Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 2)  Continued in the next lesson.

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

This lesson is not an in-depth study of how these prophecies were all fulfilled.  We will simply see some examples of the fulfillment of these prophecies.

Again, be reminded of the fact that the fulfillment of many of these prophecies did not even begin to take place for 400 years.

Genesis 49:1-2 NLT
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.
Genesis 49:3-28 NLT
³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.
⁴ But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch.
⁵ “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
their weapons are instruments of violence.
⁶ May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.
⁷ A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel.
⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
⁹ Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
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 his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.
¹¹ He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
¹² His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
¹³ “Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.
¹⁴ “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,
resting between two saddlepacks.
¹⁵ When he sees how good the countryside is
and how pleasant the land,
he will bend his shoulder to the load
and submit himself to hard labor. 

²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.

Examine the Scriptures
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 2)

Genesis 49:1-2 NLT (previous lesson)
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

Genesis 49:3-28 NLT

• Jacob is telling his sons what would become of them in the days ahead.

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms, but be prepared to be amazed.

• These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

Note the order: (There is no consistent pattern)
The six sons of Leah
The one son of Bilhah
The two sons of Zilpah
The one son of Bilhah
The two sons of Rachel

³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.

Jacob begins by praising Reuben.  As firstborn, Reuben was entitled to be head of the family and to receive a double blessing.

But … 

• As firstborn, Reuben was entitled to be head of the family and to receive a double blessing.

But …

⁴ But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch. 

Genesis 35:22 NLT
²² While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it. 

1 Chronicles 5 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.

• Reuben lost his “leadership rights” and his “double inheritance”

Judges 5:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak.
They followed Barak, rushing into the valley.
But in the tribe of Reuben
there was great indecision.
¹⁶ Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds—
to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks?
Yes, in the tribe of Reuben
there was great indecision.

• The tribe of Reuben was characterized by indecision.

A wavering between two or more possible courses of action.

NOTE: There is very little mention of the tribe of Reuben in the history of Israel.  It did not produce a judge, prophet, military leader, or other important person.

Deuteronomy 33:6 NLT
⁶ Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:
“Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
though they are few in number.” 

********************

⁵ “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
Simeon and Levi had the same mother (and father).
their weapons are instruments of violence.
⁶ May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.
⁷ A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.

• Simeon and Levi were men of violence. They were men of uncontrolled anger and fury, with disregard for men and animals.

Genesis 34 NLT
Revenge against Shechem
¹ One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. ² But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. ³ But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. ⁴ He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”
⁵ Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. ⁶ Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. ⁷ Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.
⁸ Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. ⁹ In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. ¹⁰ And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”
¹¹ Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”
¹³ But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! ¹⁵ But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, ¹⁶ then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. ¹⁷ But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”
¹⁸ Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. ¹⁹ Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, ²⁰ and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.
²¹ “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. ²² But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. ²³ But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
²⁴ So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. ²⁵ But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, ²⁶ including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
²⁷ Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. ²⁸ They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. ²⁹ They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.
³⁰ Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”
³¹ “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.

I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel.

So the tribe of Simeon:

received an allocation within the territory of Judah.
was the smallest tribe in the second census of Moses. (Numbers 26:14)
was omitted from the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:8)

The Levites lived among the other tribes and had no region of their own.

********************

⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
⁹ Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

A lion symbolizes sovereignty, strength, and courage.

• Jacob predicted a fierce lion-like dominance of Judah over his enemies
  and over his brothers who would praise him.

1 Chronicles 5 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.

Genesis 29:35 Judah is related to the Hebrew term for “praise.”  Judah’s brothers would praise him.

On the march through the wilderness, Judah went first.

They were the first to be allocated land in the Promised Land.

They received 1/3 of the whole land.

In time they became the most powerful and most important tribe.

¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,

Judah’s line included David and Solomon and their dynasty (640 years after this). 

until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.

Revelation 5:5 NLT
⁵ But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Isaiah 11:10 NLT
¹⁰ In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Jesus was the heir to David’s throne.

• Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

¹¹ He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.

Grapevines and wine will be abundant. (A sign of the prosperity of Judah.)  This is likely a millennial prophecy.

¹² His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk. 

********************

 ¹³ “Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.

The actual settlement spread inland.

The tribe of Zebulun was situated to benefit from the important trade route traveled by sea traders moving through Zebulun’s territory.

