Development of the Promises to the Patriarchs of Israel from One Generation to Another.
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The Promised Blessings began with Abraham. He was the first Patriarch and to him was it promised to become, "A GREAT NATION, AND IN YOU WILL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED" (Genesis 12:2-3). "AND I WILL MAKE MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU, AND WILL MULTIPLY YOU EXCEEDINGLY" (Genesis 17:2). "I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF YOU AND KINGS SHALL COME OUT OF YOU; AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR SEED AFTER YOU IN THEIR GENERATIONS FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, TO BE A GOD UNTO YOU, AND TO YOUR SEED AFTER YOU" (Genesis 17:6-7).
Isaac
Abraham begat Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael traditionally was the forefather of many of the Arabs. Isaac (NOT Ishmael) received the covenant promise and to him devolved the promised blessings: "MY COVENANT WILL I ESTABLISH WITH ISAAC" (Genesis 17:21); "I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH HIM FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, AND WITH HIS SEED AFTER HIM" (Genesis 17:19). God informed Abraham, "IN ISAAC SHALL YOUR SEED BE CALLED" (Genesis 21:21), cf. " TAKE NOW YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON, WHOM YOU LOVE, ISAAC..." (Genesis 22:2).
Esau and Jacob
Isaac begat the twins Esau and Jacob. Of Esau it was foretold, "BY THY SWORD SHALL YOU LIVE, AND SHALT SERVE YOUR BROTHER" (Genesis 27:40). Esau became ancestor to the founder settlers of early Rome and to part of the German people (Talmud, Megilla 6), as well as to part of the ruling elite in Continental Europe.
"AND ESAU HATED JACOB BECAUSE OF THE BLESSING WHERE WITH HIS FATHER BLESSED HIM" (Genesis 27:41).
Some of the anti-Semitic so-called "Identity" reprobates and their ilk are descended from Esau and from Canaanites. If it was not for these treacherous elements and their wicked agenda the truth of what we are saying in this work would have been more widely accepted and at the least seriously considered in many circles some time ago. What they accuse the Jews of being is what they are. They themselves are the servants of Satan and the seed of Darkness and Perdition.
Jacob becomes Israel
Jacob received the Blessings promised to Abraham and to Isaac. The Children of Jacob were to become the Chosen People. Isaac blessed Jacob, "GOD ALMIGHTY BLESS YOU, AND MAKE YOU FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLES [Hebrew: Kahal Amim]; AND GIVE YOU THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM, TO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED WITH YOU" (Genesis 28:2-3).
Jacob was given the additional name ISRAEL, "YOUR NAME SHALL BE CALLED NO MORE JACOB, BUT ISRAEL; FOR AS A PRINCE HAVE YOU POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN AND HAVE PREVAILED" (Genesis 32:8). "YOUR NAME IS JACOB: YOUR NAME SHALL NOT BE CALLED ANY MORE JACOB, BUT ISRAEL SHALL BE YOUR NAME: AND HE CALLED HIS NAME ISRAEL" (Genesis 35:10). Jacob (Israel) had Twelve Sons, "NOW THE SONS OF JACOB WERE TWELVE" (Genesis 36:22).
The Twelve Sons of Israel and the Birthright
The TWELVE SONS OF ISRAEL were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All the sons of Israel received a Blessing from their father, "EVERYONE ACCORDING TO HIS BLESSING HE BLESSED THEM" (Genesis 49:28). In addition to the individual blessing given to each one there existed the Natural Right of Leadership and the Birthright. The Natural Right of Leadership was to involve Judah who provided the House of David and was to receive the task of Lawgiver. The Birthright, in effect, meant the reception of those same blessings given to all the Tribes but in greater quantity and intensity. It also indicated a natural right to a certain predominance -and a two-fold portion in the inheritance.
"JUDAH PREVAILED ABOVE HIS BROTHERS, AND OF HIM (COMES) THE CHIEF RULER; BUT THE BIRTHRIGHT WAS JOSEPH'S" (1-Chronicles 5:1-2).
Joseph
Jacob blessed Joseph, "THE BLESSINGS OF YOUR 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 HIM THAT WAS SEPARATED FROM HIS BRETHREN" (Genesis 49:6).
