A Father's Blessing

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 131

Psalm 131 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Of David. O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Scripture Memorization: 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 2:1-10 (Micah)

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Sermon:

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

This morning we turn our attention to, once again, the end of the Book of Genesis. We have - after this - four more sermons in this wonderful series.

I for one have been blessed by our time in the Book of Genesis. I pray that you have as well. To see God at work, to see his Sovereign hands in the lives of All things and all people, but in particular Those whom he's called and loved. It's been a blessing. And as we come to the end of Genesis, the focus in some ways? Shifts just a little bit.

So, I have titled this sermon series Genesis in the beginning God. Which is partly a Hint to or an allusion to Genesis 1, 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. But the larger thought is that Genesis is telling us all the things that God is doing in the beginning. He's creating everything. He's orchestrating pre-history. He's calling Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and so Genesis is for certain a book of Beginnings and what God is doing there. But I'd like to think of it this way to help. Maybe just push this illustration just a little.

Genesis being about the beginning is sort of like the foundation. For, in many ways, the story of all of scripture. But in the foundation. Is contained. The beginnings of everything that a building will be. The foundation covers the floor plan. That Foundation is strong enough and has to be built such that it can support the weight of whatever is going on top. You build the foundation first because it becomes the foundation Bedrock and. And it looks forward towards everything that's going to come. And in Genesis chapter 49, what we will be looking at today?

We have. What is in many ways? One of the most forward-looking passages. Let me say it this way. Explicitly forward-looking passages in Genesis.

For certain. Genesis 3, which we've looked at. Over and over and over again. As we've gone through Genesis, where God is speaking to the serpent, the man and the woman to the serpent, he says. I shall Place enmity between you and the woman. You shall between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpents. And you shall bruise his heel, and he shall bruise your head. There's a certainly a looking forward To the Advent to the coming of Christ. In the promises to Abraham. Certainly, those are forward-looking the promises for land that Abraham had to hold on to. Not owning any land, but rather looking forward to the city whose foundation and Builder is God, and so these promises are forward-looking blessing that will grow into a nation. We look forward.

But here in Genesis 49, what we have is. An explicit. Blessing from a father about what shall happen in the days to come? We end Genesis, looking forward to knowing God has been in control. God is in control and that God will continue to be in control. So His Sovereign plan. What what he has seen fit to bring it about the many people should be kept alive It will be seen in Takeing place in particular seen in the blessing of a father To his twelve Sons

Genesis chapter 49, verses 1 through 28 this morning.

Genesis 49:1–28 ESV

Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father. “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch! “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. 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. “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. 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? 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. 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. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. “Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor. “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, O Lord. “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. “Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, 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), by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.” All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.

These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's begin our time together with a word of prayer.

Dear Lord, We do thank you for your goodness and Grace. For your mercy given to us for the wonderful blessings poured out upon us. you who loved us so much that you would send your son. Will you not with him graciously give to us all things. And so we thank you for the hope for the goodness for the restoration, the healing, and the blessing that we have and your son, our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. May you speak to our hearts, stir our affections towards you. I asked this morning that you would speak through your servant. It's in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. And amen.

A blessing. Given to the twelve Sons. Here, called in verse 28, the 12 tribes of Israel. This blessing given to them lays the foundation of The history of The people of God. The growth. The nature. The developments, the character. Of the people of God's seen. In the Twelve Tribes of Israel as they grow to a nation, but then laying the foundation for the arrival of. Our Savior. This is a very important passage. As it looks forward with a trajectory that ultimately will “Deliver Us”… and even that, to say this will “deliver us” And we just say it. That way it will Deliver Us Jesus. It will bring him to us, but ultimately we find our Deliverance In seed form here. And so the first thing I want us to note is this is a prophetic. Blessing!

a PROPHETIC Blessing

This is a blessing given to Sons. With an explicitly? And importantly, forward-looking Arc.

Now, prophecy. As we talk about prophecy, it's important we don't misconstrue what it truly is. Prophecy is not just predicting what will happen in the future, like some biblical Nostradamus, that? Oh well, this will happen, and then this will happen, and this will happen. That is SOMETIMES a part of Prophecy. But I would make the argument that it's actually a small portion of Prophecy.

And to make it clear, This idea of of looking forward and predicting what will happen is a subservient part? It's a secondary part to the true nature of Prophecy, which is. Proclaiming the truth, the justice, the will, and the words of God.

