Wooo!Hooo! started a new Tuesday Bible study – Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore, about the Fruit of the Spirit, and it already looks very good. I want to Live Beyond my natural self, through the help of the Holy Spirit – I am praying that He helps me to get outside the box, for sometimes I get very set in my ways.

Well, I am excited, we now move 400 years in the future, to the time of Moses and the Exodus. Most are familiar with Moses’ history, but there are again so many comparisons between Moses and Jesus -  what a beautiful Hidden Treasure we have when we look for Jesus all around us and in the Old Testament. Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. And Moses, too, will make some incredible prophesies that point to Jesus. He will follow God’s directions to make the tabernacle, each element of which points to guess who? Jesus!. And then there are the feasts that point to Jesus.

Frankly I find Exodus to be a great hope. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before (The Old Testament was what Paul was referring to) were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

When I look back on my life I see a bit of Exodus. Most of you know through my testimony that I turned my back on God, when I was 8, and I spent 40 years doing anything that I perceived as not of God – so I spent 40 years in the wilderness. It was only when I came to Christ that I found the Promised Land, peace, comfort, joy, and a love for God. Only with Christ did I find myself. Exodus is a book about redemption – first the Israelites need redemption, then God provides them with a redeemer, and then he gives them provision to come back into fellowship with Him when they inevitably mess up (the tabernacle). Exodus really took place and today researches are finding proof of the Exodus. But God does not waste words, besides what happened in the natural, there is presented symbolically in Exodus models the world, Israel is like the believer, Egypt is like the world, Pharaoh is like satan/antichrist, Moses is like Jesus – God’s appointed deliverer.

What began as a small tribe in Egypt of 70 or so members, has now grown to over a millions. From the small family of Jacob the nation of Israel has been born, and remained intact due to Joseph’s foresight. Joseph asked that his bones be returned to his homeland, and Exodus will provide the way for that desire to occur. 

Exodus is a freedom from bondage, and we will see just how the Israelites still look back to what they formerly were, remembering in error the pleasures of their sojourn in Egypt. Just like us, when we get freed from an area of bondage, we still have to keep filling ourselves with God’s Truth so that there is no room for bondage to regain a foothold. The Israelites will walk out their freedom for forty long years, ultimately only two of the original Israelites will enter the Promised land (Joshua and Caleb), and the rest will die in the wilderness.

I pray that I never stay lost in the wilderness, but instead trust and obey God, believe God and obey God, so that I do not lose the liberty that Jesus died to provide for me.

Tomorrow I will either post Wednesday’s Bible study or Chapter 1 of Exodus.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

Jacob is going to die, and asks to be buried with his fathers in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, where Abraham, Sarah and Leah are buried. Remember how Rachel was supposedly his favorite, yet he chose to be buried where Leah is buried.

Genesis 49:33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

It is interesting that Jacob was active until the last. So many of the patriarchs were active until they breathed their last. I hope that God allows me to be active until the very end too.

Genesis 50 (deaths)

Joseph weeps over his father, and then has his servants, the physicians. to embalm his father. It took forty days to do this, and the Egyptians mourned with Joseph for seventy days. Pharaoh gives permission for Joseph to leave the country to bury his father.

There was a funeral procession. Genesis 50: 7-11 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering. Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. And when all the inhabitants of the land, the Canannites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, the said, “This is a deep mourning for the Egyptians. Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Abel Mizraim means the mourning of Egypt. I find it interesting that the mourning takes place on the threshing floor. A threshing floor is where the wheat is separated from the chaff – and it is done by beating the wheat until the berries fall. The berries are heavier than the chaff. Sometimes when we are in mourning for those we love, it feels like we are being threshed. When there is the death of something that is old in us, there is a feeling of the pain of the separation at times. I find it incredible that the Egyptians took the time to do such a mourning for one who was not an Egyptian – that shows us how much regard they had for what Joseph had done to preserve the land. Yet, we will see, that over time, the memory of the Egyptians will fade, and when we next meet the Israelites, 400 years later, they will be considered a threat to the Egyptians and made into slaves.

Joseph returns to Egypt after burying their father, and to show you how deep the brothers feared Joseph because of what they had done to him, they feared that now that their father was dead, Joseph would change his behavior toward them. It is a good reminder that our sins can affect our future behavior with others.

Genesis 50: 15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”

I grew up with a skewed picture of God, thinking that God kept a book of my sins, and he would look at them and keep reminding Himself of my failures. That was a period of unbelief on my part, unbelief that God could really forgive my sins, separate them from me as far as the east is from the west. I didn’t understand the immense love that God had for me, for us, that He dealt with our sins as completely as He had.  Just like Joseph’s brothers, I didn’t understand the character and nature of God (or Joseph as a picture of God). They assumed that Joseph had the same mind set as they had, and if they were in Joseph’s sandals, they would have taken vengeance.

So, what do they do, they invent (and I am certain it was invention) something that their father “said” on his death bed. Verse 16-17 So they sent messengers to Joseph saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, “Thus you shall say to Joseph, ‘I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin: for they did evil to you’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

Reminds me of when Jesus wept over Jerusalem, because of their unbelief. Joseph had already told them that God had orchestrated what happened to preserve his family, but his brothers still were bound by the shackles of their guilt, not fully accepting the forgiveness extended to them.

I love these verses, when Joseph responds to his brothers, verse 19-21 Joseph said to them,”Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me: but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Here is a good example of the healing power of forgiveness. Joseph had choices to make when his brothers did what they did to him. He could have held a grudge, tried to get them back in kind, nursed the hatred for what they did, and he would have still been bound in a prison of unforgiveness. But he is free of the past, so free that he could see the Hand of God in the midst of the trouble he experienced. So free that he could extend love to his brothers. He is not shackled by his past.

I used to nurse grudges against my parents for what they did, hated them, and even though they had both been dead many years, I was still linked to them. True freedom happened when I was able to forgive them. I assure you, as you have seen by the study of the prophesies of the brothers, that they end up reaping what they have sown, unless they learned a lesson from their past. They will answer to God, but Joseph is so right, HE is NOT GOD. Neither are we. We have to trust that God will judge accurately.

Then we have, sad to say, the death of Joseph at a ripe old age of 110 years. He was able to see his children’s children’s children – the third generation of offspring. And he pronounces this blessing verse 24 “I am dying: But God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

This is a promise that will take 400 years to come to completion, but how they must have held onto it year after year in the midst of their slavery.

Joseph makes them promise, verse 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

Very similar to our remembering of Jesus through the breaking of bread, Joseph’s descendants would remember God’s promise through Joseph’s bones, and the promise that they had made to take the bones out of Egypt. And this will happen. Exodus 13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.

So Joseph died at 110 years old, was embalmed and buried in Egypt, but only temporarily.

Beth Moore, in her video connected to the Patriarchs  did a word study that surprised me. She said, pp 239 The Hebrew word for “coffin” in Genesis 50:26 is the same world translated “Ark” in the Exodus, “Ark of the Covenant.” Though a detour seemed to await Joseph, its ultimate outcome was to allow him indeed to see that all was well with his brothers.

Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

May we, like the Patriarchs die in faith, as pilgrims on the earth – not looking back to our past, but looking forward to our glorious homeland, a heavenly country. I know that God is proud of us as we tread our steps through the wilderness towards His promised land. Let’s keep pressing forward.

Have a blessed day.

Heather

We have covered Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun and Issachar yesterday. Today we will begin with Dan.

DAN: Remember that in Chapter 46, all the sons had their siblings listed, except Dan, who just had a general name for his offspring given “Hushim”, but the individual children aren’t listed.

It is if the Holy Spirit knew that Dan would bring grief to the Nation Israel and did not focus much on him.  Here is what Jacob says about Dan Genesis 49: 15-17  Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backward.

A viper is a snake, a serpent, and we know of one who will bite the heel of our savior, but our savior will crush his head.

To give you an idea of how much God did not respect the tribe of Dan, all you have to do is go over to Revelation 7 and look at the list of the tribes included in the sealing of the 144,000. There is NO MENTION of Dan, but Levi is included. Many of the Rabbis of old thought that from the tribe of Dan that the antichrist would come.

Deuteronomy 33:22 And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; he shall leap from Bashan.”
It is as if Moses was saying he was a wimp, a cub. It would be through the tribe of Dan that the worst of paganism and idols came.

Genesis 37:2 Dan was one of the sons of Bilhah, and Joseph came back from the flock and gave a bad report about them to Jacob. From the tribe of Dan came Samson, one of the judges, who flirted with obedience to God, but ultimately turned around and obeyed God.

Dan’s tribe occupied the area west of Benjamin, Ephriam on the north and Judah and the Philistines on the south. Right after they settled in the area the Amorites and Philistines tried to drive them out. We see the kind of trouble they had when we read Samson. (Judges 13-16). The tribe ultimately migrated to an area further north to a city called “Laish” (Judges 18:14-27) and renamed the city Dan.

The next verse is exciting, kind of like a pause, a breath of fresh air before the rest of the blessings are pronounced. I suspect it came after the mention of Judah, and contemplating the destruction of the antichrist (for Dan is not seen in Revelation), that Jacob gives a one line of praise.

Verse 18: “I have waited for your salvation, O LORD! Here we see a bit of the heart of Jacob. And how easily we can say the same thing as we wait for the end of our tribulation, of our challenges here on earth. I think it is awesome that God gave the people in the Old Testament glimpses of Jesus to come, and His salvation. And to think that this happened thousands of years before Jesus was born or walked on the earth.

GAD Genesis 49:19 Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last.”

Deuteronomy 33:20-21 And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; he dwells as a lion, and tears the arm and the crown of his head. he provided the first part for himself, because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. he came with the heads of the people; he administered the justice of the LORD, and His judgments with Israel.

