WEBVTT

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I am Pastor Nathan, and this morning we're going

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to be talking about the blessing that outlives

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us. If you're a baseball fan, you might be familiar

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with this story, but several years ago, a man

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named Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's record for career

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hits in baseball. And after the game, there was

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a reporter that he was talking to, and the reporter

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said, what were you thinking when you got to

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first base and you were just standing there and

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the whole stadium was roaring in applause and

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cheer? And Pete's response was, quote, my dad

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is probably looking down from heaven and is proud

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of me. It's just really interesting, right? Here's

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this grown man, successful in his career. right

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at this moment, at the very pinnacle of his success.

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And what he is still thinking about is his father's

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approval. You know, this tells us something about

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the human heart. And, you know, some of us, we're

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familiar with this. You know, kids long for the

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blessings of a father. Kids long for blessing

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from their father. Adults still carry the echo

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of that blessing, or in some cases, the echo

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of the absence of that blessing in their lives.

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Words spoken by parents, and we've mentioned

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this a few times, but it bears repeating. The

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words that are spoken by parents can shape a

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kid's life for decades. Could shape the entire

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trajectory and history of their life. Genesis

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41 is one of these moments of a father. giving

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his blessing, his final blessing to his children.

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This is one of the most powerful scenes in the

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entire book of Genesis because it is that deathbed

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scene of a dying father gathering his sons together

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to speak what are his final words to them. The

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last words that he can impart to them. And these

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aren't casual words. These aren't flippant words.

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These are prophetic words. These are words from

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God through Jacob to his kids. And these are

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going to be words that are not only going to

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shape these men, but they're going to shape history.

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History for the nation of Israel, history for

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these tribes, and history all the way down through

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to the Messiah. These are words of covenant.

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These are words of God's promise. But in the

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moment that we're going to be walking through

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here in Genesis 49 this morning, it's more than

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just a father blessing his kids. What it is is

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a picture of the Father, our Father. ensuring

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that his blessing for you and me today moved

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forward through history, that we would all be

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able to benefit from the blessing of God. And

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it reminds us all that regardless of the situations

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we've had on this earth with our dads, some of

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us had really great earthly fathers, some of

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us not so much. Some of us have had bad fathers

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and then great stepfathers. There's so many different

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layers and situations. It reminds us all that

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regardless of all of that, we do have in Christ

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and will always have a heavenly Father who does

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bless us and is blessing us and will continue

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to bless us until we are in his presence. So

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let's open up in worship and just to praise him

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for the blessings that he's given us. There's

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so much. And I know when we get self -focused

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and look inward and we start comparing ourselves

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to outward, we can be like, oh, I'm not blessed.

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But as Pastor Gary shared once years ago, he's

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like, if you start thinking about what people

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don't have, people that are in worse situations

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than yourself, it's far easier to start realizing

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that we're blessed. and we're going to be talking

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about that today, so let's praise him for that.

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Father, we love you, and we thank you, God, and

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Lord, we are blessed people. Lord, in the picture

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of our world today, God, we live in a country

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where we could still gather and worship you openly

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and publicly, and Lord, we don't have to worry

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about police breaking down the door or anything

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of that nature, Lord, and we pray for our brothers

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around the world that do have to worry about

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those types of things. our brothers and sisters

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that have to meet in secret, Lord. God, we thank

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you for just everything we have in our lives,

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Lord, the jobs you've given us, the gifts you've

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given us, the friends and the family you've given

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us, Lord. And God, we even step back and humbly

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thank you for the trials that you've given us,

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Lord, because all of these things mold us and

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shape us according to your will. And God, I pray,

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Lord, today as we look into your word and we

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see the words, God, that you had Jacob speak

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to his sons, Lord, that we would glean the lessons

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from these words, Lord. Some of them are quite

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lengthy and some of them are really short, God,

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but you speak and you spoke. And Lord, let us

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apply these things in our lives that we would

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be able to not only walk in the blessing that

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you've given us in our lives now, but we'd walk

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in eager anticipation of the ultimate blessing

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of heaven, God. always walking in gratitude of

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the blessing you gave us through Jesus Christ.

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We praise you, God. We worship you. We love you.

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It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. With that,

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we are in Genesis chapter 49. We are going to

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be looking at the second half of Jacob's words

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to his sons, but to really kind of understand

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the big picture here, we kind of have to... Look

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back at the whole story of Genesis, right? The

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very beginning of the book of Genesis starts

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with blessing. In chapter one, verse 28, after

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God created man and woman, it says, God blessed

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them and said to them, be fruitful, multiply,

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fill the earth and subdue it. Rule the fish of

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the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature

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that crawls on the earth. You see, the intention,

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when God created the heavens and the earth, When

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God created us, when he filled the earth with

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all the stuff, the intention was for us to live

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in eternal blessing in the presence of our God.

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Adam walked with the Lord in the garden. It was

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a beautiful situation, right? Walking with God

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was blessed. Marriage was blessed. Work was blessed.

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Recreation was blessed. Life was blessed. And

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then we messed it all up. We disobeyed God. There

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was the fall. And the fall destroyed that blessing.

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The fall is when mankind was separated from God

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by sin. And then Genesis 3, as God is inspiring

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Moses to write here, gives us this picture of

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the downward spiral of man, right? Cain kills

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Abel. Violence multiplies across the earth. Wickedness

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fills humanity. The flood wipes out all of it

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except Noah and his family to start over. Even

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after the flood, humanity is like, no, we don't

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need God and tries to build the Tower of Babel.

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I mean, Genesis describes the tragic reality

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of mankind and mankind as sinners this way. In

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chapter six, verse five, it said, the Lord saw

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that human wickedness was widespread on the earth

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and that every inclination of the human mind

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was nothing but evil all the time. That's bleak.

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And the first 11 chapters of the book of Genesis

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are all about going from this perfect relationship

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of blessing. to disobedience and sin and the

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results of sin, the depth of depravity mankind

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could go to, and it really is a picture of this

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is the perfection we were meant to live in, and

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this is where sin brought us, the depth of our

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wickedness and the desperate, desperate need

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for redemption. The first 11 chapters of Genesis

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are a picture of this is man without God. And

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look how bad it is. And then in Genesis 12, God

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then begins the story of how he's gonna fix it,

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right? In Genesis 12, verse one, it says, the

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Lord said to Abram, go from your land, your relatives,

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and your father's house to the land that I will

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show you. I will make you into a great nation.

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I will bless you. I will make your name great,

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and you will be a... Blessing, I will bless those

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who bless you. I will curse anyone who treats

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you with contempt, and all the peoples on the

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earth will be blessed through you. Do you get

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what God is trying to bring mankind back to?

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Blessing, right? And so from that moment on,

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the book of Genesis has been the story of how

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God's blessing is coming back to mankind through

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one man's family. And so we get the story of

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Abraham, and then Isaac, and then Jacob. And

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then as we're closing out Genesis, we're having

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the transition to the tribes of Israel. This

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is where the story is reaching a turning point

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here. A dying patriarch speaking final words

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of blessing over his son. And so Jacob had gathered

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his 12 sons together. He's speaking over them

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according to their character and their destiny.

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And this chapter, towards the end of this chapter

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in verse 28, it says, he blessed them and he

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blessed each one with a suitable blessing. The

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words that Jacob is sharing, we started last

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week as we looked at the first four sons. These

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are words of prophecy. These are words of warning

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and affirmation, but they are also personal words

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from Jacob's heart as a father because he had

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spent a lifetime observing his sons, right? He

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had seen their strengths and their weaknesses

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and their ups and their downs and their tendencies,

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and so his words to him are both affirming and

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warning because he knows his kids, right? We

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need to remember that words have power. Scripture

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tells us this over and over again. Scripture

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says words can either build up or tear down.

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We've all been on both sides of that equation,

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haven't we? We've all spoken words that either

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built someone up or tore them down. We've all

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been spoken to by someone with words that either

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built us up or tore us down. Someone said this

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quote, and I couldn't find who it was attributed

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to, but they said, mere words is like speaking

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of mere dynamite. It's like, no, words matter.

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There's power in words. And, you know, Jacob's

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words go on to shape the destiny of the tribes

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of Israel for centuries to come. And we just

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always have to remember that our words, especially

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the words that we share to those under our care,

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are powerful, are powerful. And so, Like I said,

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last week we looked at the first four sons, Reuben,

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Simeon, Levi, and Judah. And we saw where Reuben

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was affirmed for being a man of good reputation

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and a man of his word, but because he was reckless

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in his actions, he lost the blessing. We looked

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at how Simeon and Levi were seen as just cruel

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and vicious and mean people, and yet in the blessing

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on their lives, there was opportunity for redemption.

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And we talked about how over time we saw that

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Simeon didn't respond to blessing and faded away

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into obscurity where the tribe of Levi ended

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up redirecting their zealous, righteous fury

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towards holiness and ended up becoming the tribe

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of priests who led Israel in their worship of

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God. Then we saw the words to Judah. where Judah

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was really given the authority in the family,

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and the prophecy was spoken that through his

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line would come the King of kings and the Lord

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of lords and the ultimate blessing and salvation

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for the world. And so now we get to the rest

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of the family here. These words are being addressed

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to each son in order, in birth order, as Jacob

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is speaking, and they all reveal something about

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the future of Israel. They all reveal lessons

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to us about God's people, Israel, and then God's

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people, us, the church today. And so let's dive

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into it. Verse 13, we pick it up here as Jacob

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is speaking to his son Zebulun. He says, Zebulun

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will live by the seashore and will be a harbor

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for ships and his territory will be next to Sidon.

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That's it. That's all he says to Zebulun. Like,

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hey, when you... move forward in the future of

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your tribe, you guys are gonna live by the seashore

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and you're gonna be a harbor for ships, right?

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The idea here is that the future of Zebulun is

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that he's gonna be a people who trade, who are

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seafarers and really are kind of a crossroads

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of intersection with the rest of the world. As

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we move forward through the Bible, we'll see

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that Zebulun's territory didn't initially stretch

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all the way to the Mediterranean, but eventually,

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if you picture the map in your mind, there's

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the Sea of Galilee, and then the territory all

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the way to the Mediterranean Sea kind of ended

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up becoming the land of Zebulun. That's what

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they received in the inheritance of the Promised

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Land, and they really did prosper through trade.

