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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">“<font size="3"><b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><font size="3"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><font size="3"><b>Tel:
253-517-9195 - Email: <a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><font size="3"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">April 16, 2011</p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER">
<br></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>JAN
16 - GENESIS 48-50 - JACOB'S BLESSINGS</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b>1.
48:1 (48:1-2) JOSEPH: VISITS JACOB. “And it came to pass after
these things, that one said to Joseph, Behold, your father is sick:
and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim” (ASV '01).
</b><span style="">What filial devotion Joseph
had to his father Jacob, even though he was lord of the land of
Egypt! Father, we give ourselves to You with this same spirit of
devotion. </span><b><i> Hallowed be Your Name!</i></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b><span style="font-style: normal;">2.
48:5 (48:3-7) EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH. “And now your two sons, who
were born unto you in the land of Egypt, before I came unto you into
Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon,
shall be mine.” </span></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="">Here
comes the double blessing of the firstborn upon Joseph instead of
Reuben. O may we not like Reuben forfeit our blessing, but walk a
walk that will retain what You Father, have properly given us! </span></span><i><b>Your
:kingdom come.</b></i></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<b>3. 48:14 (48:8-20) JACOB: BLESSES JOSEPH'S SONS. “And Israel
stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who
was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, crossing his
hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born.” </b><span style="">Your
provisions, Father are always right! In Your Sovereignty, You may
place our younger above our elder! </span><b><i>Your :will be done,
As in heaven, so on earth.</i></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<b>4. 48:21-22 JOSEPH'S PORTION. “And Israel said unto Joseph,
Behold, I die: but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the
land of your fathers. <font style="font-size: 8pt;" size="1">22</font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">
Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brethren, which I
took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
</font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">See
the promise of the land yet to be fulfilled! See the blessing of God
upon faithfulness in persecution and suffering! </span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i>Our
:daily</i></font></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i><b>bread
give us this day.</b></i></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">5. 49:28 (49:1-28) ISRAEL:
BLESSES HIS SONS AND TRIBES. “All these are the twelve tribes of
Israel: and this is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed
them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.” </font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">The
12 sons became 12 tribes, each one representing one of the 12 gates
of the New Jerusalem. The 12 apostles will one day sit on 12 thrones
judging the 12 tribes. They could be the 24 elders in the book of
Revelation. In Christ, neither Jew nor Gentile! O Father, hold us
steady in Your truth! </span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i>And
forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.</i></font></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">6. 49:33 (49:29-50:13)
JACOB: HIS END. “And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons,
he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and
was gathered unto his people.” </font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">This
is the fitting honor due to a passing patriarch, a father in Israel.
His dying wishes were observed. Egypt participated in honoring his
death. Father, in this You were honored in Your servant. </span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i>And
bring us not into temptation.</i></font></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">7. 50:25 (50:14-26) JOSEPH:
HIS END. “And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel,
saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones
from here.” </font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">Now
the patriarch and prophet Joseph speaks, and his wishes too were
fulfilled. When our ways please You Father, You make even our enemies
to be at peace with us! </span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i>But
deliver us from the evil one!</i></font></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<u><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">NOTE</font></b></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>:
</b></span></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">The
forgiveness of Joseph towards his 10 sinning half brothers - brings
us forward to Jesus on the Cross forgiving His own people the Jews,
who through their leaders, led in His crucifixion. And what prepared
Joesph's heart to be such a type in forgiveness for his coming Lord?
One clue is through the birth of his firstborn Manasseh, which means
“forgetfulness”. The joy of the coming of this little son helped
him to </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">forget</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
the bitterness of his past, as he dandled him upon his knee. Just
think of his reception for his brothers - had they arrived prior to
the birth of Manasseh! Manasseh also stands for the reality of inner
healing, which likewise took place at this time of </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">forgetfulness</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">.
Then it was proper for Ephraim - fruitfulness - to arrive. But we
cannot be fruitful until </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">first</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
we deal with the bitterness of the past!</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Then
we cannot fail to notice how Jacob in his sightlessness was led to
cross his hands and put the blessing of the firstborn upon Ephraim,
the second born! And when the father Joseph remonstrated - Jacob
soothed him by revealing that he was aware of what he was doing - but
that his action was initiated by </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">God</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">,
not himself.! This immediately calmed the upset of Joseph, so that he
could accept the will of God in this instance, even as the same was
revealed concerning his father Jacob the youngest and his uncle Esau,
the elder.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">God
is God! We must </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">all</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
be prepared to understand and accept the Sovereignty of God in our
circumstances - to upset such circumstances from </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">our</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
point of view - and to do instead what lines up with </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">His</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
hidden wisdom!</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Then
Jacob reveals to his son Joseph the deep understanding God had for
him in his rejection and suffering! To bring to reality God's
purposes of blessing on Joseph's behalf, Jacob adopts as his own sons
Ephraim and Manasseh, giving Joseph a </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">double-portion</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
in Israel! Jacob then called his 12 sons together, and prophetically
proclaims over them God's projected pattern for each one according to
the Sovereign will of God. These in turn line up with the prophetic
words of Moses over the 12 tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy 33.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">And
</span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">now</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
Jacob nears his end. He leads Joseph to promise to bury him in his
own promised land by his covenant God, which Joseph and Egypt did.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Then
Joseph drew from the people of Israel their promise to bring his
bones with them when God delivers them from Egypt - and bury him in
the land of his fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. </span></span></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">So
- Genesis starts out with creation and life in the Garden of Eden,
and ends up with an embalmed body in the land of Egypt! J.A.W.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><br></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"></p>
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