Why 12 Does Not Equal 12

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 130

Psalm 130 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Scripture memory: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:2-13 (Gideon)

Ephesians 1:2–13 ESV

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Sermon:

Good Morning Church! I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

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Well once again, and as always, good morning church. Was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord. So, just last week, I finally got my framed. Master's degree from Seminary. I got it hung on the wall. And it's a bit of trivia to get that, and to take all the classes.

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Pay a lot of money and. You have to take a. Bible literacy test in order for them to give you the diploma where they ask some.

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Highly detailed questions. Questions that probably almost anyone who's been to church for most of their life could answer. Just about the content, the flow, The Narrative, the structure. Of the Bible. Different verses that had to be memorized different passages. You know you need to reference? Hey, if you need to talk to someone about the effects of sin, where should you go Romans 1?

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If you want to talk about what faith is? Hebrews would be a helpful place Hebrews 11. If you want to talk about? The golden chain of Salvation. Where do you go in Roman? So just these sorts of questions? One of them, and one that often scares a lot of people.

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Is naming the tribes of Israel? Now, most of us. Would say how many tries are? There's 12 tribes, and that is. The technically? Correct answer. But just, so we're clear how? Where would you go? How would you find out the 12 tries well? One of the best places you could go would be next week's passage, Genesis 49, where Jacob will bless his sons, Jacob, also named Israel.

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He will bless his sons, and you could scroll through them and would help you to start naming the 12 tribes. Reuben Simeon Levi, Judah Zebulon, issachar Dan. Gad Asher Nepali. Benjamin. It's 11. Ephraim and Manasseh. Those aren't in Genesis 49. But that's also 13. For those of you who are counting?

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But we say there's 12 tribes. Why? You might have noticed a name I didn't say when I listed off the tribes. We don't count there to be a tribe. Of Joseph instead. Joseph's two oldest sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. We count as. Half tribes. So, why does 12 not equal 12?

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Well, because the 12 tribes is 13 names, it's 11 tribes and then two half tribes. Why is it like that? Well, Genesis 48 what we will be covering today? Will help us get into the details. Why do we have two half tribes? Why, when we come to Joshua and we're giving out land and apportioning land to each tribe there.

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The numbers are even more confusing, why 12 doesn't equal 12 because their 12 does equal 12, but we're skipping someone. Because we have 10 plus one half. Plus one plus one half. And that's 12. But then, we're missing the entire tribe of Levi because they don't get land in the same way.

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The rest of the tribes get land, and it all gets very confusing. And yet, it's all part of. God's plan. If Genesis, the story of Genesis is the story of what God is doing in the beginning. A story of how God will preserve and protect and call a people.

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This people will eventually grow into a nation as he promised to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. They would grow and be blessed and be a blessing. Understanding why we have, what tribes we have, and how this works out. It's actually very important, and this passage will be important for the original context of the people entering into the promised land right before Joshua and even during the time of Joshua.

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Okay, well, how do we make sure everyone gets what they deserve? Well, we have to make sure that Ephraim and NASA? The tribes thereof. Get their fair share, and it turns out their fair share. Well, we'll read. It's pretty good share. And so Genesis 48. Where Jacob will bless the sons of Joseph?

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Begins tying a bow. This is in many ways. The beginning of the end? Of Genesis. We have, including this sermon six sermons left. Covering new things. And then, as I like to do one sermon trying to preach the entire Book of Genesis to summarize and give us a something to remember on our way out of this book, but this is the beginning of the end.

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And one of the ways we tie a bow is bringing Joseph back into the fold in a very particular and very powerful. Way. So why doesn't 12 equal 12? Because Joseph and his sons are extra special would be the short answer Genesis 48, we will, even though it's long read the whole thing together, and then try to understand how this text works together and what it can teach us.

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Genesis 48, starting in verse 1 after this. This being everything that's come before in Joseph's life, Joseph was told. Behold, your father. Is ill. So he took with him. Two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And he was told to Jacob and he was told to Jacob your son. Joseph has come to you.

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That Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. And Jacob said to Joseph. God Almighty appeared to me at lose 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 company of peoples and will give this land to your Offspring after you for an everlasting possession.

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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 ammonasseh shall be mined as Reuben and Simeon are. And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers and their inheritance.

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As for me when I came from padan to my sorrow, Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way. When there was still some distance to go to Epreth, and I buried her there on the way to Eparith, that is Bethlehem. When Israel saw Joseph's Sons, he said, who are these?

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Joseph said to his father. They are my sons, whom God has given me here. He said, bring them to me please that I may bless them. Now, the eyes of Israel were dimmed with AIDS so that he could not see. So, Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them, and Israel said to Joseph.

