As we look at our text we read here where Joseph is presenting his two sons Ephraim and Manessah before his father Israel who by now can hardly see because of his age v.10 He is presented these two boys in whom he is going to make a divine impartation by laying hands upon them that will set them up -Like Issac had done to Jacob - Israel. Israel - Jacob was about to pronounce his blessings on Joseph’s sons. So as Joseph brings them to his father Israel kisses them and embraces them and say’s to Joseph, I didn’t think that I would see your face: for at one time he thought that Joseph was dead. Not only was he alive so that his father could see him. He also sees Joseph’s sons, Joseph’s seed. As Joseph brings them out from near his fathers knees, he shows Joseph respect by bowing his self with his face to earth. After getting up, Joseph takes Ephraim (the youngest) by his right hand and leads him to Israel’s left hand and then he takes Manessah (the oldest) by his left hand and leads him to his fathers right hand.
As Israel stretches out his right hand which represents, impartation, blessings, honor, strength. The hand that should have been placed on the eldest sons head (Manessah),was laid upon (Ephraim‘s) head who was the youngest and places his left hand upon Manessah’s head, the bible say’s “guiding his hands wittingly (the Strong’s Concordance say’s “Expertly, skillfully, understandingly” with Prophetic insight that enabled him to know that the younger son of Joseph would be greater than the firstborn. He knew Manessah was the oldest, the 1st born but Israel didn’t heed his sons careful preparation to make sure that all his father did was stretch forth his right hand straight out. Israel ignored the order of the sons before him and crossed his arms to rest his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on Manessah. It no doubt took his mind back to when God announced to Rebekah his mother that the 2 sons she was carrying would struggle in her womb, but also that the older shall serve the younger. (Gen 25:23) So once again this blessing indicated that the younger would have preeminence. (Read v.17 and 18)as Israel crosses his arms Joseph expresses his displeasure with his father and tries to take his fathers hand and remove it from Ephraim’s to Manessah’s head because he was the 1st born.(v.19) But Jacob refused and said, ”I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. *Let me share some quick facts with you about Manessah and Ephraim:
They both were born in Egypt and were half Hebrew and half Egyptian. They were Jacob’s gentile descendants, since they both were children of an Egyptian mother. But focus is placed upon Ephraim because Ephraim’s name will prophetically represent “the fullness of the Gentiles” and his name would also prophetically speak of Christ as the coming Saviour of the world.
If you know anything about the Sovereignty of God you would know that His sovereign purpose extends to individuals as well as to nations. The scriptures reveal God as an absolute sovereign God who by His own will has chosen to create the universe and to direct its history according to His foreordained plan. Ephesians 1:4 say’s “God has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” not only that but Ephesians 1:5 say’s, “ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:11 say’s “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”
Tonight I have come to tell those of you that are present tonight that God determined beforehand way back in the council of the eternal Godhead that Jesus would carry out His purpose by way of the cross blessing.
So as God deals with men we need to notice that although Israel had 12 sons:
Reuben,Simeon,Levi,Judah,Issachar,Zebulun,Joseph,Benjamin,Dan,Naphtali,Gad and Asher.
Reuben being the 1st born did not receive the “Birthright” which was a blessing that is usually given to the Eldest son. The reason for this was because He defiled his fathers bed. (Gen 35:22) Simeon and Levi who would have been next in line were also passed over because of their cruel and treacherous conduct at Shechem (Genesis 34) for they slew all the males of that city because they defiled Dinah their sister. Judah prevailed above his brethren (1 Chronicles 5:2) but he was disqualified because he slept with his daughter in law Tamar.( Genesis 38) So the Birthright according to God’s Sovereign will went to Joseph the one who was the favored son of Jacob, who resisted the temptation wherein some of his brothers fell when he fled from Potipher’s wife. Although the Birthright in itself was 2 fold: Spiritually and Materially. The material blessings of the Birthright, the double portion of the inheritance, went to Joseph’s 2 sons who were being counted as one through adoption for the tribe of Levi had been “taken by God” for service that was connected with the Priesthood.
The spiritual blessing however was given to Judah. The reason the spiritual blessing went to Judah was because the Messiah was to come.
