Blessing the Sons of Jacob

Genesis 49
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Address—P.L. Johnson
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Let's turn to Genesis chapter 49.
Genesis chapter 49 will read.
Of the blessing of Jacob.
His sons.
Verse one.
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together.
That I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father.
Ruthen, thou art my first born, my might and the beginning of my strength, the Excellency of dignity, and the Excellency of power, unstable as water.
Thou shalt not excel because thou wentest up to thy father's bed. Then defilest thou it. He went up to my couch.
Simeon and Levi are brethren, instruments of cruelty are they are in their habitations.
O my soul, come not Thou into their secret.
Under their assembly, by an honor be not thou united. For in their anger they slew a man, and in their self will they dig down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them and Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
Judah, thou art he whom that thy brethren shall praise. Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies. Thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
Judah is a lion's will.
From the prey, my son, that they were gone. Up he stooped, down he couched as a lion and as an old lion. Who shall rouse him up. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Binding his fold under the vine, and his *** his coat under the choice vine, he washed his garments and wine and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for an haven of ships, and his border shall be undecided. Issachar is a strong *** couching down between 2 burdens.
And he saw that rest was good, and the land that he was pleasant, and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under tribute.
Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Then she'll be a serpent, by the way.
An adder in the path that bideth the horse heals so that his rider shall fall backward.
I have waited for thy salvation, oh Lord.
Gad, a truth shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last out of Asher. His bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
Lafta lies a hind let loose. He giveth goodly words.
Joseph is a fruitful bow, even a fruitful bow by well, whose branches run over the wall. The Archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him.
But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.
From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.
Even by the God of thy Father who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven, above blessings of the deep that lieth under blessings of the breasts and of the womb, The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of My progenitors under the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. Benjamin shall Raven as a wolf, and the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. All these are the 12 tribes of Israel. And this is it, that their Father speak unto them, and bless them everyone according to his blessing.
Be blessed them.
Well, before we make any comments on this.
We wish to acknowledge, of course, that primarily this.
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These words of Jacob have to do with the history of Israel.
As a nation.
But it was not my thought to touch upon that aspect of things.
While it is of interest, of course, to the Lord's people to know something of God's dealings with his earthly people.
We know from verses like in the 1St Corinthians 10 that these things have been written before time are written for our admonition.
So we can say that.
We can expect to find something here for you and me as those who belong to the Lord today, who comprise the people of God. And that leads me to another comment at the beginning, and that is that my exercise in speaking this afternoon.
As it is spoken of, denominated a young people's meeting.
On address to young Christians.
And that's what I had, especially before me, to speak to those who belong to the Lord.
Confining it not only to those who are young, but something for each and everyone of us.
But addressed to those who are the Lords.
Not that we would ignore the fact of the possibility.
That one or so might be in our midst who does not belong to the Lord.
And we would not be unmindful of your need and desire that you too might be found among the people of God and to be brought into blessing, as God desires to bring you into blessing along with all of His people. It's the desire of the heart of God to bless His people. And I thought of that in connection.
With the words here of Jacob in verse 28, it says in the middle of the verse and blessed them.
Now as we go through and touch a little on the the.
Various sons of Jacob and what he said about each one. It might appear that some of them are not really blessed and they what we have to say about them doesn't sound like a blessing, but it seems to me the thought is that overall the desire of Jacob was to bring his sons into blessing.
And to have his family blessed of God. And so it is that.
God would desire to bring you and me, his people, into blessing. Now you might say that those of us who are saved are already brought into blessing, and in a sense that's true. Every believer on the Lord Jesus, the youngest believer, has the title, you might say, to all that God has for his people.
We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
And the youngest believer, it may be that sometimes young believers may say to themselves, I know very little about the blessings that God has for his people. And one might say that one might be able to say only that I know that whereas I was blind, now I see maybe you know very little.
But God's desire is that we might be brought into.
Largeness of heart in regard to.
His blessing as reference was made to the prayer of Jabez in First Chronicles 4.
The other day in our reading, when he desired that his coast might be enlarged, we know that this is a prayer that God will always answer because he desires to enlarge the borders of his people, that is to bring them into greater blessing. And so as we go down through this.
