Genesis 47:27-28
READING
47 27 Now
the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property
there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the
years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When
the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to
him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and
promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in
Egypt, 30 but
when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are
buried.”
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him,
and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[d]
48 Some time later Joseph was
told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along
with him. 2 When
Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength
and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[a] appeared to me at Luz in the
land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am
going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community
of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your
descendants after you.’
5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt
before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will
be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to
you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be
reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning
from Paddan,[b] to
my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a
little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath”
(that is, Bethlehem).
8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked,
“Who are these?”
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph
said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may
bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old
age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his
father kissed them and embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see
your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and
bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And
Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and
Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.
14 But
Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was
the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even
though Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham
and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
all
my life to this day,
16
the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may
he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and
the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
on
the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand
on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to
move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph
said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on
his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son,
I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.
Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants
will become a group of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day and
said,
“In your[c] name
will Israel pronounce this blessing:
‘May
God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die,
but God will be with you[d] and
take you[e] back
to the land of your[f]
fathers. 22 And
to you I give one more ridge of land[g] than
to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
BOARD –
Promises
People
Prophecy
47 27 Now the Israelites settled
in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were
fruitful and increased greatly in number.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and
the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew
near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I
have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that
you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with
my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”
“I will do as you say,” he said.
31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore
to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[d]
48 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your
father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told,
“Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on
the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty[a] appeared to me at Luz in the land of
Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am
going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a
community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to
your descendants after you.’
47:27
– They were not where they were originally promised or where they would
ultimately be but they were there for a season.
They had been given much – what
have we been given?
47:28
– So Jacob, although ready to die from previous verses did not die and was
alive 17 more years. Our thoughts on what God will do and what
He actually does may be significantly different.
47:29-31
– We recall the solemn promise making of the hand in the groin area from
before. He asked to be buried where is
fathers (rest with fathers means to die).
Joseph agrees and Jacob worships.
What promises have we made to
other people? Do we involve God in our
promises?
What is important to us?
What are you involving your children in?
What do you want them to do when
you are gone?
48:1
– Joseph takes his sons to see the dying grandfather.
48:2
– Jacob is essentially at his last legs here.
He has all of his strength just to sit up
48:3
– Jacob recalls the specifics of the promises that God made to Jacob in Luz
(bethel) - from 35:9-13
There
is a slight change that Jacob makes in the retelling to ensure we know that God
is the one that would bring about what is promised rather than Genesis 1:28
when He tells Adam to do it
In
the retelling of the promise of God Jacob adds “everlasting possession” which
is not in the promise from God. He also
omits that “Kings will come from your body”
Based on last week of whose
you are and where you are now:
1. What promises has God made to you?
Be as detailed as you can. Write
these on our sheet.
2. Are we detailed in study of God’s word so as not to omit or add our own
interpretation of His word?
1) Question: "How do I know which
of God's promises are for me?"
From gotquestions.org
Answer:
There are literally
hundreds of promises in the Bible. How can we know which promises apply to us,
which promises we can claim? To frame this question another way, how can one
tell the difference between general promises and specific promises? A general
promise is one that is given by the Holy Spirit to every believer in every age.
When the author penned the promise, he set no limitations on time period or
recipient.
An
example of a general promise is 1 John
1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” This
promise is based on the forgiving nature of God and is available to all
believers everywhere. Another example of a general promise is Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.” This promise is made to all believers who, refusing to worry,
bring their requests to God (v. 8). Other examples of general promises include Psalm
1:3; 27:10; 31:24; John
4:13-14 (note the word “whoever”); and Revelation
3:20.
A
specific promise is one that is made to specific individuals on specific
occasions. The context of the promise will usually make clear who the recipient
is. For example, the promise of 1 Kings
9:5 is very specific: “I will establish
your royal throne over Israel forever.” The preceding and following verses make
it clear that the Lord is speaking only to King Solomon.