Gad was one of the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid. His name means fortune. His territory was east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea and part of Gilead. Not much is known about his tribe, but we can infer from Jacob’s prophesy that there were a lot of attacks on his territory. They became great warriors 1 Chronicles 12:8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

Reuben, Gad, and 1/2 Manasseh chose to not settle in the Promised Land but stay on the other bank of the River Jordan. Because of this decision, Gad was one of the first tribes to go into captivity.

I wonder if we got the phrase “Gad about” because of the wanderings of this tribe.

ASHER Genesis 49:20 Bread from Asher shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties.

Deuteronomy 33:24-25  And of Asher he said: Asher is most blessed of sons; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze: as your days, so shall your strength be.

He settled in Northern Palestine, Tyre and Sidon. Joshua 29:24-31 The tribe of Asher grew from 41,500 (Numbers 1:41) to 53,400 (Numbers 26:46). The Judge Deborah called the tribes to action, but Asher did not come. He was working for the Canaanites in the ports. Deborah did not speak highly of him. (Judges 5:17). Asher produced no judge or have a tribal leader listed in Chronicles. He did give troops to Gideon and David, and some people from his tribe came to Jerusalem to keep Hezekiah’s Passover (2 Chronicles 30:11) The most well known from Asher’s tribe was Anna who spoke over Jesus.

NAPTHALI Genesis 49:21 Napthali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words. A hind let loose might be a reference to the energy that Napthali brought to battle.

Deuteronomy 33:23 And of Napthali he said: “O Napthali, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the west and the south.

Deborah in Judges 4 & 5 praises Napthali for their fighting.

Jesus began His Galilean ministry dwelling in Capernaum by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Napthali as was prophesied by Isaiah.

JOSEPH Genesis 49:22-26 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; his branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot a him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel). By the God of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. he blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

Deuteronomy 33:13-17 Blessed of the LORD is his land, with the precious things of heaven, with the dew, with the deep lying beneath, with the precious fruits of the sun, with the precious produce of the months, with the best things of the ancient mountains, with the precious things of the everlasting hills, with the precious things of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers. His glory is like a firstborn bull, and his horns like the horns of the wild ox: together with them he shall push the peoples to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephriam and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Notice in the last passage – 10,000′s Ephriam, 1,000′s Manasseh – might be something to look out for in future passages.

We have discussed Joseph at length, and even here we can see symbols that relate to Jesus. We know that Joseph was a picture of what Jesus would be like when He came to earth. Jesus said that he was the vine and we were the branches. That Joseph received a double portion because of Ephriam and Manasseh.

BENJAMIN Genesis 49: 27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Deuteronomy 33:12 Of Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long; and he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

Hey, I want to be like Benjamin, dwelling in safety between His shoulders, beloved of the LORD.

Men of war will come from his tribe – Ehud, King Saul, Saul of Tarsus are all from the tribe of Benjamin. Many of his tribe were archers and slingers (of stones).

Benjamin occupied the smallest territory of all the tribes. Jerusalem was near the border of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. They almost disappeared from history in Judges 19-21 when they mistreated a Levite and his concubine. But later in the New Testament, Paul will tell people he was from the tribe of Benjamin.

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I was listening to a teaching by Chuck Missler and he gave this list that blew my socks off. It reminds me of the list that Pastor Don taught us about the genealogy from Adam to Noah spelling out the Salvation Message. Now read this one which seems to cover a bit of history of Israel, the Messiah, and then on towards Revelation! By the way, Chuck Missler pointed out that there are many different orders that the tribes of Israel are listed in, and it might be interesting to look at the different orders to see what stories they might tell through the meanings of the names of the different sons of Jacob (which is what this list uses).

REUBEN – Excellency and Dignity – then brought low by sin
SIMEON & LEVI – Cross, curse, priesthood
JUDAH – Kingship
ZEBULUN – Refuge or Haven of Rest
ISSACHAR – Service
DAN – Judge
GAD – Resurrection
ASHER – Bread of Life
NAPTHALI – The Prophet, Godly words
JOSEPH (EPHRIAM & MANASSAH)- Millennial Reign
BENJAMIN – Terrible Warrior

It is an interesting sequence because it points to Jesus and the end times as well. Don’t forget that Jesus will come to judge and separate the wheat from the chaff.

You can also see, as Jon Courson points out the History of Israel in the names.

REUBEN – Early days of the tribe, they were a disappointing people to God, idol worship, spiritual fornication, the golden calf.
SIMEON & LEVI – Dispersion of the people scattered, Assyrians 722 BC, Babylonians 586 BC
JUDAH – Gathering and beginning – they were a delivered people. Jesus came, but they rejected Him at this time.
ZEBULUN – Exiled, they were dispersed and scattered.
ISSACHAR – Exploited people. They prospered wherever they went, and still refused to recognize Jesus.
DAN – Future: Poisoned people, for from Dan will come the antichrist. Now that Israel has returned to the land, this is a sign of the beginning of the end times, and at some point the antichrist will come.
GAD – Persecuted people – the antichrist will turn on people who do not worship him, Armageddon,
ASHER – 144,000 will be protected, prophets will be raised up to help the Israelites come to christ. Food will be provided and they will be tucked away and protected>
NAPTHALI – Preaching people – the 144,000 will spread the gospel.
JOSEPH – Picture of Jesus and his second coming
BENJAMIN – the Victorious Remnant.

For those who think Israel’s time is over, I recommend reading Romans 9, 10, and 11. That may make you think about that conclusion.

I think it is cool to see history and Jesus in things that seem so ordinary. I used to skip over long lists of names, but I suspect there is much more hidden in them if we would take the time to look.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

Do you ever come to the last few pages of a book and feel sorry that it is going to end? I sort of have this feeling with Genesis (even though I know Exodus is also an incredible book).

Jacob is on his death bed and has gathered his sons around him. He is going to prophesy over each son. I think we are going to linger a bit over the various words spoken and I want to share some of the teachings I have had on this chapter. Besides research, I also learned things from Pastor Don, Beth Moore, Jon Courson and Chuck Missler teachings, and my dictionaries, etc.

Beth Moore points out in her study, The Patriarchs that the prophesies spoken over the sons were near prophesies and for the distant future. She had asked us in the study to look at the blessings given and pointed out that some blessings were “anti-blessings” not seemingly good things. and on page 233 she says, “Toward the beginning of the lesson I promised we’d consider how “anti-blessings” like those given to Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, could be labeled “blessings.” Since Waltke introduced the term to us, we’ll let him explain: ‘In terms of the nation’s destiny these anti-blessings are a blessing. By demoting Reuben for his turbulence and uncontrolled sex drive, Jacob saves Israel from reckless leadership. Likewise, by cursing the cruelty of Simeon and Levi, he restricts their cruel rashness from dominating.” We might call these blessings of restriction.”

p. 233 “In the Old Testament, God could also sanctify a line and change its course. The tribe of Levi was ultimately set apart as priests or assistants to the priests in the worship system God ordained after the Exodus.”

p. 234 “The fourth and final element is the long-term effect of the sons’ actions and their subsequent blessings. Each tribe was somehow marked by its ancestor. An undeniable theme in Genesis is the long-term effects of actions, both positive and negative.

By now you know about God switching between the names of Jacob and Israel, listen to how he addresses the assembled sons, verse 2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father.”

REUBEN verse 3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. (Can you imagine how puffed up Reuben must be at this point, he is the first-born and was probably anticipating the double portion. Can you imagine his shock at the following comments of his father) verse 4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it–He went up to my couch. (I imagine his ego deflated faster than a popped balloon).

After Rachel died, Reuben went into his father’s concubines and defiled Bilhah. I wonder if he thought that he had fooled his father, but here is proof that our sins will find us out. Because of that foolish action on his part, he lost his father’s respect, the double portion, and he will not excel (in numbers of offspring).  1 Chronicles 5:1-2 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel–he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s–the sons of  Reuben are then listed.

It does seem to be rather mixed up, Reuben does not inherit the double portion, Joseph does, but the genealogy of the kings of Israel come from the line of Judah. By giving way to his carnal nature and pride, Reuben lost his birthright. He truly did not excel, in all of his sons there would emerge no judges, no kings, and no prophets.

Numbers 32 talks about how Reuben, Gad and 1/2 of Manassah refused to cross the Jordan. Instead they chose to stay where they were to tend to their cattle. They were told that they had to help the other tribes conquer the promised land, but they could stay on the other side of the Jordan. In Joshua 13, Reuben was given the land of Aroer, and their border was the bank of the Jordan. Reuben had the southernmost portion of the land, which meant that whenever the enemies came up to attack Israel, his land was the first attacked. Ironically, he had chosen this place to protect his family from harm.

Moses also prophesied over the 12 tribes and in Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben live and not die, nor let his men be few.

There were two census counts taken: Numbers 1:21 gives the number of Reuben’s tribe to be
46,500. Several years later there was another count Numbers 26:7 and we see that Reuben’s tribe numbers had decreased to 43,730. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses divided the tribes to pronounce blessings and curses. Reuben was on Mt. Ebal pronouncing the curses along with Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Napthali.

SIMEON and LEVI verses 5-7 Simeon and Levi are brothers, instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; 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 fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

So far the tribes are listed in the natural order of birth. Simeon and Levi were the ones who concocted that plot when Dinah was raped, where they had Shechem males circumcise themselves and while they were hurting killed them. These two were known for cruelty.

Did you know that Genesis was written by Moses, and Moses was from the tribe of Levi, so he is writing derogatory passages about his own tribe?

Many of the Rabbis of old think that Simeon was the ringleader for what happened to Joseph. Simeon was the one that Joseph kept bound in Egypt awaiting the return of his brothers with Benjamin. He was the second son of Jacob by Leah.

Little is heard about Simeon after King Asa, but there is a door in the end times’ temple with Simeon’s name on it. When the lots were cast to divide the land, Simeon got a portion of the land allocated to Judah.

