Drew Boswell

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“The Importance of Bible Study” Misc. Scriptures

The Importance of Bible Study

Misc. Scriptures

Introduction

When my children were younger a neighbor of ours invited my children to a birthday party at Adventure Park in New Market, Maryland.  We rode go-carts, ate birthday cupcakes, and sang happy birthday.  As part of the birthday the parents of the birthday child gave us a swipe card to go and play video games.

Kimberly went with Joshua and Hannah-Grace, and Isaac, and I went with Caleb.  Caleb loves video games but his attention span then won’t let him play for more than minute per game.  So we would swipe his card, he would play for about a minute, and just take off.  So on one of the games he did this with was dance revolution.

Well after swiping the games and then running, I started playing the games instead.  On dance revolution you chose the style of music and the skill level.  Arrows float up the screen and are colored coded so you know where to put your feet.  So I started out on level one (which looks like this), then I went to level two (which looks like this), and then level three – now with level three, you have to throw in one of these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2IammLWeNE (8:27-8:55)

Our spiritual habits will help you grow closer in your walk with the LORD.  Did you know that who we are and who we will become are based on habits and commitments that we have made or will make?

There are many Christians who desire to grow spiritually but they just simply do not know how, or where to begin.  They may even find themselves in a cycle of sin and asking for forgiveness only to return to same sin over and over – How do we break this cycle?

Bible Study God is like Dance Revolution, you start slow, and learn the moves, then you can go faster and faster – but many want to start on level 10, and they get lost (like studying Revelation or Leviticus, when they may need to start with the gospel of John).

You begin your time with Jesus by having good habits that will change who you are over time. With any relationship, time spent together is very important.  Back in July of 1997 I married a beautiful young woman named Kimberly Sue Roberts, but what if I told you the only time we ever talked or saw each other was Easter and Christmas, maybe Mother’s Day – how would describe our marriage?

If it has been that long since you have spent time in God’s Word, then your relationship with him is just as bad. And Communication, openly talking with others is just as important as being there. God desires to talk to us, spend time with us.  Some of you may say “I have a habit already – I’m here at church, just about every week.”  That’s great! And it’s part of the steps we encourage with our 4 G’s (Gather– worship service attendance, Grow – be in a small group in community, Give – financially and in service, and Go – take the gospel outside the walls of the church and engage the community), but to grow with the Lord we also need these habits we will look at over the next few weeks.

You may ask, “Why should I want to study my Bible?”  Because we become like the people that we hang out with.  We begin to take on some characteristic of the people that we surround ourselves with.

We are also having this Simplify series because we want you to learn some skills so that you can do these things on your own. So let’s say today we are having a fellowship meal after church, and I was in charge of the food – but the only time you ate again was next Sunday when I made mac-n-cheese again?  Would you be healthy?  Spiritual growth is not about coming and being fed, it’s learning to feed yourself, on your own. You learning to cook something other than mac-n-cheese, everyday.

Let’s Pray – Jesus we thank you that you are willing to wait for us.  You are the Creator and sustainer of all of creation, and you want to spend time with us.  That was why you died on the cross, not so that we can do stuff for you – but so that we can talk and grow in our relationship.  Show us this morning how we can deepen this relationship and grow to become more like you.  Amen.

Why Should I Spend Time In His Word?

So That We May Grow Up

1 Peter 2:2-5 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

You do not have to have a newborn home for very long before you realize what this word crave means.  They will scream, wiggle, flail, they will do all that they can to get milk.  Every three to four hours a timer goes off inside the child and you had best not ignore it.  Does a timer go off in your heart?

This verse says that we should crave God’s Word – but to be honest it is an acquired taste.    3 types of Quiet Times– There’s the caster oil quiet time – yuck, but good for what ails you. Then there’s the shredded wheat quiet time – nourishing but dry.  Then there’s the strawberries and cream quiet time – delicious can’t get enough, time flies, etc… How do you go from caster oil to strawberries-n-cream?  You spend time with God everyday.

Psalm 19:9-10 “the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

Notice in the 1 Peter passage it says “so that by it you may grow” not “so that you may know.” We spend time with God and study His word so that we may change.  Spending time with God is not about knowing more about Him, that’s great, but it’s knowing and changing.  Taking what we know and applying it to our lives.

