Jacob’s Staff - Genesis 48:1-7, 17-20
 
What is the purpose of life?
 
Because we do not have any real faith/belief in God, God uses this "life" to show His people that He exists. The purpose of this life on earth is to get to know Him. God uses this life for us to acknowledge His living, His will and His sovereignty.
 
Jacob's difficult vs blessed life
 
Here Jacob is dying at the age of 147 years. When he stood before the Pharaoh, he described his life as a fleeting nomadic life and a difficult life (gen 47:9).
 
In today's passage, he say to Joseph that He has been blessed by God and tells Joseph about His experience with God at Luz.
 
Difficult life vs Blessed life???
 
= Although it was difficult, Jacob understood that the difficult life served the purpose of letting Jacob know that He was truly blessed by God. Everything that Jacob went through pulled him closer to the knowledge and complete dependence on God. And he's telling Joseph now because he wants Joseph and Joseph's children to be blessed in the same way. 
 
Do you wish the same for your children?  Jacob finally understood what true blessings are! No matter how difficult circumstances he experiences, he knew that all those things were in God's hands to pull Jacob to walk with God, know God and depend on God.
 
 
Hebrews 11:21 READ- "worshipped as he leaned on top of his staff" - literal translation is "the staff". this is the staff that he carried with him ever since he was injured when wrestling with God at Jabbok river.
 
What is the connection with blessings, worship and staff?
 
Reason Jacob blessed Joseph while leaning on his staff, and worshipped while leaning on his staff was that he realised that true blessing was not flying around as he pleased trying to fulfil his goals and desires, but rather to be hit by God to let go of his self-worship and self-dependence, and rely on God completely for each and every step. This is why he blessed while leaning on his staff and why he worshipped and praised while leaning on his staff. So to Jacob, his staff was so precious.
 
Only when God does things himself, and fulfils His purpose, there is no room for error. Which is why "His will be done" is the true blessing. When we do things, it is filled with motives, greed, error, and darkness.
 
Jacob's cross blessing (vs 17-18 READ)
 
Isaac --> Esau and Jacob.
Jacob --> Manasseh and Ephraim
 
Showing that God does not fulfil His will in the way that man expects and wants.
 
This is why God's word is constantly making the first born as the bad guy. This isn't because all first-borns are bad. But God wants to tell His people a message.
 
Cain vs Abel
Ishmael vs Isaac
Esau vs Jacob
David's older brothers vs David
Solomon's older brothers vs Solomon
Aaron vs Moses
Reuben vs Joseph
 
The ultimate peak of this demonstration of God's way, that is opposite of man's expectation and wishes, is Jesus Christ the saviour.
 
The messiah coming in a horse's manger - horse's house. On hay.
 
Not a single person anticipated or hoped for such a messiah.
 
Though there has been so many heroes and renowned people in this world, the messiah came as a carpenter's son, born in a manger, and died crucified on the cross as a pitiful criminal. This was so wrong to everyone's eyes… even the disciples left him thinking "This is not right…" But God says "this is right"
 
This is why even though Isaac thinks it's rightful to bless Esau as the firstborn and Joseph thinks it's rightful to bless Manasseh over Ephraim, God flips it upside down. God flips our thinking, our ideas upside down and says "My way is the right way".
 
It's not because Ephraim and Jacob were good and Manasseh and Esau were bad. It's only showing us that the principles of this world where strength and power and status wins - does NOT apply in God's kingdom, and that God's unconditional election is rightful, no matter what we think about the situation.
 
Then what is the principle of God's kingdom? How does God's kingdom work?
 
Verse 19 (READ)
 
"His younger will be greater than he"
 
Because the lesser will be greater. Because the least are the greatest in God's kingdom.
 
Romans 9:11-13 (READ)
 
Reason Jacob was blessed not because Jacob did anything good, but even before they were born God loved Jacob more.
 
1stly, God wants us to know that God's election of His people is not up to the efforts of man. 2ndly, God is also revealing to us  that in His kingdom, the least are the greatest.
 
And Jacob finally realised this, and was blessing Joseph of this revelation.
 
…. Let's have a look at Jacob's life:
 
As you know Jacob was one who believed that he needed to be the bigger, greater man to be blessed. This is why he:
 
1. He deceived his father to get the rights of the firstborn
2. Used tree branches to manipulate the colour of the sheep to increase his wealth
3. Fled from his uncle in order to protect his wealth and possessions
4. On his way to bethel he buried all the idols of his family
 
Like this he relied on strength, wealth, idols all his life. He pursued to be great. Even after his encounter with God at Jabbok river. Because he thought that was true blessings. But God beat him up and moulded him through circumstances, making him let go of his idols. Because God loved Jacob. Because Jacob was one of God's own children, God couldn't just leave Jacob be as he was. And that's what God does to His people. He will come and strip you of all your idols and make you rely solely on God and make you love God. 
 
