FAMOUS LAST WORDS

GENESIS 49

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. OH WHAT A GATHERING! [v. 1-2]

1. Gathered that Jacob could bless by faith [Gn. 48, Heb. 11:21]

2. Gathered that Jacob could tell by faith [v. 1]

3. Gathered that they could respond by faith [v. 2]

II. IN TIMES LIKE THESE [v. 3-28]

Leah's sons

1. Reuben [v. 3-4]

- lost the blessing & birthright of firstborn [35:22]
- no leaders (prophets, priests, kings, or judges), didn't respond to call [Ju. 5:15-16]

2. & 3. Simeon & Levi [v. 5-7]

- Simeon was mainly incorporated into Judah [Josh. 19:1] though some scattered elsewhere
- Levi was spread out throughout the other tribes as a priestly tribe (focused zeal by grace)

4. Judah [v. 8-12]

- leadership of the nation 600+ years later... never to end
- leadership by the Messiah... never to end (Rev. 5;5)
- leadership by identity- "Jew" is a derivative of Judah

5. Zebulon [v. 13]

- the ministry of the Haven of Rest was often centered there Mt. 4:13-17, 11:23-30

6. Issachar [v. 14-15]

- bearing the burden of peacetime (crops) & War [I Chr. 12:32]

sons of Bilhah & Zilpah

7. Dan [v. 16-18]

- small but deadly, infamous for idolatry, but salvation is in Yeshuah

8. Gad [v. 19, Josh. 22:1-6, Dt. 33:20] great warriors

9. Asher [v. 20] area of delicacies

10. Naphtali [v. 21] goodly words of Barak (Judges 5) & Christ (Mt. 4:13-17)

sons of Rachel

11. Joseph [v. 22-26]

- recounts his personal history
- Ephraim produced Joshua, Deborah & Samuel
- Manasseh produced Gideon & Jephthah

12. Benjamin [v. 27]

- bold & strong but sometimes cruel & voracious
- Judges 20, produced King Saul, Abner, Shemei, Saul of Tarsus (changed by grace)

III. FAITH IS THE VICTORY [v. 28-33]

1. Faith in God's grace [v. 28]

2. Faith in Heaven [v. 29a]

3. Faith in God's Word [v. 29b-32]

4. Faith Rewarded [v. 33, Lk. 16:22, II Cor. 5:6-8]