Date: 17 November 2024, 9.30 am
Speaker: Ps Daniel Tan Sermon Text: Genesis 48:1 - 49:28
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TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
Blessed Sunday again to all.
Last Sunday, Ps Luwin asked us to consider the surprising journey of faith that Joseph experienced.
We observed that Joseph’s journey included going through unexpected places, that he went through them with God’s assuring presence and that Joseph’s whole journey was to fulfil God’s purposes.
I pray that as we reflect on Joseph’s journey, we would surprisingly also discover that our life’s journey has similarities.
Today, is our 2nd last sermon on the book of Genesis.
As we have seen, the book of Genesis can be divided into 2 portions.
The first 11 chapters, gives us the universe-wide sweep of things over hundreds of years. It provides us an understanding of creation, sin and the fall, Noah and the flood and finally the incident at the tower of babel.
Then from chapters 12 to 50, in this second section, Moses narrows down to the history of 1 family. And we look at the lives of just 4 generations – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
The summary of these 4 men’s lives are found in Hebrews 11 and the writer of Hebrews says, these men are commended because they lived by faith.
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
Last Sunday it was about the journey of faith.
Today, as we look into the final days of Jacob, we want to explore the theme of finishing well on this journey of faith.
Genesis 3 tells us that death is the consequence of sin. Death then, is the finishing line for all of our earthly journeys.
Because as Christians, we know that at death’s door, it is thus not the end. At death, we step through and into the presence of Jesus where eternal life awaits.
Through the life of Jacob, the question posed to us today is will we finish well?
Here are 3 pictures in front of you. How will you finish your life’s journey?
Will it be like Eric Liddell, the Olympic champion who died as a missionary in China or will you be desperately just trying to cross over the line crawling?
Or worst, this life is all that you ever wanted and you will have to be dragged to the finished line kicking and screaming?
Eric Liddell is known for his very unique posture at the finishing tape.
His head is always tilted back, mouth open to capture as much oxygen as possible, body is in full stretch, and he will be busting the tape with the maximum ounce of his energy.
Church, it’s not just how we begin the race that is important, it’s more so how we finish.
Jacob was a man who began very shakily. He was a deceiver who schemed with his mum to get the blessings which Isaac wanted to give to his first born, Esau.
God used Jacob’s time with his uncle Laban and His encounters with Jacob at Bethel and Peniel, to sanctify Jacob’s character.
Now in the final moments of Jacob’s life, we see in Genesis 48 and 49, Jacob is finishing well, he is adopting the posture of faith, his spiritual eyes are wide open, the eyes of his heart are pointing upwards, he is gathering with every last ounce of his strength to bless the next generation.
Imagine Hebrews 11 as the hall of faith. As you walk through the gallery, you come to the portrait of Jacob. There when you glance at the caption put there by our all-knowing God, you will see:
Heb 11:21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
Jacob finished well, by worshipping God and by faith, blessed the next generation.
Today, let’s explore what it means for Jacob to walk by faith and to finish well.
Remember who we are
I submit for our consideration that firstly, Jacob blessed the next generation by reminding them of who they are.
If we want to finish well and do so by faith in our Heavenly Father, we will tell our next generation, we will remind them of who they are in Christ.
Gen 48:3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.
3 things we see Jacob communicate with Joseph.
Firstly, Jacob reminded Joseph of God’s promises to him and the family.
Joseph, God appeared to me at Bethel. There I saw the ladder linking Heaven to Earth. There the Lord said I will inherit the Abrahamic promise.
Remember Joseph, God’s promise is that our family will multiple, our family will be given the Promised Land as an everlasting possession.
Because of this certainty of returning to the Promised Land, Jacob at the end of Genesis 47 commanded Joseph to promise to carry his bones back to Canaan and bury them with Abraham and Isaac.
Now he is telling Joseph - who will live to 110 years but had only lived in Canaan for the first 17 years of his life. Joseph, remember God’s promise is to me and my family, and that includes you, Joseph.
You may be Prime Minister in Egypt, but remember, this is not the Promise Land, no, Canaan is the Promised Land.
To finish well, may what we communicate with the next generation be our testimony of God’s sure promises to us.
Example, could they hear us say with conviction, words from Ps 103:
Ps 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!....11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Secondly, Jacob reminds Joseph of his heritage.
Gen 48:5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.
Graciously, God enabled Jacob to accept Joseph’s sons as his own. Jacob elevates Joseph as the first born over Reuben.
Also, Joseph’s 2 sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born half Egyptian. Their mother was a daughter of an Egyptian priest.
