1 00:00:14,139 --> 00:00:17,339 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast. 2 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,100 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you. 3 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,039 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:35,300 --> 00:00:40,320 So, we're going to take a look at Hebrews again, chapter 11. 5 00:00:41,420 --> 00:00:47,820 And today's message is titled, Being Blessed by Faith. 6 00:00:49,919 --> 00:00:56,880 And, you know, we think of bless, it's kind of one of those words that it's hard to define. 7 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:02,200 You know, you might come up with, well, it means being happy, it means being fruitful, 8 00:01:02,439 --> 00:01:04,500 it means being Godly, all these things. 9 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:10,340 But there are different words in Greek for blessed and to bless. 10 00:01:11,299 --> 00:01:15,359 And the one is mekarias, if you could put that first slide up. 11 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:22,719 And that's where, remember in the Beatitudes when Jesus speaks about how it is to be blessed. 12 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:24,640 11 times he said, blessed are they. 13 00:01:25,299 --> 00:01:31,000 And mekarias, he said in Matthew 5. 14 00:01:31,219 --> 00:01:35,120 8, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 15 00:01:35,540 --> 00:01:42,079 Now, this blessed means it's kind of like a feeling and an overall joy, it's a happiness. 16 00:01:42,819 --> 00:01:46,280 And they will find happiness in the midst of this. 17 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:53,040 But the blessing that we're going to talk about is eulogio. 18 00:01:53,099 --> 00:01:55,340 You know, I always know it when I come in in the morning. 19 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:57,819 And then the worship just knocks it right out of me. 20 00:01:58,819 --> 00:02:04,439 But eulogio, okay, and we see this in the verse where, 21 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,340 bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 22 00:02:09,340 --> 00:02:12,139 And it's more an active thing, eulogio. 23 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:18,500 And the next slide, we see it's where we get the word actually eulogy, okay. 24 00:02:19,139 --> 00:02:23,219 And it's broken into two words, you, which is to be well off, 25 00:02:23,419 --> 00:02:27,979 and lago, which is speech, a word uttered by a living voice. 26 00:02:28,139 --> 00:02:34,699 So in other words, now we're talking about speaking good or God's goodness onto something. 27 00:02:34,699 --> 00:02:40,479 And so eulogio means to praise, celebrate with praises, to cause, to prosper, 28 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:46,060 to make happy, to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers. 29 00:02:46,819 --> 00:02:51,759 So this kind of blessing is what we do before we pray before a meal, okay. 30 00:02:52,199 --> 00:02:58,280 We pray that the Lord would use the food to empower us to do his will. 31 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,900 So it's really like conveying or proclaiming God's goodness 32 00:03:02,900 --> 00:03:06,219 upon a person, place, or thing. 33 00:03:06,419 --> 00:03:09,500 That's the kind of blessing we're talking about today, okay. 34 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:11,439 And there's a difference and you'll see. 35 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,620 And today we're gonna look at five different people in the Bible 36 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:21,139 who were blessed in this way and why it matters to us. 37 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,020 Last week, didn't my son-in-law Tevin do a great job? 38 00:03:25,020 --> 00:03:27,900 Yeah, I just love that great man of a guy. 39 00:03:28,039 --> 00:03:33,879 He spoke and taught about Abraham offering up Isaac 40 00:03:33,879 --> 00:03:40,500 and he compared it really to the fact that Abraham didn't make Isaac an idol, 41 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:43,099 though it would have been easy to do, wouldn't it have been? 42 00:03:43,699 --> 00:03:46,500 It's his only son of promise, okay. 43 00:03:47,060 --> 00:03:50,159 And by then Ishmael was already, you know, led away. 44 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:54,300 And so he had one son and now this one son he's offering up 45 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:58,520 would be easy to make Isaac an idol, but he didn't. 46 00:03:58,719 --> 00:04:02,979 He offered Isaac up to the Lord at an age that Isaac would know full well 47 00:04:02,979 --> 00:04:04,460 what's going on, right. 48 00:04:04,819 --> 00:04:07,020 I won't get into his age because it's a big range 49 00:04:07,020 --> 00:04:09,960 and different theologians have different ideas about that. 50 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,560 But he definitely would remember God was offering me up to the Lord. 51 00:04:15,580 --> 00:04:21,519 But you see, the fact that Abraham offered up Isaac to the Lord 52 00:04:22,519 --> 00:04:26,720 showed Isaac that God is more significant than even Isaac 53 00:04:27,519 --> 00:04:30,100 and he's more significant than Abraham. 54 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,759 In fact, God is number one, right. 55 00:04:34,439 --> 00:04:39,240 And so he was actually blessing Isaac by demonstrating this. 56 00:04:39,819 --> 00:04:42,819 And I know that's a hard thing to get our head around, you know, 57 00:04:43,220 --> 00:04:48,500 but really when we put a person, a place or a thing, 58 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:52,600 but a person in this case above God, okay. 59 00:04:53,180 --> 00:04:55,980 What it does, it doesn't benefit that person. 60 00:04:56,079 --> 00:04:58,500 In fact, it really curses them in a sense 61 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:03,300 because what they don't realize is how significant God is. 62 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:08,339 And you know, I've seen it many times while I was a youth pastor 63 00:05:08,339 --> 00:05:13,459 of how parents would put their kids over God. 64 00:05:14,399 --> 00:05:18,860 Oh, we're too busy with the kids sports, we can't go to church, okay. 65 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,500 Oh, they're too, they're studying too much. 66 00:05:22,759 --> 00:05:24,680 They can't go to youth group, okay. 67 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,860 They don't feel comfortable with other Christian kids. 68 00:05:30,639 --> 00:05:32,480 You know, you name the excuses, okay. 69 00:05:32,620 --> 00:05:36,860 And they just, and so they would put the concerns 70 00:05:36,860 --> 00:05:40,459 or comfort of their children over God's purpose 71 00:05:40,459 --> 00:05:43,060 for their children's lives, right. 72 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,779 And they think they're doing their children a favor. 73 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:47,759 It never works out well. 74 00:05:47,879 --> 00:05:49,620 Let me tell you something, never. 75 00:05:50,399 --> 00:05:52,339 I've never seen that work out 76 00:05:52,339 --> 00:05:55,759 because what happens is the whole family starts drifting 77 00:05:56,379 --> 00:05:58,060 away from God. 78 00:05:58,759 --> 00:06:02,680 So you see, when we actually show our loved ones 79 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,759 that God is more important than even them, 80 00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:08,000 we're actually blessing them because now they can say, 81 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:13,379 well, this God, all purpose comes from God. 82 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:18,720 So now they get captivated by this God who is so great. 83 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,899 And so Isaac was being blessed by Abraham 84 00:06:23,899 --> 00:06:28,259 because he saw how important God's will is. 85 00:06:28,439 --> 00:06:30,600 And then of course he saw God's deliverance. 86 00:06:30,899 --> 00:06:32,759 And then he realized, you know what, if I follow God 87 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:36,079 it's always gonna work out well for me, okay. 88 00:06:36,599 --> 00:06:37,879 And so this is the idea. 89 00:06:38,079 --> 00:06:40,220 So we're gonna look at five different people 90 00:06:40,220 --> 00:06:41,600 who were blessed. 91 00:06:42,180 --> 00:06:44,879 And I'll just give you one quick example in the Bible 92 00:06:45,439 --> 00:06:48,819 now that we're at it regarding relationships. 