49:1
Jacob knows that his time of death is near, so he calls his sons and will pronounce a “blessing” on each of them (sometimes it looks more like a curse than a blessing!). Death is not the end of life. Here I am not just talking about the fact that we will be raised from the dead, but life carries on here on earth too, and we are to look at our life not just for the effect it has right now, but the long term effect that will carry on after we have died. So Jacob knew that life continued here on earth for his people. Hezekiah seemed to take the opposite view! When God rebuked him for showing all the wealth of Judah to the Babylonian visitors, and told him of what would happen, Hezekiah’s response was to be relieved that it would not happen in his lifetime.
49:2
Jacob’s blessings are actually more of a prophecy over each of them. This occurs after he has blessed his two sons by Rachel. Joseph and Benjamin were his “true sons” in that sense. They were central to God’s plan and blessing on his life. For all of us there are things we do which are in line with God’s plans, and things that are not. Both matter, but we need to recognise which is which.
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