Skip to content Genesis 48-50: Building a Godly Legacy Jan 21 · 15 min ...more
Genesis 48-50: Building a Godly Legacy
January 21, 2026 · 15 min
Learn about the importance of leaving a faith-filled legacy for future generations as exemplified by Jacob.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
93.9K followers
Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
93.9K followers
Leaving a Godly Legacy Through Blessings 0:10 Good morning, and welcome to Stand on the Word. Alright. The sun is up this morning, and obviously, so are you. Today, we reach the first milestone in our journey to the Bible as we complete the book0:22 of Genesis. We're gonna have, we're gonna be looking at chapters 48 through 50. But before we, jump into it, I just have a question for you. How have you found this journey thus far? Has the Lord revealed anything to0:32 you? Have you found this encouraging in your, daily devotional? I'd be interested to, to know. Alright. Tomorrow, we begin the book of Job. Alright. We're not, following the Bible0:44 as it you have it laid out in your hands. We're not going to Exodus left next. This is a chronological journey through the Bible. So you need the Bible reading plan, which can be found at f r c dot o r0:56 g slash bible. There are other resources there for you as well. Verse 20 of chapter 50. But as for you, you meant evil against me, but god meant it for good in order to bring it about as it1:08 is this day to save many people alive. In these 3 chapters, what, what really grabs my attention, number 1, is leaving a legacy, and number 2,1:20 living in freedom. And the 2 are related. You can't leave a lasting legacy if you're not living in freedom. And I'm not talking about political freedom as important as that is. I'm1:32 talking about spiritual freedom. You know, Jesus said in John chapter 8 verse 32, he said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. It's the truth, living in1:44 that truth, walking in that truth, having a grasp of that truth that makes us free. As we grab hold of the truth by faith, we find freedom. Now Jacob finally got to that1:55 point of walking in the truth as as we've seen the freedom that Joseph experienced even as a prisoner because he walked in the truth. It is the truth that brings2:07 us to that place of true freedom. Unfortunately, today, when we talk about leaving a legacy, it is most often most often focused on how or2:19 what financial assets we leave to, our children or grandchildren. And and while that certainly has its place and it's important, something you should consider, there is a lot more and something2:31 of greater importance that has general, generational impact that is leaving a godly legacy. Let's look at Genesis chapter 48 beginning in verse 1. Now it came to2:43 pass after these things that Joseph was told, indeed, your father is sick. And he took with him his 2 sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, look, your son Joseph is coming to you. So2:54 Israel strengthened himself and set up on his bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph, god almighty appeared to me in Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me and said to me, behold, I will make you fruitful and3:06 multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession. Alright. Just hold3:18 on to that. And now your 2 sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine. Alright. He's claiming them. As Reuben and3:30 Simeon, they shall be mine. Jacob had had his first personal encounter with God at Bethel as he was leaving Canaan headed to3:42 the place of his uncle Laban. We saw that in chapter 28. He second his second encounter was at Bethel, and that was upon his return to Canaan3:54 with his family and all that he acquired had acquired at that time. Whether he spoke of this encounter with god at other times is not recorded in scripture. We don't know. But I think he probably4:06 did, after that second 1. But what we have what we read here is Jacob telling his children and his grandchildren about his journey with the Lord. This4:17 provides context and and and meaning to their experiences, and it prepares them for the difficulty that was going to be coming in the years ahead as slaves in4:29 Egypt. It would be a source of of strength and and hope for them. And this this is a cons an essential part of leaving a legacy. Our children need to know4:41 about our Bethel experience. Right? They this this life transforming encounter that we had with god. And and this is is even more important4:53 for those children and grandchildren who grow up, have the benefit of growing up in a Christian home, and they see this as normative. They see this Christian Christianity as normative. You know, I had5:05 the I guess, I would say the benefit of of being born into an unchristian home, an unchurched home. And then, I saw the encounter. I saw the transformation that took place in my family as a5:17 child. You see, the legacy of parents and grandparents don't don't miss this. This is important because the the the legacy of parents and grandparents becomes the foundation for5:29 children to build their own legacy, their own story of god's faithfulness to them. Now our faith does not carry them, but it lays a foundation for them. Now5:41 Now here we see the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, who Jacob says will become like his children, removing the blessing of the firstborn, Reuben, and giving Joseph the double blessing.5:53 Verse 15. And he blessed Joseph and said, god, before whom my father my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the god who has fed me all my life long to this day, the angel6:05 who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. Let my name be named upon them in the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude6:17 in the midst of the earth. Now this this blessing is is referenced or pointed to by Paul over in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 21 where it says, by faith,6:29 Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped leaning on the top of his staff. In this blessing that Jacob speaks, we see the preexistence6:41 of God, meaning the legacy is not about us. Okay? But it's about God's faithfulness. It's about God. Everything is about God. It's not about us. There is god's provision, there is6:53 god's protection, and there is god's prophetic blessing that will flow onto other generations through them. You know, speaking, blessings over our7:05 children isn't just for Old