93 00:06:49,699 --> 00:06:52,500 Remember the priest Eli, okay. 94 00:06:52,860 --> 00:06:56,560 He had two sons, Hophany and Phineas. 95 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,180 And they were in the tabernacle doing all kinds 96 00:07:00,180 --> 00:07:02,959 of bad things in front of God, okay. 97 00:07:03,399 --> 00:07:04,699 They're molesting women. 98 00:07:04,699 --> 00:07:08,699 They're stealing the sacrifice from innocent Israelites 99 00:07:08,699 --> 00:07:11,139 that were coming in with the best they can afford 100 00:07:11,139 --> 00:07:12,399 to offer up to God. 101 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:15,180 And Hophany and Phineas would just come by 102 00:07:15,180 --> 00:07:17,699 and stab the fork in it and pull it right out of the pot. 103 00:07:17,879 --> 00:07:18,620 Thank you very much. 104 00:07:19,439 --> 00:07:20,779 You know, let me know when you have another one. 105 00:07:20,939 --> 00:07:23,139 You know, like just stealing from God, you know. 106 00:07:23,500 --> 00:07:25,519 And Eli did nothing about it. 107 00:07:25,879 --> 00:07:28,680 And God warned him. 108 00:07:29,379 --> 00:07:32,040 And it didn't turn out well for Hophany, Phineas, 109 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:34,139 or for Eli, right. 110 00:07:34,139 --> 00:07:38,160 And that's what happens when we put our relationships 111 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,519 as more important, significant than our relationship 112 00:07:42,519 --> 00:07:44,920 with God, it's a curse to everyone. 113 00:07:45,319 --> 00:07:47,800 So we need, this is a blessing is to demonstrate 114 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,639 how significant God is. 115 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:51,959 And that's why as a youth pastor, I usually used to say, 116 00:07:52,300 --> 00:07:54,180 you know what, make your kids go. 117 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:56,500 Don't give them a choice. 118 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,319 And I know some of you are like, I can't do that. 119 00:07:58,439 --> 00:08:00,759 Well, you can when they're five, six, seven, 120 00:08:00,839 --> 00:08:01,860 eight, nine, 10, 11, 12. 121 00:08:02,379 --> 00:08:05,360 Once they get to 18, go where? 122 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,620 Yeah, right, you know, because by then it's too late, right? 123 00:08:09,879 --> 00:08:14,259 So we need to maintain that discipline in our children. 124 00:08:14,699 --> 00:08:16,480 So anyway, without further ado, 125 00:08:16,839 --> 00:08:18,680 we're gonna look at these three verses, 126 00:08:19,420 --> 00:08:21,220 but we have a lot of scripture we're looking at, 127 00:08:21,259 --> 00:08:22,540 of course, cross-referencing. 128 00:08:22,939 --> 00:08:24,839 And today there's a lot of narrative. 129 00:08:25,060 --> 00:08:25,860 You know, I don't know about you, 130 00:08:25,860 --> 00:08:28,839 but I love the Old Testament stories, don't you? 131 00:08:29,519 --> 00:08:31,240 I was talking to Jerry Dover yesterday. 132 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,019 I was talking about how important it is 133 00:08:35,019 --> 00:08:37,919 to know the stories of the Bible. 134 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:41,299 Because if you don't know the stories of the Bible, 135 00:08:41,620 --> 00:08:45,600 you don't really grasp the mind and heart of God. 136 00:08:46,519 --> 00:08:48,480 Because to me, everything I think of, 137 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:49,419 I see something happen, 138 00:08:49,500 --> 00:08:51,039 it reminds me of something in the Bible. 139 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,159 And I can relate it with something. 140 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,940 It's an algorithm, if you will. 141 00:08:57,039 --> 00:08:58,799 It's an algorithm of biblical truth 142 00:08:58,799 --> 00:09:00,639 that when I see something happen, 143 00:09:00,639 --> 00:09:03,440 oh, I get it, that looks like this, that looks like that. 144 00:09:03,519 --> 00:09:06,899 It's like I see everything through a biblical prism. 145 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:09,960 And really, that's why it's so important 146 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:11,960 to know the stories of the Bible. 147 00:09:12,259 --> 00:09:16,960 But anyway, so let's look at Hebrews 11, verse 20. 148 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:22,539 By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau 149 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:25,559 concerning things to come. 150 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,460 So many years after he was offered up as an offering, 151 00:09:32,980 --> 00:09:36,519 Abraham sent away for, before he died, he sent away. 152 00:09:36,659 --> 00:09:40,980 Go get a wife for my son Isaac out in Mesopotamia, 153 00:09:40,980 --> 00:09:41,879 where I came from, 154 00:09:42,139 --> 00:09:44,679 because he shouldn't marry anyone in this land of Canaan, 155 00:09:44,740 --> 00:09:46,720 because this land is cursed. 156 00:09:46,879 --> 00:09:48,159 That's why we're here to bless, 157 00:09:48,759 --> 00:09:51,759 to overturn this land with the blessing of God. 158 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,059 So the man went, brought back Rebecca, 159 00:09:55,059 --> 00:09:57,620 Isaac and Rebecca get married, okay, 160 00:09:57,620 --> 00:09:59,120 when he was 40 years old. 161 00:09:59,659 --> 00:10:01,559 Years go by and Rebecca is barren. 162 00:10:02,620 --> 00:10:05,299 So 20 years into their marriage almost, 163 00:10:06,140 --> 00:10:08,539 Isaac finally just prays out to God. 164 00:10:08,879 --> 00:10:10,259 I don't know why he waited so long, 165 00:10:10,580 --> 00:10:13,440 but he prayed, Lord, please open her womb. 166 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,419 And she got pregnant, right? 167 00:10:16,019 --> 00:10:19,120 And so now she's pregnant, not with one, 168 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,059 but two twins, Jacob and Esau. 169 00:10:22,059 --> 00:10:24,559 And as she's there, her stomach is going, 170 00:10:24,759 --> 00:10:26,399 boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, 171 00:10:26,399 --> 00:10:29,019 you know, like there's a rumble in her tummy, okay? 172 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,820 And she's like, what is going on here? 173 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,740 Some of you pregnant women, okay? 174 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,220 Let's see a show of hands of all the women 175 00:10:36,220 --> 00:10:38,419 who have been pregnant in the last five years. 176 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,600 I know you're all like, well, there's a lot of you, 177 00:10:42,340 --> 00:10:44,740 but have you ever felt the baby kick? 178 00:10:45,980 --> 00:10:49,059 Of course you have, or a punch or something, okay? 179 00:10:49,159 --> 00:10:51,419 And jump around, some of your kids that you know 180 00:10:51,419 --> 00:10:53,620 are musical before they even come out, 181 00:10:54,059 --> 00:10:55,460 you know, there's a bass playing, 182 00:10:55,659 --> 00:10:57,940 I, Vernon's up there going, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, 183 00:10:58,220 --> 00:10:59,860 all of a sudden your kids are, boom, boom, 184 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,700 and they're dancing, they're breakdancing in your womb, 185 00:11:02,820 --> 00:11:03,919 and you don't even realize it, 186 00:11:03,940 --> 00:11:05,860 they're doing head spins, no, I'm kidding. 187 00:11:06,419 --> 00:11:09,460 But you know, they're already musical, you know? 188 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,120 I remember, you know, I used to sing to Jake, 189 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,879 you know, in the womb, I would sing against Jill's belly, 190 00:11:16,139 --> 00:11:18,539 and you could just, you know, feel him moving around, 191 00:11:18,539 --> 00:11:20,279 and you know, and he's musical, you know? 192 00:11:20,279 --> 00:11:21,740 But whatever it is, you know, 193 00:11:21,740 --> 00:11:23,480 it's so important to realize 194 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,539 that there are little humans growing up in that womb, right? 