HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 19 - The Joseph Series: Jacob's Final Years (Genesis 47:28-31, 48:1-22, 49:29-33 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 19

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Jacob's final days teach us that God's perspective differs from ours—no one is "less than" in His divine economy. Faith principles emerge as Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, preferring the younger Ephraim over firstborn Manasseh, illustrating how God can elevate anyone to fulfill His purposes.

This quick episode covers:

• Jacob recounts God's faithfulness across generations when blessing Joseph's sons
• Despite Joseph's protest, Jacob intentionally blesses the younger son (Ephraim) over the firstborn
• Jacob's blessing of Joseph's Egyptian-born sons incorporates them into Israel's covenant
• Jacob's burial instructions reflect his enduring faith in God's promises about the Promised Land
• The pattern of blessing younger sons appears repeatedly throughout Genesis
• Jacob's life journey from deception to faith offers hope for spiritual transformation

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Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan in the Waiting: Lessons from the Life of Joseph

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word




Speaker 1:

it's not always what the way we see things, it's the way God sees things, and so don't ever feel we should never feel like we're less than or not as important, because that's just not the way it is.

Speaker 2:

That's not his word to us well, hi there, I am Cheryl and you are listening to Healing Strong's Around the Word. We are friends sitting around a table who love God. We love His Word and we love digging deep into it. Each day you'll hear me reading a Bible passage and then we'll chat about what we're learning from it at the table. I'll be reading today from multiple chapters of Genesis Genesis, chapter 47, verses 28 through 31,. Chapter 48, verses 1 through22, and chapter 49, verses 29-33. Yes, lots of reading, but it's all good and it's all from the NIV version of the Bible. So join us today around the Word. Genesis 47, verses 28-31.

Speaker 2:

Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years and the years of his life were 147. 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, 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 Swear to me, he said. Then Joseph swore to him and Israel worshiped as he leaned on top of his staff. Genesis, chapter 48, verses 1 through 22. Sometime later, joseph was told your father is ill, so he took his two sons, manasseh and Ephraim, along with him. When Jacob was told your son, joseph, has come to you, israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. Jacob said to Joseph God Almighty appeared to me at Luz, in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 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. 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. Any children born to you after them will be yours. In the territory they inherit, they will be reckoned among the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan, 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.

Speaker 2:

When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked who are these? 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. So 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. Israel said to Joseph I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too. Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 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. 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. 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, 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.

Speaker 2:

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. Joseph said to him no, my father, this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head. 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.

Speaker 2:

He blessed them that day and said in your name, will Israel pronounce this blessing? May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph I'm about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers, and to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow. Genesis, chapter 49, verses 29 through 33. Then he gave them these instructions I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. There, abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. That was our Bible reading passage for today.

Speaker 2:

So now let's listen in on what Susie, angie Maren and myself are learning around the word From the beginning. A couple chapters ago, we saw that when Jacob and Joseph were reunited, he's like well, now I can die. And he was 130 years old at that point. I think he thought he was at his end, you know, and now I can go. I can go be with God. But God gave him 17 more years. And did y'all notice that number 17? Why? That's an interesting number.

Speaker 3:

Well, Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him as a slave.

Speaker 2:

So God gave him those years back, 17 years and it's funny too. You can think you know your future and stuff and God's got something else planned for you 17 more years of Jacob being on the scene with his family, living in Goshen, and they had, at this point, passed those five years of famine, those additional years. So now they are living, being fruitful and multiplying and forming that nation that they are Israel.

Speaker 3:

I love how Jacob tells Joseph all that God has done for him. He reminds him what he's done for his father and his grandfather and so, ultimately, what he's done for him as well, and that's so important to remember. To do that for our children. Passing on, look at what God has done in our lives and I think too.

Speaker 1:

Again, we see that the father blesses the younger one rather than the oldest one gives him the blessing, and what is that? The third or fourth time that that's happened? So I think that's a message to us is, you know, you may think you're last, but I can put you first Sounds like the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. So it's not always what, the way we see things, it's the way God sees things, and so don't ever feel we should never feel like we're less than or not as important, because that's just not the way it is. That's not his word to us. He can bless anybody at any time and elevate you to any purpose that he's called you to.

Speaker 2:

Wasn't it a little sad saying goodbye to Jacob after we've been seeing his story all this time? Anyway, I just I love learning about this man and learning from him, and I know this is about Joseph, but this is also Jacob's story too. So glad you got to join us for Healing Strong's Around the Word podcast. I hope that you were encouraged to dig deeper into God's word. Please check out our website at healingstrongorg, where you can find out more about us, our mission and our community groups. Untilorg, where you can find out more about us, our mission and our community groups. Until next time, remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.