There are a number of attributes of God that we routinely praise him for. He shows his people kindness, grace, and mercy; yet he does not neglect justice and righteousness. In all of this, he is always faithful and true. One of the greatest attributes God has, though, is his consistency. He never changes. He is not full of grace on Tuesday and justice on Friday. Yet, even with all his consistency, we still stand quite surprised by his choices and actions, and this is no less true with the sons of Jacob. Today we get to hear about the unexpected blessing of God; not just for Israel, but likewise for us. 1. The priority of God’s blessing is unexpected 2. The people of God’s blessing is unexpected 3. The pinnacle of God’s blessing is unexpected

We in America have learned to despise kings, and for good reason. It seems a bad idea to put all that power in one man's hands. Israel had a good King: none other than God. But they wanted one that made them "like the nations." God, however, had different plans. Plans for peace and redemption far beyond what they could imagine.

There is a great deal of irony in Christmas. There is much simply in how so many spend it. It is a time of peace, but it is full of stress. A time to remember the humble birth of our savior, but we lavish each other with expensive gifts. But the real irony is in Jesus himself. God made flesh. Creator taking on that which he has created. The sovereign Lord making himself, in a fashion, dependent upon his own creation. Yet, for all this humility in the flesh, God is still there, mighty is sovereignty. But just how sovereign is he? Our text this morning helps to show us that our God is in full control of all things, both great and small. 1. God is sovereign over the evil 2. God is sovereign over the good 3. God is sovereign over all the rest

We are not only in the advent season, we are also in testing season. For many of our students, especially those in college, the first semester of the academic year is coming to an end, and that means finals. It is a stressful time, and not one often gladly anticipated. We never fully escape being tested; in this life, and especially by virtue of our faith, we will be tested. In our text today, Jacob’s sons are tested by Joseph, and for good reason. Like them, God tests us as well. He does this, not to break us, nor to crush us, but to show us who we are. 1. The reason for the test 2. The substance of the test 3. The outcome of the test

Advent season is fully upon us. It is in this season that we remember the coming of God for our salvation. Jesus is nothing less than Emmanuel – God with us! But how precious is that truth to us? Amidst all of the pageantry and hoopla of the Christmas season, how important is God’s nearness to us? Our text today starts with Joseph as a slave, and then as a prisoner, before becoming second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt. Yet for all that, the greatest gift he has, and we have, is the very presence of God. 1. Pursue the presence of God 2. Rest on the remembrance of God 3. Trumpet the truth of God

Generally, Christians view selfish motivation as a fountainhead of what is wrong in this world. And, for the most part, they are right. Jesus and the NT holds out that we can be rightly selfish; doing what will gain and profit us and acting in our best interest. But we rarely act that way. More often than not, we act sinfully and selfishly. Our text today highlights three men and their selfish actions. Why is selfishness so bad for us? 1. The folly of selfishness will hurt 2. A façade of selfishness will fall 3. A foundation of selfishness will blind

We take directions for granted now. Cell phones have made finding your way around, even in a foreign place, easy. It was not always so; there was a time when physical maps and hand-written directions were the best you could do. Good directions are good things; they save time and energy and point us toward our goal. Our text today features directions, not as commands, but as symbols of how to get to the blessing of God. 1. Down and up 2. Backwards and forwards 3. Out and in

We are well acquainted with the saying “vengeance is a dish best served cold.” It is a well-known proverb, not even English in its origin. It has lasted because it tells us something that we think is true: the best way to get revenge is through patient logic; and what’s more: revenge is good. But Scripture tells us otherwise, for vengeance is solely the property of the Lord. The evil of the text before us helps us to see why this morning. 1. God’s vengeance is good 2. Our vengeance is emotional 3. Our vengeance is ungodly 4. Our vengeance is overpaid 5. Our vengeance is cyclical 6. Our vengeance is unfaithful

A man, who spent much time in Milan and other European cities, was once known for his great intellect and ability to persuade. He was by his own measure, a liar, a cheat, and smarter than all around him. But he was also in turmoil; then God came to him through a child’s voice and forever changed Augustine. Many conversion stories are like that – all, in fact, though many less dramatic. Jacob’s is as well. A scoundrel, a cheat, a liar; but by the grace of God, now a new man. What is his conversion like? What are signs of it? In our passage this morning, Jacob shows us: 1. Repentance 2. Penitence 3. Deference 4. Persistence 5. Prudence

Family strife is nothing new in this world. The Greeks had a number of horrible stories about fighting families: from Oedipus killing his father so he could marry his mother, to the Atreus family, who routinely served their children to the gods (much to their chagrin). The Bible has much of this as well: the first four people mentioned all had their issues with one another, ending in a story of murder. Our story today continues the thread of family problems. Conflicts over our sin arise, and there is one clear solution: loving the Lord. 1. The conflict of coveting 2. The conflict of cash 3. The conflict of conceit

