The Revealing of Destinies

it's as if Jacob is given divine insight by which he projects the character of his sons out into the future.

And so in addition to seeing God's grace, we see here God's justice, his righteousness, his wisdom in distributing these blessings. in a way that reflects what's suitable for each son. In other words, the role of human responsibility is emphasized. Each son is rewarded according to his deeds. And therefore, as we think about the meaning of this passage for our lives, we need to take that to heart. We do, and we will, of course, see the sovereignty of God. and the grace of God. We will hear about the Lion of Judah. We will see God's faithfulness in bringing all that's promised here to pass. And yet simultaneously, this passage presses on us the weight of our responsibility. And the fact that how we live our lives now matters for our eternal destinies. You see, like these 12 sons of Jacob, we too are the covenant people of God. We, too, have been freely given a great inheritance by sheer grace. I mean, Jacob's sons did nothing to earn the inheritance of Canaan. They were just born into the covenant family, just as we have been born again into the family of God, saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And yet we see here that Jacob's sons' actions do affect the particular portion they're given within that inheritance. And that should remind us why it is Jesus so many times talks to us about heavenly reward. You see, we're saved by grace to receive a heavenly inheritance, but our lives and actions will influence the portion within that inheritance we enjoy. So the main thing I want to convince you of today is that you should seek a heavenly reward. If you've received salvation by God's free grace, then live to obtain a great reward in heaven. Just imagine for a moment that 147 year old Jacob was here today. At the end of this service, you and I and all of us were to come before him to receive a blessing. What would he say of you? As your life and character were projected out into the future. What will your legacy be? What will your destiny be? Will it be like Reuben, Simeon or Levi? Or will it be like Joseph or Judah? Right, so think about that this morning. And may it motivate us to seek a heavenly reward. Now, as we unpack that, I've got four points. The second is by far the longest, so don't get nervous when we get to that point. But here they are. Number one, the blessing they share. And the they is Jacob's sons. The blessing they share. Number two, the portion each is given. Number three, the blessing we share. And number four, the portion we are given. And the first two of those we'll focus on just understanding the text, and then the second two we'll focus on application. So first, the blessing they share. And it's important for us to realize from the outset that all of the sons are blessed. I mean, you might read what's said of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi and think that that's more of a curse because it's so negative. But look at verse 28. It says,

all these are the 12 tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them. Blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.

Right? So three times the text says they're blessed. Each one of them. I mean, it emphatically calls this a blessing. And I think the reason why is because regardless of how negative some of the individual assessments are, There's a great overarching blessing that all of the sons share in. Notice that verse 28 says, all these are the 12 tribes of Israel. That is, every son becomes the head of a tribe in the nation that is God's people. Every son receives a share of the inheritance in Canaan. Every son gets to be part of the covenant people of God. Every son is blessed. And note that this is radically different than what we've seen in the previous two generations. I mean, Abraham had Isaac and Ishmael, and then like six other sons with Keturah. But Genesis 25.5 says he gave all that he had to Isaac. I mean, Ishmael got sent away. Ishmael did not share in the covenant promises or the inheritance. Then Isaac has Jacob and Esau. And again, Jacob receives the full blessing. I mean, Esau comes to his father saying,

have you only one blessing? Bless me, even me also, oh my father.