In many ways. What we should think through the way you should think through is this person a prophet? Do they have the authority to say “This is what God has said.” To say it in an old-fashionedly way, “thus saith the Lord”.

Anyone who gets up in front of the people and calls the people of God according and calls him out of their sin and calls them to return and says, this is what God has said. That's the more defining nature. Right, a prophet would come. And say, this is what the Lord has said: turn from your sinful ways. This is what the Lord has said. Idols are foolish. Those who worship them are foolish, and you like sheep have gone astray. The prophets. Come and say, what a fool you are. For with the same piece of wood, you fashion and create an idol. You bow down to worship, and that same piece of wood you put it in the furnace and you use it to heat your house. You think it hears you? And then you burn it? You're a fool.

This is what God has said to you.

A prophet comes and says the vineyard of the Lord that he carefully cared for and worked out has now abandoned him. And so he will abandon it, thus saith the Lord. And then. Often, a prophet will say, this is what will take place. To prove that I'm not just telling you, you need to return to the Lord. I will tell you what God has in plan what God has in store. And so the the forward-looking prediction of Prophecy? Is, it serves the purpose of the Prophet coming and saying, this is what God has said.

And so here. What we need to understand is these are judgments. Blessings! Curses. Wisdom. and yes Forward-Looking thoughts? From God given by Jacob.

In verse 1, Jacob calls his sons and says, gathers yourselves that I may tell you what shall happen to you. In the days to come. Now when he says this is what's going to happen to you Who is he trusting to be Sovereign over the things that are to come? It is the Lord!

Come and listen, o sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. Israel, who has this name because he wrestled with God? And God changed his name. The God who saves The God Who delivers

Verse 18, I wait for your salvation Oh Lord.

What Jacob is doing is He blesses his sons. Is is looking forward to what God will do and is saying, this is what God is saying is going to happen to you. Jacob is speaking with the words of God. We know this. Because they're recorded for us in scripture. Which is on some surface level. Scripture is the inspired word of God. Everything in here is God's words to us and everything we need for life and godliness. And so, in some sense, everything contained here in scripture are the words of God and anything that anyone says are the words that God has ordained.

But here in a particular way. Jacob is speaking forth a prophecy over his sons. It's surely a blessing. How do we know it's a blessing? Well, we use David's trick number one. Number one David trick, which is if you see a repeated word or phrase, it's probably important. This is why I included verse 28 in our passage for today.

Genesis 49:28 “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.”

Blessing, each with a blessing. Blessing, each each blessing in a blessing suitable to him as he blessed his sons. Because the sons are getting blessed?

And so, as you read. And you're like? Reuben unstable as water you shall be. Is that a blessing? Scripture says it is. Simeon and Levi cursed be their anger for his fierce, actually. The cursing of their anger of their sinful anger could be a blessing as it seeks to root that out of them. And so, this week in Grace group, we'll dive in a little more detail about. Is this really a blessing? But note here today, verse 28 is EXPLICT that this is a blessing, and so we must read it as such.

Then we can say that it's a blessing with a forward-looking angle with a forward-looking Trajectory. Because this is what God has said will happen, and God will ordain these things. For his people.

But it's important we know God is not just pulling this out willy-nilly. This isn't just like God. Because he wants to. Well, ultimately, it is, but this isn't just sort of haphazardly God's saying these things scatter shot and, and then going to make it come about. Rather, we should understand that this is a fitting. Blessing! To each of the sons.

A FITTING Blessing

There's a historical there's a, but also a personal context that that makes this ring true. There's something that's happened in their lives, that maybe we've read about something about their character. There's some play on words even of their name, and we see that Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels that. That's fitting to the name Of Gad because Gad sounds like the word for Raiders.

And it'd be. It's, it's a play on words fitting to each Son. This is again the language used in verse 28. These are the 12 tribes of Israel. This is where their father said to them as he blessed them blessing, each with a blessing suitable. To him. It's a suitable blessing.

It fits in with who they are. It fits in. With God's plan. It fits in. Suitable to them. When blessings issue forth from God? they're good and perfect and FITTING.

Each one fitting. Fitting to us.

As we begin to realize the blessings we get fit us so perfectly, we begin to see and understand the love and grace and care of God.

For some of us, We look, and we think. Well, why did? Why did this turn out this way? Why do I face these things? Why me?