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Being a harbor for ships meant that they were

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interacting with the world in a lot of different

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ways. ways. They were deeply connected to commerce,

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and they were deeply connected to the nations.

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And if you remember, part of the blessing given

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to Abraham is that you will be a blessing to

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the nations. But Zebulun's prophecy to hear for

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him, I think, is a reminder for us that God's

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people, we as God's people, we're in the world.

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We're not of the world, but we're in the world.

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And that means that we are to interact with the

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world around us. I think it's an important thing

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because, you know, there have been seasons in

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history where Christians went, you know what,

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the world is terrible. The world is all messed

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up. I don't want to interact with them. And so

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a bunch of dudes would say, hey guys, let's go

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up onto a mountaintop and build a monastery and

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just live as monks for the rest of our life.

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That's not God's intention for God's people.

00:14:56.940 --> 00:14:59.440
We're to be separate from the world in our behavior

00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.460
and our decision -making and our ethics and our

00:15:01.460 --> 00:15:05.299
godliness. But we're to be in the world as lights

00:15:05.299 --> 00:15:10.000
on a hill. We are to interact with the world.

00:15:10.100 --> 00:15:13.440
And this prophecy to Zebulun is simply a prophecy

00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:15.419
that you're going to interact with the world.

00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:17.139
That's a part of what you're supposed to do.

00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.320
And then, of course, as God's people, we are

00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:23.740
meant to be a blessing to the nations. We are

00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:26.600
meant to be a blessing to the people around us

00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:30.059
through our interaction with them. And so, moving

00:15:30.059 --> 00:15:32.879
on to verse 14, he now speaks to Issachar, his

00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:36.259
next son, and he says, Issachar is a strong donkey

00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:39.659
lying down between the saddlebags. He saw that

00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:42.340
his resting place was good and that the land

00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:44.879
was pleasant, so he leaned his shoulder to bear

00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:50.159
a load and became a forced laborer. Now, these

00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:54.600
words to Issachar, they... are very descriptive

00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:57.080
of the tribe. Issachar is a man, he was very

00:15:57.080 --> 00:16:00.860
strong, very physically strong individual, but

00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:05.100
he lacked ambition. And what that meant in this

00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:08.019
prophecy here is that when the tribe of Issachar

00:16:08.019 --> 00:16:10.899
got to the promised land, the allotment of land

00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:12.779
that was given to them was already occupied by

00:16:12.779 --> 00:16:14.980
Canaanites, as the entire promised land was,

00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.000
right? And when Joshua led Israel into the promised

00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.740
land, God had told them, Go conquer, right? Get

00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:27.879
all the pagans out of the land, you know, conquer

00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:30.360
them and everything. But Issachar, when Issachar

00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.820
got to their part of the land, they went, well,

00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:34.860
hey, there's already these very powerful Canaanites

00:16:34.860 --> 00:16:36.659
here and they already have, you know, a lot of

00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:39.019
government and stuff set up and, you know, the

00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:40.940
land is really, really good and we don't want

00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:42.600
to mess up the land. And so what we're going

00:16:42.600 --> 00:16:47.500
to do is submit to the worldly rulers that are

00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:51.159
already here. We're going to lean our shoulder

00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:53.259
to bear a load, if you will. We're going to kind

00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:56.179
of say, hey guys, we don't really want to get

00:16:56.179 --> 00:17:00.419
into conflict with you. So you do your thing.

00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:04.319
We'll do our thing. Just let us be godly people.

00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:08.660
The problem was, is all that did was cause them

00:17:08.660 --> 00:17:11.759
to end up in forced servitude to the Canaanites

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.180
that were in the land. Instead of enjoying the

00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:18.829
blessing of their freedom, They ended up being

00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.549
yoked, in a sense, to those who didn't worship

00:17:22.549 --> 00:17:27.170
the Lord. They submitted. They wanted to avoid

00:17:27.170 --> 00:17:30.130
conflict so much that they didn't do what God

00:17:30.130 --> 00:17:32.289
wanted them to do. Does that sound familiar to

00:17:32.289 --> 00:17:36.130
anybody? Like, I don't like conflict. I really

00:17:36.130 --> 00:17:40.730
don't. Some people love conflict. God bless you.

00:17:42.930 --> 00:17:45.549
But I don't like conflict, right? I like peace.

00:17:46.759 --> 00:17:50.039
And Jesus Christ himself said that the world's

00:17:50.039 --> 00:17:53.559
going to hate you because of me. Which, that's

00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.000
conflict. They don't like our message. They don't

00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:59.720
like what we stand for. And so what happens is,

00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:02.720
like Issachar, we can find ourselves, because

00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.660
we're in the world, going into our workplaces,

00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:10.140
going into just... wherever God leads us in this

00:18:10.140 --> 00:18:13.099
life, and instead of standing for righteousness,

00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:15.579
instead of doing what God has told us to do,

00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:18.400
saying what God has told us to say, we kind of

00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:21.460
back off a little bit. Even though we have the

00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:23.859
strength and the power of the Holy Spirit within

00:18:23.859 --> 00:18:28.000
us and the promises of God, we're like, whoa,

00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:31.039
whoa, whoa, let's just get along. And this is

00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.599
what Issachar ended up doing. Issachar did not

00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:38.000
use his gifts to take hold of what was his. to

00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:41.079
take hold of what God had given him. And it just

00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:44.420
reminds us, you know, if God has given you gifts,

00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:46.559
Issachar, it was physical strength, right? They

00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:50.319
could have easily conquered the land. But if

00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:51.940
you try and use your gifts to just, you know,

00:18:51.940 --> 00:18:54.880
kind of get along with the world instead of using

00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.960
them to take hold of what God has called you

00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:01.559
to take hold of, you're going to end up serving

00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:03.279
the needs of the world instead of the will of

00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.359
God. This is what happened to Issachar. This

00:19:06.359 --> 00:19:08.660
is the prophecy here when he leaned his shoulders

00:19:08.660 --> 00:19:13.559
to bear load and became a forced laborer. Now,

00:19:13.579 --> 00:19:16.079
there are times, and the Bible does say we're

00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.200
called to be peaceable with all men and things,

00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:21.970
but that doesn't mean we back down from... Godliness.

00:19:22.069 --> 00:19:24.849
That doesn't mean we back down from what is right.

00:19:24.930 --> 00:19:26.970
That doesn't mean we back down from righteousness,

00:19:27.410 --> 00:19:30.869
right? Sometimes we confuse being peaceable with

00:19:30.869 --> 00:19:35.769
being weak and timid and lacking in our zealousness.

00:19:36.690 --> 00:19:40.369
Being peaceable means peaceable, but it doesn't

00:19:40.369 --> 00:19:43.859
mean... giving way to sin. There are churches

00:19:43.859 --> 00:19:46.539
in this world today, many of them, who have followed

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:48.660
that track. Oh, we don't want to be in conflict.

00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:50.680
We don't want to be in conflict. And so what

00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:52.440
they do is they say, we're not going to speak

00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:55.920
against the worldly agendas. We're not going

00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:58.559
to talk about sin. And then what happens is they

00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:00.440
go, you know what? As a matter of fact, we're

00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:04.730
an affirming church now. And then now instead

00:20:04.730 --> 00:20:06.710
of being a place that is supposed to be a beacon

00:20:06.710 --> 00:20:09.289
of the truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ, they

00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:12.230
are now serving the will of the world, the agenda

00:20:12.230 --> 00:20:16.710
of the world. And this is what Issachar's prophecy

00:20:16.710 --> 00:20:21.569
is a warning to us about. God's given you strengths.

00:20:22.069 --> 00:20:23.890
God has called us to be a light on the hill.

00:20:23.990 --> 00:20:28.009
Shine brightly. Do it in love. Do it peaceably.

00:20:28.490 --> 00:20:31.190
But don't back down from doing what God has called

00:20:31.190 --> 00:20:33.930
us to do and who God has called you to be. Verse

00:20:33.930 --> 00:20:37.809
16, he moves on to Dan. Dan will judge his people

00:20:37.809 --> 00:20:40.410
as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a

00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:43.269
snake by the road, a viper beside the path that

00:20:43.269 --> 00:20:45.589
bites the horse's heels so that its rider falls

00:20:45.589 --> 00:20:49.349
backwards. Now this one seems good and then turns

00:20:49.349 --> 00:20:52.299
out bad, right? Dan will judge his peoples as

00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:54.539
one of the tribes of Israel. The intent there

00:20:54.539 --> 00:20:58.000
was that Dan was to be a tribe and Dan himself

00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.819
was characteristic of going, hey guys, we need

00:21:00.819 --> 00:21:03.339
to do this. We need to do what's right. He was

00:21:03.339 --> 00:21:05.319
also meant to be a defender that when people

00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:09.779
would come in to attack the nations, that Dan

00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:12.099
was the one who would go and fight to protect

00:21:12.099 --> 00:21:13.940
his family. That's what it means when it says

00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:17.240
he will judge his people. You see, that's prophetic

00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:21.269
towards the time of the judges. That they would

00:21:21.269 --> 00:21:24.029
be risen up by God because oppression had come

00:21:24.029 --> 00:21:26.410
in, the Philistines, whoever, and then this judge

00:21:26.410 --> 00:21:28.829
would be raised up to go, you know, beat up all

00:21:28.829 --> 00:21:30.990
the bad guys and redeem Israel and call Israel

00:21:30.990 --> 00:21:37.130
back to holiness. Samson is a guy, a judge, who

00:21:37.130 --> 00:21:39.809
came from the tribe of Dan. And you guys all

00:21:39.809 --> 00:21:42.250
know the story of Samson, right? Samson and Delilah.

00:21:44.009 --> 00:21:45.990
Right? The story that says guys should not have

00:21:45.990 --> 00:21:47.769
long hair. Nope, that's not what the story teaches.

