432 - Viewing Life Through the Twelve Tribes of Israel 11 - Joseph (Part 2)#
432 - Viewing Life Through the Twelve Tribes of Israel 11 - Joseph (Part 2)
(JP Text Group - Shalom Compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival.
Continuing with the eleventh lecture on viewing life through the Twelve Tribes of Israel: Joseph (the latter half).
Genesis 41:50-52:
50 Before the years of famine came, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore two sons to Joseph. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, for he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." 52 He named the second Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."
Let us pray first.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for preparing this wonderful time for us. We come together to seek you, to come before you, and through the truth, grant us wisdom and the principles to live by in our lives. Help us view our lives through the lens of the Twelve Tribes and adjust our lives accordingly. May the Holy Spirit renew and reveal to us, so we may gain heavenly wisdom and strength to build ourselves up and also those around us. Thank you and praise you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
After the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, the land was divided according to the number of the twelve tribes. The tribe of Levi was designated by God to serve as priests in the sanctuary, so they did not receive a land inheritance. However, it was stipulated that each tribe must allocate cities for the Levites to live in and to tend their livestock, and the other tribes were to provide a tithe to support the Levites.
Today, we will discuss the latter half of Joseph's story as viewed through the Twelve Tribes. Here, we will mention two people: Manasseh and Ephraim. Why is this significant? Because Joseph received a double portion of land, and he divided his inheritance between these two sons. What is the reason for this?
Let’s look at 1 Chronicles 5:1-2:
1 The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he is not listed in the genealogy according to the birthright. 2 Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler; although the birthright was Joseph's.
These two verses specifically mention that the birthright was given to Joseph. I have shared before that if one is the firstborn, they not only have the right to a double portion of inheritance but also the responsibility to lead the entire family into prosperity. It is clear that Joseph had this ability. Why? Because Reuben, the original firstborn, lost his birthright due to his poor behavior, and thus it was transferred to Joseph. Therefore, Joseph received a double portion of inheritance. However, Joseph did not inherit it himself; instead, it was divided between his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Thus, the land of Canaan was divided among ten tribes and two half-tribes, meaning Manasseh and Ephraim together counted as one tribe.
Both of them are referred to as half-tribes. Why are there ten tribes and two half-tribes? Because the tribe of Levi is not counted among them; the Levites do not own land and serve full-time, similar to those in full-time ministry today who do not engage in secular work to earn a living. So where does their income come from? It comes from the gratitude and offerings of others, or the support from within the church. These are not forced but given willingly.
Some may wonder if there will be situations where people are unwilling to give, and indeed there are. For example, during the time of the judges, the Israelites were unwilling to support the Levites. Because the Levites had no land, they could not serve in the temple and had to go elsewhere, serving as priests in wealthy households. This led to a complete breakdown of the system, and what were the consequences of this chaos? Everyone was left without blessings. What is God's principle of blessing? It is that the other eleven tribes support the Levites, who serve God wholeheartedly, receiving blessings from God to share with all of Israel. This aligns with God's principles of blessing.
However, if everyone fails to comply, then no one is blessed. In fact, there are a total of thirteen portions here; strictly speaking, there should be thirteen tribes, but since Joseph's two sons are both considered half-tribes, it is still viewed as twelve tribes overall.
Israel should have twelve tribes; this is God's will because twelve is a complete number. Today, we will discuss the two half-tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim, who inherit the double portion of land from Joseph and are thus called half-tribes. Later, after Solomon, the kingdom was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, but the territory of the tribe of Ephraim was right at the border of the two nations.
Why am I sharing this? Because two tribes were excluded: one is the tribe of Dan, which we have discussed before, and the other is the tribe of Ephraim. This is because Dan and Ephraim were located at the border of the two nations. The northern king of Israel, Jeroboam, was worried that the people would go to Jerusalem in the south to worship God, so he devised a plan to set up idols in two locations in the north for the people of northern Israel to worship. This was against God's will and stemmed from his selfish thoughts. The border area was the most tense and chaotic, often leading to conflicts over minor issues, resulting in deep-seated hatred between the tribes of Dan and Ephraim and the southern kingdom of Judah.
