Sermons @ Hope

Psalm 8:5-6 describes humanity this way, “You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” Psalm 8 interprets Genesis 1-2. Adam and Eve were crowned with glory and honor. God gave them dominion over the rest of creation. In Genesis 3 the couple underwent a test. They failed. They sought independence from God. In response to sin, God pronounces judgement, and he promises a cure for sin through one who would crush evil in Genesis 3:15. The rest of Genesis continually highlights the tension between human sin and God’s plan to make things right. [i] Genesis 39-41 offers the clearest picture yet in Genesis of how God will save the world through a descendant of Adam. Genesis 39-41 is a summary of the Bible. It presents a Son of Man who passes the test of temptation. He suffers for being faithful. He is thrown in a pit before being exalted o...

Dans Genèse 37–50, s'il y a un nom qui se détache, c'est bien celui de Joseph. Dans le reste de la Bible, nous entendons très peu parler de lui par rapport à son frère aîné Juda. Dans Genèse 37–50, Joseph est le frère élevé en dignité qui souffre et qui est délivré pour apporter une bénédiction à beaucoup. Dans ce même récit, Juda s'offre lui aussi pour la bénédiction du plus grand nombre. Dans la grande histoire de la Bible, c'est à travers Juda, et non Joseph, que Dieu bénit toutes les familles de la terre. Dans le chapitre précédent, Genèse 37, Juda est le trompeur qui a vendu son frère comme esclave et a menti à son père. Maintenant, voici comment Genèse 37–50 raconte l'histoire de Juda. Genèse 37–50 contient trois sections. Chacune de ces sections est composée de trois sous-sections. Dans ces trois ensembles de trois, Juda occupe toujours un rôle central dans la sous-section du milieu. Les trois sections du milieu racontent l'histoire de Juda. Après sa tr...

Genesis 38 is one of those really strange chapters of the Bible. The first time I read the Bible, I was not quite sure why it was in the Bible or why it was between Genesis 37 and 39. In Genesis 37-50, if any name stands out, it is the name of Joseph. We often call Genesis 37-50, the story of Joseph. In the rest of the Bible, we hardly hear of Joseph compared to his older brother, Judah. I have stopped calling Genesis 37-50, the story of Joseph. I’ve started to call these chapters, the account of the sons of Jacob because Judah is just as important. Joseph is the exalted brother who suffers and is delivered to bring a blessing to many. The pattern of life offers us the pattern of the savior of the world who is to come. In the same narrative of Genesis 37-50, Judah also offers himself up for the blessing of many. In the larger story of the Bible, it is through Judah and not Joseph, that God blesses all the families of the earth through Jesus’ redeeming work. Genesis 37-50 combine th...