Bible Study Online Article
In the last article we learned that Joseph was disappointed, after seeing that his father Jacob, was blessing Ephraim with his right hand, and Manasseh with his left. This was a problem in Joseph eyes, for the placement on the right was an indication, which signified some type of priority over the person that was placed on the left. So it was only natural that the oldest (which was Manasseh) be placed on that side, and Joseph had done this, but Jacob switch his hands and reversed the position of the two boys. Now the disappointment that Joseph had in this case, although noted within the Sacred Scriptures, wasn't anything major -- for Joseph humbled himself and allowed his father to finish blessing the boys. After all, both Ephraim and Manasseh was his sons, so either way, Joseph would get what, perhaps, he was expecting when he took the boys to see their grandfather before he passed from this earth. Joseph understood that the Abrahamic Covenant was more valuable then anything he could accomplish with the Egyptian Empire. For the Abrahamic Covenant was a promise, that God had given to Abraham and the future generations that were to come from him. Joseph wanted to know, if his sons would be apart of it. You would think that they would be, but we must not forget what had happened to Joseph. For he was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers, and so therefore, was lost and disconnected from Jacob's household for sometime. There was no way of knowing, where he actually stood, when it came to the future of Israel and the divine promise that was bestowed upon them. We must understand, that although Joseph was the first born unto his mother Rachel, he wasn't the first unto his father Jacob. Joseph's father had already had sons, born unto him through the likes of, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah -- before Joseph came along. One would figure, that this would make things, somewhat uncertain in the mind of Joseph, when it came to where he stood within Jacob's household and the Promise Covenant that was bestowed on Israel. Now stay with me here, for I'm pointing all of these things out, because it allows us to identify an expectancy that God is laying out before us. And this expectancy deals with the fact, that God is telling us, what's going to come within the next stage, in regards to the Sacred Scriptures and beyond. Understand that throughout the Sacred Scriptures, we find that God, constantly used His prophets to set the expectancy for the stage that was to come next. And time and time again, we find that expectancy being met and confirmed by the recording of its fulfillment throughout the Word of God. This is extremely important to us, for it shows that God always does what He says and He never lies, or play games. For we must not forget, that this Spirit that's found throughout the Sacred Scriptures, is the same Spirit that revealed a divine vision and experience, to the apostle John while he was exiled on the island of Patmos, which brought forth the book of prophecy called "Revelations." And within this book of prophecy, we find that God told him about the "end of days," and the "rise of the Antichrist," along with the "tribulation," and the "day of judgment," along with the "Second Coming of Christ," and the revealings of a "new heaven and new earth." Since God didn't lie when He spoke through the prophets of old, why would He lie now? With a one-hundred percent prophecy accuracy rate, and an unmatched track record that only the Bible holds, why would anybody go against it? Be as it may, it's only natural for us to have great expectations when it comes to the one true God. We make our mistake, when we place those expectations, within a package or an idea, on how we think those expectations might be met or delivered. When we do these types of things, we unknowingly place serious limitations on those very same expectations. And when those expectations aren't met, within the way that we thought they would be, we become disappointed. Then we make the mistake of being disappointed in God, when in fact, we should be disappointed with ourselves, for places limits on our perception, in regards to what's coming next. And now, because of the limited perception we have adopted, we are no longer, able to see far enough down the path that God has us on, to be able to see Him reacting and interacting within our daily lives. We also hold the same honorable position with God, just like the prophets of old did. But our position is made available through the shedding of Christ's blood, and we must accept Him as our personal Saviour in order for us to be able to benefit from the divine blueprint that God lays out in the Sacred Scriptures. Understand, without accepting Christ, there's no real connection to the one true God, there's no real connection to the Holy Spirit. Christ brings us into the "Blood Covenant" and opens the door to the great expectations of benefits that comes along with it. Our journey throughout the Sacred Scriptures, reminds us of God's promises. This journey allows us to see how God moves and reacts on a personal level. Exploring God's Testament to mankind, opens up our minds to the hidden blueprint of purpose that he designed within us. Now don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with the limited concept of self-empowerment; but everything to do with, knowing who you are; and giving credit to the One that created you, and recognizing the bridge; or the door -- that's been brought forth, through the shedding of Jesus' blood, and because of this sacrifice; we are able, through the great examples and invaluable experiences; that are found throughout the Word of God -- to maximize our full potential, to serve the true purpose; that the good Lord has given to us all. And this is what we learned, about Joseph's expectation, and how he thought it would come. And perhaps, he received more than what he expected: "Then Israel (Jacob) said to Joseph, 'I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.'" Might not seem like much, but what we just read, is Jacob basically telling Joseph, not to put too much stock into Egypt. Even though things were going great for Joseph and his household, and things were also well for the Israel nation as a whole. Jacob wanted to remind Joseph; that their stay in Egypt, would only be temporarily. For they will, one day, return back to the promise land, that God had given them. Also within in this blessing, we learned that Jacob officially made Joseph's household the new bearers of the Promise Covenant, for Joseph's sons would be awarded one portion more, than the rest of Jacob's sons. Joseph's son Ephraim would hold the top seat while Israel dwelled in the wilderness. Ephraim through Joshua; would lead them back into the promise land. Ephraim through the household of Jeroboam; would rule the Northern Kingdom (the ten tribes) after the house of David was split after the death of Solomon. Sure, Joseph had expectations, but even he, couldn't fathom the unexpected that God was bringing his way. We will take a closer look at God's Promise Covenant, not just with Israel, but with humanity as well. We will take a quick look, on how God made his first Promise Covenant with Adam and humanity, and how it continued on to this very day and beyond.
Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty **YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE**
102) Jacob the Stunned & Delighted 105) Israel's Blessing to Pharaoh 107) The Promise Between Father & Son 108) Jacob Becomes Ill 109) Jacob Adds Manasseh and Ephraim 110) Ephraim Placed Before Manasseh 111) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 112) The Promise Covenant with Humanity 113) The Prophecy of Reuben, Simeon and Levi 115) The Tribe of Kings 116) Representation of the Scepter 117) The Importance of the Sanhedrin 118) The Gathering of the People  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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