2024.12.08.Sermon Notes. Genesis 48-49 THE FATHER’S BLESSING
William Akehurst, HSWC
ADVENT: PEACE. Pray for Peace in the world
Scriptures: Psalms 71:18, Genesis 48:1-22, Ephesians 4:26-27, Ephesians 4:31-32, Genesis 49:1-33, Genesis 26:24, Ephesians 1:3, Matthew 5:3-12, 1 Chronicles 4:10, Psalms 103:1-5, Matthew 25:34, Psalms 112:1-2, Matthew 7:11, James 1:17
BIG IDEA:
In the story of Jacob, the father’s blessing spoken over his children greatly impacted their lives and the generations to come. The point is...A Father’s blessing spoken over his children impacts their lives.
As believers in JESUS, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER has spoken blessing in HIS WORD that can change our lives too.
GENESIS 48:1-22
Jacob calls for his sons. Jacob is 147 years old
Vs 1-4 Jacob remembers God’s promise.
1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
Names Jacob and Israel used together throughout Scripture. Referring to the person.
At the coming of Joseph, Israel who was weak, and used support to sit up in bed.
God Almighty appeared to me at Luz and blessed me.
Luz was named Bethel, where Jacob first met GOD and had the vision of the Ladder
GOD spoke the blessing over Jacob at Luz/Bethel where Jacob had the vision of the Ladder.
The blessing…I will make you fruitful and multiply you
Jacob is declaring GOD and HIS PROMISES to his sons.
We too should place a priority on teaching our children and grandchildren and others around you, about GOD’s Mercy and Grace, and HIS Promises to those who seek HIM.
Just as Jacob blesses Joseph, he reminds him of GOD’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that will continue into the future generations, and it is Jacob’s dying words to make sure that the testimony of GOD’s Promises are made known.
Psalms 71:18 (NKJV)
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.
(NLT) 18 Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
We too have an obligation to pass on to the next generation, the testimonies of GOD and Salvation through JESUS CHRIST, and the dwelling of HOLY SPIRIT, our sealed promise of redemption and everlasting life.
Vs 5-6 Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons as his own.
5 And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
Reuben and Simeon were the first and second born of Israel.
Jacob received Jospeh’s 2 sons as his own, adopted into the family at the highest level as if they were his own 1st and 2nd born.
Due to their sin, we will see that Reuben and Simeon, the rightful 1st and 2nd born, were disqualified from leadership statue among the family.
They shall be mine
Jacob’s is stating his adoption of Manasseh and Ephraim as his own.
Vs 7 Jacob concludes his testimony with consideration of his soon death.
7 But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan
Rachel died at the birth of Benjamin.
I buried her there in Bethlehem.
Jacob blesses Manasseh and Ephraim.
Vs 8-12 Jacob calls for Joseph’s sons, to bless them.
8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.
These are my sons, whom God has given me in this place
Josephs Sons names were Manasseh meaning forgetfulness, and Ephraim meaning fruitfulness
He bowed down with his face to the earth
Joseph shows great reverence for his father Jacob, even though Joseph has been the 2nd highest official of Egypt for many years.
“Honor thy Father and Mother”, the 5th commandment to come later in Exodus.
Vs 13-14 Jacob puts his right hand on the second-born
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand:
The right hand is associated with GOD’s Strength, Favor and Help. As JESUS is described as sitting on the right hand of GOD the FATHER.
Guiding his hands knowingly
Israel knew exactly what he intended to do. By placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he intended to grant a greater blessing to the younger. This was against normal custom and expectation.
Vs 15-16 Jacob blesses Manasseh and Ephraim.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked
Israel’s blessing toward Joseph reflects on the covenantal promises that GOD made with Abraham and Isaac.
And he blessed Joseph
Israel blessed Joseph.
Then Israel gives the same blessing to both sons, but the son of the right hand received a greater proportion of the blessing.
By blessing not only Joseph, but both of his sons, Joseph truly received a double blessing.
This blessing was fulfilled in Israel’s history as both tribes were blessed
Ephraim was greater as a tribe, even the name Ephraim is used to refer to the whole northern nation of Israel.
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day
This is Jacob’s testimony of grace in how faithful GOD was to him.
“the God who has fed me” literally states, “The God who has shepherded me.” Which is the first mention of God as a shepherd to His people in the Bible.
Jacob remembers GOD’s HAND on his life, and shares it with his grandsons and Joseph.
GOD Walked with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. HE will walk with you.
GOD Shepherded (fed) me all my life. THE LORD is my shepherd, I shall not have need of anything, IF the LORD is your shepherd.
ANGEL of GOD redeemed me from all evil. JESUS is that Redeemer to all who believe and put their trust in HIM. Do you believe?
Bless the Lads, Let my name be named upon them, and the name of Abraham and Isaac.