These sons of Jacob, I would desire to just make a few practical remarks on each one as to the way in which God works to bring you and me.
Into blessing the blessings that He has for us in connection with His beloved Son, for we find that in these sons that are brought before us.
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There are two who stand out as types of Christ, Judah and Joseph.
And we will see that the blessings that God has for you and me is in connection with His beloved son seen under these two figures or these two types of Judah and Joseph. But first of all, we have three of the sons brought before us before we reach Judah. You remember we read about Reuben and we read of Simeon and Levi.
And what we read about those three sons?
Is not very good, not very commendable. Even though Ruben was the first born and there was a certain a dignity attached to him as being the first born, He has spoken of and verse four as unstable and not only that, but he was one who brought in corruption.
We read again in verse 4 Reuben unstable and he brings in corruption. And Simeon and Levi, they were instruments of cruelty. Their anger is spoken of their slaying of a man and in their self will they dig down a wall. What does this speak of? This speaks of violence.
Well.
We see in these first three sons what man is by nature in the flesh.
And it's good for each one of us to come to a knowledge.
And understanding of what we were in the flesh and the character of the flesh that is still in us, even though we are believers on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we are not in the flesh before God. Romans 8 tells us that we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. If so be the Spirit of God, dwell in you, but we still have the flesh in US.
And that which is characteristic of the flesh, as we see here in these first three sons.
We see there is corruption and there is violence.
Well, perhaps there are some young persons who have feel that that maybe these are rather strong.
Characterizations of the flesh, violence and corruption. We've been reminded in the meetings that we've had.
And the readings of the character of this world in which we live, that it is characterized.
By violence and corruption.
And I suppose when we hear those words, violence and corruption, we we think of all of the terrible deeds that are committed, the crimes and the gross immorality. Well, that's true. That's all about us. We know it's there. But you know of violence and corruption doesn't have to take such an extreme form.
To still be violence and corruption.
And I suppose for the majority in the room here this afternoon that none of us have indulged in those gross forms of violence and corruption that seem to be increasing in this world, but we still have the same nature in the flesh. The flesh within us is just the same as.
Man engrossed in violence and corruption.
And this we need to learn, this we need to feel.
Notice what he says in verse six toward the end of the verse. This struck me as I read it even here this afternoon. It says in their self will they dig down a wall?
In their self will.
Well, who of us does not know something about self Will?
We see it coming out very early and the children very early, even in infancy.
Very early in life we see this self will coming out and I thought about that knocking down or dig down a wall. How many times we've seen children in a in a fit of anger and self will to just reach out and and knock something down or destroy it. Have you ever done that or felt like that because things didn't go your way?
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Because you didn't have everything like you wanted it.
Self will is perhaps the most characteristic feature.
Of the flesh self will. And you know it's a terrible thing when we see the the result of self will.
In the regard of the rejection of the Lord Jesus, I'm reminded in Luke chapter 23 when the pilot was about to release Barabbas, he says then release the Barabbas and delivered Jesus to their will.
To their will, the self will of man is seen in the rejection of the Lord Jesus and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the flesh is and we need to recognize that and young people need to recognize that. And apart from the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from that great work that he accomplished on the cross of Calvary.
All of the outbreaks of that self will.
And all of the outbreaks of that violence and corruption that is in the flesh that constituted us guilty before God, we would have had to pay the consequences concerning them. And that's where Judah comes in. It seems to me that in Reuben, Simeon, and Levi we learn something in regard to what the flesh is and what man in the flesh is.
And the.
Consequences of it all would be judgment.
But we come to Judah, and in verses 8:00 and 9:00 we have Judah brought before us in the as a victorious 1, as the one who has overcome all of our foes, all of our enemies, sin, sins, the world and Satan, everything that would stand in the way of our blessing.
For we know that as sinners we could never be brought into blessing.
It's only through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in overcoming all of those things that lay against us. And I believe in Judah we have the the aspect of Christ in his great victory.
The fact that he has overcome all of our foes and I was wondering if there is.
If there are any in the room here this afternoon that perhaps you have recognized and felt something of what you are before God and you're still in your sins, you know something of that violence and corruption and self will and you feel guilty before God, Well, the wonderful truth is that God has sent his beloved Son into the world.
