The Gospel in Genesis 42:1 – 45:28 and in the City

The covenant family has suffered brokenness due to their own sinful choices born out of jealousy, rivalry, and succumbing to pagan morality. If dependent alone on Jacob and his eleven sons, the covenant promise of blessing to the nations through the seed of Abraham would fail. Nevertheless, though in exile, Joseph fulfills the responsibility of Abraham’s descendants as he brings blessing to Egypt. 

Reconciliation and restoration come to this broken family from an unlikely person. The one who has been betrayed and most deeply offended and hurt is the one whom the Lord uses to bring about restoration to a broken family. Joseph models the grace of one who submits to God’s sovereignty and who experiences God’s grace in the midst of his hardship.

Joseph as a model of grace in the midst of betrayal anticipates Jesus whose experience of betrayal would lead to His death on the cross and who through His suffering brings about the reconciliation and restoration of those who have rejected Him and betrayed Him.

Here in the City of Philadelphia, we are asking God to use the unlikely to bring about His purposes of reconciliation and restoration in this city. In some sense, my brother and I are a lot like both Joseph and his brothers. In being like his brothers, we know what it is to betray our upbringing, to reject the grace offered to us, and to cause brokenness in the lives of others. Yet, like Joseph, we know what grace is all about. We’ve experienced God’s sovereign and gracious hand in preserving us through our arrogant rebellion and forming us through the challenges of a life-time of ministry with all of its joys and its sorrows.

 We want, like Joseph, to live out the grace of the gospel which enables us to be a part of God’s plan of reconciling and restoring the brokenness of the nations of the world.

2 thoughts on “The Gospel in Genesis 42:1 – 45:28 and in the City”

    1. AWESOME!!!!!How’s this:2 Corinthians 513 – For if we are beside orvlesues, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. (praise God for the privilege of setting people free with the gospel, but also, praise God for the opportunity of being “besides orvlesues”)…anyway, that’s not my point hahahah,14 – For the love of Christ controls us… (the what?…the LOVE OF CHRIST…not man)18 – All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling [3] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us…how wonderful…we are given the ministry of reconciliation…which is what?…that God is APPEALING to man, “I am not holding your sins against you!”aahhh…lovely!

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