In Genesis 48 we study the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh as well as why Jacob switched the blessings, the first and second born. Many people feel unqualified to speak into their children and their grandchildren. Jacob's faith overcame all of his shortcomings, he boldy spoke to the generations, the church.

The Egyptians gave their money, their cattle, their land, and ultimatey their freedom for grain. As Christians we are strictly forbidden from doing such a thing.

Joseph formed a totalitarian economy in Egypt. Why did a godly man like Joseph do this? Public policy is a reflection of the morality of the people. A Pagan people who don't think generationally will ultimately end up with a messianic State.

Joseph told his brothers to bring Jacob the family and all their posessions down to Egypt in order to escape the famine. God told Jacob that he would be with him and that he would make him a great nation in Egypt. the reason for this was to increase and multiply under to protection of Egypt and without the influence of the Canaanite cultures in Canaan. God places His people in situations in order that God's purposes may be achieved, even though His people may not understand it.

Joseph was chosen by God in order to save his family. In this sermon we discuss the two definitions of grace, unmerited favor and divine enablement. While modern Christians understand unmerited favor, we need truly need to emphasis the responsibility of salvation, that is, through divine enablement. Joseph really exemplified this.

When Joseph completed the pressure and the testing, it had its desired result. Judah, the spokesman for the family at last volunteered to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of his brothers, including the beloved brother Benjamin. The story of Joseph and his brothers is the story of salvation.

In this chapter, we study Joseph's continuining pressure and testing on his brothers. The purpose of this is always redemptive, it is to get them to repent and to make sure their repentance is genuine. This is the way the chosen family of God qualifies to carry on the covenant.

When Joseph's brothers came down to Egypt to buy grain during the famine, Joseph had a choice. Though they didn't recognize him, he did recognize them. He could have shown mercy to them and forgiven them. However, God dealt with Joseph for several years already, teaching him to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God. He then began to place pressure on his brothers in order to push them to repentance, then test them to see if their repentance was genuine. There is much to be learned from this life lesson of Joseph.

Joseph had all the qualifications of a true leader, he was humble enough to hear the word of the Lord and bold enough to speak it.

Joseph's lesson in prison was the lesson of humility. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, and thrown into prison. What is more, adding insult to injury, Joseph had to serve two of the kings servants who were in the prison with him. Though he was placed in charge of the prison itself, he had to learn the lesson of servant leadership. Again, all of this was to prepare Joseph to govern a nation to save the church (Israel).