A Closer Look at God's Word

Lesson 50 of 53. Upon their return to Egypt, Joseph’s brothers seemed to be going from one frightening dilemma to another. What was Joseph doing? Before he revealed his true identity to them, he must determine whether they had changed for the better during those intervening years. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis43_15-34and44_01-17.pdf

Lesson 49 of 53. Poor Jacob. His first love, Rachel, died while giving birth to Benjamin. His sons deceived him into believing Joseph was dead. Could it have gotten any worse? Yes, it could, to the point he would cry out in despair . . . “Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.” But all these things were...

Lesson 48 of 53. Although a Pharaoh can never be considered a true type of God, this Pharaoh’s relationship to Joseph makes an interesting study. For instance, as he had Joseph . . . “ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee,” so “God also hath highly exalted him, (Jesus) and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee sh...

Lesson 47 of 53. Having graduated from the school of hard knocks, Joseph had been amply prepared for the next step in God’s plan. And, as a Christian, who knows what God is doing in your life? For “. . . we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesi...

Lesson 46 of 53. Joseph entered Egypt as a teenage slave. Despite the fact that he endured unfairness and even imprisonment, he steadfastly refused to lose faith in his God. When he was thirty years of age, Pharaoh made him second in command of the whole land of Egypt. In like manner, we should not lose heart in the face of adversity but be encouraged by the fact that “Christ also suffered for us,...

Lesson 45 of 53. Here, and for the rest of Genesis, we see Joseph’s life as a picture (or type) of Jesus Christ. For instance, Joseph was obedient to his father—Jesus was obedient to His Heavenly Father. Joseph was hated by his brothers—Christ was hated by His brethren, the nation of Israel. However, God was working His plan. Through a remarkable turn of events, Joseph, because he had been sold in...

Lesson 44 of 53. Under God’s protection, Israel was able to flee death at the hands of his pagan neighbours, but he was not able to avoid the sorrow of death, coming as it did with the passing of his beloved wife, Rachel. The good news is that after Rachel’s death, Israel resumed the pilgrim lifestyle of his father and grandfather. From chapter 37, right down to the end of Genesis, Rachel’s firstb...

Lesson 43 of 53. In this lesson, we see Jacob, or should I say Israel, forsaking the pilgrim lifestyle of his father and grandfather and taking up residence just outside of Canaan. And not only outside of the Promised Land but on the very outskirts of Shechem, a wicked Canaanite city. This was a serious matter, for had God not intervened, Israel’s foolish choice would have spelled disaster for the...

Lesson 42 of 53. “Israel” . . . that was the new name that God gave Jacob, a name that literally meant . . . a prince who has power with God and with men. But having come so far on his pilgrim journey, Jacob settled down, at least for a little while, just outside of Canaan. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis33_01-20and34_01.pdf

Lesson 41 of 53. This lesson is full of high adventure. Jacob is fleeing, and Laban is in hot pursuit. Had it not been for God’s intervention, he would have lost everything. And having escaped one enemy, he seemed to be fleeing into the arms of another one. However, on that very night of seeming destruction, not only did God change Jacob’s outlook on life, but He changed his name from Jacob to Isr...

Lesson 40 of 53. Now it was Jacob’s turn to call the shots, and with God’s help, he prevailed. Yes, he had gained great wealth at Laban’s expense and, in the process, gained a mortal enemy. Once again, and by God’s express instructions, it was time to flee, and this time it would be back to the Promised Land. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis30_26-43and31_01...

Lesson 39 of 53. In this lesson, the dealmaker is outsmarted, and the deceiver is deceived. Yes, Jacob has found his match in his Uncle Laban. And as a result, Jacob became Laban’s servant—and for his services—he inherited trouble and strife. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis29_15-35and30_01-25.pdf

Lesson 38 of 53. In this lesson, Jacob leaves home in apparent honour and in the guise of an obedient son. In truth, he was fleeing the consequences of a sin he was unwilling to admit. In our upcoming lessons, we will see how Jacob (the schemer) was moulded into a useful servant of God. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis28_10-22and29_01-14.pdf

Lesson 37 of 53. No, the end doesn’t justify the means, but despite that fact, everyone was doing things their way. Rebekah was right in wanting the Abrahamic blessing for Jacob, but she was wrong in deceiving her husband. In like manner, Jacob was right in wanting that blessing, but he was wrong in going along with his mother’s deception. But once deceived, old Isaac realized he had been fighting...