LEVI, ends up with 48 cities, not territories. They are a priesthood. In Exodus 32:27-28 Moses asks for assistance to get rid of idolatry, and Levi volunteers, slaughtering 3,000 rebellious Hebrew males. It is this that changed their lot in life, for they became the priesthood. They turned God’s wrath away from the people and won an everlasting priesthood. Levi shows God’s grace in action.Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah.

God will tell them “I am your inheritance.” They depended on God for their sustenance. Parts of the offerings brought to the temple were theirs, and they were responsible for moving the temple and presenting the peoples’ sacrifices to God.

JUDAH was the most important tribe, from Judah will emerge David, Solomon, and Jesus.
The name “Judah” means praise and we will see a bit of a word play in Jacob’s prophesy over Judah (Judah means praise and Jacob tells Judah his brothers will praise him). He was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. In the journey from Egypt to Canaan, Judah had the lead position (Numbers 2:9). Achan of the tribe of Judah stole some forbidden items from Jericho and caused a defeat in Ai until the theft was discovered. The territories of Benjamin and Dan were the northern boundaries of Judah’s territory. Ultimately after Jerusalem was captured by David, the tribes of Judah and the other tribes had a sort of unity, and Judah was one of the last tribes to fall under the hands of the enemy.

Genesis 49:8-12 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 is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

This was a strange mystery for Judah was not the first born, and the right to the firstborn went to Joseph, so why would all of his father’s children bow down to Judah. They won’t understand it until King David and we all know that Shiloh is Jesus. 1 Chronicles 5:2 yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s. Daniel 9 predicts the coming of the Messiah. Michal 5:2 talks about how the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.

Moses in Deuteronomy 33:7 says this about Judah, And this he said of Judah, “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, and may You be a help against his enemies.

There was a prediction that the scepter would not depart from Judah until the Messiah came. According to Josephus the priests and Levites were tearing their clothes and mourning 12 A.D. because the Romans took away the right of capital punishment from the Israelites – in their eyes that meant that the scepter had departed from them. What they did not know is that at that time in a temple a certain 12 year old boy was debating with the Priests and Scribes with great knowledge, while his parents searched for him. That boy was Jesus, and the scepter had departed because the Messiah had come. John 18:31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”

We know that the choice vine is Jesus, and that Jesus on Palm Sunday came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (remember this prophesy was several thousand years before Jesus was born).

Isaiah 63 and Revelation 14 talks about reaping the vines of the earth, and Revelation 19 when Jesus came on the white horse, verse 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God.

Jesus tells us in John 15, that He is the vine and we are the branches, we are to abide IN Him.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

ZEBULUN Zebulun, along with Reuben was on Mount Ebal with the men pronouncing the curses if the Israelites disobeyed God. Zebulun was the 10th son born to Jacob – so I don’t know why he is placed here, out of order. Only think I can think of is that Jesus was raised in Napthali and Zebulun for a period of time.

Genesis 48:13 Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall adjoin Sidon.

Deuteronomy 33:18 And of Zebulun he (Moses) said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out.”

When the tribes were settling in the promised land, Zebulun went beyond the call of duty to provide support, and in the song of Deborah (Judges 5, 14, 18) Zebulun is mentioned twice.

There were no clear boundaries between Issachar and Zebulun.  Issachar was in tents.  Judges 5:18 Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield. Zebulun was very loyal to David and was commercially effective. Matthew 4:13-15 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.” 11 out of 12 of Jesus’ disciples were Galileans. It was a place where Jesus sought refuge at times.

ISSACHAR

Genesis 49:14-15 Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens; he saw that rest was good, and that the land was pleasant; he bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, and became a band of slaves.

Deuteronomy 33:18-19 “…and Issachar in your tents! They shall call the peoples to the mountain: there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; for they shall partake of the abundance of the seas and of treasures hidden in the sand.

Issachar was a bit lazy. He would end up as a servant in forced labor. Issachar’s tribe was large, only Dan and Judah had more. 1 Chronicles 7:5 Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all.

Issachar was the ninth son born to Jacob by Leah. Issachar followed the tribe of Judah on the journey from Mount Sinai to Canaan. The land allocated to Issachar was hard to geographically locate, it was south of the Sea of Galilee and went to the valley of Jezreel.

Not much is known about Issachar

I am going to save the rest until tomorrow, starting with Dan, the one who again will be slighted in the prophesy. And after all brothers are accounted for, I learned something so cool from a teaching by Chuck Missler, that I can’t wait to share with you (but I will she says with a smile).

Hope this blesses you. When I first read the Bible, I had a hard time keeping names straight, so sometimes I like to try and remember who is who, so that I can see more connections. I still shake my head when I think how years ago, before I was saved, I thought those who studied the Bible were peculiar – it had only 1900 or so pages, and how many times could you read the same book? Sigh, thank God wisdom came, thank God for God.

Tomorrow my oldest is going to meet with a representative of a college, just testing the waters. He has to come to some sort of decision about where he wants to go. I am praying God’s guidance because I haven’t a clue.

Heather

 Pastor Ted taught Friday’s Bible Study 9/15/06 it was a continuation of his previous Bible Study. He did a bit of review for those who were not at the last study he taught, then took it to new territory. Our pastors want us to get beyond the milk of the Word into the meat of the Word (or in other words, to really dig out every nugget of information that we can from the Bible and learn how to apply it to ourselves and help others). This involves more than merely reading the words written. We want to find the deeper truths, the treasures buried in the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 2:11-14 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (Heather’s note: notice the “s” in spirit of the world is not capitalized – it is the carnal spirit, but the next time we see Spirit, it has a Capital “S”. Most times that is a clue about whether the Holy Spirit “S” is being spoken of or the “s” spirit of man. Sometimes the translators do not follow through on this, so you still have to read with discernment, but more often than not this is the case).

Pastor Ted pointed out that we have to compare the Spiritual things with the Spiritual things. Although God created the natural world and the things of the natural world show us parts of the Spiritual things, you cannot directly compare the natural to gain an understanding of the Spiritual.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.

As is the case with all of the Bible, the Bible shows what has happened, is happening and will happen in the natural. Revelation is a picture of what will happen in the End Times, there really will be earthquakes, and tribulation. Jesus Christ will come again, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. But at the same time as Revelation is showing us this, it is also revealing (Revelation) more about Jesus Christ to us, and it is also showing us what happens within us. There is tribulation occurring now within us as we learn to walk the Christian Path. We need to realize that for the Bible to be useful, we need to apply it to ourselves, not just read it like a novel.

Pastor Ted told us that the word “signified” refers to symbols. And in this case they are symbols of spiritual things – which we compare with spiritual things to gain a deeper understanding.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

God is a God of order. He has told us that his invisible attributes can be seen and understood by things that are natural. The natural things provide a point of reference, to help us understand the invisible, Spirit to Spirit. We experience things on earth like marriage, evil, adultery, good, mansions, bread, gardening. By using these tangible things that we have seen, we can infer principles in the Spiritual – the things we cannot see.

Before we were saved we operated in the realm of the natural man/natural mind. Once we were saved and we have our minds renewed, things that were previously hidden to our natural mind begin to be revealed, and we see more of the workings of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Galatians 1:11-12 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

After Paul received Christ in the Damascas Road experience, he went into the wilderness for many years. It was in the wilderness that the Holy Spirit taught Paul what he knew. What Paul was taught was the “revelation” of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:2-3 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

(Heather’s note – Revelation is the only book that comes with a promise of blessing to those who read, hear and keep the words taught in this book. In order to hear, someone must also speak.)

How did John receive this revelation? Revelation 1:9-10 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.

Notice John was in tribulation (he had suffered much to share the Gospel – tradition tells us that he was boiled in oil) and now he was left alone on the Island of Patmos. (Heather’s comment – this was very hard for him because he was the disciple of love and wanted most to share God’s love with others). Notice that John was “in the Spirit” (Capital S) meaning that John was with the Holy Spirit, on the Lord’s Day. Some say this is the same as the Day of The Lord – the end times Day of the Lord, others say it is the sabbath. But, even alone, John was worshipping God, and he hears a voice, as of a trumpet.

Pastor Ted pointed out that Patmos was an island. A rocky island surrounded by water. Now water can symbolize the Spirit, it can symbolize the Word, and at times it also symbolizes the sea – which is humanity, the nations of the world. Each of us is in the sea of the world (so God kind of looks at us when we are there as sort of fish in a fishbowl). Remember in Genesis, how God divided the sea and dry land. It is like that with us, God raises us up out of the sea and puts us on an island, on dry land. When we become saved, we are set apart, sanctified. We are IN the world, but not OF the world.

(Heather’s note, Pastor Ted has a remarkable ability to see interconnections among passages of the Bible, and spiritual meanings behind things that occur in the Bible – he also shares them VERY quickly. I did my best to show the interconnections, but may have left out something).

Thinking of dividing the waters, we have the waters above and the firmament beneath. God separated darkness from light. We are to be the light of the world, shining out into the darkness. The more we see of the spiritual world, the more others will see the light of Jesus shining through us.

Think of the times that the waters were parted – Moses and the Red Sea, Joshua and the Jordan River. The waters parted and the people crossed over on dry land. The ones that crossed over were the Israelites, the Children of God.

Everything in the Bible, everything in Revelation, everything we are experiencing is part of the process that God is using to reveal to us who Jesus is.

Revelation 1:12-13 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded with a golden band.