What graciousness. Sons born to Joseph the 2nd youngest and half Egyptian as well, are now on par with the rest of Jacob’s sons.
The 12 tribes of Israel, right at the beginning already were not “pure”.
I submit the message to Joseph is that as you have given them Hebrew names, they are fully part of the people of Israel. Don’t forget your heritage Joseph, make sure your sons know their heritage as well.
Jacob then subsequently blesses Ephraim over Manasseh. A reversal of their birth order.
In the past, Jacob deceived to get the first-born blessing from Isaac, but now under divine guidance, he does the same thing, blessing the younger over the older, but this time without deception.
Jacob is instructing Joseph, not only must you remember your heritage, you must also remember, God’s ways are not man’s ways.
Joseph, remind your children, they are not Egyptians, no, they are Israelites who follow God’s ways.
Why is it important, because of who God is. V2 Jacob says, God is God Almighty. V16, God is Jacob’s shepherd. This is the God who has kept His promises to Abraham, to Isaac and to me, Jacob.
Jacob is saying to Jospeh, this is my testimony, this is my faith, I identify with Yahweh.
His ways are higher than mine, His wisdom is greater, His promises are sure.
To finish well, may what we communicate with the next generation be our testimony of our identity in Christ and His Lordship over our lives.
Example, when our next generation look at us, can they affirm that Ps 19 is evident in our lives:
Ps 19:9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Finally, we see that at the end, Jacob reminds Jospeh of where his treasure should be.
Gen 48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
Jacob was so certain of God’s promise that his family will return to the Promised Land that he confidently gave Joseph a particular piece of it. A mountain slope that he had taken from the Amorites.
Joseph, remember, the treasures of Egypt pale in comparison to what God has given us in Canaan. Look forward to returning and to claiming your inheritance.
The writer of Hebrews gives us the spiritual perspective to what Abraham, Isaac and Jacob saw.
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Church, since we desire to finish well, may what we communicate with the next generation be our testimony of where our treasures lie.
Example, could they affirm that in the way we spend our time and money, it reflects the principle of Matthew 6:
Mt 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jacob finished well by blessing Joseph with his faith that reminded Joseph of God’s promises, what is his heritage and where his treasure should be.
Today, what kind of legacy of faith are we leaving behind? For many of us, we don’t know when the finishing line. But from now till then, Jacob shows us how we can finish well.
We finish well by walking by faith and that means remembering God’s promises, remembering our identity and remembering where our treasure lies.
Remember God’s grace and our accountability
After blessing Joseph by elevating Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob now addresses all his children in Genesis 49.
I submit that from Genesis 49, we can learn how to finish well through walking by faith, in that we remember God’s grace and our accountability.
According to one bible commentator, what we have before us in Genesis 49 is:
“A prophetic oracle concerned with the blessings of the tribes …. It serves to advance the record of the blessing to the subsequent generations of the tribes. The oracle also forms a parallel with the oracle of Noah (9:25-27), who at the end of the primeval events declared the blessing and cursing of the descendants on the basis of the actions of his sons, Shen, Ham and Japheth.” Ross, A.P
When Moses wrote this, the first readers were those who had come out of Egyptian slavery.
Moses was providing them an understanding of how the nation of Isreal came into being and also why the allocation of land in Canaan was as such and finally, a glimpse into the future characteristics of the respective tribes.
I submit, that as they observed blessings and curses with nearly every tribe, the fact that they still existed and that they will be inheriting the Promised Land, should make them realize that God was dealing graciously with them.
At the same time, it should make them realize also that their actions have consequences, not just in the immediate but even for the longer term, over subsequent generations.
Let’s just look at 2 portions. Firstly that of Reuben, Simeon and Levi. And then Secondly, Judah and Joseph.
Reuben, Simeon and Levi show very clearly that God will hold us accountable for our actions. That there will always be consequences which God can determined that we must face.
Reuben is stripped from his first-born status because he was too eager to claim it before it was time.
Remember in Gen 35:22 Reuben stacked his claim for the headship of the clan by lying with Bilhah, Jacob’s concubine.
But because he did that, the consequence is that Jacob took away his blessing and conferred it on Joseph instead.
The incident for Simeon and Levi was their response to the defilement of their sister Dinah. Simeon and Levi, deceived the men of Shechem into performing circumcision and when they were at their most vulnerable, slaughtered all the men of the town.
In Genesis 34, it was recorded that they plundered the city of its wealth and in Genesis 49, an additional detail is given. The oxen that they did not take away, they hamstrung them. Meaning they made lame, the oxen they left behind.