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I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your Offspring also. Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the Earth. And Joseph took them both Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel's right hand, and he brought them near to him.

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And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid on the head of Ephraim, the younger. And his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands from Manasseh, was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph and said the god before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac was. The God Who has been my shepherd all my life long.

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To this day, the angel, who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys. And in them. Let my name be carried on and the name of my father, Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him.

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And he took his father's hand to move it from ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, not this way. Father, since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head. The father refused and said, I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people and also shall be great nevertheless.

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His younger brother shall be greater than he and his offspring shall become a multitude of Nations. So, he blessed them that day, saying by you, Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, God, make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh. Thus, he put Ephraim before Manasseh. Then, Israel said to Joseph. Behold, I am about to die.

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But God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. Moreover. I have given to you rather than to your brothers. One mountain slope that I took from the hands of the amorites with my sword. With my bow. So the words of the Lord this morning?

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Let's open our time together with a word of prayer. Dealer. We thank you for your goodness. And your grace. For the love that you have shown to us for the overwhelming blessings given to us by your work, your grace, and your mercy. We thank you for Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and Savior.

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The one who knew no sin, who became sin for us? The one in whom all of your promises find their yes and amen. The one in whom we stand secure? Held. By your grace and love and goodness. May you speak to our hearts, conform us into the image of your son.

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May we be changed by the hearing of your word. It's in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

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As the text opens up, here's a bit of Bible trivia for you. Genesis 48, verse 1, is the first time we read explicitly of someone being ill. Joseph. Having seen his father, his father now dwelling in Egypt under the protection and provision of pharaoh and Joseph. He's old. He, he's very old.

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We looked at this last week. Nearing 147 years old. And he's ill. Ill here. We know and understand context tells us to the point of death. And Joseph hears your father is sick. You need to go see him. And so, Joseph approaches his father with his sons. Knowing? This is likely.

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The last time that they will have any sort of interaction. Some of us are blessed. To be able to to know this sort of experience a little bit. My grandfather a few years ago passed away. And we knew his time was coming. And so the whole family? Got to take a trip out to Pennsylvania.

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We got to go see him. He got to see his. Children, his grandchildren, and even some of his great-grandchildren before he passed. And though, it's sorrowful because it's someone's passing. There's a beauty. That is granted by God sometimes. To be able to see God's promises. It's a bless and keep and grow and multiply God's faithfulness.

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On display. And here we see it. And we see it in this interaction between Jacob. His beloved Son, Joseph, and Joseph's two oldest. Ephraim in Manasseh. And what we have given to us in the first portion here of this text. Is a picture of an ancient near East formal.

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Adoption. What we have recorded is a formal. And and beautiful picture of what it looks like to adopt someone in this day and age. Right in the modern day and age? It looks like going before the judge. There's a whole process and questions get asked, and legal rights are transferred.

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There's a formality to it and here as well. We have the formality. It starts. As a sort of the way Covenant ceremony starts. Joseph approaches Jacob. And Jacob then begins to recount the promises, the goodness and the history of God's dealings with him. In verse 3, Joe Jacob says to Joseph, God appeared to me at lose and land of Canaan and blessed me.

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And here's the promise, I'll be fruitful and multiply. He would grow me. The promise is given to my grandfather, Abraham. My father, Isaac, God gave to me. When he had the vision, we have to remember back to earlier in Genesis of of the Angels going up and down the ladder, God meeting God, promising.

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A couple times God met with Jacob at lose. And here, Jacob begins to recount. God made this promise. He promised me that my children would inherit the promised land. And so. Verse 5. Your two sons? Who were born to you in the land of Egypt. Before I came to you, the two sons.

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That Jacob had no idea existed before the. Everything we've looked at for the past month. Plus, at this point of Jacob trig, or Joseph tricking his brothers and coming back, and now Jacob has to go and we send the Caravan and they're blessed. I didn't even know you had these kids.

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You had these children. They were born in Egypt, but They are verse 5. They are mine. We name them explicitly. Ephraim in Manassas shall be mined as. Reuben. And Simeon R. We'll look at this in detail in our Grace group discussion this week, but just to remind us who were the first two born?

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To Jacob. His oldest Reuben second Sime. It's not just like, oh yeah, your two sons will be like my two sons, and he just picks two out of a hat, uh Reuben and Simeon. These are intentionally the two oldest. What's being formalized here? Reuben and Simeon are no longer the firstborns.

