Genesis 48-49: Mixed Blessings

Introduction

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/man-empty-plane-tiktok-videos-show - College student is the only passenger on a plane. Unlimited food and drinks but couldn’t fly first class. Mixed blessing of COVID.

Life seems like it is full of mixed blessings. Hard times abound yet so does the blessing of God. (That’s been Joseph’s story.) Book of Genesis a book about blessings even through the hard times.

The Garden of Eden - a place of blessing - the presence of God unhindered by sin.

Sin and death enter the world, but God promises that one will come from the lineage of Eve that will crush the head of the serpent.

Abraham - called by God to be a blessing the world. A great nation! Jacob - the namesake for that great nation.

Jacob desperately wanted blessing. Fought for it instead of trusting God for it.

Jacob blessed - but at the end of life, “Life has been hard...” (Gen. 47:9)

On his deathbed, Jacob is the one giving the blessing - 12 sons. BUT, it’s mixed blessings.

Salvation is going to come through this family, but what a messed up family to bring salvation to the world through!

Gen. 48-49 - Jacob prophesying about the futures of his sons form his deathbed, but helpful for us.

How do we respond to the mixed blessings of life? How to we persevere through the challenges of life while keeping our eyes on the blessing of God?

Three truths to hold onto in a world of mixed blessings:

You can’t control your circumstances, but you can pass on your faith in the God who controls all circumstances.

Jacob on his deathbed. Years earlier Jacob deceived Isaac for his blessing over Esau. Now, Jacob is the one giving out blessing.

Joseph wants his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to be blessed by Jacob. Two sons of Joseph by an Egyptian wife - a step of faith for Joseph. They could have had a different life than Joseph had growing up: access to the best the world had to offer.

But, Joseph didn’t want his sons to be identified with Egypt. He wanted them to be identified with Jacob - shepherds that were detestable to the Egyptians. Joseph’s sons would go from prestigious to detestable. Their godly heritage was far more important to Jospeh than their privilege in Egypt.

Jacob does far more than bless them - he adopts them. (vs. 5) (Picture of the Gospel - We’ve been adopted.) 1 Chronicles 5:1 - they are given the birthright along with Joseph - double portion of inheritance. Tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Ruben, the firstborn, will not receive the inheritance of the firstborn.

Jacob puts his hands on them - right hand on Ephraim and left on Manasseh - not the way it was supposed to be! Right hand should be on the oldest, Manasseh - Joseph thought it was a mistake - Jacob old and blind. Joseph moved the hands, but the younger would be greater than the older. Sound familiar?

The two half tribes would be powerful descendants of Jacob, and Jacob prophecies that they would be celebrated.

Joseph the victim of horrible circumstances. Following God had been hard, but hard circumstances didn’t stop him from passing on his faith to his family.

Regardless of your circumstances you can always give your children the best life.

I must choose to pass on the best life rather than a “better life.” Ever say to your kids, “You are so blessed!” They have iPads, video game systems, parents that drive them to ball practices. For many of us, our goal has been to give our kids a better life than what we’ve had. A life without Christ is NOT a blessed life. A blessed life is children knowing the Gospel, seeing their mom and dad living out their faith. You can’t give your kids everything, but you can give them the best thing.

I must choose God’s way with my family rather than my way. Jacob to Joseph: “Hands off...” Don’t get in the way of what God wants to do in your family. Every time you try to give your kids a better life rather than the best life you are in the way of what God wants.

Hands off means God’s desires for your child are far more important than yours. God’s plan more important than grades, travel ball, etc. What is your child missing in his/her spiritual development because of your desire to give them a better life?

Alex coming to faith in Christ - I couldn’t introduce him to an American life, but I could introduce him to Jesus.

You can’t undo your sinful choices from yesterday, but you can live by faith today.

Jacob’s last words to his sons… “I will tell you what will happen to you...” (Gen. 49:1) He speaks to all the sons. For time’s sake, we’ll focus on the first four since they are mentioned more than the others in the Book of Genesis.

To Reuben: “You’re my firstborn...” But, Jacob has already given the birthright to Joseph and his sons. “You’re powerful, but you did me wrong… you got into my bed.” Reuben slept with Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah (Gen. 35:22). Sinful for Jacob to have a concubine. She was Rachel’s servant, but also sinful for Reuben to sleep with a woman that wasn’t his wife.

That’s it. No blessing for Reuben. And, you don’t read much about the tribe of Rueben. No one of significance ever comes from his tribe - no king, no prophet, and no judge.

Simeon and Levi don’t get any encouragement from their dad either. Instead, Jacob reminds them of their evil ways as well. “May I never enter their council or join their assembly.” What Simeon and Levi did in Shechem was atrocious.

