{"id":16781,"date":"2021-07-23T22:00:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-24T05:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/genesis_49_1-17-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-07-16T22:51:23","modified_gmt":"2021-07-17T05:51:23","slug":"genesis_49_18-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/genesis_49_18-33\/","title":{"rendered":"Born To Overcome, To Be Free and Fruitful"},"content":{"rendered":"

Genesis 49:18-33 \u00a0\u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Genesis 49:18-33.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:18 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“I look for your deliverance, O\u00a0LORD.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 18:\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps because of all the trouble, danger, conflict and pain that Jacob saw a number of his sons encountering in the future, Jacob cries out to God in the middle of prophesying over his sons, saying, \u201cI look for your deliverance, O Lord\u201d (v18).\u00a0\u00a0Jacob, nearing the end of his life, does the one thing that we all need to do\u00a0when we see trouble up ahead: cry out to God for help and look for God to deliver us<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:19 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 19:\u00a0\u00a0Jacob prophesies that though Gad\u2019s descendants would be attacked by others, Gad\u2019s descendants would not be defeated but would attack their attackers \u201cat their heels\u201d, suggesting that Gad\u2019s attackers will retreat and Gad will be victorious.<\/p>\n

Likewise,\u00a0your enemy Satan will try to attack you in various ways, but you have everything you need to withstand his attack, go on the offensive and overcome your enemy in the end.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0As John writes in 1 John 2:14, \u201cI write to you, young men,\u00a0because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.\u201d Praise God! Though Satan will attack, you have everything you need to overcome the evil one.<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:20 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 20:\u00a0\u00a0Jacob prophesies that Asher will produce rich food fit for a king.\u00a0\u00a0Likewise,\u00a0whenever you work at anything, may you strive to produce something excellent that is fit for a king<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0As Ephesians 6:7 says,\u00a0\u201cServe wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men\u201d.<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:21 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 21: Jacob prophesies that Naphtali would be a free and fruitful people.\u00a0\u00a0Likewise,\u00a0in Jesus Christ you were born again to be free (Galatians 5:1) and fruitful (John 15:8)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:22-26 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 22-26:\u00a0\u00a0Jacob saves his highest personal blessing for Joseph.\u00a0\u00a0He calls Joseph a vine so fruitful that his fruitfulness and success would extend beyond traditional boundaries (\u201cclimb over a wall\u201d \u2013 v22).\u00a0\u00a0He acknowledges that Joseph faced tremendous hardship during his lifetime (\u201carchers attacked him\u2026shot at him with hostility\u201d \u2013 v23). Yet Joseph was not shaken by his troubles but \u201cremained steady\u201d (v24), all because God was with Joseph.<\/p>\n

In verses 24-25 we learn more of how Jacob saw God: as a strong protector (\u201cthe Mighty One of Jacob\u201d), as \u201cthe Shepherd\u201d who cares, \u201cthe Rock\u201d on which Jacob (\u201cIsrael\u201d) built his life (v24), as a helper, as almighty, and as the provider of every great blessing (v25).<\/p>\n

Jacob calls for all his fatherly blessings to rest on the head of Joseph and calls Joseph \u201cthe prince among his brothers\u201d (v26).\u00a0\u00a0Because Joseph hung onto his integrity and served God faithfully, his father\u2019s greatest blessing was reserved for him.\u00a0\u00a0Likewise, while everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is saved and greatly blessed,\u00a0there is a special, additional and greater blessing that God reserves for those of His children who hang onto their integrity and who serve God faithfully in their lifetime<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0May you be like Joseph in the way you live this life and are blessed by God!<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:27 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n27\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 27:\u00a0\u00a0Though Benjamin was the youngest and was often the one being protected and shielded by his father and his older brothers, here Jacob describes his youngest son Benjamin as a powerful, conquering wolf.<\/p>\n

Likewise, you and I have received much help and special protection from God as the baby in the family would, but we weren\u2019t made to stay as babies.\u00a0\u00a0We were made to grow up into warriors, strong men and women of God who are a force to be reckoned with for our Father\u2019s kingdom.\u00a0\u00a0You are not just protected.\u00a0\u00a0You are also a protector.\u00a0\u00a0You are not just cherished.\u00a0\u00a0You are also a fighter.\u00a0\u00a0You are not just blessed.\u00a0\u00a0You are also a blessing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Genesis 49:28-33 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n28\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.<\/em>
\n29\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
\n30\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field.
\n31\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.
\n32\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”
\n33\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 28-33:\u00a0\u00a0After blessing each of his 12 sons uniquely (v28) and giving instructions regarding his burial (v29-32), Jacob breathes his last and dies (v33).\u00a0\u00a0Verse 33 uses the phrase \u201cand was gathered to his people\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s a great phrase.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a reminder that\u00a0when we die, we do not leave home, but we go home, and when we get there we won\u2019t be alone, but it will be the greatest family reunion we will ever experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, notice that Jacob died after blessing each of his sons.\u00a0\u00a0Likewise, may you and I not live with the goal of merely being blessed, but may we aim to be the biggest blessing we can be before we breathe our last.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, thank You for every lesson I can learn from Your Word today.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that though Satan will attack, You give me everything I need to overcome my enemy.\u00a0\u00a0Since You call me to be free and fruitful, may I bear excellent fruit for You, fit for a king.\u00a0\u00a0Like Joseph may I serve You faithfully with the time I have remaining, not seeking merely to be blessed, but to be the best blessing I can be to others.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Genesis 49:18-33.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:18 (NIV)
\n18\u00a0\u00a0“I look for your deliverance, O\u00a0LORD.<\/p>\n

On verse 18:\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps because of all the trouble, danger, conflict and pain that Jacob saw a number of his sons encountering in the future, Jacob cries out to God in the middle of prophesying over his sons, saying, \u201cI look for your deliverance, O Lord\u201d (v18).\u00a0\u00a0Jacob, nearing the end of his life, does the one thing that we all need to do\u00a0when we see trouble up ahead: cry out to God for help and look for God to deliver us.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Genesis 49:19 (NIV)
\n19\u00a0\u00a0“Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.<\/p>\n

On verse 19:\u00a0\u00a0Jacob prophesies that though Gad\u2019s descendants would be attacked by others, Gad\u2019s descendants would not be defeated but would attack their attackers \u201cat their heels\u201d, suggesting that Gad\u2019s attackers will retreat and Gad will be victorious.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Likewise,\u00a0your enemy Satan will try to attack you in various ways, but you have everything you need to withstand his attack, go on the offensive and overcome your enemy in the end.\u00a0\u00a0As John writes in 1 John 2:14, \u201cI write to you, young men,\u00a0because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.\u201d Praise God! Though Satan will attack, you have everything you need to overcome the evil one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16783,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16781"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16782,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16781\/revisions\/16782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}