The Death of Jacob (Gen. 49:28-33)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 02-17-2008

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  All of the sons together

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                    Reference:  Genesis 49:28-33

 

            Message of the verse:  “28 All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.  29  Then he instructed them: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,  30  the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial plot.  31  Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there; Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there; I also buried Leah there.  32 The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites."  33  Jacob finished instructing his sons, pulled his feet into bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.”

 

            As Jacob comes to the end of his life he had blessed Joseph’s sons and adopted them into his family as sons, and then he gave a blessing to each of his sons, something that they would remember and treasure in their hearts and pass down to future generations too.  Jacob had lived for 137 years and was an old man full of years, but those years had been difficult years as he was a hard worker and he had brought some difficult situations upon himself making those years difficult, yet those years were good years too, but now it was time for him to be gathered to his people and his last request was to be buried in the cave that his grandfather Abraham had purchased when his wife had died and was buried there too along with Isaac and Rebecca, and also Leah was buried there too.  Now Jacob would be buried there also.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look at the end of Jacob’s life and how he died I see that he was very confident as to where he was going to go, and that was with his people in heaven, although heaven was not mentioned it was inferred in the context of the text.  Jacob died worshiping the Lord doing His will and this is a great way to go onto the next life.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to have the faith that the Lord will answer my prayer of faith and that is that the investment with Andrew Lech will be returned to me and that God will continue to teach me contentment through these tests and trials.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Philippians 1:9-11

 

9. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10. so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11. having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.