The excessiveness of their revenge is what Moses has recorded.
If we desire to finish well through walking by faith, Reuben, Simeon and Levi show us what not to do.
It reminds us, God sees, God knows and God will judge.
But thanks be to God, even as He judges, we see grace.
God still included these 3 sons as part of the nation of Israel and for Levi, though they will not have any land as inheritance, God changed their role to be His priests in the temple.
In Jacob’s blessings of his sons, we see that 50% of it was reserved for Joseph and Judah.
Let’s look at Joseph first. His life from the age of 17 to 30 was truly an act of God’s gracious sustenance. He went through hell, yet we know that Joseph stood faithful to God throughout.
Gen 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. 23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, 24 yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel).
In Potiphar’s house, he explicitly said that he could not commit sin against God with his mistress.
In prison, he told Pharoah that it was God not Jospeh who was interpreting the dream.
To his brothers, he said it was God who had sent him to Egypt for the purpose of preserving the family.
So by God’s grace, Jacob says, Joseph will be fruitful, so fruitful that his vine will overrun the wall. He will also be preserved though there will be enemies.
Why was it possible for Joseph to be faithful, it was because God is the Mighty One of Jacob who is the Shepherd and the Stone of Israel.
God is mighty meaning He is powerful. God is Shepherd, He cares and provides, God is the Stone of Israel, God is immovable and a solid foundation.
This is the God that Joseph put His faith in despite his challenging circumstances.
Is this the God whom we worship today as well? Yes, it is and so, may it be evident through our words, actions and attitudes.
But the greatest blessing I submit is reserved for Judah.
Judah, like Jacob made a significant turnaround.
Judah was instrumental in selling Joseph to Egypt. His infamous deeds with Tamar his daughter-in-law is recorded for all human history in Genesis 38.
Yet, we have seen his sacrificial love for Jacob and Joseph in Genesis 44.
In spite of Judah’s past, God graciously elevated the clan of Judah in Genesis 49.
Gen 49:8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
Joseph was PM, but Jacob said, all his brothers (including Joseph) will bow to the tribe of Judah.
Why, because Judah will have the royal kingship, for the scepter will not depart from Judah.
And with the kingship will also come abundant prosperity. Judah will even wash his garments in wine.
In God’s gracious dealings with Judah, history will show that God will bring forth King David and ultimately our Lord Jesus Christ.
Church, since we desire to finish well, the lives of Joseph and Judah are an encouragements for us.
I submit that we have a familiar New Testament text that speaks of our gift of grace and our accountability towards God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
And if we are still wondering how to apply Eph 2 in our lives, may the following be instructive for us:
Mic 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Jas 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Very similar in focus and content, one from the OT and another from the NT.
Fellow pilgrims, how are we heading to our finishing line? Are we running with the eyes of faith like Eric Liddell, or are we crawling to it?
According to John Wesley, what one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.
Another version of the same idea is – what one generation neglects the next generation will reject.
The impact of our lives will affect subsequent generations.
Church, are we determined to finish well? Jacob, Joseph and Judah did.
Let’s thank the Lord that Moses preserved Jacob’s family legacy for our edification.
As recipients of God’s grace, we have an accountability towards being good stewards of His grace.
We are to finish well by walking like Jacob, Joseph and Judah.
Remember God’s sovereign providence
To close, may I encourage us that we are enabled to walk by faith when we remember God’s sovereign providence.
The life of Jacob and his family is filled with God’s providence.
We see how God works circumstances together to accomplish His purposes. We see that everything is accomplished according to God’s plan and intentions.
We observe too, that God’s providence teaches us that He is sovereign and in complete control.
And I pray that this truth God’s sovereign providence, will be our comfort and our assurance that enables us to walk by faith.
After the fall, God in Genesis 3 promised:
Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
In today’s passage, God promised through Jacob and Judah, a King who will conquer all:
Gen 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Revelations the last book of the bible tells us, in the light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is the assured future:
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” …. 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Church, in Christ, our future is secured. We have been enabled to run our race like Eric Liddell, John Sung, and Uncle Ong.
John Sung was an evangelist whose ministry impacted south-east asia in the early 20th century. One of which was Ps Timothy Tow who founded the BP denomination.
Uncle Robert Ong started a church in his home that grew into Mt Carmel BP Church. And from Carmel came both Hermon and Horeb.
In Christ, we have been enabled to burst across the finishing line with the words of 2 Tim 4 ringing in our ears:
2 Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
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