Deuteronomy 33:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar:
“May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels.
May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.
¹⁹ They summon the people to the mountain
to offer proper sacrifices there.
They benefit from the riches of the sea
and the hidden treasures in the sand.”

• The tribe of Zebulun was situated to benefit from the important trade route traveled by sea traders moving through Zebulun’s territory. 

******************** 

¹⁴ “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,
resting between two saddlepacks.
¹⁵ When he sees how good the countryside is
and how pleasant the land,
he will bend his shoulder to the load
and submit himself to hard labor.

The tribe of Issachar was an industrious, robust, hardy, and stalwart tribe.

The tribe of Issachar was often subjugated by invading armies.
(Bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.)

Like a strong donkey, the tribe of Issachar would be forced to work for others.

• The tribe of Issachar was an industrious, robust, hardy, and stalwart tribe.
• The tribe of Issachar was often subjugated by invading armies. 

******************** 

²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message. 

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

0

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 1)

Review:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

 I believe this lesson gives parents and teachers a lot to think about.  You do not have to agree with everything I am saying, but please share with me your reason for disagreeing.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 1)

Genesis 48:21-49:2 NLT
²¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. ²² And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 48:21-49:7 NLT
²¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. 

Jacob was reminding Joseph that God will be with him.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT (A promise to Joshua)
⁶ So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT (The promise to Joshua repeated to all believers.)

⁵ … For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
⁶ So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”

Jacob was also telling Joseph something that would happen approximately 440 years from this point in time.

• Jacob had matured into a man of faith.

Jacob knew and believed the promise God had made with this father and grandfather.  He remembered and believed his dream at bethel when God had said to him, “The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.” 

• Jacob reminded Joseph of the covenant God had made with him (Jacob), his father (Isaac), and his grandfather (Abraham). 

These words would certainly have been encouraging to Joseph.

²² And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

The same verse in different translations:

Genesis 48:22 New International Version
²² And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 48:22 Common English Bible
²² I’m giving you one portion more than to your brothers, a portion that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 48:22 English Standard Version
²² Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” 

Jacob’s history does not record any conquest of Amorite land.

This is the only mention of Jacob taking land from the Amorites with his sword and bow.

This verse may be unclear to us.  That’s o.k.

What do we know from scripture?  Let’s focus on what we do understand.

Joseph was going to receive something “beyond what Jacob gave to his brothers”.

1. 1. 1. Technically, there is no tribe of Joseph (although the phrase is used in Numbers 13:11, Numbers 36:5, and Revelation 7:8). Instead, Joseph received a “double blessing” when his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each had one of the twelve tribes of Judah named after them.

1. 1. 2. Jacob did purchase property from the children of Hamor (Genesis 33:19) but that was not by conquest.

Genesis 33:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. ¹⁹ Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. ²⁰ And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel. (“God, the God of Israel.”) 

1. 3. Jacob gave Joseph a plot of land near Shechem.

John 4:4-6 NLT
⁴ He had to go through Samaria on the way. ⁵ Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar (near Shechem), near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there …

Joseph was buried at Shechem.

1. 4. Joseph’s bones were buried at Shechem.

Joshua 24:32 NLT
³² The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the plot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph. 

• Joseph received a special blessing from his father Jacob.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.

• Jacob tells each of his sons what will happen to them in the days to come.

Descriptions of his sons included phrases such as:

Unruly
In their anger they murdered men.
Crippled oxen just for sport.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down – who dares to rouse him.
A sturdy donkey.
 A poisonous viper along the path.
A ravenous wolf devouring his enemies. 

Jacob’s words portrayed the future history of each son, seemingly based on their character up to that time.

“Jacob’s words” might be better stated as God’s prophecy.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

Jacob was God’s spokesman.

I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.

Jacob knew his sons.

Proverbs 20:11 NLT
¹¹ Even children are known by the way they act,
    whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

Matthew 7:15-20 NLT
The Tree and Its Fruit
¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶ You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Predictable outcomes for the behaviors of individuals (and nations).

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NLT
²⁶ “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! ²⁷ You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ²⁸ But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NLT
¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Psalm 37:22 NLT
²² Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.

• Choices have consequences.

Jacob’s words were not limited to the future history of his sons, his words also portrayed, to some degree, the future of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Consequences of parental disobedience.

Children are not punished for the sins of their parents (Deuteronomy 24:16 ¹⁶ “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.) but the children would feel the impact of their parent’s sins as a natural consequence of the parent’s disobedience.  Children reared in such an environment would be influenced to practice similar sins, thus experience punishment for their sins.  The effect of a disobedient generation would take several generations to reverse.