This is quite a blessing of the covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to Joseph and his sons.
Vs 17-20 Jacob answers Joseph’s objection about the order of blessing.
17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head:
Joseph positioned his sons in birth order to receive the blessing. The older Manasseh for Jacob’s Right hand, and the younger, Ephraim for Israel’s left hand.
And yet Jacob/Israel crossed his hands and put his right hand on Ephraim’s head and his left hand on Manasseh’s head deliberately.
For this one is the firstborn… truly his younger brother shall be greater than he Ephraim was not the firstborn, but God chose him to take the position of firstborn.
Showing that firstborn is a position of This shows how the idea of firstborn in the Bible is often a position of importance and not always meaning the ‘firstborn from the womb.’
Vs 21-22 Jacob makes a personal bequest to Joseph.
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
Behold, I am dying, but GOD will be with you…
Israel “passes the torch” to Joseph.
God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers
Jacob gives recognition of God’s presence in his life and that GOD’S promises will continue to show Joseph and his sons that same presence.
One portion above your brothers
Joseph received the double blessing.
“One Portion” referring to the land of Shechem (Shechem means “portion”)
Which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.
In Shechem, Genesis 34:25 “Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.”
Jacob takes responsibility of Simeon and Levi’s actions and deeds the land to Joseph and his descendants. This is Prophetic in that Joseph’s descendants would eventually take this land about 400 years later.
GENESIS 49:1-33
Prophetic blessings on the Sons of Israel.
Vs 1-2 What will befall the sons of Jacob in the last days.
1 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: 2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.
Jacob called his sons
Jacob’s last significant act as a patriarch and as the heir to Abraham and Isaac as he prophesies blessings on each son, one-by-one.
What shall befall you in the last days
Some of what follows are not so much blessings as they are prophecies regarding what God will do with these tribes in the future.
You sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father
At the very beginning of the blessing, Jacob realized he was both Jacob and Israel, and his sons are sons of each. This was a place of spiritual maturity, realizing both what God made him (Israel) and what he had to battle against (Jacob).
Vs 3-4 Reuben: You shall not excel.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. 4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it—He went up to my couch.
You are my firstborn
As the firstborn of the family, Reuben had claim to the inheritance rights of the firstborn, but he forfeited it through pride (the excellency of dignity) and through immorality (you defiled it).
Reuben’s immorality with his father’s concubine Bilhah (the mother of his brothers Dan and Naphtali) is recorded in Genesis 35:22.
Unstable as water, you shall not excel
Because of Reuben’s instability, the birthright was divided. Usually the firstborn was the spiritual and social leader of the clan; but among the sons of Israel, the rights of blessing, priesthood, and ruling authority were divided among brothers rather than being centralized in one.
Though we see the great wisdom of God in decentralizing authority among the sons of Israel, Reuben paid a high price for his instability. As much as anything, God looks for stable character in those who will lead His people.
You shall not excel
The tribe of Reuben never did excel. No prophet, no judge, or no king that we know of came from the tribe of Reuben.
Reuben is an example of how the first can be last (Matthew 19:30).
Vs 5-7 Simeon and Levi: I will… scatter them in Israel.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Simeon and Levi are brothers: The second-born son Simeon and the third-born son Levi received the same words for the same evil deed. They were instruments of cruelty when they wiped out all the men of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah
Jacob, perhaps in weakness, did nothing at the time except register a small, self-centered complaint. Yet he (and the LORD) remembered this event. This illustrates the principle that the sins of our past can come back and haunt us. Even when forgiven, they may carry consequences we must face for a lifetime.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce: The real problem with Simeon and Levi was their anger (in their anger they slew a man). Their anger was sin because it was rooted in self-will (in their self-will they hamstrung an ox).
Ephesians 4:26-27 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.
Ephesians 4:31-32 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel
So both Simeon and Levi were scattered, but one as a blessing and the other as a curse.
Vs 8-12 Judah: The scepter shall not depart from Judah.
8 “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. 11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise
Judah wasn’t a completely exemplary character.
He suggested a profit motive in getting rid of Joseph (Genesis 37:26).
He did not deal faithfully with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38:26), and he had sex with her as a prostitute (Genesis 38:18).
But he showed good character when he interceded and offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin (Genesis 44:18-34). Overall, this blessing is an example of the richness of God’s grace to the undeserving.
In a powerful way, this prophecy over Judah is a description of Judah’s greatest descendant: Jesus Christ. “The dying patriarch was speaking of his own son Judah; but while speaking of Judah he had a special eye to our Lord, who sprang from the tribe of Judah. Everything therefore which he says of Judah, the type, he means with regard to our greater Judah, the antitype, our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)
You are he whom your brothers shall praise…as a lion…the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet…to Him shall be the obedience of the people
Each of these refer to the ruling position Judah will have among his brethren. He inherited the leadership aspect of the firstborn’s inheritance. This leadership position among his brothers meant that the eventual kings of Israel would come from Judah and that the Messiah – God’s ultimate leader – would eventually come from the tribe of Judah.
