Genesis 48 & 49, Jacob’s Final Words

with that said turn your Bibles to Genesis chapter 48 like I said we're gonna cover 48 and 49 tonight and then we're gonna finish it off in two weeks which again is just it's just been I was studying this morning and I was thinking how wonderful this book has been how rich it's been how exciting it's been and so I hope it's been blessing y'all because we are like I said three chapters way we're done while you're turning there I'm going to pray and we'll come before the Lord let's pray Lord we just want to come before you knowing that you know all things you see the future you see our hearts you know what we're gonna pray before we even pray you're worthy of our praise you're a god deserving every ounce of our attention and yet we're humans and we fail and we're fickle and we're bored easily and so lord I just pray you would help us through every obstacle so that in this moment you can speak to your saints tonight because you are God then you are capable of all things and we trust that we love you and it's in Jesus name and God's people said amen so last week when we studied Genesis 46 and 47 we read about we saw a reuniting of families that Joseph after decades of separation is finally reunited with his dad his brothers and his brothers families and we were told specifically in the 47th chapter of Genesis that the time drew near that Israel must die and he called his son Joseph the time is near now in Genesis 48 and 49 because we're gonna see not only is Jacob going to give his final words to his boys he's going to die by the end of Genesis 14 Erina and as I was prepping for this and in thinking about this and just thinking about the last thing we do before we die the last words we impart to people before we pass away for a lot of us we don't think about that and in light of where we're at as a church right now that we've had a lot of Hospital visitations and we've had a lot of home visits and we've had a lot of sick people in our church and it just really made me think about what's gonna be pressed of my heart before I as the Bible says give up the ghost because we're gonna see the heart of Jacob right now imparting some powerful stuff to his sons prophetic stuff to his sons that are gonna come to pass and we're gonna talk about that more and more as we dive into it but with that said we have two chapters to cover so let's begin verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 48 were told this it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told indeed your father is sick and he took with him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and Jacob was told look your son Joseph is coming to you and Israel strengthened himself and he sat up in the bed I hope you guys noticed the wording between verses 1 & 2 right here that Jacob is sick and verse 1 but in verse 2 Israel the same person strengthened and strengthens himself to greet his family again I as I was thinking about this again because we just had a recent hospital visitation that I was at a couple weeks ago with a brother in our church Mike outlaw and he was in bed and I was looking at him and you know and his eyes were in and out and you can tell because he was on pain medication but you can tell just by looking at him and as I was talking with him that he was just trying to muster up strength to just even interact which was just amazing to me it's amazing to visit people who are sick fight for their life and I don't think we realize this sometimes that just simply even for you guys you're sitting here and you're hearing me tell you about how I visited Mike outlaw to your brother in our church and his wife Karen at the hospital and just how ya pastors do that but I don't think you guys realize the power that really comes from that from other Saints in the church to do that kind of thing to visit your brothers and sisters that that are hurting and not only that for them to muster up the strength that inner strength that what they shouldn't have any left in them to actually do it and then it made me think of what Galatians says it says bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ another translation of that is carry one another's burdens life's hard guys and I think a lot of times we put ourself in an isolated place where we don't want to ask for help we don't like to impose things on people but there's beauty and power that comes from that verse to bear one another's burdens to carry the load to say I know this is hard for you let me help you let me help you through this time and here's Israel Jacob the great patriarch on his deathbed strengthening himself as he watches his son walk into the room and with little strength he had Papa Jake decides to impart some things that to his son of how he first are more specifically when he first encountered God look at verse 3 with me in Genesis 48 Jacob said to Joseph God Almighty appeared to me at lusts in the land of Canaan and blessed me really quick lusts is another trend name for Bethell we read about it in Genesis 28 and in Genesis 35 and it was at this place that Jacob notes to his son Joseph this is where God blessed me in Canaan and it's there where God Almighty as he has he names God appeared to jacob and i think and i'm just imagining Jacob as he's telling this story because we're gonna find out in a second that his eyesight is going he's losing his eyesight he's on his deathbed but I'm just imagining Jacob recount the story how vivid it must have been how powerful it must have been because this place where he's referring to in TLAs is the first place God appears to Jacob Jacob heard about how God appeared to his father Isaac Jacob heard how God appeared to his grandfather Abraham but this place that he's about to tell us on Joseph is where God first appeared to him didn't make me think even for us can you remember the first time you not just sensed the Holy Spirit but you knew God was speaking to you whether that was right before you gave your life to Jesus or in that moment of that filling of the Spirit you're like the Lord is upon me can you remember that when that happened to you the last time the excitement the