Children are not punished for the sins of their parents, but their lives are affected by the sins of their parents.

Exodus 20:5-6 NLT
⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

Exodus 34:6-7 NLT
⁶ The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
⁷ I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Numbers 14:18 NLT
¹⁸ ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’

Jeremiah 32:18 NLT
¹⁸ You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

A parent tends to greatly influence a child’s belief system, from religion to personal values and habits.

• Parents play a major role in determining a child’s success or failure in life.

Verses we use all the time show that we believe that parents do play a major role in determining a child’s success or failure in life.

Proverbs 22:6 NLT
⁶ Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NLT
⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Psalm 78:4, 6, 7 NLT
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
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.

Luke 6:40 NLT
⁴⁰ Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

Matthew 10:24 NLT
²⁴ “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 

2 Timothy 1:5 NLT
⁵ I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

• Scripture tells parents to direct their children on to the right path. 

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

This is a two-way street.

The parent (Jacob) gives good honest counsel.

The children (sons of Jacob) need to listen and learn.

Proverbs 1:8-9 NLT
⁸ My child, listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
⁹ What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.

Ephesians 6:1-3 NLT
Children and Parents
¹Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ² “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: ³ If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 

• Scripture tells children to honor their parents.

0

Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim

Genesis 48:8-20 NLT
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
⁸ Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked.
⁹ “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.”
And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.”,br>¹⁰ Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. ¹¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!”
¹² Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. ¹³ Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. ¹⁴ But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. ¹⁵ Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham
and my father, Isaac, walked—
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life, to this very day,
¹⁶ the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—
may he bless these boys.
May they preserve my name
and the names of Abraham and Isaac.
And may their descendants multiply greatly
throughout the earth.”
¹⁷ But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
²⁰ So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Examine the Scriptures

Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
Genesis 48:8-20 NLT
⁸ Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked.

Who was asking this question?  Jacob the deceiver (and the deceived).

Genesis 27 Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing

Genesis 29 Laban deceives Jacob.

His question was legitimate. (Verse 10 states that Jacob was half blind.)

⁹ “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.” 

• Once again, Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty.
  (this will be addressed again in verses 17-18) 

And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.”
¹⁰ Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see.

Like his father Isaac, Jacob gave this blessing when his eyesight was failing.

Stages of life can generally be predicted. 

So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. ¹¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!”

• In the last 17 years of his life, Jacob was blessed in ways he never expected would happen.

God gave Jacob another opportunity to express his love for his family.

Recognize God’s blessings in your life.

¹² Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. 

• Joseph, the second in command in Egypt, demonstrated great respect to his father.

Exodus 20:12 NLT
¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 

Joseph’s age and position in life did not stop him from showing honor and respect to his father.

This is a great example of practicing a Biblical principle.

¹³ Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. 

When each hand is placed on a different object, the right hand conveys the higher blessing.

• Joseph positioned Manasseh to receive the higher blessing.

¹⁴ But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn.  

¹⁵ Then he blessed Joseph and said,

• When Jacob Blessed Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph was being blessed.

Notice how much Jacob’s faith had grown over his lifetime.

Genesis 47:9 NLT
⁹ Jacob replied, “I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors.”

Notice how Jacob begins this blessing. 

“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham
and my father, Isaac, walked—

1. 1. Jacob recognized the God of Abraham and Isaac was:

The one true God.

The covenant maker.

the God who has been my shepherd
all my life, to this very day,

1. 2. In hindsight, Jacob recognized God as his lifetime shepherd.

Jacob could have written parts of the 23^rd Psalm.

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.

³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.

¹⁶ the Angel who has redeemed (delivered or saved) me from all harm—

1. 3. Jacob recognized God as the one who delivered him from all harm. 

Psalm 23
⁴ Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.

may he bless these boys.

• Jacob wanted the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God who was his shepherd, and the God who redeemed (delivered) him to bless Manasseh and Ephraim.

Manasseh and Ephraim were being blessed by a man who had matured into a man of faith.

May they preserve my name
and the names of Abraham and Isaac.
And may their descendants multiply greatly
throughout the earth.”

Jacob blessed both sons.

• Jacob’s blessing was in line with the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It’s always right to want God’s will to be done.  (“May your will be done.”)

¹⁷ But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

Since Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see, Joseph may have thought his father mistakenly took Ephraim for Manasseh.

