"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff."
{Hebrews 11:21} (NIV)
I love the faith perspective that Hebrews 11 brings to the narratives found in the Old Testament. It truly is “the rest of the story”!
In Genesis 47 we have the account of Jacob’s final days of his life in the country Egypt. He has been promised the land that was promised to his father and his grandfather, and yet he is dying in a land far from the promise. So what does this man Jacob do? He acts out of belief in the promise of his God and blesses each of his sons, with prophetic blessings that speak of their roles in the Promised Land. Then he gets his son Joseph (whom he loves) to promise him that he would bury his body in the promised land and not in Egypt. Abraham was buried in Canaan, Isaac was buried in Canaan and Jacob is determined to be buried in this land that was promised.
Joseph promised his father that he would carry his body back, and the response of Jacob is to worship. There was no organ, or praise team, or even a record of a song that was sung. No, there was an old man who was breathing his last breath, and yet when he saw that his son would honour his faith, he worshiped his great God. He bowed his head and his heart before the Only True God who alone has the ability to keep His promises to the generations to come, and worshiped Him alone. That is a life finishing well!
In Genesis 47 we have the account of Jacob’s final days of his life in the country Egypt. He has been promised the land that was promised to his father and his grandfather, and yet he is dying in a land far from the promise. So what does this man Jacob do? He acts out of belief in the promise of his God and blesses each of his sons, with prophetic blessings that speak of their roles in the Promised Land. Then he gets his son Joseph (whom he loves) to promise him that he would bury his body in the promised land and not in Egypt. Abraham was buried in Canaan, Isaac was buried in Canaan and Jacob is determined to be buried in this land that was promised.
Joseph promised his father that he would carry his body back, and the response of Jacob is to worship. There was no organ, or praise team, or even a record of a song that was sung. No, there was an old man who was breathing his last breath, and yet when he saw that his son would honour his faith, he worshiped his great God. He bowed his head and his heart before the Only True God who alone has the ability to keep His promises to the generations to come, and worshiped Him alone. That is a life finishing well!
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