195 00:11:27,179 --> 00:11:30,100 And so, there's a rumbling going on, 196 00:11:30,419 --> 00:11:32,980 and so finally Rebecca says, if I am well, 197 00:11:33,100 --> 00:11:34,759 let's put this first verse up there, 198 00:11:35,259 --> 00:11:40,379 cross-referencing, Genesis 25, 22 to 23, 199 00:11:41,039 --> 00:11:44,440 but the children struggled together within her, 200 00:11:44,519 --> 00:11:46,679 they're already rumbling, and she said, 201 00:11:46,899 --> 00:11:48,980 if all is well, why am I like this? 202 00:11:48,980 --> 00:11:51,159 So she went to inquire the Lord, 203 00:11:51,860 --> 00:11:53,720 two nations are in your womb, 204 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,179 two peoples shall be separated from your body, 205 00:11:57,639 --> 00:12:00,059 one people shall be stronger than the other, 206 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,299 and the older shall serve the younger, okay? 207 00:12:04,759 --> 00:12:08,399 So, Rebecca is already being told by God 208 00:12:08,399 --> 00:12:11,779 that the second one that comes out of that womb 209 00:12:12,300 --> 00:12:16,840 is actually going to be greater than the first, okay? 210 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,940 And so, they're both born, and you know the story 211 00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:24,019 how Jacob is holding on to the heel of Esau 212 00:12:24,019 --> 00:12:25,519 as he's being pulled out, 213 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,279 that's why he was called the supplanter, 214 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:29,120 or heel grabber, okay? 215 00:12:29,659 --> 00:12:32,200 And he's grabbing on, holding on, you know, 216 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:35,259 hey, I'm supposed to be first, whatever the story is, 217 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:36,980 but so he's heel grabbing, 218 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,320 and thus his name is Jacob, the supplanter, right? 219 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:42,659 And so, they start growing up, 220 00:12:42,659 --> 00:12:48,000 and as they grow up, we read in Genesis 25, 27 to 28, 221 00:12:48,659 --> 00:12:52,019 so the boys grew it, Esau was a skillful hunter, 222 00:12:52,700 --> 00:12:56,559 a man of the field, but Jacob was a child, a mild, 223 00:12:57,340 --> 00:13:00,559 and the word mild does not mean wimpy. 224 00:13:00,759 --> 00:13:03,419 I know I hear a lot of times in messages 225 00:13:03,419 --> 00:13:04,899 that, oh, Jacob was a fairy, 226 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:06,919 he's hanging out with his mom in the tents, 227 00:13:07,159 --> 00:13:08,879 and you know, maybe they don't go that far, 228 00:13:09,179 --> 00:13:11,759 but it's this picture of this wimpy guy, you know? 229 00:13:11,759 --> 00:13:14,299 Jacob was not wimpy, he was just more reserved, 230 00:13:14,980 --> 00:13:17,600 more, I guess, calculated with his words, 231 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:21,139 and his actions, and more discerning, perhaps, 232 00:13:21,620 --> 00:13:23,059 you know, he was just more subdued, 233 00:13:23,659 --> 00:13:27,379 and this word time actually means plain, 234 00:13:27,580 --> 00:13:30,620 complete, morally innocent, having integrity, 235 00:13:30,899 --> 00:13:33,639 perfect, quiet, ethical, wholesome, you get the idea. 236 00:13:33,980 --> 00:13:35,740 So, it wasn't wimpy, okay? 237 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,200 So, Jacob hung out with his mom, okay? 238 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:44,179 And he was a mild man, dwelling in tents, 239 00:13:44,919 --> 00:13:49,080 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, 240 00:13:49,940 --> 00:13:52,159 but Rebecca loved Jacob. 241 00:13:52,759 --> 00:13:55,919 Now, preferential treatment of your children 242 00:13:55,919 --> 00:13:57,759 is really a kiss of death, isn't it? 243 00:13:57,820 --> 00:14:01,360 I mean, it's like, it's a recipe for disaster in your home, 244 00:14:01,460 --> 00:14:04,120 okay, but we see in this biblical family 245 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:05,960 that's kind of what was happening, right? 246 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,820 Because Esau was out there with his bow, 247 00:14:08,820 --> 00:14:11,259 and he was like, killing animals, 248 00:14:11,639 --> 00:14:13,840 and he'd bring me, oh, dad, look what I got this time. 249 00:14:14,039 --> 00:14:15,419 It reminds me of Jake, actually my son, 250 00:14:15,539 --> 00:14:17,580 Jake always texts me of his turkeys, 251 00:14:17,779 --> 00:14:19,620 his deer, his this, and that, and the other thing. 252 00:14:20,059 --> 00:14:22,399 But if you know Jake, he's actually a lot like Jacob, 253 00:14:22,519 --> 00:14:23,620 his name's Jake, right? 254 00:14:24,179 --> 00:14:26,240 He actually is a mild guy, but you know, 255 00:14:27,299 --> 00:14:30,360 like, you see that Esau's bringing home these beasts 256 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,059 in the field, and you can just tell Esau, 257 00:14:32,580 --> 00:14:34,879 that's my son, look what he got. 258 00:14:35,519 --> 00:14:38,519 Esau was a rough and tumbly kind of guy. 259 00:14:38,799 --> 00:14:40,799 He was a man's man, you know what I mean? 260 00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:42,559 He probably didn't think too much, 261 00:14:42,659 --> 00:14:46,379 just did what he did, okay, out of instinct, okay? 262 00:14:46,940 --> 00:14:50,679 But Jacob was discerning, and Rebecca knew 263 00:14:50,679 --> 00:14:52,559 he's actually greater than Esau. 264 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,759 But Isaac didn't realize that yet, right? 265 00:14:57,139 --> 00:14:59,059 And he preferred Esau. 266 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:02,480 And so, as time went on, 267 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:06,960 I wanna make sure time went on, 268 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:10,080 Esau was getting older, 269 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,120 and you would think that he appreciated 270 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,340 the fact he was first born, but he didn't even care about it. 271 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:22,080 And you know the story, one day that Esau came in 272 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,539 from a hunt, he was hungry, he was starving, right? 273 00:15:27,940 --> 00:15:30,759 And Jacob was there, and he said, 274 00:15:30,759 --> 00:15:32,600 give me some of that lentil stew. 275 00:15:32,779 --> 00:15:34,700 Well, I'll give it to you if you give me your birthright. 276 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:36,720 Oh, what do I care about my birthright? 277 00:15:36,779 --> 00:15:38,500 I'm starving, just give it to me, right? 278 00:15:38,879 --> 00:15:42,340 And we see this in Genesis 25, 33 to 34. 279 00:15:43,559 --> 00:15:46,779 Swear to me as of this day, so he swore to him 280 00:15:46,779 --> 00:15:49,059 and sold his birthright to Jacob. 281 00:15:49,580 --> 00:15:52,200 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils, 282 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,720 and then he ate and drank, arose and went his way. 283 00:15:56,139 --> 00:15:59,419 Thus, Esau despised his birthright. 284 00:15:59,940 --> 00:16:02,600 Like he could care less about his birthright. 285 00:16:03,039 --> 00:16:05,700 Now, I've met kids that really have a disdain 286 00:16:05,700 --> 00:16:07,960 for their parents, how that developed 287 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,179 and what happened there, I can't answer, 288 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,840 but when you have this kind of rebellious child 289 00:16:14,460 --> 00:16:18,340 who really dislikes their parents, you get the sense 290 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:20,980 that this is exactly what was going on. 291 00:16:21,220 --> 00:16:25,019 Esau was hated by God in a sense, 292 00:16:25,179 --> 00:16:28,919 and Jacob was loved by God, it reads in the New Testament, 293 00:16:28,919 --> 00:16:31,759 for a reason, because God foreknew them, okay? 294 00:16:32,220 --> 00:16:35,000 So Esau was not only rough and tumbly, 295 00:16:35,340 --> 00:16:37,500 but he really didn't care a whole lot 296 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:39,039 about his parents' opinions, 297 00:16:39,899 --> 00:16:42,100 because he knew that they were not supposed 298 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:44,679 to marry anyone in the land of Canaan. 299 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,700 But guess what, that's exactly what he did. 300 00:16:47,779 --> 00:16:52,960 We read that in Genesis 25, 34 and 35. 