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Genesis 49:

Reading #157  The blessings

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Genesis 49:

1 And Jacob called to his sons, and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, you sons of Jacob; and hearken to Israel your father.”

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The early part of the Bible tells us not only what happened, but also why.  Thus the Son of God enables us to discover the laws, or principles, of history, which is forever repeating in a regular pattern.  Once we know those laws, we may peer into the future and come to an assessment of what is going to happen, if nothing changes.  However, the Spirit of God is the only one who can accurately predict because He knows the laws and the people so well.  But we who know them partially, can also make reasoned forecasts of what is to be, especially when we know what has happened in the past, which is why we should study it.

The wisest man who ever lived tells us:-

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Ecclesiastes 1:

9 The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10  Is there any thing whereof it may be said, “See, this is new?” It has been already of old time, which was before us.  

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The Son of God had often called upon individuals in other families to be His representatives before this, but up till Abram the second and third generations had all turned Him down, preferring the “safety” and “profit” of their political situations.  He has always been successful with individuals, but needed a minimum of three generations to display His alternative system to the nations.  Now He had one He could use. 

No one had ever been invited because they were special, for God has no favorites, but it was always in the hope that they might respond to His love, as Moses later told the Hebrews of the exodus. (They were at that time the 9^th and 10^th generations and the pattern was set.  See Deuteronomy 23:2-3 for the principle).

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Deuteronomy 4:

37 And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them [He obtained a response from them too], and brought you out in His sight with His mighty power out of Egypt; 38 to drive out nations [with a Hornet, the Holy Spirit, Deuteronomy 7:20-23] from before you, [who are] greater and mightier than you are, to bring you in, to give you their [empty] land for an inheritance, as it is this day. [It was intended to happen as the rejecters departed from it, Deuteronomy 7:22.  Not all rejected, of course, see Joshua 6:23 for an example.  They joined the Hebrews.]

39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. 

  [Moses repeated the thought another day.]

Deuteronomy 7:

6 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a special [representative] people to Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

7 The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people: 8 but because the LORD loved you [as He loves all His creatures], and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn to your fathers [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob], has the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt [as a picture of a spiritual event, 1 Corinthians 10:1-4]. 

9 Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations [which means forever].

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In our story, because the words of Jacob were to be recorded as part of the inspired Scriptures, it was the Spirit of God who gave him the insight into the happenings of the lives of his sons and their literal descendants up till the end of the Jewish world, and also to their spiritual offspring in the days just before the second coming (today).

Often and anxiously Jacob had thought and prayed about their future, asking what he could do to help, and had endeavored to picture to himself the history of the different families/tribes. Now as his children waited to receive his last blessing the Spirit rested upon him, and before him in prophetic vision the future of his descendants, literal and spiritual, was unfolded in answer to his prayers.

This record has significance for us today for the sons of Jacob were representatives of the twelve character types of humanity, as were the twelve disciples.  The Christians of the last generation who are to be translated into heaven without seeing death are described as being 12,000 from each of the 12 tribal types, for they are a good cross-section of redeemed mankind.  See Revelation 7:1-10.

It is a perversion of this truth (and therefore one of Satan’s deceptions) that has given rise to the art called “astrology” which attempts to link character to the pagan zodiac signs and our birth dates, and which tries to show that our character and future is predestined!  (See note at end.)

One after another the names of Jacob’s sons are mentioned, the character of each is described, and the future history of the tribes is briefly foretold. 

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Genesis 49:

3 “Reuben [See, a son], you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. 4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it: he went up to my couch.”  

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Thus the father pictured what should have been the position of Reuben as the first-born son; but his grievous sin at Edar showed that he did not want the birthright blessing.  Genesis 35:22.  The rejected priesthood was passed on to Levi, the kingdom and the Messianic promise to Judah, and the double portion of the inheritance to Joseph. No one person, or character, would accept all the blessings.  (Nor can one church, for by their very nature, all churches are filled with both “wheat” and “tares”.  Matthew 12:24-30.)

The tribe of Reuben never rose to any eminence in Israel; it was not so numerous as Judah, Joseph, or Dan, and was among the first that were carried into captivity when the ten tribes were scattered and only the Jews of Judah and Benjamin were left.  2 Kings 15:29; 16:9 etc.  (The Hebrews were called “Jews” after their return from the Babylonian exile because most of them were from Judah, although all twelve tribes were represented. See Ezra 5:1 etc.) 

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Genesis 49:

5  [Jacob continued,] “Simeon [Hearing] and Levi [Joined] are brothers [they are alike in character]; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 6 O my soul, come not you into their secret [don’t be like them]. To their assembly, my honour, be not you united: for in their anger they slew a [helpless] man, and in their selfwill they dug down a wall [of protection]. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: ‘I will divide [separate] them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel’ [says the LORD, although it will be by their own choice].” 

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At the numbering of Israel, just before their entrance to Canaan, Simeon was the smallest tribe.  Numbers 1:23.  Moses, in his last blessing, made no reference at all to them.  In the settlement of Canaan this tribe had only a small portion of Judah's lot, and such families as afterward became powerful formed different colonies and settled in territory outside the borders of the Holy Land. Joshua 19:9. 

Levi also received no inheritance except forty-eight cities scattered in different parts of the land. In the case of this tribe, however, their faithfulness to God when the others apostatized (Exodus 32:25-29), secured their appointment to the sacred service of the sanctuary, and thus the curse was changed into a blessing.  Numbers 1:49-50.

Although this is all written of groups (families), we should remember that in every case it is individuals only within those character types that can be saved.

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Genesis 49:

8 “Judah [Praise], you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies; your father's children shall bow down before you.

