Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Wed.’s Dev - First the Natural, Then the Spiritual

Read: Genesis 48:1-49:33; Matthew 15:29-16:12; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 4:20-27
Jacob was about to die, so Joseph wanted him to bless his two sons. Jacob broke tradition and blessed the second born over the first. Manasseh was the first born and his name means “causing to forget”. Ephraim was the second born and his name means “double fruitful”. Jacob crossed his hands to put his right hand on Ephraim’s head and his left on Manasseh’s. Joseph tried to correct him but Jacob explained that this what what God wanted.
Everything God does is to teach us concepts about him. First Corinthians 15:46 says that the natural is first and afterward the spiritual. The first born represents our first birth. We are born into sin. When we are born again we are doubly fruitful and God will cause us to forget our past sorrow. The only way we can come to our second birth is through the cross. The only way we can forget our past is to be fruitful in Jesus.
Jacob called all his sons and prophesied the future over them. Judah’s prophecy has Jesus all in it.
Jacob died and was buried in the family grave site at Machpelah.
Jesus did in the natural what he was also doing in the spirit. He made the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. He is still doing that today.
Naturally, the people were hungry and Jesus miraculously provided more than enough. Jesus was trying to teach his disciples to see the spiritual in the natural but they missed it completely. When Jesus was telling them to be aware of the yeast of the Pharisees he was speaking of the doctrine of the Pharisees. Their doctrine was wrong.
Lord, may we have ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart to understand. May you give us your desires of your heart.

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