"Stairway to Heaven" may be Led Zeppelin’s best-known song; released in 1971, it has been played hundreds of millions of times on the radio and online. The best version, however, is almost always the original. Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 contains a promise of God’s protection and care. What transpires afterward, however, seems to challenge that. Yet, God’s kindness is seen in both the good and the difficult; his discipline is not to be regarded lightly, and his grace works in mysterious ways. 1. Jacob’s reward 2. Jacob’s response 3. Jacob’s rebuke

As we look back at the actions of the patriarchs, we often see behaviors and attitudes that do not seem to match the holiness of God. Abraham often failed, and yet he was counted faithful, included in the kingdom of God. Today we see the actions and failures of four different people, and through this we see God's grace and faithfulness despite their sin. The blessing of being in God's family only comes by the grace of God. 1. Jacob deceives 2. Jacob departs

On Wednesday nights in the summer, Bay City brings in artists to play in the bandshell. These are often tribute artists; they don’t play their own music, but better known music produced by better-known musicians, often of years past. Like these, Isaac is replaying his father’s own path and doing many of his own works. He is, in a sense, a tribute band to his father, covering many of his old hits. We are not much different; like Isaac, we are products of those who came before us. 1. We are following in another’s footsteps 2. We are vexed by another’s vanity 3. We are blessed by another’s belief

Through the ages of the church, many have struggled to piece together the relationship between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of humans. If God is in control of all things, as the Bible says, then how can we be responsible for our actions? How can he hold us accountable if we are not fully free to choose as we wish? Perhaps our text today, which Paul uses to clearly speak of God’s purpose in election and sovereign choice, might help bring light to that subject, and remind us of the good of God’s control, and the truth of our responsibility before him. 1. God’s sovereignty 2. Our responsibility

Introduction We in the west, and likely all people everywhere, have a fondness for love stories. They are some of our best-known and most cherished works; from Shakespeare to Jane Austin, they mark out some of our best literature. But love is not just for high-literature, it is the stuff of comedy and dime-store novels. We have a love story in our text today; not first and foremost of Rebekah and Isaac, although present, but of God and his people. His faithfulness lasts from generation to generation, as we see today. 1. We see God’s faithfulness in Abraham’s growth 2. We see God’s faithfulness in the servant’s reliance 3. We see God’s faithfulness in Rebekah’s importance

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was called on to speak about the meaning of the 4th of July to the Ladies Anti-Slavery Union of Rochester, New York. He began innocuously, noting the ingenious and goodness of the Founders’ vision for the country. But when he began to note how that vision had not made it into reality, he became scathing of the nation. Her deeds did not match her doctrine. Abraham will be tested in this very manner – will his deeds match his doctrine? Will his works match his faith? Does ours? 1. What precisely is this test? 2. What was Abraham thinking? 3. Why does God test Abraham this way? 4. Isn’t this just child sacrifice? 5. Our work proves what we really believe 6. God’s work pictures what we ought to believe

Most ancient writers used very discernable structures in their writings. This allowed them to clue their readers in on central points and highlight similarities. One of the most basic of these is chiasm, where a central text has mirroring parts as you move away from it. Our text today has that same structure, and it helps to point us to the central idea: we are to trust our God in all things. 1. Trust the protection of God 2. Trust the promise of God 3. Trust the priorities of God

As Allied troops surrounded and pressured the city of Berlin, WWII was all but over. Cowardly, Hitler took his life in his protected bunker. In shooting that bullet in his brain, he escaped the justice the world was due. There would be no trial, no answers, no humbling for the great boasts he has made. The rest of the world was denied a true sense of justice. We thirst for justice. But it is not all we need; a fact the gospel reminds us of continually. Today, as we look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, let us hear the truth about the nature of God’s true and lasting justice. 1. True justice punishes sin 2. True justice pursues sin 3. True justice cannot placate sin 4. True justice cannot prevent sin

Often, in traditional story-telling, there are clear, sharp lines that divide good and evil, good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. Often the characters in the stories are flat or one-dimensional. They are either good or bad, right or wrong. There is very little nuance. In real life, things often are not as clear and not as concise. If we compare ourselves to others, this may be true. But what does God have to say about this? When we hold up God’s standard, who God is and what he is like, we see a clear and concise contrast. 1. The Wicked are Extensively Evil 2. The Lord is Overwhelmingly Good

John Newton was a scoundrel before he ever saw a slave ship. He was kicked out of the navy and worked hard to do so. He was disliked on the ships on which he worked. Not only was he sold into slavery, but even being a slave did not get him to stop slave trading when he was freed. Yet, the Lord loved him and called him and saved him out of his misery. The Lord loves saving sinners. Like John Newton. Like Abraham and Sarah. Like us. 1. The shamefulness of sin 2. The confirmation of circumcision 3. The greatness of the gift