Luke 2:35 contains another
specific promise: “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” This
prophecy/promise was directed to Mary and was fulfilled in her lifetime. While a specific promise is not made
to all believers generally, the Holy Spirit can still use a specific promise to
guide or encourage any of His children. For
example, the promise of Isaiah
54:10 was written with Israel in mind,
but the Holy Spirit has used these words to comfort many Christians today: “my
unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.”
As he was
led to take the gospel to the Gentiles, the apostle Paul claimed the promise of
Isaiah: “I have made you a light for the
Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts
13:47). Isaiah’s promise was originally
meant for the Messiah, but in it Paul found guidance from the Lord for his own
life. When claiming a promise from Scripture, we should keep the following
principles in mind:
1) Promises are often conditional.
Look for the word “if” in the context.
2) God gives us promises to help us
better submit to His will and trust Him. A promise does not make God bend to
our will.
3) Do not assume to know precisely
when, where, or how the promise will be fulfilled in your life.
2 – Accuracy - If the bible isn’t true in one place it can be untrue
elsewhere - your promises don’t
stand… That would be very sad.
From gotquestions.org
1. The Bible itself claims to be perfect. “And
the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times” (Psalm
12:6). “The law of the Lord is perfect”
(Psalm 19:7). “Every word of God
is pure” (Proverbs 30:5 KJV). These claims of purity and
perfection are absolute statements. Note that it doesn’t say God’s Word is
“mostly” pure or scripture is “nearly” perfect. The Bible argues for complete
perfection, leaving no room for “partial perfection” theories.
2. The Bible stands or falls as a whole.
If a major newspaper were routinely discovered to contain errors, it would be
quickly discredited. It would make no difference to say, “All the errors are
confined to page three.” For a paper to be reliable in any of its parts, it
must be factual throughout. In the same way, if the Bible is inaccurate when it
speaks of geology, why should its theology be trusted? It is either a
trustworthy document, or it is not.
3. The
Bible is a reflection of its Author. All books are. The Bible was written by
God Himself as He worked through human authors in a process called
“inspiration.” “All scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). See also 2 Peter 1:21 and Jeremiah 1:2.
We
believe that the God who created the universe is capable of writing a book. And
the God who is perfect is capable of writing a perfect book. The issue is not
simply “Does the Bible have a mistake?” but “Can God make a mistake?” If the
Bible contains factual errors, then God is not omniscient and is capable of
making errors Himself. If the Bible contains misinformation, then God is not
truthful but is instead a liar. If the Bible contains contradictions, then God
is the author of confusion. In other words, if biblical inerrancy is not true,
then God is not God.
4. The Bible judges us, not vice versa. “For
the word of God...judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews
4:12). Notice the relationship between “the heart” and “the
Word.” The Word examines; the heart is being examined. To discount parts of the
Word for any reason is to reverse this process. We become the examiners, and the Word must submit to our “superior
insight.” Yet God says, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” (Romans
9:20).
5. The
Bible’s message must be taken as a whole. It is not a mixture of doctrine that
we are free to select from. Many people like the verses that say God loves
them, but they dislike the verses that say God will judge sinners. But we
simply cannot pick and choose what we like about the Bible and throw the rest
away. If the Bible is wrong about hell, for example, then who is to say it is
right about heaven—or about anything else? If the Bible cannot get the details
right about creation, then maybe the details about salvation cannot be trusted
either. If the story of Jonah is a myth, then perhaps so is the story of Jesus.
On the contrary, God has said what He has said, and the Bible presents us a
full picture of who God is. “Your word,
O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm
119:89).
6. The Bible is our only rule for faith and
practice. If it is not reliable, then on what do we base our beliefs? Jesus
asks for our trust, and that includes trust in what He says in His Word. John 6:67-69 is a beautiful passage. Jesus had just witnessed the
departure of many who had claimed to follow Him. Then He turns to the twelve
apostles and asks, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” At this, Peter
speaks for the rest when he says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the
words of eternal life.” May we have the same trust in the Lord and in His words
of life.
None of
what we have presented here should be taken as a rejection of true scholarship.