adrenaline the if anything the the reverence that you had maybe some of you can't remember the first time can you remember the last time that happened I can tell you the last time for me among two others I'll tell you two but that the last one was when it was with Mike outlaw in the hospital last week and you know what was the one of the last things he said to me before we left he said pray over my soul will you pray over my soul and remember you know even as a pastor even as a Christian you're like how do i okay Lord guide my words right now but in that moment I remember the Lord a word from the Lord and my heart was like pray for peace over him and then the Word of God from Philippians came where Paul says in the perfect peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus and we prayed in that moment just pray for peace over Mike right now lord I remember also before we move back here when dad and I were talking and private about moving back in the prospect of transitioning taken over the church I remember I knew we were supposed to come back and I shared it with our church family because we started a church in Charleston and then I shared it with my my wife's family and a lot of people reacted differently but some of them were upset and you guys have to know my personality type the staff will tell you I over exert myself and I'd like to do a million things at once cuz I'm Joan Geraci and I have a problem probably the coffee anyways but I'd like to do a lot and what I wanted to do in Charleston was convinced everyone that was upset like God has made this known to me we're supposed to come back I know we're supposed to come back and I remember vividly the Lord speaking to my heart saying it's not your job to convince them what I've already convinced you and you need to believe that I'm going to speak to their heart in the same way that I've spoke to yours I'm telling you guys those stories because a lot of times we forget when God spoke to us last sure we're sitting here we're going through Genesis 48 and 49 you're hearing my voice through the speakers those are hearing my voice later on but the reality is for some of you you're frustrated at that Carla because you're like I don't even remember lesson I've heard from God it's important to remember when God spoke to you but I'm gonna I dare to say this I think it's even more important to remember what he said to you haven't you ever noticed in testimonies when people give their testimonies all different testimonies but this is one of them this is my testimony on when I gave my life to the Lord I went to Calvary South Denver and pastor Gina was speaking I don't know what he was speaking on but the Lord spoke to me that night have you ever heard of like it's always stories like that like I visited this church I went to this place I heard this you know I don't remember what the sermon was about which statistically you guys are gonna retain 8% of everything I'm telling you tonight just saying what you do know is God spoke to you and I share that silly story for this reality it is important to remember when God spoke to you but it is far more important to remember what he said to you because a lot of you maybe what he is telling you is so deliberate and direct to your heart that you know you're supposed to do it but you're putting it off and maybe for some of you you're negating it because you know you should be giving certain things up in your life that you haven't yet so although it's important to remember that yeah God spoke to me two weeks ago but what did he say to you Jacob is recounting what God said to him here in Genesis 48 look what he says in verse 4 this is what God told him and he said to me behold I will make you fruitful and multiply you I will make of you a multitude of people and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession you have to believe that when Jacob uttered those words he not only shared it confidently men he believed in them he believed in it God told me son Joseph that God that I will make you fruitful and multiply I will make you a multitude of people those exact words that Jacob is hearing from God that he's recounting to his son Joseph were the exact same words that his father Isaac heard and his father his grandfather Abraham heard and the reason why again I'm emphasizing those exact words is because again he doesn't say hey when I was in loves last time God spoke to me I don't know what he said but he spoke to me that day we we hide God's Word in our heart guys it's not so not so that we not only not sin against him but we are reaffirm what the word says God's Word is power God's Word is truth and in these exact words Jacob is recounting God said fruitfulness is going to come from our family line and he's exactly right because guys 70 people left from Canaan to Egypt that's where we're at right now in Scripture and in 400 years the time of the Exodus 2.1 million Jews are gonna leave so you better believe that truth that the fruitfulness from this family is going to in fact happen but not only that he says the promise that this land to your descendants after you was also going to be an everlasting possession this land the Land of Israel I'm gonna say it has always belonged to the Jews and there are many people who will disagree with that statement that know there that what an arrogant statement to think that the Jews are the ones commanded to occupy it but guess what ladies and gentlemen ever since 1948 that that Israel becomes a state before it it's established as a nation the the very next day that it's established as a state it's neighbouring it's Israel's neighbors declare war against them and it's insane because I want you to think about that just there they're attacked by them they don't is really doesn't have an army they're just a mere state there's just a bunch of farmers that got the land and now their attack and and this isn't something that just happened in 1948 that this has been an ongoing issue that ever since that that the a the Muslim nation which we're talking about a 300 million plus people group who identified the Middle East as this prominent culture that belongs to them are