50; Lesson 31

John's study this week:

Content

(In your own words, summarize passages into sentences. Goal of 12 – 15 sentences)

Genesis 50

1. Genesis 50:1 – 3 Joseph wept over his father, then directed the Egyptian physicians in his service to embalm which they did,  taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

2. Genesis 50:4 – 6 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, speak to Pharaoh for me and tell him, ‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” So now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” To which Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

3. Genesis 50:7 – 9 So Joseph went up to bury his father and all Pharaoh’s officials(dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt) accompanied him as well as all the members of Joseph’s household including his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household with only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.

4. Genesis 50:10 – 11 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father, and when the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” hence that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.

5. Genesis 50:12 – 14 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them: burying him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and after burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

6. Genesis 50:15 – 17 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” and so they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” And when their message came to him, Joseph wept.

7. Genesis 50:18 – 21 Joseph’s brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” to which Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives, so then, don’t be afraid for I will provide for you and your children.” and he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

8. Genesis 50:22 – 23 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family and lived to be a hundred and ten years old and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children, as well as the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.

9. Genesis 50:24 – 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

10. Genesis 50:25 – 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

11. Genesis 50:26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten and after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Divisions

(Summarize main groupings of thoughts. Goal of 2, 3 or 4 divisions. ID passages covered)

1. Genesis 50:1 – 14 Jacob is buried in Canaan with great honors and mourning.

Application: Do people see you as faithful to God’s promises that they will carry on after you?

2. Genesis 50:15 – 21 Joseph comforts and assures his brothers that there will be no retribution.

Application: How are you judging others, when as Joseph said “I am not God.”?

3. Genesis 50:22 – 21 The death of Joseph in Egypt.

Application: Are you passing God’s promises on to another generation of the faithful?

Subject Sentence (Summarizing the Divisions into one sentence – ten words or less):

Jacob in buried; the brothers are comforted; Joseph dies

Aim

(A main teaching point for the overall study of the passages):

TCTATS: To cause the audience to see that Joseph died looking forward to God’s unfolding plan of redemption; and eternal, loving, wise plan.

Genesis 49; Lesson 30

Chuck's study this week:

Lesson     30

Passage Genesis 49

Content (List of Topics or Events)

Jacob gives specific blessings to his sons (Genesis 49:1-28) a. Reuben; No longer excel (3-4) b. Simeon & Levi; scattered in Israel (5-7)  c. Judah; father’s sons will bow (8-12) d. Zebulun; live by seashore (13) e. Issachar; submit to forced labor (14-15) f. Dan; provide justice (16-18) g. Gad, Asher, Naphili; characteristics (19-21) h. Joseph; fruitful vine with deep blessings (22-26) h. Benjamin; ravenous wolf (27) i. All tribes blessed (28)

Jacob gives instructions for burial and dies (Genesis 49:29-33) a. Jacob instructs sons to bury with fathers purchased by Abraham (29-32) b. Jacob breaths last and gathered to his people (33)

Divisions (Main Blocks of Thought)

Division	Scripture
Jacob gives specific blessings to his sons	Genesis 49:1-28
Jacob gives instructions for burial and dies	Genesis 49:29-33

Subject Sentence (Summarizes the contents of the Divisions – No more than 10 words)

Jacob gives sons final specific blessings, burial instructions and dies

Aim (Main Teaching Point of the Passage)

To Learn that God knows our story and wants a part in our future

Specific Application Questions

	1.       How can we provide specific blessings to our children?
	2.       How do we visibly demonstrate our faith to our children?
	3.

Principles to Remember

	Our investment in our children can produce rich rewards.
	Our Faith is can be our legacy to our family.

Genesis 46 - 48; Lesson 29

John's study this week:

Content

(In your own words, summarize passages into sentences. Goal of 12 – 15 sentences)

Genesis 46

1. Genesis 46:1 – 27 So Israel and all his family set out for Egypt stopping at Beersheba where Israel offers sacrifice and receives a vision from God that through this trip God will make a great nation from his household, and that he will return and that he will see Joseph who will “close Jacob’s eyes.” and Jacob’s family is listed, and, not counting Jacob’s sons’ wives plus sons born to Joseph in Egypt counted seventy in all.
2. Genesis 46:28 – 29 Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen and when they arrived in the region Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to meet his father Israel and as soon as Joseph appeared before Jacob, threw his arms around his father and wept.
3. Genesis 46:30 – 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
4. Genesis 46:31 – 34 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me, and the men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ And when Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 47

5. Genesis 47:1 – 6 Joseph along with five of his brothers went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” ² He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh to which Pharaoh asked their occupation and Joseph’s brothers answered as Joseph directed to which Pharaoh directed them to live in Goshen and be put in charge of Pharaoh’s own livestock.
6. Genesis 47:7 – 10 Joseph then presented his father Jacob to Pharaoh and Jacob blessed Pharaoh answering Pharaoh’s question of age as a hundred and thirty.
7. Genesis 47:11 – 12 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, as Pharaoh directed, and Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.
8. Genesis 47:13 – 17 Joseph manages the famine that strikes the land by selling food to the Egyptians for both money and livestock and brought the whole land through the famine for a year.
9. Genesis 47:18 – 22 The following year of the famine, the people came to Joseph and sold their land and themselves into servitude to Joseph for Pharaoh in exchange for food until all of Egypt was Pharaoh’s with the exception of the land owned by the priests because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh.
10. Genesis 47:23 – 26 Joseph then gave seed to the people establishing as law that of the crops that come in, one fifth should go to Pharaoh and four-fifths they are to keep to which the people declared that their lives were saved and that they would be in bondage to Pharaoh, but not the priests.
11. Genesis 47:27 – 27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt where they acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
12. Genesis 47:28 – 31 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven and when the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, making him swear, “Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”

Genesis 48

13. Genesis 48:1 – 16 Sometime later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him to see Jacob who prophesied over Joseph’s descendants and blessed Manasseh and Ephraim saying:
       “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who
        has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
       —may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers
       Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.”
14. Genesis 48:17 – 20 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to switch  it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head saying, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But Jacob refused saying, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.” And so he blessed them that day and said,
“In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” so he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
15. Genesis 48:21 – 22 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers, and to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Divisions

(Summarize main groupings of thoughts. Goal of 2, 3 or 4 divisions. ID passages covered)

1. Genesis 46:1 – 34 thru Genesis 47:1 - 12 Jacob’s family moves to Egypt, prepares them to meet Pharaoh and are blessed by Pharaoh to become shepherds to his livestock.

Application: How has God used non-Christians to bless you and your family?

2. Genesis 47:13 – 31 Joseph deals with the famine saving Egypt.

Application: The 20% asked for by Joseph from the people he saved seems high, but what hesitation do we show to giving a title of 10% to God for all that he has done for us?

5. Genesis 48:1 – 31 Jacob calls for his sons blesses Joseph’s Manasseh and Ephraim.

Application: What has God blessed your offspring with?

Subject Sentence (Summarizing the Divisions into one sentence – ten words or less):

God blesses through Joseph’s actions believers and non-believers from famine.

 

Aim

(A main teaching point for the overall study of the passages):

TCTATS: To cause the audience to see that God intends for us to bless spiritually and physically all who are around us through His gifting and providential hands.