Scripture: Genesis 49:8-12
Confusion, Hope, (Over)Abundance?
Confusion: Well maybe you aren’t confused but it is always a good reminder that we get hints of Jesus long before the New Testament Gospels. Jesus being “the Word of God” even shows up in the creation story in Genesis 1. It is important to know where things come from. Long before ancestry.com the Bible continued to show the family tree and the hope of the family tree especially toward the line of Judah.
Hope: The hope comes out of the confusion. Jacob is on his deathbed giving his prophetic blessing. Cultural norms would suggest that no matter what, the first born would get the best. But that isn’t what happens. The oldest brothers, because of their shrewdness, are essentially cursed. Many brothers are blessed including the continued blessing upon Joseph. But Judah’s line receives the great blessing. We know this more because we can trace it and we know the line of David and thus the line of Jesus comes from it.
Abundance to Overabundance: We want to know that we are safe. We want to know that we have enough. We even hope that we are able to stash some of it away like squirrels for the winter. As heirs of Jesus as Children of God we will have enough. Now the tricky part is how will we have enough? I truly believe that God will indeed provide. However, Christians shouldn’t be stingy. Part of Judah’s blessing essentially says that he is going to be so well off that he can treat a vine like a normal tree and that he doesn’t have to wash his clothes in water because life is going to be so abundantly good. Why use water when you could use wine?
What does this mean? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always been and will forever be. Glimmers of hope will show up in unexpected places. As children of God and brother and sisters of Jesus Christ, we are a part of something bigger than we can even imagine and we must learn to share our abundance.
Questions:
Where do you find hope?
Where do you see abundance in your life?
Daily Prayer
We don’t always know what to pray, O God. So we say both thank you and sorry today. We say thank you for everything that you have gifted and will continue to gift us. Sorry for the things we have been called to do and missed. Help us to share our abundances. If we have an abundance of joy, let us share it. If we have an abundance of money, let us share that. Even if we have an abundance of sorrow or burden, let us not carry that alone either. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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