I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Genesis 48. Genesis chapter 48. I'd like to consider the remainder of this chapter, verses 8 to 22, and we'll read them Lord willing, as we go.

But having over the last couple of services in this chapter, what we've been blessed to do is to be made to remember and consider Jacob's remembrance of the death of his wife, Rachel, who was Joseph's mother while they were in the land of Canaan. Now we come to a precious passage that declares in type and picture the absolute sovereignty of God to show mercy and compassion to whomsoever he will.

Now that is a a subject that we never, a believer, never tires of hearing. Tell me one more time how the Lord has been pleased to show mercy to me. And you that know Him know what I mean.

The scripture, and I'll just pick up, where we left off. The scripture says, verses 8 to 10. Genesis 48 and verse 8. The scripture says, And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons. whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see them. And he sought, and he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Israel." This is Jacob, Israel, a prince with God. And he said unto his son, Joseph, he said as he was looking at Joseph's sons, he said, who are these? Who are these two boys? He could tell.

Now, here's the thing. We know that the scripture declares, as we just read, that Jacob, Israel, his eyes are dim. He's old. His eyes are failing him, and he's called, he's realized that his son Joseph is there with him. He's so thankful to see him. And he asked his son, he said, who are these two boys here?

Now, obviously, they were standing in a way, I've looked over these scriptures time and time and time and time, and trying to just get a feel for what is happening right here. Joseph is standing there, his dad, standing in front of him. Obviously, and I'll show you this in scriptures, obviously these two boys are probably standing right behind him, just because it says something you'll see in a second about him. He brought them out from between his knees. He brought them out, they were, you know how young boys be, but most of the writers think that these boys were really young men, but out of just respect. They were not pushing themselves forward. They were being respectful young men.

And these two sons of Joseph, they were told to come before Israel, their grandfather. He said, bring these boys to me and I'm going to bless them. I'm going to bless these two boys. Not in a common way of just wishing them well, but as a patriarch. as a prophet, a prophet under the direction and guidance of Almighty God's Holy Spirit, expressing what would befall these two boys, these two young men.

So Joseph brought his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. He brought them to their grandfather. Grandfather embraced them. them. And then beholding these two boys, and seeing how the Lord has revealed His will through Israel blessing these boys.

Now we're going to, we're going to hear what Jacob, what Israel has got to say concerning, he told them, he said, come I'm going to bless these boys. And so the Lord moves by his Holy Spirit to let us know how God is going to speak. He's going to speak. You know the scripture says that the Lord Jesus declared, my sheep hear my voice. My sheep hear my voice. And I know what we all think. You're listening and you hear, you hear me speaking, you hear. But hearing the voice of the Lord is beholding his providence. That's the voice of the Lord. We hear it. We see what he's doing.

But Jacob here now is going to bless these two boys. And we hear now this special word of admonition from the Lord himself. The Lord spoke sovereignly. in this meeting here, moving Jacob to bless Ephraim and Manasseh. Manasseh's the older of the two. Manasseh is the oldest boy, Ephraim's the youngest boy. And this blessing has great, great significance. Let me show you.

I want you to turn with me to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. Let me show you what the Scripture declares to be the significance of this blessing. Let's just get ready to have it. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 21. Hebrews 11, 21, By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph. and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

Now, here's Israel, the prince with God, and he's getting ready to bless these two boys. But this, like I said, this is more just a, you know, well, I hope, pray to the Lord, bless your boys. I hope they do well. Nuh-uh, nuh-uh. He's getting ready to bestow a blessing that the Lord has declared to him, to Israel himself, concerning these two boys. God is getting ready to move on Israel to say something that is the mind and the will and the purpose of Almighty God. And it's something that's so important that the Spirit of God moved the writer in Hebrews to mention this event right here. He worshiped God. Jacob, he worshiped God by blessing these two boys.

Now, I want us to understand that this blessing has great significance to us tonight. And so I want us to even right now ask the Lord, Lord, speak to my heart. through these words, Lord let this be a word for me, an admonition for me. Let us see the Lord of glory speaking through his word that which will be profitable unto us.

Well, these two boys are brought forward and the scripture says in verse 11 through 14, And Israel said unto Joseph, and he's brought these two boys now, brought them up. Jacob has embraced them, kissed them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face. And lo, God has showed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, And he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger. his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Now, here's what happened. Jacob, Israel, oh, what joys expressed by Israel to be able to see these two boys. He was so thrilled to see his two grandchildren. But they were more than just his grandchildren. He had adopted them. He had told his son, Joseph, he said, your two boys are mine. He adopted them. He said, these boys now belong to me. And all the blessings that would come from Jacob would now be toward these two boys as they were now adopted by Jacob to be his own boys. He's made them his. He's two sons now of adoption.