So God begins to devise a plan of redemption through the lives of the patriarchs. Since his older son Adam let him down. (His created Son) I can see God doing the “X” blessing again through the 2nd Adam. (His only begotten Son) Jesus! Because God was saying this time I’m going to make a difference. That’s what the number 2 implies. The number 1 affirms that there is not another but 2 affirms that there is another. Just like Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manessah assuring them of an inheritance. 2 Corinthians 5:19 say’s “ To wit ,that (is) God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing (charging) their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Through the “X” blessing!
Even though we can stand here today and rejoice in the fact that we are blessed. The “X” blessing didn’t come that easy, because it was originally for the Abraham’s children the Jews. However because they rejected Jesus…….the Bible say’s ,”he came to His own and His own received Him not” God said through the prophet Hosea ,” I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved.” “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called the children of the living God.” (Romans 9:25,26)
God saw not only a physical Israel but also a spiritual Israel.
In Romans 10:8-13 it say’s
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Also Romans 11:5-29 say’s
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day." 9 And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always." 11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! 13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
We now have a place in God’s plan of redemption through the “X” blessing for the bible say’s in Galatians 3:29, If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Romans 8:28 say’s “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.“
Finally, the law could never make us heirs of God (Gal. 3:29). God made the promise to “Abraham’s Seed” (singular, Gal. 3:16). Note that the promise was not given to Abraham alone, but it was also given to the seed, the descendants and offspring of Abraham. The promise or covenant with Abraham is covered in the Book of Genesis Chapter 17:7-8 in it God say's, "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
Look at your neighbor and say Jesus is that Seed. The word "seed" is singular, not plural. Therefore, God's promise points to one single person, and that person is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is...
· the seed promised to Abraham.
· the seed who is to receive the promises made to Abraham. This is a phenomenal truth, and it means three significant things.
1. It means that the promises made to Abraham have passed down to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the descendant who is to inherit the promised land, the land of Cannan for an everlasting possession. Canaan, of course, is a type of heaven and of the new heavens and earth which God has promised to recreate. The point is that Jesus Christ is to inherit the world and be exalted as the Sovereign Majesty of the universe, ruling and reigning forever and ever.
2. It means that believers, too, shall inherit the world and reign with Christ through all eternity. Abraham was promised that he would be the father of many nations or of many children, and believers past, present andfuture are those children right now.
If we are “in Christ” by faith, then we too are “Abraham’s seed” spiritually speaking. This means we are heirs of the spiritual blessings that God promised to Abraham. This does not mean that the material and national blessings promised to Israel are set aside, but that Believers today are enriched spiritually because of God’s promise to Abraham. Paul's attempt to stir the Jews to be saved. Paul was God's primary minister to the Gentiles in the first century. Paul magnified the ministry and gloried in God's call, this is why the Apostle Paul stressed this fact every chance that he got when he said in Romans 11:13, " For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!"
Why? Paul had two purposes.
1. He wanted to arouse the Jews to envy; that is, he wanted to stir them to look at Jesus, and to see what Jesus had done for the Gentiles. He wanted to stir men to look at the lives of believers and to see the wonderful change that Christ had wrought. Thereby, Paul hoped that some Jews would be saved.
2. Paul wanted to hasten the day for Israel's restoration. He knew there was to be a restoration; therefore, he knew that every time he was able to reach a Jew for Christ, the callous on Israel's heart would soften a little more. The more he could soften the callous, the sooner the restoration would take place.
Note the question of Paul:
"If the casting away [that is, the rejection] of Israel led to the reconciliation of the world [to God], what shall the receiving [the restoration] of them be, but life from the dead?"
The reconciliation of the world has a twofold meaning. It means...that all men, both Jew and Gentile can now be reconciled to God. All men can now have peace with God and possess the peace of God.
(Romans 5:10) say's, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
(2 Cor. 5:17-18) say's , "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation."
So as we get back to this section of Galatians Chapter 3 it now becomes valuable to us as we read the Old Testament Scriptures. Because it shows us that the spiritual lessons of the Old Testament are not for the Jews only but that they have application to the Believer today because Rom. 15:4 tells us, For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 1 Cor. 10:11–12) reminds us that, " Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
In the Old Testament we have preparation for God was preparing the way for Christ; in the Gospels, the presentation for God was getting ready to present to the world Jesus Christ; and from the Book of Acts to the Book of Revelation, we have the appropriation of Christ because God has justified us and predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29) .
