Even at the end Jacob is favoring Joseph, making his two
boys co-heirs with his own boys. In
essence, Joseph gets three portions of the inheritance and blessing of his
father. Jacob is still Jacob in many
ways. The one thing he really gets right
here, though, is the way he phrases the promise of God. The Lord had actually said, “May you be
fruitful and increase…” which is not actually a command but a well-wishing for
the future but here Jacob recounts the Lord’s words as, “I will make you
fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will
give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.” It is a promise that this will happen and he
has also added the words, “everlasting possession” to the Lord’s promise. That was actually the promise made to Jacob’s
grandfather Abraham in chapter 17, but Jacob is heir to the promise and God’s
promise has not changed.
What is truly important?
That is how Jesus frames His response to the Pharisees who have
criticized the disciples for failing to properly wash their hands before
meals. They aren’t concerned with germs
but with defilement. Contact with the
world was presumed to be ingested if hands weren’t washed properly before
eating. Jesus says that they have left
off God’s commandments in favor of their own and in the end all this is a
matter of the heart and what is taken into it.
The Pharisees were concerned about appearances and Jesus was concerned
about the stuff in people’s hearts. In
John 2 we are told that He wouldn’t commit Himself to them because He knew what
was in their hearts. In John 4 Jesus
reveals Himself to a serial adulteress who is also a Samaritan and they are so
unclean that Jews won’t share cups and eating utensils with them. Covenant relationships are based not on
performance but on love and faithfulness.
Verse four is a profound statement that the rock from which
the Israelites drank in the wilderness was Jesus. On two occasions in John’s Gospel Jesus spoke
of living waters for which He was the source.
Simply being an Israelite and being circumcised wasn’t enough. Partaking of the same food, hearing the same
sermons, being together and having the same experiences wasn’t enough. Some who partook of all these things died for
rebellion, lack of faith, and their lack of thankfulness for all the Lord had
done. I can do okay with not being an
idolater and not engaging in sexual immorality but when Paul makes grumbling an
equal sin I fall. Do we trust the Lord
that He will do all He has promised? He
has promised that in all temptation He will provide a means of escape. When we are faced with temptation do we count
on His promise like Jacob did? Jacob
didn’t always believe that and didn’t always act like he believed the Lord
would fulfill His promises but here he encourages his son to believe and to
trust. We are called to trust and live
based on our faith.
O enter then His gates
with praise;
Approach with joy His
courts unto;
Praise, laud, and
bless His Name always,
For it is seemly so to
do.
For why? the Lord our
God is good;
His mercy is for ever
sure;
His truth at all times
firmly stood,
And shall from age to
age endure.
To Father, Son and
Holy Ghost,
The God Whom Heaven
and earth adore,
From men and from the
angel host
Be praise and glory
evermore.
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