The Bible by David Alley

by David Alley

Season 1

Genesis 50 - The Death of Jacob and Joseph | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 50 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 50 Jacob is embalmed and mourned for 70 days in the Egyptian style. Pharoahs usually had 72 days of mourning, so this is quite an honor given to Jacob. Jacob is then taken back to Hebron to be buried. Joseph then has to reassure his brothers who now panic that revenge might come because their Dad isn’t around to defend them. Joseph assures them that God was in it all along. This brings us to Romans 8:28 in the New Testament where Paul tells us that “all things work together for the good of those that love God.” Our lives may be a tangled mess, but the Lord works in it as our eyes are on him, to bring great good out of it all for His purposes. Finally Joseph dies at the age of 110 in Egypt, is embalmed and put in a coffin but not buried. He request that his bones be taken out of Egypt when they leave, which is not for at least another two hundred years, depending on how you work out the 430 years time in Egypt. This article from Answers in Genesis has an interesting explanation of the 430 years problem: https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/how-long-were-the-israelites-in-egypt/ When you understand the 430 years problem as explained above it creates a second problem, which was how 2 million Israelites left Egypt only 215 years after they went there officially. How were they able to grow from 70 people to 2 million in 215 years? This question will be dealt with in a later Exodus video. Joseph’s age of 110 is the perfect age for an Egyptian given that for them 110 was the perfect number, and Joseph’s life fulfilled exactly what was required. Joseph is a type of Christ, saving his people, and having a life that fulfilled its purpose exactly. We now come to the end of Genesis, join us tomorrow as we start our ‘journey’ through Exodus.

S1 · E50

Apr 22, 2022

15:08

Genesis 49 - Jacob's Blessing of his Sons | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 49 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 49 Jacob is 147 years old, and is on his death bed. He now proceeds to prophecy and bless his twelve sons. Some of the blessings don’t seem very good for them, but are accurate as our knowledge of history shows. The most profound of all the blessings is for Judah, his fourth son. Judah is told that the sceptre will not depart from Judah and that he will rule over his brothers. Later of course King David comes from the tribe of Judah, but of his lineage, Jesus is to come. Jesus is the king of kings, with an eternal kingdom, and the sceptre never departs from him. Before Jesus every knee bows and every tongue will confess. What we have here is a blessing, but also a prophecy about Christ. The other prophecies/blessings are also instructive. The prophecy about Dan biting the riders heel, talks about him being one who pulls others down. Later in the national history of Israel, Dan was one of the locations of Jeroboam's two golden calves. These calves pulled the other ten tribes of Israel down into idolatry and away from God’s plan. Another son Reuben found that his sins were to follow him. It speaks of the consequences of our choices. Even though we may be washed in Christ’s blood, there is an effect in this world on what we choose. If a prisoner finds Christ in jail, his soul is now free, but his body remains imprisoned. It is this type of consequence we see here.

S1 · E49

Apr 21, 2022

13:19

Genesis 48 - Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 48 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 48 Jacob recounts the things God said to him, and passes it onto his son and grandsons. This is a picture of Christianity, and that God’s promises are not for us alone, but for us and our children, and spiritual descendants after us. We are a people. We need to pass on what God has given to us .Next Jacob adopts the two sons of Joseph’s as his own sons, so that they become a part of the twelve tribes of Israel. Technically there are now thirteen tribes, but scriptures always have a way of it being twelve. For example when the land is given out later, the Levites are not given any, but live all through the land as priests. Thus the land is divided into twelve. So there is no tribe of Joseph, but he has a double portion in Israel. Joseph is a technical firstborn. But now Jacob goes to bless the two boys, and blesses them back to front. He puts his right hand on the second born, and left hand on the first born. In doing so he repeats a bible theme where the underdog rises and the firstborn misses out. Joseph himself was not a firstborn, but became an effective firstborn. This also happens with Seth, Isaac, Jacob and with others to come. Indeed Israel itself as a nation is not the best nation, the most numerous, most successful oor most sophisticated. God chose an underdog. And so we too are underdogs, and Christ alone is the true firstborn, but in Christ we achieve firstborn status.

