Sons of Jacob – listen to your father Israel: Part V

“Jacob called unto his sons, and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father.” (Genesis 40:1-2)

Joseph was Rachel’s firstborn son and Jacob’s eleventh son, but his firstborn son with his first wife.

” Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough 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). 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: 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.” (Genesis 49:22-26)

Joseph is the son that was made strong by the God of Jacob, his father. He is the “stone” or cornerstone of Jacob’s entire family – his role is a very important one. Joseph survived the trials created by the children of Jacob’s second family. In order for him to have survived, he had to leave his cruel brothers in order to live; otherwise, they most likely would have killed him. He had to live separately from them! Out of all of the twelve tribes of Israel, this is the one that we should be following. Joseph is Rachel’s first born son and Jacob’s firstborn son with his wife, Rachel. Strength comes by keeping the first family first. Our men cannot be strong without God and when they move in with their second wife, they leave God behind also. This is where the strength of our tribes or nations comes from – not from the second family, but instead the first family. Save the first family! Keep your first family first always and watch as God blesses you!