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Jan. 6, 2023
What God Meant for Good
We all have plenty of opportunities to be jealous of others—even in church life or ministry. True peace is when we are content with God’s will for our life or ministry and do not strive to be someone else. Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, and Joseph and his brothers all struggled with jealousy and rivalry. But both Jacob and Joseph bring it to an end by learning an important principle. We all need to learn to accept God’s will for our life and bloom where we are planted!
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The Torah is the name of the first five books of the Bible. In Hebrew the word Torah means "instruction." The Torah is rich in lessons that we can all benefit from so join Susan each week as her Shabbat Shalom devotionals will be based on the Torah portion read that week in synagogues all around the world.
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What God Meant for Good (Out of Zion Episode #159)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,880
Well, we all have plenty of opportunities to be jealous of others, even in church life
2
00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:08,620
and in ministry.
3
00:00:08,620 --> 00:00:15,300
But true peace is when we are content with God's will for our life and that we don't
4
00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:16,920
strive to be someone else.
5
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:24,140
But you know, in the Bible, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob and Joseph and his brothers
6
00:00:24,140 --> 00:00:26,800
all struggled with each other.
7
00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:32,760
But in our spreading this week, both Jacob and Joseph bring it to an end by learning
8
00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,240
an important principle.
9
00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,140
So I want to welcome you to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I seek to share just
10
00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:46,660
a little inspiration and bring a little piece to the close of your very busy week.
11
00:00:46,660 --> 00:00:54,800
This week's Torah portion is Genesis 47 verse 28 through chapter 50 verse 26.
12
00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:02,240
And it's called Vayetchi, whereas that Jacob settled, he, Jacob lived in the land of Egypt.
13
00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:07,320
Now this week, our story, a lot of it is about the death of Jacob.
14
00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:09,680
And there's really interesting parallels here.
15
00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:16,500
You know, Jacob, who had tricked his father to receive the blessing of the firstborn that
16
00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:19,240
should have gone to his older brother Esau.
17
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:24,160
He is now in his death bed and he is blessing his two grandsons.
18
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,000
And he places his hand on their head, but in reverse order.
19
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,920
And he blesses the younger one Ephraim and said that while they're both going to be
20
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,280
great that the younger brother Ephraim will be greater.
21
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,560
Oh no, how could he do that?
22
00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:48,400
Had he not learned the lesson of three generations of struggles between brothers?
23
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:56,840
But he blessed them and said, by you, Israel will bless, saying, may God make you as Ephraim
24
00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,800
and Manasseh.
25
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:05,280
So Jacob made sure that both boys were affirmed in that final blessing and there was no need
26
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:13,200
to be for any type of rivalry or struggle that Jacob himself had with his own brother
27
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:14,600
Esau.
28
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,600
And you know, it's so interesting that still today, every Friday night when the father
29
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:29,000
blesses his sons at the Shabbat dinner table, they say, may you be like Ephraim and Manasseh.
30
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:34,280
Now not only Jacob ended the struggle between generations and between brothers, but Joseph
31
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,880
had ended the struggles with his brothers.
32
00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:42,040
But once his father Jacob died, his brothers were quite worried.
33
00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:48,200
Was Joseph now going to take revenge on us now that our father has died?
34
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,880
And you know, they had hated him to the point of selling him into slavery.
35
00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,960
That's a lot to forgive and they wondered, had Joseph really forgiven?
36
00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,640
And these are the words of Joseph to his brothers.
37
00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:04,640
We read them in Genesis 50, verse 19.
38
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:12,440
Joseph said to them, do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God, but as for you,
39
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:19,880
you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it
40
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:25,520
is this day to save many people alive.
41
00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,560
So Joseph is the example that we need to follow.
42
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:36,560
He forgave because he looked beyond their wrong and recognized a sovereign God had allowed
43
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,720
it all to happen for good.
44
00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:46,840
He Joseph had learned to bloom where he was planted because of his faith in God.
45
00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,200
Now if God had not allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, the children of Israel may have
46
00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:58,680
died in famine or left the land and gone elsewhere and been dispersed and never returned.
47
00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:04,280
It would have been all over for the people of God and for the promises of God to use
48
00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,920
them to bless the world.
49
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:12,440
God had promised Abraham a great nation that would one day bless the world and he needed
50
00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:18,300
Joseph to save Egypt so Egypt could then feed his family.
