Never Failing Providence: Genesis 49:28-50:26

It is no coincidence that we come to the end of the book of Genesis on Father’s Day.  This great book that teaches us how men (and women) were created in the image and likeness of God ends by showing us how to die like men.  Genesis 49:28-50:26 records the death of Jacob and Joseph to encourage faith in God’s certain providence that will never fail. 

One thing we learn from the Bible is that faithful men (and women) are faithful because they are persuaded that they have a great God.  Their God is not small, but BIG.  One question I’d like all of us to consider today is simply, “How big is your God?”  Is He so big to you that He changes the way that you live and the way that you would die?  Scripture tells us that faith is the only way that we can please God and is the only way any of us can be faithful men and women.  The question we will be moved to ask today is what kind of God is so great and so big that He would be deserving of such radical devotion as we see in these two men.   

I.              TOUR OF THE TEXT:

a.     The Death and Burial of Jacob (49:28-50:13)

[28] All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. [29] Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, [30] in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. [31] There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah—[32] the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” [33] When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

I want to point out a couple of items here.  First, notice that Jacob and the author of Genesis describe his death as being “gathered to his people.”  This implies the reality of an afterlife, because it will be months before Jacob’s body will be buried in Canaan.  He is gathered to his people at death, not when his body is returned to Canaan. 

Second, I want us to notice again the radical covenant faithfulness displayed by Jacob here.  He is more concerned about being buried in the place God has for His people than being buried with the woman who was the love of his life, Rachel.  God has now become the love of his life and has also redeemed the testimony of this man whose life was such a mess.  Isaac’s old age shamed his youth, but Jacob’s old age redeems his. 

[50:1] Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. [2] And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. [3] Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

[4] And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, [5] ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” [6] And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” [7] So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, [8] as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. [9] And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. [10] When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. [11] When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. [12] Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, [13] for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. (Genesis 49:28-50:13 ESV)

Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us that there is a time to mourn and I think that it is good to mourn for a time.  Death is not a natural part of God’s creation, but a part of the curse creation is under currently.  It is an intruder and an enemy.  But it is an enemy that we become more than conquerors of in Christ. 

b.    The Death and Blessing of Joseph (50:14-26)

[14] After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

[15] When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” [16] So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: [17] ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. [18] His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” [19] But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? [20] As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. [21] So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

What we have here is one of the most profound insights into the ways of God in the entire Bible.  This is a massive affirmation of God’s providence.  Joseph here points his brothers away from himself and to the sovereign God who rules all of history.  This is also a magnificent explanation of providence.  In providence, there can be dual intentions on the part of two parties.  One intends evil, but God intends good with the same set of events.  Two intentions that appear contradictory are affirmed to be simultaneously true.  In the end, however, only God’s intentions matter.  Joseph has a big God! 

Notice what character having such a big God produces.  Joseph is capable of a radical forgiveness that baffles many of us because he had such a confidence in God’s providence.  And notice also how a gracious, forgiving attitude can unite a family.  The Hebrew at the end of verse 21 literally says that Joseph, “spoke to their heart.”  In a world where so many families have fallen out, may we remember that the gospel enables believers to extend such grace and forgiveness to others who have wronged us.  Such grace and forgiveness speaks to the heart. 

[22] So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. [23] And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. [24] And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” [25] Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” [26] So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. (Genesis 50:14-26 ESV)

II.            THOUGHTS FROM THE TEXT:

a.     We See a God Whose Promises NEVER FAIL

Jacob and Joseph are both seen on their deathbed to be fully persuaded of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.  They believe that the future for their descendants will not be in Egypt but in Canaan.  For them, Israel’s future will not be decided by a mighty Pharaoh but by an Almighty God.  They are persuaded that they have a big, faithful God.  They are so persuaded that they make burial preparations accordingly.  As a matter of fact, it is interesting that all the land the patriarchs of Genesis ever owned was a cemetery. 