My message for you today! Understand that God is at work. In the way that's fitting. Suitable. We could look at this from the angle of like the Book of James. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials. Of many kinds, knowing that God is working in you. Kind of pure joy. Will you be difficulties? In Trials. Why? The short answer is even the difficulties in Trials that God sends our way are a suitable blessing. They will work in us. Having its full effect that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The things we Face the difficulties, the challenges. We have a great high priest who. Sympathize with us in our weakness. Things we face. Suitable. And so when we read and think through. That kind of stinks. For Reuben, he's going to be unstable, and he doesn't get preeminence. It's fitting.

Simeon and Levi. I'm going to divide it in Jacob. Notice here. No hint or clue that that the reason Levi is going to be Scattered in Israel is actually NOT a punishment. It's because they will be the priests of all the people, and they need to be scattered so that they can minister to all of the people.

It's fitting. Even, what Here may feel like a difficulty challenge. It's fitting and working for God's greater plan. So, what is God's greater plan it's seen in in the prophecies it's seen in the words to the sons.

And I'd like to focus today on two main characters, the two by far longest ones.

With TWO Main CHARACTERS

These two take up more than half of. The prophecy to all 12, so percentage-wise. They get more. I will say this. There is something interesting and beautiful and worthy in every single character in every single brother that's mentioned. Reuben, Simeon Levi, Judah zebulun, issachar Dan Gad Asher, Napthtali Joseph and Benjamin.

All of them are worthy of your time and attention, and you will see God's Plan at work, but due to time and due to my heart and what I'd like to share with you. This morning, we are going to spend our time just focusing on. The two “main” characters.

The first, and we'll take them out of order. Joseph.

JOSEPH

Though there is no tribe of Joseph, we looked at this last week. Instead, we have the half tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph here as a son of Jacob receives a blessing. Fitting to his life - prophetic And what will happen. and to summarize it in one word: BLESSING

Genesis 49:22 ““Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.”

What's being said here? Is that Joseph? Be fruitful. Blessed rooted. And established. This is agricultural language to indicate that he will have. Descendants and blessing. Obviously so. Just, if we just think this through from one man, come two tribes. It's fruitful. That's a blessing from all the brothers comes one. tribe They grow, and they multiply. but Jospeh is ESPECAILLY Blessed.

and there is a fitting context to the life of Joseph in particular.

Because I look back to his life, verse 23, The Archers bitterly attacked him and shot at him and harassed him severely. Likely, this is not reference to real archers. This is poetic, symbolic language. And if we just think through, I bet you, you could guess who were the ones who? Using the barbs of their words and actions attacked him. Threw him in a pit. Sold him into slavery. Sought to destroy and ruin his life. Here, we're talking about his brothers. His brothers sought to destroy him, attack him, convinced their father Jacob who's here, the one prophesying, convinced him that Joseph was dead.

Verse 24, yet his bow remained unmoved.

Joseph did not seek Vengeance. In his own strength and mind. Instead, Joseph waited on the Lord.

His arms were made agile by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.

God watched over Joseph, God protected Joseph, God ordained Joseph. God placed Joseph where God wanted Joseph. And because Joseph would walk in the path that God had called him to because Joseph would be faithful when God called him to because Joseph was Joseph. He is blessed.

In a. Almost incalculable way. He is blessed. Verse 25. By the god of your father who will help you? The god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his father, is the god of Joseph. And that God is the god who will help him.

By the almighty. Who will bless you. It's not just that, he's the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is God, period. The God Who created and fashioned all things, who is seated on the throne, Almighty ruling, and reigning the high King of Heaven. The one who oversees all the Affairs of Heaven and Earth, God will bless Joseph.

How much? With the blessings of Heaven. Above. With the blessings of the deep that crouches beneath - the highest high, the lowest low fill that with the blessings of the almighty God, and that Joseph is what you will receive.

Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. This is children in descendants. But it's also nourishment and care. Family and joy. Blessing of the breast and the womb means children. Who are born? And grow and cared for.

The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents. - This is interestingly thought, what... Just think through the family tree here. Jacob. Is saying to his son. That the blessings that his son receives from his father? The blessings he receives from me. Are even greater than the blessings I receive from my parents. Well, what did Jacob receive from his parents? A lot everything. Here's in fact, the only son. And the blessings that he received would be the promises for life descendants. Blessing all the promises given to Abraham given to Isaac, given to Jacob, are now given now theretofore to Joseph. And they are Mighty.

