BOM-BITES Episode #509 – Genesis 49

BOM-BITES Episode #509 – Genesis 49 – powered by Happy Scribe

Hey, guys, what’s good Derek here from Bombsocks with another day of Bombites, where we feast upon the words of Christ one bite at a time. When I show you a picture here of the Liaona, just a few things to remember about the Lehana. What is it? What is it used for? How does it work?

And what would be the personal benefits of having such a director? Now, we learned from the Book of Mormon that it is a round ball of curious workmanship. It is used basically as a Compass, and it works according to the faith and the diligence and the heed of those who are given it. Now, what are the benefits be? Well, there’s a quote from President Monson Thomas.

Has Monsoon quoted this? I love this. The same Lord who provided alijana to Lehigh provides for you and for me today a rare and valuable gift to give direction to our lives, to Mark the hazards to our safety, and to chart the way, even safe passage, not to a promised land, but to our heavenly home. The gift which I refer to is known as your patriarchal blessing. Every member of the Church is entitled to receive such a precious and priceless personal treasure.

It’s interesting. My own patriarchal blessing uses the phrase personally honor, which I think is so awesome. And it has literally become that for me to be able to lead me and guide me when I need the help through this crazy wilderness of life that we have. Well, one of the cool things about a patriarchal blessing is you go into chapter 49 of Genesis. Now, Genesis, chapter 49, you have got Jacob bringing all of his family together.

And now that they’re all together, they’re in Egypt. Now they’re in a safe place. He blesses all of his children. He blesses all of these sons, the twelve sons of Jacob or the twelve tribes of Israel. Now it gives all of them blessings.

Not all of them make a lot of sense, but some of them definitely stand out a little bit. But as he goes through chapter 49, verse 28, it says, These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it, that their father spoke unto them and blessed them everyone according to his blessings, he blessed them. Now, two blessings seem to stand out as you are reading this, as you pull this up here, you have got the blessing of Judah and you’ve got the blessing of Joseph. Two that stand out doesn’t mean that the others are any less valuable, but these seem to stand out. For example, in Genesis 49, verses nine through twelve, you’ve got Judah is a lion’s.

Welt from the prey, my son. Thou art gone up. He stooped down. He couched as a lion, as an old lion who shall Rouse him up. The scepter shall not depart from Judah.

A scepter is a sign of kingly authority, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes. Shiloh is another title for Jesus Christ, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. And so when you get into that, Judah has Jesus Christ come through his lineage. And so that’s obviously fairly significant. You go to chapter 49, verses 22 to 26, where it talks about Joseph, and it says, Joseph is a fruitful bow, even a fruitful bow, by a well whose branches run over the wall.

The Archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him, but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel, with a little smiley face there. I thought that’s kind of interesting. So you’ve got Judah and Joseph, who stand out quite a bit. So in the truth of the Faith Gospel reference, it says, Your patriarchal blessing indicates a declaration of your lineage, stating that you are of the house of Israel, a descendant of Abraham, belonging to a specific tribe of Jacob.

Many latterday Saints are of the tribe of Ephraim, who is again, he’s one of the sons of Joseph, the tribe given the primary responsibility to lead the latter day work of the Lord. One of the definitions of the name Joseph is to gather or to bring in. Because each of us has many bloodlines running in us, two members of the same family may be declared as being of different tribes in Israel. I know I’ve bumped into many in that situation. It does not matter if your lineage in the house of Israel is through bloodlines or by adoption.

As a member of the Church, you are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the Abrahamic Covenant. One of the things it says in the Come Follow Me reference, it says, what does the symbolism in Jacob’s blessings mean? Jacob’s blessings to his posterity contain vivid imagery, but some readers may also find them difficult to understand, and I totally get that some don’t make sense. Thankfully, the restored gospel gives us some additional understanding. When you read the blessing to Joseph, which we just talked about in Genesis 49, read the following verses two and see what insights they provide.

It gives you. First Nephi 1512, 2nd Nephi three, which is a phenomenal chapter for this Jesus Four and Five Jacob 225 Doctrine Covenants 50, verse 44 as you read about Judah’s blessing, which we already talked about that one in Genesis 49, remember that both King David and Jesus Christ are descendants of Judah. What words or phrases in these verses remind you of the Savior? We talked a little bit about that when you study Judah’s blessing and may also help to read Revelation Five, Five, Six and Nine, First Knee 515, 14 and 15, and then Doctrine Covenant 45 59 and then 133 46 to 50. A lot of verses there.

I totally get that. They’re in the come follow me there. If you’d like to learn more about Jacob’s sons and the tribes of Israel who descended from them, there is an entry for each of them in the guide to the scriptures. So that is something that can help you here with that, especially when you have a patriarchal blessing and you’re starting to see lineage going through. So one of the cool things about a patriarchal blessing because these in chapter 49 and your patriarchal blessing tie together so nicely.

The patriarchal blessing is something if you have it, it should be something that you go back and read often. So the question is, why should I read and study my patriarchal blessing often? President James Faust, who used to be in the first presidency back in the day, he said this, I love this. He said our testimonies can be strengthened every time we read our patriarchal blessing. I have a testimony of that.

If through our priest of blessings we could perceive only a small part of the person God intends us to be, we would lose our fear and never doubt again what a great promise a patriarchal blessing from ordained patriarch can give us a star to follow, which is a personal revelation from God to each individual. If we follow this star, we are less likely to stumble and be misled. Our patriarchal blessing will be an anchor to our souls. And if boy, that word, if is such a significant word for patriarchal blessing. If we are worthy, neither death nor the devil can deprive us of the blessings pronounced.

They are blessings we can enjoy now and forever. And so I love that this started here with Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. And you see those blessings going to his family and then you and I trickled down and we are a part of Israel and it is so important you think about in President Nelson’s tenure as President of the Church, how much he has talked about the gathering. And so as we go through that gathering, we are gathering the family from all over. It’s a blessing and it’s our privilege to be a part of that gathering and I’m grateful for it.

Thanks for watching, thanks for subscribing and thanks for sharing these messages. We love that you do that. And of course, please go check out our amazingly comfortable gospelthemed socks@bombstacks.com. You guys are great Godspeed. See you tomorrow.

Bye.