Jacob Shares his Wealth (Gen. 48:21-22)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 02-08-2008

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  Jacob shares his Wealth

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                    Reference:  Genesis 48:21-22

 

            Message of the verses:  “21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.  22 “I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.’”

 

            These two verses are kind of mystery verses in that there is no reference as to when Jacob was in battle with the Amorites with his sword and bow.  Joseph was now his first-born son and because of that he would be entitled to a double portion of blessings as stated in Deu. 21:15-17, “15 "If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, 16 then it shall be in the day he wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn.  17  "But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn.”

 

            There are two more things to say about this passage:  Jesus led the woman at the well in John chapter 4 to a saving knowledge of Himself on this land that was given to Joseph, and Ezekiel makes a reference to the double portion given to Joseph in Ezekiel 47:13, “13 Thus says the Lord GOD, "This shall be the boundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two portions.”

           

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  There is something about me that likes these kind of passages because of the mystery that surrounds them.  As I look at the passage in Ezekiel that seems to connect to this passage I can see that this passage has not even take place yet, but it will happen in the Kingdom age that is promised in the Scriptures.  God’s promises are always faithful, yet the timing of them is not always known, but the wait is worth it all.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  God has promised to never leave me nor forsake me and even though things are not going as well as they could be at this time I trust the Lord to take care of me and also my wife