Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Submission (Genesis 49)

Jacob is on his deathbed and now has the opportunity to prophetically speak about the future of his 12 sons.  Will he abuse his prophetic gift and try to put his favored son ahead of the other sons?  Or has this man really learned from this wrestling match that the wisdom of God is manifested through weakness?  How does the Lord show the irony off the Messianic line by coming through a very unlikely son?  Why is this son such an unlikely candidate to bring forth the messiah?

A Christmas Transition (Genesis 49:8-12)

The season of Christmas concludes with New Years.  New Year’s Day is a day of transition of moving from an old year to a new year.  It is our tradition to make resolutions and hope that the new year is better and more blessed than last year.  This is not necessarily a bad thing provided that we are doing this in the confidence of the grace of God, but what should be the ultimate hope for the new year?  What should be our focus as we move from this year to the next year?  What can Jacob teach us about a struggled life in the Lord as he prepares for the ultimate transition from this age to being with our Lord?