Hebrews 11:21 “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.”
He stopped WRESTLING with God and Started WORSHIPPING GOD.
By faith, Jacob finished well! He stopped WRESTLING with God and started WORSHIPPING God. The story of Jacob begins in Genesis 25 with the birth of him and his twin Esau to Rebekah and Isaac. Jacob’s story is then woven through the rest of the book of Genesis, concluding in Genesis 49:33, which says, “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.”
As we look at our verse from Hebrews 11:21, we see that just before he would die, he would not just command his sons but would bless Joseph, whom he had for years thought was dead, and, AND he was able to bless the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, his grandsons!
What a moment that must have been to bless Joseph and his grandsons! For the longest time, he only had a memory of a most precious and cherished son that left him struggling – shall we say, wrestling with the promises of God. There came the point with Jacob that he hit rock bottom as not only was Joseph “dead” but his beloved wife Rachel had earlier died giving birth, and he presently was in a famine. After his sons went to get grain in Egypt, Simeon, his son, was kept as a prisoner. To get more grain, Benjamin has to go down to Egypt. In this low moment, Jacob cried out in anguish, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.” Genesis 42:36
Let 4 words and then 6 words sink in: YOU HAVE BEREAVED ME!
ALL THESE THINGS ARE AGAINST ME.
That is the mind of Jacob in Genesis 42:36. God has bereaved him, or God had ROBBED him, as that is what the word bereaved means. From the standpoint of Jacob, God has robbed him, and EVERYTHING IS AGAINST HIM!
Now at the end of his life, he is seeing both Joseph and his grandsons, and he tells them as he blesses them that God is the One “who has fed me all my life long to this day.” (Genesis 48:15)
Please don’t miss the keyword spoken in Hebrews 11:21 as you read “AND WORSHIPED!” What a great ending for Jacob! While his story is filled with wondering about God, even being very upset and wrestling with God, it ends with him WORSHIPING!!
And you too can have a great ending! Know that what you see today happening in your life is not the whole story. While Jacob was thinking all things were against him, God was working all things out for his good! So keep trusting God!
Finish Well by FAITH!
Continue Strong, believing that God is WORKING ALL THINGS OUT FOR HIS GLORY!
And remember to DATE THE WORD!