Through Faith and By Faith - Hebrews 11

Looking at the achievements of faith from the perspective of persuasion and credence. Part Nine - Jacob

Author: Randy Pritts

Today's Text:

kjv@Hebrews:11:21 @ By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

Introduction:

In the previous section we spoke about Jacob considerably. That was when his father Isaac was about to die. As is Hebrew custom, the patriarch would pronounce a final blessing upon his survivors give a blessing upon his immediate successor (usually given to the eldest son) to hand over his authority and inheritance. In that section,God had given Isaac other instructions to follow however to bless the younger son. It is important that Isaac follow these instructions because this blessing not only effects the lineage and authority of the future nation of Israel, but also the human lineage of the promised Messiah. The long range framing of the ages is what is intended, God has uttered, God's word will succeed. It was God's word to Isaac that makes Jacob of importance, now it is Jacob's blessing of his son's that is given to Judah through which the framing proceeds.

In the process of this transfer however, there is a curious offshoot of this blessing that falls upon the two sons of Joseph - Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob's grandsons. Normally, the general blessing would be upon Joseph the son, Joseph would have equal share with his brothers. In this case, the two grandsons are given equal share with their elder uncles.

This curiosity will become extremely important in God's future framing as these two grandsons will become two dominate tribes along with Judah in the history of united and then divided Israel for ages to come. The city Hebron tribe Ephraim will possess will become capital of United Israel until David has Jerusalem built. It will also be the capital when the 10 tribes revolt against God and Judah cause civil war and become their own nation, build their own temples, worship two golden calves, be led by a series of rebellious kings who do "evil in the eyes of the LORD" as did their fathers. Their lands are the first to be taken captive. Their people become the half-breds the New Testament Jews called the hated Samaritans.

So then, we really must take notice when our author describes Jacob's decision to bless these two young boys born of Joseph's Egyptian wife as being a "good report" of an elder's faith.

"By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph" v21

I've not yet found in the kjv@Genesis:48 text where God would have uttered instructions for Jacob to do this. My feeling is that this was not a direct command. I'm not even sure where the blessing of the eldest comes from as it seems just to be cultural. In either case however, it appears to us that God is using this as a means of building upon and verifying HIS framing word. The exemplary faith being exerted by Jacob, even if not directly spoken, must be in the line with God's overarching word. Here is what we do know has been directed by God to Jacob personally :

"And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession". kjv@Genesis:48:3-4

This personal direction plus what was handed down to him from Isaac and Abraham and Noah and Enoch and Able and Adam, plus all the interactive history of God's movements and judgments, is large part what is framing the faith that Jacob is employing at this moment. Jacob also has his own history with God, sojourning in a foreign land, relying upon his LORD throughout for safety and provision. This is the type of substance fueling the decision I feel to bless Joseph whom he greatly loves and is much thankful towards by blessing Joseph's two half bred sons. It is not so much direct from God's utterance as it is license to pay tribute to a savior like (once thought lost) son by giving unusual honor to the honoree's two sons. Faith can be be just as much about license as it is obedience, if contained in its' proper order of what has come and what yet remains.

But, then again, perhaps there is also an indication of something unwritten that Jacob knows that we don't know how he knows it unless it be of God implied in the way Jacob blesses these boys.

"...he also shall become a people..." kjv@Genesis:48:19

The evidence begins with the laying of Jacob's right hand upon the younger grandson Ephraim, which angers son Joseph to no end. Manasseh is the elder, Manasseh it is that should receive the honor of the patriarchs right hand; the difference has every legal significance in the culture of that time. Joseph makes his rightful protest known to Jacob. Jacob rebuts son Joseph and turns prophetic :

"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". kjv@Genesis:48:19

We do not have it written in the holy text where this word from God came in, but we do know that as it spoken by Jacob, so in fact it indeed did happen. Could that be the point of Jacob's faith that our author is attempting to make?

There is a "new age" trait to our modern approximation of faith that has it that we speak what it is that we want most, out there into the ether, where combined with determinate faith the universe makes it to happen. That is the substance of the new age form of faith: speaking into existence. Could that be what Jacob is doing? the right hand blessing placed over Ephraim instead of Manasseh combined with his faith made it to happen? Why then did it play out to happen in such a rebellious and disruptive way? I do not think that this is the case. There is no previous framing word to suggest that the universe and faith are designed by God to work this way.

There are also further evidences God had told or shown JAcob something we don't know about in the manner in which Jacob blessed the other uncles as well. He almost pronounces each tribes future character type by placing the attributes of the son being blessed over them. By attribute there are very few of these tribes that really stand out as being saint like material capable of being used by God; at least not to our way of thinking. Wouldn't you know, those assigned attributes were evidenced down the road. Even with the two tribes Judah and half of the tribe of Benjamin that endured longest and were used by God the most, the enlistment wasn't typically for any behavioral or moral superiority, it was more because of God's promise to always reserve to HIMSELF at least a partial continuing remnant, more than anything. In fact, when it came to the final fracture between the other ten tribes and this remnant, it was in part due to the king of Judah's oppressive taxation and callous behavior upon the others.

We have often asked why it is God does not use more suitable human material to guide us. It is because there is no better human material at present for HIM to use, it can't be found.

What then shall we say about the source and type of faith being employed by Jacob here now? Is it something mystic like Jacob's faith steering the course of the universe? Or is it something more grounded in the promises and the framing word past and present of God, and perhaps...perhaps a small amount of occasional reverent license?

"...and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff" v21

I believe that this closing phrase perhaps gives the best answer to the source and type of Jacob's faith. It has not come easy for Jacob. Jacob at times has been a somewhat inflexible unruly type of person. Time under the LORD's hand and word has somewhat softened him. At one stage in his life Jacob would have wrestled against the Lord every step of the way all night and all day if he would of had to to get his way. Now Jacob submits his will and his restlessness prostrate on the top of his staff like an old man would (not being able to get back up). Jacob worships God now, not as a magical force in the ether beyond to dictate to and receive all that he wants, but as a caring God who intends upon man a complete and total restoration some future date, the pathway to which is divided into ages, ages framed and ruddered by HIS uttered word.

The promise given Adam is for one that is approaching, the Messianic Seed. To Noah, the Seed for whom the judgment of the Earth awaits. To Abraham, additional seeds that will number the sands of the sea that will serve this Seed and all the nations of the Earth be blessed. To Isaac, a sacrifice for atonement that the LORD will see to, the LORD will provide. To Jacob, further definition of the lineage that will be involved in the receiving a soon to be inhabited promised land. It is there at the confluence of these spiritual rivers that dying Jacob stands head bowed to God and future Savior with all his children and children's' children by his bed.

What a trip! What a journey! What a blessing it has been for Jacob to follow the lead of Jehovah all this way. Good times and bad. Children being born to him. A grown up child that for decades and decades he thought he had lost; and by his son's side two glowing joyful faces. Oh and this God is good. How unlikely Jacob would even exist if not for the faith of Abraham and barren Sarah, if not for the faith of Isaac holding to his blessing on him.

The text of this story does not give all the details to this faith that I am sure the author of Hebrews here today would like us to know. For some of these details we have to piece together from other pieces that we already know. Not all of God's word has been spoken to be written. Some parts of it are silent and some are communicated in a pantomime of actions and results. There is also occasion given for man's reaction, which say as much as we need to know about man's side of things. All this makes for an awesome word set on repairing/restoring the ages to their intended needs.

Comment Board: ThroughFaithAndByFaith09

Tags: Faith, Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh, Blessing, Death, ,

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