Testament patriarchs. Okay? You know, when they're dying. That's that's not, you know, we we look at this. We say, oh, that was those old guys in the Old Testament. When they're about to7:16 die, they spoke a blessing. Jesus, but in the new testament, Jesus blessed the children who came to them. He spoke a blessing over them. Paul frequently spoke blessing over his7:28 spiritual children. So fathers and, and grandfathers in particular, if you've not spoken blessings over your children and your grandchildren, I encourage you7:40 to do so. And you don't have to wait until you're on your deathbed. Look for those opportunities to speak blessings over their lives because our words, remember, we've looked at this before. Our words have7:52 shaping influence over the lives of our children. So we need to be careful what we speak. You know, it's on a regular basis, but we need to be intentional about speaking those words of blessing over our8:04 children. Alright. In chapter 49, we see the blessings spoken over all of the sons of, of Jacob. Verse 1, and Jacob called his sons and said, gather together that I may tell8:15 you what shall befall you in the last days. Alright? Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel, your father. Now he goes into laying8:27 out the in part what they're going to be facing in the years ahead. Now it then he goes into the blessings. In these blessings, we see the consequences of of sin, like Reuben forfeiting8:39 his preeminence of the firstborn because of his fornication. But then look at the blessing spoken over Joseph in in verse 22. Joseph is a fruitful8:51 bough, a fruitful bough by a well. His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him, but his bow remained in9:03 strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. For there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel, by the God of your9:15 father who will help you, you, and by the almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the the9:26 breast and of the womb. The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors9:43 separated from his brothers. Jacob spoke this, final blessing over his children and his grandchildren, gave instructions for his burial, that he was to be returned9:55 to Canaan, to Hebron, and then he entered eternity. Verse 33. And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last and10:07 was gathered to his people. Leaving a legacy is living for the Lord and showing your children how to do the same. Even when you falter and fail, ILiving in Freedom: Joseph's Forgiveness and Faith 10:19 mean, look, Jacob had his issues, but he finished strong. We wanna finish strong. In the final chapter, we see that while Joseph's brother was, his brothers were10:31 were living freely in Egypt where they had, all their needs met, they were provided for. And they in fact, they not only survived the famine, they thrived. We we read that. They were blessed beyond measure. But10:43 they, as we read here, they still were not truly free. Jacob's death is met with extended mourning and tremendous demonstrations of honor and10:55 respect even from the the Egyptians, which, was driven by respect of of Joseph as he, honored his father. So Jacob's body is taken11:07 into Hebron. He's buried in the tomb of the patriarchs in the cave that was purchased by Abraham. Then we go over, to, in verse 15, we11:19 see the manifestation of this fear again and the evidence that Joseph's brothers were not living in freedom. Verse 15, when Joseph's brother saw that their father was dead, they said,11:30 perhaps Joseph will hate us and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him. So they sent messengers to Joseph saying before your father died, he commanded saying, thus you shall11:42 say to Joseph, I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin for they did evil to you. Now please forgive the trespass of the servant, servants of the God of your father.11:54 And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his faith, and they said, behold, we are your servants. Joseph said to them, do not be afraid for I am12:06 in the place of God. But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day to12:18 save many people alive. Now, therefore, do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones, and he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.12:30 When we walk in the truth and we live by faith, we can see the hand of God at work just like Joseph did. Carrying out his plans and his purposes and and12:42 allowing us to be a part of it. What a privilege to be a part of what God is doing. And with that understanding, we don't live in in bitterness, but we rather we live in gratitude. And there's12:54 joy that flows from that. That's the abundant life. Bitterness though and guilt will keep us from that abundant life. Joseph lived by faith, harbored no bitterness. His brothers,13:06 however, were not guided by faith, but rather they were driven by fear. Father, we thank you for your word. And as we come to the end of this, book of Genesis, lord, just an13:18 amazing amazing insight here. We thank you for the holy spirit, our teacher, leading us into all understanding of truth. And we pray that we would know how to rightfully apply this truth to our lives13:31 and, lord, to the world in which we live. Lord, we see the fallen nature of man and how it manifests itself continually. But, lord, we we see the the the glimmer of redemption and hope even in the lives13:43 of of these patriarchs. And and, lord, we wanna live by faith. We wanna live as Joseph lived by faith, not harboring unforgiveness or bitterness in our heart, but being grateful that you've allowed us13:55 to be a part of what you're doing. Understanding that the difficulties that we've had, that refining process was to prepare us and equip us for the service that you've called us to. Lord, may we bring honor and glory to14:06 you. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. I I do, again, wanna encourage you. We're now beginning the book of Job. You can find it at f r c dot o r g slash bible. Great opportunity14:18 to invite someone to join you on this journey. Send them the link f r c dot o r g slash bible. Until next time, keep standing on the word.14:31 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you14:43 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Leaving a Godly Legacy Through Blessings10:09 Living in Freedom: Joseph's Forgiveness and Faith
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.