Back at verse 9, I stated that Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty.  Recognizing God’s sovereignty does not mean we always know God will.

• Recognizing that God is sovereign does not mean we know God’s will.

¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied.

Jacob knew what he was doing.

After a lifetime of discipline, Jacob was learning that God’s ways are not man’s ways.  God works differently and sometimes in unconventional ways to fulfill His plans.

Jacob learned that in spite of what man attempted to do God had blessed him, the younger.

• For four consecutive generations the blessing was given to:

Isaac over Ishmael
Jacob over Esau
Joseph over Reuben
Ephraim over Manasseh

“Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

• Manasseh was blessed by Jacob, but Ephraim received a greater blessing.

• The tribe of Ephraim became a leading tribe in the Northern kingdom, much superior to the tribe of Manasseh.

Note: Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim.  Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land.

²⁰ So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

• Jacob intentionally put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Note:

Psalm 78:67-71 NLT
⁶⁷ But he rejected Joseph’s descendants;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
⁶⁸ He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loved.
⁶⁹ There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens,
as solid and enduring as the earth.
⁷⁰ He chose his servant David,
calling him from the sheep pens.
⁷¹ He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
God’s own people, Israel.

• Note: Ultimately the tribe of Judah was chosen over the tribe of Ephraim.

0

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.

0

Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine

A quick glance at this story may lead some to believe that Joseph was taking advantage of the famine to benefit himself.  This is not the case.  Joseph was looking out for the welfare of the people of Egypt and his actions saved the lives of many, many people.

Qualities of a Good Leader.

Genesis 47:13-27 NLT
Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine
¹³ Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. ¹⁴ By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury. ¹⁵ When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Our money is gone!” they cried. “But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!”
¹⁶ Joseph replied, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.
¹⁸ But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”
²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. ²¹ As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land.
²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. ²⁴ Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.”
²⁵ “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.” ²⁶ Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh.
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.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 47:13-26 NLT
Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine
¹³ Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. 

Famines were not uncommon in the ancient world.
A famine occurred early in the lives of Abraham (12:10) and Isaac (26:1).
This famine was particularly severe.
Famine was a devastating catastrophe in an agrarian society.  It was often accompanied by starvation, disease, or war that brought adversity at many levels of society. Famines had far-reaching results in price inflation, robbery, social exploitation, agricultural collapse, migration, and even cannibalism.

• The famine became so severe that people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. 

¹⁴ By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury.  

¹⁵ When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Our money is gone!” they cried. “But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!” 

• The severity of the famine bankrupted the people in Egypt and Canaan.

• The Egyptians came to Joseph for help. 

Joseph was approachable.  The people could come to him.  Joseph listened.

¹⁶ Joseph replied, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food.

In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.

• Joseph came up with a solution that benefited both the people and Pharaoh.

Joseph provided solutions for the problem at hand.

The people would not have been able to provide for their livestock.  The livestock would have starved to death.  The cattle were actually worthless to the people.

¹⁸ But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”

Again the Egyptians came to Joseph for help.

• The people came up with a solution that benefited both the people and Pharaoh.

The people offered themselves and their land. (Again Joseph listened.)

• The Egyptian population understood the deadly nature of famines.

²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh.

Joseph did not have to buy the land.  Pharaoh could have simply confiscated the land.

All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. ²¹ As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other. 

The welfare of slaves is the responsibility of their owner.

²² The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land. 

²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. 

Joseph had implemented a grain ration that saved the people and supplied seed to plant new crops.

• Joseph provided the seed that the people needed to plant the fields. 

Joseph did not withhold something of great value from the people.

²⁴ Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.” 

²⁵ “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”  

• The people recognized and expressed gratitude to Joseph for his wise administration.

 ²⁶ Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. 

Joseph initiated a program that is still in effect today. (taxes)

It is difficult to come up with an “average” tax rate, but for the sake of discussion I will use the following statement that I found on the Internet:
The average single American contributed 29.8% of his earnings to three taxes in 2019—income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security.

Source: How Much Does the Average American Pay in Taxes? By Beverly Bird, review by Ebony J. Howard, Updated November 24, 2020 

Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh. 

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.

• The people of Egypt survived, but they were in bondage to Pharaoh.

• God blessed Pharaoh because he had blessed the seed of Abraham with the best of Egypt.

• The people of Israel were fruitful and their population grew rapidly.

• 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.

0