And Isaac basically says, I've already given everything to Jacob. What then can I do for you, my son? You see, up to this point, the covenant blessing has gone from one individual to the next. But here it broadens out. Jacob blesses all 12 of his sons. They all inherit it. They all together will inherit the land. They are the 12 tribes of Israel, all recipients of God's unconditional grace. And therefore, even if Simeon and Levi are scattered in the land, they still get to live in the land. Even if Reuben loses his preeminence, he still gets to be a tribe. God's grace extends to them all. Further, we should note that the blessing each of the sons receives actually benefits the others. As you read through them, two great themes stand out, that of victory and fruitfulness. Some of the tribes, like Dan, Gad, and Benjamin, are blessed with military might, that they might accomplish great victories that will secure the land for everyone. We see this especially through Judah and the Lion of Judah. And then there's also tribes that are blessed with great fruitfulness and prosperity. Asher will yield royal delicacies. Naphtali will bear beautiful fawns. Zebulun will be a haven for ships. Joseph is a fruitful bough. And so the idea is that there's this victory that secures the land and then this fruitfulness that they all enjoy in the land. Each individual blessing enables the sons to contribute together. to this great overarching blessing that they all experience. So that's the blessing they share. And yet that doesn't nullify the very real differences in the blessings each individual son is given. So let's look secondly at the portion each is given. Number two, the portion each is given. And notice the very different evaluations and destinies for the different sons. You have Joseph and Judah who are praised and blessed abundantly. Then you have six sons who are given more modest but generally positive blessings. And then four sons are given negative assessments. That's Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Issachar. And Jacob blesses them in an order that goes from Leah's six sons first, then Bilhah and Zilpah's four sons next, and then finally Rachel's two sons last. And it generally follows birth order within those groupings. But as we try to walk through all 12 of them now, I'm going to do it in a slightly different order. I just think it'll be easier for you to follow. We're going to start with the six short, modestly positive blessings. Then we'll look at the four negative blessings. And then finally, the two greatest blessings. And as we work our way through, I want you to keep verse 28 in mind. Jacob blessed each with the blessing suitable to him. So first, the six modestly positive blessings. This is Zebulun, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, and Benjamin. And we're actually told pretty much nothing specific about any of these brothers in the Genesis narrative. So many of the blessings relate to their names. which represents their character. And three of them have to do with victory and three with fruitfulness or prosperity. Those having to do with victory are Dan, Gad, and Benjamin. Down in verse 27, you can see that Benjamin is likened to a wolf who hunts so successfully that he has spoils to share. Verse 19 likens Gad to a raider. That's probably because Gad's name sounds like the word for raider in Hebrew. And the idea is that he will suffer attacks but fight back valiantly. And then verse 17 likens Dan to a serpent. And some interpret this negatively because, you know, serpents, you think of Satan, that sounds like it means something bad. But I think here it's positive because verse 16 says, Dan will judge or vindicate his people as one of the tribes of Israel. So I don't think this is Dan as a serpent striking fellow Israelites. I think this is Dan overthrowing Israel's oppressors. So just as a small serpent could make a horse rear up and the horseman topples off backwards, Dan will be a small tribe who conquers mighty foes. And we see this borne out in Israel's history. These three tribes do excel militarily. We think, of course, of the Judge Samson from the tribe of Dan, who, though he was just one man, overthrows the Philistines. Think of the tribe of Benjamin. They had those 700 warriors who could sling a stone and hit a hair on your head without missing. Gad had those 11 sort of mighty champions who had come and met David in the wilderness. They crossed the Jordan when the water was overflowing its banks and put to flight a whole valley of people, just 11 of them. It says,

their faces were like lions, their feet like gazelles. The least of them was a match for a hundred men and the greatest for a thousand.

So we see this military might lived out, borne out in the history of Israel. Then the other three of the generally positive blessings belong to Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali. And these all have to do with fruitfulness or prosperity. Zebulun, whose name means dwelling, is granted a dwelling by the sea. That's in verse 13, where he will be a haven for ships. You may remember that at the beginning of Jesus's ministry, it takes place in Capernaum by the sea in the territory of Zebulun. Then in verse 20, it says that Asher, whose name means happy or blessed, will be blessed with rich food and royal delicacies. That is expensive food only a king could afford. And verse 21 says

Naphtali is a dough let loose that bears beautiful fawns.

That's a picture of freedom and fruitfulness in the land that they do go in and enjoy. Now, let's turn next to the four negative blessings. These fall to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Issachar. Verse 3, Jacob begins with Reuben. And he says,

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

Can you imagine what it's like for Reuben as he hears this blessing begin? It sounds so good at first. But then Jacob says,

unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed, then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.

Reuben was the firstborn son who had that preeminence by right, and Jacob is saying you lost it because Reuben had committed adultery with Bilhah, Jacob's wife. Irony of this is that Reuben probably did that to try to assert his preeminence. Probably why he did that was he was trying to prematurely claim authority over the family, usurping his father's place. And now Jacob says, even though you had that preeminence, you've lost it. Kind of reminded me of Adam and Eve in the garden when they eat from the tree, thinking then we'll be like God. When the reality is God had already created them in his image, they were already as like God as it's possible for a creature to be. And so by seeking what they already had, they lost their position instead of gaining it. What a tragic irony. That's what happens to Reuben here, how cruelly deceptive sin is. And that's what Jacob says, this says about his character. Unstable as water. He's rash, he's foolish. Remember when Reuben says, you know, send Benjamin with me, and if I don't bring him back to you, just kill my two sons? That's the kind of unstable, impulsive rashness Reuben exemplified. He was unfit to lead. And interestingly, throughout the whole history of Israel, you never find any leader coming from the tribe of Reuben. Not a single judge, king, prophet, no one. I mean, Reuben's legacy, unstable as water, casts a long shadow. Next, there's Simeon and Levi. Verse 5 says,