“I will disperse them...” After the conquest of the Promised Land, Simeon the smallest and weakest tribe of all - forced to share land with Judah. The tribe of Levi wasn’t even allowed to have land.

Judah - the man who had the idea of selling Joseph into slavery and then slept with his daughter-in-law thinking she was a Canaanite prostitute. One of the most horrific stories in the Bible. Yet, we see the most dramatic change take place in his life. “She is more in the right than I...” (Gen. 38:26)

AND.... Judah willing to sacrifice his life for his brother Benjamin. Looks like the One who will ultimately come from his lineage… Jesus.

First three sons: no blessing at all.. BUT Judah… “young lion...” “Scepter will not depart from Judah…” vs. 11 “Such an abundance of wine that donkeys can drink it… Can even wash your clothes in it...” A royal offspring that will bring abundance. (Gen. 3:15) The messianic line through Judah - this man transformed by the grace of God will be a direct ancestor to the One who will transform us all through His death and resurrection.

Genesis starts with a promise and ends with God continuing to work out his promise through Jacob - and now Judah!

Judah: a prime example of what God can do in your life - transform you! Reminder that you can’t undo your past, but you can live by faith today.

Past life, a familiar cycle: hurt - hurt by father - so he hurt Joseph. Hurt by his son who didn’t honor his duty to his brother, so he hurt Tamar.

Judah: hurt and guilty.

Today, allow God to break the cycle of hurt and guilt.

The more you carry your hurt and guilt the more you will cause hurt and guilt. You have to say, “Enough!” Victim of your circumstances vs. allowing God to redeem your circumstances.

Today, quit being haunted by your past. Learn and move on in faith.

“I can never because...” Or, “It’s too late for me...” What about, “God can use my past hurt for me to be a present blessing to someone else?”

Paul: “Forgetting what lies behind and pressing on...”

Choose: Memories of your past affect your present choices or anticipation of your future affect your present choices?

Choose: one right decision after the next.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1076140207/idaho-man-says-he-completed-his-goal-of-breaking-52-world-records-in-a-single-ye - Driven by a book. Every day you make choices… either driven by the affects of sin - or by the God of the Book that leads us to everlasting.

You have made your mistakes, but God can bring blessing even out of your biggest mistakes.

Jacob’s words to his other sons...

Zebulon - prosperity from the sea

Issachar - strong but descendants would be eventually be put to forced labor.

Dan - tribe of Samson. Dan’s descendants would excel in battle.

Hope for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. Hope for Benjamin - the tribe of King Saul. Paul traced his lineage back to the Benjamites.

Jacob has the most favorable things to say to Joseph. Distinct from all of Jacob’s sons. You understand why. Joseph was fruitful. His bow remained steady when life was challenging. He was steady because he was guided by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

Mixed blessings - the nation of Israel would grow and the words Jacob spoke would come true. But… this great nation had a great fall. A great nation divided into two kingdoms. North conquered by Assyria. South: the tribe of Judah exiled by Babylon. Why? Sin continued to run rampant among the covenant people of God.

Consequences of sin, but God would bring blessing out of a sinful people.

Messiah from Judah…

But, Levi’s descendants would enact a picture of what the Messiah would do.

Levi had harsh punishment: “No land...” Consequences future generations would live with, but God brings blessing. The tribe of priests - mediated for people. Touched the holy things of God. “Levi does not have a portion or inheritance like his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance...” (Deut. 10:9)

Lasting, generational consequences of Levi’s… His people never have land, but they have God… What a blessing! Levi’s biggest mistake doesn’t disqualify his descendants from blessing of God.

Accept the consequences of your sin. Instead of trying to get out of it… You can’t avoid the consequence of sin, and sometimes the consequences of last for generations. E.g., an affair, greed that results in sinful financial choices, addiction, etc. Those rock bottom consequences get your attention to turn your heart back to God.

Embrace the new opportunity. When you experience lasting consequences you say, “Life will never be the same.” That’s true. Sin destroys. You say, “I’m done.” That’s not true. God is never done with you.

The new opportunity: Where you are, point people to the Redeemer.

Regardless of the consequence, God is never done with you. A new opportunity today: to repent, to learn, to bless, to live the right way. Pick yourself up. Stop with the pity party, and get back to what you know God has for you.

Some of you are experiencing the lasting consequences of the sinful choices of your parents. You can’t change that. You can’t change it. It’s not fair. Those weren’t your choices, but you are responsible for your choices today. You can move on in faith. You can embrace the opportunity to be a blessing, to walk with Jesus. He’s not done with you. Your circumstances do not define you.

The whole nation would fall - but God did not give up on HIs people. He brought His greatest blessing through this fallen, broken people: King Jesus. Jesus is the lion of Judah who did what His people never could: live faithfully before God. He died and rose again to give us life abundant and eternal. Trust Him today.