What are the lampstands? Revelation tells us:

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Here we see some of the symbolism explained by Jesus to John. We will also see that Jesus walks in the midst of the churches. Now take that revelation of Jesus to the Old Testament and think of where we see lampstands. There was a lampstand in the Holy part of the Tabernacle, before the curtain of the Holy of Holies. There along with the incense, showbread, and the lampstand. Everything in the Tabernacle was a picture of Jesus. And we see that Jesus is in the midst of the lampstands (he doesn’t dwell there). Being now at the Right Hand of God, before His second coming, now He is in the midst of the churches observing what the messengers are sharing (prophets, priests, teachers, clergy, evangelists). And we will see in Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation what He feels about the churches.

Moses asked God to see His Glory. God put Moses in a cleft of the rock (Jesus) and Moses saw the hindparts of God’s Glory – he could not look at God’s face and live. For us the hind parts of God’s glory is seen in creation. 

In many churches today, the people are not wanting to hear what the lampstands are saying. They don’t want to hear the messages from God’s Word. They use Jesus’ name, but defile His church with their own doctrine. The true elect of God does not concern themselves with the doctrine of man. But rather focuses on the truth of God.

Pastor Ted pointed out that when God took the Israelites out of Egypt, they did not immediately go to the promised land. They were in the Wilderness where they were tempted, where they were led to develop spiritual muscles. As they found out when they sent spies into the promised land, there were giants there, and God wanted them to build their muscles and grow strong enough to face the giants.

When we get saved, we still have our wilderness experiences, where God causes us to grow and develop our spiritual muscles. Even Jesus, after He was baptized was brought to the wilderness to be tempted by satan (Matthew 4).

Revelation 1:19 (Heather’s note, the outline of the whole book of Revelation – Chapter 1 things seen, Chapter 2-3 things which are, Chapters 4-end things which will take place after this.) Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

Pastor Ted told us that in Noah’s day they were marrying, eating, sleeping doing normal things – and then the end (flood). In Noah’s day there are the things Noah saw, the things which were going on around him, and the things that would take place after this (flood).

The Beast (see last study of Pastor Ted’s) was, is and will take place. We have to also look within us, where we have a was, is and will take place within us. The Revealing of Jesus Christ is a process.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We grow from Glory to Glory. We were born in darkness and before we got saved we gave to others a lot of confusion. We have had the serpent tempt us. We have experienced the beast, there was flesh in us. If we think that we do not have all those things in us, we are fooling ourselves. We have come from our Egypt’s (the world) and spent time in the wilderness, and God refines us to be more like Him as we walk in obedience to Him.

Remember when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they had left Egypt, and were glad. Then they got hungry – there was no food so they became contentious, complaining to Moses. Moses couldn’t feed the more than a million Israelites, and they started complaining (falsely remembering the joys of Egypt). Moses was a man, he could not give the Israelites what God could give them. God gave them bread from heaven (manna) which nourished them.

We have to die to the flesh (Egypt), die to our self. As we do this God sets us apart from the sea of humanity, but then later He will put us back in to be a light and a beacon to the world.

The mysteries in the Bible are hidden. It doesn’t make sense to put a treasure out in plain sight where anyone can grab it. We have to dig it up, be obedient to Christ.

Many on the earth use Jesus’ name but Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.” Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

It isn’t enough to just attend church, to do miracles and signs and wonders, to read the Bible. It is about relationship, about KNOWING Jesus, about obedience to God, doing what God wants when He wants us to do it. The messengers going into churches that are not teaching the truth, and pointing out the lies being taught are not well received. Many churches are choosing to keep their own doctrines, even though they do not line up with the Word of God.

Revelation 2:14-16 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Jesus will not tolerate false doctrine. When the end times comes He will destroy the false doctrine with the sword, which is His Word. When it comes to churches we have to discern the fruit of the spirit. Every person who is in the ministry is not of God. You have to have ears to hear and eyes to see if the person is teaching according the the truth of God. Man appoints man to ministry, but unless God appoints the minister, you are getting the teachings of man.

Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

Someone asked what the stone was. Jesus is the Rock, Jesus is the Word, so the stone is the pure word, and there is a new name on the stone – we are new creations in Christ.

Pastor Ted then decided to share some more symbolism with us. (Hopefully he will share more, he has a packet of words that are symbols, and Bible references that help to explain them, and periodically He graces us with a few).

We spent some more time on FOREHEAD. For in the Bible many were marked on their hands and forehead.

Jeremiah 3:1-3 They say, “If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and become another man’s. May he return to her again? Would not the land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers: You return to Me,” says the LORD. Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them like an Arabian in the wilderness: and you have polluted the land with your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; you refuse to be ashamed.

Even though it is not expressly stated, the above refers to Babylon (to Jerusalem polluted by the harlotry of idolatry). The forehead is the thinking, the mind. The hand is the work that we put our hands to. When we fill our mind with the lies of idolatry, then we have the mark of the beast on our foreheads. (Remember the 144,000 – that God marks, well satan is the imitator of God, so he too will give a mark). The end result though is very different. A harlot would wear the signs of the prosperity of her trade outwardly – on her forehead might be jewels and signs of wealth given for her services. God is waiting for them to return to Him, so he can pour out his blessings again.

Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath, man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Pastor Don then talked about Cain and Abel and the mark that was put on Cain’s forehead. Abel had the more perfect sacrifice – in accord with God’s teaching – the blood of the lamb (which represents Jesus), Cain produced his offering of the field – the work of his hands – an offering that he chose to present to God, but it wasn’t the offering God was seeking.

After Cain killed Abel, God banished him – and Cain was afraid that people would kill him, so God put a mark on him to protect Cain’s life, but he lived a life of exile

One person mentioned that if you break down the name Abel to its parts AB (father) EL (God) you see the head shepherd holding sacrifice. Cain, in the spiritual, resembles the antichrist.  and when Cain is banished, he goes to Nod (which means wander).

satan is a spirit, our adversary, our accuser. As we listen to the Word of God, we are able to discern spiritual things, and then we can ask ourselves if something is of God, or an imitation of God. Satan will accuse us of not knowing the truth, or of not seeing the symbols clearly. That is why we must know the Word so well, so that the truth stands apart from the lie.

BITTER

Proverbs 5:3-4 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.

So many times the lies sound sweet, so full of truth, but once we taste them they are bitter, and destroy. If we follow the lies, believe untruth, listen to false teachings it leads to death.

Revelation 8:10-11 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters become wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

Ecclesiastes 7:21-29 Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others. All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; But it was far from me, as for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out? I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness, and I find more bitter than death. The woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her. “Here is what I have found,” says the Preacher, “Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason, which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all these I have not found. Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

The churches that teach false wisdom lead to death. When a false doctrine puts a church outside of God’s Word it confuses people, and that keeps people away from the church. This applies to cults like David Koresh type cults – which people point to and then infer that all churches are bad. Or to false doctrines that people realize are not of God.

In the Old Testament, Exodus 15:25 Moses restores the bitter waters at Marah with a tree (the cross). The way out of bitterness, out of lies, out of confusion is the cross (Jesus).

FROGS

Revelation 16:12-14 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Frogs are lying spirits, and deceive people with their signs and wonders. In Exodus 8 there was a plague of frogs – frogs symbolized fertility to the Egyptians. We know it is a fertility of lies.

Psalm 78:40-45 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy. When He worked His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan: Turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink. He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

We need to discern the false prophets, and the way we do so is to observe them and what they do/don’t do. Everything visible God has given to us so that we can understand things in the Spirit.

From the sea of humanity, the Holy Spirit will pluck up those whom God has chosen. They are led to the promised land, but not at first. First they are strengthened through the wilderness, and when they are weak, God makes them strong. God is preparing us for the Promised Land. And the way to speed up the wilderness experience is obedience to God.

Hope you enjoyed this Bible study taught by Pastor Ted. I always love hearing other teachings and teachers, for each brings of themselves to the Word and points out things that add depth. We are blessed to have so many good teachers at our church.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Heather

I am so glad that the family of Jacob is back together again.

Not knowing whether or not a sibling is alive or dead is something I inflicted on my family. When I left home, after awhile I ceased calling anyone in my family. I didn’t want anything to do with them because of the hurt that they caused me. I don’t know what prompted me to call my mom once again, but we started contacting each other and I am glad that I did. Jesus seems to feel it is important that children take care of their parents in old age, and I was able to do that. I helped support her in an apartment. We never got to talk about the past, but at least when she died, I know that I had done the right thing. God seems to be increasing the contact between my brother and sister now, and I suspect it is because of His promise that our families will come to Christ. Our talks are now about the past – and while God has done a miracle in healing me, they are still hurting – holding onto anger and unforgiveness. I am sorry I put my family through the ordeal of not knowing what happened to me, they were even considering calling the Red Cross to try and locate me. It is incredible how much God has healed in my life, and he has given me a large, real family in my church family. I am so blessed. It dawned on me during the surprise birthday party that my husband gave me, just how much God had replaced what I never had, with a family that truly loves me, a family that keeps me safe and accountable, a family that cares – my church family! 

Well Joseph and his family are together. Joseph has promised his father to not bury him in Egypt. and Chapter 48 opens with Joseph being close to death. Remember how Jacob tricked Isaac to get the blessing (something he really didn’t have to do because God would have taken care of it). Well, we are going to see another case of the blessing going to the younger sibling. God does not like to do things in a predictable fashion.

Genesis 48:1 Now 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 Ephriam.

Notice it is JACOB who is told about the three visitors  but ISRAEL strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

Jacob remembers, verse 3 “Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, “Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.”

Jacob is going to adopt Manasseh and Ephriam – which gives Joseph the equivalent of a double blessing.

Remember that Isaac’s eyes were blind when Jacob and  Esau were to be blessed, which is how Jacob was able to fool his father into thinking he was Esau. Now

Verse 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Israel tells Joseph that he had never thought to see Joseph’s face, but God gave him the chance to see Joseph’s offspring.

Now notice that Manasseh is the oldest son and Ephriam is the youngest, so the oldest should by tradition receive the greater blessing, but God does not do that.

Verse 13-14 And Joseph took them both. Ephriam with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephriam’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the first born.