And there on the cross of Calvary.
We know that sin was condemned. God condemned sin in the flesh. That hateful thing of sin, that sinful nature was condemned there on the cross, and he bore in his own body our sins on the tree. And we know that in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ He overcame Satan and all of his power.
And he overcame this world. He has wrought a great victory.
And He is able to deliver you. This is the first step in blessing that God has for His people is that they would enter into the deliverance.
That has been wrought by the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
That He is the one who has overcome. We cannot overcome sin. We cannot overcome our sins. We could not overcome the world and Satan, but the Lord Jesus has overcome them for us. And by faith we enter into that and we lay hold upon that.
And there is relief for our souls, and there is a certain joy.
In knowing that we have been delivered from these formidable foods that were arrayed against us. And so we see 2IN verse.
Verses 11 and 12 in regard to Judah, that there is great blessing associated with him. The blessing doesn't come in with Ruben, Simeon and Levi. The blessing comes in an association with Judah.
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Because of that great victory that he's accomplished, He has brought to us great blessing that is seen here under the figure of the wine and the milk these.
These things that are supplied in abundance because that's the figure here of the abundant blessings that are ours in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But I would like to draw attention to the verse 10. Not only has the Lord Jesus.
Accomplished a great victory.
But we see in connection with Judah.
There is a gathering center.
One spoken of here as Shiloh. No doubt it's it is a sort of a.
Mysterious way to put it, but it speaks of a person we know. It has reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. Unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.
He is the he is the one who becomes the center of attraction.
He's the one whom God sets forth that we might find him to be the center of attraction. I suppose that in a way, Jonathan would be a little type of this. You remember when David.
Gained that great victory over the giant Goliath.
Why the The heart of Jonathan was knit to the heart of David. He loved him. He was drawn to him.
He was attracted to him.
And so it is those of us who are believers on the Lord Jesus and young persons.
God would have you to be drawn in affection and desire to the person of the Lord Jesus.
As John says, we love, I know it says in the King James hymn, and I suppose it has primarily that thought that He is the object of our love, that we love because he first loved us. And because of that great victory, our hearts are drawn out to himself.
In Hebrews 13, where we see something of the work of the Lord Jesus.
It says, Therefore let us go forth unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. He's the center of attraction for you and for me, and for young people as well as the older ones.
But I was thinking too, in regard to Jonathan.
While Jonathan was drawn to the Lord Jesus.
Are drawn to David as the type of the Lord Jesus.
We know that when David was rejected from the court of Saul and he had to flee for his life and he goes down to The Cave in a dullum.
Jonathan did not accompany him. Jonathan remained in the court of Saul, even though it was said that that Davidde Place was empty. David was not there yet. Jonathan remained there and did not go out to The Cave of Abdullah with David in rejection. And I suppose that that would be a little reminder.
To you and me.
That while our hearts are drawn out to the Lord Jesus and we recognize that He is the.
Center of gathering.
That we might find that the place of reproach.
The place of rejection is a little too strong for us, and we desire a little more a comfortable place, as Jonathan did in remaining in the court of Saul. But I would encourage young persons that if you have taken your place with those gathered together under the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and your locality.
And even though it be a place.
Of reproach and rejection, as we've been reminded in these meetings, that the Lord is there in the midst.
And He is the is the object of attraction for the Lord's people. He is the one to whom the people of God are drawn. Unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. And the He would have you to be occupied with Himself, and to go on in that place, bearing His reproach.
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And so we see with Judah the one who brings in victory.
For God, victory for the Lord's people. He's the one who makes blessing available to us.
And at this point I'd like to make a little comment in regard to that.
I made the statement. He is the one who makes blessing available to his people.
Remember the psalmist says I believe it's in the 73rd Psalm, but he says truly God is good unto Israel.
He recognized how good God was to His people and the blessings that God had for His people.
Then he says, As for me, my feet had well, nice slipped. As for me?
Well, that's what I would like to bring before us. Now in connection with the the next three names that are mentioned, we see that blessing is available. Truly, God is good to His people and He's opened the door to great blessing. But what about you and what about me? As for me, how do we stand in regard to these things?
