THE DELIVERANCE OF A SON: The Rise of a Lion
I. God uses time to bring about spiritual formation (James 1:2-4)
A. Judah 20 years Gen 38:1-42:1
1) Marked by baggage; Judah: Others ~ favoritism & Own ~ bad decisions
2) Filled with suffering
“Your trials are tailor made”
“God will not greatly use a man or woman who He does not first take through the
wilderness” [Biblical examples?]
3) Fraught with failure
“Failure is neither final nor fatal”
B. God is a God of the long road
1) We like immediacy [Example: the phone company]
“Not necessarily where we are going, but who we are becoming”
[Where are areas in your life that God has taken time to work?]
2) “God is looking for average men and women who are willing to go the distance in whom
He can accomplish great things”
II. God uses adverse circumstances to bring about spiritual formation (Matt 16:24-25)
A. Often unexpected Gen 42:1-3; 6-17
Timing ~ Bad; Circumstances ~ Unimaginable
B. Can be tied to past failure Gen 42:18-22; 23-28 (leaving for Seminary & car)
“Secrets on earth are open scandal in heaven”
1) Often the mundane [Example: dad running]
2) Can be the clutch shot when the game holds in the balance – Michael Jordan
Background: Gen 42:36-38; 43:1-10 – Reuben v. Judah
Background: Josephs 2nd encounter; Brother’s return (faithful men); A moral declaration
We Must Excel at the Mundane!
C. Can involves sacrifice
Gen 44:14-17
Notes:
Confession - ambiguous
16) Triple Question – heightens the intensity of helplessness, the superlative (e.g. Holy, Holy, Holy)
16) God’s justice – not bad luck
16) Common Fate – faithful heart – if one stays they all stay
16) Saving their neck - “servants” and “slaves;” Joseph - couples
17) God’s judgment to Benjamin ~ “leave the thief, go in peace”
[Have there been instances in your life where you have had to make clutch decisions that have altered the spiritual course of your life? (Example – dating Katherine; going to Seminary)]
“This is one of the manliest, most straightforward speeches ever delivered by any man. For depth of feeling and sincerity of purpose it stands unexcelled.”
– Skinner, Exposition of Genesis, 1086.
Gen 44:18 - 34
Notes:
18) servant (singular)
19) Judah reads his accusers mind: moves from moral to personal
20) “lad”
27) father’s sentiment (quotes) “my wife” ~ not Judah’s mother
29) Irony – Judah has lost two sons; He now has the opportunity to lose a second brother and second son of Jacob
30) shifts from “we” to “I”
31-32) not just an obligation, but a deep concern
33-34) begs to be sacrificed for a brother who is more loved then himself
We Must Stand in the Moment!
Judah, the slave trader, the forsaker of covenant, the impulsive adulterer, the calloused judge who has felt the pain of a Father who has lost two sons and tasted the shame of the confessor, the man who has been broken by failure in a moment becomes a man of honor, taking a stand in the worst possible circumstances He stakes His life to principle and demonstrates the valor of a leader who rises to the full measure of love through self sacrifice to protect an innocent brother and a helpless father.
III. God uses Availability Gen 49:1-7
A. Reuben’s tryst (Gen 35:22 ~ Bilhah) - pride (Jam 4:6)
B. Simeon and Levi violence (Gen 34:24-31 ~ Shechem and Dinah) – (Gen 6:11, 13)
C. Judah’s oracle Gen 49:8-11 - 2nd longest only to Joseph’s
1) Gifted by Grace (Jude 24-25)
2) Granted according to Giftedness
3) Given to the Available
We Must Take Our Spiritual Formation Seriously!
Notes:
8) Word play: “Judah . . . praise . . . your hand” Yehuda . . . yoduka . . . yadeka
8) “father’s sons” not “mothers sons”
9) lion – “The lion, one of the largest and strongest carnivores poses threat not only to animals but also to humankind (1 Kings 13:24; 20:36; 2 Kings 17:25; Mic. 5:8)
10) 2 Sam 7:16
10) Shiloh = 1) until Shiloh comes, 2) the cultic center during the time of Judges, 3) “until he comes to whom tribute belongs” ~ tribute to him (David à Christ)
11) 1) donkey – ride of a chief; 2) vine symbol of fertility, joy, peace, and prosperity; 3) tie to the vine – incredible wealth; 4) wash in wine – incredible prosperity; 5) blood of grapes – metaphor of a conqueror
12) “sparkling;” “milk” – builds strong bones and teeth (“Got milk?”)
Time, Adverse Circumstances, and Availability
Excel in the mundane
Stand in the moment
Be available: TAKE YOUR SPIRITUAL FORMATION SERIOUSLY!
Exegetical: God took 20 years to build character into Judah’s life through the tools of suffering and sacrifice which ensured Jacob’s blessing of Judah. Theological: God is the author of spiritual formation. Homiletical: God uses time, sacrifice, and individuals who take their spiritual formation seriously to build character. HP: Take your spiritual formation seriously!
Image: Michael waiting for God to provide a job and wondering if God will use him – job hunting, Judah, blogging, and part time work
Need: To see that God is working in our lives
Subject: What does God uses to bring about spiritual formation in our lives
Preview: Look at the life of Judah and examine three things that God uses bring about spiritual formation
Text: Genesis 38-44 & 49
8/23/09 - FBD Young Marrieds Sunday School Class
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