Knowing God through His Word … Day by Day

In the sermon, “Faith for the Future,” Pastor Coty Pinckney shared these insightful comments:

In this society, the firstborn son receives a double portion of the inheritance. That is, if a man has three sons, he divides his property into four parts. His oldest son receives two parts, and each of the other sons receives one part.

Reuben, the oldest, has lost the right of the firstborn because of his gross sin. In this chapter, Jacob ensures that the double portion of the inheritance goes not to Simeon, the next oldest son, but to Joseph, the oldest son of Rachel. By adopting Manassah and Ephraim as his own sons, each receives the same share of the inheritance as Simeon, Levi, and the others. Thus Joseph’s descendants receive a double portion.

When Jacob speaks of Rachel’s unexpected, early death (48:7), he implies that Manassah and Ephraim are to him representative of the other children he might have had through Rachel had she lived longer.

There are many interesting themes in this chapter, but I only want to draw out one of them. Consider verses 15 and 16:

And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Genesis 48:15-16

Jacob refers to the “God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.” This is the first reference to God as shepherd in the Bible. Eight hundred years later Jacob’s descendant David will write:

The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

But Jacob gives the central idea of that beautiful Psalm right here.

And then, another 1000 years later, Jacob’s descendant Jesus will proclaim, “I am the good shepherd.”

Jacob is able to look back at the life we narrated and see how God’s rod and staff have comforted him. He is able to see how even though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he need fear no evil, for God was with him. God has corrected him, disciplined him, and protected him. Most of all God brought him back to Himself.

Furthermore, God was a shepherd to Joseph, even when Jacob thought he was dead. Jacob’s profound thankfulness to God for this shepherding comes out in verse 11:

And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”

Jacob knows he is about to die. His life has been hard. His life has been often disobedient. He deserves nothing from God. But looking back, he can see God’s great grace toward him. This gives him confidence for the future. So Jacob is saying: “God is my shepherd. He has guided and corrected me. He will guide and correct Ephraim and Manassah.”

Note particularly verse 21:

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.

As Jacob recalls in verse 4, God has promised him that his descendants will possess the land of Canaan forever. They won’t possess it again for 400 years, but Jacob is confident in God as the shepherd of His people. He will guide his flock to the exact place He desires, at exactly the right time. He trusts God with the future:

So the author of Hebrews chooses to commemorate this moment above all others in Jacob’s life:

By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. Hebrews 11:21

Jacob exhibits faith in God’s future grace, faith in God’s future shepherding. This is what it means to trust God.

So Jacob is wonderful example of a dying person with a right view of God:

• Thankfulness for God’s shepherding hand;
• Confidence that God will bring him safely into His presence;
• Trust that God will continue to shepherd his descendants.

Do you have such trust and confidence?

Do you know God as shepherd?

Do you see that even the most painful and challenging parts of your life are God’s tools, used by Him to accomplish His good purposes?