We have the Bible not to satisfy our curiosity, but to help us conform to the image of Christ.  Not to give us loopholes to sin, but to make us like our Savior.  It’s not about facts, but transformation.

The Prince of Granada, the heir to the Spanish crown was sentenced to life in solitary confinement in Madrid’s ancient prison called the Place of the Skull.  The fearful, dirty, and dreary nature of the place earned it the name.  Everyone knew that once you were in, you would never come out alive.  The Prince was given one book to read the entire time – the Bible.  With only one book to read, he read it over hundreds and hundreds of times.  This book became his constant companion.  After 33 years of imprisonment, he died.  When they came in to clean out his cell, they found some notes he had written using nails to mark the soft stone in the prison walls.

The notations were as follows. Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the Bible.  Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except the letter “J.”  The ninth verse in the eighth chapter of Esther is the longest verse in the Bible.  No name or word of more than six syllables can be found in the entire Bible.  For all we know about this prince, he never made any commitment to Christ or had any religious experience, but he became an expert in Bible trivia.   Reading the Bible is not enough, learning is not enough, spiritual growth is about a change in our lives.

The analogy between a human baby and a spiritual baby breaks down when we realize how each baby matures.  A human baby is fed by his parents and growth is natural.  But a baby Christian will only grow as much as he or she  purposefully reads and obeys and applies the Word to his life.  Growth is up to him.

So That We May Mature

Hebrews 5:11-14 “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

The key word in this passage is “time,” by this time – Spiritual growth takes time.  You cannot implement the various spiritual disciplines that we are going to talk about and one week later become a mature Christian.

This passage shows that time does not make you a mature Christian.  Unlike natural growth, spiritual growth requires a concerted and constant effort.  There are many people who wrongly assume that just because they have been Christians for many years automatically makes them a mature Christian.  I have seen youth outgrow their parent’s spiritually because of the effort they put into it.

When we do not have a steady intake of God’s Word we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over.  Paul says that someone has to teach them “the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”

Who is mature? Those who “by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” If we are immature in our faith, then someone else has to show us the ABC’s of Christianity – over and over and over…..

 Have you guys ever been to a restaurant that has a buffet?  The kind where someone stands behind the counter and dips the food out for you and hands it to you on plate or bowl?  Well Kimberly and I went to this one restaurant and I asked for some chicken, some fried okra, some corn bread muffins, some peach cobbler – then we got to the end of the line and there was this vat of disgusting looking ooze. I asked “what is that?” and the lady responded this is food that has already been chewed up and spit back into this container – in case you don’t want to chew it yourself.

 The mature Christian is the person who says, I want to chew on God’s Word myself – they are willing to spend time with God past the milk stage and want the steak, the meat. Spiritual maturity is all about application– applying God’s word to your life and coming back for more.

 Another way of thinking of spiritual maturity is to be “built up.”  Acts 20:32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” We are learning more about God, applying his truth to our lives, and therefore we grow and are built up into the person he desires for us to become.

God’s Word takes us to places we never thought we could or would.   He takes us on a journey that has twists and curves and is anything but predictable.  You are moving from one point to another, you are taking steps, moving toward becoming like Christ.

 So That We May Be Effective

 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The Bible “is useful” for four things – first for teaching.  The bible teaches us how to think, what we should believe.  If we are not thinking correctly, then we are not living correctly.  Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Secondly the Bible tells us when we have “crossed the line.”  It is useful for rebuking us when we are doing wrong.  It tells us what sin is. It tells you what God’s plan is for your life and where you have gone astray.

Third, it is useful for correcting – it tells us of Christ and how our sins may be forgiven.  He doesn’t just tell we were wrong, but it tells us how to get back in a right way of living. And Fourthly, “training in righteousness” – the Bible shows us how to live.

 A five-step plan for what to do when you have your quiet time:

 Start with prayer. Ask God to prepare you to meet with Him. If there is something in your life that you know displeases Him, confess it. Let Him forgive you so that nothing will hinder your communion together.

Read a specific passage of Scripture–perhaps a chapter or two. If you are not very familiar with the Bible, you may wish to start with the New Testament. Many people think that the Gospel of John is a good place to start. Perhaps you would enjoy reading one or two of the Psalms every day.

