Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 751 to 769 of 769 results

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Before Jacob blesses his own sons, he blesses the two sons of Joseph. Advanced age plus debilitating illness indicate that Jacob is near death. In a bedside conversation he reminds Joseph of God’s earlier workings in his own life (48:3–4; cf. 35:11–12). Jacob refers to Ephraim, then Manasseh (48:5), reversing the order of verse 1. This anticipates the reversal of order that will be spelled out lat...

752. Manasseh and Ephraim

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Jacob Blesses Joseph and His Sons: On learning that Jacob has become very ill, Joseph and his sons Manasseh and Ephraim go to visit him. On this occasion Jacob blesses both Joseph and his sons. Significantly, he raises Joseph’s two sons to the level of his own children. This account carries great weight, for it modifies Israel’s tribal structure. Throughout the account there are abrupt shifts that...

753. Crossing Over

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Why did the chicken cross the road? Well, I spent some time this week investigating the whole chicken and road dilemma and here are some of the best explanations I’ve found: Machiavelli: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The ends of crossing the road justify whatever motive there was. Thomas de Torquemada: Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll find out. Ti...

754. Jacob Blesses His Sons

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Most of Genesis 49 is poetry. The content is mostly concerned with Jacob’s blessing of his twelve sons. We use the word “blessing” in a general sense, for there is little actual blessing in the chapter. Only Joseph is literally blessed (49:25–26). We retain the title “Jacob’s blessing” primarily because of verse 28: “This is what their father said to them when he blessed them.” Some of the section...

755. Jacob Blesses His Sons

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Jacob’s Last Testament: Just before his death, Jacob, the patriarch whose name Israel will become the name of the nation that will develop from his children, delivers his last testament, focusing on the destinies of his twelve sons. Since God has appeared to Jacob from time to time, he has the authority to describe the character of each tribe in regard to its future settlement in the promised land...

756. Lion of Judah

Sermon

Lori Wagner

[If there is a Lions Club still functioning in your community, find out if any member of your church is a member. Then either use this moment as an interactive to talk about their club, and rituals, or you tell the story and use them to back you up so that you make sure you’re getting the story right.] So the interview might go like this . . . . or turn this into a narrative . . . or make it a pe...

757. Issachar

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

Of all the sins which so easily beset us, spiritual laziness can become the most deadly and deadening. If allowed to permeate the soul, it results in spiritual slavery. There is a legend of the Greek citizen who voluntarily sold himself into slavery because he did not want to be encumbered by the problems of freedom. Many people prefer to spend their days free from mental and spiritual exertion. T...

758. Jacob's Death

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Jacob now dies. The chapter returns to “sons” (and not tribes)—a parallel to its beginning (49:1). Both Jacob (50:2) and Joseph (50:26) are embalmed (i.e., mummified), a standard Egyptian practice. The seventy days of mourning for Jacob were also traditional in Egypt. Joseph has a little easier time leaving Egypt with Pharaoh’s permission than did Moses. Joseph is a man of his word. He does return...

759. The Death of Jacob

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Jacob’s Death and Funeral: This report offers the assurance that Jacob was truly buried in the Cave of Machpelah. More importantly, this recounting of Jacob’s death looks ahead to his children’s going out of Egypt to return to the land of promise. This unit has three sections: Jacob’s death (49:29–33), the mourning for Jacob in Egypt (50:1–3), and Jacob’s burial in the Cave of Machpelah (50:4–14)....

760. Leah

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

An elderly woman of keen mind and understanding heart stood gazing at Whistler’s portrait of his mother. "It’s a remarkable painting of a lovely lady," murmured the viewer, "but there is too much peace and calm to be the likeness of a real mother." To be sure, serenity and tranquility are marked qualities of motherhood, yet there has been far more sorrow, pain, and discord in the long history of w...

761. Forgive To Be Forgiven

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil which we did to him." So they sent a message to Joseph saying, "Your father gave this command before he died, ‘Say to Joseph, Forgive, I pray you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, we pray you, forgive the tra...

762. Joseph’s Reassurance

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Now, however, the brothers feel that Joseph will retaliate since their father is out of the way. Nowhere is it recorded that Jacob gave to his other sons the directives that verse 16 claims he did. Either the brothers are fabricating this, or they are recalling a legitimate word that did not make it into the biblical record. To that degree the brothers’ quotation of their father’s words is unverif...

763. Joseph Reassures His Brothers

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

After the burial of Jacob, the brothers are anxious about how Joseph might treat them. Their anxiety offers insight into the persistent fear that accompanies guilt over a harmful act against another, especially against a family member. Only full and genuine reconciliation removes that anxiety. This story is important, for it recounts the establishment of true solidarity among Jacob’s twelve sons i...

764. Pentecost 7

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE September 29th marks the celebration of another minor festival, St. Michael and All Angels. The last line of the second reading, Revelation 12: 12, supports the eschatological perspective of Pentecost, because it announces that he (Satan) "knows that his time is short." Without the theological input of the readings for St. Michael and All Angels Day to supplement the readings of ...

765. Proper 19, Pentecost 17, Ordinary Time 24

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of The Day Leader: Heavenly Father, to live out our faith in this world is no easy task, yet again and again you show us the way. We give you thanks that the depth of your forgiveness is beyond measure and we pray that by the power of your Spirit we might be made anew in your image, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. All: Amen. Intercessory Prayer After each petition: Leader: God of...

766. But God...

Sermon

David E. Leininger

There is an ancient Chinese story of an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields. One day the horse escaped into the hills and when all the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farm...

767. Joseph: Don't Bury Me Here

Sermon

John E. Harnish

So Abraham and Sarah sojourned in the land of promise. They lived in tents, looking for a city. And when, as God had promised, a son was born, they named him Isaac. Isaac produced sons...twins in fact, Esau and Jacob, whose name actually means "heel-grabber" because he was born hanging onto his brother's heel. As a second-born twin, I am not sure it's a compliment to be compared to Jacob, bu...

768. Joseph’s Death

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Joseph dies at the age of a hundred and ten years (50:22), which in Egyptian literature is the ideal length of human life. Moreover Joseph lives long enough to see his great-grandchildren (50:23), a privilege shared by no other patriarchal figure. There is no question that one day Joseph’s family will leave Egypt. “Take my bones with you when you leave,” he says (50:25, author’s translation). Jose...

769. The Death of Joseph

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

50:22–23 Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. For the Egyptians, this age symbolized a long and full life. Joseph saw his grandchildren to the third and fourth generation. The ancients viewed such a privilege as the reward for righteousness. 50:24–25 Before his death Joseph wished to give his extended family a word of promise that would sustain and guide them as long as they remained in Egypt. H...

Showing 751 to 769 of 769 results