As God’s people, we too must trust in His faithfulness to keep the promises we have in His Word, the Bible.  And we must be willing to live and die out of and according to those promises.  People who are persuaded do so.

b.    We See a God Whose Plans NEVER FAIL

While Joseph’s brothers intended evil against Joseph, God, whose plans are never thwarted, ultimately thwarted their evil plans for good.  Joseph understands both God’s place and God’s providence and this understanding empowered Joseph to be capable of radical forgiveness and a perspective that entrusted vengeance to God.  This is what Romans 12:19 admonishes us to do: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 

We must so wrap our minds and hearts around God’s sovereignty that we too can respond to death and injustice in God honoring ways.  People who are persuaded of God’s sovereignty do so.

c.     We See a God Whose People are NEVER FORSAKEN

Joseph was never forsaken in all the injustices committed against him.  Neither Jacob nor Joseph was forsaken in their death.  Even in their dying, God, not the grave, had the last word.  This chapter that is so saturated with death is also saturated with hope.  Imagine what a beacon of light Joseph’s coffin was to the Israelites while enslaved in Egypt and during the Exodus.  The original readers remember as they are carrying Joseph’s bones back to the Promised Land that God too has not forsaken them all their time as slaves in Egypt.

Scripture tells us that we too will face suffering, injustice and death in this life.  Hebrews 9:27 says that all of us have an appointment with death.  But there is good news!  Jesus Christ has conquered death and eternal life is available to us now through Him.  That’s how big our God is.  This is how our big God fixes the problem that is unresolved in Genesis.  And we do not look to a coffin full of bones as a reminder that God will deliver His people; we look to a grave that is EMPTY and are reminded that there is a greater Exodus still to come.  In the meantime, as His people, we too must remember that we are never forsaken in our injustices or in our death. 

Reading about the deaths of these men of faith reminds me of the death of missionary David Livingstone.  He went to Africa as a medical missionary desiring to “preach the gospel beyond every other man’s line of things.”  He would suffer greatly during his years as a missionary, being attacked by a lion, spending most of his missionary years away from his wife.  He would eventually lose his wife and newborn baby girl on a later expedition.  When he died on May 1, 1873, they found his dead body at 4:00am in the morning, kneeling by his bed with his face in his hands as if he had been in prayer.  Before sending his body back home to be buried, they cut out his heart and buried it in Africa.  He died like a man who had a big God.  Fathers, what about you?  Church, what about you?  How big is your God? 

Providence's Ultimate Blessing: God's Coming Salvation (Part Two): Genesis 48:1-49:27

In Genesis 48:1-49:27, Jacob blesses his sons on the eve of his death.  Israel’s blessing of his sons is described as a great act of faith and worship in Hebrews 11:21 because in these two chapters, Jacob’s blessings are flowing out of an anticipation of God’s great salvation to come in Christ.  For the Israelites, this will play out in both the near (in the Exodus, Conquest, & Monarchy) and distant future (the Messianic Kingdom).   

We as Christians are also called to hope in God’s coming salvation (Titus 2:11-14) and to so bless our families and all other peoples of the earth with that hope.  So what does a rich hope in God’s coming salvation look like in the life of God’s people?

I.              TOUR OF THE TEXT: Israel’s Blessing Upon All of His Sons (49:1-27)

 [49:1] Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. [2] “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.

One thing that is important to keep in mind as we make our way through this blessing is that it is both poetic and prophetic.  It is a poem explaining the unique destinies of the tribes of Israel (not just these sons) within the common destiny of the nation of Israel.  These blessing do reflect their past, but they mostly point to their future.  The phrase “in the days to come” means in “the latter, or last days,” meaning that these blessings have eschatological implications.  Again, these will play out in the near and far future. 

a.     The Sons of Leah (49:1-15):

                                              i.     Rueben (49:3-4)

[3] “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. [4] Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!

Reuben here is stripped of his preeminence because of his affair with his father’s wife (Gen. 35:22).  This plays out in Israel’s history in that not one prophet, judge, king or priest comes from the tribes of Reuben.

