A Blessing Suitable To The Man (Genesis 49:13-33, John 14:15-21)
Rev. William L. Barron, July 5, 2020Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
We are completing Jacob's blessings to his sons. His blessings are suitable for each man. The metaphors Jacob uses are mysterious, but they are borne out in subsequent history. The blessing for Joseph is notable. He received a double portion. He had been attacked by his brothers and by Potiphar's wife. He graciously welcomed his brothers back. Joseph is known as the "Mighty one of Jacob." We see here God described as a shepherd for the first time. We should keep our eyes upon God; He will lead us in His will. We should not turn away as the other brothers did. We should surrender to the Almighty Shepherd. Why was Jacob desirous of having his bones returned to Canaan? Jacob believed the prophecy. He trusted God to go to Eqypt in the midst of the famine. He trusted that God would bring him (his bones) back to Canaan after the prophesied 400 years had passed. Life in the early years in Goshen was good, but then bondage came. When time are good, we tend to be deceived and lose trust in God. There is danger in contentment. We must always trust God, whatever our circumstances.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Is This a Blessing or a Curse? No It Is Reality- Justice and Grace! | None | Transitioning to the Next Life » |
Genesis 49:13–33 (Listen)
13 “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;
he shall become a haven for ships,
and his border shall be at Sidon.
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
crouching between the sheepfolds.
15 He saw that a resting place was good,
and that the land was pleasant,
so he bowed his shoulder to bear,
and became a servant at forced labor.
16 “Dan shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
a viper by the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that his rider falls backward.
18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.
19 “Raiders shall raid Gad,
but he shall raid at their heels.
20 “Asher’s food shall be rich,
and he shall yield royal delicacies.
21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose
that bears beautiful fawns.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
a fruitful bough by a spring;
his branches run over the wall.
23 The archers bitterly attacked him,
shot at him, and harassed him severely,
24 yet his bow remained unmoved;
his arms were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 by the God of your father who will help you,
by the Almighty who will bless you
with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,
blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents,
up to the bounties of the everlasting hills.
May they be on the head of Joseph,
and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
in the morning devouring the prey
and at evening dividing the spoil.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. 29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah—32 the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
(ESV)
John 14:15–21 (Listen)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
(ESV)