Today’s Devotion
Topic: The Blessings of Their Father
(Self Assessment 145)
Part 1
Background: Fathers have some spiritual mandate over their children, especially those who fear the Lord. We see it done severally in the old testament where fathers lay hands and bless their sons either through prayer or declarations and prophecy. These fathers were the model of spiritual excellence and maintained that to the end. Therefore, whatever they declared was not of their own but what they received from the Lord.
Today, we want to begin this series that looks critically into Jacobs prophecy to his twelve sons and try to understand what the spiritual language could mean for our contemporary walk with the Lord too. Therefore gather the family around; let’s study the Bible.
Text Genesis 49: 1- 8
1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: Gather around so i can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. 2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honour, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. 7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him. Amen
Questions:
i. Why would you agree or disagree that fathers have some spiritual mandate over their households, especially those who fear the Lord? (Psalm 78: 1-8, Hebrews 12: 7- 11)
ii. With scriptural references, kindly indicate what you think remains the source of this mandate a father can have on his wards, and the blessing it can be for the whole house if the father of the house honours God and has his priestly garment on ’24/7′. (read Eph 5: 23; 1 Sam 2: 27- 36; Gen 6:9,10, 22 – 7:1; Gen 9: 18- 27; Job 1: 1-5; Psalm 127: 1-2)
iii. What will you say accounts for the reason why fathers seem to be losing this special mandate over their household?
iv. Read again the third verse of today’s text. What was supposed to be the blessing of Reuben, and why? (read how this happened: Genesis 35: 22)
v. However, according to verse 4, what will rather be his portion, and why?
vi. What does it mean to:
a) no longer excel
b) be as turbulent as the waters
c) go up into one’s father’s bed and defile it.
vii. How are Simeon and Levi described in verses 5 to 7? (Actually, the full background of this description is in Genesis 34). Secondly, why do you think it will be necessary then that these two brothers be scattered all over Israel?
viii. When Leah bore her first 3 sons for Jacob, she had hoped that would earn her his love over Rachael her sister. But that did not happen. So when she gave birth to their fourth son, she said, “this time I will praise the Lord”. So she named him Judah (Gen 29: 32- 35). Can that explain how special Judah was and has remained till now (verse 8)? Explain your answer.
ix. In verse 9, Judah is likened to a Lion. Now if Jacob saw Judah’s descendants:
a) As a Lion’s cub, then who is the actual Lion of the tribe of Judah. How did He attain such a title?
b) Like a Lion who returns from prey and crouches; also like a lioness who should not be disturbed, what does he mean?
x. Have you noticed from the above that Jacob blessed and predicted the future of his sons based on how he knew them and the things they did; good or contrary? What then must we do to earn the blessings of our fathers and not curses?
xi. What have you learnt from today’s Bible study?
Kindly reply us through this same social media platform. We learn a lot from the answers you share.
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