(Genesis) Genesis 48:1-3

Now, as we get into this chapter here, we find that we have Jacob's last sickness and he blesses the two sons of Joseph, and by faith we are told Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff. That's Hebrews 11, 21. Now, I think you can discover here another evidence of the spiritual side of Jacob and that he's growing.

He's come a long way since his early days. If I may adopt a very slang and ugly expression that's in some of our commercials, let me say this of Jacob, you've come a long ways, baby, and I don't mean that he's come to the place where he can smoke cigarettes and get lung cancer, but I think that he's come spiritually a long, long ways. Now, I think that all of you that are studying with us, reading through the Bible with us, will concur in this observation, but the growth has been slow, very slow, and it wasn't a sensational experience.

A great many people look for that. I talked to a very beautiful young couple. They were a fine-looking young couple in Memphis, Tennessee several years ago after service.

They had come forward, and I asked them what they came forward for. They said they wanted all that God had for them, and I found out they came forward every Sunday. I asked them, what are you really looking for? Well, they thought they would have some sensational, momentary experience that had just all of a sudden, they had become fully grown.

We're told to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we've had to wait now until he's become an old man to see the fruit, but thank God for the possibility of growth in our lives and the patience of God which permits it. Now, if God moved in like some of us would, and I know that my impatience would cause me to move in and do something about it, but God very patiently dealt with this man, and he very patiently will deal with you and me. Now let's look at this incident in this man's life.

Old Jacob is going to bless the sons of Joseph. I'm reading now verse 1, Genesis 48. And it came to pass after these things that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick.

And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee. And Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed.

And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and bless me. Now, can you imagine the thrill of this old man who now has this boy and his two sons before him? And he never dreamed he'd ever see him again. He thought he was dead.

What a thrill it must have been to him. And this was his favorite son. Now he finds him elevated to this high position down in the land of Egypt.

And what a thrill it must have been to old Jacob to have this boy of his. He's on his deathbed, and now he's been down there 17 years. And here comes this man with his two sons, that is Joseph.

And old Jacob, he gets up and sits on the edge of his bed, and he is an old man, and he's dying. But notice where he goes to in his thinking. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me.

I tell you, friends, that he's come a long ways. You see here the faith of Jacob. He's now trusting God.

He's not bragging about Jacob. Jacob was clever as a young man. He could get what he wanted, so he thought, and would use any kind of a method, too.

But now he looks back over his life, and he goes back to where God appeared to him. That's the beginning of it all. God appeared to him there in Bethel when he went out of the land, and then when he came back to the land, he says, God appeared to me there, and God blessed me.

Here's the faith of Jacob.