00:21:48.860 --> 00:21:50.660
I had someone tell me that once when I had long

00:21:50.660 --> 00:21:55.599
hair. I was like. So anyways. What is Samson's

00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:57.619
story? He was risen up by God, gifted with great

00:21:57.619 --> 00:21:59.200
strength. He was supposed to be a deliverer of

00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:02.019
the people of Israel. But what did he use his

00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:05.660
gifts for instead? To serve himself. To serve

00:22:05.660 --> 00:22:09.660
his own pleasures. He wavered back and forth

00:22:09.660 --> 00:22:11.279
on, well, I'm going to obey God. No, I'm not.

00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:14.240
And he got into trouble. And Dan, as a tribe,

00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:16.160
that's what they were known for. You see, although

00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:19.900
they were supposed to be judges, they ended up

00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:22.220
being the very first tribe of Israel that introduced

00:22:22.220 --> 00:22:26.880
idolatry into Israeli worship. If you ever have

00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:28.539
a chance to go to Israel, I've been there twice,

00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:31.700
and you can actually visit what is believed to

00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:34.220
be the capital city of the tribe of Dan in northern

00:22:34.220 --> 00:22:36.720
Israel. And they've done many excavations in

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:38.680
this place, and it's just really cool to see

00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:40.680
all this stuff. But what they have found there

00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:45.259
is these sacrificial pits that were used for

00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:48.259
worship. And what they have found in these pits

00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:53.339
are human remains, not just animal remains. meaning

00:22:53.339 --> 00:22:55.640
that this tribe that was supposed to be defenders

00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:57.980
of Israel and defenders of holiness were doing

00:22:57.980 --> 00:23:00.180
human sacrifice at some point, and we're going

00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:03.880
to see that throughout Scripture. The tribe that

00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:05.920
was capable of great deliverance ended up being

00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:08.000
a great stumbling block, and the reminder for

00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.240
us in this prophecy is God's people, is that

00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:14.559
gifts, abilities, calling that God has given

00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:18.660
us without faithfulness, to use it for God leads

00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:22.019
us into self -seeking. It leads us into self

00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:24.380
-pleasure. It leads us into self -will, right?

00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:28.480
The gifts God has given us are not for us. They're

00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:32.339
to be used to bless others. The things that God

00:23:32.339 --> 00:23:35.539
has called us to are meant to then bless the

00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:37.839
world around us. They're not for ourselves, and

00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:40.039
when we spend them on ourselves, we end up going

00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:43.000
off in all kinds of weird directions. Now right

00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:44.839
here in verse 18, in the middle of all these

00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:47.799
blessings, he's gone through Reuben and Simeon

00:23:47.799 --> 00:23:51.119
and Levi and Judah and Zebulun and Issachar and

00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:53.259
Dan, and then he just stops and he goes, I wait

00:23:53.259 --> 00:23:58.279
for your salvation, Lord. Possibly as he was

00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:01.339
speaking these prophetic words to his kids, he

00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:06.700
just kind of overwhelmed. I don't know if these

00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:08.299
words were spoken to him before, if they were

00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:10.039
being spoken to him through the Holy Spirit in

00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:12.380
the moment, but it might have been just as he's

00:24:12.380 --> 00:24:15.460
talking about Dan is gonna turn into this snake

00:24:15.460 --> 00:24:19.099
by the road, right? Sneaking this stuff in, he's

00:24:19.099 --> 00:24:21.200
gonna bite the heels of the horse so the rider

00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:24.640
falls and just this imagery of the weakness of

00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:27.660
mankind that, hey, we're supposed to be the godly

00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:29.500
family and I'm Jacob passing on the blessing

00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:33.519
that I got from my dad and his dad and just realizing,

00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:39.349
man, There's just so much sin in mankind he calls

00:24:39.349 --> 00:24:42.089
out. Now, it's very interesting, that word salvation.

00:24:43.890 --> 00:24:47.069
He says, I wait for your salvation, Lord. That

00:24:47.069 --> 00:24:51.529
word salvation in the Hebrew is Yeshua. And that

00:24:51.529 --> 00:24:53.210
should be familiar to you guys, right? Because

00:24:53.210 --> 00:25:00.349
Yeshua in Greek is Jesus. And then he says, Lord,

00:25:00.529 --> 00:25:03.130
and that's that word Yahweh. That's that personal

00:25:03.130 --> 00:25:06.190
covenant name of God, right? So it's like this

00:25:06.190 --> 00:25:08.890
is what Jacob is saying here as he's prophesying

00:25:08.890 --> 00:25:11.609
about his sons. And then even Judah, he's like,

00:25:11.650 --> 00:25:13.230
Judah, you've done good things and everything,

00:25:13.349 --> 00:25:15.470
but there's gonna be one who comes one day whose

00:25:15.470 --> 00:25:17.829
right it is to hold the scepter, and the nation's

00:25:17.829 --> 00:25:19.650
gonna obey him, and then he's going on to these

00:25:19.650 --> 00:25:22.970
other guys, and then he's just like, I wait for

00:25:22.970 --> 00:25:29.329
you, Yeshua, Yahweh. Isn't that beautiful? It's

00:25:29.329 --> 00:25:32.960
just... My personal salvation. That's Yeshua

00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:37.940
Yahweh. I'm just, oh, I'm waiting for you. My

00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:41.079
personal salvation. The ultimate salvation. Even

00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:43.039
here in this ancient moment, Jacob's heart is

00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:46.099
longing for God's ultimate salvation. And that's

00:25:46.099 --> 00:25:48.140
what the entire book of Genesis is looking towards

00:25:48.140 --> 00:25:51.400
and pointing to, is the ultimate salvation, the

00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:53.640
blessing that God gave to Abraham that would

00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:55.559
ultimately come through the Messiah, Savior.

00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:59.710
What is that blessing? Reconnection. to our Lord

00:25:59.710 --> 00:26:03.829
and God. A restored relationship to our creator.

00:26:06.170 --> 00:26:08.769
Genesis 49 .10, remember it said this to Judah,

00:26:08.849 --> 00:26:11.950
the scepter will not depart from Judah or the

00:26:11.950 --> 00:26:15.490
staff from between his feet until he whose right

00:26:15.490 --> 00:26:18.890
it is comes and the obedience of the peoples

00:26:18.890 --> 00:26:22.089
belongs to him. And so again, he's just looking

00:26:22.089 --> 00:26:25.230
forward to the king of kings, the Lord of lords,

00:26:25.269 --> 00:26:28.019
the ultimate savior. The one who would come from

00:26:28.019 --> 00:26:30.039
the tribe of Judah, the lion of the tribe of

00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:33.640
Judah, our personal salvation, Jesus Christ.

00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:39.000
Verse 19, he moves on. Gad will be attacked by

00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:44.700
raiders, but he will attack their heels. Gad's

00:26:44.700 --> 00:26:47.720
territory was on the eastern frontier of Israel

00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:50.099
and it was like an exposed eastern frontier because

00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:54.000
beyond that was... you know the mesopotamia and

00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:56.319
all the ancient nations in that in that regard

00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:58.799
and they were constantly attacked throughout

00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:01.039
their history they were attacked relentlessly

00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:03.279
because anybody coming to get israel gad was

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.579
the first territory they would run into but gad

00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:09.940
also constantly fought back and so the prophecy

00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:13.019
of gad as god's people reminds us that we are

00:27:13.019 --> 00:27:15.599
always constantly going to be under attack by

00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:20.519
the enemy the enemy never stops he may switch

00:27:20.519 --> 00:27:24.039
tactics But he never stops. Spiritual warfare

00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:25.940
is an ever -present reality for the children

00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:29.500
of God. Some of us, you know, we go through times

00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:33.299
where we're like, will this ever stop? No. Until

00:27:33.299 --> 00:27:36.680
you're in heaven with the Lord. You're in battle

00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:39.960
and you will be in battle. And kind of the truth

00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:45.000
is, accept it. I'm in battle. Satan is never

00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.279
going to stop attacking me, but the reality is

00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:52.180
that you've already won. And you will ultimately

00:27:52.180 --> 00:27:58.859
win in the end. You have victory. It's like knowing,

00:27:59.099 --> 00:28:01.420
like, how many of you have ever re -watched a

00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:06.920
movie? Right? You re -watch, I don't know. I'm

00:28:06.920 --> 00:28:12.720
a Marvel fan. Infinity War. I know Thanos loses.

00:28:13.900 --> 00:28:16.680
You know? Did I give spoilers to anybody? Hopefully

00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:21.519
you've seen it already. I ruined it. But you're

00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:23.619
watching the movie like in the moment, you're

00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:25.680
in the moment, but you already know the end.

00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:31.099
And God is constantly trying to tell us, hey

00:28:31.099 --> 00:28:36.779
guys, you're in scene 32. But the end of the

00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:40.720
movie, you win. You win. So here in scene 32,

00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:43.019
you don't have to be despondent and going, oh

00:28:43.019 --> 00:28:47.359
no, what is gonna happen? You could rest and

00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:49.079
trust and say, okay God, I know the end, so.

00:28:49.690 --> 00:28:53.329
I may not know the next scene, but I know you

00:28:53.329 --> 00:28:56.309
do. So I'm able to rest in that. And this is

00:28:56.309 --> 00:28:59.069
what Gad's prophecy is a reminder of for us.

00:28:59.109 --> 00:29:04.130
Verse 20, Asher's food will be rich and he will

00:29:04.130 --> 00:29:07.000
produce royal delicacies. The region that the

00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:09.519
tribe of Asher inherited became one of the most

00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:13.079
fertile areas in Israel. And you know that the

00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:15.700
people of Israel were shepherds and they were

00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:18.720
farmers. They raised crops. They raised livestock.

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.759
And that's it. That's the blessing to him. Hey,

00:29:21.819 --> 00:29:23.380
your food's gonna be rich and you will produce

00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:28.559
royal delicacies. What that says to me and what

00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:31.039
I see in that is the prophecy there for God's

00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:36.660
people is that blessing will sometimes come in

00:29:36.660 --> 00:29:41.740
material provision. And that's okay. Right, you

00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:44.119
see, within the church, sometimes, well, not

00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:46.200
sometimes, there is, on this side of the equation,

00:29:46.339 --> 00:29:51.119
you got the heretical prosperity preachers who

00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:54.240
will say the evidence that God is blessing you

00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:57.180
and that you're living godly is material prosperity.

