GENESIS 48 TELLS US MUCH ABOUT GOD'S CHARACTER

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Sharing Rev Fr Bobby’s* sermon as part of the Bible Pentecost Pilgrimage programme.  We were at Day 24, and Fr expounded on Gen 48 - the story of Jacob blessing his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim.
 
The link to Fr Bobby’s video sermon is here
 
 *Fr Thomas Bobby Emprayil VC, Divine Glory Ministries, Manipur, India



 
After arriving in Egypt to survive the famine in Cannan, Jacob lived in the land of Egypt in the region of Goshen for 17 years, and his death drew near.  
 
Apart from leaving instructions about his dying request to be buried with his ancestors in Canaan (Gen 47:30-31), Jacob also requests for Joseph to bring his sons to him.
 
In the narrative in Gen 48, Jacob surprised everyone by saying that the two sons of Joseph belong to him (Gen 48:5).  
 
 
Fr pointed out three points:

 
(1)   EVEN WHEN WE DISQUALIFY OURSELVES, GOD ADOPTS US AS HIS CHILDREN AND BLESSES US
 
In adopting his grandsons, the boys were receiving the inheritance and blessing they did not deserve at that time, on two counts
  1. The boys’ mother was an Egyptian and her family was not of faith but of idolatry.  Jacob did not disqualify the boys because of their mother.
  2. Normally the blessing would first go to the father (ie Joseph) and he would in turn pass down the inheritance and blssing to his sons before his death.  As gransons, Ephraim and Manesseh would have had to wait a generation before receiving what Jacob was giving.
 
By Jacob doing so,
  • God is showing us his character.
  • In our times, there may be occasions that we might think we are disqualified from God’s blessings because we come from a family that did not worship God.  
  • Or we may have reasons why we don’t deserve God’s blessings.  
  • Eph 1:5 - God has adopted us into his own family.  
  • As Jacob did with Manasseh and Ephraim, God who is fully of mercy and compassion, he says despite our past, our mistakes and our family, I am going to adopt you as my own sons and daughters.
 

 
(2) GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS BLESS THE WAY WE EXPECT
 
Deathbed blessings in those days were of huge significance
  • What the father said to the sons carried a great weight and would affect the rest of their lives.  
  • As part of the tradition, the older son would receive a double portion as would be signified with his father’s right hand placed on him.
 
In this narrative,
  • Joseph put his first born Manasseh on Jacob’s right side and Ephraim, the younger,  on his left, and presented them to his father.  
  • However, Jacob crossed his arm and put his right hand on Ephraim and left hand on Manasseh. 
  • So Jacob’s right hand went to Ephraim (the 2nd born) and Joseph tried to correct Jacob.
  •  Jacob said he knew what he was doing:  Manasseh will be great, but Ephraim will be greater. Multitudes of nations will come out of him (Gen 48:19)
 
This story shows that
  • God does not always bless the way we expect. We have our time table, our own criteria, thinking that God will work in this way and that.  
  • But no, Ephraim wasn’t next in line, he wasn’t qualified and he didn’t deserve it. Yet God bypassed all the traditions there and did something extraordinary.
  • God is showing how he can take those at the back, those who don’t have positions, those who feel left out and puts them to the front.  
  • God loves to choose people others think are not qualified or not deserving.  
  • Don’t believe the lies that all others say, God is about to cross his hands and put you in a position that you cannot earn, and you don’t qualify for.  
  • You come into unexpected favours, unexpected privileges and unexpected breakthroughs in the name of Jesus our Saviour.  
 
Fr Bobby also explained that
  • the spiritual mystery inherent in the particular way by which Jacob is blessing his grandsons by making a cross in his blessings.  
  • The cross of Christ is the source of all our exhaltations.
  • A preference for the younger, weaker ones, is generally observed now with Christ and connected with the mystery of Christ.  
 

 
(3)  NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
 
In Gen 48:11 Jacob said to Joseph, I never expected to see you again, but now God has even let me see your children.
 
For Jacob, having lost Joseph and living all these years grieving the son whom he loved so much,
  • Seeing Joseph again was an impossibility,
  • To be able to see Joseph’s children was unfathomable to him.
  • But God can make the impossible possible just like what he had done for Jacob.
 
There may be certain Josephs in our lives which seems impossible
  • e.g. the conversion of certain people, certain areas in life which seem impossible - we may be sad and depressed.  
  • But for God, unexpected blessings in the unlikely places are possible by the merit of the cross of Christ
  • And by the merit of the Word that we are making our own, we claim God’s promises.  
  • God uses everything that we have been through - all the things that we don’t like about ourselves - God uses them to release blessings and graces into our lives.
  • And through us, he releases blessings and graces for others too.
  • Those impossibilities in our lives  - for the Lord, it is possible.  Believe it and be joyful and be hopeful because in our hope we are saved.
 
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