looking at the Land of Israel and thinking it should not be occupied by the Jews they look at it as an abomination but that's that's why we keep our eyes on Israel because God has unfinished business with her and not only does he have unfinished business with her we're seeing God's hand and protection over this small little area the size of New Jersey and God has unfinished business with it and so here's Jacob on his deathbed recounting what God told him the multiplicity of people that are going to come from them but the occupation of the land also that would come to the Jews now look at verse five with me now your sons Ephraim and Manasseh who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are mine as Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine did you just did you catch that hey by the way your sons Joseph that you brought ephraim and manasseh they're mine and again I'm sure for Josephus he's hearing those words it's like I expect grandpa Jake here on his deathbed is gonna adopt my two kids but the wording is unique because he tells them your sons ephraim and manasseh who were born to you in the land of egypt before i came to egypt they are mine as Reuben and Simeon are also mine Reuben and Simeon remember the chronological order to oldest sons of Israel these are the two oldest sons and so for Jacob to basically say I'm not only a quiet I'm not only attributing your sons Ephraim and Manasseh like my two sons Reuben and Simeon it's important for you to know they are gonna receive the highest level as if they are my own children and we're looking at that with hey how's he doing that well we're gonna get to the end of Genesis 49 we're gonna talk about it but Reuben remember Reuben and Simeon they disqualified themselves from any kind of leadership because of their sin again that took place in Genesis 34 and 35 and we will talk more about that here in the moment but the fact that Jacob is adopting his his his grandchildren like this kids who are half half Jew they were raised in Egypt they're in Egyptian attire and he's looking at the mesozoic it the highest benefits to like like Reuben and Simeon now look at verses 6 & 7 your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance but as for me when I come from Paden Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way when there was but a little distance to go to ephra and I buried her there on the way to F wrath that is Bethlehem now again the reason guys the reason why this is even remotely amazing and important is because again in a Jewish culture and traditional approach to this Manasseh and Ephraim they they they shouldn't have to partake in this blessing for for Jacob to come and say again not only are they going to be blessed but their names are going to be names that go on for a legacy that is going to be a part of the plans of God and God's economy these guys are gonna play an important role throughout the scripture and throughout the time to come and so Jacob makes this comment in verse 7 again which was unique because he says Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan and I buried her there and and I think he was very think that was hard for him again we just we just visited a funeral about ended with another brother in church with his wife who just passed away though two weeks ago and my father-in-law had to read how to basically read the letter he had to read the letter of mr. tacker about his wife who passed away because he was unable to read it because he just thought he would lose it in front of everyone and then of course Richard started crying in front of everyone but I'm thinking about this as as Jacob is recounting like you know hey the last time I was there when Rachel was there that's she died beside me the last time if he was emotional for him he's in grief because this is the wife he loved this is the wife that is gonna bring Benjamin and Joseph and and as he's looking at the end of his life he's realizing like I'm entering the land of Egypt and I'm blessed because son Joseph you've blessed me and your sons have blessed me but now is that my turn to return the blessings look at verses 8 through 12 then Israel saw Joseph's sons and he said who are these and then Joseph said it was father they're my son whom God has given me in this place and then he said will pre please bring them to me and I will bless them now the eyes of Israel were dim with age so he could not see him and Joseph brought them near him and he kissed them and he embraced them then Israel said to Joseph I had not thought to see your face but in fact God has also shown me your offspring and so Joseph brought them beside his knees and he bowed down with his face to the earth now here's Jacob as his eyesight is failing and Ephraim the manaos are before him and they're coming closer and he's like who's who which is which and then he recognized okay I found him and he embraces them and he kisses them and I love just the wording he has because he's looking at Joseph he's just thinking I never I didn't even think I was gonna see you again I didn't even think I was ever gonna see you again son cuz I thought you were dead but not only that I get to see your own living children before me as well and just to give you a perspective in terms of how old from in the Nassar verse 12 clarifies it that Joseph brought them from beside his knees and then he bowed down with his face to the earth there was a little kid there clinging to his legs one on each side you know it's my favorite thing my youngest daughter Payton my oldest to kind of do it there in the phasors I love you thrown off the pain like like walks to my leg I love you so much to toe crow but you will because that's normal otherwise Child Protective Services will come I'll but I do I love when they link to me and I'm just seeing ephraim and manasseh they're linking to Jacob or to Joseph as he's presenting them to his to his father he bowed down with his face to the earth Joseph a royal official an Egyptian official prime minister a guy that is not used to this kind of behavior he's high in status and authority but does not negate the reverence you have for his dad and he bows down