It's all about Him

Genesis - Chapter 43

In this chapter we see a picture of a feast - with Joseph sitting on the head table.  His brothers - the family of Israel are seated at their table - and in the middle of a famine, there is more than enough to eat; Benjamin is given five times

Genesis - Chapter 42

When Joseph was a teenager he had dreams in which his family all bowed down to him.  When he told them about this his father rebuked him and said "what is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to

Genesis - Chapter 41

Joseph is brought before the pharaoh,  who said that he had heard it said of Joseph that when he hears a dream he can interpret it.  Joseph corrects him and says "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." This answer is similar

Genesis - Chapter 40

Joseph is in prison, and in a miraculous way he is going to end up in front of the pharaoh.  Two of pharaoh's servants were put in the same prison as Joseph, and  Joseph correctly interprets their dreams.  The servants are the chief baker and the chief cupbearer,

Genesis - Chapter 39

We now return to the story of Joseph, and see in the story the ways that Joseph is an illustration of Jesus. In this chapter we see Joseph resisting temptation and sin - just as we see at the beginning of Jesus' ministry when he is tempted by Satan.

Genesis - Chapter 38

Having started on the story of Joseph in Chapter 37, there is a short break while we read about Judah.  Judah marries, and has a son who marries Tamar.  The son dies, and Judah's family do not properly care for the widow Tamar.  Tamar's response is

Genesis - Chapter 37

We now move on to the next generation, as we read about the children of Israel - and in particular the story of Joseph.  As we read about Joseph it will be easy to identify the story of Jesus, as commentators have identified over 100 ways that Joseph is a

Genesis - Chapter 36

The chapter begins "This is the account of Esau (that is Edom)." and it ends "This was Esau the father of the Edomites". The chapter briefly outlines the beginnings of the Edomite peoples.  Esau had despised the birthright of his father, and this had passed to

Genesis - Chapter 35

In this chapter we have the first mention of Bethlehem: So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).  Rachel died in childbirth as Benjamin, the final son of Israel, was born. And so in Bethlehem there were now twelve sons; the completion of the

Genesis - Chapter 34

This chapter tells a very unpleasant story about one of Jacob's daughters - Dinah.  Dinah is raped by the son of one of the rulers in the area.  Two of her brothers, Simeon and Levi, then carry out an act of retaliation, and slaughtered all the men in

Genesis - Chapter 33

In this chapter Jacob arrives at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city.  For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. In the gospel of John

Genesis - Chapter 32

In this chapter we have two major events in Jacob's life.  First, he meets God face to face, and wrestles with him.  And God is present in the form of a man - which is another personal encounter with the pre-incarnate Jesus. And second, Jacob asks for a

Genesis - Chapter 31

In yesterday's review of Chapter 30 we looked ahead to see Jesus in this Chapter - the angel of the Lord who has been in control during the arrangements concerning the different coloured sheep and goats. We can also notice in this chapter how the Lord has intervened

Genesis - Chapter 30

In chapter 29 we saw Jesus involved in the birth of Jacob's children, and that involvement continues in this chapter.  But here we also see Jesus involved in the birth of the sheep and goats under Jacob's care.  Jacob and Laban agree that the speckled and

Genesis - Chapter 29

In this Chapter we see Jacob being the victim of a deceit by Laban - who tricks him into marrying Leah, rather than Rachel.  This complicated family relationship will cause problems among his children, which will play a crucial part in the family story.  And Jesus role in this is

Genesis - Chapter 28

In this chapter we read about Jacob's dream at Bethel.  In this dream he saw a stairway between heaven and earth, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the Lord. And the Lord made a covenant with Jacob - in

Genesis - Chapter 27

Even before the twins, Jacob and Esau, were born, God told Rebekah that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob).  In this chapter we read the lies and deceit that Jacob and his mother used to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob, rather than Esau.  The lies and deceptions do

Genesis - Chapter 26

In this Chapter the focus is on Isaac.  God had made a covenant promise to Abraham, and this promise would be fulfilled through Isaac's descendants.  But now Isaac was given his own covenant promise by God.  God was the God of Abraham and he is also the God

Genesis - Chapter 25

Back in Genesis 17 we learned that God’s covenant with Abraham was to be carried on through Isaac. Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for

Genesis - Chapter 24

In Chapter 22 we saw Abraham and Isaac representing the God the Father and God the Son, when the father gave his son as a sacrifice. In Chapter 24 the father is getting a bride for his son.  And in this part of the story Isaac continues to represent the

Genesis - Chapter 23

In Chapter 13 God had said to Abraham “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by

Genesis - Chapter 22

In, perhaps, the best known verse of the Bible (John 3:16) we read that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." That giving of the son is demonstrated in Genesis

Genesis - Chapter 21

In this Chapter we see the birth of Isaac, and Hagar and Ishmael are sent away.  Paul explains in the letter to the Galatians (Chapter 4) that the two children represent the two covenants.  Ishmael represents the covenant of the law; Isaac represents the covenant of the promise - the

Genesis - Chapter 20

In this Chapter Abraham finds himself in a dangerous region, and he lies (or at last tells a half-truth) about his relationship with Sarah.  The King Abimelech therefore does not know that Sarah is married and he takes her into his harem.  And Jesus appears to be absent from the

Genesis - Chapter 19

In this Chapter we see the judgement fall on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Jesus himself tells us that this event is an illustration of his future coming.  He says as recorded in Luke, Chapter 17: ‘It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and