301 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:57,259 When he was 40 years old, he took as wives Judith, 302 00:16:57,259 --> 00:16:59,279 the daughter of Barry, the Hittite, 303 00:16:59,659 --> 00:17:03,200 and base math, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, 304 00:17:03,419 --> 00:17:07,980 and they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebecca. 305 00:17:08,799 --> 00:17:11,599 So, you know, Rebecca, Isaac is saying, 306 00:17:11,740 --> 00:17:12,579 what did he do? 307 00:17:13,079 --> 00:17:14,920 Why would he marry these people? 308 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,019 Like, you know, like these are not of our people, 309 00:17:19,859 --> 00:17:23,660 and they have foreign Gods, foreign culture, 310 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,599 foreign, you know, and they're paganistic, right? 311 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:32,000 They don't follow Yahweh, and so they were really burdened. 312 00:17:32,259 --> 00:17:34,339 But you know, Esau still, I mean, 313 00:17:34,500 --> 00:17:40,319 Isaac still preferred Esau, because he loved the hunt. 314 00:17:40,859 --> 00:17:45,039 He loved the bravado of Esau, okay? 315 00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:48,640 And so as time went on, and we don't have the verse here, 316 00:17:48,779 --> 00:17:52,579 but Isaac was very old, couldn't see, 317 00:17:53,019 --> 00:17:55,319 and he said to Esau, all right, go out, 318 00:17:55,319 --> 00:17:57,700 hunt me something good, come back, 319 00:17:57,819 --> 00:18:01,500 and I'm gonna give you your first birthright blessing, 320 00:18:02,059 --> 00:18:04,740 so that, you know, when I seal you with this blessing, 321 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,220 God is gonna honor it and just bless you, okay? 322 00:18:08,559 --> 00:18:10,880 I'm gonna eulogia all over you here, 323 00:18:10,900 --> 00:18:12,039 and you're gonna just be filled 324 00:18:12,039 --> 00:18:14,359 with God's, you know, goodness, right? 325 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,460 And so he leaves, and as he's hunting, 326 00:18:17,980 --> 00:18:20,440 Rebecca heard that, and she's like, wait a minute, 327 00:18:21,019 --> 00:18:23,099 my husband's a dunce, okay? 328 00:18:23,259 --> 00:18:24,420 She didn't say that in the Bible, 329 00:18:24,420 --> 00:18:26,420 but she's thinking, what is he doing? 330 00:18:27,059 --> 00:18:32,220 I told him that actually Jacob is the better of the two. 331 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,559 Why is he choosing the one who has already displayed 332 00:18:35,559 --> 00:18:37,200 that he's marrying these other women, 333 00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:40,220 he disdains his birthright, he could care less. 334 00:18:41,079 --> 00:18:45,119 Why is he still gonna bless him in this special way? 335 00:18:45,859 --> 00:18:48,380 And so as Esau's away hunting, 336 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,660 Rebecca comes up with this funny idea, 337 00:18:52,180 --> 00:18:55,180 put these skins on, I'm gonna make some food 338 00:18:55,180 --> 00:18:57,559 as if you just went out as Esau and killed it, 339 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,099 and you're gonna bring it to Isaac, 340 00:19:01,380 --> 00:19:03,660 and he's gonna bless you as if you were Esau. 341 00:19:04,079 --> 00:19:06,279 Now, I don't know, it worked, but it's still, 342 00:19:06,460 --> 00:19:08,900 I still can't put my brain around that one. 343 00:19:09,299 --> 00:19:10,799 So he did all those things, 344 00:19:11,099 --> 00:19:13,000 and, you know, Isaac was a little suspect. 345 00:19:13,299 --> 00:19:15,279 You never know, I'll bet you there's commentaries 346 00:19:15,279 --> 00:19:18,539 that questioned whether he did actually know who he was, 347 00:19:18,599 --> 00:19:19,539 but I'm not going there. 348 00:19:20,059 --> 00:19:22,880 So he comes, so as Esau's gone, 349 00:19:23,279 --> 00:19:26,519 Jacob comes back with the skins of the animals, 350 00:19:26,519 --> 00:19:28,940 feeling like Esau's hairy arms, 351 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,019 and he's like, here it is, you know, 352 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:32,480 how did you get back so fast? 353 00:19:32,619 --> 00:19:33,799 You just left, okay? 354 00:19:34,099 --> 00:19:36,960 Oh, God was good, he set me up with an easy kill. 355 00:19:37,380 --> 00:19:38,740 Okay, so he gives him the blessing, 356 00:19:38,859 --> 00:19:39,680 I'm not gonna get all that. 357 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,980 And then as he's leaving, Esau finally comes in, 358 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,319 I got it, pops, here's the killing. 359 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,599 He's like, wait a minute, what just happened? 360 00:19:48,599 --> 00:19:50,279 Like, who was that just? 361 00:19:50,819 --> 00:19:54,819 Your brother came, and he pretended to be you. 362 00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:57,720 And so Esau was like flipping out, like, 363 00:19:58,319 --> 00:20:00,500 that's why his name is heel grabber, 364 00:20:00,740 --> 00:20:02,619 and he's so deceiving, you know, 365 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:04,500 don't you have something for me, God? 366 00:20:04,700 --> 00:20:07,079 You know, it's always funny how you can't just muster up 367 00:20:07,079 --> 00:20:08,180 another blessing, right? 368 00:20:08,619 --> 00:20:10,140 But he's like, don't you have something, 369 00:20:10,259 --> 00:20:13,880 and he's weeping, and so Isaac blesses him, 370 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,900 but probably not the best way you would wanna be blessed. 371 00:20:16,900 --> 00:20:23,299 And we read this blessing in Genesis 27, 39, 40. 372 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:24,640 Nicole, you're doing a great job, 373 00:20:24,740 --> 00:20:26,400 I know there's a million slides up there. 374 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,619 But then Isaac his father answered and said to him, 375 00:20:29,740 --> 00:20:32,700 behold, this is his blessing to Esau. 376 00:20:33,099 --> 00:20:36,140 Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, 377 00:20:36,279 --> 00:20:38,880 that sounds pretty good, okay, he loves hunting anyway. 378 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,319 And the dew of heaven from above, 379 00:20:43,099 --> 00:20:46,440 your sword, by your sword you shall live. 380 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:47,819 That sounds tough. 381 00:20:48,740 --> 00:20:51,880 And you shall serve your brother, that's even worse, okay? 382 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,680 And it shall come to pass when you become restless 383 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,420 that you shall break his yoke from your neck. 384 00:20:59,900 --> 00:21:02,619 So he's saying Jacob's going to be better, 385 00:21:02,779 --> 00:21:04,920 and you're gonna have to fight and struggle 386 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,779 for everything you get, okay? 387 00:21:07,339 --> 00:21:10,900 And is that because, why is that? 388 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:16,380 Is that because Isaac didn't like Esau? 389 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:17,059 He loved them. 390 00:21:17,940 --> 00:21:22,259 But he was finally realizing, oh, this is of God, 391 00:21:23,260 --> 00:21:28,119 because the Lord knows these two better than I do, obviously. 392 00:21:29,099 --> 00:21:32,220 And he has these blessings set up for a reason 393 00:21:32,220 --> 00:21:33,720 because he knows them. 394 00:21:34,799 --> 00:21:37,319 And so as time goes on, Esau is already planning 395 00:21:37,319 --> 00:21:40,099 to kill his brother, look, my dad's old, 396 00:21:40,180 --> 00:21:41,779 he's about to die, as soon as he's done, 397 00:21:42,259 --> 00:21:44,640 Jacob, shh, he's done, right? 398 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,660 So Rebecca catches wind of this. 399 00:21:46,660 --> 00:21:49,819 She says to Jacob, look, you gotta get out of here, 400 00:21:49,900 --> 00:21:54,980 go to my homeland and marry women from women. 401 00:21:55,420 --> 00:21:57,960 A woman, it becomes women. 402 00:21:58,200 --> 00:21:59,579 You know the story, unfortunately. 403 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,220 But marry away from my homeland, not of the Canaanites, 404 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,759 which your brother Esau did, okay? 405 00:22:07,299 --> 00:22:10,839 And so we read this, we might have this one up there. 406 00:22:12,700 --> 00:22:16,940 Isaac then intentionally blesses his son Jacob. 