Meditate on it for a while after you have read a passage. Think about what you read, and ask yourself what it means. What does God want you to do? Remember, even though you may not understand all you read in the Bible, you can still obey what you do understand.

Write down questions about the passage as you read. It is good to write down the things you learn and the questions you have. Later you can search out the answers from someone who knows the subject or Bible commentaries. You can ask the question, “what did this teach me about God?” and “what did this teach me about myself?”

Journaling is simply writing your thoughts and reflections about your life and relationship with the Lord in a notebook. Spend some time writing your thoughts as you spend time with God in His word and prayer. It can be as simple as writing what’s on your heart.

You can write about what God is teaching you in your Bible reading time. You can also write about how you are feeling and struggling with. Develop the habit of writing. This habit reinforces what God is trying to tell you in your mind and heart. I believe it is part of a good quiet time because it is a way for you to remember what God is revealing to you during that time.

Finally, respond and take action. Respond with praise and thanksgiving – “I praise you God for…..” Respond in repentance and confession – “I confess my sin of ……”  Respond by asking for guidance – “Lord, lead me today by…..”
Respond with obedience – “I will obey you in……”

 Conclusion

I have discovered that anything that is an “ought” in my life I will always be a failure at, for “ought” is a lousy motivator.  Anything that is an “ought” I may in time do.  I will do it out of compulsion, guilt, or duty – it will do it begrudgingly but I won’t do it often.

There are many of who understand our salvation to be in terms that Jesus has saved me so that I may serve Him.  Didn’t Jesus say, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  We become disciples of Christ, so that we may become His fishers of men (and we serve, and we work, and we toil).

What we miss is that Jesus’ invitation simply says, “Come, follow me,” – meaning to be in a relationship with Him.  Being a fisher of men was not the purpose of my salvation (it happens, it is an outcome) – but the relationship with Jesus, the following comes first.

We serve, and in our minds we “I ought to have a quiet time” “I ought to spend time with Him” — and we get burn out, and tired, and disillusioned by life, all the while we work, and serve, and toil – and Jesus says, I said “Come and follow me.”  Jesus invites us to a relationship first (service comes later as an outflow of the relationship).  He simply wants to know you, and for you to know Him.

He did not die, so that you can serve Him, he died so that, you can have a relationship with Him.  He doesn’t really need our help anyway, He’s God!

 

“You Paid How Much for That Tool?” Said Every Craftsman’s Wife

 

I recently purchased a cabinet maker’s rasp from Gramercy Tools. Here is the description of the rasp:

“These Gramercy Tools rasps are hand cut and you will be surprised not only by how fast they work, but by how smooth a surface they leave. Made of surgical grade stainless steel for a tough, long life with a brass ferruled wood handle. The lengths given are the approximate working length of the rasp. “Teeth coarseness” is the approximate number of teeth per inch of the rasp teeth. We have several sizes of rasps designed to cover a wide range of work. The shortest of the rasps is only 5″ long (working length) and is inspired by the long-gone Nicholson 55 – except ours is hand cut. The teeth go out to the edge, for a greater range of work. We have longer rasps with both coarser and finer teeth. The larger, finer rasps are ideal for making cabriole legs and other areas of sculpted furniture-making. The rasps are made in Pakistan, which has a long tradition of metalwork, by a single craftsman with very limited production who is working to our specifications. Sizes will come in an out of stock as supply permits. The handles are made in USA.”

The rasps made by Nicholson are good quality and well-made, but they are mass produced, as opposed to a Pakistan craftsman laboring to hand make each rasp sold by Gramercy. The difference is the process of production and leaves the consumer with a slightly different teeth pattern on the rasp. When the customer runs the rasp over the wood, the handmade rasp does not leave grooves or discernable pattern that needs to be sanded out.

So the question we ask then is, “how refined do you need to be in your work?” Your answer will determine which rasp is best for you. For example, if you are making an axe handle for rough work, then the Nicholson rasp is appropriate. But if you want to make a “cabriole legs and other areas of sculpted furniture” then it will save you time and effort in production if you don’t have to go back and remove teeth grooves and marks from the work. What you need to determine is the tolerance for detail in what you want to produce.