So Israel had to cross his hands to put his Right hand on Ephriam’s head and left on Manasseh’s head.

Listen to the beautiful blessing of Israel:

Verses 15-16 And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked. The God who has fed me all my life long to this day. The Angel who has redeemed me from all. Bless the lads. Let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

The Angel was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus that Jacob/Israel wrestled with – the Angel that gave Jacob his new name. It is interesting that he realizes how much God provided for him.

When you start to see lists of the 12 tribes of Israel you will not see a tribe of Joseph – but there will be the tribes of Ephriam and Manasseh. That would make 13 tribes, but the Levites are separated out to be the priesthood, so that brings it down to twelve tribes – with Joseph receiving a double blessing for his two sons. As we continue to read about the tribes we will see that Ephriam will become greater than Manasseh in numbers and power.

Joseph is watching his father bless his children and notices that Jacob/Israel’s right hand is on the head of the younger child -Ephriam, and Joseph thinks that his father is making a mistake, for the right hand should be on the oldest (or so Joseph thought).

Verse 18-19 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

God is always doing the unexpected. So often we see the last become first and the first last. God picks the least likely to succeed and brings them to success. For example, He picks David the shepherd to be a king instead of all his manly, good-looking brothers.

Verses 20-22 So he blessed them that day, saying,”By you Israel will bless, saying, “May God make you as Ephriam and as Manasseh!’ And thus he set Ephriam before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover 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.”

The portion that Jacob/Israel said he took from the Amorites hadn’t happened yet – it is a prophetic statement. And with the blessing is the sobering awareness that Israel was dying, but a comfort that God would remain with the Israelites.

Hebrews 11:21-22 By faith Jacob, when he was dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Soon we will see the blessing of Jacob for his 12 sons (13 if you count Joseph’s two sons). What Jacob prophesies over them comes to pass. But that is for another day.

One thing to note is that there are four times so far that God has reversed the blessing and put it on a younger one. Isaac/Ishmael, Jacob/Esau, Joseph/Reuben, and Manasseh/Ephriam.

I love the fact that God paints such beautiful pictures of faith in Hebrews 11. I fully believe that He is continuing writing that chapter and noting every time we step out in faith. So what is he going to write “by faith” that we do?

Beth Moore in her The Patriarchs writes pp228 “Likewise, Jacob still had work to do before resting with his fathers. Blessings to give. Jacob’s final tasks were as vital as anything he’d accomplished in his life. The Hebrew blessing was far more than wishful words and lofty benedictions. A blessing was God-spurred revelation with the absolute expectation of fulfillment. In preparation for the initial blessings, Jacob recounted the story of his encounter with God in Luz (Bethel). Notice the clarity with which Jacob recited the words El Shaddai had spoken to him so many years before. While you and I may not hear the audible voice of God, somewhere along the way we’ve probably felt like He said something so clear and vital to us that we’ll take it to our deathbeds.”

Beth points out that Jacob had 51 grandsons with him in Goshen, but only Ephriam and Manasseh received this special blessing.

Beth pointed out in Genesis 48:5 Jacob refers to Simeon and Reuben. p. 229 “Nothing is accidental about this comparison. “The first two sons of Leah are singled out because they are being bypassed to give the double portion to Joseph” Thus Joseph, the favored son of the beloved Rachel, received the double portion of the firstborn..”

Here is an exciting quote for me, pp. 229 “Ephriam didn’t receive the greater exaltation over the meaning of his name, but the symbolism in the priority given him could teach us a few things. Manasseh’s name represented forgetting one’s troubles. Ephriam’s on the other hand, represented fruitfulness in the midst of one’s troubles. Beloved, in God’s economy fruitfulness trumps forgetfulness every time. No matter how differently we feel at times, becoming fruitful in our troubles has far greater ramifications of blessing than forgetting our troubles. …Fruitfulness trumps forgetfulness just as surely in your life and mine.”

Here is something that would be a fitting quote for Pastor Don’s Bible study yesterday  pp. 230 “The Hebrew words for bless, kneel, or knee all derive from the same root, brk. …In addition to the traditional definition of brk, “to bless” it also lists, “to make to kneel.” The possible connection could teach something vital about blessing. God’s desire to bless His people is consistent from Genesis to Revelation, but so is His insistence on humility and reverence.”

Beth concluded her study on this chapter with the following that could very well become a prayer, p. 231 “When we lay these bodies down, Dear One, what God has done will be all that matters. Though our physical vision may dim, may our spiritual vision sharpen until we see with stunning clarity how He has led us, shepherded us, delivered us, and blessed us” all my life to this day.” And may the God who has blessed us reach across every barrier to bless those who come behind us.” I added Amen to the margin.

Hoping you have an incredible Friday – it is a busy one for me. Friday Bible study (not sure who is teaching because some from the church including Pastor Don and his wife are going to Sight and Sound), afternoon away Field Hockey Game for my daughter’s team. They play so hard. And then who knows what in the evening. My husband is hoping to take the boys fishing, but it is raining so much here that I don’t know what will happen with that.

I thank you so much for coming to read these notes of mine. I count myself blessed to sit under such good teachers and to have the Bible to study. God sure has blessed me. And I so value the discussions that we share, reading your sites, and hearing what you have to say. How wonderful that we can make such a good Xanga Christian community!

Heather

PROSPERITY

Pastor Don mentioned the Time Magazine article that is currently in the news about the new Prosperity message in the Church.

He pointed out that we can judge the validity of what God is doing by what the world attacks. If God is doing something that threatens satan’s reign, the world will attack.

What has been happening today is that the prosperity message is being spread outside of the faith churches. satan wants to stop this message from reaching many people. To do this he has to attack the heart of the message, and get the church into division. There are those who feel that prosperity message is heresy, and others who hold to the doctrine.

Pastor Don pointed out that there are times when our talent takes us to places that our character can’t sustain. There are those who misuse the prosperity message. The reality is that God can use all of us, mistakes and all to advance his message.

The Christian life is a good thing.
The Christian life with the power of the Holy Ghost is a better thing.

We can’t expect the world to give us a fair accounting in the news reports.

In the Christian faith there are two aspects of prosperity – there is financial prosperity and spiritual prosperity. God wants us to prosper both ways.

Many people put a premium on their suffering for Christ, claiming that sickness and challenges are life are suffering for Christ. Not so. The only way that we can suffer for Christ is like He did, for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus did not suffer poverty, sickness, spiritual defeat, or other examples of a broken down Gospel.

Money is a tool in the hand of the believer. Jesus worked in his father’s carpenter shop as a child. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus was ever a beggar. He had enough finances for His mission. His garment was a seamless garment, so valuable that the Roman Soldiers cast lots to win the garment instead of tearing it into even pieces.

Wherever Jesus went he drafted disciples. He did not have only the twelve disciples, but hundreds of disciples followed Him. We can prove this because in the beginning of Acts they picked a disciple to replace Judas, and the criterion was that the person had to have been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry.

Jesus’ disciples were also not poor – they owned fishing fleets, they were tax collectors. He did not recruit beggars. It cost money to travel the way they traveled, to do what they did.

There is a tendency in some churches to keep the Pastor poor – feeling that the pastor should not have too many worldly possessions. While some in the Catholic church like St. Francis chose to give their money to the church, the truth is that the Church takes care of their own and it should take care of its own.

If you look at the Old Testament you see that the priesthood of the Jews – the Levites – were taken care of by the people. There were sacrifices and offerings that belonged to the Levites, and even though they did not own property, they had all the things they needed.  They were cared for from the offerings of the Temple/Church. And in the modern church there is often a rectory to provide housing for the Pastor, so that the pastor can concentrate on the needs of the church.

God’s promises are for us – whether good or bad promises. They are not just for the Jews, but for those who are the sons of Abraham (spiritual sons). We can only claim the promises if we have the faith of Abraham. Abraham believed God and God accounted it for righteousness. The Jews did not think it out of context to believe that the promises were for them, that the promises can be claimed by them. As they can be claimed by us, who are the sons and daughters of the faith of Abraham. This unfortunately also applies for the curses if we step outside of God’s will.

Jeremiah 29:8-9 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.

Everything that you dream is not of God. Some dreams are from the input into the flesh, and are not truth. They portray fleshly fears and desires. Other times the dreams are true prophesy. Pastor Don pointed out that one time a family brought their little son to him thinking that the nightmares the child was having were from demonic forces. Upon questioning the child, he realized that the nightmares came from what was being input in him. Turns out that his older brothers were watching scary movies like Jurassic Park, and the boy was too young to handle the scary images and they came out as nightmares.

God sends prophetic dreams in the form of visions, but they are not the same as a dream. A dream fades pretty quickly, but a vision will last longer – some  visions a person never forgets. We usually know what the message is that God is trying to portray, as he gives a word of knowledge, a word of wisdom. You are usually left in awe of God. Visions change you life.

Jeremiah 29:10-11 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Most people stop with the promise of verse 11, not realizing that there is a condition. The context of this verse was the upcoming exile of Israel to Babylon – and God wants to give the people not evil, but something good, a future (not early death but long life) a hope for something in the future that is better than what you have now. He promises us that what we are going through is for good, not evil.

But people forget the conditional part of this promise:

Verse 12-13 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

We need to call upon God, pray to God, be searching for God with ALL OUR HEART. Most of us do not do that.

Verse 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you in the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

We have been captive to things in our lives. Captive of doubt and unbelief, captive of perversion, captive of drugs and alcohol, captive of strife, captive of sickness and disease, captive of distress. When we are captive we are focused on who we perceive we are, not focused on God.

This regathering of the tribes happened back in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, but it is also happening today (in Israel).