Simeon and Levi are brothers. Weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul not come into their counsel. Oh, my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Jacob's referring here to the fact that Simeon and Levi had murdered an entire town of people. Their sister Dinah had been raped, and so in revenge, they deceived and murdered the whole town. He says, in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. And this is willful in the sense of eagerness, delight, pleasure. It speaks to the fact that they were not just motivated for justice. They were actually motivated by cruelty, almost taking pleasure in slaughter. And the result of this is they will be divided and scattered in the land. And Simeon does, indeed, wind up with an allotment of land that's surrounded by Judah. So he just sort of gets mixed in with Judah, and then other Simeonites live up in the north, so he's divided. Levi, on the other hand, he gets scattered because that's the tribe of the priesthood and the temple service. So he never receives a specific allotment of land. Now, interestingly, to be the tribe for the priests was a great honor. And he's given that because his violent zeal is later redeemed for good in both the Golden Calf incident and then again in the incident with Balaam and the Moabite women. It's the Levites who raise swords against their fellow Israelites to put a stop to the idolatry. That's why they're chosen for the priesthood. But the point is we see the fulfillment of just what Jacob says in time to come, and Simeon and Levi's legacy is one of cruelty. Then finally, there's Issachar, whom we're not told anything specific about in the Genesis narrative, but evidently his character was such that he had great strength, but he rested too soon. Look at verses 14 and 15. Jacob says,

Issachar is a strong donkey crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant at forced labor.

The tragedy here is that one so strong would submit to slavery. And it's because he sees the goodness of the land that it's pleasant, and so he takes his rest too soon. He relaxes. He doesn't fight to security. He doesn't finish his race. He becomes a slave. And interestingly, even though he was born before Zebulun and everybody else is in birth order, he's placed after Zebulun here. I think symbolic of the fact that he settled for last place out of laziness and the failure to apply the strength he'd been given. Now, finally, let's look at the two sons who received the most glowing approval and lavish blessings, which is, of course, Joseph and Judah. Now Joseph is an obvious choice. He's already been given the right of firstborn son. He's always been the favorite son. And more importantly, he's also been the godliest. Even when all ten older brothers were godless rebels, Joseph lived a life of nearly impeccable faith and integrity. So it should be no surprise when Jacob says in verse 22 and following,

Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring. His branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him and harassed him severely. Yet his bow remained unmoved. His arms were made agile by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel. by the God of your Father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your Father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of him who is set apart from his brothers.

" I mean, Joseph is just blessed exceedingly. You hear blessing and blessing and blessing. And just as he was set apart from his brothers by being sent to Egypt, now he's set apart from them by being blessed above them. He's likened to this fruitful tree growing beside a spring of water. He's assured that God himself will bless him and that his blessings will reach up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. Note also how Jacob highlights Joseph's faithfulness in trial. He says,

the archers bitterly attacked him, yet his bow remained unmoved.

I mean, what an image that is. Imagine standing there having your bow drawn and other archers are shooting at you, and you don't even flinch. That was his steadfastness in trial. That's what Joseph was like when his brothers hated him and sold him as a slave. when Potiphar's wife tempted him, when he was thrown in the dungeon in Egypt. The archers assaulted him and his bow remained unmoved. Oh, that would be like us in trial. And as we think about the fulfillment of this, of course, I think we see it especially through Ephraim, Joseph's firstborn son, whose name meant fruitful, Ephraim does go on to become the strongest of the northern tribes. Samaria was in Ephraim just as Jerusalem was in Judah. And just as the name Judah comes to represent the whole of the southern kingdom, the name Ephraim is often used to represent the whole northern kingdom. It's amazing that just as Jacob says here, Ephraim and Judah do in fact emerge as the two great tribes in Israel. Just as these blessings would suggest. Now let's turn finally to Judah's blessing. And if Joseph was the obvious choice to be blessed abundantly, then Judah's the one that's something of a surprise. Because back in the beginning, I mean, he was a despicable character. His was the idea to sell Joseph as a slave. He had raised wicked sons. He lied to his daughter-in-law, he went to a prostitute, and then he tried to have his daughter-in-law executed for promiscuity. He was at least as bad as Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. The difference is, as the narrative unfolds, Judah's repentance is also the most evident. Judah confesses his sin against Tamar. He takes responsibility for Benjamin before his father. He offers himself in Benjamin's place before Joseph. And then he emerges as the spokesman and leader for all of his brothers. And so amazingly, even as much as Jacob loves Joseph, even in spite of the fact that Joseph is the one who has been given the right of the firstborn, Jacob declares that the throne will belong to Judah. He says in verse 8, Judah, whose name means praise,