407 00:22:17,420 --> 00:22:22,480 This proves that finally Isaac came to his senses. 408 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:23,619 Are you tracking me? 409 00:22:24,099 --> 00:22:26,200 I know I'm going through a lot of stuff here. 410 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,400 But Isaac finally realizes, oh no, 411 00:22:31,039 --> 00:22:33,680 Jacob is the favorite one, okay? 412 00:22:34,180 --> 00:22:37,299 And he says, then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him 413 00:22:37,299 --> 00:22:39,140 and charged him and said to him, 414 00:22:39,140 --> 00:22:42,880 you shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 415 00:22:43,460 --> 00:22:46,440 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful 416 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:50,460 and multiply you that you may be an assembly of peoples 417 00:22:50,460 --> 00:22:53,759 and give you the blessing of Abraham 418 00:22:54,420 --> 00:22:56,619 to you and your descendants with you 419 00:22:56,619 --> 00:23:00,059 that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger 420 00:23:00,059 --> 00:23:02,380 which God gave to Abraham. 421 00:23:02,660 --> 00:23:05,539 So he sends him off as a blessing. 422 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,059 And do you know what happens? 423 00:23:09,180 --> 00:23:11,019 Esau, we're not gonna put that slide out 424 00:23:11,019 --> 00:23:12,279 because we're gonna run out of time, 425 00:23:12,380 --> 00:23:16,980 but Esau hears, oh, my parents blessed Jacob 426 00:23:16,980 --> 00:23:17,819 and sent him away and said, 427 00:23:17,859 --> 00:23:20,759 don't marry a woman from this land. 428 00:23:22,759 --> 00:23:23,960 And I already married two. 429 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,140 You know what, I'm gonna find another one. 430 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,799 And not just any other one. 431 00:23:29,319 --> 00:23:32,220 I'm going to go to the house of Ishmael. 432 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:34,359 Now imagine being Isaac. 433 00:23:34,740 --> 00:23:35,720 Who's your arch enemy? 434 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:38,359 Ishmael, okay? 435 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:43,720 And your son goes to Ishmael 436 00:23:44,740 --> 00:23:46,599 and marries his daughter. 437 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,539 Wow, that's spiteful, isn't it? 438 00:23:50,779 --> 00:23:52,420 Oh, my parents don't like this? 439 00:23:53,279 --> 00:23:55,579 Excellent, that's exactly what I'm gonna do. 440 00:23:55,619 --> 00:23:57,000 Have you ever met kids that do that? 441 00:23:57,299 --> 00:23:57,660 I have. 442 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,240 Adults that are still doing it. 443 00:24:00,299 --> 00:24:02,059 They think they're still doing it to their parents. 444 00:24:02,619 --> 00:24:03,680 They're doing it to themselves. 445 00:24:04,559 --> 00:24:05,319 That's what they're doing. 446 00:24:05,599 --> 00:24:06,859 They're wrecking their own life. 447 00:24:06,859 --> 00:24:09,059 They think they're wrecking their parents' lives. 448 00:24:09,599 --> 00:24:10,779 They're wrecking their lives. 449 00:24:10,779 --> 00:24:14,059 So he goes and marries another woman, okay? 450 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:15,480 Who's an Ishmaelite. 451 00:24:15,859 --> 00:24:20,580 So again, so it demonstrates the heart of Esau. 452 00:24:22,220 --> 00:24:23,440 So let's move on to the next verse. 453 00:24:23,559 --> 00:24:25,180 The other two are gonna go a bit faster. 454 00:24:25,420 --> 00:24:29,559 So verse 21, by faith, Jacob, when he was dying, 455 00:24:30,059 --> 00:24:32,000 blessed each of the sons of Joseph 456 00:24:32,559 --> 00:24:36,400 and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 457 00:24:37,380 --> 00:24:40,240 Okay, so as time went on, you know the story 458 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:44,059 that Jacob comes back from Mesopotamia 459 00:24:44,059 --> 00:24:48,420 with 11 and 12 sons and a daughter. 460 00:24:49,079 --> 00:24:50,839 And when he comes back, okay, 461 00:24:51,259 --> 00:24:54,700 he starts living in different parts of the Promised Land. 462 00:24:55,079 --> 00:24:59,359 And then his sons hate Joseph because he's favored. 463 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:03,720 His father's showing him preferential treatment. 464 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:06,299 And so they end up selling him into slavery. 465 00:25:06,619 --> 00:25:08,940 Joseph goes from slavery to prison 466 00:25:08,940 --> 00:25:11,480 to the second in command of Egypt. 467 00:25:12,140 --> 00:25:15,319 Second, pardon me, to Pharaoh, okay? 468 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,380 And so now he's in control of all the land of Egypt. 469 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:21,740 So he's really blessed. 470 00:25:22,539 --> 00:25:27,019 And then he's given a wife, okay, from Pharaoh to marry. 471 00:25:27,660 --> 00:25:29,200 And he has two sons. 472 00:25:30,319 --> 00:25:33,460 One, his name was Ephraim. 473 00:25:33,599 --> 00:25:36,619 The first one was Manasseh, and the other was Ephraim. 474 00:25:36,980 --> 00:25:38,599 And I think we have that verse up there, 475 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,920 if you can show it, Genesis 28. 476 00:25:43,299 --> 00:25:46,460 No, no, I'm sorry, Genesis 41, 50 to 52. 477 00:25:48,859 --> 00:25:51,420 And he says, and to Joseph were born two sons 478 00:25:51,420 --> 00:25:53,200 before the years of famine came, 479 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,359 from Asenaph, the daughter of Potipharic, 480 00:25:58,460 --> 00:26:02,619 priest of on, brought to him, to Joseph, 481 00:26:02,799 --> 00:26:05,579 called the name of the first born Manasseh, 482 00:26:05,779 --> 00:26:07,880 for God has caused me to forget 483 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,680 all of the toil of my father's house. 484 00:26:11,259 --> 00:26:14,180 And the name of the second, he called Ephraim, 485 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,200 for God has caused me to be fruitful 486 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,220 in the land of my affliction. 487 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:21,359 So here he names two. 488 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,700 Now, there is a significance of these names. 489 00:26:24,420 --> 00:26:27,180 Manasseh means to forget, okay. 490 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:29,720 He's like, you know, I'm actually, 491 00:26:29,900 --> 00:26:31,720 I'm thriving in this new land. 492 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,519 I don't wanna remember anything of my past. 493 00:26:35,380 --> 00:26:37,339 I don't wanna remember the pain 494 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,940 of my own brothers wanting to kill me. 495 00:26:41,559 --> 00:26:43,500 If it wasn't for my one brother rescuing me, 496 00:26:43,779 --> 00:26:45,200 I wouldn't even be here anymore. 497 00:26:46,059 --> 00:26:50,740 And then I got sold as a slave by my own family. 498 00:26:51,559 --> 00:26:59,180 And then I got accused of trying to rape Potiphar's wife, 499 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,220 wrongly, I get thrown in prison, 500 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,700 and then I'm in there far longer than I should have been. 501 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,539 I wanna forget all that stuff. 502 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,380 And as his son comes out, he says, 503 00:27:13,299 --> 00:27:14,920 Manasseh, I wanna forget. 504 00:27:15,019 --> 00:27:17,480 That's what his name means, forgetful, to forget. 505 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:20,420 And then the second one was better. 506 00:27:20,420 --> 00:27:25,839 It means a double blessing, doubly fruitful, okay. 507 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:27,319 Because finally he realized, 508 00:27:27,420 --> 00:27:29,059 you know what, this land is pretty good. 509 00:27:29,599 --> 00:27:31,720 Like if all that hadn't happened, 510 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,539 I wouldn't be here right now. 511 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,079 He finally realized this was by God I'm in this place. 512 00:27:37,779 --> 00:27:39,180 Okay, he told his brothers later, 513 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:41,299 you designed all this for evil, 514 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:43,759 but God caused it for good. 515 00:27:44,319 --> 00:27:47,839 He always intended me to be here in Egypt, 516 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:52,059 living at large, saving lives 517 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,779 and being blessed all over the place. 