00:29:58.339 --> 00:30:02.000
And that's bogus. That's a lie. And then ironically,

00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:06.029
they always say, so give me all your money. to

00:30:06.029 --> 00:30:09.130
prove that you're right. But then on the other

00:30:09.130 --> 00:30:11.450
side of the coin, sometimes believers can get

00:30:11.450 --> 00:30:14.390
to the point where they think, oh, being successful

00:30:14.390 --> 00:30:18.730
and earning and having material success is in

00:30:18.730 --> 00:30:21.490
and of itself sinful, and that's also a lie.

00:30:23.549 --> 00:30:27.670
Because we see throughout Scripture, God teaches

00:30:27.670 --> 00:30:32.890
so much. about wisdom with our finances and wisdom

00:30:32.890 --> 00:30:35.670
with our material possessions and stuff. He even

00:30:35.670 --> 00:30:38.750
talks about multiplying those things. There's

00:30:38.750 --> 00:30:40.789
a parable Jesus told, and he goes, hey, there's

00:30:40.789 --> 00:30:42.730
three guys, and the owner gave them money, and

00:30:42.730 --> 00:30:44.950
two of them went and invested it, and it grew,

00:30:45.170 --> 00:30:47.170
and he came back, and the master said, hey, good

00:30:47.170 --> 00:30:50.130
job. And the third one said, oh, I was afraid

00:30:50.130 --> 00:30:51.710
of losing it, so I buried it in the ground. You

00:30:51.710 --> 00:30:53.650
guys remember what Jesus said in that parable?

00:30:55.210 --> 00:30:58.589
That master said, you wicked and lazy servant.

00:30:59.849 --> 00:31:01.650
You should have at least put it in the bank so

00:31:01.650 --> 00:31:03.450
I could have got 3 .5 % in a money market account.

00:31:06.970 --> 00:31:08.990
I don't know if the Greek says that, but modern

00:31:08.990 --> 00:31:12.730
translation. So in Asher here, we're just being

00:31:12.730 --> 00:31:15.430
seen that Asher's blessing and stuff was material

00:31:15.430 --> 00:31:18.829
abundance. Their food was rich. It was quality.

00:31:19.029 --> 00:31:21.910
It was good. But the provision and the prosperity

00:31:21.910 --> 00:31:25.269
we see in the whole counsel of God is that one,

00:31:25.309 --> 00:31:28.940
it has to be stewarded faithfully. And it's not

00:31:28.940 --> 00:31:33.640
meant to just be spent on yourself. Asher, your

00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:36.079
land is going to have this rich, quality food

00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:38.859
and you're going to produce royal delicacies.

00:31:39.799 --> 00:31:41.779
Stuff for other people that's just going to be

00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:43.900
renowned. Oh my gosh, this is so good and this

00:31:43.900 --> 00:31:48.200
is so quality. And that's why God gives us what

00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:52.720
he gives us. So that we could be a blessing to

00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:56.890
the nations. And it is the church that does things

00:31:56.890 --> 00:32:01.809
like builds wells and builds schools and hospitals

00:32:01.809 --> 00:32:05.410
and stuff around the world. You don't see the

00:32:05.410 --> 00:32:08.009
governments clamoring to go into South Sudan

00:32:08.009 --> 00:32:11.430
and say, what? Women are still being sold into

00:32:11.430 --> 00:32:14.130
bad marriages and abused and stuff at 12 years

00:32:14.130 --> 00:32:17.069
old? Dang it, that is morally wrong. Let us build

00:32:17.069 --> 00:32:19.509
a school where we can harbor these kids and keep

00:32:19.509 --> 00:32:22.430
them safe. Governments aren't doing that. It's

00:32:22.430 --> 00:32:26.950
the church that's doing that. And so, material

00:32:26.950 --> 00:32:29.609
blessing. Nothing wrong with it. Don't worship

00:32:29.609 --> 00:32:33.349
it. Nothing wrong with investing and being wise

00:32:33.349 --> 00:32:39.490
and being successful. But it's not for you. It's

00:32:39.490 --> 00:32:41.329
not only for you. It's meant to be a blessing

00:32:41.329 --> 00:32:44.890
to others. And so, verse 21, Naphtali is a doe

00:32:44.890 --> 00:32:50.490
set free that bears beautiful fawns. I don't

00:32:50.490 --> 00:32:53.009
know what Naphtali was thinking here. It's like,

00:32:53.069 --> 00:32:55.009
oh man, you guys are going to be rich with stuff

00:32:55.009 --> 00:32:57.289
and you're going to be harbor masters and trading

00:32:57.289 --> 00:32:59.650
with the world. And you know, and oh, Issachar,

00:32:59.650 --> 00:33:01.509
wow, bro, you're so strong, but man, don't do

00:33:01.509 --> 00:33:03.750
that. And Naphtali, you're a doe set free that

00:33:03.750 --> 00:33:07.269
bears beautiful fawns. Like these are those moments

00:33:07.269 --> 00:33:09.490
where I'm like, if I was like, dad, what are

00:33:09.490 --> 00:33:12.109
you talking about? What does this even mean?

00:33:14.190 --> 00:33:16.829
Now, you know, we dig into the imagery and stuff

00:33:16.829 --> 00:33:21.759
and a doe. A doe set free, right? A doe set free

00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:24.480
the idea of being, you know, graceful as a doe

00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:26.440
and swift and full of life. You guys seen those

00:33:26.440 --> 00:33:30.019
movies where there's movies, videos online where

00:33:30.019 --> 00:33:31.779
there's like an animal that's been raised in

00:33:31.779 --> 00:33:34.720
captivity and been in a cage its whole life and

00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:37.079
then they're like, gonna set it free and, you

00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:38.859
know, the animal slowly peeks out of the cage

00:33:38.859 --> 00:33:41.559
and once it realizes it's free, it just goes

00:33:41.559 --> 00:33:43.319
bonkers and bounces all over the place. You ever

00:33:43.319 --> 00:33:45.500
seen those videos? You know, and they're like,

00:33:45.579 --> 00:33:47.900
oh, hey, how fun, how cute, right? It's that

00:33:47.900 --> 00:33:51.720
idea. You're set free. You're no longer captive.

00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:55.720
You realize that this is all for you and there's

00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:58.500
freedom in this blessing here and then full of

00:33:58.500 --> 00:34:01.079
life, that idea that this dough is gonna bear

00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:03.160
beautiful fawns, that it's gonna be, you know,

00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:05.099
fruitful in that sense, that there's gonna be

00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:07.119
life coming from this. So the image here in this

00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:10.980
prophecy is freedom and flourishing, which is

00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:13.880
really interesting because the region of Naphtali,

00:34:14.670 --> 00:34:17.869
was the region of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea

00:34:17.869 --> 00:34:20.070
of Galilee is where Jesus began his public ministry.

00:34:20.929 --> 00:34:24.550
In fact, in Matthew chapter 4, verse 15 and 16,

00:34:24.849 --> 00:34:28.769
Jesus said, Land of Naphtali, Galilee of the

00:34:28.769 --> 00:34:32.030
Gentiles, people who live in darkness have seen

00:34:32.030 --> 00:34:37.030
a great light. The picture here and the connection

00:34:37.030 --> 00:34:41.889
in a broad applicational sense is where the Messiah

00:34:41.889 --> 00:34:45.699
walks. Captivity gives way to freedom. Where

00:34:45.699 --> 00:34:47.980
the Messiah walks, darkness gives way to light.

00:34:48.420 --> 00:34:50.780
Where the Messiah walks, barrenness gives way

00:34:50.780 --> 00:34:55.079
to new life. This, to me, is a prophecy of the

00:34:55.079 --> 00:34:58.639
gospel, the good news that is coming to the world.

00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:01.219
This is what the gospel does. It sets the captives

00:35:01.219 --> 00:35:03.599
free. It brings light. Jesus himself said, land

00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:05.500
of Naphtali, the people here who live in darkness

00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:07.800
have seen a great light. Of course, it's Jesus.

00:35:09.550 --> 00:35:12.010
And so Naphtali's prophecy here is like, hey,

00:35:12.090 --> 00:35:14.070
there's going to be freedom in life that come

00:35:14.070 --> 00:35:18.030
from you. And this is where Jesus started his

00:35:18.030 --> 00:35:20.969
ministry. Christ comes into places bound by sin

00:35:20.969 --> 00:35:23.909
and darkness. And when he does so, life flourishes,

00:35:23.969 --> 00:35:28.730
doesn't it? Now, primarily it's spiritual life.

00:35:29.690 --> 00:35:31.909
But that is the most important life that flourishes.