S1 · E48

Apr 20, 2022

11:25

Genesis 47 - Joseph and the Famine | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 47 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 47 Jacob gets to meet Pharoah and says something of great interest. He confesses that though he is 130 years old, his life has been short, and full of problems. While his aged seems old to us, it is short in comparison to his forefathers and others in the Bible. It reminds us of the commandment to honor one’s parents. The command to honor wasn’t yet given, but honor for your parents was still a cultural thing, and others before him knew how to honor. That commandment came with a promise that your life would be long, and go well with you. Jacob just 53 years prior had deceived his father, showing great dishonor, and seems to have reaped the reward of dishonoring. These promises in scripture are general in nature, so that they are true most of the time as life happens how it should. But God can do things differently with individuals. So in one circumstance he can take an individual like Jeremiah who did honor his parents, but by necessity of God’s bigger plans, put him through a difficult life. Jeremiah of course is not without rewards in eternity. But others may seem to live with disregard for God, fellow people or their families and seems to do well. Just the same the scripture that says, “your sin will find you out” applies to them. Later in chapter 47, the Israelites multiplied exceedingly. Joseph also instigated 20% taxation in Egypt, which seems quite reasonable from a modern perspective. And Jacob makes Joseph promise to bury him back in Canaan when he dies.

S1 · E47

Apr 19, 2022

13:47

Genesis 46 - Jacob and his Family Go to Egypt | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 46 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 46 at Beersheba God speaks to Jacob to reassure him. THey are on teh edge of Canaan leaving for Egypt to go to Joseph, and must have had many questions. God confirms his word to Jacob, and also what he had previously said to ABraham in Genesis 15;13 that “his descendants would be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.” Jacob is able to trust God and relax… he isn’t being deceived again. Now the Bible outlines the 70 names of the people going down, but many more not named were among them. We see this as a somewhat hidden backstory. Earlier Abraham had 331 fighting men in his family at a time when neither Ishamel or Isaac were born. It indicated the strength of the family and those with them. In the same way Jacob has others, servants, and workers with them, who are not named. Finally Jacob meets his son again, and the scene if like the ending of the prodigal son story. Joseph is the son who once was lost, but now is found. Of course Joseph wasn’t a prodigal, but he represents each of us who were lost to our heavenly father, and have now been found by him. Our finding is a great cause for celebration by our father in Heaven. Finally we see that God was protecting his family in sending them to Egypt. They would have intermarried with the Canaanites as we saw in various stories, such as with Jacob’s daughter Dinah, and also with Judah in Genesis 38. By leaving for Egypt, where they were despised as a people, they were not going to intermarry and would solidify their national identity. So God demonstrates his huge wisdom in these things.

S1 · E46

Apr 18, 2022

11:17

Genesis 45 -Joseph Reveals Himself | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 45 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 45 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and they were terrified. That one word says a lot about the state of their emotions right in that moment. Forgiveness was not common in the ancient world, and revenge was. However Joseph’s reassurance must have done a lot. Another thing that would certainly have helped, although not mentioned here, was the recalling to mind of Joseph’s dreams. That would have shown all the brothers that God had been in this right from the start. And also, by sending them back with provisions would have helped them a lot, it would have assured them too. In verse 24 Joseph tells his brothers as they depart to go back to Canaan, not to quarrel on the way. In my opinion, this is one of the funniest verses in the bible. It is a brother having a dig at his brothers knowing what might happen. When Jacob hears the word about Joseph, he is revived, and energy, hope and many other things return to him. This is right at the very end of his life. It goes to show that it can take until our very last moments to see what God has been up to. There are two things to conclude here: God is always with us even if right until the end of our lives we don’t see it. And God is an eternal God…. so his goodness is waiting for us in eternity, even if we do never see it now.

S1 · E45

Apr 17, 2022

8:47

Genesis 44 -Joseph's Cup Found in Benjamin's Sack| Bible Podcast, David Alley,Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 44 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 44 Joseph tests his brothers one more time with the ultimate character test. He wants to see if they hate his brother, who is undoubtedly also a favourite, in the same way they hated him. They prove him wrong, and demonstrate how profoundly they have changed as a family. Before Joseph was a slave they happily sacrificed him for their own happiness, but now Judah is willing to sacrifice himself for his brother and father’s happiness. God has worked wonders in this family. This is a family that has suffered. Certainly Joseph suffered in Egypt, but his journey seems cheerful in comparison to those left behind. Through the pain of what they experienced they have changed. The Lord knows how to bring good out of pain. Christ himself is called the man of sorrows, who knew grief on our behalf. (Isaiah 53:3) And his road up the hill to Calvary was named the Via Del La Rosa, or the path of suffering. Jesus knew how to walk into suffering for the good of all of us. And sometimes he allows suffering to work inside of us for our good, and the good of others too. Only God has this wisdom. Suffering can also cause us to change in negative ways also. We need to thank God for the suffering we are allowed to walk through, and keep our eyes on him, so that we will become like him in his death, and be raised to life with him also.

