Jacob/Israel’s eyes are dim with age and he asks his son
Joseph who these boys are. Reminds you
of his own experience of receiving his father’s blessing doesn’t it? He trusts Joseph in a way that he couldn’t
have been trusted. Jacob being Jacob was
there any doubt he would do something unusual in this blessing? True to form he elevated the younger son
above the elder in the blessing, much to the chagrin of Joseph. Jacob gives a short little catechism on his
faith, connecting it backwards to his ancestors and forwards to the generations
yet to come. He is also true to his
nature in choosing to give Joseph one final bequest not given to the other
brothers, a piece of land he had taken from the Amorites. When did that happen? This is the only place we see anything
remotely referring to Jacob and any sort of battle.
Jesus has just fed them miraculously and they want a sign
that they may believe. Their proposal is
that He do it again that He might be like Moses through whom God provided food
for forty years in the wilderness. If
they didn’t believe the first time would a second one do the trick? Their fathers rebelled against Moses frequently
in the wilderness and it often had to do with food and water. Their response to His offer of the bread of
life is to desire it but they believe it to be material bread. The final reference in this passage is to one
of the worst stories in the Old Testament, a rebellion over the food they were
given. Jesus says, For this is the will
of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should
have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” His reference there is to the incident in
Numbers 21 when the people referred to the food the Lord had provided, the
bread of heaven, as worthless. His
response was to send fiery serpents to bite and kill the people and when Moses
pleaded for a cure was instructed to make a bronze serpent to lift up. The people were simply to gaze upon the
serpent and they would live, a strange solution that required faith, but it
worked. Do we despise God’s provision in
our lives as their ancestors did and as they themselves did or are we thankful
for all He has provided?
Because our elder brother chose to share His inheritance
with us we have the spirit of adoption whereby we cry “Abba, Father!” What a beautiful thing He has done! Jacob added two of Joseph’s sons to his own
family as sons and they received blessing and inheritance that was truly grace
to them. The Lord has delivered us, as
He did His people, from slavery, spiritual slavery to sin, by grace alone, no
merit of our own was involved in His decision other than compassion and love
for His own creation. We suffer in this
life as we await the glory of the eternal inheritance that awaits. We suffer with hope and security in the
fulfillment of that promise. Let us
praise Him today no matter our earthly situation and circumstances.
Shout for joy to God,
all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.”
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.”
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