In the end times, those who persecute God's people from a spiritual perspective belong to the tribes of Dan and Ephraim. Both tribes have their own cruelty and cunning, which we often refer to as the persecution of the spiritual by the law. In Revelation chapter 7, we see again the spiritual twelve tribes, with neither the tribe of Dan nor the tribe of Ephraim mentioned. Why is this? It is because when the king of Israel set up the golden calf in their land, they did not oppose it but accepted it willingly.
Last time, I mentioned that Dan was very willing to accept the golden calf; in fact, the tribe of Ephraim was the same. Did they know in their hearts that the golden calf was an idol? Of course, they did. They clearly knew this was wrong, that it was an idol, but for the sake of their own desires, they were willing to collude with the northern king of Israel, even at the cost of leading their fellow Israelites into sin. This is a very detestable thing.
How many people under the law today have this mindset? They clearly know certain things are the truth, yet they do not want believers to understand, twisting it into law for what purpose? They do not want believers to leave them or to see this group of sheep obtain a rich life that surpasses theirs!
These people have a common characteristic: they like to control others. When Jesus came, He saw the Israelites as sheep without a shepherd, lost and wandering. However, the Pharisees, scribes, and chief priests at that time did not care about the life of the sheep; they only wanted to gain more from the flock, just like the tribe of Dan and the tribe of Ephraim today.
Through these events, we can see that their eventual exclusion by God was for a reason. God is just. From a spiritual perspective, they represent those who know certain things are wrong but, driven by selfish desires, not only do not hold to the truth but also teach others falsehoods. Therefore, they have no share in spiritual blessings. Let’s look at the relevant scripture; we have already discussed the tribe of Dan in detail, so today I will focus on Ephraim.
Jeremiah 4:14-15:
14 O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts? 15 A voice is heard from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
Although both the southern Jerusalem and northern Israel have sinned, in comparison, the sin of Dan, worshiping the golden calf, is greater, and the disaster proclaimed from the hills of Ephraim is even greater because they were willing to put their fellow countrymen to death, preventing them from understanding the truth.
This is similar to what Jesus said to the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees: "Woe to you! Because you do not wish to enter the kingdom of heaven yourselves, and you block others from entering!" You lead many people to become children of hell, so your punishment will be greater.
Today, many people are unaware of this; they all want to be leaders and guide others, not realizing the consequences of leading people astray. They may lead many into failure! If it is truly like Dan and Ephraim, they will suffer greater losses before God, not rewards. So, whether one sincerely serves God or harbors selfish desires to bind believers, only they themselves know! God certainly knows as well, and as believers, we must have discernment and not blindly follow others, using the Bible as the standard of our faith.
The name Dan means "to judge," and perhaps he had this name because he wanted to be a judge for others, but gradually he became characterized by a judgmental nature. This shows that the people of the tribe of Dan, besides the previously mentioned cruel nature, also have a self-righteous and judgmental temperament. They are like snakes by the roadside, suddenly attacking people's weaknesses when they are unguarded, causing them to stumble or retreat. Ephraim means "fruitful," but he did not rely on God for his prosperity; instead, he was stubborn and rebellious, acting deceitfully towards his brothers.
Genesis 48:8-20 records Jacob's blessing for Joseph's two sons. Let’s look at Genesis 48:15-16:
15 He blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth."
This is Jacob's blessing for Joseph and his two children. Although these two children should be counted among the tribes, how are they included? It is known that the descendants of Manasseh will become a tribe, and the descendants of Ephraim will become many tribes. From Jacob's blessing, Ephraim receives a greater blessing. He is not the firstborn, but Jacob blesses him as if he were the firstborn, so he receives more.
Manasseh, being the firstborn, does not receive the firstborn's blessing. Of course, this is all in the spiritual realm. What does this illustrate? It shows that the position given to you by man is not important; what matters is receiving blessings from God, which will change you.
However, in reality, these two sons were born to Joseph from a marriage with a foreign woman, and according to family principles, they were not qualified to enter Jacob's blessing. This is why Jacob's daughter Dinah was particularly sought after by outsiders; he would not let her marry them because they did not intermarry with foreigners.
But where is the problem now? Joseph married a foreign woman and had two sons. From a human perspective and from the law's viewpoint, these two sons were indeed unworthy to be included under Abraham and Isaac's name. But why could they enter? It is because of Joseph; because of Joseph, these two sons were included under the name of Israel, becoming pillars of the tribes of Israel. These two half-tribes represent all the Gentiles who enter the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus.