Lesson 36 of 53. This is perhaps one of the saddest chapters in Genesis. Everyone is doing the wrong thing, especially Isaac. But despite the prevailing situation, God would have His way. Jacob, not Esau, would inherit the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis27_01-33.pdf

Lesson 35 of 53. When Isaac decided to live amongst the Philistines, he found them quite friendly. But as time went on, they became his enemies, denying him the right to own wells of life-giving water. In like manner, unregenerate man dwelling in Christendom has brought about its downfall. For instance, many denominations who used to be evangelical now reject the blood of Christ, salvation through...

Lesson 34 of 53. When Isaac was faced with a famine in Canaan, he did not forsake the promised land and flee to Egypt, but he moved to Gerar, a very ungodly area in Canaan. While there, he prospered but lost his testimony. In like manner, some Christians, who would never consider falling into the sins of the ungodly, are willing to compromise with the world—and even look somewhat like the world—to...

Lesson 33 of 53. In this lesson, we are privy to the goings on in Isaac’s family, and it is not a pretty picture. However, in the events of this divided household, we can learn some valuable spiritual lessons. Among them is an awareness of God’s sovereignty and the ongoing conflict between a Christian’s new nature and his/her old one. We also get a hint of the existence of what we now call our DNA...

Lesson 32 of 53. Once again, the 500-mile journey is not recorded, but given the servant’s knowledge and Rebekah’s curiosity, Isaac must often have been the subject of their conversation. What is recorded is Isaac’s place of residence near his father’s home and their happy meeting and marriage. And so—partly in our sanctified imagination and partly in the scriptures—we have a beautiful picture of...

Lesson 31 of 53. Having heard the servant’s story and having received some very expensive gifts, Rebekah must now decide, based on the servant’s testimony, if she would leave home and become the bride of a man she had never met. Her answer was Yes—and she confidently mounted her camel for her journey of faith. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis24_52-61.pdf

Lesson 30 of 53. In a book rich in types of the Lord Jesus, many are found in Genesis 24 and 25. Abraham, a picture of the heavenly father, sent his unnamed servant, a type of the Holy Ghost, to seek out a bride for Isaac, a picture of Jesus Christ. Most of this lesson focuses on Abraham’s servant, his long journey, the discovery of a bride for Isaac, and how the LORD directed him to ask Rebekah’s...

Lesson 29 of 53. After the death of Sarah, Abraham purchased a small piece of property containing a cave in which to bury his wife and, when the time came, himself. Up until then, he had been content to be a sojourner in the land of promise, owning no property.  Apparently, Abraham’s purpose was that he and Sarah would come forth in the resurrection from the very land promised to his descendants....

Lesson 28 of 53. Not only was Abraham’s journey up Mount Moriah the supreme test of a father’s faith, but it was a graphic picture of God’s long journey beside His Son to the foot of the cross. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis22_01-24.pdf

Lesson 27 of 53. Abraham and Sarah had run ahead of God. They now had a divided family. Before God’s plans could proceed, Abraham must send Sarah’s bondwoman and her son Ishmael away. God could only work with Isaac, the son of promise. In like manner, a Christian must encourage his new nature and discourage his old nature. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Genesis21...

Lesson 26 of 53. Abraham was a good man, but he was still a man. After years of living a separated life on the plain of Mamre, he pulled up stakes and moved to Gerar, the capital city of the Philistines. It was a bad move and one that would put a black mark on his reputation, similar to the previous disgrace he suffered in Egypt. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ge...