Lessons From Jacob’s Life Journey (Part 1)

Posted on June 14, 2021

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Lessons From Jacob’s Life Journey (Part 1)

by Pastor Afolabi Oladele

Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.  They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. Genesis 47:1-10

The greatest power or earthly kingdom in the days of Joseph was the nation or kingdom of Egypt, and so Pharaoh would be so esteemed. Enter Jacob in verse 7 of our text. Knowing that the lesser is blessed by the greater, I can only imagine the shock on Pharaoh’s face to see this man, unbowed, standing tall and making declarations indeed as one greater than him. To make sure that it was no error, Jacob did the same a second time in verse 10. Jacob knew who he was in God, Genesis 32:28. He lived it and demonstrated it unabashedly.

The scriptures said the same about you and me as declared in Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10. A king is a person with absolute authority over all the affairs of his domain. Kings are responsible for the welfare and protection of their subjects. They represent their domain and the principles on which it is founded.

A priest is a person whom God has given authority to go before God on behalf of men and go before men on behalf of God. Going before God requires that the priest be without sin. As believers, we are made sinless through the washing of Christ’s blood. No man will be cleaner than one who has been washed in the blood of Jesus. Soap and water cleanse only the body. The blood of Jesus cleanses your soul. In God’s sight we are without sin and can approach Him as priests.

Did you notice that authority resides in both roles? We absolutely can reign in life and achieve all the things that God has planned for us. We are equipped to take charge of both our personal domain and to be change agents in the world around us. We are called to use our authority in prayer to bring God’s will to pass in the earth. We no longer have to dabble in worry, doubt and unbelief allowing the circumstances of this life to weigh us down.

As was the case with Jacob, to function in the role of king and priest you must see yourself as both king and priest; using your thoughts to affirm God’s desire for you in the authority He has given you and how it will impact destinies – not only your own, but of those who are within your sphere of influence. In these times, let us under the authority of our God, exercise in faith this order which God himself ordained, knowing that He will honour the principles and structures that He set up. It is time to live as God ordained us to live. Do you believe? Then do as the occasion demands. Shalom.

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