00:35:32.110 --> 00:35:35.730
And so verse 22, he gets to Joseph. And he says,

00:35:35.750 --> 00:35:39.090
Joseph is a fruitful vine. A fruitful vine beside

00:35:39.090 --> 00:35:42.590
a spring. Its branches climb over the wall. The

00:35:42.590 --> 00:35:44.469
archers attacked him and shot at him and were

00:35:44.469 --> 00:35:47.510
hostile towards him. Yet his bow remained steady

00:35:47.510 --> 00:35:50.110
with his strong arms. Oh, and his strong arms

00:35:50.110 --> 00:35:52.449
were made agile by the hands of the mighty one

00:35:52.449 --> 00:35:55.090
of Jacob. By the name of the shepherd, the rock

00:35:55.090 --> 00:35:57.269
of Israel. By the God of your father who helps

00:35:57.269 --> 00:36:01.699
you and by the almighty who blesses you. Joseph's

00:36:01.699 --> 00:36:03.679
blessing here is quite a bit longer than all

00:36:03.679 --> 00:36:05.480
these other ones, and it begins with this very

00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:09.059
powerful imagery, right? A vine. A vine that

00:36:09.059 --> 00:36:11.539
is growing beside a spring, and a vine that is

00:36:11.539 --> 00:36:14.860
growing so strongly and with such health that

00:36:14.860 --> 00:36:17.099
it climbs up over the wall, right? It's not a

00:36:17.099 --> 00:36:21.099
vine struggling to survive. It's a vine with

00:36:21.099 --> 00:36:24.880
great vitality. And really, the picture here,

00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:27.550
as you're looking at this, it's... For God's

00:36:27.550 --> 00:36:30.510
people, God doesn't just call us to thrive in

00:36:30.510 --> 00:36:34.989
him, which he does call us to, but he calls us

00:36:34.989 --> 00:36:39.650
to fruitfulness. Right? It's not enough to just

00:36:39.650 --> 00:36:41.250
say, hey, I'm a good, healthy, strong Christian,

00:36:41.389 --> 00:36:45.269
but I never have any effect on anybody's life,

00:36:45.349 --> 00:36:47.590
and I've never led anybody to the Lord, and I

00:36:47.590 --> 00:36:50.070
don't serve, and I don't use my gifts to bless

00:36:50.070 --> 00:36:55.070
anybody. It's fruitfulness. that God wants from

00:36:55.070 --> 00:36:57.469
us. In John 15, 5, this is what Jesus said. I

00:36:57.469 --> 00:37:03.610
am the vine. You are the branches. What did the

00:37:03.610 --> 00:37:09.989
branches do? They climbed over the wall. They

00:37:09.989 --> 00:37:16.610
went outside the garden. And vines bore grapes.

00:37:16.690 --> 00:37:20.190
They were fruitful. That we're not just called

00:37:20.190 --> 00:37:22.920
to be here in the church. We're not just called

00:37:22.920 --> 00:37:24.980
to be fruitful here in the church. We're called

00:37:24.980 --> 00:37:27.719
to be fruitful beyond the walls of the church.

00:37:29.179 --> 00:37:31.400
This is our evangelism. This is our ministry.

00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:34.659
This is our service. He says, the one who remains

00:37:34.659 --> 00:37:37.039
me and I in him produces much fruit because you

00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:40.860
can do nothing without me in John 15 5. The blessing

00:37:40.860 --> 00:37:43.079
of fruitfulness comes from being rooted near

00:37:43.079 --> 00:37:45.820
the source of life, right? This vine, it was

00:37:45.820 --> 00:37:51.079
beside a spring in Psalm chapter 1. You have

00:37:51.079 --> 00:37:54.219
the very first psalm that says, blessed is he

00:37:54.219 --> 00:37:56.800
who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.

00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:59.739
And it goes on there in a couple verses, and

00:37:59.739 --> 00:38:02.320
it eventually says, he is like a tree planted

00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:04.920
beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in

00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:07.559
its season, and its leaf does not wither, and

00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:11.860
whatever he does prospers. You want to be successful

00:38:11.860 --> 00:38:15.860
in your life, your walk? your spirituality, you

00:38:15.860 --> 00:38:18.079
want to be successful in every area God wills

00:38:18.079 --> 00:38:20.760
for you to be successful, then you need to be

00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:23.679
planted and rooted in him because he is the source

00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:26.480
of life. That's what it talks about. A life rooted

00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:30.239
in Christ becomes a blessing beyond its own walls.

00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:34.619
This is the picture. Being planted there means

00:38:34.619 --> 00:38:38.239
that the branches grow so large and so powerful

00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:42.179
they spill out into the world and have that blessing.

00:38:42.920 --> 00:38:45.880
that God intended from the very beginning and

00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:49.099
the blessing that he prophesied to Abraham. In

00:38:49.099 --> 00:38:50.559
other words here, what he's telling to Joseph

00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:53.440
is, hey, bro, your life produced fruit well beyond

00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:56.619
yourself. And your life blessed people far outside

00:38:56.619 --> 00:38:59.039
your family. But then he goes on with this weird,

00:38:59.079 --> 00:39:01.039
like, yet his bow remained steady after he was

00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:04.519
attacked by archers, right? How does this connect

00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:08.260
to being fruitful? Well, trials are a part of

00:39:08.260 --> 00:39:12.349
being fruitful. You guys know the concept of

00:39:12.349 --> 00:39:15.030
pruning, right? You've got to prune a branch

00:39:15.030 --> 00:39:17.829
that it would grow more. How many of you like

00:39:17.829 --> 00:39:21.530
being pruned? Nobody. Right, good. Okay, good.

00:39:21.630 --> 00:39:23.889
I was like, if you like that, that's kind of,

00:39:23.949 --> 00:39:25.650
well, God bless you. That's all I'm going to

00:39:25.650 --> 00:39:30.699
say, okay? Pruning hurts. It cuts. It's... But

00:39:30.699 --> 00:39:32.960
it leads to new life, and Joseph's life had not

00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:34.800
been easy. He'd been under attack constantly.

00:39:35.099 --> 00:39:37.380
The arrows of his jealous brothers, the arrows

00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:39.940
of the temptation from Potiphar's wife, the arrows

00:39:39.940 --> 00:39:42.940
of injustice in prison, the arrows of abandonment

00:39:42.940 --> 00:39:45.139
when the cupbearer forgot about him, and yet

00:39:45.139 --> 00:39:47.039
he didn't collapse under the oppression. Why?

00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:51.519
Because God's hand strengthened him. Right, the

00:39:51.519 --> 00:39:54.159
picture of this bow here when it says the arrows

00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:56.699
attacked him, yet his bow remained steady and

00:39:56.699 --> 00:39:59.900
his strong arms were made agile by the hands

00:39:59.900 --> 00:40:02.820
of the mighty one. The idea here is that he shot

00:40:02.820 --> 00:40:07.500
straight and he shot true. Why? Because the father

00:40:07.500 --> 00:40:11.010
wrapped his arms around him. And it's like a

00:40:11.010 --> 00:40:13.269
dad teaching his kid how to fire a bow, and the

00:40:13.269 --> 00:40:16.050
kid's like, and he's like, hold on, son, and

00:40:16.050 --> 00:40:18.150
put his hand over his kid's hand on the front

00:40:18.150 --> 00:40:20.429
and over his kid's hand and steadied the bow

00:40:20.429 --> 00:40:23.469
for him and helped him shoot, and the arrow flew

00:40:23.469 --> 00:40:25.289
true, not because of the strength of the child,

00:40:25.389 --> 00:40:29.349
but because of the strength of the father. It's

00:40:29.349 --> 00:40:35.190
an awesome picture. Now, he didn't collapse.

00:40:35.250 --> 00:40:39.440
He endured. Joseph, not because he was strong,

00:40:39.539 --> 00:40:42.239
because God was strong. Not because he depended

00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:44.320
on himself, because he depended on God. That's

00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:46.360
what got him through everything. So much so that

00:40:46.360 --> 00:40:48.360
in Genesis chapter 50, in the next chapter, we're

00:40:48.360 --> 00:40:50.239
going to see he says to his brothers, what you

00:40:50.239 --> 00:40:53.199
meant for evil, God meant for good. The important

00:40:53.199 --> 00:40:56.739
word to notice there, meant. God meant for Joseph

00:40:56.739 --> 00:40:58.940
to go into the pit. God meant for Joseph to be

00:40:58.940 --> 00:41:00.780
sold into slavery. God meant for Joseph to be

00:41:00.780 --> 00:41:03.000
tempted in Potiphar's house. God meant for Joseph

00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:05.400
to end up in prison. God meant for Joseph to

00:41:05.400 --> 00:41:09.099
be abandoned by the cupbearer. So that when God

00:41:09.099 --> 00:41:14.059
raised him up, God's will would be done. And

00:41:14.059 --> 00:41:16.199
through all of it, Joseph learned to just be

00:41:16.199 --> 00:41:18.840
like, God, I don't know what the next scene is,

00:41:18.980 --> 00:41:26.840
but I trust you. I trust you. It's hard, but

00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:30.739
I trust you. You see, faith learns to interpret

00:41:30.739 --> 00:41:33.179
life through God's perspective. That's what faith

00:41:33.179 --> 00:41:38.019
does. We're like, God sees something I don't,

00:41:38.019 --> 00:41:40.059
and so I'm going to interpret my circumstances

00:41:40.059 --> 00:41:44.300
and my situation through the lens of God. And

00:41:44.300 --> 00:41:46.440
I may not know the answer, but I know God does,

00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:50.340
and so I could rest. Then Jacob goes on to describe

00:41:50.340 --> 00:41:53.940
God with a slew of titles here, right? The mighty

00:41:53.940 --> 00:41:56.059
one of Jacob, the shepherd, the rock of Israel,

00:41:56.159 --> 00:42:01.699
God of your fathers, almighty. Joseph. knew and

00:42:01.699 --> 00:42:05.219
what Jacob is prophesying to him is that your

00:42:05.219 --> 00:42:09.239
success was based in the reality that God is

00:42:09.239 --> 00:42:12.380
mighty enough to rescue you, that God is gentle

00:42:12.380 --> 00:42:15.659
enough to shepherd you, that he is stable enough

00:42:15.659 --> 00:42:19.500
to be your rock and your foundation, that he

00:42:19.500 --> 00:42:21.780
is faithful enough to keep his covenant promises

00:42:21.780 --> 00:42:24.940
that he made to Abraham, your father's, and that

00:42:24.940 --> 00:42:27.619
he is powerful enough to protect and to bless.

00:42:28.969 --> 00:42:31.849
I made this challenge to the people in servant

00:42:31.849 --> 00:42:34.050
service earlier, but as I was reading through

00:42:34.050 --> 00:42:35.530
this, I just kind of felt like the Lord said,

00:42:35.610 --> 00:42:37.230
hey, how about you remind yourself of that every

00:42:37.230 --> 00:42:38.789
morning? And that's my challenge to you guys.

00:42:39.530 --> 00:42:42.710
How about we start every single day reminding

00:42:42.710 --> 00:42:45.909
ourself that God is mighty enough to rescue?