In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Until Shiloh comes:
“The leadership prophecy took some 640 years to fulfill in part with the reign of David, first of Judah’s dynasty of kings. The prophecy took some 1600 years to completely fulfill in Jesus. Jesus is referred to as Shiloh, the name meaning, He whose right it is or to Whom it belongs and a title anciently understood to speak of the Messiah.”
Binding his donkey to the vine:
An image of wealth without reason. You wouldn’t tie a donkey to a grape vine as the vine would break, and the donkey would be loosed. “Wreckless abandon”.
Vs 13 Zebulun: A haven for ships.
13 “Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.
Zebulun:
The tribe of Zebulun was noted for its faithfulness to David, supplying the largest number of soldiers to David’s army of any single tribe.
He shall become a haven for ships:
The tribe of Zebulun seems to have settled the piece of land sitting between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee.
Vs 14-15 Issachar: A strong donkey.
14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.
Issachar is a strong donkey:
Issachar was the 3rd largest tribe
And became a band of slaves:
Because of their population size, they were targeted by foreign armies to serve as slaves.
Vs 16-18 Dan: A serpent by the way.
15 He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.
16 “Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
Dan shall judge his people:
The tribe of Dan did judge his people, the most prominent judge was Samson.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way:
A troublesome tribe that introduced idolatry into Israel.
Dan became a center of idol worship in Israel.
I have waited for your salvation, O LORD:
The Hebrew word for salvation is “yeshuwah.”
Yeshua is the Hebrew name of JESUS.
Literally Jacob was crying out for GOD’s Salvation, for the Messiah, for JESUS.
Vs 19 Gad: He shall triumph at last.
19 “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.
The tribe of Gad supplied troops for King David.
A troop shall tramp upon him:
The tribe of Gad supplied troops for King David.
He shall triumph at last:
Many times, Gad was oppressed by foreign armies, yet he was destined to victory in the end.
SPURGEON “This has been the blessing of many a child of God – to fight, and apparently to lose the battle, yet to win it at the end.”
Vs 20 Asher: He shall yield royal dainties.
20 “Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
Bread from Asher shall be rich:
He shall yield royal dainties: (sounds like something King James might say in his time)
The land to be occupied by Asher was full of luxuries.
Vs 21 Naphtali: He gives goodly words.
21 “Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.
Naphtali: Naphtali’s land was in a key portion near the Sea of Galilee, the region where Jesus did much of His teaching and ministry.
Matthew 4:12-16
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
He uses beautiful words:
Because so much of the ministry of Jesus took place in the region of Naphtali, this was fittingly said of him. GOOD NEWS MESSAGE TO ALL!
Vs 22-26 Joseph: A fruitful bough.
22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. 23 The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), 25 By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
Joseph is a fruitful bough:
Joseph’s life would bear much fruit. Blessing.
The archers have bitterly grieved him:
Though Joseph was shot at and hated, he was still a fruitful bough.
This was because the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob.
The idea is that God’s hands were on Joseph’s hands, giving him strength and skill to work the bow expertly. God was there, even when Joseph did not know it.
The Almighty who will bless you:
Joseph was blessed in his successors. He received a double portion of blessings.
The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors:
From a deceiver, a liar and a scoundrel, now at the end of his days, Jacob saw how good God was to him in forgiveness and love.
The Mighty God of Jacob: In his words about Joseph, Jacob listed five great titles for God. These titles show that Jacob did come to an understanding of who God is.
· The Mighty God of Jacob
· The Shepherd
· The Stone of Israel
· The God of your father
· The Almighty
Vs 27 Benjamin: a ravenous wolf.
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.”
Benjamin is a ravenous wolf:
This was the tribe with a reputation for fierceness.
He shall devour the prey:
Cruelty was a general them for this tribe.
Vs 28 Jacob concludes his blessing of the sons.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.
And he blessed them…Each one according to his own blessing:
Each son and each tribe had their own calling and destiny. And yet, the PROMISE remained, they would survive the challenges they would face and rise up from their time of troubles in Egypt.
Jacob’s Death and Burial
Vs 29-32 Jacob makes his sons promise to bury him in Canaan.
9 Then he charged them and said to them: “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.”
I am to be gathered to my people:
Jacob was confident that his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham continued to live in the eternal state, and that he would be gathered to them.
Bury me with my fathers:
Though Jacob was now in Egypt, he knew he was not an Egyptian.
He was a son of the promise, an heir of God’s covenant with Abraham. His desire was to be buried in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by GOD’s covenant.