 How good is good enough?

How much attention to detail does the work need to be seen as excellent or superior while at the same time not too much so that resources and money are foolishly wasted?

Many times, when the person goes the extra step or spends the extra time he/she is considered a better craftsman. Sometimes, too much time is spent on details that causes you to lose money and time; it ends up being wasteful. There is even a name for people who over emphasize details unnecessarily, obsessive compulsive. For example, washing one’s hands once is good enough, but these individuals may wash their hands four, five or many times more to get them “clean.”

The other side of this is laziness; this is doing less than is typically expected or desired. No one wants to be considered obsessive to the point of foolishness nor does one want to be considered lazy in their work. Some wood workers would say that a Gramercy rasp is unnecessary and expensive when you could just as easily have a Nicholson rasp for much less. They both do the same thing (take wood off of a surface). So, is the end result really worth it? Grooves to sand out, or no grooves to save time.

I guess for me a good craftsman can produce an excellent product or service, in an efficient and timely manner, with little waste (time or materials), so that he/she can charge a fee that is reasonable for their time, materials, and market price while supporting his family.

Wisdom for the Craftsman

Wisdom helps us make this decision. Wisdom is “the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding”[1] Most of the historical cultures valued and wrote about wisdom (Egyptians, Sumerians, Greeks, Romans, etc.).  But, “the biblical concept of wisdom is quite different from the classical view of wisdom, which sought through philosophy and human rational thought to determine the mysteries of existence and the universe. The first principle of biblical wisdom is that people should humble themselves before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His commands.”[2] Even the wisest man of all time, Solomon, at the end of his life, turned from God and began to make foolish (unwise) decisions.

So, I submit to you the following questions to ask before buying any tool for your trade:

  • Have you prayed and talked with God about the purchase of a particular tool? (Specifically, discussing the cost of the tool, and how it will affect your family) Will it please the Lord for you to buy a tool or piece of equipment if it means placing your family in an economic hardship? Or is it an investment to make things better for your family?

 

  • Does the purchase of this tool keep you from doing others things financially that should come first? You could use a credit card to purchase this tool, but that does not help you get out of debt. Can you honestly afford the tool?

 

  • Are you being prideful in the purchase of this tool (either self-congratulatory, or self-righteous in how you saved money, or displaying your “gentlemen’s tools” so others can see them as opposed to actually using them in your craft)?

 

  • It’s ok to have something nice. There is the saying, “Buy once, cry once” which means to buy the best quality as you can financially, and it will last you longer and provide better results (and may be cheaper in the long run because you don’t have to keep replacing the tool).

Whatever decision you make (Nicholson or Gramercy) good luck with your craft, and I hope you the best. Craftsmanship is a lifelong endeavor with many lessons to learn. Just don’t ever stop making stuff.

___________________

[1] Ronald F. Youngblood, General Editor, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tennessee; Nelson Publishing, 1995) 1316.

[2] Ibid.

“The Father Who Blesses” Genesis 48

“Wilderness” The Life of Joseph

Sermon Series

Genesis 48

“The Father Who Blesses” 

Introduction

Seventeen years has passed since Jacob and Joseph’s brothers have settled in Goshen, Egypt. Joseph has returned to his duties as “second only to pharaoh,” but has left word to send for him if his father’s health changes. It was custom among the Hebrew people that before death, the patriarch would give a blessing to his children.

In Hebrews 11, what is often called the Faith Hall of Fame, the great leaders of God’s people are remembered, and they are introduced with the phrase, “by faith . . .” Hebrews 11:21 “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” What is it, that makes the blessing of Joseph’s sons an act of faith? “Jacob, being near to death, knew that he could not see the promise fulfilled. In faith he saw that Ephraim and Manasseh would not remain in Egypt but, departing with the Israelites, would be the founders of two tribes in Canaan.”[1] God’s people were about to enter into 400 years of slavery; Jacob gives them a true vision for a positive future. The tribes would return, Canaan would be a land promised to the tribes.

Prayer

Remembering the Promise of God (vv. 1-7).

After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And 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 company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’

5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

“As in the earlier patriarchal narratives, the blessing of the father is passed along to the next generation . . . The blessing was a gift bestowed to those who could not claim it as a right.”[2] It’s the gift of a future. “The blessing” is one generation passing on a positive future to the next generation.

