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Our Deliverer

Words of Faith Final

Our Deliverer
Words of Faith 8-24-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 49
[13] "Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.
[14] "Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down between two saddlebags.
[15] When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labor.
[16] "Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
[17] Dan will be a serpent by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse's heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.
[18] "I look for your deliverance, O Lord.
[19] "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.
[20] "Asher's food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.
[21] "Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

Jacob continued to predict the nature of each tribe that would come from the brothers. Make no mistake about it, despite the forgiveness and fresh start for the brothers, the future Jacob saw was a mixture of blessing and betrayal-- pain and prosperity.
Zebulun would be enriched by seaborne trade, but Issachar would be a donkey, forced to work for others. Dan was called to provide justice but chose treachery instead, like a snake by the roadside. Gad would be attacked by raids, but he would also attack others in border disputes. Asher would be fertile and productive, providing rich food, while Naphtali, like a doe, would be a free mountain people.
What is fascinating is that in this mixed prediction of pain and provision, Jacob interjected a request for deliverance by the LORD. He may have been reminding his sons of their need for dependence on the Lord. Jacob also seems to be expressing to them a glimpse of the Messianic hope-- a cry for deliverance from all trouble and grief.
It is sometimes noted that the Old Testament does not articulate the doctrines of eternal life and resurrection until the prophets Isaiah and Daniel. By the time of Jesus, eternal life and resurrection were firmly established in much Jewish thought, even though the priestly party denied such a hope.
It is difficult to know exactly what Jacob anticipated regarding the afterlife. His primary understanding of his legacy was mainly in the great nation growing at the call of God in those gathered around him. But now we also hear a basic cry for salvation and Messianic rescue from Jacob: "I look for your deliverance, O Lord."
We often wonder about the eternal destiny of those who preceded the coming of Messiah. Of course, such judgments are solely in the hand of the Lord God. But we can see from the earliest interactions of God's chosen people that there was hope. Those who preceded the coming of Jesus put faith in the One who was to come. Believers today put faith in the One who came to redeem us.
Abraham was called to become a great nation that would be a blessing, a light to all the peoples of the earth. Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness. Jacob now cried out for deliverance. In these beginnings, we see the longing for the Messiah developing. Later, this hope would become the central theme in Jewish identity leading up to the coming of Jesus.
Is your hope in the Lord? We may be little more than a donkey or a doe in our earthly efforts. We will struggle in this earthly life, but our one hope is in the Lord Jesus. In Christ, we are a New Creation. We know the Messiah of God, and we await His return. He is our fortress and deliverer.

Lord Jesus, I am so grateful for the knowledge of You. I do not know what the future will hold, but I am confident that You are in charge. You are my hope. You are my salvation. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.