God will Cross His Hands to Bless You!

This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”, by continuing in the story of Joseph.  Israel (a.k.a Jacob) stayed in Egypt and he prospered Goshen.  His family grew and became very large.  Israel lived in Egypt 17 years, so he was 147 years old.  During this time he became sick and he called for Joseph.  Joseph took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him.  Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Bring your sons to me.  I will bless them.”  Israel was old and his eyes were not good.  So Joseph brought the boys close to his father.  Israel kissed and hugged the boys.  Then Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again.  But look!  God has let me see you and your children.”

Israel was ready to bless the boys so Joseph took them off Israel’s lap and positioned them under their grandfather, so he could bless them.  Joseph put Ephraim on Israel’s left side and Manasseh his right side.   But Israel crossed his hands and put his right hand on the head of the younger boy Ephraim.  Then he put his left hand on Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.  Israel proceeded to pronounce The Blessing.  Joseph realized his father had his right hand on Ephraim’s head and he was not happy about it.  The right hand was reserved for the stronger blessing and it was supposed to go to the first born.  So Joseph took his father’s hand and attempted to move it from Ephraim’s head onto Manasseh’s head.  But his father refused and said, “I know, son.  I know.  Manasseh is the firstborn.  He will be great and will be the father of many people.  But his younger brother will be greater than he is.  And the younger brother’s family will be much larger.”

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

1.  Thank God for unexpected blessings.  As Ephraim and Manasseh sat under their grandfather, waiting for The Blessing to be released, Manasseh knew he was the firstborn and was therefore entitled to the greater blessing.  I am sure Manasseh was happy about the fact their father, Joseph, had already prepositioned them under the proper hands.  The right hand was for the greater blessing and Joseph cleanly positioned Manasseh under Israel’s right hand, but when the grandfather stretched forth his hands to actually release the blessing, he crossed his hands and put his right hand on Ephraim.  See, sometimes God will go out of his way to bless you in a way you were not expecting.  Completely by grace – unearned and unmerited.

2.  God has a track record of bypassing the world’s norms to release His blessing on His children.  The blessing of the firstborn is a well documented part of history.  This is a practice where the father would pronounce his best/greatest blessing over his firstborn son.  But God has overruled this practice many times in scripture.  Isaac was the second son of Abraham, but he bypassed his older brother Ishmael when it came time to receive his father’s blessing.  Jacob was the second son of Isaac, but he tricked his brother Esau and he finagled his way into receiving the blessing of the firstborn son.  Joseph was the second of Jacob (or Israel), but the firstborn, Reuben, disqualified himself by sleeping with one of Jacob’s concubines.  This allowed the blessing of the firstborn to pass to Joseph.  And of course, as we covered today, Jacob crossed his hands and went out of his way to release the blessing of the firstborn over Joseph’s second son, Ephraim, bypassing Manasseh as both boys were side-by-side.

I personally believe all of this has to do with the fact that Jesus is considered the “second” or “last” Adam.  The Bible says, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.  But the last Adam is a life-giving spirit.  The spiritual man did not come first.  It was the physical man that came first; then came the spiritual.  The first man came from the dust of the earth.  The second man came from heaven” (1 Cor 15:45-47).  Jesus came second, but He was unquestionably the greatest.  My point is that God will bypass the norms of this world to release His best over those he birthed to accomplish His Kingdom plans and purposes.

3.  Our God is the only true God, but He is also a loving and caring heavenly Father.  As you sit at His feet and it looks like others have blessings in store for them that far exceed what God has for you, like Jacob did with Joseph’s children, God will sometimes cross His hands and go out of His way to BLESS you greatly.  Not because you deserve it.  Not because you worked so hard for it.  But only because of His grace!

Closing Confession:   Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith.  You made plans for me before the world began.  Before I was Born-Again I made plans for myself and now that I am walking with You, under Your Lordship, You often reveal to me where my plans for me don’t line up with Your plans for me.  In those situations You require me to die to self, to relinquish my plans, and to accept Your best.  I declare that I do.  I walk and live by faith.  I exercise my faith to access Your grace in the things You have revealed to me.  But when I don’t know what You are going to do, and when You have not yet revealed Your plans to me, I still trust You.  I have faith that You will do what You promised me.  I also have trust that You will lead me into Your best, even when I don’t know what that is.  My trust is rooted in the fact that I know You love me and that You are committed to me.  So here I am Father, I ask You to bless me.  Even when it looks like things are not going to work out well for me, I know You can cross Your hands at any moment and release a blessing over me that the world cannot stop.  So Father, I ask You to bless me, to release Your best over me, to use me for Your glory, and glorify me, so I can glorify thee!  I declare this by faith!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.