Jacob’s remarks to his son and grandsons, as part of the blessing that is to come, begins with saying, “God Almighty,” The blessing upon your children for generations to come is the story of how God has worked in your life. “He wished his sons to have, as their last memory of him, the scene in which he gave God all the credit, all the glory. This would enable them to stand firm in the days of slavery and the furnace of judgment.”[3]

(v. 3) Jacob recounts the event of when God appeared to Him earlier in his life, “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,” God had made him a promise, and now Jacob is showing how God has now brought that promise to be. Just as Joseph’s dream came true, God in Jacob’s life will ultimately bring about all that he has promised. The blessing is a promise that will be fulfilled.

In his entire life there are two events that he brings up at this time of blessing – these would be what he wanted them to remember and know about him – 1) his vision at Bethel where God blessed him, and 2) the death of his beloved Rachel. These were the two things that made him what he was; the two influences that shaped his entire life (his relationship with God, and his wife).[4] When it’s time to die, these two stand out – faith and love.

(v. 5) Jacob says, “Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine.” – Joseph’s sons are taken into Jacob’s family and treated as his own. They, along with the other brothers, would inherit the promise of Abraham. Later, Ephraim and Manasseh would become very important tribes of Israel.

What is the promise of Abraham? Genesis 15:5-6 “And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

Galatians 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Abraham is linked to Isaac, who is linked to Jacob, who is linked to Joseph, etc… and those who by faith believe in Jesus Christ will inherit eternal life – they will receive the promise of eternal life.

Characteristics of A Blessing (vv. 8-22)

The Blessing of Physical Touch and Affection (vv. 8-14)

8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).

Jacob is 147 years old and his eye sight is gone, so Joseph brings his two sons close. Then Jacob kissed them, embraced them, then he placed his hands on their heads. All of this involves physical tough.

“In 1989 Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu was overthrown, and the world discovered that 170,000 children were being raised in Romania’s impoverished institutions. As the children’s plight became public, Fox, Nelson and Zeanah realized they had a unique opportunity to study the effects of early institutionalization.

The trio launched their project in 2000 and began by assessing 136 children who had been living in Bucharest’s institutions from birth. Then they randomly assigned half of the children to move into Romanian foster families, whom the researchers recruited and assisted financially. The other half remained in care as usual. The children ranged in age from 6 months to nearly 3 years, with an average age of 22 months.[5]

Over the subsequent months and years, the researchers returned to assess the development of the children in both settings. They also evaluated a control group of local children who had never lived in an institution.”[6] While Jacob’s embrace and kiss were ceremonial, they are a profound example to those wanting to bless the lives of those they love – physical touch and affection actually affects the person to the very wiring of their brain.

The Blessing of the Words of a Faithful Father

15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,[7] 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Jacob blesses Joseph his son, by in turn blessing his sons. The two sons who are being blessed are linked to the previous generations of men who walked with God in faith, “Abraham and Isaac (and now Jacob and Joseph).”

“let my name be carried on,” – Jacob identifies Joseph’s two sons as his own. They would receive the same inheritance Joseph and his brothers. He is saying, “you belong to me; you are one of us.” The boys never knew Canaan, they lived their entire lives in the palace in Egypt.

Genesis 43:17 “They served him (Joseph) by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.”[8] Genesis 46:33 “When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” There are two cultures clashing here – one of faith, and one of the world; Jacob as grandfather is saying to his grandsons, “We are the people of the one true God, and you are one of us.”

“let them grow into a multitude . . .” Words of affirmation are powerful. “The Pygmalion effect describes situations where someone’s high expectations improves our behavior and therefore our performance in a given area. It suggests that we do better when more is expected of us.”[9]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTghEXKNj7g&t=201s “The kids were smarter when they were expected to be smarter by their teachers.” (1:48 to 3:28)

Bruce Wilkerson in his book, The Seven Laws of a Learner gives a helpful template that someone wishing to speak positive words to a young person can use. He uses this formula in the context of helping a child grow in an area you want them to blossom in:

