“Reuben . . .The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel,” Genesis 49:3b-4a
“Simeon and Levi . . . Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.” Gen 49:7
“Judah, The scepter shall not depart from Judah,” Gen 49:10
“Zebulun . . . will settle by the seashore.” Gen 49:11
“Issachar . . . will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labour.” Gen 49:15
“Dan will be a . . . poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse’s hooves so the rider is thrown off.” Gen 49
“Gad . . .will be attacked by marauding bands but will attack them as they retreat.” Gen 49:19
“Asher . . . will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.” Gen 49:20
“Naphtali . . . is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.” Gen 49:21
“Joseph . . . May my fatherly blessings on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.” Gen 49:26
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.” Genesis 49:27 All New Living Testament
Father Almighty,
Jacob speaks very honestly to his sons and they knew he knew them well by what he said. Perhaps he was warning them what would happen if they went on as they were and did not look to develop character and change their ways. How often a child grows up useless because it was told daily it was. Joseph’s son received the blessing of the first born even though Joseph was the second to last son born. Judah a middle son was raised up as ruler for all generations!
I am grateful that when You look at me Father, You see Your son Jesus and bless me abundantly with forgiveness (1 John 1 :9), love (Romans 38:8,9 and a safe and certain future in heaven (1 John 5:13, John 14:1-3). Your Spirit does not keep reminding me of my failures and faults but what I can be. Then Your Spirit helps me make those changes from the inside out. Bringing the gift of His character and fruits (Galatians 5:22-23). He brings Your wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:12-16).
Yet you are honest with us, as Jacob was with his sons, and to know You means we know we are sinners. There is no escaping it, except that Jesus paid the price and now we have his purity and righteousness. Help us remember we are sinners saved by Your grace and keep the cross central to our faith So we can grow in Your likeness to please You.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Tuesday 21st January 2025
A story of the author is below the lyrics.
“Ebenezer” is recognition of a victory on a previous place of defeat with God’s help (1 Samuel 2:14)
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace
Come my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless days
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Lyrics: Based on hymn by Robert Robertson. Amended by Chris Rice.
Robert was in a spiritually backslidden condition, and traveling in a stage coach one day. His only companion a young woman unknown to him, and not realizing who it was she spoke with, she quoted Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, saying what an encouragement it had been to her. Robinson could not get her to change the subject. She asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, “Madam, I am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.” Gently, she replied, “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.” As a result of the encounter he repented. His fellowship with the Lord was restored through the ministry of his own hymn, and a Christian’s willing witness.
C