Yearn for Greater Blessings (Genesis 48:16-20)

Yearn for Greater Blessings (Genesis 48:16-20)

 

16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

1.  on June 29, 1995, Sampoong Department Store in Gangnam, Seoul collapsed and countless people died. But among the tragedies there were several strange miracles.

 

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One person, a professor, was shopping on the 2nd floor at Sampoong when she felt the building shake and saw the lights suddenly go out. A voice over the PA system instructed shoppers to evacuate the building and immediately people swarmed for the main exit. Chaos erupted instantly and the main exits were jammed with panicking people.

 

The professor was also heading for the main exit when she saw a single stream of light illuminating a young man who looked like an angel. This angel was pointing to an emergency exit and told her to use it instead of the main doors.

 

While everyone was crowding for the main exit, she ran down the stairs of the emergency exit and as soon as she reached the landing outside, the building collapsed behind her and the people that were stuck at the main exit tragically died. That day, she called her friend, the sister-in-law of a pastor at a large church, and proclaimed that from that day forward, she would live for God and spread His word.

 

The daughter of an elder was shopping that same day, when all of the ACs had stopped working. She was heading to the lower basement floor food court for some ice cream to find relief from the heat when everyone around her suddenly looked like corpses with candles lit around them. Terrified, she ran out of the building and the moment she stepped outside the building started crumbling. The people in the lower basement floors died instantly, just as she would have if she had gone for ice cream.

 

2. We live in a world filled with disease, disaster, and tragic accidents. But those who are saved by the Lord, when they exemplify a different Christian life, are protected by God (although there are certain cases and exceptions). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his son Ephraim were all great figures of Christian faith who received great blessings from God. Blessings flow from one generation to another. The prayer of blessing went from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph and Ephraim.

 

3. What we must keep in mind today is that blessings from God start with the first person to be blessed and is passed down from then on. This is what the Bible teaches us: "8 At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day." (Deuteronomy 10:8) This verse tells us that God blessed the people of Israel through the tribe of Levi.

 

Numbers 6:23-24 also says, "23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee..."

 

4. Believing in Jesus brings blessings; this is an irrefutable truth. Faith in Jesus manifests on a personal, familial, social, and national level. Look at the United States: It started as a Christian nation and has since become the most powerful country in the world.

 

But what would have happened if the US was built on Hinduism or Buddhism? It would have ended up like India, Tibet, or Myanmar. For one's personal life, familial life, society, and nation to prosper, one must first believe in Jesus.

 

No country with its roots in Christ has suffered. Many of the great figures in recent history were Christian. In the Bible there are those who were blessed, but still others who received even greater blessings. Today we will take a look at these people and find the secret to why they were given such great blessings.

 

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A) God's Blessings Come in Many Sizes

 

1. Isaac received a greater blessing than his brother, Ishmael. God said that Abraham is the source of blessings. Abraham had 8 sons, and among these 8 Isaac was the one who was most blessed. Normally such blessings are passed to the first born, but Isaac was not the first born, Ishmael was.

 

Of course Ishmael was also blessed, but the greatest blessing was given to Isaac. Genesis 16:10, "10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude." and he became the ancestor of all Arabs.

 

But Isaac's blessing was greater, "12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him." (Genesis 26:12-14)

 

We can assume the reason for Isaac's greater blessing to be traced back to what happened at Moriah where God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son he was given at the age of 100. We've always seen this famous story from Abraham's perspective, but today we need to see it from Isaac's point of view.

 

At the time, Isaac was a teenager, about the age of a high school student when a boy is becoming a young man and is growing, energetic, and strong. It is safe to say that he was stronger than his father Abraham, a man more than 100 years old.

 

Even if Isaac wasn't the brightest, he would have been able to put two and two together when he saw they did not have a lamb to sacrifice on their way up Moriah. If this wasn't a clear enough hint, it would have become abundantly obvious he was the sacrifice when his father started tying him at the alter.

