Savage Street Church of Christ

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06_03_2018_ThePatriarchalAge_DonRuhl

The Patriarchal Age

From creation to Moses

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • June 3, In the year of our Lord, 2018

Prelude:

1. The Bible is the world’s most wonderful Book.
   1. However, it is actually a gathering of several 66 smaller books.
   2. I want to give you a general idea of what the Bible presents.
2. All those Books cover three major time periods in the history of the world:
   1. The Patriarchal Age, covering the time from Adam to Moses
   2. The Mosaic Age, covering the time from Moses to Christ
   3. The Christian Age, covering the time from Christ to the present
3. When you see the overall picture of the Bible,
   1. understanding the message of the Bible,
   2. appreciating it will become easier.
4. The Patriarchal Age begins at the creation with Adam and Eve.
   1. You may recognize some other significant events:
      1. The Garden of Eden
      2. Sacrifice for Sin
      3. A World of Wickedness
      4. Noah’s Flood
      5. Abraham and Isaac
      6. Jacob and Joseph
      7. Joseph in Egypt
      8. The Birth of Moses
      9. Israel Flees Egypt
   2. Let us start with the creation and the Garden of Eden

Persuasion:

1. Creation and the Garden of Eden
   1. Genesis 1.1 — The Scientific View:
      1. Time: In the beginning
      2. Force: God
      3. Energy: Created
      4. Space: The heavens
      5. Matter: The earth
   2. Genesis 1.2 earth from formless to a form
   3. Genesis 1.3 God’s first recorded command
   4. Genesis 1.9 the seas and the dry land
   5. Genesis 1.11
      1. Plants begin by miracle
      2. They continue by self-reproduction
   6. Genesis 1.16–17
      1. The sun and the moon
      2. The stars
   7. Genesis 1.21
      1. Fish
      2. Birds
   8. Genesis 1.24
      1. Land animals
   9. Man: The Male
      1. Genesis 1.26
         
         26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1.26).
         
      2. As God’s image, we are spirit
      3. housed temporarily in flesh.
   10. Woman: The Female
       
       18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2.18).
       
   11. God showed the first humans love:
       1. Provided a special home for them.
       2. They could exercise choice:
          1. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil
          2. Genesis 2.17
             1. Death is separation
   12. The tempter used their choice against them.
       1. Genesis 3
       2. They sinned
       3. They were ashamed to be in God’s presence
   13. God removed them from the Garden of Eden
       1. They experienced death or separation
       2. Death of the body began
2. Sacrifice for Sin
   1. Began with animal sacrifices
   2. A perfect sacrifice would come later
   3. Adam and Eve began to populate the earth
   4. Their sons, Cain and Abel, offered sacrifices
      1. Abel’s received God’s approval
      2. God rejected Cain’s
3. A World of Wickedness
   1. Even the smallest sin grows until it engulfs everything
   2. Genesis 6.5–6
      
      5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart (Genesis 6.5–6).
      
4. Noah’s Flood
   1. God used a flood to wipe the earth of sin
      1. Only Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives lived in righteousness
      2. God had them build a large ark to house all the animals
         1. to endure the flood and
         2. to repopulate the earth after the flood.
   2. Another worldwide judgment awaits us, this time by fire
   3. After the Flood
      1. Noah made sacrifices to God
      2. God promised not to destroy the earth with a flood again
      3. The rainbow is the sign of His promise
5. Abraham and Isaac
   1. Nine generations after the Flood, Abraham and Isaac lived
   2. Abraham, like Noah, loved and obeyed God
   3. A promise to Abraham
      
      1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:“Get out of your country,
      From your family
      And from your father’s house,
      To a land that I will show you.
      2 I will make you a great nation;
      I will bless you
      And make your name great;
      And you shall be a blessing.
      3 I will bless those who bless you,
      And I will curse him who curses you;
      And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
      (Genesis 12.1–3)
   4. God promised that Abraham’s descendants would be as numberless as the stars and the sand
      1. However, he was getting old
      2. He had no son, no children
   5. God promised Abraham that he would have a son, although almost 100
      1. Sarah heard and laughed
      2. They named their son Isaac, in Hebrew means laughter
   6. Later, Isaac married Rebekah
      1. They could not have children initially
      2. Isaac prayed about it
         1. God gave them twin sons:
         2. Jacob and Esau
6. Jacob and Joseph
   1. Then Jacob had 12 sons and one daughter
      1. One of those sons was Joseph
      2. Joseph was the firstborn of the woman Jacob wanted to marry
         1. However, Jacob and Rachel had Joseph late in life
         2. Joseph was a good son and Jacob was partial to him
   2. As a teenager Joseph had dreams of sheaves and stars bowing to him
      1. His brothers hated him for his dreams, among other reasons
      2. When Joseph was 17, Jacob sent Joseph 50 miles away to check on his brothers
         1. Jacob would not see his favorite son for another 22 years
7. VII.Joseph in Egypt
   1. When Joseph got to his brothers,
      1. they stripped him of the coat their father had given him and
      2. threw him into a pit
   2. They sold him to some people headed for Egypt
      1. They dipped his coat in animal blood
      2. Then they showed it to their father who feared Joseph was dead
   3. Potiphar, chief of Pharaoh’s bodyguard, bought Joseph
      1. Joseph prospered in Pharaoh’s household,
      2. until Potiphar’s wife desired Joseph
         1. However, Joseph refused her advances
         2. Finally one time she grabbed his robe and off he ran
            1. She falsely accused Joseph of making a pass at her
            2. Potiphar threw Joseph into prison
   4. Even in prison, Joseph did well and was put in charge of other prisoners
      1. Joseph interpreted dreams for two of Pharaoh’s servants,
      2. whom Pharaoh had also thrown into prison.
         1. The butler dreamed that he would serve wine to the king again.
         2. The baker dreamed that birds ate bread out of baskets on his head.
            1. Joseph revealed that the butler would find favor with Pharaoh.
            2. Joseph told the baker that he would be hanged.
               1. It happened to both of them just as Joseph said.
               2. Joseph asked the butler to remember him, but forgot
   5. Two years later Pharaoh had two dreams.
      1. Seven fat cows came up from the river.
      2. Seven lean cows also came up and ate the fat cows, but grew no bigger.
         1. Seven plump ears of grain came up on one stalk.
         2. Seven lean ears of grain came up and ate the first seven.
   6. Then the butler remembered how Joseph interpreted his dream.
      1. Pharaoh called for Joseph.
      2. Notice how Joseph spoke with Pharaoh:
         
