Genesis 49:1-33
Genesis Study 132
JACOB BLESSES HIS SONS
Genesis 49:1-33
Key verse 49:28
"All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him."
Last week we studied that Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons as his sons and blessed them. In today's passage he blesses his twelve sons.
Look at verses 1 and 2. Even though he called for his sons to bless them, he did not say, "Gather around so I can bless you." Instead he said, "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come." As we study we will find some of his words were not easy to digest. Especially in the cases of his first three sons his words sound very harsh. How could those harsh words still be a blessing for them? And as we study we also can see how their past affected their future. All these things will teach us something very important in our lives of faith. Jacob said to his sons, "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel." He called for their careful attention. Let's listen to his words with full attention so that we too may be blessed by God.
Look at verses 3 and 4. Jacob says to Reuben. "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honour, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it." Being the firstborn of the family Reuben had extraordinary strength, honour and power. But all his excelling capability made him proud. He became proud enough to defile his father's bed by sleeping with his father's concubine. God had gifted him with many good things for a good purpose. But when he misused the gifts, he lost everything. God humbled him down to the ground. But this was for his own good. True blessing is not giving someone always great honour and power. Even though he may be brought down to the ground, if it makes him holy and humble before God that is a true blessing.
Look at verses 5 to 7. Jacob says to his second and third sons. About forty years ago Simeon and Levi had killed the Shechemites to avenge the raping of their sister Dinah. In their anger they killed even the innocent people. By doing so they defiled God's name and put the godly family in great danger. As joy becomes double by sharing it so does anger. That is why Jacob scattered them in Israel. He said to them, "Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel." Jacob cursed their anger and fury. But he did not curse them. He was helping them repent of their emotional anger. When they repented God blessed their descendants to possess holy anger. Moses was from the tribe of Levi. With holy anger he fought against the false gods of Egypt and rescued God's people. With holy anger the Levites fought against the idol worshippers in Israel and saved the nation. With holy anger Phinehas, a priest from the Levites, fought against the immoral sins of Israel and honoured God's name. Emotional anger is so destructive. But holy anger honours God's name and saves many lives. To be trained by God and have holy anger is a true blessing.
Look at verses 8 to 12. Jacob blesses Judah. In human point of view, Judah was worse than Reuben, Simeon and Levi. But his father did not say anything bad about him. Instead Jacob raised Judah above his sons by saying, "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you." In fact the kingship of Israel was given to him. In the future twenty kings of Israel would be raised from the tribe of Judah. But the greatest blessing was the coming of Jesus Christ through the line of Judah. Jacob said, "The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Everlasting kingship belongs to Jesus. When he comes the nations will obey him. Jesus will rule their hearts with grace and truth.
How could Judah receive such a great blessing? It was because he repented from the heart. He was no more a selfish Judah but a sacrificial Judah. It does not matter how dirty and selfish we have been in the past. When we confess our sins without hiding even the most shameful one, God lets Jesus be born in our hearts. Then Jesus cleanses all our sins. He helps us live for God and others. He makes us rulers in his everlasting kingdom. This is the greatest blessing.
Look at verses 13 to 21. Jacob blesses Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali. We don't know much about them. But through the words of Jacob we can imagine their characters.
Jacob says, "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon." Mumbai and Chennai are haven for ships. Those harbour cities are always busy with trade. It seems Zebulun had a special talent in trade. Later his descendants would be actively engaged in trade and export God's truth to many nations.
Jacob says to Issachar, "Issachar is a raw-boned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labour." In movie Shrek the donkey never stops talking. But in reality donkeys don't talk but keep working. In New Delhi I saw them carrying heavy bricks even at noon in May. There are people who do not speak much. But they speak through their hard work. Every Saturday some of us arrange this hall for worship service. Every Sunday morning one of us prepares our lunch. They don't talk much. But their action delivers us the message of love and humble serving.
Jacob says to Dan, "Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward." Dan was not a romantic person. He was as shrewd as s serpent and as sharp as a viper's fang. He got low marks in poetry but always topped in law. He could be a good judge for his people. But he should judge the things not based on his human reasoning but based on God's truth. Judge Samson was from the tribe of Dan. His life displays the importance of judging the things based on God's truth.
In verse 18, Jacob prays, "I look for your deliverance, O Lord." Jacob humbly asked to God to enable him to complete his last mission. He also humbly asked God to deliver his sons from their sins and grow them as the sources of blessing for mankind.
In verse 19 Jacob says to Gad, "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels." Gad must have had a never-give-up spirit. Proverbs 24:16a says, "…though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again…" When God Almighty is with us why should we give up? Satan attacks us and makes us fall more than seventy times a day. But in God we rise again. He forgives our sins. He renews our strength. In God we fight back and win the battle. This blessing is guaranteed to all God's people.