 

Any normal son, or human being for that matter, would have protested, fought back, or run away. Any normal son would have been furious, shocked, and traumatized. Isaac was more than strong enough to fight off his elderly father, but he didn't. He obeyed without question.

 

Isaac wasn't obedient because he was stupid or weak. He trusted his father and knew that before Abraham was his father, he was God's servant. Abraham was a priest and his job was to give sacrifices to God. Isaac knew this this and obeyed his father and God's commands with complete faith and trust. His father's duty as God's servant was to offer sacrifice, and if he, Isaac, was to be that sacrifice, he would obey.

 

This story often focuses on Abraham's stewardship and willing sacrifice, but we must also recognize Isaac and his complete trust in and obedience to God and Abraham. This faith is what God saw and deemed beautiful and worthy of His blessings.

 

B) There is a Path to Blessings

 

1. In the Old Testament, priests provided the way to blessings. Before that, it was the father or head of the family that provided this path. Today, Jesus is the way; through him, and him only, do we receive blessings.

 

2. Jacob also received blessings that were greater than his older brother, Esau. Though they were twins, Esau was born first. He was the epitome of a man's man: He was strong, wild, active, and boisterous. Meanwhile, Jacob was small and rather meek. Esau was a prime candidate to be blessed, yet Jacob received it instead. How?

 

Jacob knew how important his father's blessing prayer was, while Esau thought lightly of it. He wanted it, but didn't see its vitality like Jacob. Jacob wanted it more than Esau, so he used any means necessary, even one that was conniving, immoral, and a risk to his life. He stole his brother's blessing. When Esau found out he was furious, rampant, and determined to kill Jacob but by then it was too late and Jacob had already fled to their uncle's house.

 

God gave His prayer of blessing to Isaac, and Isaac passed it on to Jacob. In the far future, Jacob would be blessed with wealth and, even greater still, one day become the direct ancestor of Jesus Christ himself. Jacob was granted all of this because he was willing to risk his life for God's blessings. From a worldly view, Esau was superior to Jacob in every way. But when it came to faith, Jacob was much stronger. His stronger faith was the key to his greater blessings.

 

God always blesses those who deserve it. Deuteronomy 28:13 tells us so: "13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God..." Any child of God who lives a holy life and keeps God's commandments will receive blessings greater than any other in the world.

 

3. In today's scripture, Ephraim received greater blessings than his older brother, Manasseh. When Joseph came to the now old and weak Jacob, he brought with him his two sons. Jacob tells Joseph to seat his grandsons before him and proceeds to place his hands upon their heads to bless them.

 

Joseph sat Manasseh, the eldest, on Jacob's right side and sat Ephraim, the younger of the two, on Jacob's left. Yet Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh. Thus, Ephraim received the greater blessing.

 

We've looked at Isaac, Jacob, and Ephraim, all of whom received blessings that were greater than their elder siblings. Such blessings are typically the birthright of the eldest, yet they were given the blessing prayer. Why?

 

1. They served God and yearned for his blessing with great earnest. God grants the hopes and wishes of those who not only serve Him but truly yearn for Him. Just as a thirsty deer searches for water, we too must search and yearn for God's blessings.

 

2. They did not hesitate or doubt when it came to being blessed. In other words, they went through great lengths and would have done anything to receive God's blessings. Jacob was born holding on to his brother's ankle and disguised himself as Esau to steal his birthright, knowing his brother would seek to kill him when he found out. He worked for his uncle day and night for years. In the future, he became a wealthy man and was greatly blessed.

 

3. They obeyed God's will. Deuteronomy 28:12 says, "12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow."

 

4. They knew the path for great blessings. The three figures we discussed today all knew where their blessings would come from; they knew the way. Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob blessed his grandson Ephraim.

 

Con) Today, if we want such blessings, we must love and be loved by Jesus. Jesus is the way to blessings for us. Strive to serve God so that Jesus, our mentors of faith, and our leaders of faith will acknowledge, love, and bless us.

 

081317  Ik sun Ahn