https://esv.literalword.com/?q=genesis+48
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 25 December 2024:
Genesis 48:1-4 — After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’
Israel, first and foremost, wanted Joseph to understand what God had done in his life and what God’s will was for the family. Above all else, he wanted his family to remain faithful to God and to live in accordance with God’s will and promise. The primary role of a parent is to teach their children to follow Jesus, in part by sharing how God as blessed their lives, by reminding them of God’s promises, and by demonstrating faith and obedience.
– Malachi 2:15 — Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring.
– Deuteronomy 6:4-9 — “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
– Deuteronomy 11:18-21 — “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.”
Genesis 48:5-6 — And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
Israel adopts the two son’s of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh as if they were first-born and second-born sons. Reuben lost his birthright due to his sexual misconduct with his father’s concubine, while Simeon lost his inheritance because of his violent actions in the Shechem incident alongside Levi, where they slaughtered the city’s men after his sister Dinah was raped (more on this tomorrow). The descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh will constitute the “House of Joseph,” or “tribe of Joseph” and are often referred to as “two half-tribes of Joseph.”
Genesis 48:18, 19 — And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. To understand anything, we must rely on revelation rather than just reason. God gives us reason, which has its purpose, but revelation goes beyond reason to reveal what our small minds could never understand. God gives general revelation through the Bible and Creation to guide us along the path, but He gives special revelation through the Holy Spirit to know how to rightly apply knowledge in particular situations. How did Israel know to contradict tradition and to bless Ephraim over Manasseh, despite Joseph’s protests? Israel was acting on special revelation. The Bible does not tell us how He received that revelation, but it does reveal that Israel had no doubt in the special revelation he received from God. Many people say, “I think God is telling me [this or that].” But one should not assume this is special revelation. When God speaks, there is no doubt He has spoken. There may arise doubt in obedience, but there is no doubt in the message. Don’ t confuse imagination with inspiration. And don’t confuse a “positive mental attitude” with faith. A positive mental attitude places confidence in yourself to bring positive results out of challenging circumstances. Faith trust God, despite yourself and regardless the outcome. It’s not about success; it’s about surrender. It’s not about fortune; it’s about fidelity. It’s not about winning; it’s about worship.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 25 December 2024: Today, don’t let the traditions of Christmas get in the way of you hearing what the Holy Spirit will communicate to you about your relationship with Jesus and how He would have you serve Him to impact the lives of others around you for His glory. Be prepared for God to lead you to do the exact opposite of what everyone would expect.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 