I think we will find that even though God has opened up.
Blessings for His people and even the youngest believers, I said in the beginning, has title to all of the blessings that God has for His beloved people.
We will find that there is a certain resistance still within us in the flesh and Satan as our adversary and as our foe. Though his power is broken, he still uses his Wiles to hinder us from entering into those blessings. He would rob us.
You remember what it is said about in John's Gospel in regard to Barabbas.
He says now Barabbas was a robber.
And I've all I've thought of that in regard to the fact that Barabbas was let loose.
You might say the spirit of Barabbas is all around us. Everything in this world is calculated to rob you and me of the blessing that God has for us. And that's not an extreme or exaggerated statement, for you will find that if we are, if we are not exercised in regard to deliverance from the world.
We will be robbed of what the Lord has in the way of blessing for you.
And for me, and keep in mind that it is God's desire and thought to bring us into these blessings in a practical way.
To enjoy them, to know something of them. At the present time I noticed after Judah we have 3 tribes brought before us, Zebulun, Issachar and Dan.
And I would suggest that in these 3 tribes we see the hindrances.
To our entering into these blessings and it's good for us to recognize what our hindrances.
In order that we might judge them because when we come to Gad we see that there is overcoming and we can only overcome as we learn to judge the things that hinder. We had something along this line and our readings on fruit bearing the things that hinder the bearing of fruit, and here we have the things that.
Hinder the way in which Satan.
For he's still an active foe, even though his power is broken, be still an active foe to seek to hinder.
Young people and older Saints, all of us from entering into the blessings that God has for us. I could quote it, but perhaps we ought to just turn over and read in Zechariah chapter 3.
What I have in mind in regard to.
Satan's resistance.
And how he would seek to hinder.
In Zechariah 3.
We have Joshua the high priest.
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And in verse one, he's seen standing before the Angel of the Lord.
Now we read, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Now this man Joshua, represents a believer. He's the he's the high priest.
And the thought of God for this man is that he might.
Be able to function as the high priest that he might be able to carry out priestly.
Service.
But we read that he was clothed with filthy garments.
And I suppose that that would be a little picture, you might say, of the flesh. There were fleshly waves that attached to this man, and he couldn't really fulfill the functions of the priesthood in that condition.
And so the desire of God was that he should have those garments removed, and that he should have garments suitable.
Put upon him in order that he might be able to carry out the priestly function.
But the point I read this.
Far especially is the fact that it says Satan standing at the right hand to resist him.
And I would suggest to you that Satan is always near at hand to resist.
The effort of God to bring us into the blessings that He has for us, to the enjoyment of all that the Lord Jesus has accomplished, all that He's made available to us.
All that is open to us now.
Through the work of the cross and all that he has brought in for us from God.
Satan standing here to resist. But if you turn back to Genesis 49.
We might apply the next three tribes in that regard as the things that hinder.
Our entering into the blessing in Judah we have the blessing brought in, but now there are hindrances. In verse 13 we have Zebulun.
And these dwelling at the haven of the sea.
And it shall be for an haven of ships.
And his border shall be undesired.
Well, to my mind, this suggests what we might speak of as the affairs of life.
Perhaps primarily hear the thought of commerce.
But I think we can apply it to the affairs of this life in which you and I are necessarily engaged.
But you'll notice that his border border.
Even undecided is a type of this world.
And I take it that Zebulun would bring before us the thought that one of the hindrances that Satan uses to our entering into spiritual blessings is that we become occupied with the affairs of this life.
With the affairs of this life I know young persons might say well.
I have to prepare for a profession or a job.
And so perhaps they get occupied with education.
One would not say anything about education, but we need to be very careful about making idols of these things and putting, you might say, a good education and a good vocation, where whereby we might have.
A good salary and a nice manner of living.
To put those things before the spiritual blessings that God has for you and me.
I am satisfied that there's many of the Lord's people who have lost out in their own souls and spiritual blessing because they have put the affairs of life.
Foremost and 1St the Lord Jesus says seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you. But Satan comes along and says yes but you have to make a living.
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And that's true.
That's true, We're told to provide things honest in the sight of all men.
