Genesis 49 ~ because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel

Jacob Blesses his Sons, painted by Dr. Harry Anderson

Genesis 49 ~    New International Version





Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labor.

16 “Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 “I look for your deliverance, Lord.

19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.

20 “Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24 But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 because of your father’s God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty, who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,
blessings of the breast and womb.

26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
thanthe bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.


29 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, 30 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. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”

33 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.




Jacob believed he was the descendant carrying Abraham's blessing. "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” He seems, to me, to be very positive as he wants to bless his children. This is not a man fading away, but relinquishing his spirit in gratitude and verve. The Blessings Thief, interestingly enough, wants all his 12 sons to be blessed.

 "God Gives You What you Need for Each Day, hang on to that." Jacob lived this.

Psalm 68:19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah
and/or King James Bible
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Jacob is telling us of his life remembrances ~ as a father, as a child of God, and as - Father God.

Jacob is gathering his life together - to go on. Look at this with me a unique way; not as a man with 11 children, but a lifetime of memories. 







Biblical illustrations by Balage Balogh

Reuben ~ recall with me, tried to save Joseph. In personality, Rueben stands out in Scripture, however Reuben has laid waste his relationship with his father over Jacob's concubine, Bilhah. Jacob and Bilhah had two sons, Dan and Naphtali. God is telling us sexual sin can cross boundaries and cause irreparable harm.

Simeon and Levi ~  have astonished Jacob with the ability to have supreme violence towards mankind and animals. How quickly humanity can destroy. Here is Jacob, called Israel, telling us families can have moments that stun and take the breathe away. We can see this two ways, a depressing event  or we can recall things in our family we would like to have improved, with merely a thought. Even God's chosen saints have these events.

Judah ~  The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, is of course, JESUS. And we are celebrating a birthday each year of God willing to come to us. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. We Rejoice in the Days God has blessed us. God is in His Heaven and all is right with the world. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch. Palm Sunday Events. 

Zebulun ~ a haven. Life forces compel us like the Mighty Mississippi river. We rejoice in the times of haven, days stretching before us like sunlight on water.

Psalm 107:30
They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven

Issachar ~ a work in progress, a work horse.

How good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land. In Ecclesiastes 5 we learn about this. Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Dan ~  providing justice for his people. Dan's verse is inspiring, a man of valor. For the days of our lives when we have so much appreciation for being protected and spoken up for.

Proverbs 29:4
By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.

Matthew 5:25
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison."

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Gad ~ can be relied upon to give all that back.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Asher ~ is gifted. Don't we love to see the gifts our children have.


Proverbs 18:16
A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.

1 Corinthians 12:4
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

Deer lithograph by Samuel Howell

Naphtali ~ is a doe set free, that bears beautiful fawns. We are, obviously, treated to a moment in Jacob's memories of Naphtali's mercy. And the reward of seeing the unusual and appreciated fawns the next year.

Ephesians 2:4-6
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Benjamin  ~ Jacob's treasured son with his wife Rachael, this passage seems to suggest Benjamin is a yuppie with determination and skill.  As Benjamin's  life develops - he gives back blessings to others.

Ephesians 4:13
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Of all the gifts we could possibly give our children, what we would provide for them......

Joseph~ here we reach the crux of this passage. Forgiveness. Trust. Blessings.  Jacob, Israel, wrestler of blessings, believed Joseph was killed by a wild animal. His sons are never recorded asking for forgiveness. And yet, importantly, Jacob wishes to bless his sons. An example of Father God.

Jacob had a life with misery, upon occasion, with difficult events - yet he Believes himself to be the bearer of Almighty God's blessing. Jacob has joy in discovering, God has raised his beloved son. What has Jacob enjoyed about learning about Joseph, the man? 




 
But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

because of your father’s God,

who helps you,
because of the Almighty,

who blesses you
with blessings


Let these blessings bless all my family, I pray, Father God in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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Luke 6:43-45 ~ for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks

Cedar of Lebanon

Luke 6:43-45

43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.


Jesus loved to say if you have ears, hear. We rush through life and tell each other the same stories, but if you truly listen to people you hear intent.

1 Corinthians 2:10
These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Matthew 16:17
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.





And you have to brush things aside because only Jesus was perfect. Judgement presumes we don't change for the better.

Just as each day is built and teens are surprised to hear that they work to be 20, 25 year olds work to be 30 - we are surprised to find - life is now. Who we are is now. We expect to find a picture frame to move into. Instead our choices today tell us of ourselves.

Matthew 13:32
Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."





A tree is a wonderful analogy to life. Shade from intense sun. Moved by wind. Abraham chose to live under the Oaks of Mamre. Shelter.