your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons shall bow down before you.

And by the way, up to this point, all the brothers bow down to Joseph. That's reversed here. He says,

Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down. He crouched as a lion and as a lioness. Who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him. And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

So in other words, the king will come from Judah. A king who will be like a mighty lion. The king who will reign not only over all Israel, but over all the other nations as well. He continues

binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. He has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.

And this is presenting the king as healthy, handsome, and bringing great prosperity. I mean, tying your donkey to a grapevine or washing your clothes in wine would be sort of like using dollar bills as toilet paper. I mean, donkeys eat grapes. I mean, gallons of wine was extremely expensive. You put dirty clothes in there, you've ruined it all. The only way this makes any sense at all is if you're so rich, it doesn't matter. And that's the point. It's a picture of the victory and the prosperity that the Lion of Judah will bring. And as we look forward through the history of Israel, this is what happens. I mean, Judah does become the tribe of royalty. King David is of the tribe of Judah. He overthrows Goliath and the Philistines and many other enemies. King Solomon, David's son, is of the tribe of Judah and brings about unprecedented wealth and prosperity. And then the dynasty of Judah continues with kings like Rehoboam, Abijah, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Hezekiah, Josiah and many, many others. And then, of course, greatest of all. The true lion of the tribe of Judah arises. We come to the New Testament. And to the birth of Jesus Christ. Of the tribe of Judah. As we heard earlier in our call to worship from Revelation 5,

weep no more. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

Jesus is the true victor, the one who brings life and blessing and prosperity, not just in the land of Canaan, but in a whole new creation, in an Eden that fills the whole earth. And brothers and sisters, isn't it amazing that God would choose Judah to be the one to have the honor of being the tribe through which that Savior and King would come? I mean, Judah, a man who had failed greatly, but Judah, a man who repented, A man who was transformed, a man who sacrificed himself in love for his father and his brother, and a man who became truly fit to lead. And so you see God's grace shines brightly here. And yet at the same time, we see that each brother is blessed with the blessing suitable to him. And God's wisdom and his righteousness shine brightly too. Each son's portion is perfectly appropriate to his life and character. Immorality and cruelty and laziness are chastened, but faithfulness, perseverance, repentance, and love are richly rewarded and exalted by God. And through it all, we see God's great faithfulness. We, looking back from our perspective, can see how these words have stood fast, how through the history of Israel, this is what happened. They did come into the Promised Land. They did receive Canaan. They did experience and have their portions in that land distributed according to what Jacob says here. And so we see here the blessing the son shared, the portion each was given. God's great grace, God's great faithfulness, wisdom, and righteousness. Now let's consider what this means for us. We come thirdly to the blessing we share. And in order to understand how this passage applies to us, we need to first see that there's an organic connection between Israel's inheritance in the land of Canaan and our inheritance in heaven and the new creation. And I think that link becomes obvious when you realize that the whole storyline of the Bible is about the loss of paradise and the hope of reclaiming it. That in the very beginning, Adam and Eve sinned, They're kicked out of the garden, out of paradise, out of the presence of God. And from that point forward, mankind is yearning to get back to God, back to holiness, back to eternal life, back to Eden. Also, right from the beginning, God promises that the way back will be through the birth of a seed, a victor and a savior who will crush the serpent's head. And therefore, when God comes to Abraham and he promises him a land, an offspring, and that through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, we have to read it in connection with that. That it was never just about the physical land of Canaan. That it was just a partial fulfillment of something greater. Canaan is like a little glimpse of what the true and eternal Eden will really be like. And it was never just about human kings like David or Solomon. They were always anticipatory of the greater king, the true seed of the woman, the true lion of Judah to come. You see, God's plan and purpose was always global in scope. It was always to entirely renew this whole world. And so when God says to Abraham,

in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

And as he says here of this Lion of Judah, all the peoples, plural, will render obedience to him. The point is, it was never just about Israel. And that's why the patriarchs, yes, they were looking forward to the land of Canaan, but they were simultaneously looking beyond it to something greater. As the author of Hebrews says,

they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one.

