Fri.’s Devo - The Blessings of Jacob

Read: Genesis 48:1-49:33; Matthew 15:29-16:12; Psalm 20:1-9; Proverbs 4:20-27 Joseph received news that Jacob was dying and took his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh to see him one last time. Jacob mustered up enough strength to sit up. He told Joseph that he was adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as his own children. Those born in the future would be Joseph’s and would inherit within the territories that Jacob was giving to Ephraim and Manasseh. He *** When Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons he crossed his arms to put his right hand on Ephraim’s head even though he was the youngest. When Joseph complained, Jacob explained that Manasseh would be blessed, but Ephraim would be blessed even more and become greater. That is such a great promise because Manasseh means “causing to forget” but Ephraim means “double fruit”. So the blessings of the future are so great they will outshine the pain of the past that it will cause us to forget all the suffering. We will experience that when God blesses the earth with his Kingdom. It will be so good, we will forget the pain we have experienced getting there. *** Jacob blessed his other children starting with Rueben, his first born. He, like Esau, lost the blessings of the first-born because he slept with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi would be dispersed throughout the tribes because of their cruel nature. Judah would be praised. He would take his enemies by the neck and all the other tribes would bow to him. Kings and rulers would come from his tribe. Jesus, came from this tribe. He would be tested until he came out pure. Zebulun would settle by the sea and border Sidon. Issachar would work the land and be blessed. Dan would be judges of the people. Gad would live by defending his land. He would live by the sword. Asher would live in luxury and be blessed. Joseph would be blessed beyond the others and be an example of God’s goodness. Benjamin would devour his enemies and defeat them. He would receive the wealth of the wicked. *** When Jacob had finished his blessings, he requested to be buried in the burial land Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah were all buried there. Rachel had been buried on the way to Bethlehem. Interestingly, he was buried with Leah, his first wife and not Rachel. *** In Matthew, Jesus returned to Galilee where he healed everyone who was lame, blind, crippled, couldn’t speak and others. The people had been with him for three days and not had anything to eat. He didn’t want to send them away hungry so he asked how much food the disciples had. They had seven loaves and a few small fish. Jesus had the people sit down and took the food and thanked God for them. He broke them into pieces and gave them to the disciples to distribute. The food multiplied in their hands. There were 4,000 men and also women and children who all ate of their fill. They collected seven large baskets of leftover food. Jesus sent the people home and got into the boat with the disciples to go to the region of Magadan. *** This is a spiritual concept. God uses men to work through. Jesus blessed it, but the food multiplied in the hands of the disciples. God wants to use us in this same way if we are available to him. *** The Pharisees and Sadduccees came to him to ask him for a miraculous sign from heaven to prove that he got his authority from God. He rebuked them for being able to read natural signs in the heavens but not spiritual ones. He told them the only sign they would get would be the sign of the prophet Jonah. We assume that this was the sign of the resurrection but I think it is so much more. Jonah was a rebellious follower of God just like the teachers of the law. God had to bring Jonah to death to repent and turn. Maybe, this means that their sign would be death before they saw the truth. *** Jesus told his disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees. He was referring to their false teachings that seemed to expand way beyond the truth. The deception of the Pharisees is still a problem. The Pharisees knew much about the Mishnah and the Talmud, but very little about the laws of Moses. To keep from being deceived by false teachings we need to know what the Bibles says above what others teach. The Bible is the standard. *** Lord, may we know the truth and may it be our litmus test. May we have great discernment to understand truth and not be deceived by wrong teachings but may we understand what you are saying right now to our generation.