And Jacob realised that those who are pursuing greatness through strength and might are NOT the blessed ones, and that the little ones who walk with God and who obey God are the blessed ones. That's why Jacob confidently put his right hand on the little one's head demonstrating "This is what true blessing is!!"
 
Jacob was giving this as his most blessed inheritance to his children. This knowledge and revelation of God and his true blessings.
 
Jesus says the same thing - Matthew 23:11-12 (READ)
 
This is the principle of God's Kingdom. Jesus himself is the greatest illustration of that.
 
Jesus came in a horse's manger, lived a life as a poor, dirty, ugly, uneducated carpenter, was made to be the biggest laughing stock in front of the entire nation, was framed to be a criminal and died the most horrific death.
 
He lived the perfect life of a SERVANT. And through his serving, his sacrifice, LIFE is given! That is heaven. By His devotion and His serving, He gives life to all.  Everyone in Heaven is living for each other, to serve each other, which is why the bible says you'll all be Kings. Because other than yourself, everyone else is serving you, so you are treated as a King, while you serve others. Through your serving you bring life to others. And that's the life of the believer on earth, as God continues to change us, to serve others as the little ones, bringing life to others through our devotion.
 
Real life example in Genesis 48
 
In this passage, Jacob says to Joseph, your two sons will be mine. Verse 5.
 
Draw Board - Jacob is saying "these two will be added to my 12 tribes"  = added to Israel = God's nation.
 
These two sons are being chosen to be heirs of God's kingdom despite any will of their own, because of their father Joseph.
 
We are the same, we are chosen by the GRACE of our father God, which is why we must thank him. This is talking about the cross of Jesus Christ.
 
Those who know this salvation by ONLY grace, will become the little ones who serve and obey.
 
However, what about the disciples of Jesus?
 
Matthew 20:20-28 (READ)
 
This is the same message as Genesis 48. Jesus came to serve his enemies by giving up his life, but his disciples are employing their mums to become as great as possible.
 
Even in the last supper the disciples are grabbing each other by the throat fighting for higher positions… while on the same day Jesus is washing the feet of his disciples.
 
Is this us??
 
It is God's will and His work to invade our hearts and stop this.
 
Blessing after death
 
How foolish is it to go after what we call "blessings" that are nothing in front of death?  In front of death, all things of this world are rubbish, it's all poo.
 
The biggest idol for us is self-worship. Seeking the approval and love and popularity of others. Wanting to be better than everybody and envied. This is such a falsehood - it's not REAL. Because it's not true love. Even all our friendships --- we say "I love those people, I love my friends dearly" but we don't really. We enjoy them because they make us feel good.
 
Apparently there is a saying in Korea "If the King's dog dies then the whole village turns up for the funeral, but when the King dies, no one turns up".
 
There's another saying "My cold is more serious than your cancer". This shows how self-centred we are and this is so true for me. I told you recently that my auntie passed away and I felt like "I want to feel really sad, but I don't". That's the truth. Most funerals we go to, you come back and the person is forgotten.
 
But we spend our entire lives, pretty much 99% of everything we do, we do to get this fake glory, fake love from other people. In front of death this is ALL completely meaningless.
 
This is NOT true blessings.
 
 
o -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earth                                                                            eternity
 
When there is eternity, and there's 80 years, true blessing is what happens here, not here.
 
And this isn't a gamble, it's not a guess. We ALL see very clearly, the meaninglessness of everything in this blip called Earth. We see clearly how nothing here can make us happy - that's the evidence of one who has been poured upon by grace of God.
 
A  true blessing is a blessing that remains strong in the face of death!!!
 
We can see this in Jacob's life in today's passage - vs 21 (READ):
 
"The ridge I took from the Amorites" - he had done no such thing! He's dividing land and giving out to his sons that he doesn't have!!!
 
It means Jacob had faith. Even in his death, he is absolutely sure that God will fulfil the promises made to Jacob. Jacob is expressing his faith that even though I die, God will still fulfil this through his descendants.
 
This is true blessing!
 
Similarly, when we are leaving this earth, if we have this faith we will be fine. We won't fear death.
 
Even if we are dying as a beggar, what difference does it make!? You will be kings in the next life!
 
Conclusion
 
Becoming  first in this world has no meaning whatsoever. Our focus should be on living the life of a believer, an obedient servant to God, completely dependent on God.
 
That's what Jacob wanted to show and teach to Joseph and his descendants. That's why he proudly leant on his staff as he blessed and worshipped with Joseph.