Jacob says to Asher, "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king." Asher must have been a very good cook like his father and our shepherdesses. Had he joined Christ College he could have been the topper in Hotel management course. In earthly kingdom one's greatness is measured based on how many people he rules over. But in God's kingdom one's greatness is measured based on how many people he serves. May God bless us to serve many campus students with delicious spiritual food and physical food.
Jacob says to Naphtali, "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns." New King James Version reads this verse as follows, "Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words." He must have been eloquent in speech and beautiful in singing. His descendants would carry God's messages to the nations and lead them to sing praises to God.
Look at verses 22 to 26. Jacob blesses Joseph. Joseph was a special boy from his childhood. He received special love from his father. He received special dreams from God. This made his brothers bitter and hostile to him. Then they attacked him so badly. Joseph became a slave and later a prisoner. But he forgave his brothers from the heart. He prayed for them even in his prison cell. He accepted all hardships as necessary trainings to fulfil God-given dreams. So even at the bottom of his life he continued to serve others with God's love and truth. Then God exalted him to the highest. Joseph sacrificed his whole life to save many lives. He had thousands of reasons to cut off his relationship with his brothers and millions of reasons to give up his life of faith. But his love for his brothers grew bigger and his faith in God grew deeper. Jacob says it was all because of God who is the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, and the Almighty. By the grace of God, Joseph could be the shadow of Jesus Christ. His life reflects Jesus' suffering and glory, his forgiveness and salvation. When Jesus came to this world he came not only through the physical line of Judah but also through the spiritual line of Joseph.
God wants to give us the same blessing. Our present sufferings are the parts of God's blessing. Through hard problems God helps us grow in faith. And through hard people he helps us grow in love. In this way Jesus' image is carved in us. Those who bear Jesus' image bring glory to God and save many lives. This is the greatest blessing.
Jacob says to Benjamin, "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder." Benjamin must have been very ambitious. But God changed his human ambition into godly ambition. Then his descendants could do great things for God. Apostle Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He had godly ambition to preach the gospel to the end of the earth.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. Each of them received the blessing appropriate to him. At present they had many weaknesses. But God trained them and raised them to be the sources of blessing for all mankind. Jacob instructed his sons to bury him not in Egypt but in Canaan. This would always remind them of the Promised Land. Finally Jacob breathed his last and completed his pilgrimage. May God bless us to thank him for his appropriate blessing. May God bless us to repent like Judah and bear Jesus' image like Joseph.
JACOB BLESSES HIS SONS
Genesis 49:1-33
Key verse 49:28
"All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him."
Last week we studied that Jacob adopted Joseph's two sons as his sons and blessed them. In today's passage he blesses his twelve sons.
Look at verses 1 and 2. Even though he called for his sons to bless them, he did not say, "Gather around so I can bless you." Instead he said, "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come." As we study we will find some of his words were not easy to digest. Especially in the cases of his first three sons his words sound very harsh. How could those harsh words still be a blessing for them? And as we study we also can see how their past affected their future. All these things will teach us something very important in our lives of faith. Jacob said to his sons, "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel." He called for their careful attention. Let's listen to his words with full attention so that we too may be blessed by God.
Look at verses 3 and 4. Jacob says to Reuben. "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honour, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it." Being the firstborn of the family Reuben had extraordinary strength, honour and power. But all his excelling capability made him proud. He became proud enough to defile his father's bed by sleeping with his father's concubine. God had gifted him with many good things for a good purpose. But when he misused the gifts, he lost everything. God humbled him down to the ground. But this was for his own good. True blessing is not giving someone always great honour and power. Even though he may be brought down to the ground, if it makes him holy and humble before God that is a true blessing.
Look at verses 5 to 7. Jacob says to his second and third sons. About forty years ago Simeon and Levi had killed the Shechemites to avenge the raping of their sister Dinah. In their anger they killed even the innocent people. By doing so they defiled God's name and put the godly family in great danger. As joy becomes double by sharing it so does anger. That is why Jacob scattered them in Israel. He said to them, "Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel." Jacob cursed their anger and fury. But he did not curse them. He was helping them repent of their emotional anger. When they repented God blessed their descendants to possess holy anger. Moses was from the tribe of Levi. With holy anger he fought against the false gods of Egypt and rescued God's people. With holy anger the Levites fought against the idol worshippers in Israel and saved the nation. With holy anger Phinehas, a priest from the Levites, fought against the immoral sins of Israel and honoured God's name. Emotional anger is so destructive. But holy anger honours God's name and saves many lives. To be trained by God and have holy anger is a true blessing.
Look at verses 8 to 12. Jacob blesses Judah. In human point of view, Judah was worse than Reuben, Simeon and Levi. But his father did not say anything bad about him. Instead Jacob raised Judah above his sons by saying, "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you." In fact the kingship of Israel was given to him. In the future twenty kings of Israel would be raised from the tribe of Judah. But the greatest blessing was the coming of Jesus Christ through the line of Judah. Jacob said, "The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Everlasting kingship belongs to Jesus. When he comes the nations will obey him. Jesus will rule their hearts with grace and truth.