00:42:47.650 --> 00:42:49.869
That when we start our day in your prayers, your

00:42:49.869 --> 00:42:52.769
devotions, or as you're shoveling breakfast down

00:42:52.769 --> 00:42:54.869
your face as you run out the door because you're

00:42:54.869 --> 00:42:59.329
late, God, you are mighty enough to rescue. God,

00:42:59.349 --> 00:43:01.269
you are gentle enough to shepherd. You are stable

00:43:01.269 --> 00:43:03.869
enough to be my rock. You are faithful enough

00:43:03.869 --> 00:43:05.829
to keep your promises and you're powerful enough

00:43:05.829 --> 00:43:08.510
to protect me, Lord. Let me live my day in light

00:43:08.510 --> 00:43:12.409
of those truths. Jacob had learned this through

00:43:12.409 --> 00:43:15.170
his decades of hardship and now he's passing

00:43:15.170 --> 00:43:18.829
this faith to the next generation. So then he

00:43:18.829 --> 00:43:20.869
goes on to describe these blessings, right? He

00:43:20.869 --> 00:43:23.030
said he's the almighty who blesses you with blessings

00:43:23.030 --> 00:43:25.449
of the heavens above and blessings of the deep

00:43:25.449 --> 00:43:27.590
that lie below and blessings of the breasts in

00:43:27.590 --> 00:43:30.230
the womb and blessings of your father. Or the

00:43:30.230 --> 00:43:32.469
blessings of your father excel the blessings

00:43:32.469 --> 00:43:34.670
of my ancestors and the bounty of ancient hills.

00:43:34.809 --> 00:43:37.050
May they rest on the head of Joseph on the brow

00:43:37.050 --> 00:43:41.110
of the prince of his brothers. And that indeed

00:43:41.110 --> 00:43:46.789
was Joseph's life. He was very blessed and not

00:43:46.789 --> 00:43:50.599
the first. You know, 17 years, maybe blessing

00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:53.820
there. Then from 17, 22 years later after that,

00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:56.940
not a whole lot of blessing. But then he ends

00:43:56.940 --> 00:43:59.039
up the second most powerful man in the world.

00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:04.659
He got blessings above, blessings below, blessings

00:44:04.659 --> 00:44:07.199
left, blessings right, blessings of relationship,

00:44:07.500 --> 00:44:12.500
blessings of children. And that's God's intention

00:44:12.500 --> 00:44:17.199
for his people. Why? because that was the original

00:44:17.199 --> 00:44:20.900
intention. And then we brought sin into the world,

00:44:20.920 --> 00:44:22.679
and so he said, okay, my intention is to bring

00:44:22.679 --> 00:44:24.280
blessing back, so I'm going to make this covenant

00:44:24.280 --> 00:44:27.219
with Abraham. And then we got this whole story

00:44:27.219 --> 00:44:32.159
he tells through the entire Bible. And then verse

00:44:32.159 --> 00:44:36.559
27, Benjamin is a wolf. He tears his prey. In

00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:38.659
the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening

00:44:38.659 --> 00:44:42.719
he divides the plunder. So this is very striking

00:44:42.719 --> 00:44:45.860
imagery of the youngest son here. You know, he

00:44:45.860 --> 00:44:49.719
says wolf. Wolves are hunters. They're known

00:44:49.719 --> 00:44:52.519
for precision and persistence and aggression

00:44:52.519 --> 00:44:57.159
and success in battle, right? You know, sometimes

00:44:57.159 --> 00:44:59.260
people are like, oh, I'm gonna bring a wolf home

00:44:59.260 --> 00:45:03.039
as my cute little puppy dog. And then you read

00:45:03.039 --> 00:45:04.739
the story that later on the wolf bites their

00:45:04.739 --> 00:45:07.119
face off, you know, and you're like, what happened?

00:45:07.260 --> 00:45:12.079
It's a wolf. It wolfed out. That's what wolves

00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:15.309
do. It's not a domesticated animal, right? The

00:45:15.309 --> 00:45:17.309
picture of a wolf, a snarling wolf, a hunting

00:45:17.309 --> 00:45:22.409
wolf, right? This is this fierceness that he's

00:45:22.409 --> 00:45:24.309
bringing, and this prophecy points to the fierce

00:45:24.309 --> 00:45:27.150
character that would characterize the tribe of

00:45:27.150 --> 00:45:30.230
Benjamin throughout history. Later on when we

00:45:30.230 --> 00:45:32.409
get to judges, there's a judge named Ehud who

00:45:32.409 --> 00:45:34.170
was a left -handed judge who delivered Israel.

00:45:34.550 --> 00:45:38.710
Go read that story. Wow, fierce. He was fierce.

00:45:39.829 --> 00:45:44.119
King Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin. Guess

00:45:44.119 --> 00:45:47.159
who else came from the tribe of Benjamin? Another

00:45:47.159 --> 00:45:53.019
guy named Saul. The guy who became known as Paul

00:45:53.019 --> 00:45:57.539
the Apostle. Fierce, right? We read his story

00:45:57.539 --> 00:45:59.719
in Acts, hunting down Christians, throwing them

00:45:59.719 --> 00:46:01.719
in jail, having them executed simply for believing

00:46:01.719 --> 00:46:05.179
that Jesus is the Messiah. And then Jesus got

00:46:05.179 --> 00:46:13.309
a hold of him. Again, my translation. And then

00:46:13.309 --> 00:46:16.309
he becomes Paul the Apostle. And guess what that

00:46:16.309 --> 00:46:19.909
fierceness was redirected to? Well, we kind of

00:46:19.909 --> 00:46:22.750
have a thing called the New Testament that came

00:46:22.750 --> 00:46:26.110
from that. The fierceness of, I mean, I love

00:46:26.110 --> 00:46:27.789
Paul's story, right? He was in a city once and

00:46:27.789 --> 00:46:30.650
he gets stoned. That means they drug him outside

00:46:30.650 --> 00:46:32.530
the city and they threw big rocks at him until

00:46:32.530 --> 00:46:35.190
he died. Some people debate that point. I think

00:46:35.190 --> 00:46:37.809
he died. Because he records that he had this

00:46:37.809 --> 00:46:39.269
vision of heaven at the time, and he's like,

00:46:39.309 --> 00:46:40.730
I don't even have words to describe it, it was

00:46:40.730 --> 00:46:42.889
so amazing. But then God said, not yet, bro.

00:46:43.070 --> 00:46:46.349
And he wakes up, and what does Paul do? Walks

00:46:46.349 --> 00:46:50.670
right back into the city. That's a fierce wolf

00:46:50.670 --> 00:46:53.889
right there. But he wasn't going to tear people

00:46:53.889 --> 00:46:55.489
down and rip their throats out, he was going

00:46:55.489 --> 00:47:01.170
to bring the light of the gospel. So, it reminds

00:47:01.170 --> 00:47:04.900
us that there's both strength and... In danger,

00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:06.960
in fierce power, however. You know, because at

00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:09.639
times the tribe of Benjamin, I mean, they showed

00:47:09.639 --> 00:47:11.960
amazing courage in battle, and we'll read about

00:47:11.960 --> 00:47:13.719
this through the Old Testament. But at other

00:47:13.719 --> 00:47:17.320
times, that same ferocity led them into conflicts

00:47:17.320 --> 00:47:20.780
that almost wiped out the tribe. You know, it's

00:47:20.780 --> 00:47:23.820
like that person that has such faith and courage

00:47:23.820 --> 00:47:26.579
and all that, that they make bad decisions and

00:47:26.579 --> 00:47:28.460
they get themselves into situations where it's

00:47:28.460 --> 00:47:30.559
like, God didn't call you to that, and you know,

00:47:30.579 --> 00:47:33.909
you almost got wiped out. The picture here is

00:47:33.909 --> 00:47:36.409
great strength not governed by God can be very

00:47:36.409 --> 00:47:41.989
dangerous. Our gifts not governed by God can

00:47:41.989 --> 00:47:46.210
be dangerous. Strong leaders can be domineering.

00:47:46.929 --> 00:47:52.369
Courageous spirits can be reckless. And so the

00:47:52.369 --> 00:47:55.250
reminder is that every gift, every talent, every

00:47:55.250 --> 00:47:58.269
strength we have, it all has to be surrendered

00:47:58.269 --> 00:48:01.880
to God. It all has to be brought to the altar

00:48:01.880 --> 00:48:04.059
and say, okay, God, what do you want me to do

00:48:04.059 --> 00:48:12.019
with this? If I don't bring my gift of teaching

00:48:12.019 --> 00:48:14.659
to the altar and say, God, you speak, it's your

00:48:14.659 --> 00:48:16.559
words, it's your spirit, what do you want me

00:48:16.559 --> 00:48:20.280
to say? If I don't do that, then this gift could

00:48:20.280 --> 00:48:23.059
be used to manipulate and harm in so much that

00:48:23.059 --> 00:48:25.940
we see in churches with false teachers and false

00:48:25.940 --> 00:48:29.570
prophets and all this stuff today that People

00:48:29.570 --> 00:48:31.769
are using something that is a gift that God gave

00:48:31.769 --> 00:48:34.369
them for their own benefit. And it's just, it's

00:48:34.369 --> 00:48:41.809
not good. When we do submit it to the Lord, it

00:48:41.809 --> 00:48:44.949
becomes a blessing. When we don't, it's destructive.

00:48:45.309 --> 00:48:48.269
And so, verse 28, it ends here and it says, these

00:48:48.269 --> 00:48:50.969
are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all. And this

00:48:50.969 --> 00:48:53.190
is what their father said to them. He blessed

00:48:53.190 --> 00:48:55.730
them and he blessed each one with a suitable

00:48:55.730 --> 00:49:00.440
blessing. I love that phrase, suitable blessing.

00:49:02.599 --> 00:49:04.860
Do you know God's blessing on my life is not

00:49:04.860 --> 00:49:06.719
suitable for you and your blessing is not suitable

00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:10.500
for me? Why? Because we're different people.

00:49:12.010 --> 00:49:15.610
We may have the same gift, a gift of teaching,

00:49:15.769 --> 00:49:18.010
a gift of administration, a gift of helping.

