On his deathbed, Jacob (Israel) spoke a prophetic word over each of his sons. Over Judah he spoke a Messianic prophecy that described the eternal kingship and honor of the coming Christ. Centuries later David was born into the tribe of Judah and became the king of all Israel. And still more centuries later, Jesus was born to the house of David, the tribe of Judah. He is the Promised One that old Jacob saw coming.
A psalm of David, one he surely wrote while laying under the stars at night watching over his father’s sheep. Today, our most powerful telescopes are pointed at the heavens. New discoveries are made everyday, pointing to the vastness and variety of the universe. Our scientists know more about the stars than David ever dreamed. But they could learn much from him as well.
Joseph saw God’s purpose for his life even though it led him through much pain and suffering. He not only forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery, he saw it as his mission to care for all of them. The life of Joseph points to the life of Christ. He is a Christological type, preparing the Jewish people to recognize Christ’s Person and ministry.
This spiritual principle is found throughout Scripture, that God helps the humble, but opposes the proud. Being humble does not mean having low self esteem. It means to rightly esteem God and others above yourself. It means to give credit to God and others for your success and blessing. The proud person is often truly the one with a low self image or self doubt. As a result they puff themselves up and take credit to make themselves look better. Who gets the credit in your life?
What is this Kingdom that Jesus preached? It is like a treasure hidden. Yet, some find it. A treasure so valuable as to be worth selling everything you own. Yet, the one owning the land is apparently unaware of its presence and is willing to sell it, like Esau selling his birthright. It takes spiritual eyes to see this treasure’s worth. Only a few find it.
When Jesus was asked why He taught in parables, he answered with this quotation from Isaiah about the “hardened” hearts of the people. Jesus was aware of their unreceptive hearts, yet still poured out His. The Lord and His gospel still have that affect on people’s hearts. It either penetrates, making the heart new and receptive or it hardens it even more. When it is made new, it responds in sympathetic resonance to the sound of God’s heart. But when it is hard, sin dampens its heart strings, so that it is deaf to God’s love.
Joseph is a Christological type, a foreshadowing of Christ. He is obedient to his father. Rejected by his brethren. And later, when he rises to power in Egypt, he is the savior of his people, forgiving them and taking care of them during the famine. God gave His people many foreshadowings to prepare them for Christ, but when He came, they treated Him worse than Joseph.
Rachel, the love of Jacob’s life died giving birth to his 12th son. This was a time of great sorrow for Jacob. It probably contributed to the favoritism he showed Joseph and Benjamin, which led to more sorrow. Yet, God used this man and this family to found a people. A mosque sits atop Rachel’s tomb in modern Bethlehem today. It is surrounded by the Israeli security wall in a much contested area.
After a sleepless night wrestling with God, Jacob begins a new day with a new name and a limp. “Jacob,” which means grasping the heel or pulling the leg, got his own leg pulled out of joint. Henceforth, he will be called “Israel,” and his 12 sons will become the 12 tribes.
Following Christ is an all or nothing commitment. Surrender control. Open up your clinched fists. Give Christ your entire life. And then, discover the abundant life that Christ promises.