Psalm 107:30
They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.


Father God, be our shelter. As we pray for the righteous man's prayer availeth much, let us turn to You for Your will to be done, by asking - Jesus please. And we know You pray with us and Your Will is accomplished on this earth. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +


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Nehemiah 13:1-22 ~ to Jerusalem

Nehemiah 13:1-22

On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, 5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. 6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king 7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. 16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! 17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

What is Jesus going to remember regarding the service to the beginning of the Second Temple?

Jesus knew quite clearly as the exiled former slaves returned to Jerusalem, something remained.

Solomon's Portico.

Whenever Jesus did visit the Temple, He taught from "Solomon's" Portico.

Today we still have what remains.

This is marvelous. We have pillars of the First Temple which stood in the Second Temple. These pillars were there as Jesus walked among the believers in His Father's House.

Psalm 116
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Where there problems among the Children of God? Yes.
People are people. They have problems.

God gives us life to test our metal. To bring forth growth. Trouble is pollution. And God comes in interweaving good in the mess. God makes all things white again.

our God turned the curse into a blessing

So Jesus told us we are the new Temple of God.
Keeping the Sabbath? Jesus told us the fruit of keeping the Sabbath as His Day.

The signs of well fed souls are this:

Galatians 5
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

What will Jesus remember of our ministries to Him?

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.


After Jesus came, important doors do not shut. 
Revelation tells us the 12 Gates of Heaven don't close.

Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 John 4:4
For He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Psalm 103:19
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

Proverb 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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Luke 7 ~ After He had finished

Luke 7

1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.

And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”

And Jesus went with them.

When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Capernaum

Why the heck would you put in verse one?

Samuel was very attuned to God and so much so Samuel wrote down the Words of the Holy Spirit.

2 Samuel 22:31
"As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him."

1 Samuel 3:19
The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground.

So... why verse one.

Jesus was, when you read about the few words of His childhood, a public figure. Jesus grew in stature...

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.




This is a very today issue, Words written down for the Millennium.

Jesus doesn't finish. That's the point.

Jesus is telling us... in grief, in sadness, in joy, in need - just a time to speak to Him. Jesus doesn't finish. He isn't too busy. Always doing the Work of His Father. Jesus has always had people wanting to speak with Him.

Jesus turns to speak to us. Today.

Psalm 1
I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?

Cornelius ministered to... Jesus. Cornelius gave Jesus a gift. God says all we have is from Him. And Cornelius gave Jesus a gift, He valued. Faith and Trust. Jesus lived in Capernaum to be surrounded by the faithful. Jesus must have Really Liked this gift.


Cornelius and Jesus were doing God's work together. So many times Jesus asked for those asking for healing to contribute to what His Word alone could do.

Psalm 1
6a I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me

That Jesus did with the Centurion as part of his chosen hometown

6b he who walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

Cornelius completes the verse and did minister to Jesus.

Does this blend with the rest of the events? Absolutely, this is all about God's Word. When we seek to do God's will, Jesus for His Namesake makes us blameless, sin is covered. This forgiveness is His Gift to us. And as a Gift from God, not taken lightly.



Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"


Father God, A gratitude journal is easy to keep, help us to text ourselves with Your blessings and work in our lives. Reminding us of our blessings, lest we become mired in self-pity and gloom.

Let Your works show us again of our friendship in being part of Your Beloved. And help us to give lessons to our children of Your glorious power.

Let Your favor, Lord Father God be upon us, establish the work of our hands for Your Glory; Amen! Yes, establish the work of our hands!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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Joshua 1 ~ and Joshua commanded

Sea of Galilee

Joshua 1

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.

Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ 

 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, 15 until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them.

Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

16 And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

In Aramaic & Hebrew, the name Jesus is "Yeshua". Jesus was probably called "Yeshua".

Joshua is “Yehoshua”, in Hebrew - Aramaic. Jesus and Joshua in English. Similar names. In Greek, both names are “Iesous”. Joshua stands as the shepherd to Israel in this chapter. Like Jesus.

We are called to be like Joshua - a light to the world. God's people are called to believe and act on the promises of the LORD. Our light brightens the dark parts of life. We have been called by God, God is with us wherever we may go.

If we are called upward, the hill can be steep. The Hope of God and the purer air pull us higher. God hasn't brought us this far to drop us on our heads. We might swerve, have detours, but His Call is Bring us A Long Way. His Way.

Does His Call seem a bit watered down. Do we see a path that has curves. Maybe. Just maybe, there is a vast difference to what we see and what He sees. 

Father God, be our guide and we will go Far! In Jesus' name. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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