Title: Family Futures
Series: Genesis (57)
Scripture: Genesis 49
Author: Robert Dawson
A popular scene in movies depicts family and friends gathered in a large room, usually the living room or study of some recently deceased wealthy individual, with a lawyer standing in front of them holding the person's last will and testament. Everyone in the room, seated or standing, struggle to show sadness because they are anxious to see how much this rich relative or friend left them. Then, as the attorney reads the will, there is always a twist. Instead of leaving his estate to members of the family, the estate is left to the cat, the maid, or the gardener.
In Genesis 49 a family has gathered to hear the last will and testament of their patriarch, Jacob. Instead of a lawyer or executor of the will relaying the last words of the deceased, Jacob, who is moments away from death speaks personally and directly to his sons. What he says, to me, is a bit unexpected. It has a twist to it.
Jacob is not giving a breakdown of percentages, how much each son will inherit in terms of finances, flocks. He is not distributing family heirlooms and determining who gets grandpa's tools or granny's hand-stitched quilt.
Jacob, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaking from decades upon decades of observing and interacting with his sons, blesses his sons and tells them what the future holds for their families, for their individual tribes that will one day comprise the nation of Israel.
It is not an expansive and detailed prophecy for each son but a cryptic glimpse into what lay before them.
While we cannot know all that Jacob's poetic words or prophecy means for each son because we don't have the full detailed account of every aspect of Israel's history or that of each individual tribe there are some lessons we can walk away with for our lives, lessons that can impact our futures and that of our children.
While we will not look at each son, I want to start out by reading wh ...
Series: Genesis (57)
Scripture: Genesis 49
Author: Robert Dawson
A popular scene in movies depicts family and friends gathered in a large room, usually the living room or study of some recently deceased wealthy individual, with a lawyer standing in front of them holding the person's last will and testament. Everyone in the room, seated or standing, struggle to show sadness because they are anxious to see how much this rich relative or friend left them. Then, as the attorney reads the will, there is always a twist. Instead of leaving his estate to members of the family, the estate is left to the cat, the maid, or the gardener.
In Genesis 49 a family has gathered to hear the last will and testament of their patriarch, Jacob. Instead of a lawyer or executor of the will relaying the last words of the deceased, Jacob, who is moments away from death speaks personally and directly to his sons. What he says, to me, is a bit unexpected. It has a twist to it.
Jacob is not giving a breakdown of percentages, how much each son will inherit in terms of finances, flocks. He is not distributing family heirlooms and determining who gets grandpa's tools or granny's hand-stitched quilt.
Jacob, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaking from decades upon decades of observing and interacting with his sons, blesses his sons and tells them what the future holds for their families, for their individual tribes that will one day comprise the nation of Israel.
It is not an expansive and detailed prophecy for each son but a cryptic glimpse into what lay before them.
While we cannot know all that Jacob's poetic words or prophecy means for each son because we don't have the full detailed account of every aspect of Israel's history or that of each individual tribe there are some lessons we can walk away with for our lives, lessons that can impact our futures and that of our children.
While we will not look at each son, I want to start out by reading wh ...
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