The Feed Mill

Today’s Bible Reading: Genesis 48-50

Today’s Devotional: Genesis 48:1-14

Jacob’s Adopting of Joseph’s sons.

We see in Genesis 48, Jacob as sometimes being referred to as Jacob, and at other times being referred to as Israel which the Lord gave Him in Genesis 32:28.

Jacob = Supplanter

The use of Jacob could be suggestive that in Jacob adopting Joseph’s two sons. Jacob was up to his scheming for gain. In Genesis 48:2 Israel strengthened himself, then in Genesis 48:8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons. So it is suggestive that Jacob never let go of his scheming even after the Lord committed to doing a new work in his life. It’s not Moses who is referring to the man as Jacob here, but it’s the Lord. The supplanter who did this.

How often do we do the same thing?

That we’ve received the promises God has given and has continued to show Himself faithful in and through our lives. But we see the opportunity to benefit personally in some way by making an arrangement in our flesh or according to the old man, Ephesians 4:17-24.

God has given us a new spirit and desires to do a new work within our lives. The way we join God in the will and plan He has for our life is to join God in His general will for our lives; that we live separately from the world’s value and practices for finding fulfillment.

God using Jacob to refer to who has performed this action suggests that the decision here was based upon the world’s value and practices for finding fulfillment.

A side note, the neat thing on the other hand to see is that by Jacob adopting Joseph’s two son’s he was bringing two half Gentiles into God’s covenant relationship with the children of Israel. Joseph’s wife was Egyptian. And they were adopted with the same birthrights as Reuben and Simeon, they were adopted as first and second born. Genesis 34:25, 35:22 we see that Reuben and Simeon were disqualified from receiving positions of status or leadership in Israel’s family because of their sin.

Jacob’s adopting was not because of anything Joseph’s sons had done for or could do for Jacob.

What we see is that Jacob did something God was going to do by His perfect will and through Jesus Christ by bringing the Gentiles fully into relationship with Him. The problem is not that Jacob adopted, the problem if indeed the man did as the Lord used his name in connection to the action as the Supplanter, someone who seizes, or a heel snatcher that Jacob performed the action separate from the direction of God.

What a dangerous thing when we do something separate from the direction of God, His leading and guiding. Spend time with the Lord in worship, in prayer, and in His Word getting to know who He is and His ways. Then wait on Him and look for Him and how He has revealed Himself through His Word. Be blessed this year, and may God richly bless you this year as you wait on Him, and grow in the knowledge of Him.