Logically, Gentiles are not qualified to enter the kingdom of God. We are Gentiles, outside the covenants of Israel, yet we can enter because of whom? Because of Jesus, just as Joseph's two sons entered among the twelve tribes because of Joseph.
Because you believe in Jesus, you have become a beloved child of God; this is just the beginning. More importantly, you can inherit the inheritance, and that inheritance is not earned by their efforts but is received in the name of Joseph.
Think about it: is Jesus not the firstborn? Yet we Gentiles inherit the inheritance that comes from Jesus. Hallelujah! This is our blessing. Just like Manasseh and Ephraim, who are half Jewish and half Gentile, they can now inherit the inheritance because of Joseph. Logically, they are unqualified, but now they have received it. After receiving it, how should they maintain this inheritance? Should they do it according to God's way or their own way? At this point, they have a choice.
After we believe in Jesus, we can choose to live according to Jesus' way or according to our past ways. This is a different choice for us. Therefore, the outcomes for Manasseh and Ephraim are completely different. Although they both inherited the inheritance, their endings are different; one received a vast inheritance and much land, while the other was excluded due to deceit. This also shows that God's justice and love coexist.
Many people are actually heading towards extremes. Some only speak of God's justice, as if if we behave poorly, God will strike us, and all previous efforts will turn to nothing, and God will not remember them. On the other hand, some only speak of God's grace, as if it doesn't matter, ignoring God's justice, thinking that God will bless them no matter what, even if they commit sins or harm others. Such people feel no guilt and become more reckless, filled with selfish desires, thinking that others should help them and bless them because they are God's beloved children.
In fact, both extremes are wrong. God's justice and love coexist. I hope everyone can receive this in balance. Once a person violates certain principles of God, they will not receive blessings. For example, many people speak of faith, but this faith can turn into a fantasy, waiting for something to fall from the sky without doing anything, waiting for someone to help them. If they have debts, they do not think about working to pay them off but hope that one day someone will supernaturally clear their debts.
This is not called faith; this is called fantasy. It is not to say that there won't be situations where someone suddenly pays off our debts; there are such instances, but you cannot wait for this to happen because God does not necessarily have to work in such supernatural ways. It is not like that.
Reading the four Gospels in the New Testament, we can see that Jesus performing the miracle of feeding the five thousand is not common. Usually, it relies on everyone's diligent offerings for the disciples to have food. That was a special circumstance; God has that ability, but He does not often use such methods. Today, many people take special events and treat them as ordinary, which is incorrect. Just like we are discussing Ephraim, Ephraim did not cherish the blessings that came from God.
Let’s look at Psalm 78:9-11:
9 The sons of Ephraim, armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle. 10 They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law; 11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.
What does this say? The Ephraimites were clever and deceitful. When the enemy came to attack, other tribes said, "Come with me to fight the enemy," and Ephraim agreed. Yet when the time came, the sons of Ephraim, armed and ready for battle, turned and ran.
Imagine if you had someone like that beside you. You had reached an agreement to do something together, but when the time came, they ran away. How could you continue to cooperate with someone who does not keep their promises? If you had a coworker who said, "I’m done!" and left everything to you the day before Sunday, what does that indicate? That is intentional wrongdoing.
The people of Ephraim did such things, leaving another tribe's people on the battlefield while they ran away. In such a situation, how could God not execute His justice? Therefore, God specifically mentions that they did not keep God's covenant.
When we make agreements with others, it seems like we have established mutual constraints to fulfill certain things, but in reality, we are making a covenant with God. Therefore, our promises to others must be fulfilled; it is not just a matter of speaking before people but also before God!
But how many believers remember this? Many people speak carelessly; they can promise you today and go back on their word tomorrow. Are there not many people like this today? How can such people expect to receive blessings from God? Such people, like Ephraim, act deceitfully, and no matter what they do, they will not succeed.
In business, integrity is crucial. What does that mean? If I say I will do something, I will definitely fulfill it, even if it means suffering a loss myself. That is integrity, which means keeping promises. God will bless those who do so. What kind of people should we be wary of? Those who do not keep their promises, who can easily go back on their word, or who can betray when it comes to personal gain. This shows that they have forgotten God's marvelous works.