But what needy sinner can perceive the depth of the joy? It was a joy to Jacob. I keep going back and forth with Jacob and Israel. You know what I'm saying. Jacob, Israel, same man. What a joy it was to him to behold these two sons that he had adopted. And I began to muse on that this afternoon as I was going over these notes again and again. I thought, here is Israel and joy is filling his heart as he looks upon these two boys that he has made to be his own. And as I mused upon that, I thought, I can't even enter in to the depth of what's being said spiritually.

As Israel was looking at these two boys that he had told his son Joseph, he said, these boys are mine. They're mine. They're my sons. And he looked on those two boys, and his heart rejoiced. He said, I had not even, I never thought I'd be able to see them. I never thought I'd, and here they are. And I just sat there for a little while this afternoon, musing upon that, and I thought, I wish I could enter in. And I know I can't. But oh, that I could truly enter in to the joy of the Lord when he looks upon his elect in Christ and in his heart, as the scripture says concerning the bride of Christ in Song of Solomon 4.9. When the Lord is speaking to the bride, he said, you've ravished me with one of your eyes. I just, I look at you and my heart just so Taken back. You've stolen my heart.

And here's and here's Jacob now looking at these two boys, these two sons of Joseph. Who now Jacob has adopted. And he's he said, I just. Verse 11, he said, I said, under Joseph, I'd not thought to see thy face in low. God has showed me also thy seed. And he brought him out between his knees and he bowed himself with his face. Joseph took these boys in his hands. He's getting ready to bestow this. The Lord's adoption. We talk about it. We understand some concepts of it. We understand the adoption. Here's the Lord adoption of his sheep. Adoption that must, that has to be the choice of the adopter. The children don't decide who's going to be adopted. The parents, the one adopting is the one that decides who they're going to adopt. They do the choosing. The Lord said, I chose you. You didn't choose me, I chose you.

Today this false religion is making all the union between the Lord and His people to be based upon what man decides. And that's contrary to scripture. God Almighty chooses to show mercy to whomsoever He will. So here is the adoption of these two boys is a joy to Israel. He said, I never thought I'd get to see them. But I think the Lord has always seen us as people. He's always looked upon us with joy. Adoption, which reveals us to have been accepted of the Father. accepted in Christ, accepted in the Beloved, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.

And Joseph now, hearing that his dad's now going to bless his two sons, and assuming in his mind that Manasseh, who is the older of the two, would now receive the blessing of the birthright, he positioned these two boys in such a way that all Israel had to do to bless them was just put his hands straight out, lay his hands on these two boys. Here, Joseph brings his boys out, and he's going to put them so that whenever his dad lays out his right hand, his right hand is going to be on top of Manasseh's head. He's the first boy. That's what Joseph is thinking. He's going to put his hand down. He's going to just reach out there and bless them, and he's going to put his hand on Manasseh. Here's Ephraim over here on his left hand, Israel's left hand. And the scripture says that the spirit of God guiding his hands wittingly, prudently, wisely, he was going to guide the hands of Israel, Jacob, when he blessed his boys. And verse 15, 16 says, and he blessed Joseph. He blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk, the God which fed me all my life long until this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be named on them in the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow. to a multitude in the midst of the earth.

Now here's these two boys, like I said, Israel standing looking at these two boys. Here's Joseph down there looking back. He's got his two sons with him. Israel, as I said, Joseph assumed that when his dad's going to bless him, all he's going to do is just reach out in front of him, lay his hands on him, you know. Here's Manasseh over here. I mean, Manasseh's, you know, toward Jacob's right hand. Ephraim's over here on the left. Ephraim's going to get the blessing. And what he does was Jacob crossed his hands, put his right hand on top of Ephraim. Manasseh, the firstborn, didn't have his right hand. The hand of blessing was on that younger boy.

And the scripture says that when Jacob began the blessing, I thought how wonderful it is. He started it off in verse 15 again. He said he blessed Joseph. And when he blessed him, he said, God, before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk, the God which fed me all my life until this day, I thought He's getting ready to bless these boys. But in that blessing, Joseph is going to be named in the blessing. He noticed that as Joseph got this blessing, Jacob told the three of them, he said, God, who blessed me all the days of my life. And I thought, now, all right, how long would that be? Well, according to the words, all the days of my life would be from the beginning when he was born.

And I began to muse on that today. And I began to think back on my life, and I began to think how things that would come back to my life and how here I was and I was living here and then mom and dad would move and we moved here and then I went over here and I went to this school and I went to that school and this one crossed my path and I think all of these things that were providential and when I didn't know him in regenerating grace before I ever knew the Lord, he was leading and guiding and directing me. He didn't start leading and guiding and directed me when I began to know him by faith. Oh no, much longer before that.

