GOD HATH SHOWED ME
Genesis 48:8 ¶ And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? 9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 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.
Here we see the aged Patriarch Jacob blessing his grandsons in the reverse order of their birth. For we have before learned that the birthright did not go according to the genealogy. 1 Chronicles 5:1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. 2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s:)
And we have learned that Ephraim was the Lord’s firstborn, a picture of Christ! Jeremiah 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
For in Christ’s kingdom the order for greatness is reversed. The greatest in the kingdom of God is the servant of all. Luke 13:30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. Matthew 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
And in this we also see a lesson for us in the reversed order regarding their names. For we know that Joseph named them in regards to his experiences. Genesis 41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. Therefore the first was Forgetting, and the last was Fruitfulness. And in the experiential realm the believer is more prone to exalt a deliverance from a trial above the fruitful benefit that he may be for the glory of God. But as he becomes more spiritually minded, that order is reversed in the believer’s life. For the forgetfulness of the past is for the glorifying of God in a present fruitfulness.
Psalm 45:10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; 11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
For the fruit of the Spirit in one’s life is not to produce another Christian! God doesn’t have any grandchildren! The Holy Spirit produces the births of every believer. See John 3:8. To manifest the fruit of the Spirit is to exhibit the character of Christ. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
And the Father seeing his beloved, and only begotten Son, reflected in us brings glory to Him. John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
But all true believers, having been born naturally before they are born spiritually, also first therefore come to hunger physically, before they ever come to realize the blessedness of spiritual hunger. John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Our Lord set this forth, not just in teaching words, but in revealing action. John 4:31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
He proved this in doing his father’s will in his defeat of Satan. For he first fasted forty days and nights, ridding himself of both the taste and benefit of physical bread. He proved that his food was doing his Father’s will in this defeat of Satan, thereby taking back the authority that the Deceiver had stolen from Adam, and restoring it to himself, the Last Adam! Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
This was but a dying to himself and his natural needs and tastes, in order that he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil! Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
It was also the greatest expression of his love for the Father. John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
And we would do well to begin to exercise ourselves in matters of the spiritual realm at the expense of the physical realm. For therein is both our life and our warfare! Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
And how do you suppose the millions already in eternity are being sustained? They left their teeth in the grave, so they cannot chew. Their throat was left there also, so they cannot swallow. Their stomach is still in that decaying flesh, which was left behind. So they cannot digest. So how have those millions existed for all these centuries? – They are feeding off the Bread of God! They are living off of the ‘meat’ (food), from being completely in the Father’s will!
The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the creating agent of all things, but he is also the sustaining agent of everything, sustaining by the power of his own personal energy everything within it’s own personal identify! Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
One of the things that Jacob had to overcome was that this blessing of his grandsons, and the skipping over his son, was all too much like the scene when he received the birthright. For both he and his father Isaac were almost totally blind in blessing their offspring. See Genesis 27:1 and Genesis 48:10. And, due to Jacob and his mother’s deception, Isaac blessed one who was not expected to receive the blessing. So it is here. For Joseph expected Manasseh to receive the blessing of the firstborn, but Jacob gives that to Ephraim. These matters had to have been in Jacobs memory.
So how did he become assured that this was now the right thing to do? The answer is found in our lesson title. God hath showed me thy seed. Therefore we read in verse 19 of our Genesis forty eight passage that he tells Joseph, I know it, my son, I know it: So he was telling Joseph that he knew what Joseph knew. But it was that Joseph didn’t know what Jacob knew. Jacob knew that from the natural view it was the reverse order, but he had this prophetic revelation that the younger brother shall be greater than Manasseh. 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
This revelation from the Lord was even expressed by Jacob as, that which I had not thought. For he had not thought to ever see Joseph’s face, but now he was even seeing Joseph’s sons. (See Genesis 48:11 above.) And this was entirely true. For some twenty years Jacob never had a thought of ever seeing Joseph again. Genesis 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
But even with all this heart sickness and it’s negativity, and even with himself obtaining the birthright from a blinded father, with the help of his mother’s deception, now that the Lord had showed this unto him, he let no guilt, nor any doubt hinder him. God’s people need to learn not to be ruled by either guilt or pity, but solely by the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
For a great deal of that which goes on today in religion is solely by inordinate affection manipulated by the powers of darkness. And the sad thing is that none realize it. This very thing was occurring in the hearts and minds of the top religious leaders of the Lord’s day. John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Mistaking their own affections for the Holy Spirit, but led of the Devil, they were certain that they were serving God. John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
But be assured that over this all the Sovereign Lord of Glory is working out his will and purposes. For the Devil is God’s servant. And so are sin and evil. For grace abounds where sin abounded! Romans 5:20 But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
For it was this darkness of understanding, this ignorance of experience, that gave necessity for Pharaoh to call forth Joseph from his prison and make him ruler over Egypt. For even the wisest men in Egypt could not interpret something that none of them had ever seen – a skinny cow! Genesis 41:19 And, behold, seven other kine (cows) came up after them, poor and very ill favored and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: Therefore the darkness of ignorance, as well as the light of understanding are solely in the hand of Almighty God!
Pastor Gene Breed
December 3, 2016