                                            ii.     Simeon & Levi (49:5-7)

[5] “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. [6] Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. [7] Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

This reference to the anger and violence of Simeon and Levi is about their slaughtering of the men of Shechem in Genesis 34.  Because of their uncontrolled anger and senseless brutality (“they hamstrung oxen”), their blessing becomes more of a curse as well.  This blessing is literally fulfilled in Israel’s history, as Simeon’s portion of the Promised Land is located within Judah’s tribal allotment (Joshua 19:1,9) and the tribe of Levi is not given their own portion of the land but is given 48 cities scattered throughout the other tribes (Joshua 14:1-5).  So with the “blessing” upon these first three sons, we see how sin, sexual sin in Reuben’s case and anger and violence in Simeon and Levi’s case, can robe us of blessings that would be ours. 

                                          iii.     Judah (49:8-12)

[8] “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. [9] Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? [10] The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. [11] Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. [12] His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

In Judah’s blessing, the Davidic dynasty is foreseen, but it also foresees much more.  I think the blessing is primarily Messianic.  Not only is a kingly line spoken of here, but also a lion-like King who will come to whom tribute belongs (Num. 24:7,17-19, 1 Sam. 2:10, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Is. 9:6-7, 11:1-10, Ezk. 21:27, Zech. 6:9-13, Rev. 5:5).  This king will secure the obedience of the nations.  This means, according to Rom. 1:5 and Gal. 3:8, that the way the nations will experience the blessing of Abraham is by being incorporated into this King’s benevolent empire by faith.  Notice also that this King is not safe.  He is poised for attack like a crouched line whom no one would dare rouse.  His garments are soaked in wine (stained with the “blood of grapes”), a picture of both blessing and judgment. This King, Jesus Christ, will simultaneously bring salvation (blessing) to all peoples who place faith in Him, will fix this broken world and bring judgment to all those who reject Him (Is. 63:1-6, Rev. 14:14-20). 

                                           iv.     Zebulun (49:13)

[13] “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.

                                             v.     Issachar (49:14-15)

[14] “Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. [15] He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.

b.    The Sons of Zilpah & Bilhah (49:16-21):

                                              i.     Dan (49:16-17)

[16] “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. [17] Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward.

Dan’s “blessing” has both positive and negative connotations.  Samson, one of Israel’s most famous judges, came from the tribe of Dan.  The imagery of a serpent brings Genesis 3:1 to mind and we do see this tribe leading Israel into idolatry in Judges 18. 

INTERLUDE: [18] I wait for YOUR SALVATION, O LORD. (Genesis 49:18)

This verse is an interlude in this poem where Jacob prays to God, seemingly in response to all that God is revealing to him at the time.  He says, “I will wait for your salvation, O Lord!”  Perhaps as He speaks this prophetic blessing, it becomes clear to Him that ultimate salvation won’t come at the hands of these tribes to come.  Without divine intervention, none of Jacob’s descendants will survive.  Their people will fail.  Their priests will fail.  Their judges will fail.  Their kings will fail. Their prophets will fail.  Their only hope will be the coming salvation of God Himself in His Messiah and that is where Jacob declares His hope to be.  Jesus is the hope of Genesis!

                                            ii.     Gad (49:19)

[19] “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.

                                          iii.     Asher (49:20)

[20] “Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.

                                           iv.     Naphtali (49:21)

[21] “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.

c.     The Sons of Rachel (49:22-27):

                                              i.     Joseph (49:22-26)

[22] “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. [23] The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, [24] yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), [25] by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. [26] The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

Joseph, like Judah, is given a lengthy blessing.  He is called a fruitful vine and a soldier who suffers greatly, yet cannot be overcome.  The reason that he is fruitful and cannot be overcome is due to the help of God, “the Mighty One of Jacob…the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel…the God of your father who will help you…the Almighty who will bless you.”  True to God’s Word, it is the tribes of Judah and Joseph who play most prominently in Israel’s history.  It is Caleb and Joshua (from the tribes of Judah and Ephraim) who stand faithful to God when the spies return from the Promised Land and give their report.  In the divided monarchy, Judah becomes a title for the southern kingdom and Ephraim a title for the northern kingdom, with the first king of the northern kingdom being an Ephraimite (Jeroboam). 

