Day 30, January 30 Bible Reading

Day 30,  January 30

Gen. 47:28 – (chap)48     Jacob’s last wish / Jacob blesses Manasseh and Ephraim

Gen. 49 – 50:14     Jacob blesses his sons / Jacob’s death and funeral

Gen. 50:15-26       Joseph reassures his brothers / Joseph’s death

Gen. 47:28-Gen. 48

• 47:28-31 Jacob put Joseph’s hand under his thigh (remember Abraham and his servant doing this also?) and made Joseph’s swear that he will not be buried in Egypt
  
  

• 48:1-8 Jacob elevated Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim to be his sons, and placed them as part of the blessings of Abraham, to be included in the inheritance of the land. They became one of the twelve tribes of Israel with the same status as those who came out of Jacob’s loins.  In this way Joseph received a double portion.
  
  

• Note also one of the things Jacob reminded Joseph was that the land would be an everlasting blessing.  This English word “everlasting” can be a bit misleading at times. OK, at ALL times. In the Hebrew, it is a term that is related to the duration of an age. It does not mean “without end.” Essentially, God was giving the land of Canaan to Joseph’s descendants for a certain period of time, for an age. It can end when it is fulfilled. In one fulfillment, during Solomon’s reign, we showed, Israel occupied the land from the Euphrates to the Nile, fulfilling Abraham'spromise. This has a huge bearing on today. 
  
  

• This is key. Abraham’s covenant was fulfilled in Christ.  Do you remember when we showed that Jesus said He was Jacob’s ladder in his interaction with Nathanael, that Christ identified Himself as the Stone, as the Land, as the Gate of Heaven, from which God resides.  Christ identified Himself as the Land where God Dwells and to Which Jacob/ Israel would be gathered.God is no longer after natural seed, natural descendants and a physical land after Christ.  We insult Christ when we still talk about Jewish descendants or land as an eternal possession.
  
  

• 48:9-20 When Jacob performed the crossed arm blessing of the sons of Joseph, he removed Rueben from firstborn rights and declared that His name "Israel" was Ephraim's right.  This is significant. You cannot call any nation Israel without Ephraim being found. Ephraim [with Manasseh] OWNS THE NAME of Israel.  Those people in the Middleeast cannot be called Israel without Ephraim. 

• The Birthright was then split between Judah [The Ruler] and Joseph [The Kingdom]  when Reuben fell because of a sexual sin (nothing new under the sun). [1 Chron 5:2] 

• Where is Ephraim? They were conquered by and absorbed into Assyria about 720 BC. Ephraim never returned in 1948. They are lost via the Assyrian deportation. From a natural point of view, the nation that formed in 1948 usurped the name Israel. Should be called Judah. If we can find Ephraim we can find Israel.  The real question is who is Ephraim? Jer 31 is a prophecy account Ephraim, but Matt 2:18, shows it was Christ who fulfilled Ephraim the firstborn.  We have found Ephraim.  It is not the lost 10 tribes.  It is Christ. Christ is the New Israel. Christ is Judah the King.  Christ has a Kingdom, His Ephraim.
  
  

• 48: 21 Jacob said he will give to Joseph an inheritance in a land he took by force from the Amorites. This seems to have been the parcel of ground near Shechem, which Jacob purchased from Hamor, the prince of the country, (Genesis 33:19,).

Gen. 49-Gen. 50:14

• 49:1-2 Jacob gathered his sons to bless them.  Note he said he will tell them what will occur in the last days.  That;s interesting because many people think we are living in the last days now.  Let’s see.
   

• 49: 3-4 Rueben, who signia is Man, is the firstborn but is as unstable as water and will never excel because he defiled Jacob’s bed. This blessing was a curse
  
  

• 49:5-7 Next Simeon and Levi, who lft carnage at Shechem when Dinah was raped.  They are full of violence.  It was said that it was Simeon’s idea to throw Joseph in the pitm which is why Joseph held him in prison as surety for Benjamin. Cursed be their anger and their wrath for it is cruel. Simeon’s tribe was insignificant.  Question: Do you know someone who is perpetually angry or always resorts to violence or shouting or insulting to resolve conflict?  That is an unstable person./

• 49:8-12 Judah is blessed with the kingly aspect of the birthright.  Note the references to Christ all over as a lion, and the sceptre not departing.  This is a clue on when the last days were.  It was the days when Christ came upon the earth.  It cannot get clearer than that.
  
  

• 49:13 Zebulun is popeye the sailor man
  
  

• 49:14-15 Issachar is work horse donkey
  
  

• 49: 16-18 Dan is a judge in Israel, and also a serpent causing people to trip up.  Dan’s signia is actually an eagle (judge) holding a serpent in its talons. Only God can save someone from a Dan. Do you know someone who can accurately judge a situation, oprivide answers, but his motive is not good and his goal is to only trip people up, to cause people to fall?  Note Dan was removed as a tribe in Rev 7 from the 144,000
  
  

• 49:19  Gad was Hercules, a strong man
  
  

• 49:20 Asher is blessed with rich food
  
  

• 49:21 Napthali is a swift runner and a poet.
  
  

• 49: 22-26.  Lots of Blessings for Joseph. He is a fruitful vine; nothing stops him from going over a wall; no challenge or trauma or setback is too great to overcome.  Ephraim was mighty in war. Multiple blessings on him. We see hints of the Messiah here also, as the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
  
  

• 49:27-28 Benjamin is not only a fertile stud but a ravenous wolf.
  
  

• 49:29-33 Jacob died after giving instructions that he wants to be buried in the same cave as Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekkah and Leah.
  
  

• 50:1-14 40 days to embalm him and 70 days to mourn him.  That is a long time.  Good you imagine the procession from Egypt at this burial?

• The writer of Hebrews described what Jacob did, blessing his sons as an act of faith. All fathers should bless their sons some time in their lives.  Heb 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Gen. 50:15-26

• 50:15-21 The brothers were afraid that Joseph would mistreat them when Jacon died.  They reassured that he would not.
  
  

• 50:22-26 Joseph lived until 110 years old, that is over 80 plus years in Egypt.  He died also, and made the children of Israel give and oath to take his bones from there when God visits Israel.  Interestingly he could have been buried with his father, but he chose to remain in Egypt until God came for the entire nation.  That was faith. Heb 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.