How does God give correction? If you commit an iniquity God will, through the rod of men or circumstances, come to us to give correction. It could happen through a difficult and adversarial relationship and it’s purpose is to cause us to change. God will not strike us with a disease to correct us, but he may remove His hand of protection from over us and leave us open to sickness from satan. God will correct us the way a loving father corrects his child. Sometimes we have to go into captivity, much the same as Israel went into captivity, to get our attention. Not only will God use others to correct us, but if they get carried away in their correction of us like Nebuchadnezzar did, God will correct them.

Sometimes the way a passage in the Bible reads, it seems as if God is causing the problem, but that is because we don’t realize that in Hebrew there is no Permissive verbs. So a passage may read “I will put you” instead of “I will permit you to experience this”. God did not put the plagues on people, he did allow them to affect people.

When we receive correction from the rod of man the immature Christian will respond negatively to the correction and maybe turn aggressive. The Mature Christian will say “Oh, this hurts so good.” They will realize that the correction is done in love to help them grow spiritually.

God will keep teaching you the lesson until you get it.

Correction can come through positive and negative messages. Pastor Don explained that just because someone makes a comment to you it doesn’t mean that what they are saying is accurate. It is up to you to take the comment to God and find out if it is an accurate critique. He used me as an example. I love long denim skirts, and he said that if a brother in Christ came up to me and said that my skirt was too short, that it was provocative. I could listen to the critique and realize that it is in error – for my skirt touches my ankles and unless a person had a foot fetish, my skirt was not too short.

God can use a false report of error as a correction for us too. He may be wanting to see how we react to that false report. Do we jump down the person’s throat, do we worry even when the report isn’t true, or do we listen and then respectfully point out to the person that they are in error. God may be wanting to change our response to the false report. So even a false criticism can be a learning rod in God’s hand.

God will use whatever it takes to get you from point A to point B. And if you don’t get it the first time, he will keep sending it. It is up to us to check out the reports, against the Word and against what the Holy Spirit is telling us.

Pastor Don gave the example of David, when he danced before the ark in a very unroyal way, to praise and worship God. His wife mocks him, and her womb is closed. David had a choice how to handle her mocking. He could have agreed with her and been shamed – something that would have affected his kingship from that time forward, he could have tried to backpedal and make up for the shameful behavior. Instead he realized she was in error, that what he did was pure worship for God. The shutting up of her womb need not have been from God – it could have happened naturally. David could have avoided her or she could have avoided sleeping with a king that was an embarrassment to her.

God does not always have a direct hand in our correction – natural man often is His rod of correction, or natural disasters such as earthquakes, plague, or famine. God, when He created the earth knew the end from the beginning. Much of what happens here was already set in motion when God spoke creation. John, in Revelation, talks about major disasters like earthquakes worse than ever before. God has those scheduled, and He does not have to take His hand and shake the earth. He spoke of these things from the beginning.

Pride in and of itself is not a bad thing. We need to be proud of what God has done in us, proud of what we are doing for God’s glory. Pride becomes bad when it is mixed with conceit, for then it becomes negative arrogance.

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

They bring us peace, joy, future hope.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 (see above) the people needed to have the response of calling on God with ALL THEIR HEART.

We also see this principle in the New Testament when Jesus talks to his disciples about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and then instructs them to seek ye first the kingdom of God and all things will be added unto you.

Jeremiah 29:16-19 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to a trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth–to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the LORD.

This passage is also written without the Permissive verbs – so this was I will allow them to be sent, etc.

When people speak of prosperity today they quote Jeremiah 29:11, but they will not have those blessings without Jeremiah 29:12-13 – to call out to God with their whole heart. (Heather’s note: I can relate to that, for so often I hold back parts of myself to God – when I first got saved I remember talking with Pastor Don about how God can come here and here in me, but not there. Pastor Don told me that God will patiently wait until I give Him permission, he won’t storm my fortress, he isn’t an abusive father. I now seek God with more of my heart than ever before, but there are still areas that I need to let Him in.)

What was prophesied here in Jeremiah is again about to happen. Israel has returned to their land, but many of the Jews are secular – God will keep allowing circumstances in the surrounding countries to drive more and more to seek God with their whole heart. Also, we as the Church, are also dealing with this prophesy – for we are spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham, and as such can claim this promise. Are we seeking God with our whole heart?

Verse 10 of Jeremiah 29 points out that God was going to have them brought to Babylon for 70 years. Daniel will be there at the time – and even though he was captive of Nebuchadnezzar, he and his three companions did not give in and worship an idol, they did not follow the luxurious ways of the court – they kept pure and worshipped God. After the 70 years was up, Daniel reminded God that now was the time for them to return to their land. An angel answered his prayer, and the people were allowed to return to Israel with possessions and riches. They were blessed by God, but not all of them chose to go back.

Jeremiah 29:20-23 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire”: because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.

The blessings are only effective if the people qualify for them – seeking God with their whole heart. Here we see that Israel did not do this, they chose to believe lies, and committed adultery (sought other idols).

Jeremiah 30:1-3 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.  For behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,” says the LORD. “And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”

This is the blessing of God – and it is true today. But God will also punish those who oppressed Israel, Jeremiah 30:17-21 “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the LORD, “Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion: No one seeks her.”‘ “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; the city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before me; and I will punish all who oppress them. Their nobles shall be from among them, and their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near. And he shall approach me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach me?” says the LORD. You shall be My people and I will be your God.’”  (Heather’s note – what I love is that even in captivity God gave them words of hope and promise, and he did not back off from being their God.)

God has placed His Word above Himself. He has to keep His promise. We need to be careful not to let satan try to talk us out of what God says he has planned for us. Don’t let satan tell us lies. We have to fight satan’s lies.

We need to obey God. If we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, God will not bless us. If we are seeking prosperity for greed and self gain it is the wrong use of money. Prosperity will not happen. God will not prosper someone who will be a poor witness.

Whether or not we like President Bush, he has done some good things for God. Because of his presidency, there is an opening for the church to get its message out. A window of opportunity before the new world order shuts that down. Because of the US involvement worldwide the gospel is reaching places it hasn’t reached before.

Don’t be afraid of prosperity teachings, don’t buy into the anti-propserity lies. Remember that prosperity is not just financial but also spiritual prosperity. We can be in better health, better mental condition, physical condition, and financial condition. As Paul says, he has been both rich and poor and rejoices in both. There are times when God puts us on the mountain top, other times we are in the valley. We are to praise God wherever we are at the moment.

I am hoping that God prospers you today, and that you are blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

Heather

Can you believe that we are within a few chapters of the end of Genesis? What a book! I am really seeing how much of Revelation is in Genesis. Years ago I was fascinated by a figure called the Mobius strip – which is a strip of paper with a half twist in it and the ends glued together. The paper has only one side.

It also reminds me of the book Flatland where two dimensional shapes contemplate the third dimension. Many two dimensional characters in Flatland, feel that the shapes that believe in the third dimension are crazy to think beyond their two dimensions. Probably just the same as many who think we are crazy to believe God. The Bible is not a book of 66 separate books, but a continuous document that gives a whole picture. It is fascinating to see how much the Bible holds together, how much we can see of Jesus in every chapter if we go on a Jesus Treasure Hunt. Remember, when Jesus was walking on the road to Emmaus, He was opening up the scriptures to those disciples, showing where He was in the scriptures – and there was no New Testament written at that time.

Anyway Genesis 47 brings Jacob and the 69 others to Egypt, where they will grow to become a huge nation. Joseph has already found a way to separate them from the culture – by telling Pharaoh that they are shepherds (a caste that most Egyptians feel are like the untouchables). This will preserve the nation intact until over 400 years later (between Genesis and Exodus is 400 years) the nation will be brought out of Egypt (the flesh) and into the promised land.

Joseph goes and reports to Pharaoh that his family is now in the land of Goshen. He takes five men from among his brothers and presents them to Pharaoh. I wonder which five he chose. I imagine (and this is speculation) that Benjamin and Judah are two of the five. Benjamin was his favorite, and Judah finally assumed the role of leader among the band of brothers. I can imagine that Simeon was not picked. Who do you think?

They did obey Joseph – verse 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh. “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.”

They request from Pharaoh that they are able to tend their flocks in Goshen (which is some of the best land).

Pharaoh speaks to Joseph (not the brothers), verse 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.

Pharaoh is no phool (fool – sorry couldn’t resist). He knows that God is behind Joseph and prospers anything that is put into Joseph’s hand. By giving the best of the land to Joseph and his family, and then having them tend Pharaoh’s sheep, Pharaoh knows his sheep will prosper.

Joseph then brings his father to Pharaoh (perhaps Joseph waited to see Pharaoh’s reaction to the brothers – I may amend my above list of the five brothers brought before Pharaoh – perhaps he kept Judah and Benjamin back in case Pharaoh reacted negatively to Joseph’s family.) Anyway, what I love is that Jacob/Israel is not cowed by Pharaoh and his “power”. Pharaoh was considered by the Egyptians to be god – not a representative of their gods, but god in the flesh. As god, one would assume Pharaoh would bless Jacob/Israel, but Jacob blesses Pharaoh.

Verse 7 “Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

You know what puzzles me? When God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, or Sarai’s name to Sarah, the new name stuck. I think Jacob is so much like us – uneven in his walk with God – so much so that God needed to call him Jacob when he is acting in the flesh and Israel when he is acting in a Godly way. Perhaps some pride is there – for notice that it is JACOB that blesses Pharaoh, not Israel. I think that he is overstepping his boundary a bit – for it is God who prospered Pharaoh for Joseph’s sake, not Jacob’s blessing. But that is just speculation on my part.

Pharaoh is very interested in Jacob’s age. I suspect that the Patriarchs lived longer lives than the Egyptians – Jacob was 130 years old when he met Pharaoh. verse 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years, few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

I find this very interesting in many ways. FEW and EVIL????? What does he mean by that? Perhaps evil because of the years he mourned Joseph’s death. I can see few, because Abraham died at 175 years and Isaac died at 180 years. We can’t forget that before the time of Noah, the people lived 900 plus years. And in Psalm  90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow: for it is soon cut off and we fly away.