To use language. Maybe we've all heard before press down and shaken together. These are the blessings given to Joseph. How high, how big, how great the blessings giving to Joseph?

up to the bounties of the Everlasting Hills - Not just the hills around us, not just the hills where we look but like the real hills of heaven where we can say I look to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the name of the Lord, not just the physical Hills, the the hills of Heaven. Their manifold Rich blessings are given to you, Joseph.

May they be on the head of Joseph.

Be blessed. In Joseph, we see the manifold incalculable, unfathomable, unsearchable, unexplainable. Riches and goodness of God poured out. On those whom he loves and cares for.

Has Joseph's life been easy? No? Have there been around him? Archers bitterly attacking him, yes? Is God still faithful, of course?

The trajectory. The overarching angle that we get from this text is this God will bless how and when and who he wants. And we should understand and just receive those manifold blessings. The first character is Joseph. The second character.

Also starts with a J. Is Judah?

JUDAH

Here we have. Some of the most. Beautiful and wonderful Prophecies of the Messiah. Ultimately finding their fulfillment fully in Jesus Christ. We could ever hope to.

Judah, your brothers shall praise you. - We look for one descended from Judah. That will receive all. Praise.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. - We should look for one from Judah. Who will rule and Reign and Conquer the enemies Of his people.

Your father's sons shall bow before you. We look for one from Judah, preeminent above all mankind.

Genesis 49:9 “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?”

We should look forward to. The lion. Of the tribe. Of Judah.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler staff from between his feet. We should look for the reigning King. From the tribe. Of Judah.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him and to him, shall there be The Obedience of the peoples?

We should look for the Conquering ruling praiseworthy lion of the tribe of Judah, who rules and Reigns over all mankind.

Binding his foal to the vine and his donkeys Colt to the choice Vine. - There's some imagery here that we might miss. So let me try to make it explicit for us. When you tie up your horse to something? If it gets spooked, there's a chance that it will rear up and run away and Destroy whatever you have tied your horse to. This ruler, the one who's conquering all his enemies, who's crouching like a lion? He is so blessed. He has so much. That he binds his fault to the vine. Whatever if the donkey. If the foal runs away and destroys this fine whatever? His colt is tied up too - It's not just the Vine. It's the choice Vine. As I try to figure out like, what's in a? A modern sort of way. We can think through this. This is a. A crude example. But it's a phrase maybe we've heard that gets the point across. I light my cigars with hundred dollar bills. I don't smoke cigars, and I don't like them with hundred dollar bills.

But we get the point like, I'm so rich, that I have these expensive cigars and to light them. I just I use a hundred dollar bills because I can light them on fire, and it doesn't matter. This is the imagery here, the the choice Vine, the the donkey's cult. I'll bind my my colt. To this, I'll do this because the fine, whatever. It's not a big deal.

This example is pushed even further when it says he washed his garments in wine. And his vesture in the blood of grapes. This is not an illusion here to the crucifixion. Like, There'll be blood and stuff like that that I don't think is what's going on here instead. He will be so rich and so blessed and so powerful and have so much that wine will be like water to him. So some people will all go washing water. I got to keep the wine for drinking, because that's what I need. He's like, whatever, just wash my garments in the in the wine, you know? What if they get stained in the wine? It doesn't matter. I'll just get more garments anyway. He's blessed Beyond measure. It's lion of the tribe of Judah, the one who rules and Reigns crushing his enemies.

That's who we should look for. We should look for the one verse 12 whose eyes are darker than wine. His teeth whiter than milk.

Look to one who is beautiful? Lovely! Powerful. A joy and a terror to set your eyes upon because he is mighty.

So, we look to.

Now, in case. You weren't picking up what I was hinting at in case. It's been just a little bit too vague. Let me make it explicit for you.

There is one. Descendant from Judah who Is worthy of all glory. Honor. And praise. In fact. One day. All of Heaven will Proclaim.

Revelation 5:13 “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!””

It's Jesus Christ, Our Lord. The one whose neck shall be on the hand of his enemies.

It's Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

To Jesus Christ. Our Lord. He's worthy of all Praise. his hands shall be on the neck of his enemies. He is a lion coming to Roar coming to devour all who oppose him. The scepter shall not depart from Judah. John says it in the Book of Revelation that. He shall rule the nations with a rod of iron. All people shall praise him. Tribute shall come to him. He is our Lord and Savior forever.

Here in Genesis 49. We're told exactly who Jesus is, exactly what he does for us if we pay attention.

What a beautiful, precious gift we have! That we get to take part in this Rich blessing. As we are hid. In Christ. Let's pray.

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