Sermon Tone Analysis

As we have studied Genesis over the last year one thing can be seen as we traverse the pages of time… what one generation does will impact the next!

Adam and Eve bring sin to all mankind

Noah’s faithfulness brings life to his family

Canaan’s sin against his father brings a curse upon his descendants

Abraham’s faith brings blessing to his family line and all man kind eventually

Abraham’s lack of faith in Egypt brings about Ishmael and his descendants

Issac’s favoritism in his home brought division that remained even to the time of Christ

Jacob’s deception is portrayed in his own sons deception and lies

Jacob’s favoritism brings about division and heartache

Many of these individuals would do good, live by faith, and serve as examples… yet the sin in their life would also leave its mark and impact generations to come.

In our passage today we are looking at Jacob’s death, the blessings recieved, and what is highlighted for us as time will go by

Genesis 47:27-48:1 and Genesis 49:28-50:14 share the events around Jacob’s (Israel) death for us...

Death

Jacobs narrative began with him in the womb now we see him laid to rest with the other two patriarchs of the nation Israel.

We saw his struggles

We witnessed his heart and heartache

We saw his journey to faith in the One True God

We experienced his parenting victories and failures

In the end… we see him cling to the promises of God

Faith in the Promise

One day they would return to the land… and one day their people would posses it

Jacob desired to be where God had promised, where God had drawn him close, in the land he had wrestled with the Lord

Jacob had lived life well enough to learn… God is good to His Word and remains faithful even when we are NOT!

A Life of Impact

Notice the impact his death had on his family

Grieving, mourning

Notice the impact for Egypt and Pharaoh's home

They had grown to love the man

Jacob had an impact through his son Joseph to a pagan nation… the world

This chapter closes for Jacob… but now we will see God transition from working with a man like Abraham, Issac or Jacob… we will see a chapter open where we see God work with a nation, the Nation Israel! and as Jacob is laid to rest we see Israel rise forth as Jacob blesses his sons… the twelve tribes

Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness (12: Highlights of Twilight and Midnight)

John Donne, seventeenth-century English poet, was not only one of that country’s great poets but also one of her most celebrated preachers.

He wrote eloquently about death:

All mankinde is of one Author, and is one volume; when one Man dies, one Chapter is not torne out of the booke, but translated into a better language; and every Chapter must be so translated.

God emploies several translators: some peeces are translated by age, some by sicknesse, some by warre, some by justice; but God’s hand is in every translation; and his hand shall binde up all our scattered leaves againe, for that Librarie where every booke shall lie open to one another.

A Reflection on Life

Blessings are not as familiar to our culture or day in age.

However, final words on a death bed are given greater weight than most.

A confession on a death bed will hold up in court.

Directives given will reflect the heart of a person.

Jacob was not the world’s best father, nonetheless… he knew his sons and was in tune with them more than we see in the pages of Genesis In his blessings to them we see some stern warnings and rebukes, along with prophetic words given that would bring more clearly into focus the promised seed from Genesis 3 and Genesis 12…

Prior to to his speaking with his twelve sons Jacob does something rather unusual… He adopts Joseph’s sons and gives them the blessings of the oldest sons… Genesis 48:5-6 and Genesis 48:13-22

Jacob on his deathbed sends for his sons and his word are recorded for us in Genesis 49:1-2

Verses 1-2 Watching you, knowing you, and listening to the Lord here is what is to come

Reuben (Genesis 49:3-4) is scolded, one who sought to be preeminent was brought low

Simeon and Levi, (Genesis 49:5-7) who took matters into their own hands, seeking violence over the Lord

Interesting Levi’s descendants were scattered over Israel, no land was given them

HOWEVER, we see God graciously give them the honor and role of being the mediators between God and Israel for the sins of the people

Judah… (Genesis 49:8-12) the third son, in his blessing is a beautiful prophecy of Shiloh (the Messiah)

Eternal ruler, the promised seed being made clearer

As each son is given their blessing and words concerning their character with warnings it is amazing how we would see the traits of these men in their family tribes later on.

Our past never dictates who we are, what we do, but it has great influence and it is something to give over to God and allow Him to work, allow Him to have victory in our life, so when people see the change we can declare as the Levites would one day… TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

The Next Chapter

It is concerning how much people today live only for today.

There is little thought to tomorrow, little thought outside themselves, and very little thought to living for eternity.

We strive to better ourselves by looking deeper within ourselves

We create a generation of self-focused individuals

When Christ says the opposite… live for others, put others first

We are instructed to DIE TO SELF, take up our cross, live for Him and live for eternal purpose and with an eternal perspective

In these verses we are challenged to realize the truth God would express to the nation Israel as they would come out of Egypt 400 years later in Exodus 34:6-7

As Jacob passed from this life he realized what was import, THE TRUE WORD OF GOD AND HIS PROMISES… FAITH!!!

There was the promised hope of the promised seed,

through Abraham, Issac, Jacob… now to be looked for in one who would rule through the line of Judah!

Through that line would come One, the Christ, rightful heir to the throne of David, the One who is called King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!!!

Jesus Christ… died for us so we can not only face death with hope, we can face tomorrow and we can truly live for today!