And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read Genesis 42-45, 48-50.
In the conclusion of Joseph’s story, we see the unifying threads of Scripture coming together. Moses ties a solid covenant knot in this section, before he moves us into the next phase of God’s covenant, which begins over 400 years later.

For reflection
1.  In what ways does the glory of God come to the fore in the story of Joseph? Can you see how Joseph’s use of the word “good” (Gen. 50.20)links the end of Genesis to the beginning? Why does God – the Author of Genesis – do this? What does it suggest about God’s purposes for creation and His people?

2.  What do we learn about the people of God, and how He works to make them His people, from the story of Joseph?

3.  Both Joseph and Judah point us forward to God’s work of redemption in Jesus. In what ways? Should we expect Moses would have understood this? Still, why does it matter to us?

4.  In the book of Genesis, God uses prophecy to point His people forward to a day of fulfilled promises. Prophecy is by its very nature vague; however, when it comes to fulfillment, that fulfillment always fits the prophetic word perfectly. Look at the prophecies in Genesis 3.15; 9.26, 27; 12.3; 17.4-6; 49.8-11. Summarize what these prophecies point forward to in the unfolding of God’s covenant.

5.  God also uses types to communicate truth about Himself and His plan for His people. A type is a thing or an event that has meaning in its own right, but that points beyond itself to further meaning yet to be realized. How does each of the following types keep us focused in God’s covenant, in the moment of the type and for a time to come:

- the ark of Noah:

- circumcision:

- the sacrifice of Isaac and the ram of provision:

- the actions of Judah in offering himself as a substitute:

Summary
In Genesis we saw God’s covenant unfold through three stages: with Adam, Noah, and Abraham and the patriarchs. How can you see that this is the same covenant throughout Genesis? In what ways does it develop, and why did it need to develop?

Closing Prayer
Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.

Psalm 105.23-25

Next steps – Preparation: God’s plan for His people is for good. How should this affect the way we pray at the beginning of each day? The plans we make for our Personal Mission Field (Eph. 2.10)?

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understand the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your God develops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.