King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Chapters: Genesis 48-50
Message: Genesis: Jacob Blesses His Sons
Hello My Friend,
As we come to the end of the reading of Genesis we learn that no matter where we abide, those who are adopted into God’s family may live in strange lands, but have an inheritance awaiting them, and what was meant for evil God turns into good, [Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.]
Do you see that? Those who suffer with Christ are glorified together. This means that no matter what we have done in the past or what we will do in the future, those who put their faith and trust in Christ as their Saviour are joint-heirs with Him and while they will suffer they will never lose their inheritance. Now, we learn that Jacob’s health has took a turn, unknowing when his last day would be he called for Joseph.
[Genesis 48:2-6 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.]
The issue meaning Joseph’s sons being born in Egypt. In other words, even though Joseph’s sons were born in Egypt they are still as one of Jacob’s children and entitled to receive a portion of the inheritance that God promised. You know, there is a lot of talk about immigration and children of immigrants being born in the United States automatically becoming citizens because they were born in the states, but this is proof that that is not the case unless they are adopted by someone who is a citizen. This is a picture of one becoming adopted into God’s family and the inheritance they will receive through their faith in His Son, []
While Reuben is still recognized as Jacob’s son his birthright was transferred to Joseph because of his indiscretions with Bilhah, [Genesis 35:22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:]. Simeon and Levi, who were the next eldest sons lost out on the birthright being handed to one of them because of what they did in Shechem, [Genesis 34:25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.]
Now, as Jacob was talking to Joseph he realizes that he was not alone and asked who was with him. That was when he brought his sons over to him. Jacob, never thought that he would ever see his son again, that alone was a blessing in itself and all the pain and suffering he faced was only a distant memory now that he was able to see him and his grandsons before he died.
[Genesis 48:10-13 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.]
Joseph, knew that Jacob was about to start blessing his sons and since Manasseh was the eldest tried to guide Jacob’s hand in the right direction to bless him first, but Jacob through divine intervention already knew that Ephraim’s descendants would be more prominent than his brother. Jacob, continues talking, letting Joseph know that he had the right hand on the right son.
[Genesis 48:14-17 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.]
That angel was no ordinary messenger from God, He was the Son of God Himself, who would come to earth in the flesh through man. The reason we know this to be true is that Jesus is the only one who can redeem a soul from all evil, [1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.]
As Jacob continues speaking with Joseph, he goes on to bless him and his sons, and actually began to pray for them, but when Joseph saw that he was about to bless Ephraim first, he stopped him. The reason why Jacob was about to bless Ephraim first was to show Joseph prophetically that his descendants would become a greater nation than Manasseh’s who would be great, but not as great as his younger brother.
[Genesis 48:19-22 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.]
Jacob, was correct in his prophecy, Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim would be great in that he would lead the tribes to their inheritance once they reached the promised land, [Numbers 27:18,20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; 20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.] The tribe of Manasseh would divided, one half on one side of the Jordan, the other half on the other side, which made them less powerful as a nation, [Joshua 13:7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,]
The land that Jacob was referring to is Shechem, it was the only land that he purchased, and while Joseph would never see the land, his bones would be buried there when Joshua got there and claimed the land for himself, [Joshua 24:32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.]
Now, after Jacob spoke with Joseph he calls for the rest of his sons beginning with the oldest, he not only gave them a blessing, but some incredible insight into their families as well.
[Genesis 49:1,3–7 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.]
All of this did come to pass as Jacob foretold, Reuben’s tribe did not excel as they chose their inheritance off the promised land and as for Simeon we do not hear much about his tribe at all. However, Levi’s tribe would go on to become God’s servants and would be scattered all over the nation of Israel, [Numbers 18:23-24 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.]
It is quite incredible to think that God had this all planned out, or rather knew what the outcome would be centuries later. Now, Jacob, goes on to tell of what is to come of Judah’s tribe, who would be the most successful and profitable of them all.
[Genesis 49:8-12 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.]
This whole passage is not only a nod to Jesus being born and dying on the cross, it also points directly to His being the KING of all kings, the VINE that we are all grafted into by His blood, and that every knee will definitely bow down to Him, [John 15:5-6 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.]
God, knows the way we take, and sadly, many will get saved, and do nothing more, only to find themselves going through much suffering until they reach the promised land. However, there is someone in more danger than an unfaithful saved Christian, and that is lost person who only pretended to get saved. Jacob, goes on to foretell what is to come of Zebulun’s, Issachar’s, and Dan’s tribes.
[Genesis 49:13-15,17-21 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. 14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.]
Samson, who would be a judge, was part of Dan’s lineage, who upon his death killed thousands of idol worshipers, [Judges 16:22-30]. They would later fall deep into idol worship, even having an idol placed in their part of the land of Israel, [II Kings 10:29]. Notice as Jacob is speaking he blurts out, [I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.] When we know that our days are numbered those whom have put their faith and trust in the LORD, Jesus Christ as their Saviour know that He is their salvation. Do you see how believers from the Old Testament were no different from tones of the New? They still knew they needed the LORD for their salvation. How did they know? Job, can attest that we all need a redeemer, and that redeemer is God, [Job 19:25-26 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:]
Now, even though Jacob had already blessed Joseph, he had one more thing to say to him, [Genesis 49:22-24,27,29,31 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. 29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.]
Joseph, faced more hardships than Jacob did, but no matter what he faced he remained faithful to God and kept his faith strong and by the hands of the Almighty God, he was given the strength to endure it all. God, is the same way with all His faithful, even if they are not at their best. Jesus, is the strength of every faithful Christian, [2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.]
Jacob, was one hundred and thirty years old when he and his family came into Egypt to endure the famine, it had been over for thirteen years now, yet Jacob and his family still lived there since Joseph was governor. Jacob, was one hundred and forty-seven years old when he died, well known and respected by both his family and the Egyptians. When it came time to bury his father, Joseph asked Pharaoh for permission.
[Genesis 50:1-5 And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. 4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.]
It is not the beginning of our lives that makes the biggest impact, it is what we did before the end, in particular for our soul. Those whom have received Christ as their Saviour will go on to inherit eternal life, while those whom have not will receive eternal death, [John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.]
Now that their father was gone, Joseph’ brothers were sure that he was going to get revenge for what they did to him all those years ago. However, he did not seek revenge, [Genesis 50:14-17 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.]
Now, Jacob did not say anything of the sort, all he said was that Joseph was treated badly by them, but God was with him through it all. However, Joseph paid no mind to what they said, but did assure them that he had no ill will toward them, but that they actually played a part in God using him to save lives.
[Genesis 50:19-24 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. 22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees. 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.]
God has a place for us, even if we have not been the best of Christians. Sometimes God allows us to be in a certain place in our lives in order to prepare us for great things while we are here, sometimes He chastens us, sometimes we are wrongfully persecuted or treated badly, but there is an expected end of something great for the saved, born again Christian, [Jeremiah 29:11,14 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Genesis 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)]
Today’s Prayer: God, I cannot thank You enough for what You have done for me and in my life since I accepted Your Son as my Saviour, and dedicated my life to You. There have certainly been ups and downs, twists and turns, and yet You remain faithful, and keep Your promise to keep me from evil. I really have no idea where You will take me while I remain here, but I do know that You have an expected glorious end for me. I will join in with Jacob and say, “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.” and whenever you are ready to bring me home, I know I will be with You. I love you, and pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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