8 When Israel saw the sons
of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
Lesson One: So Jacob is looking at two grown men and he
says, “who are these boys.” Jacob had
not seen the boys for a long time. A few
lessons about family I want to bring to your attention.
Always see each other as often as you
can.
Eat meals together and do things
together whenever possible.
Support and encourage one another.
Listen and look for times of
conversations and listen.
Make time together a priority, control
your schedule, plan with purpose, and get involved in your children’s
interest.
Your motto and mission statement must be
God, spouse and then family. Now in our
society somehow work, sports, and other things have gotten in the way but if
you want a strong family you have to get your priorities straight. Talk about Cats in the cradle
Now it is sad that Jacob did not meet the boys
for years. Now they would have been
dressed as Egyptian nobleman, which they were.
They had been raised as Egyptians but now they are about to embrace and
receive what being a Hebrew nobleman was.
Remember our lives have many facets to them. We are complicated beings. Always make your spiritual life a number one
priority. This is the most important
part of life. Remember Jesus said, seek
ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be
added unto you. Gordon Macdonald tells
us that who we are in private is the real us.
Jesus said out of the heart is the issues of life. Make sure your heart is right before
God. God wants to walk with us! Getting
our lives in order spiritually and practically begins with the decision to make
it our number-one priority. God wants to
have a meaningful relationship with us daily. He never puts us on hold, and we
never have to stand in line. He does not
delegate our spiritual growth. He is always waiting on each of us to come to
Him. Bringing our lives into spiritual
order requires a strategy. Daily Bible
reading, journaling, reflection on the word and application of the word.
9 “They are the sons God
has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.
Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
Lesson Two: Now Joseph says, “These are the sons God has
given to me.” Joseph acknowledges God’s
hand upon his life. From Hebrew prince
to slave, to prisoner and now Prime Minister God has been with us. Remember God is with you always. He promises never to leave or forsake
us. In the dark, troubled and difficult
periods He is with us. When things are
going well He is with us. Joseph made
his family is a godly family. The main
responsibility of a parent is to raise their children in the fear and admonition
of the Lord. Our children are a gift
from God. They are a heritage from God
to us. We must look at our children as a
borrowed gift we have been given to raise and then release into the service of
the Lord. We are to train them in the
way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it. So here are some tips on raising Godly
children.
Put Christ first.
Model what a Christian should look like.
Make family a priority.
Teach your children from the bible and
about God.
Connect with a church and attend
regularly.
Encourage your children to have godly
influences in the lives.
Pray for your children everyday,
Serve others with your children.
Share your faith around your
children.
So Jacob, asked Joseph to bring them to me so that He can bless
them. Israel was about to confer or
invoke divine favor upon and ask God to look favorably on. It is a moment where you want to bestow on
them some gift temporal or spiritual.
You want the person you are blessing to have God’s mercy, grace and
goodness on their behalf.
10 Now Israel’s eyes were
failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons
close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
Lesson three: So Jacob, asked Joseph to bring them to me so
that He can bless them. Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old
age so he could hardly see. Just a note,
Jacob had the same problem as his dad in old age, failing eyesight. Just because you are godly does not mean you
are not subject to problems with old age.
If you are not you are blessed. I
guess that is why we now have medical replacements these days.
So here are some great ideas on how to
grow old gracefully.
Stay connected with God.
Stay connected with family and
friends.
Be kind to your skin. Your skin is your
body's largest organ.
Exercise and stay physically active.
Mind your diet.
Mental health matters.
Lower your stress.
Get enough sleep.
So Joseph brings the boys close and he hugs and kisses them. Science
shows that kissing, hugging, snuggling, and holding hands produce more than
just beautiful moments. They can actually boost overall health, helping you
lose weight, lower blood pressure, fight off sickness, and more. It is a moment of affection, love,
encouragement, affirmation, reassurance, security and comfort.
Now the text uses the word Israel, because Jacob is about to kiss and
bless them. This is the moment where the
boys are about to be elevated from where they were to where God was going to
make them. Remember God puts us where we
are and makes us into what we will be all because of grace. These boys were about to become greater than
they ever thought they would be because of grace. It is the same with us
because we could not do anything to bring about our elevation from sinner to
saint and from alien to son. This is
such a powerful moment. Last week we
learned that they had been adopted into Jacob’s family and they are about to
receive all the blessings that comes with it.
We in turn have been adopted into God’s family by Jesus Christ with all
the blessings it brings. As we close today. Take a moment and let’s get ready to receive
from the Lord today.
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