I think how God Almighty would take this little nobody out of South Louisiana and lead and guide and direct me and put me until this very moment here I'm standing in this pulpit. I'm thinking what a What a blessing to behold what I think of, but for the grace of God, where I would have been, what I would have been doing, what I would have been thinking before I had any knowledge of the Lord that he was directing my path. Now that's a blessing to be able to be made to know that. That's what he said. He started that blessing and blessed Joseph And here he is, he's talking to Joe, he's talking to his boy. And he said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long until this day, the angel, the angel of the covenant, which redeemed me from all evil, bless the last, the Lord that blessed me but bless my dad and bless my grandfather. God that redeemed me out of the bondage of sin, gave me life in Christ, chose to show mercy to this nobody. All the blessing that was bestowed upon these two boys as far as Jacob was concerned toward his own son and my family, how God has blessed my family. And blessed his people out of my family to know him, the angel of the covenant of God's grace, the Lord Jesus himself. He who loved me, bore my guilt in his own body, put away my sin, Redeem me from evil.

I pray that God bless these lads. These lads right here. Israel's adopted sons. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. The margin says as fishes do increase. What a revelation. God speak it. Speak it through that blessed servant, Jacob.

Scripture says in verse 17, when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim. It displeased him. And he held up his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head under Manasseh. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put thy right hand upon his head. His father refused and said, I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people. He shall also be great. But truly, his younger brother shall be greater than he. His seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God, make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh. And he sent Ephraim before Manasseh. 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 my bow."

Surely Joseph thought his father had made a mistake. He's old, can't see, and he He's made a mistake here by crossing his hands and laying his right hand on the wrong boy. He laid his hand now on Ephraim. Should have laid it on Manasseh, the older of the two. And he was sure that Manasseh was going to be the one receiving the blessing.

Israel, knowing that he was going to soon die, assured Joseph that he knew what he was doing. He said, I know, I know. He told him that the Lord is going to be with you, and the Lord's going to be with your two boys, Manasseh and Ephraim. He said, but Ephraim is going to be the greater. The younger is going to be the greater. He said, The older, the one that everybody assumes is going to get the blessing, he's going to receive his blessing. He was blessed of God, but not like God chose to show blessing to Ephraim, the younger.

Beloved, let us learn from these verses that God's grace does not follow the natural order of man's thinking. He doesn't follow. God Almighty does not prefer those that we naturally think would be qualified or be the fittest, humanly speaking. I think how, and you know what I mean here, how Sometimes, I've seen this, false religion, sometimes church will think they'll get a big football star, you know. Football star come, so-and-so, so-and-so, big football player, he gonna come speak this Sunday. You know, everybody knows him and they're gonna really, he gonna really be able to make a big difference, you know, because he's somebody. God, the scripture says, has chosen the foolish things of this world, the weak things. Why? That no flesh should glory in His presence. God Almighty is not going to share His glory with anybody. God Almighty may be pleased to show mercy to a cane and not his brother. I'm sorry, show mercy to Abel, the younger, and not Cain, his old brother. He may show mercy to Saul of Tarsus and pass by another. He might show mercy to a Jacob, The younger and not Esau, the older. God Almighty does as he will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

Be mindful of the Lord's word to Moses when Moses said, show me your glory. Show me your glory. And here's the glory of the Lord. I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I'll proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious, and I'll show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

This world looks on the outside, and God sees on the inside. God Almighty is pleased to show mercy to whom He'll show mercy. And I'm so thankful that God would show mercy to me, that God would show mercy to you.

We've been blessed tonight to be able to behold in just the blessing, which I say when I say just the blessing, it was a great lesson, truth set forth by God's choosing of this young man, Ephraim. He was the younger, most fit. Think about whenever God showed mercy to you, you that know him. Would you have chosen you? I know I wouldn't have chosen me, but God Almighty was pleased to take the dregs of this world.

I never know Charles Spurgeon, made this statement that I thought was so fitting. He had some young boys that he would teach in a class that he had. And he said whenever these young men would walk into the class, he would greet them, salute them is what he said. I'd salute these young men. You see, because I never know if but one of these young men right here, might be the next great Saul of Tarsus. I mean, Paul the Apostle instead of Saul of Tarsus. He said, I just don't know.

We look around and we see some in our congregation, some here, and I say, I'll tell you what, I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for that one or this one. Well, maybe you wouldn't, but who knows that God might not raise him up, raise up that young man make Him a preacher and bless His ministry and who knows what the Lord might be pleased to do.

Let's pray that the Lord might be pleased to lead us and guide us and direct us and keep us for His glory and our good. Amen.