before and then look at verse 13 of Genesis 48 and Joseph took them both Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand and he brought them near him the reason why he's specifically positioning them in the way that we're reading in here is because Joseph is trained to position Manasseh so that Jacob is putting his right hand on him and for some of you that's like that sounds like another weird thing well because remember Manasseh is he the younger the older son he's the older one between him and Ephraim and so traditionally and culturally black back then it was it was custom for for him to receive the blessing he's the firstborn that's why it says Manasseh with his left hand put him towards Israel's right hand and again what's interesting about the right hand in the Bible you see it throughout the Bible it speaks of a favored position it speaks of strength and it speaks of skill and for all those in here who are left-handed you're thinking that seems wrong is there any left-handed people in here god bless all of you I just have to say this it's not my fault that the right-handed people in here are more biblical than you I'm just saying like James in the back who didn't raise his left hand when I asked who's left-handed in here but I will have to admit this we might be more biblical than you guys but generally speaking left-handed people you are far more talented and smarter than us right-handed people I'm just saying I'm just saying again this is why Jesus is described in Mark's Gospel as sitting on the right hand of God the Father and so here's Joseph because he recognizes the moment his dad Jacob puts his right hand on his oldest son Manasseh as the moment the blessing can take place but Jacob knows what he's doing here so look at what great Israel does in verse 14 so then Israel stretched out his right hand laid it on e4 UM's head who was the younger and his can on manassas head guiding his hands knowingly from Manasseh was the firstborn so Jacob he figured even with his bad eyesight it knows exactly what's happening right here that he's trying to undo what Jacob or excuse me what Joseph is is trying to orchestrate and by placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he's intending to great to grant the greater blessing onto ephraim the younger brother and again this isn't this is against normal custom and expectation this was something that caught Joseph's eye and we're gonna find out here in verse 17 it displeased him but look what it says first in verse verses 15 through 16 so he blessed Joseph and he said God before whom the father's Abraham and Isaac walked that God who has fed me all my life long to this day the angel who has redeemed me from all evil bless the lads did you notice the angel right there is capitalized Skinner because I think it's referring to Jesus Christ he said let my name be named upon them and the name of my father's Abraham and Isaac let them grow into multitude in the midst of the earth so Jacob right now he's declaring his blessing over his son Joseph first but again his hands are still positioned opposite of what Joseph wanted and now this is where Joseph's kind of displeased look at verses 17 and 18 now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim it displeased him and so he took so he took hold of his father's hand to remove him from Ephraim's head to Manasses head Joseph said to his father not so my father this is the one of the firstborn put your right hand on his head again I'm just imagining like you know he's grabbing at his father's hand and he's like there you go and Jacob figures it out and he's like no that's not right and there's a dad you got it wrong you're you got it wrong dad but look but Jacob knew exactly what he was doing it wasn't because he was like I'm sorry I I sight look what he says verse 19 and 20 but his father refused he said I know my son I know he also shall become a people he's referring to the eldest he also shall be great but truly his younger brother will be greater than he and his descendants shall become a multitude of Nations look at the wording here he blessed them them plural not just singular not just Ephraim say by you Israel will bless saying may God make you as ephraim and manasseh and thus he said he from before Manasseh again this is just an insane setting because here's Jacob is saying in response to his son Joseph who's displeased she was upset you got it wrong dad your blessing the wrong kid and here's Jacob saying listen God has revealed to me that it's the younger son who is gonna be greater it's the younger son that I'm supposed to bless right now yes Manasseh he's gonna be blessed but it's it's it's Ephraim who's gonna be greater and again culturally and traditionally this is completely out of whack this is not normal because again the firstborn is the one who's were to receive the benefits and assume the greater position yes it's tradition but it's God who alters all throughout Scripture we see this with all the a lot of men in the Bible I'm just gonna give some examples Cain he's the firstborn that we read in Genesis but it was Abel the younger who was blessed Ishmael is the firstborn but it's Isaac one of our great the great patriarchs who is blessed Esau the firstborn is it comes but it's Jacob the heel catcher who is blessed Ruben the firstborn but whose blessing said Joseph or Aaron was the firstborn but Moses is the one who's going to be blessed David the youngest of seven brothers and the house of Jesse is the one who is blessed and now we're seeing it with Ephraim and and yes Ephraim is gonna become the greater tribe by far because again the ten northern tribes of Israel are called Israel but they're also referred to in Scripture as Ephraim because it's Ephraim that's the predominant of the ten northern tribes so he is going to be greater and he's exactly right Jacob predicting that over them now let's read verses 21 and 22 and then Israel said to Joseph behold I'm dying but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your father so here's 147 year young Jacob predicting again the mass exodus that's going to take place 400 years from now as Moses is going to lead