And the point is, the earthly land of Canaan and the earthly Judaic kings were types and shadows of the greater Canaan and the greater king to come. It was all always meant to point to Christ and the new creation. To the king who would crush the serpent's head by offering himself as a sacrifice for his people. To the king who would lead his people into the eternal Eden by making all things new. the king who would be of the tribe of Judah, but would rule over and bring blessing to all the families of the earth. And that's why it applies to us. That's why we, through faith in Christ, get to be part of this, and we as Christians can sing,

on Jordan's stormy banks I stand, to cast a wishful eye, to Canaan's fair and happy land, where my possessions lie, I am bound for the promised land.

We are bound for the true promised land of the new creation, bound for the place described in Revelation chapters 21 and 22, where

every tear is wiped from our eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

And when he who is seated on the throne says,

behold, I am making all things new.

Well, friends, it's a place where there is no more sun because the presence of God is its light. We can see our Lord face to face. It's the place of perfect rest, perfect joy, perfect life, perfect blessing in the presence of God. It's the new Eden, brothers and sisters. That's our inheritance. And just as Jacob's 12 sons inherited the land of Canaan, not because of anything good that they had done. Just by being born into the covenant family. We, too, are simply born into the family of God. Born again by God's grace to an inheritance that is undefiled, unfading and reserved in heaven for us. God simply opens our eyes by faith to see that though we were dead in trespasses and sins, and under his curse, Jesus has made us alive. That Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he rose again for our justification. That Jesus has done everything for us to be justified, declared righteous in the sight of God, to be adopted. made sons of God, to be sanctified, set free and cleansed from sin, to be glorified, raised up immortal and imperishable with bodies that will never die again. This salvation is a gift of God's sovereign grace. This is the good news of the gospel. This is the inheritance, the blessing that we share through Christ. And if you're here today as an unbeliever, this means for you that you simply must trust in Christ. There's nothing you can do to earn or achieve salvation. All you can do is in humility and faith and contrition. Look to the one who can forgive your sins and he will do it. Friend, Jesus died on the cross for all who looked to him. None is turned away. And for those of us who do trust in Christ, let's rejoice in him this morning. Let us stand amazed at God's great grace and faithfulness. Let us praise God that he has indeed sent this lion of the tribe of Judah that he promised oh so long ago so that we might be saved, so that we might all enjoy this great inheritance that we get to share it. That's the blessing we share. But fourth and finally, I want us to conclude by considering the portion we're given. The portion we're given. Because again, as it was for Jacob's sons, even if our salvation is entirely by grace, that doesn't mean our lives have no effect on our eternal destinies. There is a particular portion in it that we receive. And as we begin to think about this idea of heavenly reward, I want you to first maybe turn in your Bible to 1 Corinthians 3, verses 10 through 15. And in this passage, Paul likens our life and ministry, our work, especially that of gospel ministers, to building a structure. He says he's laid the foundation. you know, of the Corinthian church, which is Christ, and others are building on it. So building perhaps by evangelism, discipleship, preaching, and so on. And he says, some use materials like wood, hay, and straw, and others use materials like gold, silver, and precious stones. And on the last day, each one's work will be tested by fire. And so he says there in verse 14,

if the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Now think of it, Paul's saying here that there will be some people who are saved, who go to heaven and yet suffer loss. Their life's work. Their ministry is burned. I mean, perhaps like Reuben, you know, they're people who seem preeminent here on earth with big churches, big ministries. They wind up last in heaven. And then on the other hand, he says, there are those whose work survives and who receive a reward. And the context makes very clear that this can't be the reward of salvation itself. It's some kind of reward in addition to salvation. It's like the portion they receive within the inheritance. Now, just for another passage, you think of the parable of the minas in Luke chapter 19. A mina was a unit of currency, and in the parable, the master gives each servant 10 minas that they're supposed to invest or trade with. And one servant makes 10 more minas, and so he's put over 10 cities, and another servant makes 5 minas, and so he's put over 5 cities. And so, interestingly, the level of reward changes based on the performance of the servant, which, again, seems to imply some sort of variation in heavenly reward. Then, of course, there's also passages like Matthew 6, where Jesus says,

lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven

, as if that's an ongoing thing you can do. Or in Matthew 10, he says,

whoever gives a cup of cold water in my name will by no means lose his reward.

