Genesis 49:28-33 – The ultimate blessing

Jacob took the time to speak over his twelve sons and engaged them. By the time he finished speaking over Benjamin, his youngest son, he was totally exhausted. Yet he harnessed his last ounce of strength and gave his final instruction, recorded for us in verses 29-32. He said, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah - the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 

Before Jacob breathed his last we see several things about him. Firstly he was still clear and very lucid in mind and knew what he wanted. He probably had time to think about how he encountered God in all those 147 years. Secondly, he was very determined to be buried in the Promised Land. His desire was to be buried with his grandparents, Abraham and Sarah, and parents, Isaac and Rebekah. In this grave his wife, Leah was also buried. Rachel, the wife he loved most was not buried there because she died on the way while giving birth to Benjamin. Finally, Jacob held fast to the belief that his sons and their descendants would exit from Egypt to settle in the Promised Land. All these of course came to pass. So Joseph took his bones to the family tomb in Canaan. We will see that when it came to Joseph’s time to die, he also made his sons promise to carry his bones back to the Promised Land. And his bones were taken out of Egypt in the Exodus of the children of Israel.   

The blessings of Jacob find its finest expression when out of the tribe of Judah came King David, and from his line came Jesus Christ, our Messiah. He came to grace this earth some two thousand years later. And through Him, the Covenant that God made with Abraham finds it ultimate fulfilment. Truly through him all the families of the earth can be blessed. And it is through Him that we receive grace upon grace. Paul, in Colossians 1:13-14, summed up the most important and best blessing to us. He said, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Praise the Lord!