It is also noteworthy that while Judah directly points to Jesus Christ, Joseph does (and has done so) indirectly.  His blessing reminds us of a Greater Joseph who suffered greatly and yet could not be overcome, not even by death.  He is the True Vine.  He is the Mighty One of Jacob, the Good Shepherd, and the Stone of God’s People who was Joseph’s help. 

                                            ii.     Benjamin (49:27)

[27] “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”

II.            THOUGHTS FROM THE TEXT:

a.     People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation Have a Deep Trust in the Sovereignty of God:

Jacob twice blesses a younger son instead of the oldest son in Gen. 48, and here again we see Jacob blessing according to God’s sovereign choice.  It is interesting that although Joseph is granted the rights of firstborn and a significant blessing, Judah is the one through whom the man of promise is prophesied to come.  While Joseph may be Jacob’s choice, Jacob recognizes God’s sovereign choice to bless whom He will and choose whom He will.  Psalm 78:67-72 reads, [67] He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, [68] but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. [69] He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. [70] He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; [71] from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. [72] With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.

Many people stumble over this sovereign prerogative of God’s, what about you?  How deep is your trust in the sovereign plan and choice of God? 

b.    People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation are Ultimately Hoping in God Himself:

Jacob’s hope in this coming salvation of God is ultimately a hope in the God of that coming salvation.  When we display confidence in God’s promises, it is because we ultimately are persuaded about something in the character of God: He is always faithful to keep His promises.  When we display a deep trust in God’s sovereign plan, it is because we again are ultimately persuaded about something in the character of God: He is always faithful to do what is ultimately best for His people and most glorifying to Himself.  When we walk with the Lord closely, it is because we are persuaded concerning the worth of God: that He is more valuable, satisfying, etc. than anyone or anything in the world.  This is what is means to hope in God’s coming salvation: to hope in God the Savior Himself and the salvation that He has won in His death and resurrection and that He will bring to completion in the future.  May we bless our children, our grandchildren, and all other peoples of the world with the hope of this great salvation found in Jesus Christ and may we hold it up as our deepest hope in life.  

Providence's Ultimate Blessing: God's Coming Salvation (Part One): Genesis 48:1-49:27

In Genesis 48:1-49:27, Jacob blesses his sons on the eve of his death (see outline).  Israel’s blessing of his sons is described as a great act of faith and worship in Hebrews 11:21.  I believe that it is described as such because in these two chapters, Jacob’s blessings are in anticipation of God’s great salvation to come.  For the Israelites, this will play out in both the near (in the Exodus, Conquest, & Monarchy) and distant future (the Messianic Kingdom).   

The reason that distinction is important is because we as Christians are also called to hope in God’s coming salvation and to so bless our families and all other peoples of the earth with that hope.  So what does a rich hope in God’s coming salvation look like in the life of God’s people?

I.              TOUR OF THE TEXT:

a.     ISRAEL ADOPTS THE SONS OF JOSEPH (48:1-12)

[48:1] After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. [2] And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. [3] And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, [4] and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ [5] And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

In this chapter, Jacob first adopts Joseph’s Sons (48:1-12) and then blesses Joseph and his sons (48:13-22).  This adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh solidifies their identity with the family of Israel rather than with the nation of Egypt and also solidifies Joseph as the one who will receive the double portion of the “firstborn.”