this group out of Egypt to the promised land moreover verse 22 I have given to you one portion above your brothers which I took from the hand of the amorite with my sword and my bow so here's Jacob as he's on his deathbed in a way it's this is think of as the passing of the torch like son this is the time that this is gonna happen it's not like Isaac remember Isaac when he thought he was on his deathbed remember in Chapter before but we learned again he was not only not on his deathbed he's gonna survive an extra ten plus years but here Jacob he is on his deathbed and this is it I'm passing the torch this is where it's supposed to happen and he tells Jacob telling his son Joseph I have given you one portion above your brothers now this is interesting because he's referring to Joseph being the father of two tribes while all the other brothers that we're gonna find out here in Genesis 49 are gonna be the father of one tribe each of them are gonna receive their own tribe and we're gonna specifically talk about each one here in a second but then Jacob explains to Joseph why he's able to receive one portion more than his brothers at the end of verse 22 I have I took from the hand of the amorite with my sword in my bow because again while eyes excuse me Jacob who was in Canaan he battled for control over a portion of the land against the amorite sand he won and so the descendants of Joseph they're going to take that laid-back guys 400 years from now not so it's interesting that when he uses the word you will return to the land he's referring to the again the people that are gonna be descendants from the 12 tribes listed here so even Joseph isn't gonna see this land but his children's children's children they're gonna see it and now Jacob he calls for a family meeting all the brothers bring him all in let's look at Genesis 49 no guys second-to-last chapter let's look at verses 1 through 2 and Jacob called his sons and he said gather together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days gathered together and here you sons of Jacob and listened to Israel your father I love that he's speaking in the third person by the way it's just fantastic but anyways the phrase in the last days is used get this guy's 14 times in the Old Testament and and that each time in the last days of the 14 times listed in the Old Testament is used it's dealing with prophecy and that's why what we're reading here right now in Genesis 49 is so rich in prophetic truth that oh my gosh we could spend a good four to eight weeks just on this chapter alone but time is not gonna allow us to do that so here he is on his deathbed gathers the twelve boys together and he tells them what lies ahead which again for some of them you're gonna see how great they are and for some of it's like here that he starts with Reuben verses three through four Reuben you're my firstborn my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power I just can see Reuben like yeah all those things are true but look at verse 4 unstable as water you shall not Excel because you went up from your father's bed and you defiled it and you win up to my couch now again this is in reference of what Reuben did 40 years before this even happened that Rachel Jacobs wife after she died Ruben decided to have relations with her handmaiden Bilhah and in his mind he's like no one found out but the Bible says your sin will find you out I may be in Rubens mind he's thinking like I'm in the clear I'm in the clear it's been 40 years how is anyone gonna find out about this but it comes back and it bites him and here's Jacob again announcing as his first born like you had every opportunity but you know what you are son you're unstable as water and it was because of this instability that he according to Jacob tells me you're not gonna Excel so not only are you unstable like water you're not even gonna Excel I have multiple Charles Spurgeon quotes tonight but he said concerning this listen to this a man may have great opportunities and yet he can lose them uncontrolled passions may make him very little who otherwise might have been great monumental potential and it's all gone here's a very simple saying you ready for this you will see as much as you allow Jesus to show listen to this guys the plans that God has for you are huge they're far above anything we could ever think or imagined but I need you guys to understand something that you're gonna see as much as Jesus allows to show and what you see is determined by your response yes we can go outside and note that God's invisible attributes are clearly seen that we're without excuse that we can look at creation itself and just look at the splendor and the goodness of God but it's you guys it's you that determines how much of God's power you see in your own life it's Jesus who wants to fill you fresh with his spirit but it's also you who's gonna determine how much of that power you're willing to see in your life and know that we would be a people that's dependent on the spirit and not dependent on the flesh because it's gonna fail us that's why Paul continually says I have to beat my body into submission he recognized this this constant battle of the spirit in the flesh but Ruben you know what he is unstable as water who will not excel now let's look at Simeon and Levi verses 5 through 7 Simeon Levi are brothers instruments of Cruelty in their dwelling place verse 6 let not my soul enter their counsel let not my honor be United to their assembly for in their anger they slew a man and in their self will they hamstrung an ox cursed be their anger for it is Bierce and their wrath for it is cool I will divide them in Jacob I will scatter them in Israel I could you could first three sons this is pretty intense hey brothers you too Simeon and Levi you know what you are instruments of cruelty and again he's referring to when they found out that their daughter excuse me their sister Dinah was raped by Shechem they decided like we're gonna like vigilante this we're gonna take this into our own hands and there was complete and utter destruction not just on Shechem but everyone associated with the family of Shechem and when I say the