Scripture to Read: Genesis 49:20-21, 27
So far in the blessings Jacob (Israel) has handed his sons, we have witnessed the reality of sin and the need for God's grace. Yesterday, the reality of sin was on display as Dan and Gad were told the division they and their descendants would face. Today, we see the grace of God on display through the blessings given to Asher and Naphtali. To Asher, Jacob (Israel) pronounced, in Genesis 49:20, "Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies." In other words, Asher would not go hungry, and he and his descendants would enjoy a prosperous future. In a similar way, Jacob (Israel) blesses Naphtali; in Genesis 49:21, "Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns." Using the imagery of a doe, Naphtali was told of the freedom he would have and how he would flourish. Thus, Jacob's two sons, Asher and Naphtali, are blessed with an outlook of prosperity and a flourishing future. Yet, Jacob (Israel) is not done using animal imagery. As he described Naphtali as a doe, he called Benjamin, in Genesis 49:27, "a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil." While Benjamin was not promised peace but division, it appears that Jacob's blessing included victory for Benjamin. While we are not promised in this world specific prosperity, flourishing, or victory as these sons were, we know the true way to prosperity, flourishing, and victory only comes from being a child of God through our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We are overwhelmingly blessed if we are in Christ!
Challenge & Application
1. How do we see God’s grace on display in the lives of Asher and Naphtali?
2. How have you found true prosperity, flourished, and found victory from being a child of God?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!