In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah:
Jacob could have been buried in Egypt like a Pharaoh. But he wanted to be buried in a cave in Canaan, the land of promise.
Vs 33 The death of Jacob.
33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Breathed his last:
GOD gives us breath, and when we die, we give that breath back to HIM.
When Jacob had finished commanding his sons:
Jacob did not die until he delivered his last words to his 12 sons.
And was gathered to his people:
A grand reunion with his loved ones gone before.
JACOB in his last hours spoke a blessing over his sons. That blessing became very evident in each of his sons, and their descendants.
James tells us that our words can be either blessing or curse. And we should choose blessing.
Jacob’s words spoken over his sons prophetically impacted the future of their families.
POINT: Perhaps there are things in the past that aren’t so good, that we are experiencing in our lives, and see in our families.
Breaking Generational Curses is a real thing.
But even better, is understanding Abraham’s Blessing and Jacob and the Birthright.
Abraham’s blessing would bring blessing to all nations. JESUS CHRIST.
And as to Jacob and the Birthright, as believers in JESUS CHRIST, we have that Birthright to the Blessings of GOD THE FATHER.
We then can receive the Blessing of our HEAVENLY FATHER.
This is the Blessing promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
This Blessing is JESUS. And that blessing comes with a Hope and a Future.
2024.12.08. OUR BIRTHRIGHT AND THE FATHER’S BLESSING
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Believers are given the “BIRTHRIGHT” in JESUS CHRIST, GOD’s Only Begotten Son. And WITH that Birthright, comes the FATHER’s Blessings.
Having gone through the Book of Genesis this past year 2024, we learned about Jacob and the Birthright and Blessing. The birthright normally is for the first born, but in Jacob’s case, and also Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, we see the younger receiving the birthright blessing.
As believers in CHRIST JESUS, the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the FATHER, that “Birthright” is passed down to anyone who believes in HIM, JESUS, YESHUA. And the ultimate “Blessing”, is to have everlasting Life. GOD’s WORD is full of Promises and Blessings, that HE bestows upon HIS CHILDREN. As a CHILD of GOD, we can also receive of those Blessings. And it can be as simple as asking…
Scriptures: John 3:16, Genesis 26:24, Numbers 6:22-27, Ephesians 1:3, Matthew 5:3-12, 1 Chronicles 4:10, Psalms 103:1-5, Matthew 25:34, Psalms 112:1-2, Matthew 7:11
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Genesis 26:24 That night the Lord appeared to Isaac, and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don't be afraid, because I am with you. I will bless you and increase the number of your descendants for my servant Abraham's sake.”
Numbers 6:22-27
22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 “The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Ephesians 1:3 Blessing and Praise be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.
Matthew 5:3-12 JESUS blessed us when HE said…“blessed are those who…”
• recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. (vs 3)
• mourn. They will be comforted. (vs 4)
• are gentle. They will inherit the earth. (vs 5)
• hunger and thirst for God's approval. They will be satisfied. (vs 6)
• show mercy. They will be treated mercifully. (vs 7)
• thoughts are pure. They will see God. (vs 8)
• make peace. They will be called God's children. (vs 9)
• are persecuted for doing what God approves of. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.(vs 10)
• When people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me. (vs 11)
• Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways. (Vs 12)
1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez asked and prayed to the God of Israel, “Please bless me and give me more territory. May your power be with me and free me from evil so that I will not be in pain.” God gave him what he prayed for.
Psalms 103:1-5
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Psalms 112:1-2 1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man that fears the LORD, that delights greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Let’s Pray,
Thank YOU FATHER, for YOUR infinite Mercy and Grace endures for all time and beyond. YOU alone are our FATHER and in CHRIST, YOU have called us YOUR SONS and DAUGHTERs, YOUR CHILDREN. Thank YOU FATHER for BEING our FATHER, who we can call upon at any moment, any instance, any place and time for help, healing, correction, direction, discernment, wisdom and understanding. We know that (James 1:17) “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights” Every blessing comes from YOU FATHER. And we need and depend on YOU for everything. We ask that YOU would bless us FATHER with every Heavenly and Spiritual Blessing. Pour out YOUR SPIRIT upon us. Bless us with the POWER of YOUR PRESENCE to overflow us to impact those around us. We desire more of YOU LORD GOD OUR FATHER, we desire that YOU would flow through us with YOUR blessings. We speak from YOUR WORD which blesses us. And we say, Blessed are YOU LORD GOD, King of the Universe. Let everything we do be a praise unto YOU. And we come before YOU FATHER, in Jesus Name, to ask, believe and receive of YOUR Blessing over us. Let it be so according to YOUR WORD, FATHER. Amen and amen.
Being Blessed and Be a Blessing.
Pastor Bill