And we're to work and labor with our hands that we have need of nothing, and even that we might be able to give unto others. That's true. But if we make it, as it were, a haven of rest, if we make it at our object and we settle down and and come under the burden of the affairs of life, we will find a hindrance in entering into those spiritual blessings.
Now notice Issachar.
Issaquah is one who is couching down between 2 burdens.
He's as a strong *** catching down between 2 burdens.
And notice verse 15. He saw that rest was good.
And the land that it was placed.
This would suggest to my mind another hindrance and that is when we seek to.
To find rest and when we seek to find an easy path through this world.
The Lord Jesus could speak of a burden. In Matthew Chapter 11, He spoke of His yoke being easy in His burden of light.
Yes, when we are, when we are in communion with the Lord and walking with Him.
We find that.
What he supplies.
Is really for our good and blessing and enjoyment.
But here we see that Issachar was couching down under 2 burdens.
He was trying to carry 2 burdens at the same time.
And he wasn't able to do it, and none of us are able to do it. But what am I referring to? Well, I'd like to say this primarily to the beloved young people, that if you have the exercise and desire to please the Lord.
You might say in one sense, that's one burden that you seek to bear.
Of seeking to honor and please the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot carry that burden.
Along with a burden of seeking to be on good terms.
With this world and those who have no exercise to honor and please the Lord. It seems to me that Issachar here was he was bearing trying to bear two burdens couched down under 2 burdens.
And sometimes we find that there are those who who want to be on good terms with the world to be acceptable to.
Those that come in contact with those that they are in association with in their work or in school or in their neighborhood.
And at the same time seek to honor and please the Lord. You'll find a great conflict. If you have an exercise to go in for the things of God and to make advancement in the things of God. You're going to find that you cannot be on good terms with those who have no exercise, either because they're not the Lords or perhaps because.
Even though they're the Lords, they have no real desire to honor the Lord.
We all like to be well thought of and well spoken of.
I suppose one of the things that we most shrink from is to be unpopular.
And not to be one about whom others would say very nice and complimentary things. And the danger is?
Of not putting the Lord first.
And our desire to go in for the Lord's things and to honor the Lord and to enter into the blessings that He has for us in order to maintain a certain status.
Maybe not a status in the world, but maybe a status even among those who profess to be the Lords.
Unless can be a hindrance, I believe Issachar was not, you might say, occupied with the one thing.
One thing.
As we have several times in scripture, one thing is needful.
One thing, one object. But he had two. He had two burdens.
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And so this is a hindrance to entering into blessing. Now Dan in verse 17 is spoken of in a very serious way as an adder in the path. Like the serpent. You might say that Dan is taking on the characteristics of the of Satan himself.
You might say, in a way, even doing Satan's work.
Well, I believe this would bring before us the fact that if we if we do not go on in the things of the Lord and we come under the power of things of this life, and we seek to find an easy path, find a rest and a pleasant land here, and to be acceptable, to be popular.
To be able to get along with everyone, regardless of whether they're going on with the Lord or not.
We might find ourselves even in opposition to the truth.
We might find ourselves opposing the truth.
There are those who have gone on in such a way that we may see in Zebulun and Issachar.
That they end up opposing the truth of separation.
When we mix and mingle and want to be acceptable to those who are not going on with the Lord.
Why?
Yeah.
Unpalatable. And even there's opposition to it. Oh, I trust that. None of the young people.
Will be in such a state.
That you would find truth, the truth of God, at any time, unpalatable, and that they would be in, in any of us, a resistance to the truth of God.
Or we want to resist error. We want to earnestly contend for the faith, but we never want to be those who are opposed in any way to the truth of God, regardless of whether or not it fits in.
With our manner of life, sometimes the truth comes in and reaches home and regard to our our ways, our habits, our associations and we're apartment to oppose it. If we have a spirit of opposing any element of the truth, it's going to hinder our entering into the blessing that God has for us. But notice verse 18.
It seems as if in the midst of this.
Jacob.
Let's out this utterance. I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord, as if there's a turning point here. We have seen what we were by nature and what the flesh is and how God has met it in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the victory He's wrought. Then we've seen two in these next three of the ones we've just considered how that there is.