Which is why your life as a Believer ought to take on new wonder and meaning as you realize all that you have in Christ. And all of this is by grace—not by law! You are now a son or daughter in God’s family, you are now an heir of God.
Look at your neighbor and ask them," Are you drawing on your inheritance?"
Faith in Christ makes us heirs of God and heirs according to the promise.
Remember the promise made to Abraham: the promise of God's blessing, of God's presence and direction, of being accepted by God and given the privilege of living forever in the land of Canaan (the type and symbol of heaven, of the new heavens and earth).
The point is this: Jesus Christ is the heir of Abraham; therefore, if a person is in Christ, then he or she inherits the promise made to Abraham. They inherit the promises of God's acceptance, of righteousness, and of living forever in the new heavens and earth as a son or daughter of God.
This is why Jesus told the Disciples ........"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:1-2).
Paul said to the Church at Rome......."For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:15-17).
(Galatians 3:29) "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise"
(Galatians 4:7) "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" .
(Titus 3:7) "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" .
(Hebrews 6:17) "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath".
(1 Peter 1:3-4) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you".
Ask your neighbor again, " Are you drawing on your Inheritance?"
Romans 8:17 say's And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Because of the X - Blessing:
Romans 8:28 say’s “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.“
Now hear me when I say this because this is an astounding truth and promise.
We shall inherit all that God has and all that Christ is and has. We have been given the privilege of sharing in all things with the Son of God Himself.
To be a joint-heir with Christ does not mean that believers will receive an equal amount of the inheritance with Christ. Rather, it means that we are fellow-heirs with Christ; that is, we (believers) are sharing in the inheritance of Christ with Him.
Being a fellow-heir with Christ means at least three things: it means that we will share in the nature, position, and responsibility of Christ.
WE ARE FELLOW HEIRS BY NATURE
Christ is the Son of God, the very being
and energy of life and perfection. Therefore,
we share in the inheritance of His nature.
We receive...
· the adoption as a son of God (Galatians 4:4-7; 1 John 3:1).
· the sinless nature of being blameless (Phil. 2:15).
· eternal life (John 1:4; John 10:10; John 17:2-3; John 3:16; 1 Tim. 6:19).
· an enduring substance (Hebrews 10:34).
· a glorious body (Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:42-44).
· eternal glory and honor and peace (Romans 2:10).
· eternal rest and peace (Hebrews 4:9; Rev. 14:13).
· an incorruptible body (1 Cor. 9:25).
· a righteous being (2 Tim. 4:8).
WE ARE FELLOW HEIRS BY POSITION
Christ is the exalted Lord, the Sovereign
Majesty of the universe, the Lord of lords
and King of kings. Therefore, we share in
the inheritance of His position.
We receive...
· the position of exalted beings (Rev. 7:9-12).
· a citizenship in the Kingdom of God (James 2:5; Matthew 25:34).
· enormous treasures in heaven (Matthew 19:21; Luke 12:33).
· unsearchable riches (Ephes. 3:8).
· the right to surround the throne of God (Rev. 7:9-13; Rev. 20:4).
· the position of a king (Rev. 1:5; Rev. 5:10).
· the position of a priest (Rev. 1:5; Rev. 5:10; Rev. 20:6).
· the position of glory (1 Peter 5:4).
WE ARE FELLOW HEIRS BY RESPONSIBILITY
Christ is the Sovereign Majesty of the Universe,
the One who is ordained to rule and oversee all.
Therefore, we share in the inheritance of His
responsibility.
We receive...
· the rulership over many things (Matthew 25:23).
· the right to rule and hold authority (Luke 12:42-44; Luke 22:28-29).
· eternal responsibility and joy (Matthew 25:21, 23).
· rule and authority over cities (Luke 19:17, 19).
· thrones and the privilege of reigning forever (Rev. 20:4; Rev. 22:5).
These passages give us some idea of what Scripture teaches when it speaks of the believer being a fellow-heir with Christ. There are a large number of Scriptures that could be added to these.
As Paul declared:
"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor. 2:9).
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:33-36).
Even So Come Lord Jesus!
Help Me Holy Ghost!