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They have forfeited their rights in order of inheritance Reuben because he slept with his father's concubine. We noted this earlier Simeon because he went on a murderous Rampage in the defiling of Diana. They both forfeited their position as first and second born. And they're not replaced by now. Going to the third, what Jacob is saying here in this formal adoption, is Ephere Manasseh are now?

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Placed in a position. Of high blessing. And. Just like. This is the way we can think through this, just like Jacob himself. Usurp the birth order. And he cheated his brother out of his Blessing. Well, first he conned his brother out of his Birth, right? And then he cheated him out of his Blessing.

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Now, he is willingly doing the same sort of thing. By making Ephere Manasseh. In this place. Freeman answer shall be mine as Reuben and Simeonar. In verse 6, the other children. So, Joseph, it turns out, had more than two. But these are the two named ones, the rest of Joseph's children will be absorbed into the two half-tribes now of Ephraim and NASA that we are creating at this point.

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And they shall be called by the name of their brothers and their inheritance.

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Efra Manasseh will have a place of prominence all your other Sons. They are also part. They will just be under these Suns. As for me, when I came to bed on my sorrow to my sorrow, Rachel died. And that's where she is Barry. We end this history lesson. The note of Sorrow?

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And this is particular even to Joseph. Because it's not just one of his dad's wives. It's Joseph's mother. She died and she was buried in Bethlehem. The history lesson's over. We continue. Verse 8, when Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, who are these? Now, what's going on here? Didn't he just say that these would be mine?

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Shouldn't he know these kids, yes? Part of the reason? I think it's best to read this as a formal adoption is actually this question. By way of example that we would know in a modern time. I have had the blessing and privilege of doing quite a few marriages. In the very beginning, we ask a question.

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In fact, every wedding I've done. We actually have asked this question, which is good. We're throwing a lot awful. Lot of the traditional things. I think some traditions are good. At the beginning of every marriage, as many of every mayor wedding not marriage at the beginning of every wedding.

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We ask a question I as the the. A fisherkint, the guy doing the wedding, ask a question. Who is it that gives This Woman's hand in marriage? Now, we've already done a rehearsal. Everyone at the wedding is a friend or family and knows exactly who this person is. Everyone in the bridal party knows what's going on here.

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Why do we ask, who is this? That gives This Woman's hand in marriage. Well, it's part of the formal traditional ceremony. And the father says. I do. We often have the father and the mother say we do.

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Who is it that gives this woman's head marriage? We all know the answer, but we ask the question, who are these? We know the answer, but we ask the question. To formalize it. Joseph gives the formal answer. These are my sons whom God has given. Me here. He kisses them.

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He lays his hands on them, and he gives a blessing. Verse 15, the god before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked. He's the god of Abraham, so Abraham walked before. He's the god of Isaac. That's who. Isaac walked before. He's the god of Jacob. He's the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.

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The God Who is with him who cared for him who provided for him who who held him in his moments of weakness and mourning when he thought Joseph was dead. The God Who blessed him and cared for him and provided for him when he found out his son was alive.

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The angel, who has redeemed me from all evil. This here is a reference to the angel of the Lord who we looked at a long time ago. He's the one who appeared to. A lot of people. In particular, we we looked at this in the story of Abraham before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

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When the angel of the Lord and two other visitors came, we said, this is likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. That's who we're referencing here. So this is God through and through the god. Of Abraham Isaac, The God Who is a shepherd, and the one who redeemed. Jacob. Bless these boys!

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May God bless them. May God be over them. In them. Jacob says, let my name be carried on and the name of my father's Abraham and Isaac and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. The same promise given to my sons. Jacob is now passing down to Joseph's Sons.

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They are receiving a position of Honor. Of privilege. And a position of blessing. They are blessed. They will become in and of themselves tribes. So, why is there no tribe of Joseph because there's two? His sons. Receive this position of of. Honor. And privilege. This is a blessing. But if we note glazed over some of the important details?

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This is a crossed blessing. This language is important. There's there's an emphasis in this whole text on right hand left hand. To be a place at the right hand is the position of highest honor and blessing. Right? If we're saying Reuben and Simeon were first and second born for Ephraim and Manasseh to replace them, one's going to have to replace firstborn one's going to have to replace second born.

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And you would think. And maybe you wouldn't? If we're being honest, we've seen enough in Genesis where God chooses the lesser the weaker, the second. Jacob, I have loved Esa. I have hated. The Jacob gets the blessing. The younger Shall Serve the older because two are warring. The blessing goes to Isaac, not to Ishmael.

