As Jacob continued his prophecy concerning Joseph he said: “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.” Jacob in his life had proved the goodness of a patient and sympathetic God who had bestowed blessings far beyond what his forefathers had known, and he was happy to speak of it. Now he confidently consigned to Joseph the same blessings, even though he knew Joseph would continue as one “separate from his brethren.” This again reminds us how Joseph foreshadowed the One who was in all purity “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” in His pathway.
To bring to a close this long and enlightening revelation concerning his sons was the father’s final act, a glorious finish to his life which the Word of God has recorded in such detail. The character of each son, communicated to following generations, became evident in each family even when in later years the twelve tribes grew to a great nation numbering millions.
When we consider the great differences in each brother and realize that their characteristics were hand down from father to son through all their generations, we can see it was God’s grace alone that made them in any degree a unified people. Perhaps we can thus more readily understand the failures of that great company in later years. When their hearts were right before God and they were obedient to His Word they prospered in spite of weakness, and He blessed them abundantly. But when they looked upon one another and when every man “did that which was right in his own eyes,” quarreling, confusion and unhappiness always resulted.
Moses tells us later that God loved these men and their descendants in spite of what they were and their frequent display of folly: “Because He loved thy fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in His sight with His mighty power.” Deuteronomy 4:3737And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; (Deuteronomy 4:37). Nor have God’s ways changed through the succeeding years. “I am the Lord, I change not,” was His word to His people in Malachi’s day.
That same Word declares to us now: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Though “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” yet He “commands all men everywhere to repent,” and invites them to come and accept His pardon, forgiveness, and eternal life through faith in the work and Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. “That the prose by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Galatians 3:2222But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (Galatians 3:22).
ML 02/11/1968