"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances" Col 2:20

Today we read the wonderful conclusion concerning Joseph and his wicked brethren. He reveals himself to them, they bow before him, and Judah repents for their transgressions. Just as the Lord will reveal himself to Israel at his glorious return and all will believe on Him whom they have pierced.

The warnings continue as we progress through Colossians' second chapter, "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." Col 2:18-19

This week we read as Joseph flees youthful lusts in the house of Potiphar and gets wrongfully imprisoned. But the Lord was with Joseph, and he quickly became a powerful man in Egypt by the Lord's hand.

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Col 2:16-17

In Joseph we see an amazing picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the other sons of Jacob typify those who hate and persecute our Lord. These amazing pictures only help to prove the Bible to be the inspired word of God.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col 2:8. This great warning and more are covered in today's message.

In the 32nd chapter of Genesis, Jacob wrestles with God and becomes Isreal. In the following chapter we see Jacob's sons acting much like their father by deceiving the Shechemites and killing them for defiling Dinah.

We see more parallels to the book of Ephesians in this episode: "Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints, To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col 1:26-27

Did Laban Jacob Jacob, or did Jacob Laban Laban? Read and listen along in Genesis 29 to find out.

While Ephesians unveiled the mystery of the church, which is His body, Colossians concentrates more on the Head, Christ Jesus. "And he is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the Head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the First-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." Col 1:17-18

Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright, provides a picture of warning to all believers. He would have inherited the blessing, but he found no place of repentance, and ended up crying with a great and exceeding bitter cry. Gen 27:34, Heb 12:17

The epistle to the Colossians is a doctrinal adjunct to the epistle of the Ephesians to enable the Colossians believers (and us) to be corrected against the errors of the vain philosophies and ritualistic errors that composed the gentile religions of that day. That "old time religion" gets re-packaged through the ages. It's the same as the "new age religion" of our own day. It started in Babel - confusion - and still emanates from there.

In our 7th installation of the dispensation of Promise, John guides us through the lives of Jacob and Esau. Next week we will look more closely at these two.

In this last message on Ephesians we take up the topic of the spiritual warfare in which we find ourselves entrenched. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph 6:13

Today John takes us through Genesis 23-24, the death of Sarah, Abraham's cave, and the bridegroom for Isaac. These historical events are thoroughly enjoyable in type when viewed dispensationally.

Paul takes up submission, love, and obedience inside the Christian home as he nears the end of his letter to the saints in Ephesus. "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." Eph 5:23

Today we slow down to revisit the wonderful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ in Genesis 22.

Admonitions abound in this section of Ephesians 5, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." Eph 5:15-17

In Genesis 21 we begin studying the career of Isaac. After Isaac is weaned, the Lord tells Abraham to listen to Sarah and cast out Hagar and Ishmael.