destruction of the people I'm saying Simeon Levi pulled an Anakin Skywalker and they massacred the entire village I mean they spared no one and yes I did just reference Star Wars attack of the clones just right now I did and you know what like Anakin Skywalker Simeon and Levi Jacob tells him curse be their anger for it is fierce in their wrath because it is cruel or as Yoda puts it anger leads to chef Irving let's pray no just kidding their anger was fierce you know what guys the the core problem of the issue here is that they were filled with anger far before they found out about their sister but the reality of the news only intensified it and another thing I want you to notice jacob says he says i will divide them in jacob I'll scatter them in Israel this is unique because the tribe of Simeon became small during the wilderness wanderings and they're gonna start out from Egypt as the 3rd largest tribe and then 35 years into the wilderness wandering there's a second census that takes place 63% are going to perish and they're going to become the smallest tribe of all the tribes that are represented but also when it comes to the tribe of Levi the dividing and scattering actually became a blessing for them that the faithfulness of Levi we're gonna see throughout this scripture but we're gonna definitely see it in the time of the rebellion of the golden calf and Moses is gonna receive the Ten Commandments and then he's gonna come back down and it's gonna just be chaos but it's Levi and the tribe of Levi that show faithfulness during it and again you can read all about it in Exodus 32 but it was also the tribe of Levi that would receive no large trace of land because the Bible says the Lord was their inheritance not the land and you can read all about that in Joshua 13 so both Simeon and Levi they're scattered but one receives a blessing and one receives a curse let's read about Judah now this is the one a lot of us are like oh I'm excited for you today here we go verses 8 through 12 Judah you are he whom your brothers shall praise your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your father's children shall bow down before you Judah and lions Yelp whelp tomato tomahto just came from the prey my son you have gone up he boughs down he lies down as a lion and as a lion who shall rouse him verse 10 the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh or shallow comes and to him shall be the obedience of the people binding his donkey to the vine and the donkey's Colt to the choice mine he washed his garments in wine his clothes in the blood of grapes his eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk alright let's break this down Judah you are he whom your brothers shall praise here's the thing with Judah he wasn't really the best representative when it came to character because again we found out in the earlier chapters that it was him who suggested like hey let's just sell Joseph into slavery and we'll make a profit out of it that was his suggestion and while some of you might be like well he suggested that because his other brothers wanted to kill him well regardless he was the one that basically said well let's just sell him and make a profit which was interesting too because we found out the amount of money that he was sold into slavery was the amount of money that the broad that the brothers had in their packs when they came back to Jacob but not only that he didn't really faithfully deal with his daughter in law tamer because he thought she was a harlot and basically had sexual relations with her in Genesis 38 and that was a whole backfired weird issue that took place with that but the redeeming part of Judah is that in the moments that he showed good character is when he said I'm going to intercede on behalf of Benjamin and I will be the one that will be the substitute for him take me instead this is before he found out Joseph who was the official was his brother he thought he was just a an Egyptian Prime Minister another charles spurgeon quote in relation to this he said in a powerful way this prophecy over judah is the description of Judah's greatest descendant which we know Jesus Christ the dying patriarch was speaking of his own son Judah but while speaking of Judah he had a special eye to our Lord who sprang from the tribe of Judah everything therefore which he says of Judah the type he means with regard to our greater Judah the antitype our Lord Jesus Christ and he's exactly right because we're gonna read in Revelation 5 5 Jesus being described as the Lion of the tribe of Judah one last thing I want to point out before we go to Zebulun and Issachar Jacob says concerning Judah the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes now this is cool what's prophetically being said right here because this leadership this leadership prophecy is going to take a good 600 plus years I think it's like six hundred and forty years until it's actually fulfill partially with the reign of David and by the way David was the first of Judah's dynasty to be of the kings that are listed in 1st Samuel and then a good sixteen hundred years later when it is completely fulfilled when Jesus Christ is born and it is going to be fulfilled the scepter shall not depart from Judah let's read the Zeppelin in a sacar verses 13 through 15 Zebulon shall dwell by a behavin of the sea he shall become a haven for ships his border shall adorn adjoin Sidon and Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between two burdens he saw the rest was good and that the land was pleasant he bowed his shoulder to bear a burden and became a band of slaves so the tribe of Zebulun was noted for its faithfulness specifically with with david to their King David and first and second Samuel but they were also noted because they're the ones who are going to supply numerous amounts of soldiers to David's armies during his greatest needs in fact I'm gonna read to you from Chronicles listen to this first chronicles 1213 concerning the tribe of Zebulun of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to the battle expert in war with all weapons of war and they they stout hearted men who could keep rank so again