BULLETIN ARTICLE
15 December 2019

GOD KEEPS PROMISES

Faith is the certainty of the things we hope for and a conviction that these things exist though we are unable to see them at present. Whenever we get on an airplane, we have faith that the pilot of the airplane knows how to use the law of aerodynamics to overcome the law of gravity. The Bible says that the patriarchs were commended for their faith. It is impossible to please God otherwise. The closing chapters of Genesis is a study of the faith of Jacob whom God renamed Israel for having struggled with God and persevered. Jacob’s actions in these closing chapters demonstrates his faith in God’s promises.

Jacob) Israel made his son Joseph promise not to bury him in Egypt but to carry him out to be buried in Canaan. The place was a field and cave in Machpelah, Hittite country, which Abraham had bought and where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and Leah were already buried. He would not know that his descendants would still be in Egypt for another 400 years but he had unshakable confidence that God would bring them back to the land in Canaan God promised Abraham.

Israel in blessing Joseph remembered God in three ways. God is the God of Abraham and Isaac. God has been Israel’s shepherd all the days of his life. God is the redeeming angel who has delivered Israel from all evil and harm. In doing so, Israel is pronouncing God’s blessing to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be perpetuated through his descendants. That ultimate of God’s blessing fulfilment would be through Jesus Christ through whom all peoples on earth would be blessed.

Israel’s blessings and prophecies concerning his sons show the sovereign will of God. Left to himself, Israel would no doubt have given his beloved Joseph all his blessings. Instead, Israel renounced his natural will and inclinations and submitted to the will of God. Judah, not Joseph received the key promises. Of Judah, Israel declares that he will be praised by his brothers who will bow down before him. He will triumph over his enemies. Judah is like a lion. He will reign eternally. All the nations will bring him tribute. This will come about in the person of Jesus Christ, the son of David who comes from this line of Judah. Israel also gave Joseph the blessing of double inheritance. Instead of Joseph’s line being continued through one son, Israel adopted both Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim as his own. Hence, the twelve tribes of Israel would include them. We would be struck once again by God’s sovereign choice of passing over the older for the younger. Thus, Ephraim is favored over Manasseh just as Isaac is chosen over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau.

Like Israel, we might not understand God’s choices fully. But, we can be certain that God’s ways are always best. We can trust God fully because God always keeps His promises.