MORE MANASSEH AND EPHRAIM
Thursday – May 10, 2018, Iyar 25, 5778
Welcome back to our study from the Book of Hebrews. What a wonderful faith building Book. However, the whole of Scripture is designed for us to build our faith by diligence, saying, and stepping into Truth believing it is now. Well, let’s go ahead and read aloud our primary Bible text.
Hebrews 11:20-22 (KJV)
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Yesterday I left off with the blessing of the children of Joseph by Jacob and you will recall that Jacob placed his right hand on the younger and the left hand on the older. Just as in Jacob’s own life where he, the younger, had attained not only the birthright but the blessing of the older child so it was repeating with these grandchildren. By way of reminder, Jesus was the first-born from the dead and received the birthright and blessing of the first-born and we also in Him. In Christ Jesus there is no lesser blessing, His blessing is our blessing. We have been totally restored as was He, we have His salvation. Joseph by God’s design, by God’s grace, by the Blessing preserved the Hebrew peoples. This people, the Hebrews, would preserve the Holy Scripture for all generations and all peoples. The Word of God through the Hebrew Prophets would bring forth the Messiah that the Blessing would be available to all men. Let’s review part of the ending Scripture from yesterday.
Genesis 48:20-22 (KJV)
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
The Blessing continues in the Jewish people and would be available to all people with the Messiah, and the Messiah was possible by the preservation of the Jewish people by Joseph. By the tribe of Joseph dividing in two, there are thirteen tribes now but twelve between whom the land is divided since the tribe of Levi were forbidden to own land. Joseph never returned to the Promised Land as a living person except for Jacob’s funeral, however, at his command his bones were preserved and buried by Joshua in the Promised Land (Genesis 50:25, Exodus 13:19, Joshua 24:32). Each of Joseph’s brethren got a portion of the Promised Land but because Joseph’s was split he or his tribe got two portions (Genesis 48:22). When Moses sent the twelve spies to spy out the Promised Land there was one from the tribe of Ephraim and one from the tribe of Manasseh.
Numbers 13:8-11 (KJV)
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
Oshea is Joshua, Moses’ minister, and the one who would sit in the Tabernacle for hours in the presence of God, and the one who would lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Gaddi of the tribe of Manasseh is mentioned once, here, and we hear no more about him. So, now we can see why Ephraim was placed before Manasseh. Now, let’s look back at verse twenty-two of our primary text.
Hebrews 11:22 (KJV)
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
And Moses took the bones of Joseph when they departed Egypt (several hundred years later).
Exodus 13:19 (KJV)
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
And when they entered the Promised Land and came to Shechem Joshua buried Joseph’s bones.
Joshua 24:32 (KJV)
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
This brother and sister is truly honoring a man, the Blessing, and unwavering allegiance to Covenant. By faith Joseph gave command concerning his bones. Faith in God, and faith in the words of the blessing given by Jacob. Lord willing, I will end the week tomorrow starting a discussion of faith and Moses. Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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