S1 · E44

Apr 16, 2022

13:06

Genesis 43 - Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 43 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 43 we see that the famine is used by God in multiple ways. It was used to elevate Joseph, and to save Jacob’s family and now to force them to come to Egypt. God is remarkable in how he uses circumstances to bring about his will. Jacob is too fragile to allow Benjamin to go, so Judah displays real sacrifice by putting his life on the line. Much later, Christ is called the Lion of Judah and lays down his life for us. Jacob’s circumstances were tough, and it was hard to trust God, and eventually he does, partially because he has no choice. He is a changed man, as are all the sons. When we keep our eyes on Good through life’s challenges, we are changed into trusting Him, but if we keep our eyes on the problems, we also change, but not for good. LIke Peter in the New Testament who walked on water… for a while. Once he took his eyes off the Lord, he sank. None of us have probably experienced the pain that Jacob did, and this story reminds us to keep our eyes on Christ through whatever we face. Now Joseph was actually watching over his brothers and intending a good outcome, but tested them in the process to see their sincerity. God also watches over us and tests us, but not so He knows, but so that we will know ourselves. Have you failed any tests? If so, its time to see the Lord for his grace.

S1 · E43

Apr 15, 2022

14:06

Genesis 42 - Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 42 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 42 Joseph must have surely realised that the dreams he had as a teenager were coming to pass. His trust in God and commitment to righteousness has paid off. But just the same, he now has to overcome possibly the greatest test so far… the desire for revenge. What looks like him being mean to his brothers in this chapter and the ones to follow, is actually a test of their character. Joseph wants to know if he can trust them, and a wise ruler does want to know these things. His test involves accusing his brothers of spying, and imprisoning Simeon demanding the other brothers bring back Benjamin. This places too much strain on the aging father Jacob who cannot handle it. Despite Reuben’s guarantee of his own sons lives in the place of Benjamin, Jacob is too emotionally fragile to allow Benjamin to go. In Jacob’s discourse he regrets having lost Josephe, and then Simeon, and doesn't want to lose Benjamin. This shows his father's heart for his non favourite sons such as Simeon. There is probably nobody in scripture more than Jacob with whom I sympathize. Through it all God was working in the way that only He can.

S1 · E42

Apr 14, 2022

11:43

Genesis 41 - Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 41 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In Genesis 41 Pharoah now has dreams, and his magicians are inept. Once again the Lord interprets the dreams. The Bible.org commentary tells us that Joseph was 30 years old here, so 13 years after he was sold into slavery. Dreams are like personal parables and the Lord speaks to all of us in our own way. The key is firstly having a desire to understand and then seeking Christ for his interpretation. The disciples did this when Christ shared parables, later asking for the meaning. We too should ask Christ for his meaning in our dreams. Finally Joseph is given the opportunity to talk to someone important, but uses that opportunity to serve, rather than seek his own advantage. In coming before Pharaoh, he is shaved, a humiliation for Hebrews as we later find out in King David’s day. (see 2 Samuel 10:4) Joseph accepts humiliation and strives to serve, and once again God helps. Pharoah notices Joseph's humility, and also his capable administrative gift and suggestion. So Joseph becomes the Grand Vizier of Egypt. In my opinion it is doubtful if Joseph could have been a person of this character without his prison and slave experiences. They were necessary in shaping him. Can we compare his character now, to his person as a teenager when he was telling his brothers he would rule them. Now he had the character sufficient to actually be a good ruler. In recent times archaeological evidence for Joseph, his wife Asanath, his father Jacbo, brothers, sons and more has been uncovered through the incredible research of Dr Douglas Petrovich. His interpretation of many ancient egyptian stele has provided many interesting insights into this period of biblical history. Imagine if Christians were like Joseph, full of the spirit, humble, not pushy for their own advantage, but seeking to serve those who are clearly not mindful of the Lord…. What would the world be like?

S1 · E41

Apr 13, 2022

17:35

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