Living by faith, not by sight.
Introduction
Jacob was far from perfect.
Jacob made so bad choices in his lifetime, but he is recorded in scripture as a man of faith.
Hebrews 11:2, 21, 39 NLT
2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT
7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.
Living by faith, not by sight.
Genesis 47:27-48:7 NLT
27 Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. 28 Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all.
29 As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request: Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors.”
So Joseph promised, “I will do as you ask.”
31 “Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
48:1 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
5 “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.
7 “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”
Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 47:27-48:7 NLT
27 Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly.
This is all a part of God’s plan for the people of Israel.
Genesis 15:5 NLT
5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
- The people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. God’s promises were being fulfilled.
The Israelites had to wait for the fulfillment of the second promise.
Genesis 22:17 NLT
17 I will certainly bless you (Abraham). I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.
Genesis 17:8 NLT
8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
The time from the promise given to Abram until Jacob comes to Egypt was 220 years.
400 years in Egypt.
40 years in the wilderness.
Nearly 700 years until the Israelites move into Canaan.
28 Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all.
For seventeen years Jacob witnessed the increase of the Israelite community. Jacob had a glimpse of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and himself being fulfilled.
- Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt.
- Jacob saw a glimpse of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and himself being fulfilled.
29 As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request:
Jacob wanted to know for sure that Joseph would follow through on his request.
A very solemn oath. A commitment to follow through.
An ancient Near Eastern custom.
Abraham did the same with one of his servants.
Genesis 24:2 NLT
2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.
- Jacob asked Joseph to honor his last request.
Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors.”
Bury me in the family burial cave in Canaan.
Jacob repeated this request, in more detail, immediately before he died.
Genesis 49:29-32 NLT
Jacob’s Death and Burial
29 Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30 This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. (Sarah – Genesis 23:1-20)(Abraham – Genesis 25:7-10) There Isaac (Genesis 35:27-29) and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. 32 It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”
In Canaan – the Promised Land
- It was very important to Jacob that he be buried with his father and grandfather in Canaan.
So Joseph promised, “I will do as you ask.”
31 “Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.
This request was consistent with God’s will for Jacob.
Genesis 28:15 NLT
15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
- Jacob’s insistence on being buried with his ancestors was a good indication that he had a basic understanding of God’s plans for the Israelites.
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
48:1 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
Jacob remembered and verbalized God’s promise, made to him many years ago. (Before he was married.)
Genesis 28:10-14 & 19 NLT
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. 12 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.
13 At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. …
19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
- Jacob remembered and verbalized the promises God had made to him.
- Jacob shared the story of God appearing to him at Luz with his son Joseph.
Psalm 78:4, 6-7 NLT
4 …
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
…
6 so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
5 “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are.
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 NLT
1 The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph.* For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. 2 The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.
*More about this in the next lesson.
For now, this means Ephraim and Manasseh will become heads of tribes for the Israelites.
- Jacob granted Rachel’s two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, three tribal territories in Canaan out of love and gratitude for Joseph (and Rachel).
***Jacob gave the birthright to Joseph by elevating Ephraim and Manasseh to the rank of firstborn sons, thus giving a double portion to Joseph.
Joseph received a double portion – two tribes.
6 But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.
7 “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”
Jacob’s memories of Rachel must have been vivid in his mind as Jacob claimed Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons.