Hindrance their hindrances to our entering into the blessings of God.
But now, when the salvation of the Lord comes, that's deliverance.
And I believe that deliverance comes when we learn to judge the things that hinder our progress. When we learn to judge them, then we will find practical deliverance. I don't think the thought of salvation here, or at least the way I would apply it this afternoon, It's not that salvation of our souls from coming wrath.
Or our salvation from an eternity in hell.
I would apply it to that practical deliverance from man and his world until there is that practical deliverance, we're going to enter in very little to what God has for his people. But when we see.
What are the hindrances?
We see the flesh as a hindrance. We see the world as a hindrance.
And we judge these things and we have that practical deliverance.
And so in Gad, in verse 19, we see that he is characterized by being an overcomer.
And I would like to see this as a little word of encouragement. It says Gad, a truth shall overcome him. Apparently Gad had been overcome, but he says he shall overcome at the last.
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Well, we've seen many examples of this.
And we trust that the Lord might give us more examples sometimes of those who have, who are the Lords and young people who have gotten mixed up in the world.
And they've lost all enjoyment of the things of God and interest in the things of God, and it appears that they have been overcome.
By the world, Well, it's good to see here that Gad at least it says he over, he shall overcome at the last. And that overcoming is when one learns to judge the things that carried one away to begin with, and to judge the hindrances and to put them away. And when that takes place.
Then one can overcome himself and be an overcomer.
Well, the result of that is we see an Asher in verse 20. We see satisfaction. His bread shall be fat.
And there's fruit he yields royal dangers.
And all that satisfaction it is.
We know the prodigal was one who.
Had gotten away and he was in that faraway land.
There was a great provision in his father's house, but he wasn't enjoying it.
He wasn't feasting upon it. He didn't have anything to satisfy him. And when he came to the end of himself.
We know that he was restored and brought back into into wonderful blessing and there was satisfaction.
There was satisfaction when he was brought back into the father's house and feasting upon the fatted calf.
Now in verse 21 we have Naftali.
And after lie is as a hind let loose.
I would suggest the thought of liberty in connection with an afterlife.
You see Issachar.
We said there in the end of verse 15 that he became a servant unto tribute.
Sometimes young people think that.
That to get away from the things of the Lord, which seem to be restricted.
That they would have more liberty, but actually that only brings one into servitude.
One who gets mixed up into the world and loses the enjoyment of the things of God and is not entering into his blessings.
He is really a slave, and in servitude and liberty comes only when these things are judged.
And he overcomes and he's brought into satisfaction. His soul is satisfied because a believer will never be satisfied, never be satisfied with the husks of this world, never will be.
I remember a young man who got away from the Lord. He was at the Lord's table.
And in his late teens, he got away.
Into the world.
And he was very troubled, and yet he went on.
And I spoke to him once and he said to me, he says, do you think there is really any hope?
I said yes there is. There is hope.
And he spoke of how he felt the great, how he had been enslaved. He felt he had gotten into things that had overpowered him and he had become a slave to them. And he felt the burden of them. And I'm sure that was the Spirit of God working. And the result was he did judge those things and he came out from those associations.
He became an overcomer and he's going on with a family.
And with satisfaction and liberty. And if you were to speak to him now, he would tell you that he was There was no liberty as long as he was going on in that worldly way. But true liberty was only enjoyed when he judged them and became an overcomer. NAFTA lie would bring before us the thought of liberty.
And liberty to enjoy the things of God.
Because we have now introduced another type of Christ, and that's Joseph.
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Joseph follows upon Naphtali because I believe you might say that we have liberty now to enjoy.
The Lord Jesus as the one.
In whom all of the blessings of God are found and established. Joseph is especially a type, I believe, of the Lord Jesus.
As the one rejected of his brethren.
Rejected here, but one who has been glorified at the right hand of God, the one, as it were, who is the center of a world of blessing, a world of glory, a world that is of God. As you remember in the story of Joseph, he was rejected of his brethren.
And perhaps that is referred to in verse 23 when it says The Archers have sorely grieved him and shouted him and hated him.
And not only that, but he was in he was.
Wrongly treated when he was brought down into Egypt, but we know that Joseph was brought out into a place.
Of honor, a place of glory.
