13. God Has Done This INTRODUCTION - God Has Done This Psalms 68:34 — Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. Ascribe to attribute a cause, source, author, or quality to someone. honor without dishobour (angry, jealous, taking vengenance, allowing evil, etc) -- It is paramount our SALVATION and HEALTH to Judge God right! 1 John 1:5 — This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Genesis 44:1 — And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. Genesis 45:7 — And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: Joseph's brothers treatment of him, is clear and obvious to indentify as as WRONG, but how do we square some of the details for which Joseph "gives the glory to God" --- YOU DIDN"T SEND ME HERE, GOD DID! THE NARRATIVE: Jacob, over the course of time, took 4 wives, but of the Four - leah, rachel, bilhah, zilpa - Ge 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel;... After being barren, it was after Rachel gave birth to Joseph that Jacob decided he could finally return to his home country (Genesis 30:25). In leaving, Rachel stole her dad's idols and lies about her health to conceal them. 1. POLYGAMY is always bad. (Jacob had four wives, Appreciating the patriarch Jacob) LEAH: Reubon, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Isaachar, Zebulun RACHEL: Joseph, Benjamin BILHAH: Dan, Naptali ZILPA (Leah's Handmaid): Augustine of Hippo: (the patriarchs like Jacob were righteous...) 1. Duty vs. Lust 2. The Custom of the Time 3. The Allegorical Meaning (Galatians 4:21–31, Paul allegorizes Abraham's relations with Sarah and Hagar) Galatians 4:24 — Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. [a prolonged metaphor] "Moral Anachronism" the patriarchs like Jacob were righteous, the application of the moral law changed with the arrival of Christ. The "from the beginning" principle of Matthew 19 "from the beginning it was not so" The Shift from Quantity to Unity - The Old Law focused on physical lineage, while the New Law focuses on spiritual fruitfulness. in this Age of Grace, the only reason a man would seek multiple wives is for "the gratification of lust", which is sinful. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 2. FAVORITISM is always bad. - Jacob had a favorite Wife, show favoritism to her 2 children. the marrative passages are not condonded to every deatial... Ro 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. God demonstrates much grace, in moses prayer Ex 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. positive case: honor to whom honor is due Negative: It Breeds Jealousy Genesis 37:2 — These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Genesis 37:3 — Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. Genesis 37:5 — And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 3. LYING is sometimes bad. - The Framing of Benjamin 4. REDEMPTION - Instructing the Steward CONCLUSION - There is only 1 that can set Wrong Things Right God is Light to our Darkness: Ps 7:1 ¶ <> --- A diquise maybe for Saul the Benjamin ?!? Ps 7:3 O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;