         15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” 16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41.15–16).
         
         1. He told Pharaoh the fat cows and the plump grains represented plenty.
         2. However, the thin cows and grain represented famine.
   7. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of gathering food.
      1. Joseph became second in command behind Pharaoh!
   8. The seven years of plenty passed, including in the Land of Canaan,
      1. Joseph’s brothers had to go to Egypt to buy food.
      2. However, over 20 years had passed.
         1. They last saw him as 17, then he was 39.
         2. They last saw him dressed as a shepherd, then he was dressed as an Egyptian.
         3. They last heard him speak Hebrew, then he spoke Egyptian.
            1. They did not recognize him.
            2. They bowed before him, just as he had dreamed.
   9. Later, he identified himself to his brothers and
      1. forgave them.
      2. He invited them and their families, including Jacob, to live in Egypt.
         1. They stayed there and grew.
         2. After four centuries they numbered in the millions.
            1. Before Joseph died at 110,
            2. he directed the Israelites to bury his bones in Canaan when they return to the Land of Canaan.
8. VIII.The Birth of Moses
   1. Sometime after Joseph died, a new Pharaoh arose who did not know of the good of Joseph in saving Egypt.
      1. The Israelites were growing and the new Pharaoh feared them.
      2. He made them slaves.
   2. During this time, Moses was born.
      1. Pharaoh ordered that all Israelite boys be thrown into the water.
      2. After sometime, the parents of Moses made a little basket and
         1. placed him in the water.
         2. Pharaoh’s daughter found the boy and named him Moses.
            1. No doubt satisfied with his plan to eliminate Israelite males,
            2. Pharaoh then would have asked,
               1. Now where is my grandson Moses?
               2. Pharaoh’s daughter even used the mother of Moses to nurse him.
   3. When Moses was 40,
      1. he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite and killed the Egyptian.
      2. The next he tried to separate two Israelite men who were fighting.
         1. The aggressive Israelite pushed the other one away and
         2. asked Moses if he would kill him as he had the Egyptian.
            1. Knowing that his actions were known,
            2. he fled and went to Midian where he lived another 40 years.
9. Israel Flees Egypt
   1. Moses had experience in a palace and in a wilderness.
      1. God would use him to free the Israelites.
   2. While shepherding sheep,
      1. Moses saw a bush burning without being consumed.
      2. Watch what happened next:
         
         2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” 4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3.2–5).
         
      3. God said further:
         
         10 “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3.10).
         
         1. After some persuasion,
         2. Moses went with his brother Aaron.
   3. The children of Israel welcomed the brothers.
   4. Then the brothers went before Pharaoh,
      1. asking for the release of the children of Israel:
         
         And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5.2).
         
         1. Oops. Big mistake.
         2. Pharaoh learned who the God of Israel was
            1. by having Egypt suffer 10 nationwide plagues
            2. that virtually destroyed Egypt and its economy.
   5. Before the tenth plague
      1. God told Moses that Pharaoh would finally let Israel go.
      2. However, the children of Israel needed protection from the last plague.
         
         1 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether” (Exodus 11.1).7 “And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it” (Exodus 12.7).

         12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12.12–13).

         1. All the firstborn of Egypt died.
         2. All the children of Israel were saved.
            1. Later, the Bible tells us
            2. that the blood of Jesus saves us from our sins.
   6. Pharaoh released the children of Israel.
      1. However, he later regretted it and
      2. assembled his army and went after them.

Exhortation:

1. We just saw The Patriarchal Age:
   1. The Garden of Eden
   2. Sacrifice for Sin
   3. A World of Wickedness
   4. Noah’s Flood
   5. Abraham and Isaac
   6. Jacob and Joseph
   7. Joseph in Egypt
   8. The Birth of Moses
   9. Israel Flees Egypt
2. Next week, we will see The Mosaic Age:
   1. Israel in the Wilderness
   2. Israel at Mount Sinai
   3. The Tabernacle
   4. Israel in the Land of Canaan
   5. Israel’s Judges
   6. Israel’s Kings
   7. Israel’s Divided Kingdom
   8. Israel’s Prophets
   9. Birth of Jesus
   10. Ministry of Jesus
3. Israel left Egypt and experienced freedom for the first time!
   1. They would soon confront another challenges,
   2. showing them that they still needed God.
4. Experience spiritual freedom through the blood of Jesus.