518 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:58,099 If you hadn't sold me into slavery, I never would be here. 519 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,900 Isn't it amazing how God uses really bad things 520 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:05,799 in our lives to do really great things, isn't it? 521 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,640 God causes all things to work for the good 522 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:09,859 of those who love him 523 00:28:09,859 --> 00:28:12,559 and who are called according to his purpose. 524 00:28:13,279 --> 00:28:17,299 He uses bad stuff to do great things. 525 00:28:17,299 --> 00:28:18,839 Why try to forget it? 526 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,380 He names the first one Manasseh 527 00:28:22,380 --> 00:28:25,500 because he said, I wanna forget all that stuff. 528 00:28:26,380 --> 00:28:27,920 But then when he has Ephraim, he says, 529 00:28:28,019 --> 00:28:30,119 actually, I wanna remember all this stuff 530 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,960 because without all that, I would not be here. 531 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:34,519 I don't know about you, 532 00:28:34,519 --> 00:28:37,299 but I remember a lot of bad things that happened in my life. 533 00:28:37,839 --> 00:28:39,700 And now I'm connecting the dots. 534 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,079 And I'm saying, because that happened, this happened, 535 00:28:44,500 --> 00:28:46,700 then this happened, then that happened. 536 00:28:47,220 --> 00:28:48,720 And here I am right now. 537 00:28:49,539 --> 00:28:50,019 Amen. 538 00:28:51,700 --> 00:28:53,180 What else is gonna happen next? 539 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,319 If something bad happens, 540 00:28:55,559 --> 00:28:57,599 I'm just gonna follow the next dot, right? 541 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,980 Because it's gonna go somewhere good, right? 542 00:29:01,220 --> 00:29:03,259 No matter what happens on this side of heaven, 543 00:29:03,599 --> 00:29:05,099 it's all for his glory. 544 00:29:05,539 --> 00:29:08,660 If we're seeing it that way, if we're living it that way, 545 00:29:08,859 --> 00:29:12,119 it's all for his glory, amen? 546 00:29:12,940 --> 00:29:15,039 And so he names his two sons, okay? 547 00:29:15,039 --> 00:29:19,700 And then finally, his father Jacob arrives into the land. 548 00:29:20,079 --> 00:29:21,119 He's getting old. 549 00:29:21,220 --> 00:29:23,079 He can't see either. 550 00:29:23,359 --> 00:29:25,279 There's a pattern in the Bible, right? 551 00:29:25,759 --> 00:29:28,079 And so he goes up and he goes, come here, Joseph, 552 00:29:28,319 --> 00:29:32,180 I wanna bless your two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 553 00:29:32,819 --> 00:29:34,980 And as he brings them up, he goes, bring them here. 554 00:29:35,279 --> 00:29:40,420 And so Joseph's lining up Manasseh to his right hand 555 00:29:40,940 --> 00:29:43,500 because it's usually seen as the right hand 556 00:29:43,500 --> 00:29:46,039 is really the greatest of blessing. 557 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,619 And usually from the man's mindset, 558 00:29:51,140 --> 00:29:54,660 the firstborn should get the greatest blessing, okay? 559 00:29:55,039 --> 00:29:57,940 It never seems to work out that way in the Bible, okay? 560 00:29:58,400 --> 00:29:59,680 Because God calls his, 561 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:03,099 he decides who's really the firstborn, okay? 562 00:30:03,539 --> 00:30:04,720 Man doesn't, right? 563 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:09,460 So he lines up Manasseh to have the right hand 564 00:30:09,460 --> 00:30:11,859 of blessing by his father, Joseph, 565 00:30:11,859 --> 00:30:15,519 and he lines up Ephraim to his left hand 566 00:30:15,519 --> 00:30:18,700 of Jacob for that blessing, okay? 567 00:30:19,119 --> 00:30:20,940 And so all's good. 568 00:30:21,039 --> 00:30:21,920 He's all lined up. 569 00:30:22,019 --> 00:30:23,440 All right, dad, come on and do it. 570 00:30:23,619 --> 00:30:24,480 Dad can't see nothing. 571 00:30:24,619 --> 00:30:25,460 He goes like this. 572 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,039 And he puts his right hand on Ephraim's head 573 00:30:30,780 --> 00:30:33,759 and his left hand on Manasseh's head. 574 00:30:34,579 --> 00:30:37,319 And he starts blessing them, okay? 575 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,000 And he's like, and you imagine Joseph, he's already, 576 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,579 we already know he's like a really OCD 577 00:30:44,539 --> 00:30:45,779 administrative kind of guy. 578 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,559 I mean, he notices everything. 579 00:30:47,660 --> 00:30:49,000 That's what kind of guy he is, right? 580 00:30:49,259 --> 00:30:51,839 He's like, when do I interrupt him 581 00:30:51,839 --> 00:30:53,599 and tell him he's blind, right? 582 00:30:53,819 --> 00:30:56,759 I gotta stop this debauchery, right? 583 00:30:57,220 --> 00:30:59,079 And so as he's blessing him, you don't know, 584 00:30:59,180 --> 00:31:01,099 five, five, five, five, dad, no offense, 585 00:31:01,319 --> 00:31:03,500 but your arms are crossed, right? 586 00:31:03,839 --> 00:31:05,259 You're blessing the wrong people. 587 00:31:05,799 --> 00:31:08,839 He goes, I know, I know what I'm doing. 588 00:31:10,059 --> 00:31:14,039 Actually, Ephraim is gonna be greater than Manasseh. 589 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:15,079 Here we go again. 590 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,119 It's not the first born, it's Ephraim. 591 00:31:19,039 --> 00:31:21,680 And so he goes on to bless him even further. 592 00:31:21,859 --> 00:31:22,660 We're not gonna show the blessing, 593 00:31:22,779 --> 00:31:25,480 but he goes on and blesses them, 594 00:31:26,119 --> 00:31:29,980 but he puts Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 595 00:31:30,319 --> 00:31:33,099 So, you know, there's theologians and commentaries 596 00:31:33,099 --> 00:31:36,259 that can go all kinds of places with why did he do that? 597 00:31:36,779 --> 00:31:38,759 How did he know, okay? 598 00:31:39,180 --> 00:31:42,880 Well, we see the lineage of these two 599 00:31:43,660 --> 00:31:47,539 when they became tribes and that played out, okay? 600 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,119 Because actually when they were going in 601 00:31:50,119 --> 00:31:54,180 to the Promised Land, and I have a picture of that map, 602 00:31:55,119 --> 00:31:59,539 okay, and if you see here, they came around here, 603 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:02,480 and as they approached the Promised Land, 604 00:32:03,460 --> 00:32:07,059 two and a half tribes stayed behind. 605 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:08,920 We like it over here. 606 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,440 We don't wanna live in the Promised Land. 607 00:32:11,619 --> 00:32:14,420 Now Manasseh was a big, big tribe, 608 00:32:15,519 --> 00:32:17,740 but half of them stayed over here. 609 00:32:18,759 --> 00:32:21,759 And most theologians agree 610 00:32:22,460 --> 00:32:25,539 that was a reflection of them as a tribe. 611 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,779 We don't wanna go all in for whatever reason. 612 00:32:29,079 --> 00:32:30,720 We're comfortable here. 613 00:32:31,339 --> 00:32:35,240 They said to Joshua, no, we're good here. 614 00:32:35,359 --> 00:32:36,539 This land's good too. 615 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,220 I mentioned a couple weeks ago, why be half settled? 616 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:42,619 Why not go all in? 617 00:32:42,700 --> 00:32:45,640 If God is calling you all into his goodness, 618 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,579 why would you stay half in and half out? 619 00:32:49,460 --> 00:32:52,500 In fact, James talks about living a double-minded life, 620 00:32:52,779 --> 00:32:56,519 right, and meaning like, I'm in, but I'm not in. 621 00:32:56,779 --> 00:32:58,500 I'm out, where am I? 622 00:32:58,500 --> 00:33:01,920 And not going all in to the Promised Land. 623 00:33:02,660 --> 00:33:05,299 And we see this, that this was Manasseh. 