Therefore, some people are not blessed, and some fail; there must be a reason. Even believers, if they do things like the sons of Ephraim, will lose those blessings. It is not that God is unwilling to bless them; it is that they waste those blessings away. This is what we often say: they have a good hand but play it poorly.
Hosea 12:7-8:
7 Ephraim is a merchant; the scales are deceitful; he loves to defraud. 8 Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth, they will not find in me any iniquity or sin."
Earlier, we mentioned going to battle and facing the enemy, only to have teammates run away, leaving you behind. Now, what is mentioned? Ephraim is a merchant, and in business, merchants value integrity. Yet what does he hold? Deceitful scales, loving to defraud. He speaks very well and makes promises, but these people often look down on others, thinking they are much better than everyone else, giving the impression that following them is a great gain.
If you hear someone making such promises, you must be cautious because this is likely deceitful scales. What are deceitful scales? It is like a merchant holding a scale where the weights have been tampered with, appearing to give you a lot but actually shortchanging you. It seems like he is very kind to you, but in reality, he is deceiving you! There are many such people, so do not be fooled by those who speak sweetly.
Did Ephraim receive blessings? Yes, he did. Verse 8 says, "I have indeed become wealthy; I have gained treasures."
How did he gain them? Think about it: Ephraim is a merchant. He became wealthy and gained treasures through deceiving others! Many people become rich through fraud, so he often speaks ill of others, thinking he is the best, creating a false impression of being upright and trustworthy, while in reality, it is all deception!
So you see, a fraudster often speaks very well, can elevate you, but what is their goal? It is to get your money into their pockets. If you are not deceived by their sweet words, you will not fall for it. If you are not greedy, you will not fall for it.
This is a principle we must uphold: keep your focus on God. Do not let a few kind words make you forget who you are. When someone praises you, do not believe everything they say. This is not advisable! Ephraim deceives others in this way. What does he labor for? He labors to deceive people, and after deceiving them, people do not see any injustice in him, nor do they see him as guilty, indicating that his methods are extremely clever.
In today's society, true masters of deception are indeed like Ephraim. After deceiving you, you still count the money for them and praise them. Those who genuinely care for you will point out your flaws and even advise you against doing certain things, and you may find them annoying. Such people are genuinely concerned for you. If someone only tells you your good points and praises you every day, they must have an ulterior motive.
Because everyone has problems and weaknesses, how could it be that someone says, "You are the best, you are invincible, you are the most excellent!"? That is Jesus, not us. Now you understand why Ephraim ultimately lost everything? Because he treated others with deceit, loving to defraud, which had become his habit. Although he became wealthy, he lost heavenly blessings and lost life.
Isaiah 28:1-3:
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. 3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot.
Here again, it points out the end of Ephraim. Why were they excluded? They gained much wealth through deceit, living in the lush valleys, yet their hearts were proud, boasting about what they obtained through deception. God revealed His justice. Does God not know about this? Many people think Christians are easier to deceive; in fact, we are very clear about certain things but are unwilling to expose them, leaving them a bit of face.
Does God know about this? Of course, He does. We just need to pay attention to the outcomes of these people. What happened to Ephraim? They deceived many, and others could not see it, but there is a mighty and strong one, our God, who is like a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who will bring their crowns down to the ground. Their pride will have no place to boast; their crowns will be trampled underfoot.
Do not imitate Ephraim; the people of the tribe of Ephraim are not worth emulating, and their end is not good. Dear family, be cautious. Through this matter, we see that God shows us various types of people among the twelve tribes. We should take heed; we should learn from those with good character, like Joseph, and distance ourselves from those with poor character. Do not let your greed lead you to say, "I will follow him; at least he recognizes me and gives me a position!" Do not speak of such things; these are all vain glories. One day, when you lose these, you will have nothing left.
Let’s look at a passage from Romans 11:21-24:
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
What does Romans 11 talk about? It mentions two types of olive trees: the cultivated olive tree and the wild olive tree. This symbolizes Israel and the Gentiles. The Israelites are the original branches on the olive tree, but because of their pride, they were cut off by God. They rejected Jesus and His salvation, so the branches were broken off.
The wild olive tree, which represents the Gentiles, has been grafted in, receiving the supply of the olive branches. In terms of what we are sharing today, Manasseh and Ephraim belong to this wild olive tree, but because of Joseph, they were grafted into the original olive tree. Due to Reuben's issue, Joseph became the firstborn and received the birthright, so his children received blessings.
