Restoration Themes
Sermon Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: The Joseph Stories
Genesis 45:16-46:7 (ESV)
16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”
25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
46:1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then 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. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him,7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.
Sermon Outline
Recognizing how God restores what has been lost (vv25-26) links us to deeper themes in Genesis (and Scripture) that sustains us.
1. Death and life
45:26-27 “And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him… when he saw… the spirit of their father Jacob revived.”
2. Promise and place
45:28 And Israel said, “…I will go and see him before I die.”
46:2-4 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night… “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt… I will also bring you up again”
3. Providence and redemption
46:3 Then he said, “I am… the God of your father….for there I will make you into a great nation.”
46:4“I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
Prayer of Confession
Our gracious redeemer, you are the giver and sustainer of life. We admit to being a confused people. We are a fearful people. We are a hurting people. We have not been steadfast in faithfulness. We are slow to listen and believe. We easily give in to despair. We have acted dishonorably. Forgive us. Help us. We confess our need, and ask for mercy. Restore to us the joy of our salvation. Create in us clean hearts, and renew a right spirit in us. Cast us not away; instead, draw us back. Remain with us, even as we re-commit to remaining with you. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
Have you ever found something you had lost, or had something returned to you? What was that experience like?
What is it like to lose something? What questions go through your mind? What thoughts? How do you experience it?
What are healthy ways of dealing with loss? How can faith inform your thoughts and decisions when going through an experience of loss?
Do you find the Bible’s teaching that there will be a resurrection compelling? If it is true, what are the implications?
Does it seem impossible that the promises of scripture (forgiveness, change, eternal life, etc.) can be fulfilled for you? What do you have difficulty believing and why?
How can Jesus’ message that he has gone to prepare a place for his followers help you as you face the challenges of this season of life? How is the future Christian hope relevant to your present life?
What are some of the chief elements of the Bible’s vision of restoration? What are components of the picture of life in the kingdom of heaven? What are you most looking forward to?
How can your daily life have more of a sense of walking with God? What can you do? How can the promise of God being with you be meaningful when you can’t see God, or don’t always have an experience of His presence?