624 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,180 He did not go all in to the Promised Land. 625 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:10,859 And this could be a reflection, 626 00:33:11,259 --> 00:33:13,859 but also we see that Ephraim, even though it's little, 627 00:33:15,079 --> 00:33:19,140 it became the leading tribe of the Northern Kingdom. 628 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,339 In fact, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel 629 00:33:23,859 --> 00:33:26,119 was Jeroboam, who was an Ephraimite. 630 00:33:26,119 --> 00:33:28,500 So we see this playing out. 631 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:30,180 So all right, one last one, you're with me. 632 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:31,680 I know it's a lot of stuff, 633 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:33,339 but it's good to know these things. 634 00:33:33,519 --> 00:33:34,839 All right, so verse 22. 635 00:33:35,519 --> 00:33:37,900 And by faith, Joseph, when he was dying, 636 00:33:38,339 --> 00:33:41,859 made mention of the departure of the children of Israel 637 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,440 and gave instructions concerning his bones. 638 00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:47,740 Now that's just a weird verse, isn't it? 639 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:51,380 But it's because Jacob said to him 640 00:33:51,380 --> 00:33:54,240 when he was blessing Manasseh and Ephraim. 641 00:33:54,759 --> 00:33:58,039 And by the way, you're not gonna stay here in Egypt. 642 00:33:58,559 --> 00:34:02,680 Your bones are gonna be carried back to the Promised Land. 643 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,599 Now, if you're like me, when you die, 644 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:06,960 do you care where your bones are? 645 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,000 Like, it doesn't matter. 646 00:34:09,179 --> 00:34:10,119 That's not where your body is. 647 00:34:10,460 --> 00:34:12,480 But first of all, in that culture, 648 00:34:13,219 --> 00:34:15,539 the burial site meant a lot, okay? 649 00:34:16,139 --> 00:34:18,639 And in a sense, well, we won't go there, 650 00:34:18,980 --> 00:34:22,079 but it meant a lot, okay, where the cemetery was. 651 00:34:22,079 --> 00:34:25,460 In fact, it was special graves that were purchased 652 00:34:25,460 --> 00:34:28,599 where all the loved ones were buried and still are today. 653 00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:33,340 But it meant something because it meant that Israel, 654 00:34:33,340 --> 00:34:38,440 it will someday leave Egypt and return to the Promised Land. 655 00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:41,760 I'll bet you Joseph never had any idea 656 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,320 while he was about to die. 657 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:44,500 He was probably saying, oh yeah, yeah. 658 00:34:45,260 --> 00:34:48,860 And daddy told me, bring my bones back home. 659 00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:52,599 He's probably thinking, like 10 years from now 660 00:34:52,599 --> 00:34:56,300 or five years after we get tired of this land, 661 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:58,539 don't forget my bones. 662 00:35:00,260 --> 00:35:04,420 400 plus years later, they remembered his bones. 663 00:35:04,659 --> 00:35:07,820 They stayed too long and became slaves, 664 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:08,820 if you know this story. 665 00:35:09,460 --> 00:35:12,500 And so, looking at all these blessings, okay, 666 00:35:12,599 --> 00:35:13,960 you're saying, so what does all this mean? 667 00:35:14,119 --> 00:35:15,980 Because I'm trying to, as I'm going through this, 668 00:35:15,980 --> 00:35:20,039 I am gonna confuse them with too many stories. 669 00:35:20,739 --> 00:35:22,820 So let's summarize it, shall we? 670 00:35:23,019 --> 00:35:26,400 We got a few minutes to summarize these three blessings. 671 00:35:28,539 --> 00:35:30,519 So first of all, let's put these up. 672 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:36,300 First of all, how can we be blessed by faith? 673 00:35:37,539 --> 00:35:40,320 Well, what did we learn from the first blessing? 674 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:43,320 It's about the birthright. 675 00:35:44,339 --> 00:35:47,880 Esau could care less about his birthright. 676 00:35:48,699 --> 00:35:53,059 Esau did not care to honor his parents 677 00:35:53,059 --> 00:35:55,940 as being the first in line of his family 678 00:35:55,940 --> 00:36:00,059 and married whoever he want, did whatever he want. 679 00:36:00,559 --> 00:36:01,579 He could care less. 680 00:36:02,579 --> 00:36:06,880 But Jacob cared and he carried with him that blessing. 681 00:36:07,579 --> 00:36:08,880 So the first thing we can remember 682 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:11,960 is cherish our birthright. 683 00:36:12,559 --> 00:36:17,179 You know, we are, of course, adopted into a family 684 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:21,800 and the firstborn is Jesus Christ, okay, of the new creation. 685 00:36:22,619 --> 00:36:26,400 And we are with him in his first birthright. 686 00:36:27,019 --> 00:36:29,860 So we have the birthright of Jesus Christ. 687 00:36:30,559 --> 00:36:33,980 It's so important for us to remember we are blessed 688 00:36:34,599 --> 00:36:37,219 because we have the birthright of Jesus Christ. 689 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:41,380 And I think it's important because as we live this life, 690 00:36:42,019 --> 00:36:45,559 it's important to remember it matters the things we do 691 00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:50,260 because we're a reflection of Abba Father in heaven, right? 692 00:36:50,639 --> 00:36:52,920 It matters, it matters. 693 00:36:53,559 --> 00:36:55,820 I am a reflection of my father. 694 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:57,840 I'm an apple, whatever the word is, 695 00:36:58,700 --> 00:37:00,639 apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 696 00:37:01,159 --> 00:37:03,539 I'm the apple of his eye, okay? 697 00:37:04,039 --> 00:37:05,300 I'm one of his children. 698 00:37:05,860 --> 00:37:10,380 I belong to the first birthright of Jesus Christ, okay? 699 00:37:10,380 --> 00:37:14,019 That's remembering that, that's a picture of Esau and Jacob. 700 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:17,760 Jacob knew it, Esau never knew it. 701 00:37:18,019 --> 00:37:20,400 And we don't have time to get into his lineage 702 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:21,800 of Edom and so forth. 703 00:37:22,219 --> 00:37:23,179 So that's the first thing. 704 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:30,360 The second thing is the blessing of Manasseh and Ephraim 705 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:33,079 or vice versa, because Ephraim got the first blessing. 706 00:37:33,639 --> 00:37:34,800 What does that teach us? 707 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:38,639 Well, one thing is fruitfulness is greater 708 00:37:38,639 --> 00:37:39,840 than forgetfulness. 709 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:41,039 And what do I mean by that? 710 00:37:41,860 --> 00:37:45,579 So Manasseh's name was to forget. 711 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:52,179 I wanna forget everything about my past life in Canaan. 712 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,739 All the things my brothers did to me. 713 00:37:56,500 --> 00:38:00,860 And even the way my father showed too much affection 714 00:38:00,860 --> 00:38:03,719 towards me and not the other ones and they were jealous. 715 00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:05,239 I mean, whose fault's that? 716 00:38:05,659 --> 00:38:06,800 It's not Joseph's, right? 717 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:10,920 It's not his fault, he's got the multicolored tunic 718 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:12,940 and his brothers didn't, you know? 719 00:38:13,219 --> 00:38:15,039 I mean, what is all that about, you know? 720 00:38:15,099 --> 00:38:17,760 Here, you're so favored to me, I'm gonna dress you 721 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:19,380 in something that nobody else has. 722 00:38:19,820 --> 00:38:22,519 That's an easy way to get your siblings to beat you up. 723 00:38:23,019 --> 00:38:24,599 Okay, you know, right? 724 00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:27,980 So are you ever gonna forget your past? 725 00:38:28,500 --> 00:38:29,059 Let's be honest. 