Biblical inerrancy does not mean that we are to stop using our minds or accept
what the Bible says blindly. We are commanded to study the Word (2 Timothy 2:15), and those who search it out are
commended (Acts 17:11). Also, we recognize that there are
difficult passages in the Bible, as well as sincere disagreements over
interpretation. Our goal is to approach Scripture reverently and prayerfully,
and when we find something we do not understand, we pray harder, study more,
and—if the answer still eludes us—humbly acknowledge our own limitations in the
face of the perfect Word of God.
5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here
will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and
Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory
they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from
Paddan,[b] to my sorrow Rachel died in
the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from
Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is,
Bethlehem).
8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.
Then
Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly
see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and
embraced them.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and
now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his
face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s
left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them
close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,
though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on
Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
5 – Jacob
now adopts the two sons of Joseph – his ‘double portion’ is now beginning. Much the same God claims what is His at His
discretion.
6 – They will be reckoned under the names of
their brothers – These boys are now to
be counted among those that would receive Abraham’s blessing and will soon
make up the Northern kingdom.
7 – He recounts Rachel’s death 35:16-19 – Bethlehem (Ephrath) is mentioned here
and in 35
8 – 9 – Notice that Joseph notes who gave them to him – God.
10 – We see the frailty and very funny that this
is similar to the same thing that
happened with Isaac – Notice he had love for them and physical embrace was part
of this
11 – Notice that Jacob’s expectation and what God did are different and he
recognized that
12-13 – Joseph interrupts this as he wanted the
hand to be given to the oldest in age. To correct what he thought should be done –
do we try and correct God on what we think should be done?
14 – Notice that here that Israel very much knew
what he was doing and crossed his arms to put Ephraim as the ‘firstborn’. Again
the line based on physical born was not what was chosen – the boys were blessed
as the father saw fit not on the human expectation
God’s love for people - Romans 5:8
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May
the God before whom my fathers Abraham
and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to
this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May
they be called by my name
and
the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
on the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he
was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s
head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put
your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will
become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger
brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of
nations.” 20 He blessed them that day and said,
“In
your[c] name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
‘May God make you like
Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So
he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with
you[d] and take you[e] back to the land of your[f] fathers. 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[g] than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my
sword and my bow.”
15-16 – The first part of the
prophetic item for Ephraim and Manasseh is the recollection of what God had
already done and the very specific blessing (more in chapter 49 but NOT about
these two – it is capture HERE). The
main reason this is here is that Joseph receives a blessing but is NOT the line
of Christ…
· The history
is specific and mentions that the trait of most importance is that they WALKED
WITH GOD – Deut 30:16, Mic
6:8
· The prophecy
is specific to whom it is for – not general and not for everyone
17-19 – Again Joseph is upset that the blessing of
‘first born’ is going to be given to Ephraim.
Notice that Jacob knew what he was doing and specifically told him that Ephraim would be greater than Manasseh
and prophecy about the nations coming from him.
They were different and both
would be great however what is to be is to be.
You can be an heir of the promise as God wills it
rather than what natural status you have.
John 6:37 –
20 – Final proclamation is given and position is finalized. What is our position that has been prophesized?
Jeremiah
29:10-14
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years
are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to
bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You
will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I
will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from
captivity.[b] I
will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,”
declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried
you into exile.”
21-22 – The prophecy is
specific – they will go back to the promised land. The reference to Jacob as a bit of a
different person is also given here – he reveals himself as not just the quiet
man among the tents (25:27) or fearful of destruction (34:30) – he is a man
that took by the sword and bow. He also
says what each will have from him.
What does God tell us of our future? Will all receive the same? Where does it come from?
What are God’s promises? Where would you find them? How often are you in the Bible? Do you keep it as it is or ‘paraphrase’?
What does it mean to be one of God’s people? To be born or to be named? Or both?
Are you born and named by Christ?
How would you KNOW or claim that?
What is the prophecy concerning your life and
the world? Where would you find it? What does that prophecy mean to and for you?
