Faith that has Learned God s Ways are not

Faith that has Learned God’s Ways are not Man’s

Promises Made, Promises Spoken Promised at Beth-El Spoken on Death Bed Give land to you Fruitful and numerous Give land to your seed Make you a company of peoples Seed as a multitude Give the land to seed for an Company of nations from you Kings will come forth from you Through seed all families blessed Will be with you and keep you Bring you back to this land everlasting possession

Birthright not to the First-Born 1 Chron. 5. 1 -3: Now the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

Adoption of Ephraim & Manasseh • Transferred their citizenship from Egypt to Canaan • Gave them the name: Sons of Jacob • Secured inheritance not of Egyptian wealth, but of God’s promise • Each would receive a tribal inheritance in Canaan • Each would be a tribal head of Jacob’s seed through Joseph • They were the means through which Joseph received a double portion, the portion of the birthright. This adoption and blessing is based on God’s promise to return them to, and give them the Promised Land, thus the reason it is found in Hebrews 11.

Jacob’s Vision Hebrews 11. 21: By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. Hebrews 11. 39 -40: And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Jacob’s Learned Faith “Believers who have matured in the faith through a lifetime of experiences in which the covenant God has shepherded and delivered them—no matter how difficult the maturing process may have been—can discern with confidence the purpose and plan of God for the future. This statement does not say that the believer will have the ability to predict; it merely says the mature believer is familiar with God’s ways knows God’s plans, and can prepare for the future with a certain expectation. ” Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing, pg. 694