726 00:38:29,659 --> 00:38:31,760 No, you don't forget it. 727 00:38:32,599 --> 00:38:37,219 You can't forget pain, but you can use pain. 728 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,559 Because when Joseph finally realized, wait a minute, 729 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,679 if that hadn't happened, this wouldn't have happened. 730 00:38:46,980 --> 00:38:49,460 Ephraim, my son, I am doubly blessed. 731 00:38:49,679 --> 00:38:52,699 Yo, being fruitful in the midst of your pain. 732 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:59,619 You know, why be ensnared by the past pain? 733 00:38:59,619 --> 00:39:01,639 We can be propelled by it, right? 734 00:39:02,099 --> 00:39:07,820 I'd rather be propelled by pain than paralyzed by it, right? 735 00:39:08,199 --> 00:39:12,340 And we really can, we can use pain to drive us forward. 736 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:13,219 Can't we? 737 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:14,940 Can you relate to that? 738 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:19,159 Fruitfulness is greater than forgetfulness. 739 00:39:19,380 --> 00:39:23,320 And one other thing is we gotta go all in. 740 00:39:24,019 --> 00:39:26,519 Because Manasseh stayed back, you know? 741 00:39:26,739 --> 00:39:29,300 He was double-minded, he stayed on one side, 742 00:39:29,300 --> 00:39:30,440 but he also went in. 743 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:34,460 You know, if we're gonna be fully blessed by faith, 744 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,519 we need to go all in, whatever that looks like for you. 745 00:39:39,039 --> 00:39:43,420 You know, whatever God's calling you into, go all in. 746 00:39:44,059 --> 00:39:46,199 Don't hold back and waste your time. 747 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:48,099 Think about how much time we waste 748 00:39:48,099 --> 00:39:53,960 watching Netflix series and YouTube shorts. 749 00:39:54,639 --> 00:39:57,000 And I do it sometimes, so I'm confessing. 750 00:39:57,059 --> 00:39:58,639 Don't tell anyone, but I'm confessing 751 00:39:58,639 --> 00:40:01,440 for a great cloud of witnesses right now, right? 752 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,000 But I realize no more. 753 00:40:03,139 --> 00:40:05,000 I see them pop up, oh God, now you're not getting me 754 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,280 this time, not this time. 755 00:40:06,420 --> 00:40:08,900 I have important things to do, right? 756 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,679 But really, why not just go all in 757 00:40:11,679 --> 00:40:13,980 to what God's calling us into 758 00:40:13,980 --> 00:40:17,500 and not waste our time with nonsense? 759 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:21,619 And then finally, Joseph realized, you know, 760 00:40:21,699 --> 00:40:25,420 as great as I am in Egypt here, this isn't my homeland. 761 00:40:26,460 --> 00:40:28,619 My country is in Canaan. 762 00:40:29,159 --> 00:40:32,019 We all need to realize whether you're on a high in life 763 00:40:32,019 --> 00:40:34,099 and you're like, oh God, you know, this is awesome. 764 00:40:34,340 --> 00:40:36,679 I want Jesus to come back, but not quite yet 765 00:40:36,679 --> 00:40:39,579 because I gotta finish this good time I'm having. 766 00:40:39,739 --> 00:40:41,599 You know, have we all fought that once in a while? 767 00:40:41,860 --> 00:40:43,119 Anyone, can I get any witnesses? 768 00:40:43,559 --> 00:40:45,000 No, all right, I'm the only one. 769 00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:46,780 But sometimes I'm thinking, you know, hey, 770 00:40:47,059 --> 00:40:48,579 well, the Lord's coming back, 771 00:40:48,639 --> 00:40:52,239 but I wanna see where this particular situation ends, okay? 772 00:40:52,599 --> 00:40:54,760 I'm excited about, you know, you know, 773 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,079 and I have more work to do. 774 00:40:57,300 --> 00:40:58,260 Lord, don't come back yet. 775 00:40:58,420 --> 00:40:59,840 I mean, I don't really say this, you know, 776 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:03,400 because I know anything we, is revealed to us 777 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:05,300 when he comes back will blow away anything 778 00:41:05,300 --> 00:41:07,239 that we think we're holding on to down here. 779 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:08,320 I realize that. 780 00:41:08,739 --> 00:41:10,199 But at the same time, 781 00:41:10,300 --> 00:41:13,199 Joseph had a plush, luxurious life in Egypt, 782 00:41:13,639 --> 00:41:14,920 but he was like, you know what? 783 00:41:15,219 --> 00:41:17,440 But I know, I don't belong here. 784 00:41:17,539 --> 00:41:18,579 This is not my home. 785 00:41:18,820 --> 00:41:20,400 The word says that all of them knew 786 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,619 that there was gonna be a heavenly country someday. 787 00:41:23,179 --> 00:41:25,119 And it wasn't about Canaan either, 788 00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:27,500 but it was about a future. 789 00:41:28,940 --> 00:41:31,760 So we have to remember that it's not about here. 790 00:41:33,099 --> 00:41:34,619 Lord, we wanna be fruitful 791 00:41:34,619 --> 00:41:37,000 because of the pain that we've endured. 792 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,000 We're not gonna forget it. 793 00:41:42,739 --> 00:41:44,179 We can't forget it. 794 00:41:45,940 --> 00:41:50,420 But we can use it as fuel for our future. 795 00:41:52,079 --> 00:41:54,019 And Lord, we don't wanna be like Manasseh, 796 00:41:55,179 --> 00:41:57,219 living a double-minded life, 797 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,380 staying half in and half out. 798 00:42:00,820 --> 00:42:03,539 Lord God, we wanna go all in. 799 00:42:05,019 --> 00:42:08,000 We wanna step into the promised life, 800 00:42:09,300 --> 00:42:11,980 not leaving anything back on the other side, 801 00:42:12,539 --> 00:42:15,880 that the enemy could come and snatch away. 802 00:42:16,099 --> 00:42:17,840 And Lord, we wanna go all in 803 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:19,380 where we are fully protected. 804 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:24,920 Lord, we wanna go all in. 805 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:33,900 And finally, Lord, just as Joseph was told by his father, 806 00:42:34,039 --> 00:42:35,360 your bones aren't staying here 807 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:36,739 because this isn't your home. 808 00:42:38,099 --> 00:42:41,579 Lord God, we thank you that we can thrive in this world. 809 00:42:41,820 --> 00:42:46,139 We can, but it's all for the kingdom of God. 810 00:42:47,039 --> 00:42:48,219 It's not about here. 811 00:42:48,860 --> 00:42:51,559 We can't take anything of this world with us, 812 00:42:51,659 --> 00:42:56,639 but we can sure store treasures in heaven. 813 00:42:58,820 --> 00:43:00,679 Lord God, it's not about here, 814 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:02,480 but it's about heaven, Lord God. 815 00:43:02,639 --> 00:43:12,260 So we wanna remember not to make this our home down here 816 00:43:12,260 --> 00:43:14,360 and forget what our purpose is. 817 00:43:16,340 --> 00:43:19,460 And so Lord, we wanna, we thank you for your blessing. 818 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,079 And Lord, we wanna be blessed by you. 819 00:43:24,460 --> 00:43:27,340 You speak good things over us all the time. 820 00:43:27,420 --> 00:43:28,579 You sing over us. 821 00:43:29,219 --> 00:43:32,599 Zephaniah 3 17 says, you sing, you cherish us 822 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:35,340 and you sing over us. 823 00:43:35,380 --> 00:43:39,059 We are your prized possession made in your image. 824 00:43:40,659 --> 00:43:42,699 Abba, Father, we love you so much. 825 00:43:44,539 --> 00:43:47,260 And Lord, as we sing this last song, 826 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:52,219 which was God orchestrated, not even arranged, 827 00:43:52,420 --> 00:43:53,320 God arranged it. 828 00:43:54,300 --> 00:43:58,199 Lord, we sing this song to receive your blessing. 829 00:43:59,780 --> 00:44:02,980 And we thank you in Jesus' name, amen. 830 00:44:03,519 --> 00:44:04,639 Let's worship the Lord. 831 00:44:08,860 --> 00:44:11,739 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church 832 00:44:11,739 --> 00:44:14,280 as we praise God and discuss His word. 833 00:44:14,940 --> 00:44:18,039 Don't forget to join us for worship live Sunday mornings 834 00:44:18,039 --> 00:44:20,420 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube. 835 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:23,519 Be blessed and have a great day.