00:49:18.110 --> 00:49:20.269
We might have the same gift, but it's going to

00:49:20.269 --> 00:49:22.489
be exercised slightly different. Why? Because

00:49:22.489 --> 00:49:26.250
God created me and allowed me to live my life

00:49:26.250 --> 00:49:29.429
and have my experiences and my successes and

00:49:29.429 --> 00:49:32.230
my failures and my joys and my disappointments.

00:49:32.230 --> 00:49:36.789
All of it God allowed for me so that when I am

00:49:36.789 --> 00:49:40.460
the tool in his hand, Things are communicated

00:49:40.460 --> 00:49:45.980
in a way he wants through my life. And you may

00:49:45.980 --> 00:49:48.059
have a gift of teaching too, and God might communicate

00:49:48.059 --> 00:49:49.480
the same thing, but it's going to be different.

00:49:49.780 --> 00:49:53.019
Why? Because the blessing of teaching in your

00:49:53.019 --> 00:49:57.039
life is suitable for you. It fits you. It's for

00:49:57.039 --> 00:50:00.099
you to be used and submitted into the hand of

00:50:00.099 --> 00:50:03.309
God, and we have to understand that. We're all

00:50:03.309 --> 00:50:05.090
different people. We all have different personalities.

00:50:05.250 --> 00:50:07.550
Yeah, there are non -negotiables in Scripture,

00:50:07.610 --> 00:50:09.769
and yeah, there are things we follow, but we're

00:50:09.769 --> 00:50:11.849
all different people, and the blessing that God

00:50:11.849 --> 00:50:13.769
brings into our life, the one for all of us,

00:50:13.809 --> 00:50:15.670
the blessing of being in his presence, and he

00:50:15.670 --> 00:50:18.110
goes, okay, I want you to obey me and serve me,

00:50:18.150 --> 00:50:20.230
and so I've given you talents, and I've given

00:50:20.230 --> 00:50:23.750
you strengths, and I've given you gifts, and

00:50:23.750 --> 00:50:27.909
they're suitable for you. What that means is

00:50:27.909 --> 00:50:30.269
nobody in this room could say, Well, I think

00:50:30.269 --> 00:50:32.650
God's calling me to do this, but that's not for

00:50:32.650 --> 00:50:37.349
me. If it's not for you, you wouldn't have it.

00:50:38.550 --> 00:50:40.369
God gave it to you because it's suitable for

00:50:40.369 --> 00:50:45.210
you. And so we ebb and flow with personalities

00:50:45.210 --> 00:50:48.429
and talents and stuff. Now, we don't let personalities

00:50:48.429 --> 00:50:52.710
govern and direct and dictate, but that's a part

00:50:52.710 --> 00:50:55.329
of how we serve one another and how we are a

00:50:55.329 --> 00:50:58.969
blessing to the world. He blessed each one with

00:50:58.969 --> 00:51:02.909
a suitable blessing. The story of Genesis began

00:51:02.909 --> 00:51:07.869
with blessing lost. And through the line of Judah,

00:51:08.070 --> 00:51:11.389
the blessing of God returns. And that blessing

00:51:11.389 --> 00:51:15.550
comes through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1 .3 says,

00:51:15.670 --> 00:51:17.789
blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

00:51:17.789 --> 00:51:21.289
Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual

00:51:21.289 --> 00:51:25.289
blessing in the heavens in Christ. Christian.

00:51:25.840 --> 00:51:31.059
Listen to what that said. Has blessed us with

00:51:31.059 --> 00:51:34.480
every spiritual blessing. That's called past

00:51:34.480 --> 00:51:40.340
tense. You have already been blessed. If you've

00:51:40.340 --> 00:51:42.980
put your faith in Jesus Christ, you have been

00:51:42.980 --> 00:51:44.820
blessed with every spiritual blessing in the

00:51:44.820 --> 00:51:50.400
heavens in Christ. Your job now is to act upon

00:51:50.400 --> 00:51:54.300
it and use it and walk in it and live in it.

00:51:54.800 --> 00:51:57.000
The blessing that was promised to Abraham, passed

00:51:57.000 --> 00:51:59.440
through Isaac, given to Jacob, spoken over Jacob's

00:51:59.440 --> 00:52:02.420
sons, has reached us now through Jesus Christ.

00:52:04.820 --> 00:52:08.099
And so that presence of God. Now, it's not the

00:52:08.099 --> 00:52:10.820
ultimate fulfillment of that, because that's

00:52:10.820 --> 00:52:16.139
going to be heaven. And I can't wait. But right

00:52:16.139 --> 00:52:19.300
now, today, while my born -again self lives with

00:52:19.300 --> 00:52:22.579
my... sinful self, and the Bible talks about

00:52:22.579 --> 00:52:25.159
that whole dichotomy, I get to live connected

00:52:25.159 --> 00:52:28.719
and in the presence of God every day. And just

00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:31.559
in case we would think, well, I'm not sure God

00:52:31.559 --> 00:52:33.940
said, how about this? I'm going to send my spirit

00:52:33.940 --> 00:52:38.239
to live within you. The Holy Spirit is within

00:52:38.239 --> 00:52:39.840
you. Does that mean you could get away from it?

00:52:40.860 --> 00:52:47.760
No. He goes where you go. He goes where you go.

00:52:50.139 --> 00:52:52.019
When you go into the darkness to sin and you

00:52:52.019 --> 00:52:57.800
think nobody sees, he's there with you. Right?

00:52:57.860 --> 00:53:05.400
A lot of you are just like, oh. It's true. When

00:53:05.400 --> 00:53:09.960
you're out serving and the gift, and the gifts

00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:11.260
that God has given you is flowing, he's there

00:53:11.260 --> 00:53:15.039
with you. And you know, in one it says he's blessed,

00:53:15.079 --> 00:53:18.699
in the other one it says he's grieved. Because

00:53:18.699 --> 00:53:21.380
he's with you. We have the presence of God in

00:53:21.380 --> 00:53:25.920
our lives today through Jesus Christ. Now, yeah,

00:53:25.980 --> 00:53:27.639
we're in this transitional period where I'm like,

00:53:27.679 --> 00:53:30.360
but I still have my sin nature. And, you know,

00:53:30.380 --> 00:53:32.579
we got a whole book here that talks about that.

00:53:33.699 --> 00:53:37.880
But one day, we'll be free of that sin nature.

00:53:41.059 --> 00:53:43.800
But the blessing of that presence and that connection

00:53:43.800 --> 00:53:48.119
was never meant to stop with us. Joseph's vine

00:53:48.119 --> 00:53:51.570
went, Over the wall. And the same has to be true

00:53:51.570 --> 00:53:54.570
with us. It has to be true with us. We are the

00:53:54.570 --> 00:53:57.989
ones. We are the ones meant to be the branches

00:53:57.989 --> 00:54:00.150
climbing over the wall through our connection

00:54:00.150 --> 00:54:03.309
with Christ. God blesses us so that we can bless

00:54:03.309 --> 00:54:07.130
others. That's the point. That's the growth.

00:54:07.230 --> 00:54:09.610
That's the prophecy to Abraham all the way down

00:54:09.610 --> 00:54:12.429
through. God blesses us so that we can be blessings

00:54:12.429 --> 00:54:15.670
to others. In our families, with our kids, our

00:54:15.670 --> 00:54:17.449
friends, our communities, and to the nations.

00:54:18.539 --> 00:54:22.219
We are the channels of grace that have been given

00:54:22.219 --> 00:54:27.219
to us. We are the conduit. And you can't be a

00:54:27.219 --> 00:54:29.460
conduit of grace to the nations if you're locked

00:54:29.460 --> 00:54:34.239
up in a monastery on the mountaintop. You can't

00:54:34.239 --> 00:54:36.480
be a conduit of grace to the nations if you're

00:54:36.480 --> 00:54:38.760
going, no, everything I have is mine. It's my

00:54:38.760 --> 00:54:40.920
money and my time and my resources and mine,

00:54:40.980 --> 00:54:45.329
mine, mine. You can't be a conduit if you're

00:54:45.329 --> 00:54:46.849
like, I'm never going to talk to anybody. I'm

00:54:46.849 --> 00:54:48.269
never going to serve. I'm never going to hand

00:54:48.269 --> 00:54:49.969
out a track. I'm never going to open my mouth.

00:54:52.929 --> 00:54:57.929
You're missing it. And, you know, in light of

00:54:57.929 --> 00:55:01.530
all the burdens that so many of us carry, and

00:55:01.530 --> 00:55:03.789
some of you are here in this room this morning

00:55:03.789 --> 00:55:06.690
or watching online, and you're carrying heavy

00:55:06.690 --> 00:55:11.019
burdens, right? Some difficult things. Genesis

00:55:11.019 --> 00:55:13.599
reminds us all of something very, very wonderful.

00:55:14.500 --> 00:55:21.000
That God's plan was, is, and will always be a

00:55:21.000 --> 00:55:27.280
plan of blessing. That's it. Even when life is

00:55:27.280 --> 00:55:29.800
hard and the circumstances are confusing and

00:55:29.800 --> 00:55:33.340
the future seems uncertain, God's plan is blessing.

00:55:37.280 --> 00:55:41.969
We're part of this world. but we're not, or in

00:55:41.969 --> 00:55:43.869
this world, but we're not of the world, what

00:55:43.869 --> 00:55:46.829
does that mean? That we're here giving strengths

00:55:46.829 --> 00:55:51.199
and gifts to use for his glory. To serve one

00:55:51.199 --> 00:55:54.340
another, to build up one another. And some are

00:55:54.340 --> 00:55:57.559
given to teach and to admonish and to build up

00:55:57.559 --> 00:56:00.659
the people for the work of the ministry so that

00:56:00.659 --> 00:56:03.139
we collectively go out as a light on the hill

00:56:03.139 --> 00:56:05.699
to be a blessing to the world around us. And

00:56:05.699 --> 00:56:07.599
the primary way we're a blessing to the world

00:56:07.599 --> 00:56:10.059
around us is by bringing them the hope of salvation.