51
00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:24,320
He also gave Joseph great wisdom in how to secure his family's future apart from the
52
00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,080
pagan Egyptians.
53
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,800
That is the almighty God that we serve.
54
00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:38,440
You can rest in him this weekend and learn to bloom where you are planted.
55
00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:58,000
With that I wish you Shabbat Shalom.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,880
Well, we all have plenty of opportunities to be jealous of others, even in church life
2
00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:08,620
and in ministry.
3
00:00:08,620 --> 00:00:15,300
But true peace is when we are content with God's will for our life and that we don't
4
00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:16,920
strive to be someone else.
5
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:24,140
But you know, in the Bible, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob and Joseph and his brothers
6
00:00:24,140 --> 00:00:26,800
all struggled with each other.
7
00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:32,760
But in our spreading this week, both Jacob and Joseph bring it to an end by learning
8
00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,240
an important principle.
9
00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,140
So I want to welcome you to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I seek to share just
10
00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:46,660
a little inspiration and bring a little piece to the close of your very busy week.
11
00:00:46,660 --> 00:00:54,800
This week's Torah portion is Genesis 47 verse 28 through chapter 50 verse 26.
12
00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:02,240
And it's called Vayetchi, whereas that Jacob settled, he, Jacob lived in the land of Egypt.
13
00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:07,320
Now this week, our story, a lot of it is about the death of Jacob.
14
00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:09,680
And there's really interesting parallels here.
15
00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:16,500
You know, Jacob, who had tricked his father to receive the blessing of the firstborn that
16
00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:19,240
should have gone to his older brother Esau.
17
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:24,160
He is now in his death bed and he is blessing his two grandsons.
18
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,000
And he places his hand on their head, but in reverse order.
19
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,920
And he blesses the younger one Ephraim and said that while they're both going to be
20
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,280
great that the younger brother Ephraim will be greater.
21
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,560
Oh no, how could he do that?
22
00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:48,400
Had he not learned the lesson of three generations of struggles between brothers?
23
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:56,840
But he blessed them and said, by you, Israel will bless, saying, may God make you as Ephraim
24
00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,800
and Manasseh.
25
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:05,280
So Jacob made sure that both boys were affirmed in that final blessing and there was no need
26
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:13,200
to be for any type of rivalry or struggle that Jacob himself had with his own brother
27
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:14,600
Esau.
28
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,600
And you know, it's so interesting that still today, every Friday night when the father
29
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:29,000
blesses his sons at the Shabbat dinner table, they say, may you be like Ephraim and Manasseh.
30
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:34,280
Now not only Jacob ended the struggle between generations and between brothers, but Joseph
31
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,880
had ended the struggles with his brothers.
32
00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:42,040
But once his father Jacob died, his brothers were quite worried.
33
00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:48,200
Was Joseph now going to take revenge on us now that our father has died?
34
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,880
And you know, they had hated him to the point of selling him into slavery.
35
00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,960
That's a lot to forgive and they wondered, had Joseph really forgiven?
36
00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,640
And these are the words of Joseph to his brothers.
37
00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:04,640
We read them in Genesis 50, verse 19.
38
00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:12,440
Joseph said to them, do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God, but as for you,
39
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:19,880
you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it
40
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:25,520
is this day to save many people alive.
41
00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,560
So Joseph is the example that we need to follow.
42
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:36,560
He forgave because he looked beyond their wrong and recognized a sovereign God had allowed
43
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,720
it all to happen for good.
44
00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:46,840
He Joseph had learned to bloom where he was planted because of his faith in God.
45
00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,200
Now if God had not allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, the children of Israel may have
46
00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:58,680
died in famine or left the land and gone elsewhere and been dispersed and never returned.
47
00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:04,280
It would have been all over for the people of God and for the promises of God to use
48
00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,920
them to bless the world.
49
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:12,440
God had promised Abraham a great nation that would one day bless the world and he needed
50
00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:18,300
Joseph to save Egypt so Egypt could then feed his family.
51
00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:24,320
He also gave Joseph great wisdom in how to secure his family's future apart from the
52
00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,080
pagan Egyptians.
53
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,800
That is the almighty God that we serve.
54
00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:38,440
You can rest in him this weekend and learn to bloom where you are planted.
55
00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:58,000
With that I wish you Shabbat Shalom.
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