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Like, there's there's a pattern here, so maybe we should expect it. But Joseph doesn't. Joseph intentionally, we read this. He takes them. He has Ephraim in his right hands. His youngest son is in his right hand. So that when he gives it to his father. He's by his father's left hand, right?

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That's how it works if you're facing one another. My right, my right, is your left. My left is your right? So in his? Right hands. He has the younger to approach his father's left hand, so in his left hand. He has the older so that when he puts them forward.

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Elder will be by his father's right hand. And Israel stretched out his right hand. And he laid it on the head of Ephraim. Who was the younger verse 14? And his left hand. On the head of Manasseh crossing his hands. So, if we picture this two sons, Joseph, we're told, has been thoughtful, as he always is in his planning here, organizing it down to the detail.

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Okay, we're gonna go see Dad. I will present the children this way so that when my dad lays hands on them, it will be done. But Jacob doesn't lay hands like this. He crosses them. Inverting the birth order. He blesses them and the blessing. We read the go. My father's, The God Who was My Shepherd, the angel who redeemed me, bless these boys.

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Verse 17, when Joseph saw his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him.

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I went to all this work. Right. Joseph is a like a lot of sons. Man, I love my dad, but went to all this work. I planned it all out. Why? Come on, Dad. This wasn't hard. Why did you have to do this? Maybe it's because he's old, he's he can't see well.

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This is another family pattern. The dad can't see well, and so the blessing goes to the wrong son. We've seen this play out. Joseph is displeased. He tries to take his father's hand. Physically move the the blessing that is crossed, right? So, this isn't, like? Nefarious cross. I mean this, literally.

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The hands are crossed. He takes the hands at her cross. He tries to uncross them. No, no, no father. This is not the right way. This one's the older. This one. The one you put your left hand on? He was. Why would you do this? You messed up the birth order?

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Jacob knows. I have been.

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One of the most critical people of Jacob, as we've gone through this story, though some of you have been more critical. I understand that. And we should be critical when criticism is due, but we should also give credit where credit is due. Jacob has begun to understand live his life and see with eyes of Faith.

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And on one hand, we could say it this way. If your son raised from the dead, how would you not then begin to live with faith? If God can raise Joseph from the dead, what else can he do? Anything. But as he begins to walk in faith, he begins to see.

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That God's pattern and God's plan? Doesn't work the way we would want it to. Always. Or it doesn't work. Maybe the better way to say this the way we think it should? Always. He knows. The birth order doesn't matter. I know who's older, and who's younger. I blessed who I blessed.

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Because God through the Holy spirit is leading him to do this. I know. Verse 19, I know what I did. You think it was natural for me to cross my hands and bless? It's much more natural to just go boom. Boom. Bless them to to do this, and then do this and bless the children.

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It's. Of course, I know what I'm doing.

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Know this. The younger shall be greater than he.

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And his offspring shall become a multitude of Nations, so he blessed them again, saying by Israel. By you. Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, God, make you as Ephraim. And Manasseh. Though, they were born Manasse and Ephraim here now. And really, for all time. Ephraim. I'm a NASA. Thus, he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

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The the cross blessing is a picture of this.

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God will bless who he wants. Efra Manasseh. She could have just blessed Joseph and called it a day. And he will bless. Joseph, we'll see this next week.

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But here, he's pouring out blessing on every Manassa. He'll bless who he wants, how he wants. The younger shall serve the older. Using the Folly of God, confounds the wisdom of the wisest man. Doing things the way he desires. Then, who are Ephraim and NASA, right? If we, if we just think through this?

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Nowhere do we read? Manasseh. Complaining. That this is what happened. He's still a tribe. Still elevated to this position, still given something he. Has no Earthly right to.

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Still a blessing. Though it looks different than we might expect. Though it's different than what Joseph it seems desire.

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Still a blessing. And the cross here teaches us.

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I mean, here's the way the pun works. The cross here teaches us what the cross. Some thousands of years later will teach us. That God's ways are not our ways. And praise the Lord for that.

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It's a cross blessing. And then we end with. A Monumental. Gift.

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Israel says to Joseph verse 21, behold, I am about to die.

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I was reading one of my commentaries. This is one of the greatest blessings. I'm talking about cross blessings, blessings that feel a little different. But when we understand, we see the beauty. The fact that Israel knows? Lived a full life.

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We looked earlier.

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Verse 11. Israel says to Joseph. I never expected to see your face and behold. God has let me see your Offspring too. And now my time is drawing to a close. But know this? Here's the first part of this gift. It's the blessing of the presence of God. God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers, Joseph.