How could Judah receive such a great blessing? It was because he repented from the heart. He was no more a selfish Judah but a sacrificial Judah. It does not matter how dirty and selfish we have been in the past. When we confess our sins without hiding even the most shameful one, God lets Jesus be born in our hearts. Then Jesus cleanses all our sins. He helps us live for God and others. He makes us rulers in his everlasting kingdom. This is the greatest blessing.
Look at verses 13 to 21. Jacob blesses Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali. We don't know much about them. But through the words of Jacob we can imagine their characters.
Jacob says, "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon." Mumbai and Chennai are haven for ships. Those harbour cities are always busy with trade. It seems Zebulun had a special talent in trade. Later his descendants would be actively engaged in trade and export God's truth to many nations.
Jacob says to Issachar, "Issachar is a raw-boned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labour." In movie Shrek the donkey never stops talking. But in reality donkeys don't talk but keep working. In New Delhi I saw them carrying heavy bricks even at noon in May. There are people who do not speak much. But they speak through their hard work. Every Saturday some of us arrange this hall for worship service. Every Sunday morning one of us prepares our lunch. They don't talk much. But their action delivers us the message of love and humble serving.
Jacob says to Dan, "Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward." Dan was not a romantic person. He was as shrewd as s serpent and as sharp as a viper's fang. He got low marks in poetry but always topped in law. He could be a good judge for his people. But he should judge the things not based on his human reasoning but based on God's truth. Judge Samson was from the tribe of Dan. His life displays the importance of judging the things based on God's truth.
In verse 18, Jacob prays, "I look for your deliverance, O Lord." Jacob humbly asked to God to enable him to complete his last mission. He also humbly asked God to deliver his sons from their sins and grow them as the sources of blessing for mankind.
In verse 19 Jacob says to Gad, "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels." Gad must have had a never-give-up spirit. Proverbs 24:16a says, "…though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again…" When God Almighty is with us why should we give up? Satan attacks us and makes us fall more than seventy times a day. But in God we rise again. He forgives our sins. He renews our strength. In God we fight back and win the battle. This blessing is guaranteed to all God's people.
Jacob says to Asher, "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king." Asher must have been a very good cook like his father and our shepherdesses. Had he joined Christ College he could have been the topper in Hotel management course. In earthly kingdom one's greatness is measured based on how many people he rules over. But in God's kingdom one's greatness is measured based on how many people he serves. May God bless us to serve many campus students with delicious spiritual food and physical food.
Jacob says to Naphtali, "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns." New King James Version reads this verse as follows, "Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words." He must have been eloquent in speech and beautiful in singing. His descendants would carry God's messages to the nations and lead them to sing praises to God.
Look at verses 22 to 26. Jacob blesses Joseph. Joseph was a special boy from his childhood. He received special love from his father. He received special dreams from God. This made his brothers bitter and hostile to him. Then they attacked him so badly. Joseph became a slave and later a prisoner. But he forgave his brothers from the heart. He prayed for them even in his prison cell. He accepted all hardships as necessary trainings to fulfil God-given dreams. So even at the bottom of his life he continued to serve others with God's love and truth. Then God exalted him to the highest. Joseph sacrificed his whole life to save many lives. He had thousands of reasons to cut off his relationship with his brothers and millions of reasons to give up his life of faith. But his love for his brothers grew bigger and his faith in God grew deeper. Jacob says it was all because of God who is the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, and the Almighty. By the grace of God, Joseph could be the shadow of Jesus Christ. His life reflects Jesus' suffering and glory, his forgiveness and salvation. When Jesus came to this world he came not only through the physical line of Judah but also through the spiritual line of Joseph.
God wants to give us the same blessing. Our present sufferings are the parts of God's blessing. Through hard problems God helps us grow in faith. And through hard people he helps us grow in love. In this way Jesus' image is carved in us. Those who bear Jesus' image bring glory to God and save many lives. This is the greatest blessing.
Jacob says to Benjamin, "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder." Benjamin must have been very ambitious. But God changed his human ambition into godly ambition. Then his descendants could do great things for God. Apostle Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He had godly ambition to preach the gospel to the end of the earth.
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. Each of them received the blessing appropriate to him. At present they had many weaknesses. But God trained them and raised them to be the sources of blessing for all mankind. Jacob instructed his sons to bury him not in Egypt but in Canaan. This would always remind them of the Promised Land. Finally Jacob breathed his last and completed his pilgrimage. May God bless us to thank him for his appropriate blessing. May God bless us to repent like Judah and bear Jesus' image like Joseph.
posted by bunyan90 @ 10:54 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home