these were groups of men who not only were mass in numbers but they were strong in force they became a safe haven of ships then the tribe of Zebulun settled in a piece of the land which is unique because again we're going to Israel next year guys but Zebulon settled between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea and it's Jacob who says Canet cebula so now he says concerning it is a car he's a strong donkey is a car is a huge tribe it's huge not in mass in terms of individuals I mean there was just a lot of people that came from it and again you can read it in numbers 26 but he says they became a band of slaves now unfortunately because there were so many of them and their size of abundance they were often targets they were often the ones who were taken advantage by foreign armies who were oppressed they were put into servitude and became slaves which again why they are called a band of slaves so Zebulon Haven for ships is a car a strong donkey let's learn about Dan dan shall be his judge verse 16 through 18 as one of the tribes of Israel Dan shall be a serpent by the way a viper by the path that bites the horses heels so that it's rider shall fall backwards verse 18 I have waited for your salvation O Lord Jacob says concerning Dan he's going to be a judge to his people and boy you better believe he's exactly right because the tribe of Dan is going to supply one of the most problem judges that we know Sampson and again you can read all about it in judges 13 this is why again I'm telling you we could have spent weeks and weeks and weeks just breaking down all of this stuff but I also want you to notice that Jacob says concerning Dan that he is a serpent by the way a Viper by the path now a lot of people take that and they're assuming that okay so the Antichrist is actually going to come from the tribe of Dan again another Bible say for another time but regardless this this is it before I tell you my position on that but Dan was a troublesome tribe they were a very problematic tribe they're the ones who introduced idolatry into Israel and judges chapter 18 and and Dan was you know again just they're left out in Revelation 7 and they're left out of the listing of the tribes regarding the 144,000 it's the first tribe listed in Ezekiel's millennial roll out concerning the tribes in Ezekiel 48 but one last thing that I want to point out before we move on to the next group of guys Jacob says I waited for your salvation Oh Lord the Hebrew word behind that word salvation Yeshua now this is again prophetically awesome because at this point in the prophecy has Jacobs on his deathbed he's calling out for God for salvation whether he's recognizing the intensity of even what's coming from the tribe of Dan knowing or not Jacob in my opinion he's calling out to Jesus right now he's calling out to the Lord it's wild so Dan a serpent by the way now gad and ashur look at verses 19 20 gad a troop shall upon him but he shall triumph at last bread from Ashur shall be rich and he shall yield royal dainty's now the tribe of GAD supplied many troops again for King David that we see recorded in first chronicles he says he's a troop a troop shall upon him we're gonna see in the days of Jeremiah foreign armies they're gonna oppress them they're gonna oppress the people and it's throughout Jeremiah 49 you can read all about that and yet victory is going to scream the loudest in the end which is why it says he shall triumph at last and then jacob says concerning Asher he's going to be rich Deuteronomy 33 24 says Moses took this prophecy regarding Asher listen to this Asher is most blessed of the sons let him be favored by his brothers and let him dip his foot in oil but then he also says that that he shall yield royal dainty's and now apparently the land had an abundance of necessities but there's also going to be luxuries that are gonna come from this land which again is unique when it comes to Asher so dad he shall triumph at last and Asher now will worried about Neftali and Joseph now this is great.i verses 21 through 26 nap tele and is a dear let loose he uses beautiful words what else father Joseph is a fruitful beau a fruitful beau by oh well his branches run over the wall the archers have bitterly grieved him shot him and hated him but his bow remained in strength and his arms of hands were made strong by the hands of mighty God of Jacob from there is the shepherd the stone of Israel verse 25 and 26 by the God of your father who will help you and by the Almighty and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings from of having above the Lessing's of the deep that lies beneath blessings of the breasts and of the womb the blessings of your father having excelled the blessings of my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills they shall be on the head of Joseph in the crown of the head of him who is separate from his brothers now I've made that noteworthy pause when it came to you know basically how he blesses Teli which inverse one or is just a single verse it's like alright father prophesy over me and it's basically one sentence but then with Joseph it's five verses and he really emphasized the things that are gonna come from him nataly's Lin though I should say this is a key portion near the Sea of Galilee and the reason why this is so important because Jesus is going to spend much of his his earthly ministry near this area is specifically his teaching ministry and I love that even though Jacob uses very few words concerning Naphtali he says but guess what he does use beautiful words he will be noted as someone who says beautiful words and the reason why that's so poetic and so amazing because again much of Jesus's ministry is in the region of Neftali which is where why Jacob's words here are so fitting for him it's amazing because it's Peter who's gonna tell Jesus that Jesus you have the words of eternal life because it's Peter who's gonna hear the voice of Jesus just pour into him and he's realizing not only are the words that he's saying are beautiful or the King James Version puts it goodly you have the words of eternal life so that's why it is fitting for for Jacob to prophesy