We have here an indication that Joseph beyond merely receiving an extra portion as if he were the firstborn also has an ADDITIONAL TASK AND MERIT and as if in some way he will also represent all of Israel.
This idea is mentioned in the Rabbinical work, "Shnei Lukot HaBrit" by "Shnei Lukot HaBrit" by Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horovitz (1555 - 1630):
"JOSEPH HAS THE ASPECT OF JACOB ABOVE THE OTHER TRIBES, HE IS JOSEPH AND HIS TWO SONS EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH" (2;22;a).
More than that, in the expression,
"THE BLESSINGS OF YOUR FATHER HAVE PREVAILED ABOVE THE BLESSINGS OF MY PROGENITORS UNTO THE UTMOST BOUND OF THE EVERLASTING HILLS" (Genesis 49:6).
We see two points:
(a) Joseph will receive a blessing greater than that given to the other Tribes altogether.
(b) The blessing of Joseph will extend over all nations of the earth.
Ephraim and Manasseh
Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Menasseh. Both Ephraim and Menasseh received the status of full Tribes in their own right. Jacob said:
# YOUR TWO SONS, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, ARE MINE; AS REUBEN AND SIMEON, THEY SHALL BE MINE # (Genesis 48:5).
This meant that Ephraim and Manasseh should be counted as Tribes amongst the brothers of JOSEPH. Jacob blessed Ephraim and Menasseh, "THE ANGEL WHICH REDEEMED ME FROM ALL EVIL, BLESS THE LADS; AND LET MY NAME BE NAMED ON THEM, AND THE NAME OF MY FATHERS ABRAHAM AND ISAAC; AND LET THEM GROW INTO A MULTITUDE IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH" (Genesis 48:16). "AND HE BLESSED THEM THAT DAY, SAYING, IN YOU SHALL ISRAEL BLESS SAYING, GOD MAKE YOU AS EPHRAIM AND AS MENASSEH: AND HE SET EPHRAIM BEFORE MENASSEH" (Genesis 48:20).
The prevalence of Ephraim is repeated in Jeremiah (31:9), "I AM A FATHER TO ISRAEL, AND EPHRAIM IS MY FIRSTBORN". Nonetheless towards the End Times (in our days) there was to be a stage in which Manasseh would be pre-eminent.
NATIONAL GOALS
The blessings were concomitant with a Divine Purpose. Of Abraham it was said, "ABRAHAM SHALL SURELY BECOME A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION, AND ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIM. FOR I KNOW HIM THAT HE WILL COMMAND HIS CHILDREN AND HIS HOUSE AFTER HIM, AND THEY SHALL KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD TO DO JUSTICE AND JUDGEMENT; THAT THE LORD MAY BRING UPON ABRAHAM THAT WHICH HE HATH SPOKEN OF HIM" (Genesis 18:18-19).
The task of performing "JUSTICE AND JUDGEMENT" after becoming "A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION" through which all the nations of the earth would be blessed devolved upon Joseph. Tens of millions (if not hundreds of millions) of people throughout the world have not starved to death or massacred each other only because the "Anglo-Saxon" nations saved them. The only real restraint on tyranny anywhere today is that exercised by these countries.
The quality of Empathic Consideration (Chesed) was associated with the Northern Kingdom in which the Tribe of Joseph was paramount. "We have heard that the kings of the House of Israel are merciful kings", said servants of the King of Syria (1-Kings 20:31).
The prophet Amos condemned Judah for not keeping the Law, he also rebuked "Israel", meaning the Ten Tribes, "BECAUSE THEY SOLD THE RIGHTEOUS FOR SILVER" (Amos 1:4-6). A great Rabbinical Authority, the "Natziv" (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin,1816-1893), commented that keeping the Law was the special forte of Judah and therefore it was expected of him. When he failed to fulfill the expectation, he became liable. The Ten Tribes on the other hand, had never been noted as scripturally observant but they had been known for mercy i.e. empathic consideration of others (Chesed). When, through selling the righteous for silver, their level of Social Justice fell and they too became liable.
In their place of exile and re-settlement it would seem that Social Justice is still expected from the Ten Tribes. "HATE THE EVIL AND LOVE THE GOOD, AND ESTABLISH JUDGEMENT IN THE GATE: IT MAY BE THAT THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS WILL BE GRACIOUS UNTO THE REMNANT OF JOSEPH" (Amos 6:15).