Genesis 50:12
And thus his sons did for him as he had charged them.
There are several results of a blessed life. One is shared by Clarence from It’s A Wonderful Life. Clarence tells George, “No man is a failure who has friends.” God has put a social appetite within us for friends. Jesus had the 12 disciples, but Peter, James and John were closest to Him. Amongst the three John was His best buddy. He is referred to as the apostle that Jesus loved. We are to have friends and to be a friend. Having a good spouse is another blessing. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Genesis 2:18 God says of man, “I will make a helper suitable for him.” I can speak to this. My wife is my best friend, her skills compliment my deficiencies, her humor constantly brightens my day and on and on. Today’s passage illustrates another sign of a blessed life: children who honor the family. Jacob made many mistakes. The blessing that he just gave spoke negatively of some of the sons. Some would have been jubulant on his passing. However, he raised them in God’s way (direction) and in God’s ways (values) as much as he knew. This new way was only three generations old: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The lessons from them and God’s direct guidance was all Jacob had. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This is a great promise. This doesn’t mean they won’t stumble and deviate temporarily. Generally they will come back and follow God. Ps. 127:3 says, “Children are a gift of the Lord…Like arrows in the hand of a warrier, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” Sometimes the best example is a counterexample. Proverbs 29:15 says, “The rod and reproof bring wisdom, but a child left to himself brings his mother shame.” We have all seen adult children who are rude to their parents. It’s the ultimate humiliation. Jacob’s son’s give him the ultimate compliment. They honor his wishes. They also pass on great respect to become legend for the great Jewish people.
Lord, help us to raise our children in Your ways and let them be honorable.