Genesis 48: 21, 22: “And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
Jacob remembered the promises. He had laboured hard for much of the early years of his life to inherit the spiritual blessings that God had given to Abraham and his descendants and was not ready to give up his belief in the Lord. He knew that the Lord would return his descendants to the Promised land and he told Joseph that his (Israel’s) family would return to that place. There are many people who are happy to start by faith but don’t want to continue that way. They are like the Galatians who started by faith but wanted to finish by works. (see Gal 3: 1-5, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” In any sporting competition the only thing that goes into the record book is the position of the participants at the end. This issue is very important in life as well. It is not good starters that matter but people who persevere in their faith till the very end.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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