However, after receiving, they cannot boast against the old branches. Why can they not boast? They must understand that these blessings are not earned by their good behavior but are due to Jesus and because of Joseph. Unfortunately, Ephraim did not understand this, acting deceitfully towards his brothers and boasting arrogantly. What was the end result? They were cut off. Therefore, all Gentiles should have this insight: do not boast arrogantly before God. No matter how great our achievements are today, we must recognize that it is God's grace.
If God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. What does this mean? Know your position and where you stand. Do not be arrogant or boastful. God's justice and grace have always coexisted.
Verse 22 states: "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God."
Who are the "fallen"? They can be understood as those like Ephraim, who are proud and love to deceive, having defrauded others and boasting about it. Such people have fallen; in God's eyes, they have already fallen, so God is severe towards them.
But toward you, there is goodness. Who does "you" refer to? It refers to us who are different from them. We understand God's grace, knowing that blessings do not come because of our good behavior or our many deeds but because God's grace has come upon us, and He is willing to bless us. Therefore, we must remain in God's grace. When people boast, they often boast about their achievements, which is self-righteousness.
We see that God's grace does not boast because it is understood that it is given by God. Since it is given by God, what is there to boast about? If a person boasts arrogantly, they are relying on themselves, losing the blessings that come from God. Ephraim lost their blessings in this way.
Why should we not boast? Because we know we were cut from the wild olive tree and have now been grafted into the good olive tree, so there is truly nothing to boast about! Therefore, dear family, even if you have many gifts and abilities, do not boast before others, do not look down on other brothers and sisters, and do not form cliques, as these are things that God detests. When a person does such things, they are essentially doing what the people of Ephraim did, right? Brothers and sisters, the failure of Ephraim was due to their arrogance, and we should take this as a warning.
Joseph experienced many hardships in his youth: losing his mother, being betrayed by his brothers, being falsely accused by his master's wife, and being forgotten by the cupbearer. The suffering he endured over the years was far greater than that of his peers. If you are also experiencing many hardships and pains now, do not lose heart or despair. Learn to rely on God like Joseph did. God can help you forget past pains, and He will replace your sorrows with glory!
If Joseph did not forget the past pains, he would have lived in suffering and would not have been able to forgive those who hurt him. After all, those who hurt him were his own brothers. If he held onto bitterness, he would not have seen the blessings that followed.
Joseph chose to look to God in everything. When he named his son, he still thought of God. We all know that forgetting past pain is not easy. He named his son Manasseh, and every time he called Manasseh, he was reminding himself to look to God and forget all past pain. God had already blessed him, and he replaced sorrow with forgiveness.
Joseph was elevated by Pharaoh to govern all of Egypt. He deeply understood that all of this was God's marvelous arrangement. Even though his brothers betrayed him and mistreated him, God still loved him. God can turn curses into blessings and bad situations into good ones. He knew that all of this was God's grace, not something he earned through good behavior. Although he was wise, Joseph knew that this wisdom came from God. Therefore, he was clever and wise but never dared to take the glory for himself. In this regard, Manasseh learned well.
Joseph knew that no matter how great his achievements were, they were all God's grace. If those around him, including coworkers or fellow believers, could understand this, God would certainly give them greater glory. What is concerning is that some people, upon achieving even a little success, feel invincible and think they are far superior to others, causing them to miss out on future blessings.
God made Joseph prosperous in the land of his suffering and named his second son Ephraim, meaning "fruitful." This place once caused him sorrow, but God made him prosperous there. He wanted to remind himself constantly not to forget God's grace! Unfortunately, Ephraim, having not experienced this suffering, became arrogant and truly forgot who he was.
In fact, from certain perspectives, if a person has too much ease and achieves success at a young age, it is not necessarily a good thing. If they can endure some suffering and refine themselves, they will become more mature and stable, cherishing the grace that comes from God even more! Thank the Lord, in this regard, Joseph truly succeeded. Do not lose heart or despair when you encounter difficulties or setbacks. These hardships can one day become stepping stones to elevate you to the highest places, enabling you to face any storm with confidence in God!
He named his second son Ephraim to remind himself to be a grateful person! Thank God and thank people. Seeing Ephraim reminds him that all of this is God's grace, that God has elevated him, that God has favored him, and that God has restored him! Thank the Lord; we should learn from Joseph in this aspect, being grateful and treating those around us with a grateful heart. Hallelujah.