00:56:11.179 --> 00:56:15.190
The key to freedom from sin. But that doesn't

00:56:15.190 --> 00:56:17.289
mean we don't also go with love and kindness

00:56:17.289 --> 00:56:19.789
and grace and mercy and service and generosity.

00:56:22.389 --> 00:56:24.610
The spiritual battle will not end as we were

00:56:24.610 --> 00:56:26.449
told through these prophecies, but we will be

00:56:26.449 --> 00:56:32.269
victorious. We may have more or less material

00:56:32.269 --> 00:56:35.130
blessing here on the earth, but regardless, either

00:56:35.130 --> 00:56:39.469
way, we're not absolved from being generous with

00:56:39.469 --> 00:56:42.050
everything he's given us, including our time

00:56:42.050 --> 00:56:46.239
and our talents. We know that ultimately, yeah,

00:56:46.340 --> 00:56:48.820
our material wealth doesn't matter, but it's

00:56:48.820 --> 00:56:52.119
all here to be a blessing to those around us.

00:56:52.159 --> 00:56:54.679
So whatever God has given you, be a good steward

00:56:54.679 --> 00:56:58.099
of it. And then, yeah, there's a lot of promises

00:56:58.099 --> 00:56:59.860
in the Word where God says, hey, if I could trust

00:56:59.860 --> 00:57:03.139
you with a little, I'll give you more. That may

00:57:03.139 --> 00:57:09.380
or may not be money. It may be ministry. It may

00:57:09.380 --> 00:57:15.059
be soul harvesting. Who knows? But let all that

00:57:15.059 --> 00:57:16.739
God has given you spiritually and emotionally

00:57:16.739 --> 00:57:19.960
and materially flow out of you or you're missing

00:57:19.960 --> 00:57:24.800
the point. Stand strong and fierce like Benjamin

00:57:24.800 --> 00:57:29.119
against wickedness and evil in this world. Stand

00:57:29.119 --> 00:57:32.119
strong and fierce for righteousness and godliness

00:57:32.119 --> 00:57:35.860
and yet remain yielded to the guidance and the

00:57:35.860 --> 00:57:38.400
direction of the Holy Spirit in everything. That's

00:57:38.400 --> 00:57:41.800
what these prophecies teach us. And ultimately,

00:57:41.840 --> 00:57:44.260
the same God who carried Joseph through everything

00:57:44.260 --> 00:57:47.079
he experienced in his life is the same God who

00:57:47.079 --> 00:57:51.380
blesses his people in Christ today. You and me.

00:57:51.440 --> 00:57:53.980
And one day, the story, the whole story is going

00:57:53.980 --> 00:57:57.400
to end exactly as Scripture says it will end.

00:57:57.480 --> 00:57:58.780
And this is what it looks like in Revelation

00:57:58.780 --> 00:58:03.300
5 .13. I heard every creature in heaven, on earth,

00:58:03.300 --> 00:58:04.840
and under the earth, and on the sea, and everything

00:58:04.840 --> 00:58:09.280
in them say blessing, and honor, and glory, and

00:58:09.280 --> 00:58:12.329
power. Be to the one seated on the throne and

00:58:12.329 --> 00:58:16.730
to the Lamb forever and ever. The story that

00:58:16.730 --> 00:58:19.710
began with blessing is going to end in eternal

00:58:19.710 --> 00:58:22.309
blessing. And through Jesus Christ, that blessing

00:58:22.309 --> 00:58:27.050
has come to you today. So trust him. Trust him.

00:58:27.469 --> 00:58:31.090
Keep your faith in him. Walk in him. Endure.

00:58:32.869 --> 00:58:36.849
Because God's intention in your life is to bless

00:58:36.849 --> 00:58:42.360
you. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, God, for

00:58:42.360 --> 00:58:53.960
your word. Your word is hope. It is truth. Your

00:58:53.960 --> 00:59:00.000
word is salvation. Your word are the answers,

00:59:00.260 --> 00:59:10.739
is the answer. God, we need you so much. And

00:59:10.739 --> 00:59:15.699
Lord, we understand that words matter. I believe

00:59:15.699 --> 00:59:19.820
that's why you had them written down and preserved.

00:59:22.579 --> 00:59:27.559
So that we could read them, hear them, live them.

00:59:30.420 --> 00:59:33.500
And so Lord, I ask that you bless us as your

00:59:33.500 --> 00:59:38.440
people. Lord, if you would allow me, I pray.

00:59:39.320 --> 00:59:42.179
pronounce your blessing upon this church and

00:59:42.179 --> 00:59:47.239
the people gathered here this morning. Lord,

00:59:47.320 --> 00:59:49.079
I pray, God, that you would work in and through

00:59:49.079 --> 00:59:52.639
the gifts and the talents that you have given

00:59:52.639 --> 00:59:57.219
your people here at this church, that we would

00:59:57.219 --> 01:00:00.800
use those things to be who you've called us to

01:00:00.800 --> 01:00:07.239
be, to do what you've called us to do. Lord,

01:00:07.440 --> 01:00:10.420
that... As we are in the world, we would not

01:00:10.420 --> 01:00:13.280
be of the world, but in our interactions, we

01:00:13.280 --> 01:00:18.480
would influence the world for godliness. That,

01:00:18.539 --> 01:00:20.940
God, we wouldn't shy away from the calling, Lord,

01:00:21.079 --> 01:00:24.639
and deny the gifts you've given us, Lord, like

01:00:24.639 --> 01:00:28.199
Issachar, but instead, God, we would take and

01:00:28.199 --> 01:00:30.940
do and live and proclaim and preach what is true

01:00:30.940 --> 01:00:32.980
and right according to your will and your word.

01:00:35.960 --> 01:00:39.280
God, that we would be staunch defenders of the

01:00:39.280 --> 01:00:43.179
faith and not bring an idolatry into our lives,

01:00:43.239 --> 01:00:45.159
not worshiping other things and putting other

01:00:45.159 --> 01:00:50.940
things on the pedestal above you. God, that we

01:00:50.940 --> 01:00:53.360
would just accept the reality of spiritual attack

01:00:53.360 --> 01:00:57.840
in our lives, Lord, and persevere with the truth

01:00:57.840 --> 01:00:59.440
and the knowledge that we are already victorious.

01:01:03.150 --> 01:01:06.690
That, God, we would stay connected to you, Lord,

01:01:06.769 --> 01:01:11.510
grounded in you. That as we would grow strong

01:01:11.510 --> 01:01:13.769
and healthy spiritually, Lord, we wouldn't just

01:01:13.769 --> 01:01:16.469
be focused inward, but we would be focused outward

01:01:16.469 --> 01:01:18.869
to the community around us, to the lost around

01:01:18.869 --> 01:01:24.389
us. And, God, I pray that we would be fierce,

01:01:24.530 --> 01:01:32.289
fierce and zealous in a godly way. Lord, that

01:01:32.289 --> 01:01:34.769
we would be strong and courageous and passionate

01:01:34.769 --> 01:01:39.190
in standing for the truth and representing you

01:01:39.190 --> 01:01:42.510
in this world and submitting ourselves and our

01:01:42.510 --> 01:01:45.630
time and our resources to your hand, that we

01:01:45.630 --> 01:01:50.610
would follow your will in all things, God, that

01:01:50.610 --> 01:01:56.489
you would be glorified. So God, I ask that you'd

01:01:56.489 --> 01:02:00.349
bless us, that your blessing would fall upon

01:02:00.349 --> 01:02:05.280
us. That we would remember and enjoy the blessing

01:02:05.280 --> 01:02:09.159
of your presence. I pray, God, that your presence

01:02:09.159 --> 01:02:11.519
would just shine to your people today and every

01:02:11.519 --> 01:02:15.079
day. That if we've forgotten about it, Lord,

01:02:15.159 --> 01:02:19.179
we would be reminded. That the warmth of your

01:02:19.179 --> 01:02:23.099
glory, Lord, would just shine. And that we would

01:02:23.099 --> 01:02:25.619
then respond accordingly in obedience, in faith.

01:02:28.519 --> 01:02:30.619
God, do a mighty work through our church. Do

01:02:30.619 --> 01:02:32.099
a mighty work through our lives individually.

01:02:32.440 --> 01:02:35.480
Do a mighty work in the families here, in the

01:02:35.480 --> 01:02:39.440
relationships here, God, with spouses and kids.

01:02:41.619 --> 01:02:44.820
Lord, bring reconciliation, bring hope, bring

01:02:44.820 --> 01:02:49.300
healing, bring wholeness. Because, God, it is

01:02:49.300 --> 01:02:54.139
your will that unity and fellowship and holiness

01:02:54.139 --> 01:02:58.170
be the norm. That was your original intent and

01:02:58.170 --> 01:03:01.329
creation, God. And Lord, while we're here on

01:03:01.329 --> 01:03:04.150
earth, let us experience that, not just so that

01:03:04.150 --> 01:03:07.289
we can receive the blessing of it, but then we'd

01:03:07.289 --> 01:03:09.650
be able to share the hope that is in you with

01:03:09.650 --> 01:03:15.710
others. All looking forward to the ultimate expression

01:03:15.710 --> 01:03:19.710
and the ultimate fulfillment of the blessing

01:03:19.710 --> 01:03:23.150
you desire for us. Lord, we love you. We thank

01:03:23.150 --> 01:03:27.039
you. We glorify you, God. It's in Jesus' name

01:03:27.039 --> 01:03:32.340
we pray. Amen. Well, I pray God would richly

01:03:32.340 --> 01:03:36.519
bless you this week. And pray and ask God for

01:03:36.519 --> 01:03:41.000
ways to be a blessing to others. Seek to be a

01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:44.860
blessing to others. Don't avoid it. Open yourselves

01:03:44.860 --> 01:03:46.739
to the move of the Holy Spirit. Listen to His

01:03:46.739 --> 01:03:49.000
voice and watch what God will do. It's going

01:03:49.000 --> 01:03:53.960
to be amazing. Let's close in worship and praising

01:03:53.960 --> 01:03:55.829
Him. Amen. God bless you guys.