over him in this way but then for Jacob he gives a description as a fruitful beau by the well and that's appropriate because Joseph's you know being well watered he's being provided for for his deep and real relationship with God remember we talked about this is the guy that had every reason not only to bash his brothers and to present them to Pharaoh his boss as these guys are the ones that sold me into slavery let's do the same he shows grace toward them because he had a real relationship with God Spurgeon put it this way last Bergen quote the main point in Joseph's character was that he was you in clear and constant fellowship with God and therefore God blessed him greatly he lived to God and was God servant and he lived with God and was God's child The Archers had bitterly grieved him though Joseph was shot and hated Jacob says he's still a faithful fruitful bow and the reason for this is because the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob and so Jacob points out the obvious when he says that and because of that gods bless you not just materially but with wisdom here's a thirty year old guy that again starts the highlight of his career and he single-handedly is the reason why the world didn't go into depravity and completely starved to death because of this this one man God did bless him not just with prosperity as Prime Minister but with wisdom from above and then Jacob finishes with the blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors Jacob at the end of his days he's realizing that God was so good to him that he was much that he was forgiven much and loved much and again it's a picture of grace it's a beautiful picture of grace the mighty hand the mighty God of Jacob I want you to notice he lists five great titles the mighty God of Jacob the shepherd the stone of Israel the God of your father and the Almighty so there it is Naftali he's known for his beautiful words and Joseph a fruitful bow now Benjamin verse 27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf in the morning and he shall devour the prey and at night he shall divide the spoil now the tribe of Benjamin is known for their fierceness that's why he tells him he's gonna devour the prey and you see that all throughout the tribes of Benjamin and in what comes from them he HUD judges you see the fierceness saw in 1st Samuel chapter 9 Paul in acts chapter 8 where it says he was breathing threats against the Christians against the church these were the men that were a part of the tribe of Benjamin and their cruelty that's how they were known and again you can see it all throughout judges 19 and 20 poor Benjamin the youngest the ravenous wolf now Jacob gives his final words and verses 28 through 33 we'll go to the first 32 all these are the twelve tribes of Israel and this is what their father spoke to them he blessed them and he blessed each one according to his own blessing then he charged them and he said to them I am to be gathered to my people bury me with my father's in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place therefore they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife they buried Isaac and Rebecca his wife they buried Leah the field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heath now Jacob he's in Egypt and he's been there for the last 17 years but he's not an Egyptian he tells them listen I'm the son of the promise and I need to be buried with those who are a part of this promise this is the end of the patriarch age dies and he's recognizing that and that's why he's being asked to be buried in the promised land with his father and his grandfather and their wives and by the way Egypt guys was magnificent when it came to tombs I mean Jacob could have been buried like a pharaoh man and yet he decides to be buried in an obscure cave in Canaan because again he recognized that that's the land of promise and that's where I'm gonna go and son Joseph you are also gonna go one day at least his descendants will and then he dies last verse and then Jacob had finished commanding his sons he drew his feet up into the bed and he breathed his last and was gathered to his people it was imperative that Jacob deliver his final words before he gave up his final breath and again what we just read right here is the end of the patriarchs it's done after this the life of Abraham the life of Isaac the life of Jacob are officially in our Genesis series they're done and yet here July 10th 2019 God's plans have not ended God's plans are still continuing and God is still looking to us to look to him and his word and to depend on it and it guys it's going to continue until the final day will come when every eye will see that Jesus not only has been and always was real but that he is the king of kings that he is worthy of our praise we have one more Bible study and we are officially done with our Genesis series let's come before the Lord let's pray Heavenly Father we know that there's so much prophetic promises here that we could eat just even talked about for hours and hours and hours and weeks to come but this is what we know Lord that although the patriarchs as dysfunctional as they were you God chose these men to bring about a promise through what the the Jews that we know today that oh man 70 people are gonna lead from Canaan to Egypt two million are gonna leave from Egypt back to the promised land and today just even in the State of Israel alone there's over six million Jews residing there you have a plan for Israel you have a plan for her and lord I pray that we as a church that we would look to Israel we would pray not only for its safety but Lord we just pray that you would help us as a church to look to you because the plans although end for Jacob here in Genesis 49 the plan have not ended for us so we look to you Lord we love you that we just devote these last songs to you and it's in Jesus name we pray amen

Channel: Calvary South Denver

Views: 3,057

Rating: 4.9111109 out of 5

Keywords: Calvary Chapel, Christianity, Bible Study, Jon Geraci, Genesis, Jacob's Blessing

Id: yCiT51KFc5o

Length: 59min 28sec (3568 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 11 2019