9 Judah is a lion's whelp [child]. From the prey, my son, you are gone up [victorious]: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old [wise] lion; who shall rouse him up? [who shall stop him]”

10 “The sceptre [of kingship] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Jesus, the Lion of the tribe, Revelation 5:5] come [is born]; and to Him shall the gathering of the people be [the hearts of the people will accept lessons of love in preference to ceremonies]. 11 Binding His foal to the vine, and His ass's colt to the choice vine; He washed his garments in wine, and His clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.” [See in Isaiah 63:1-3 a reference to His death.] 

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The crowning blessings of the birthright were transferred to Judah, and thus to Jesus who was born into this line. The significance of the name - which means “praise” - is unfolded in the prophetic history of this tribe as mentioned above.  Caleb is a perfect example of this character. See Numbers 32:11-12; Joshua 14:6-15.

Jacob continued:

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Genesis 49:

13 “Zebulun [Dwelling] shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be to Zidon [a Phoenician seaport].”

14 “Issachar [Hired] is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15 and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant to tribute [to the Canaanites, Judges 1:30].”

16 “Dan [Judging] shall judge his people [be a warning to them], as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path [a snake in the grass], that bites the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward [Samson was a Danite!]. 18  [Yet he shall say], ‘I have waited for your salvation, O LORD’.” [See Hebrews 11:32]

19 “Gad [A troop], a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.”

20 “Out of  [or regarding] Asher [Happy], his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.”   

21 “Naphtali [Wrestling] is a hind let loose: he gives goodly words.”

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For most of his children Jacob foretold a prosperous future in a few words.  Then at last the name of Joseph was reached, and the father's heart overflowed as he invoked blessings upon “the head of him that was separate from his brothers.”

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Genesis 49:

22 “Joseph [Adding] is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall [to the heathen]. 23 The archers [the rebellious angels etc.] have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there [from Him] is [to come] the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel:) 25 even by the God of your father, who shall help you.”

“And by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb [see Isaiah 58 find out how]: 26 the blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors [ancestors] to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brothers.” [Ephraim and Manasseh are included in Joseph at this time to keep the number of the tribes to twelve as representatives.] 

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The life of Joseph, who was a typical Christian, illustrates the life of Christ. It was envy that moved the brothers of Joseph to sell him as a slave; they hoped to prevent him from becoming greater than themselves. And when he was carried to Egypt, they flattered themselves that they were to be no more troubled with his dreams, that they had removed all possibility of their fulfilment. But their own course was overruled by God to bring about the very event that they designed to hinder. So the Jewish priests and elders were jealous of Christ, fearing that He would attract the attention of the people from them. They put Him to death, to prevent Him from becoming king, but they were thus bringing about this very result.

Joseph, through his bondage in Egypt, became a saviour to his father's family; yet this fact did not lessen the guilt of his brothers. So the crucifixion of Christ by His enemies made Him in the eyes of many the Redeemer of mankind, the Saviour of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole world: but the crime of His murderers was just as wicked as though God's providential hand had not controlled events for His own glory and the good of man.

As Joseph was sold to the heathen by his own brothers, so Christ was sold to His bitterest enemies by one of His disciples. Joseph was falsely accused and thrust into prison because of his virtue: so Christ was despised and rejected because His righteous, self-denying life was a rebuke to sin; and though guilty of no wrong, He was condemned upon the testimony of false witnesses. And Joseph's patience and meekness under injustice and oppression, his ready forgiveness and noble benevolence toward his unnatural brothers, represent the Saviour's uncomplaining endurance of the malice and abuse of wicked men, and His forgiveness, not only of His murderers, but of all who have come to Him confessing their sins and seeking a pardon.

Then Jacob spoke sorrowfully of his last and favourite son.

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Genesis 49:

27 “Benjamin [son of the right hand] shall ravin as a wolf [be as ravenous and destructive as one]: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.” [Saul and Jonathan were from Benjamin, 1 Samuel 9:1-2.  So was Paul the apostle, Romans 11:1.]  

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Jacob had ever been a man of deep and ardent affection; his love for his sons was strong and tender.  It is plain he was guided in what he said by the Spirit of prophecy, and not by natural affection, else he would have spoken with more tenderness of his beloved son Benjamin, concerning whom he says only that his posterity would be a warlike tribe, strong, daring and ruthless, and that they should enrich themselves with the goods of their enemies.  But he had forgiven them all, and he loved them to the last. His paternal tenderness would rather have found expression in words of encouragement and hope; but the power of God rested upon him, and under the influence of Inspiration he was constrained to declare the truth, however painful.

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Genesis 49:

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spoke to them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

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More next week,

Bye, 

RonP

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This is something I received off the Net.

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Father Figure
Alan Leo, who was born in Britain in 1860, is considered today to be the father of modern astrology. His interest in the subject was deep, and he believed astrology deserved a wider audience that would appreciate its various applications, particularly the use of the horoscope. In 1890, Leo produced a monthly journal entitled Astrologer's Magazine, and a few years later, he founded the Astrological Lodge. He was a prolific writer, and his published works include Astrology For All and The Progressed Horoscope. He died in 1917.     - Parry Normal

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Of course, astrology has always been with us in various forms, for it is a great weapon of the devil.  God says of them:

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Isaiah 47:

11 Therefore shall evil come upon you; you shall not know from where it rises: and mischief shall fall upon you; you shall not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not know [expect].

12  Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, wherein you have laboured from your youth; if so be you shall be able to profit, if so be you may prevail. 

13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators [those who work by the moon], stand up, and save you from these things that shall come upon you.

14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. 15 Thus shall they be to you with whom you have laboured, even your merchants, from your youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save you.

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