[6] And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. [7] As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

[8] When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, “Who are these?” [9] Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” [10] Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. [11] And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” [12] Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. (Genesis 48:1-12 ESV)

b.    ISRAEL’S BLESSES JOSEPH AND HIS SONS (48:13-22)

[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 him. [14] And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). [15] And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, [16] the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

[17] When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. [18] And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” [19] But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” [20] So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. [21] Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. [22] Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” (Genesis 48:13-22 ESV)

In Jacob’s blessing upon Joseph and his sons, we see God’s unconventional, sovereign choice of the younger sibling over the older sibling.  This has happened throughout Genesis and it teaches us that God is sovereign and often unconventional in whom He chooses for His purposes.  And He gets to be because He is God!  This blessing is also prophetic: the Northern Kingdom will often be called simply “Ephraim” at times during the divided monarchy.

A final thing that I would like to point out to you before we move into some application is what frames this adoption and blessing.  It begins and ends with Jacob’s affirmation of the Abrahamic covenant (48:3-4,21).  Jacob is persuaded of God’s faithfulness to keep these promises.

Now here is one reason that I think these two chapters are ultimately rooted in God’s coming salvation: because God’s coming salvation is the ultimate outcome of the Abrahamic covenant.  When I say “God’s coming salvation,” I do not only mean the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, I also mean the coming of the Messiah, who will be the ultimate salvation for God’s people.  God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not only have to do with the Israelites becoming a nation and occupying some land, it also had to do with a coming offspring (12:7), the same offspring that is promised in Genesis 3:15.  This coming offspring would mediate God’s salvation to all the peoples of the earth (compare Gen.12:1-3 with Gal. 3:8), not just the Israelites.  He would also lift the curse inflicted upon creation in Genesis 3.  So God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was ultimately about the Messiah who would come and bring His everlasting kingdom.  The Patriarchs were all looking forward to more than a simple return to the Promised Land; they were looking to an even better country: God’s eternal kingdom come to earth (Hebrews 11:8-16).

II.            THOUGHTS FROM THE TEXT:

a.     People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation Have a Deep Confidence in the Promises of God

Jacob has a deep confidence in these promises that God has made to him and his ancestors.  It is his faith in those promises that drives these blessings he is giving to his family.  Here is the question for us today: Do you have such a deep confidence in the promises that God has given to us in His Word?  As the people of God, we are to be a people who possess a rock solid confidence in God’s promises to us concerning both our present and our future.  How do we cultivate such a robust confidence in God’s promises?  First, we must become acquainted with those promises.  Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  As we become acquainted with the promises of God, those very promises begin to build our faith and cause us to then be persuaded by them. 

b.    People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation Have a Deep Walk with God Himself

Notice how “God” flavors so much of the conversation between Jacob and Joseph in Gen. 48: God Almighty appeared to me and blessed me (3), God gave me these sons (9), God has let me see your offspring (11), God…bless these boys, the God who my father and grandfather walked with, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life long, the God who is the Angel that has redeemed me (15-16), God will be with you and bring you back to the land again (21).  This is the kind of talk that flows out of the heart in which God is seen as supreme treasure, center, and source of all.  Let’s consider some of these statements about God that we see here as questions to evaluate our own relationship with God. 

First, Is the God of the Bible the God that you can honestly say that you walk with?  I wonder, would my children say what Jacob said of his father and grandfather: that they walked with God?  Second, Do you know the God of the Bible as the Good Shepherd that He is?  The imagery of a shepherd is that of a close, intimate relationship with God.  Jesus would describe this relationship in John 10, calling Himself the “Good Shepherd” and saying that He knows His sheep and that His sheep know Him, hear His voice, and follow Him.  Is that a description of the relationship that you have with God today?  Third, Do you know God as Redeemer?  Have you experienced His rescue?  Finally, is God your greatest hope in this life?  Have you staked your life upon His coming salvation?  If I could summarize these four questions, I would say this passage is calling us to know God as our dearest Friend, our Good Shepherd, our Glorious Redeemer, and our Greatest Hope.  This is eternal life: knowing God through Christ Jesus His Son.