Seems that God is reducing the length of our life on Earth. Perhaps He doesn’t want to give us extra years to sin, given the way we live our lives. But it seems that gradually the length of life is cut shorter, and this has been noticed by Jacob.

Joseph gets his family situated in the land of Rameses and gives his family bread according to the number in their families. Reminds me of how God will provide bread (Manna -according to the needs of each person), and how Jesus provides the Bread of Life for us.

Joseph deals with the famine in the land which is very severe. Notice that Joseph took care of his family’s needs – just like Jesus takes care of our needs.

The famine becomes very severe – remember there was to be five more years of famine. The people have been buying grain and bread – but now their money has run out. Joseph will be changing the whole economic system of Egypt, and also putting Pharaoh into a position of ultimate power and control over the country.

Verse 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

Pharaoh now has control of all the money. You know the thought just crossed my mind that when the Israelites beg God for a king they should realize just what a king could have done from their experience among the Egyptians – how the king had control over all his subjects, and even had slaves and riches, while many suffered and died. Yet they longed for a king like the rest of the world. God gives people so many illustrations to prevent them from making mistakes, and yet we go off on our own understanding and ruin the beautiful system that God has set up. God never intended Israel to have kings – he had set up a system of Judges which ruled under God’s direction. sigh.

The people came to Joseph begging for bread, even though they had no money to pay. Joseph then takes livestock in payment for bread. After a year of that, there was still famine, and the people came begging – so Joseph then takes their land. verse 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.

So Joseph buys the land for Pharaoh (also makes me wonder why the Pharaohs who followed this Pharaoh didn’t remember with awe what Joseph did and treat the Israelites better – that’s gratitude for you.)

The people moved into the cities – off the land. Now I find the following interesting:

Verse 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

I wonder if this was partly due to God’s directive to Joseph. The war of the false gods and God would occur later – it is a war of the heavenlies, not of the Earthly men. God will show who has the power in Exodus when the plagues come and most certainly in Revelation God will reestablish HIS KINGDOM on earth. God knows when to pick his battles. Today many are getting away with false teachings, idol worship, and making their own interpretation of scriptures to fit today’s lifestyle. God is not pleased, but people assume (just like Samson did with his flirting with the Philistine woman and breaking all Nazirite vows) that inaction on God’s part means that He doesn’t mind or He is impotent. Just because God does not immediately strike down a person, act on the sinful actions, does not mean that God approves of them. He will act, it will be decisive, and people will realize that God was NOT PLEASED. He gave us His Word to read and to follow. IF we choose to change what the Word says, if we choose not to follow His Word, it is our choice and we WILL be answerable to God for our choice.

Joseph tells the people of Israel that he has bought them and their land for Pharaoh. Joseph gives them seed and tells them to plant the land (sort of a feudal system), and they are then to give 1/5 to Pharaoh, and they can keep 4/5ths. (Heather’s note: too bad our tax system doesn’t follow this).

The people are grateful to Joseph and promise to be Pharaoh’s servants. verse 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

Notice the name change: verse 27 So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen: and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly.

Jacob lives in the land 17 more years and at 147 years old. Jacob makes Joseph swear (the old hand under the thigh oath), that when he dies he is not to be buried in Egypt. He wants to lie with his fathers. Joseph promises to do this. and Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

One other thought came to mind. Remember, God had a plan when He reached down and touched a certain tribe of people. He wanted to show the Earth what living a Godly life could entail, and how much people prospered under God’s leadership. The idea was not that the nation would become separate to itself, but rather that others in the world would see and come to realize God could guide their lives and prosper them. We will see this separation from the world taken to the extreme – where the Israelites under the “guidance” of the priests will go through massive cleansings when a Gentile even touches them, or if a sinner comes their way. It will take Jesus’ example to realize that God wants to bring all back into fellowship with Him. In our churches, when God gives us prosperity, it is not just a reward for right living – we are expected to not worship mammon, not to LOVE money more than God, but we are to use that money for God’s purposes. We are to enjoy our prosperity too. And perhaps our prosperity will be a wonderful lure to bring others into fellowship with God. How often we get off on our own agendas.

Next come a few exciting chapters where we begin to see more of God’s plan, and how Jacob/Israel blesses the twelve tribes. We will see how accurate the prophesies are too.

Beth Moore, in her study the Patriarchs asks an intriguing question on page 224 “Did Joseph preserve life at the cost of liberty? Joseph saved the people, but he reduced them to servitude.”…”Did the famine reforms ironically help set up a system that would ultimately enslave the Israelites under unfavorable Pharaohs? If the Israelites were later enslaved by the feudal system set up in Joseph’s time, God used it to make the conditions in Egypt so miserable that His people would cry out for deliverance. (Ex. 2:23).”

She them points out that God can cause His people to prosper in adverse circumstances – the key is OBEDIENCE.

Beth said that the average lifespan of an Egyptian was 110 years, so Pharaoh was intrigued at how old Jacob was.

Beth adds, p. 224 “We do not know exactly what the patriarchs believed would happen to them after death because Scripture does not record God giving them an explanation. Hebrews 11:14-16 tells us that Abraham and other ancients of faith were “longing for a better country-a heavenly one” Whether or not God told them in so many words, they knew in their hearts something more awaited them. Perhaps this is why Jacob referenced his life as a journey.”

She states that Jacob referring to how his life was not as long as his “fathers” might have been more than just a comparison of ages. That he might have felt that he did not measure up to them. p. 224 “Perhaps Jacob felt he’d not carried the torch of faith as valiantly as Abraham and Isaac. Perhaps they seemed bigger than life to him. His years were marked by deception. His own. His uncle’s. His sons’. The disappointments brought on by his offspring must have added to Jacob’s sense of failure.”

Redemption did come for Jacob. Beth then mentions how many of us have our “Jacob-moments, ” I know I sure do every time the Holy Spirit convicts me of a failing.

pp. 224-225 “A gallon of white paint may not dramatically alter a 30-gallon drum of black, but a pint of faith can change us. We can place all our years of difficulty on the altar before God as a gift for Him to turn into benefit and beauty. We can invite God to fill in the space where we feel we didn’t measure up. Beloved, when we do God changes the color.”

pp. 225 “For those of us on true pilgrimage, nothing is riskier than passing through a spectacular Egypt. When the culture shock wears off, so does its protection. This world is not our home. Let’s never forget it.”

And she closes with something that spoke so strongly to me. I have wrestled a lot with God, we have argued, debated. I have turned my back on Him, and come back to Him broken and hurt. This last line of Beth’s on p. 225 touches my heartstrings so much:

“Perhaps no one worships as honestly as one who has wrestled earnestly.”

Praise God that He allows us to wrestle with Him, and then HE WINS. How awesome a God we serve.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

This is an interesting chapter. We are going to have a listing of the brothers – and it seems to be in the order of who gave birth to them. Leah’s children, then Zilpah’s children, then Rachel’s children, followed by Bilhah’s children. There seems to be different ways that the children of Israel/Jacob are listed in the Bible, and in many cases they are not listed in the same order each time they are mentioned. In this chapter it is by birth mother, sometimes it is in order of birth, and sometimes Joseph’s two children are listed. I wonder what the Holy Spirit has in mind in the order of the lists of Jacob’s offspring.

Do you know what puzzles me? Given Joseph’s dream when he was a boy, after he had been raised to prime minister and during the years of plenty, I wonder why he never sent home to let his father and family know that he was okay.

Genesis 46:1 So Israel (remember that is when he is doing things in a Godly fashion) took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Beersheba is on the border between Canaan and Egypt. It’s name means well of the seven fold oath. I suspect that Israel is wanting to make sure that going to Egypt is what God has in mind. The last time people went down to Egypt problems ensued. Remember Abraham lying about his wife. Now, note the name change. Israel was instructed to go down to Egypt, and while it is seemingly good that he stopped and sacrificed, don’t forget that he also had in his memory the tales around the campfire about how their tribe would sojourn in Egypt. So when God responds to the sacrifice He will call Israel – Jacob.

Genesis 46:2-4 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.” So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

I think it must have been comforting for Israel to hear from God so clearly in a night vision. Remember – your old men shall dream dreams. God repeated Jacob’s name twice. So often, when there is an emphasis needed, God repeats something twice – Kind of like putting it into bold print. Jesus would say “verily, verily” when He wanted to underscore a point. God introduces himself as “I am God, the God of your father.” In this I see the I AM, and I also see – the God of Isaac. I am surprised that God didn’t mention Abraham too. Later we will see God introduce Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  What a promise to Jacob – that God will be with him wherever he goes – God will go to Egypt, and God will return with. I cannot now imagine walking without God in my life. It is comforting to know that He is with me no matter where I go. He is with me in my Egypts. And I am not certain what was meant by Joseph putting his hand on his father’s eyes. All I can find Joseph doing is putting his hand under Jacob’s thigh for the swearing of an oath. So I am not certain about that statement.

What is interesting is that this chapter of Genesis makes Exodus make more sense. Jacob goes down with around 70 people. When Moses brings the people out of Egypt, he comes with over a million. God certainly did make them a great nation.

I have to tell you something that I am slowly beginning to learn. I NEVER want to make a move without the assurance that God is there with me. To step out on my own, in my own understanding is fraught with danger.

A friend told me that God is the God of the ROUND TRIP TICKET. He has promised that to Jacob. Jacob will be buried in Canaan. God will never send us to a place and then abandon us.

Verses 5- Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him.

To Jacob’s credit, he heard God and obeyed him. Must have been some procession into Egypt. Remember how God prospered Jacob.

