THE BLESSINGS OF JOSEPH
(week 42/16)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Genesis 49:22-26 KJV: Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: (23) The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: (24) 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:) (25) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: (26) The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Here we see the blessings Jacob pronounced upon Joseph.
These blessings have a present truth prophetic application to us today, because they are actually the blessings of the first-born: the Lord Jesus Christ was the first born of the church from spiritual death to spiritual life (Colossians 1.18, Romans 8.29, Revelation 1.5).
In Israel in the Old Testament, the 1st born always got a double portion of the inheritance: double of what the other children inherited:
Deuteronomy 21:17 KJV: 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.
Now the blessing of the 1st born should have gone to Reuben; but he lost it because he had sex with his father’s concubine (Genesis 49.3-4).
So the blessing of the 1st born was given to Joseph.
Why Joseph?
Joseph is a fruitful bough: this symbolizes that Joseph had the fruit of the Spirit: which primarily is love.
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The life of Joseph exemplifies this in his patience and refusal to be bitter against God after being sold into slavery and then put in jail for refusing to commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife. Later on he did not take revenge on his brothers but rather forgave and blessed them (Genesis 37-50).
How did Joseph do all this in the Old Testament?
He stayed connected to God in his heart through speaking, thinking and acting on God’s Word he had heard from his father, Jacob from when he was a young child.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 KJV: For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. (12) It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? (14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
This truth is symbolized in Genesis 49.22 where it is said ‘Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well’; the well here symbolizes a source of water, a type of the life of God as shown by the Lord Jesus in John 4.14. So Joseph stayed connected to God, the Source of life in his heart.
John 4:14 KJV: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
So, as New Testament Christians in Jesus Christ these blessings of Joseph are ours to inherit:
Galatians 3:29 KJV: And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Let us examine these blessings in detail:
God will bless and strengthen the hand of end-time Josephs to remain steady in the face of severe persecution and satanic attack (Ephesians 6.12-18).
God will bless them with the blessings of the heavens above (Ephesians 1.13); the blessings of the deep which lieth under (Isaiah 45.3); blessings of the breast: the blessings of El-Shaddai the ‘Breasty One”: the all-sufficient One; blessings that are more than enough.
John 10:10 KJV: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The blessings of the womb: the blessings of man-child birthed from the womb of the virgin church (Revelation 12.5): caught up to the throne of God as spiritual Kings and Princes that like Joseph will rule (Luke 12:44) the nations:
Psalms 105:17-22 NKJV: He sent a man ahead of them. He sent Joseph, who was sold as a slave. (18) They hurt his feet with shackles, and cut into his neck with an iron collar. (19) The LORD’S promise tested him through fiery trials until his prediction came true. (20) The king sent someone to release him. The ruler of nations set him free. (21) He made Joseph the master of his palace and the ruler of all his possessions. (22) Joseph trained the king’s officers the way he wanted and taught his respected leaders wisdom.
God will bless the end-time Josephs with blessings above, the blessings of our fathers: the glory of the latter house will be greater than the former; and unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: the blessings of the fulness of Christ.
Haggai 2:9 NKJV: ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
John 14:12 KJV: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
So, as we continue to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit: love and stay connected to the ‘well’: the Source of life, we will inherit all these blessings of Joseph!