You know, apparently every act of Christian kindness will be noticed and rewarded by God. And again, the point is, in a way similar to Jacob's sons, our portion in our heavenly inheritance will depend, at least to some degree, on the way we live our lives. Now, you might be thinking at this point, well, what exactly is a heavenly reward? I mean, if we're all perfectly happy and satisfied in the presence of God in heaven, How could there be any reward on top of that? And even if someone else is exalted above you, I mean, there's no pride, there's no selfishness, there's no envy, there's just perfect love. So what difference would it make? Well, Jonathan Edwards, for example, wrestled with this by imagining bowls overflowing with water. He said all of us will be overflowing with love and joy and satisfaction in the presence of God, as full as we could possibly be. And he says the difference is that the bowls aren't all the same size. So some people are rewarded with an even greater capacity for love and joy. So that's an interesting idea. Maybe that's right. Another angle would be to say, you know, even if there's no rivalry or envy in heaven, surely there's still a great sense of privilege and satisfaction in being able to serve the Lord. You know, so if the Bible says that we will judge angels and rule with Christ, What a great honor it would be to be set over 10 cities, so to speak, and get to serve Christ in that way. Also, I have to imagine that one of the joys we will experience as we spend all eternity worshiping the Lamb for His great victory, remembering the battles that were fought here on earth, here now, in our lifetimes, would be knowing that we actually contributed in some way. I mean, what a sense of loss there will be if you look at all you live for and it just burns. You realize that in the battle, it was effectively like you went into a cave and hid. Versus you were out fighting for your Lord, serving your King. I mean, what a joy it would be to receive a crown, even if that's only so that you can cast the crown at Jesus' feet. And so, brothers and sisters, the message for us this morning again is to seek a heavenly reward. Don't be like Reuben and have to shrink in shame because sexual immorality has plagued your life. Don't be like Simeon or Levi and allow cruelty or vengefulness or unforgiveness to mar your character. Don't be like Issachar who looked around and saw that the land was good and rested too soon. and fail to finish your race. I mean, be like Joseph. May your bow be unflinching in trial. Be like Judah, who though he sinned, he repented. Learn to exemplify what true love and leadership is like. Maybe you're here this morning thinking, you know, it just feels too late. I've wasted so much time. I've already failed so greatly. Well, friend, then look again at Judah. Because he was the worst and he becomes the greatest of them all. I mean, none of his sins are even mentioned by Jacob. They're all just swallowed up by God's grace. He stands there before his father, a forgiven, changed man. And friends, take heart this morning that God does not measure us the way others would. You may not be able to ever wipe away that black stain of sin that others see, but you can walk in repentance before Christ, knowing that his blood is sufficient to wash all your sin away. And as Jesus said time and again,

the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Oh, there will be great reversals when we stand before the Lord in heaven. How often God chooses the very chief of sinners to become the most shining beacons of His grace. There will be many who appear great in the eyes of men, but are little in the eyes of God. And there will be many who seem like nothing in the eyes of men, but whom God will exalt on the last day. And so whether you feel weighed down by former sins, Whether you feel like Joseph in the dungeon, just alone and forgotten, feeling like you're not able to do anything of any eternal consequence, know that there is great reward for those who are faithful, for those who walk in repentance, for those who strive to glorify God on whatever path he has for you. Do not despair of gaining great heavenly reward. Friends, it is there for those who seek it. But you must seek it. You must not allow grace to excuse laziness. We must press on. We must hold firm. We must finish our race. And may you do it for the day when instead of Jacob pronouncing blessings over his sons, it's the Lord Jesus Christ pronouncing over you,

well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. enter into the joy of your Lord.

Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this great reminder you've given us today of the glorious inheritance that you have given us through Christ. Thank you for the reminder of what a great Savior he is, that he is the great Lion of Judah, the one who has come to rescue us from our sins. And Heavenly Father, in response to this great grace, I pray that your spirit would empower all of us to live for you, to live for your glory, to live out of gratitude for what you've done for us, and to seek after the heavenly reward that you hold out for us, that you yourself tell us we should seek, that you strengthen us for that, so that you may be glorified through us as your people. We pray it in Jesus' name, amen.