Jacob at the End of His Life Genesis 48 I. Introduction and review A. Last week we saw the settling of Israel in Egypt 1. The arraignments made with Pharaoh 2. The way that Jacob s family benefitted from Joseph s relationship with Egypt s leaders and his reputation among its people 3. We saw that further enforced by Joseph s fairness in selling Egypt s grain supplies 4. We also saw Jacob s trust in Joseph to keep his word 5. And then Jacob s preparation for his death B. In a way Genesis, the book of beginnings, is also a book about death 1. In chapter three, Adam and Eve die in the garden, and all of their unborn children die with them 2. Then their son Abel dies an untimely physical death 3. Then ensues a long line of death, broken by Enoch 4. Then the death of Noah is explained 5. Followed by the deaths of Terah, Abraham, and Isaac C. Now we consider the death of Jacob 1. Jacob s death may be the most instructive of all of those before him 2. He can teach us how to die and how to live II. Jacob at the end of his life [48:1-22] Page 1 of 6
A. Jacob realizes that he is about to see death 1. Joseph is told and travels to see his father along with his two sons 2. Jacob seemed to be strengthened knowing that Joseph is coming to him 3. Jacob tell s Joseph that for inheritance purposes, he has decided to adopt Joseph s two sons, each of which will now be numbered with the rest of Jacob s sons a. This is the fifth time that God has chosen contrary to birth order (1) Abel over Cain (2) Isaac over Ishmael (3) Jacob over Esau (4) and Joseph over Reuben b. Now He will chose Ephraim over Manasseh B. The first thing that Jacob did was to look backward 1. He chose to look backward in gratitude a. Contrast this recollection of life with the last one he spoke b. See 47:7-9 c. Why the difference? 2. This time his recollections for the most part centered around his God a. He remembered his first personal meeting with God (1) it was at Bethel [Luz] (2) he refers to God as El Shaddai b. why does he choose this name? [that s the name God chose when He revealed Himself to Jacob] (Gen 28:13f) Page 2 of 6
3. He recalls the promises that God had made to him, and how they all came to pass 4. He remembers the woman God gave to him and who he fell in love with over in the land of Paddan-aram 5. And then he refers to the Angel a. The name Angel is a shortened version of the Angel of the Lord b. who is that Angel c. it is the Lord Jesus Christ d. it is the one with whom Jacob wrestled all night and from Whom he received his new name and a new blessing 6. Notice what he says about this Angel a. He refers to Him as the Redeemer b. This is the first time in the Scripture that the name Redeemer, Deliverer or Savior is used to refer to God C. The second view that Jacob considered was to look upward in faith 1. Jacob knew the reality of God s presence and His promises 2. He spoke of how God had intervened in his life, always working for Jacob s good 3. In verse 21 he claims that God will be with you 4. In Jacob s early years he had for the most part been self-centered, but in the later part of his life he had become God-centered 5. Consider the import of God being his shepherd a. What all does a shepherd do for his flock? Page 3 of 6
6. What a different attitude he has now, from his earlier years D. The third direction that Jacob chose to look was outward in love and joyfulness 1. Jacob in love for his grandchildren, reaches out to Joseph s two boys 2. As he does he adopts them, giving the descendants of Joseph a double portion 3. Remember, Jacob had thought that for twenty years he had lost this son, now he not only has back his lost son, but two grandsons as well 4. We should realize that God works in unexpected ways and when He chooses people to fulfill His plans, He goes deeper than appearance, tradition or position 5. We need never despair, because we belong to a loving God, who brings good out of evil 6. Consider the gift that Jacob gave to Joseph [48:22] a. First time we are told of Jacob the warrior b. What is this land that he took from the Amorites? c. Consider John 4:1-5 E. And fourthly Jacob looked forward in Hope 1. Although Jacob was ready to die, he hadn t stopped believing in the future 2. He told Joseph [48:21] that although he [Jacob] was about to die, God will be with you [Joseph] and will bring you back to the promised land a. Ex. 13:17-19 3. His vision for his family reached much farther than just his day 4. He looked forward to God fulfilling the promises He had made to Jacob, Page 4 of 6
Jacob s father and his grandfather 5. Notice that he put Ephraim ahead of Manesseh a. This is the only time we ever see Joseph disagreeing with anyone in authority over him b. But Jacob did not relent c. I believe that he had been told by God what was to happen III. How to apply Jacob s vision to our lives A. Jacob teaches us the purpose of passing years 1. Growing old is not negative, growing old weans us from self centeredness and causes our love to mature 2. It makes us more gentle, thoughtful, sympathetic and less childish 3. All of the pain, heartaches and difficulties we have gone through, have been used to shape us into the type of person that God wanted us to be 4. Difficulties and such can make us bitter if we so choose, but God intends for them to make us better B. Another precept we can glean from Jacob s life is the possibility of painful experiences 1. Jacob s life was really one painful experience after another 2. His early problems were for the most part self-inflicted 3. His later problems were children inflicted 4. But God used those difficulties to bring Jacob closer and closer to Him 5. If you think about it, happy times haven t molded you into godliness 6. It was the hard times that forced us into God s presence, seeking succor Page 5 of 6
and restoration 7. We don t like difficulties but they force us to mature C. Finally, we can learn from Jacob the priority of a spiritual perspective 1. The older he got, the easier it was for him to see the hand of God at work in his life 2. Consider how it went in his life; a. He believed God b. He spoke with God face to face c. He wrestled with God 3. And finally he was able to look at the events in his life from a spiritual perspective, seeing that all along God had been his Shepherd Page 6 of 6