Last time we said that Joseph represents Jesus Christ. We should emulate Jesus. In some aspects, Jesus certainly did better than Joseph; one is a shadow, and the other is the reality! Since we are willing to receive the blessings of Jesus, we must live like Jesus. If we go against the same intentions as Jesus, many blessings will naturally not come to us. It is not that God is unwilling to give, but many people have gone astray. What should we do? It is actually very simple. If you have driven a car, you should be familiar with using a navigation system. If you go off course, the navigation will immediately remind you: "You have deviated from the route; recalculating." You just need to follow the newly planned route and not continue to go off course!
It is clear that Ephraim deviated more and more severely, ultimately losing everything! Although other sons also had deviations, most returned in the end, except for Dan and Ephraim. Thank the Lord! Through these people, we see that we cannot blindly walk down a wrong path. Knowing something is wrong and continuing to walk down that path is even worse. Some people are even more detestable; not only do they walk down the wrong path themselves, but they also lead a group of people to walk with them. Such people are even more detestable. Of course, God will stop them. As long as our hearts are not inclined towards evil and we do not blindly follow others, God will certainly bring you back. Thank the Lord; I hope God gives you this insight.
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Ephesians 1:7-12:
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1 mentions many heavenly blessings. Let me emphasize again that we receive these heavenly blessings not because of our good behavior but because of Jesus, for Jesus is the firstborn, and He has given us His blessings.
Thus, verse 7 clearly states: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Just as Joseph gave his blessings to his two sons, Jesus has given His blessings to us. When we often think about how Jesus has given us His blessings, His life, and His inheritance, there is truly nothing to boast about. All of this is His grace. What kind of mindset should we have daily as we live? A grateful heart. Only with a grateful heart can we see more grace.
What does this grace include? All wisdom and prudence—aren't these the things we need most? In life, how do you live? Is it by relying on God or on yourself? If you rely on yourself, you will certainly end up like the people of Ephraim, like the tribe of Dan. You may indeed receive some blessings, but the consequences will be endless, and in the end, you may have nothing. But if you choose to use God's wisdom and learn to rely on God like Joseph, you will still see God's guidance in all circumstances. This is God's good pleasure! God wants us to know that He can turn everything into something beneficial for us. What may seem unclear now will one day reveal God's good will when we look back.
Just as verse 10 states: "That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ."
This is what God is willing to do. God hopes that we all come together in Christ, with thoughts and intentions aligned, not for ourselves but for Christ. Imagine if everyone were only for themselves; they would stop at nothing, becoming like the people of Ephraim and the tribe of Dan, using every means possible. But if we all live for the betterment of others, like Jesus, then the blessings you receive will be greater. Because when you treat everyone sincerely, when you encounter difficulties, everyone will treat you sincerely as well. Only in Christ can we understand and experience Christ's love.
Many people come to church to take, to receive love from others, to seek help from others. Over time, they may become greedy and feel that all churches are bad and have problems. But if we go to church to give out the love of Christ within us, if everyone contributes a little, the church will be filled with God's love. This is what God hopes for us—to be united in Christ.
If Joseph were selfish, he would not have divided his inheritance among his two sons. For us, if Jesus were selfish, He would not have come to the world to give us His life and all His inheritance. Since we have received such love from Jesus, we should learn to live like Jesus, and then you will receive blessings like Joseph. Thank and praise the Lord; you will receive more because God is willing to give you more glory, allowing you to have hope in Christ and giving you greater reasons to receive praise. Thank the Lord; I hope today's sharing can bring you some help.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for blessing us with such words. Joseph suffered greatly, but in everything, he learned to look to God. God elevated him. He looked to God, experienced God, and understood more of God's grace. Grant us such a heart, that we do not complain, do not become anxious or proud when faced with challenges, and are willing to live by relying on the grace of our Heavenly Father.
As a new week begins, please guide me to see your good will with spiritual eyes in my life. Grant me wisdom and understanding, so I can build others up and help more people!
Bless the work of my brothers and sisters, that through what they do, they may see more of God's grace and become vessels of this grace, passing on the glory of Jesus to more people, so that our Heavenly Father may be honored! Thank and praise the Lord; all glory belongs to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.