Hank's Bible Study Resources

 Act 2:17

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

EW Kenyon

Definition: A covenant is a binding agreement initiated by God, not merely a contract but a sacred, relational promise.

Genesis 3: Christ is the promised Seed (Genesis 3:15, Galatians 4:4)

Covenant with Noah: Genesis 6–9 God’s covenant with all life, enduring promise (2 Peter 3:7) ((nephilim destroyed in flood–is that why the demon possessed lgbt adopted the rainbow?))

Genesis 15 – God’s covenant with Abraham

• heirs to the promise: Galatians 3:29
• Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you into a great nation.” God promised to take Abraham—a childless man in his old age—and turn his descendants into a great nation. This was not merely about quantity, but about identity and calling. 
• Genesis 12:3 – “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  This was a Messianic prophecy: ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16). Abraham’s family line would bring redemption and salvation to all nations.
• Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”
• Genesis 15:5 – “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them… So shall your offspring be.” Rich Mullins “Sometimes I think of Abraham, how one star he saw had been lit for me.”   Abraham’s descendants would be as countless as the stars and the sand (Genesis 22:17). This speaks not only to Israel, but also to the spiritual family of faith—those who believe in Jesus.  If your descendants would be covenant people, God will ensure that His covenant is secure in them.
• Genesis 17:7 – “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…”
• Genesis 15:6 – “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”
• Romans 4:3 – “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
• Galatians 3:14 – “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”  The promise is not just that some “spirit” will come on us, it’s that we will receive the promise that the Spirit made to us.

Joseph was born into a covenant family—his great-grandfather Abraham had received promises of nationhood, land, and global blessing (Genesis 12, 15, 17). Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob (Israel), was favored by his father and given dreams from God showing that he would one day rule and lead. But instead of rising to leadership right away, Joseph was:

• Betrayed by his own brothers (Genesis 37)
  
• Sold into slavery in Egypt
  
• Falsely accused and imprisoned (Genesis 39)
  
• Forgotten by those he helped (Genesis 40)
  

From the outside, Joseph’s life seemed like a contradiction to God’s promises. But the covenant was still active, and God was with him (Genesis 39:2, 21, 23).

 Gen 50:20

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

The Hebrew verb חָשַׁב (chashav) — “meant” or “intended” — carries the sense of crafting, designing, or weaving a plan. Joseph is saying:

“What you wove together as evil, God re-wove for His divine purpose—to bring about shalom and salvation.”

This verb is key: it shows God is not just reacting to evil, He’s sovereignly reshaping it. The tense also reveals ongoing divine intent—God had been at work the whole time, even when Joseph couldn’t see it.

Joseph held on to the covenant identity passed down from Abraham. Even in slavery and prison, he remained faithful and aware of God’s presence. This shows us:

• Your current suffering doesn’t nullify God’s promises.
  
• Faithfulness in hidden seasons prepares you for kingdom influence.
  
• God’s covenant doesn’t guarantee a pain-free path, but it promises a redemptive destination.
  

Joseph was able to forgive, lead, and bless because he understood that God’s promises were still active, even when the process was painful.

For Spirit-filled believers, this is a template: when your dreams are delayed or betrayed, God is still weaving a story of redemption through your life. We live under the new covenant, where every delay is preparation for deeper authority.

Romans 8:28 – “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him…”

Psalm 105:17,19 – “He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave.… Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.”

In the Hebrew text, let’s focus on two key phrases:

1. שָׁלַח לִפְנֵיהֶם אִישׁ (shalach lifnehem ish) – “He sent a man ahead of them”
   
   • “Shalach” doesn’t mean simply allowed—it’s deliberate sending. Joseph wasn’t abandoned—he was strategically commissioned.
     
2. דְּבַר יְהוָה צְרָפָתְהוּ (devar Yahweh tzeraphat’hu) – “The word of the LORD tested him.”
   
   • “Tzeraphat’hu” (from tsaraph) means to refine metal in a fire. God’s word didn’t merely wait to come true—it actively refined Joseph, purifying his heart like silver in a furnace.
     

📖 Paraphrase:
“God sent Joseph ahead with purpose. Though chained and broken, Joseph was not forgotten. The Word of the Lord became a refining fire—purging and preparing his heart—until the fullness of time came and the dream was fulfilled.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 – “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory…”
Hebrews 11:22 – “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus…” (He held onto the Abrahamic promise even in death.)
Galatians 3:29 – “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

The promise tests you before it promotes you.

Joseph had a God-given dream, but the dream needed a God-shaped heart to carry it. The Word of the Lord was not passive—it was pressing, molding, and purifying Joseph to become a vessel worthy of the assignment.

For us today:

• Delay is not denial—it’s refinement.
  
• God’s Word is not just for revelation, it’s for transformation.
  
• If God gave you a promise, He will also prepare you to carry it—and that preparation often feels like contradiction.
  

Joseph needed to become a man who could steward power without pride, forgive deeply, and lead nations with wisdom. The prison was his classroom. The Word was his furnace.

Here are a few Spirit-led practices to respond like Joseph did:

🔹 Remember the Promises
Write down or pray through the promises God has given you—through Scripture, prophecy, or personal encounters.

🔹 Invite God into the Pain
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where He was even in the betrayal, the delay, or the suffering.

🔹 Declare Redemptive Purpose
Like Joseph, speak out loud: “What the enemy meant for evil, God is using for good.”

🔹 Forgive
Release those who wounded you. Joseph couldn’t walk in kingdom authority without forgiveness.

🔹 Ask for the Joseph Anointing
Pray: “Father, anoint me like Joseph to be faithful in every season, to hear your voice, and to bring life to others.”