Then comes a list of all who went with Jacob, and their offspring. Verse 11 lists the three sons of Levi – and we will see that in the future they and their offspring will have specific jobs around the tabernacle. They will be the “13th” tribe that is not given lands etc. Joseph’s two sons will receive a blessing and be part of the 12 tribes. Jacob will adopt Joseph’s two sons to be his own.

What is peculiar is Verse 23 – The sons of Dan was Hushim. Every other tribe had their sons’ names given. Here Hushim is a group of offspring, not an individual person. In Chapter 49 in the prophesy that Jacob speaks over him Dan is called a serpent, a viper who bites the horse’s heel. And after the Exodus, when the Israelites move into the promised land, the tribe of Dan will play a large part in bringing idolatry into the land.

In Acts 7 we can see the whole patriarchal history spelled out by Stephen.

Then Jacob and his offspring begin the trip to Goshen. Joseph came in his chariot to Goshen to meet with his father, and the two men fall on each other’s necks and weep.

Verse 30 And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

What a happy reunion. Finally a healing has happened in this family. Joseph is going to return to Pharaoh and tell him that his family is now in Goshen. He is going to point out that the men are shepherds and that they have brought their flocks and herds.

Joseph tells his family, verse 33-34 “So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ “That you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Just like Jesus, Joseph is a mediator, that instructs people what to do and say. There were seven castes in the Egyptian system and shepherds were the lowest of them. They were sort of like the untouchables in India. By telling Pharaoh this, Joseph is making sure that his family is kept separate from the Egyptian culture – so that they do not absorb the things of that culture that would be displeasing to God such as idol worship.

As we will see in Exodus, many of the plagues that Moses brought on the people were on certain animals that were worshipped by the Egyptians. Other cultures and religions also worship animals. God had told Adam to have Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Just an aside – notice the plural – “Let US” “OUR”, but God gave man dominion over the animals. Those religions who worship animals are going directly against God’s directive when He created man.

We are going to see Joseph and his family thrive in Egypt and remain intact as a nation – not polluted by the Egyptian religious system. They will thrive so much that over time the Egyptians will be threatened by their numbers. When we are where God has placed us, God will cause us to thrive.

Beth Moore also had a few interesting things to say in her study, The Patriarchs. She mentions that God had told Isaac not to go to his father. p. 220 “Same God, same line, different plan. God reserves the sovereign right to direct one of His children on a path He may have forbidden to another. God’s overarching laws and principles do not change, but His directions within them can vary drastically. That’s one reason we must be careful not to force our personal convictions in gray areas on another believer. God may require something of you He does not require of me and vice versa.”

Beth covers the promise God made to Jacob about him returning to the land of promise. God never promised him that he would return alive. His body will be buried there. She mentions that the promises in Genesis 14 were being put into action. p. 221 “Notice the three references to “you” or “your” in Genesis 46:4 “I will go down to Egypt with you,” the word you applies to Jacob and his family. In “I will surely bring you back again,” you applies to his descendants or what will ultimately become the nation. Finally in “Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes,” the word your refers to Jacob himself. Ancient Old Testament thinkers may not have had a problem with the oscillating meanings of “you,” but I believe New Testament thinkers do.”

p. 221 “Modern, drive-thru thinkers like you and me frame events in such immediate terms that we decided we either misunderstood God or He misled us if His promises are not fulfilled in our personal lives. An ancient Hebrew thinker would have considered the possibility of a promise fulfilled in his descendant a great honor because such fulfillment signaled God’s continued blessing over the extended line.”

p. 222 “God’s promises to us are bigger than us and reach far beyond us. Their ultimate purpose is glory. He is always faithful, and He will never make a promise He won’t keep. His promises to “you” could be for you personally, your family, or your line. If precious promises aren’t fulfilled in the fruitful years of our lifetimes, let’s believe God and welcome His promises from a distance. What kind of faith could be more pleasing to Him?”

I pray God continues to touch your lives and that we hold onto His promises, knowing that His Word is true.

Have a blessed day!

Heather

Finally Joseph comes to a point where he can no longer hide himself and makes himself known to his brothers. (Heather breaths a sigh of relief.) He weeps so loudly that the Egyptians and House of Pharaoh hear him.

Now we will see something of what sin can do – guilt feelings of his brothers overshadow the joy of the reunion.

Verse 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.

I think you could safely say that they are terrified and in more ways than one. First, as Prime Minister, Joseph could make their lives VERY uncomfortable for what they did to him. But there is another aspect – they will have to go home to their father and confess what they did to Joseph and ultimately their father will realize the lie that they shared with him. It says, “…be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23

Now the family secret is out, verse 4-5 “And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here: for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

This is a perfect example of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

God has provided for Joseph and his family – first preparing a place for Joseph, and then the means to bring his family. Joseph lets the brothers know that there are still five more years of famine. While I am certain that Joseph did not relish the time he spent in slavery or in jail, and I know that he trusted God in the midst of it, but I know that it still must have been hard for him to say Genesis 45:8 “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all of Egypt.”

Have you ever looked back on your life and sometimes wished that God could have found an easier way to get you where you are today? I sure have. I know that we don’t always see God’s hand in the midst of our trials, but I am learning – over time – to realize that His hand is there whether or not I perceive it. God can take the ashes and turn it into something of beauty. He can redeem terrible things and turn them to good. It used to make me FURIOUS that God would allow the trials but we don’t always know the whole situation – especially when we are so close to the main character – us. God has often used adversity to sharpen a person for leadership – Joseph, Moses, David to name a few. And after their trials they come out wise and able. Of course, these same people could have met their trials and come out angry, bitter, self-serving. Guess the onus is on us – what do we do with our trial? Do we learn and grow or do we become embittered and angry? That choice is up to us. And the really neat thing – at least from my perspective – is that when we make the wrong choice (as I did for so many years) we are not permanently stuck with it. If we bring our wrong choice to God, and repent 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness. God can redeem those wasted years and turn them into something that also glorifies and helps others. We do serve an awesome God who is ABLE, WONDERFUL, LOVING, GENTLE, HEALING, KIND, BEAUTIFUL, FORGIVING, TEACHER, FATHER, etc.

Joseph can wait no longer – verse 9 – he tells his brothers “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, “Thus says your son Joseph: ‘God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me do not tarry.’”

Even the brothers’ good news will have some bad in it, for they will have to confess to their father about the slavery.

GOSHEN means Drawing Near

So now Joseph is going to draw his family near him – much the same way that Jesus draws us near to him. God wants a closeness with us. He has made provision for us and for the famine that we are going through in our lives. So often when we sin, we face a famine of the Spirit – and it takes confession and coming closer to Jesus for us to receive relief from that famine.

Joseph talks about his whole family, the flocks, children, children’s children, etc coming to Goshen and he says, verse 11 “There I will provide for you lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine. And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you.”

He tells them to tell his father about all his glory in Egypt, and of all that they have seen. Then Benjamin and Joseph weep together, and Joseph kisses all his brothers and weeps over them.

Pharaoh gets wind of this good news and it pleases Pharaoh. Pharaoh instructs Joseph to send his brothers for his father and family and that Pharaoh will give them the best land of Egypt and they will eat of the fat of the land. They are to take carts and are commanded to do this.

Verse 22 (Joseph) “He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.”

He sends things back to his father too – 10 donkeys loaded with good things of Egypt, 10 female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey.

I wonder why the 10 donkeys and 10 female donkeys. Any ideas?

Even though there was a happy reunion of sorts, Joseph still has some concerns, Verse 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

The trouble today could be backsliding, reverting to one’s old ways. And perhaps he had some concerns for Benjamin’s safety.

Jacob is somewhat of a pessimist. He could gladly believe the bad news about Joseph’s “demise,” but good news was hard for him to believe.

The brothers returned to Canaan and verse 26 “And they told him, saying, “Joseph is alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. “

Here is another example of Jacob (flesh)/Israel (Godly behavior) watch the transition in the next two verses.

Verses 27-28 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father revived. Then Israel said, “It is enough, Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Beth Moore, in a video that accompanies her The Patriarchs study mentions that Joseph framed the entire picture in the sovereignty of God. It was their (him and his family’s) only hope of healing. “Feelings of distress and anger toward others sometimes can’t rival those we harbor toward ourselves. The Hebrew word for distressed means “to worry, grieve; to afflict, cause pain..denotes mental and physical discomfort.” The Hebrew word for angry means “to burn, be kindled, to be angry…act zealously. Points to the fire or heat of anger after it has been ignited.”

She points out that when our abuse stops, God can redeem every bit of the abuse, we have to hang on until the blessing comes. God can help us loose those who have hurt us, to forgive them. When we lay down our lives for God, we find them. Also she points out that our great pain can be someone elses deliverance – even someone who hurt us.  God sometimes gets into our business. After all the hurt that someone causes you, can you lay down your life enough to God to allow yourself to be part of their deliverance? – which in a funny way, also is part of your own deliverance.

If we refuse God’s means of our deliverance (for example if the brothers did not do what Joseph suggested), we could find our selves destitute. What I find cool is that God can even redeem that destitution once we turn around and get back on track with God.

Joseph did not only forgive his brothers in word, but he did so in deed as well, providing for them.

Beth then says, p. 217 “A fresh anointing of faith restores feeling.”

That one line says a lot to me. I had so much hurt from my past (see testimony) that many of my feelings were numb – I didn’t express them, didn’t even know some of them existed. The more I allowed God in my life, the more He revealed to me – through him, through prayer, through dreams, through Pastor Don and others, things that I needed to know to start a deep healing. The emotions are still being sorted out, but there is a melting of that iceberg of emotions that I held within so much. I know, in faith, that as I continue to pursue God and love God, that more and more He will free the things that need freeing in me.

I am praying that God’s word washes you – frees you from ties that bind, and refreshes you. Have a blessed day!

Heather