And he became the great leader. He became the great head of a, of a great Kingdom there in Egypt.
And perhaps in the verses 24 through 26.
We have the suggestion.
Of how God has answered the Lord Jesus.
And his rejection being cast out by taking him up into the glory, giving him that name which is above every name.
You might say too, that in in Joseph we see that all that belong to man.
And his world, the 1St man, and the old order of things connected with him, is entirely set aside.
We read here about the branches running over the wall.
And Joseph being separate from his brethren.
I suppose this would suggest the fact that everything connected with.
With Israel and the earthly things the old order set aside and an entirely new order brought in in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ as the man in the glory.
All I like to think of it this way.
That God has introduced a new world.
And he has a man who is the center of that world, and that's the Lord Jesus as the man in the glory. And you and I are associated with him even now. And we are morally a part of that new world. We don't belong to this world. We're in this world, but morally we belong to the world that has been brought in.
By the Son of God himself, the Lord Jesus.
That new world that is associated with new creation.
You know, we have a verse in Second Corinthians chapter 5 that says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Literally it is, it is a new creation. You're in Christ, young believer. I am in Christ. Every believer is in Christ. And being in Christ we're in new creation. We are part of that new world and new order.
That God has brought in.
In connection with his beloved Son, as the man gone back into the glory at the right hand of God.
And I believe this is a very practical matter. One might say that this sounds like very.
High truth for those who are young, but I would like to make it very practical and very simple.
James, while he's not exactly Speaking of the new creation, he does speak in a way that connects with it in the first chapter of his epistle when he says.
Speaking of God of his own will, begatting us with the word of truth, that we should be sort a sort of first fruits of His creatures.
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What does it mean that we should be a sort of first fruits?
Well, the thought is that God is going to have a world that were to come.
A world in which everything is subject to himself. A world.
In which the Lord Jesus will be glorified and have his rightful place, and all will honor Him.
All will be under his headship.
There will be no self will allowed, there will be no opposition to him. Everything will move under the headship of Christ in that world to come. And James says by the Spirit that you and I are first fruits.
Of that world to come, first fruits of His creatures, God is now showing forth.
What's going to be in the coming days when that world is brought into public display and power? He's making known the kind of people, you might say, who will inhabit that that world to come, and those of us who have been begotten by his will at the present time as believers on the Lord Jesus Christ. And what does it mean? It means that when we move under the headship of Christ.
Legitimately subject to Christ.
When we own the rights of Christ, When we give God his proper place.
In subjection to God, seek to honor and glorify Him. We would be displaying the first fruits of the coming harvest when God is going to have the whole world under His control and for the glory of His beloved Son. What a wonderful privilege you and I have.
To be even now associated and identified with that world to come. Now it says a sort of first fruits.
And that little word sort of indicates that we are not 100% first fruits and we can't be because we're still in the body. Our bodies are still associated with this world.
As to our bodies, we're still here. As to our bodies, we have to do with the things of this world.
That is the material and temporal things, and these are all legitimate. God knows that we can give thanks to God for them. Our bodies are still identified with this world, but morally and spiritually, you and I are identified with that world that is associated with the Lord Jesus at the right hand of God.
The world to come whereof we speak, not this present evil world.
That Joseph is a type of the Lord Jesus, exalted, glorified. And as I say, that's in association with that new creation, that new order of things to which we now belong. Well, we're free to enter into that. We're free to enjoy these things as being liberated, as being overcomers, as being satisfied.
Well, I trust that.
Each and everyone of us, and again, we would direct our remarks especially to those who are younger.
That there might be an exercise in regard to these things to know the character of the flesh and how that we have been delivered through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin being condemned, sins born, the world set aside, Satan overcome, and all of the blessing of God made available to us, and that we might be those who would overcome.
The tendencies to be being under the cares of this world.
Are seeking arrest and a pleasant land.
Or any resistance to the truth, so that we would be overcomers and our soul satisfied and at liberty to enjoy the things of God, to enjoy Christ, to enjoy what we have in Him even at the present time. And this will bring the joy, this will bring peace, and this will give us to be above.
Of this poor world through which we pass for a little while, well, may the Lord help us by His grace.