BY FAITH ISAAC AND JACOB
(Transcribed Message)

Sunday Morning:  February 24, 2002

Text: Hebrews 11:20-21  "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff."

IT HAPPENED TO ISRAEL

1 Corinthians 10:11  "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [types]: and they are written for our admonition [warning, rebuke], upon whom the ends of the world [age] are come."

BIRTHRIGHT

Deuteronomy 21:17  "But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his."

BIRTHRIGHT AND BLESSING

Genesis 27:36  "And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?"

BLESSING

Genesis 27:29  "Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee."

BY FAITH ISAAC

Hebrews 11:20  "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."

THINGS TO COME

Hebrews 9:11  "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, . . ."

INHERITANCE IN THE COMING AGE

Hebrews 9:15  "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament,  . . (that). . . they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."

BIRTHRIGHT DESPISED

Genesis 25:31-34  "And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33. And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

INHERITANCE

Hebrews 12:16-17  "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

LAST SHALL BE FIRST

Matthew 20:16  "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

THE ELECT

Romans 9:11-12  "(For the children (Esau and Jacob) being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger."

BY FAITH JACOB

Hebrews 11:21  "By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff."

EPHRAIM OVER MANASSEH

Genesis 48:20  "And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."

EPHRAIM MISSING

Revelation 7:4-8  ". . . and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5. Of the tribe of Juda . . . Of the tribe of Reuben . . . Of the tribe of Gad . . . 6. Of the tribe of Aser . . . Of the tribe of Nephthalim . . . Of the tribe of Manasses . . . 7. Of the tribe of Simeon . . . Of the tribe of Levi . . . Of the tribe of Issachar . . . 8. Of the tribe of Zabulon . . . Of the tribe of Joseph . . . Of the tribe of Benjamin . . ."

NOT JUST

Psalms 78:9-11  "The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. 10. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; 11. And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them."

NOT CHOSEN

Psalms 78:67-68  "Moreover he refused [cast away] the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: 68. But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved."

JUDAH PREVAILED

1 Chronicles 5:1-2  "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. 2. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)"

HATED HIS BROTHER

Isaiah 7:5-6  "Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, 6. Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:"

CORRUPT

Hosea 7:1-2  "When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without. 2. And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face."

BONDAGE AGAIN

Hosea 9:3  "They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things. . . ."

LOST GLORY

Hosea 9:11  "As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away . . . "

CAST AWAY

Hosea 9:16-17  "Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. 17. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations."

SHAME

Hosea 10:6  "It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel."

EPHRAIM DIED

Hosea 13:1-2  "When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. 2. And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, . . . ."

ENEMIES NOT DEFEATED

Judges 1:29  "Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them."

SIN MORE AND MORE

Galatians 5:19-21  "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20. idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21. envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (NASB)

MAKE YOUR ELECTION SURE

2 Peter 1:10-11  "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

WILL WE BE A CASTAWAY?

1 Corinthians 9:26-27  "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."