  1. Examine the person you want to blossom – watch for opportunities to speak to them about a behavior you wish to continue.
  2. Expose what the person did. “You just did _________.” You describe what you saw them do. (past)
  3. Describe your Emotion about what the person did. “That makes me feel __________.” You tell them how you feel about what they did. (present)
  4. Tell the person what you Expect of him in the future. “I believe you are becoming _________.” (future) “The real issue isn’t sharing your dream but finding his dreams!”
  5. Endear yourself to the person through appropriate touch.[10]

The Blessing is Not Based on Birth Order (vv. 17-20)

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since 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. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

 “Cain was older than Abel, but Abel’s sacrifice was preferred. Ismael was Abraham’s first-born son, but the voice of God said to Abraham, “through Isaac shall your offspring be named (21:12).” Esau was older of Isaac’s twin sons, but Jacob, not to Esau, was the promise given. In every instance, as men looked back, it appeared to them that the unseen Hand had been at work.”[11]

“Over and over in these narratives, the answer to the question “who receives the blessing,” has been the same. Receiving the blessing that God offers does not rest on one’s natural status in the world. On the contrary, the blessing is based solely on God’s grace.”[12] Who receives the blessing, is not the person who is supposed to receive it, according to the world.

 The Blessing Involved Remembering God’s Presence (vv. 21-22)

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

“In Genesis 28, after Jacob had been forced to leave home because of Esau, God appeared to him at Bethel and said, “I am with you” (v. 15). In chapter 31, where God appeared to Jacob to send him back to his own land from Haran, God said, “I will be with you (v. 3)” Two verses later, where Jacob is reflecting back over his experiences of God’s blessing at Haran, he says, “God . . . has been with me (v. 5).” He says the same thing in chapter 35: “God . . . has been with me wherever I have gone” (v.3).”[13] And here in chapter 48, on his deathbed Jacob takes these same truths and shares them with his son and grandsons.

There were times in Jacob’s life when he felt all alone, and it was God who was there to comfort him. “I am with you.” He know the generation needs to hear this, and to know from the experience of the previous generation that God keeps his promises, that God is with us. When Jacob was a trickster and deceiver – God was with him. When he rededicated his life in the wilderness God was with him. When he turned back to his old ways again, transitioning from numb heart to revitalized heart – God was with him. God’s presence was not dependent upon Jacob – God made a promise and He keeps His promises.

Every generation has to learn what it means to have faith and to trust God. The blessing we give to our children is to testify to them of the Lord’s faithfulness, grace, and mercy.

Also, the blessing of the next generation is so important because the people would have asked, “what are we to do, Abraham is dead?” “if Abraham dies, there is Isaac; and if Isaac dies, there is Jacob; and if Jacob dies, there is Joseph; and if Joseph dies, Ephraim and Manaseh survive. God is with us. He will always raise up champions for the next generation – let us invest in them, let us bless them.

How do we know that God is with us? As Jacob went through ups and downs, times of being faithful, and times when he went back to being “the deceiver,” there would have been times when he may have thought that God was with him no longer. But throughout his life, God kept coming back to him saying “I am with you.” If you are in a season of asking this same question, then look to the promises of God (who is forever faithful). Dueteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Take him at His word. We don’t base our faith on our feelings (as in it doesn’t feel like God is with me), but ours is a trust based on faith – taking Him at His word.

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[1] H. Orton Wiley, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Kansas City, Missouri; Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1984) 328.

[2] John H. Sailhamer, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 269.

[3] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1987) 248.

[4] George Arthur Buttrick, General Editor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1952) 814.

[5] Suggested reading for further study on the development of a child’s brain; Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, The Whole-Brain Child (New York, New York; Bantam Books) 2012.

[6] https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/06/neglect

[7] This is the first time that the image of God as a shepherd is mentioned (Boice, 257).

[8] Even though shepherds were considered an abomination to the Egyptians, Joseph had such an impact on their country that Jacob (his father) was able to bless the pharaoh, “And Jacob blessed Pharaoh . . .” Genesis 47:10.

[9] https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/the-pygmalion-effect

[10] Bruce Wilkerson, The Seven Laws of the Learner (Sisters, Oregon; Multnomah Publishing, 1992) 110.

[11] Buttrick, 815.

[12] Sailhamer, 272.

[13] Boice, 263.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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