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Though you have spent time in Exile in Egypt, though you have been enslavery in Egypt, though. Now you are raised to prominence in Egypt, though you have an Egyptian wife, an Egyptian Sons. Though in many ways, you are a son and a child of Egypt just as much as you're a son and child of Jose Jacob at this point.

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Know this. God will bring you back home. Your time in Egypt is nothing but a soldier. God will bring you back to the lands of your fathers. Joseph, you're going back to the promised land, too. Maybe not physically. In fact, we know the story literally, not physically.

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But Joseph's bones will be brought. Texas makes a big ordeal about this idea. Joseph's not going to be left in Egypt? He will be brought, moreover. I've given to you rather than to your brothers.

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Slope.

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That I took from the hands of the amorites with my sword and with my bow. Joseph. Is given a whole mountain.

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On top of all the land and the inheritance, that's going now to his kids.

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Joseph is given one more blessing. It's a gift. It's a whole Mountainside.

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The time of Sorrow. Time of difficulty. The time of being a part. The feeling? Of difficulty. If we go back to chapter 42?

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Sorry, 41.

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We read of the birth of Ephraim and NASA.

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Genesis 41, verse 50 before the year of famine, came. Two sons were born to Joseph. Assavanth, a daughter of potiphera priest of on, bore them to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. Four, he said. God has made me forget all my hardship. And all my father's house.

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The name of the second he called Ephraim for God has made me fruitful in the land of. Affliction. Eframan NASA, their very names. Symbolized that Joseph. Far away. One, he looks his son's like, well. Praise the Lord. I have a family here. It makes the pain. I don't even remember the pain of.

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Losing my family in the land of my father's, I don't. I don't. The Pain's gone. Ephraim. God made me fruitful. On the line of my fathers. Informing the land of my Affliction in Egypt. Bring names tied up with Joseph being far apart being outside, not being part of the household, the fold, and the family of God.

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Yet, here we see the full story. God was working. This Joseph was never outside of God's plan care. He was never outside of the fold, just as Jacob could say. In verse 15, The God Who has been my shepherd all my lifelong to this day, Joseph can say the same thing.

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And to remember this, he's not given.

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I don't mean this to make this seem diminutive in any way a pile of stones. Often, we're given a pile of stones to remember. Even in Genesis, we've seen this when, when Jacob had the dream of Bethel, he sets up a pile. He sets the pillow pillow into a pillar.

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Joseph is given a whole Mountain. To remember the faithfulness. Of God. A mountain that will come with a high price. To be taken from the hand of the amorites with my sword and with my bow.

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Given a monument.

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As a testimony of God's goodness.

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His faithfulness. His care and protection.

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In modern days. We sort of.

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Think better. Of certain ways of of reading the Old Testament. There's something that's known as the allegorical way of reading most of the Old Testament. Where we look at these all these stories. I'm, like, oh, this is allegories. We need to be careful because this is a true story that happened in history and God is working out a plan to bring it about that.

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Many people should be kept alive as they are today.

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But when you look at the story in this way. My Hope and prayer is that you can be encouraged. To Think Through. Just how much God? Has blessed you.

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The gospel, according to John chapter 1. Verse 12, but to all who did receive him? Who believed in his name. He gave the right to become children of God who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of Flesh, nor will of man, but of God. To all those who call upon the name of Jesus.

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You have received a formal adoption into the family. Of God.

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Ephesians. Chapter one. Verse 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him?

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In love. He predestined us for adoption to himself as Sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. To the praise of his glorious Grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved in him. We have Redemption through his blood, the Forgiveness of our trespasses. According to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will.

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According to the purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him. Things in heaven. And things on.

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Can't think. Of any greater blessing.

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James, chapter 1,

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Speaker 1

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verse 16. Do not be deceived. My beloved Brothers.

38:49

Good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or Shadow due to change? Of his own will. He brought us forth by the word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits. Of his creatures.

39:13

It's no greater gift. And in fact, it turns out every gift. Every good gift, every perfect gift. Every Monumental gift, every gift given to us. By God. Through Jesus Christ.

39:31

This isn't a direct allegory. We don't look at this and think, oh, well. This symbolizes this, and this is how you read this. This is what we say. The same God who's working this blessing about for Ephraim, Manasseh, and Joseph is the same God. Who's working, blessing, to all who call upon the name of Jesus?

39:54

So stand firm in your adoption as a son of God most.

40:02

Live in the goodness of the blessing that God has given to us, even if it feels different. And even, it's not quite how you think it should go. Understand that you have been given a Monumental, enormous, Eternal weight of goodness in God in his great gifts to you. May we live and walk in these truths?

40:30

Let's pray.

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