Passover: Abraham, Isaac, Israel, & Christ - #2

Fred R. Coulter - February 16, 2002

Now this is number two in the Passover: Abraham Isaac, Israel, and Christ. Now let’s pick up where we left off last time. Let’s come to Genesis 22. And I want to cover just a couple more things here concerning this type of the Passover. And as I said, there is no direct indication that you can make this happen on the Passover day. I tried hard to do so, but you can’t. And so we can just take the teaching and see how it applies, not only to the Passover day, but also to the whole operation of the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for us, just as God provided the ram instead of Isaac for the sacrifice, God has provided Christ instead of our death. And so that’s important to really understand and realize.

Now let’s just cover a couple things here. Let’s go back to verse 15. And we can understand that when God swears something - and He doesn’t need to swear - in other words, when men give an oath, that’s to end a dispute between parties. But God doesn’t need to swear, because He doesn’t lie. So when He swears, He’s giving a double emphasis that this is absolutely going to happen, with no doubt, no shadow of turning. And because He has done this, we can have absolute confidence and assurity that what God has said He will do, He will do. And now we live in the end time, when we have the benefit of seeing that, yes, He did do it. God did do it.

Now verse 15, “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice.” (vs.15-18). And this becomes a very profound and important thing. Because too much of Christianity today is based upon lawless grace. Meaning, that you don’t have to obey. Oh, they claim, yes, they read the Scriptures, which say, “If you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise,” (Galatians 3:29, paraphrased). But they don’t read the thing that he obeyed.

Now, as we have seen, “the stars of heaven” apply to the spiritual seed, which then is the Church, which will then at the resurrection the saints will shine as the stars of heaven - Matthew 13:49. And “the sand which is upon the seashore,” which then is the physical seed of Israel. And then He adds another promise here: “Your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.” And we’ll see how that comes about a little bit more. So let’s come down to Genesis 25, where then the blessing is passed on to Isaac. Actually, Genesis 26:1, “And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went into Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply has the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because that Abraham…” (vs. 1-5).

Now you see, the thing we need to understand is this: the covenant did not depend upon Isaac, it did not depend upon Jacob. It depended upon Abraham. And this has been a consternation to many, many people. Especially when they look at the nations of the ten tribes of Israel, in their modern setting, and the other nations of the world do, and they wonder, “How come we have it, and in many cases we are so bad?” Because they’re looking at from the point of view, “Well, since you’re so bad, you don’t deserve it.” See, well, God said He was going to give it because of Abraham. Now then, He also said later on that if their descendant’s sin, He would correct them. But He would not rescind the promise that He gave to Abraham.

And here is this famous verse we’ve gone over, and over, and over again, one which Protestants, I am sure, do not like to hear. Verse 5, “Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Now that’s also important because, as we saw, the Passover began with Abraham and not with Israel.

Now let’s come to Galatians 4, and let’s see the Church in relationship to Isaac. The way you counter… (Pause–audience comment). The comment was made that certain people will say, “Well, God had other commandments that He gave him.” That’s absolutely not true, because Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The commandments that He gave Israel are the same commandments that Abraham obeyed. For anyone to say anything other than that, they are just Biblical illiterates. You cannot prove it from the context. The only commandments that are God’s commandments, and He won’t change them. Is He going to change the first one? No. Is He going to change the second one? No. Is He going to change the third one? No. Is He going to change the fourth one? No. None of them He’s going to change. So he kept the commandments of God, and His statutes. Now statutes, the holy days are statutes. And He began the Passover with Abraham. So those arguments, when you really understand the Bible, do not have legs at all. They don’t even have shoes. OK? They just don’t stand.

Now let’s come here to Galatians 4:28. Oh, by the way, in relationship to that, there are indications the way that the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments are written out, that they are written in sections of five: 5, 5, 5, which is half of ten. So you take five and five, that equals ten. So you find “ten” all the way through the statutes and judgments there, by the way, too. A little deeper study into that. I don’t have it now, but I just recall it off the top of my head. Again, verifying that these things were also things that God gave for Abraham to follow.

And we need to also understand this: Abraham had a big household. He had hundreds of people there with him. And so that means, how do you run and govern it? OK? Well, you do it by God’s way. How do settle disputes among people? Well, you do it God’s way. Which days do you rest and keep? God’s days. So when we understand that the Sabbath was binding from creation, just like everything else God created is perpetually going on down to this day. So the Sabbath is perpetually going on down to this day. So once you know the Scriptures, and once you know the Bible, there is no question that Abraham did those things. And any of the other things that people come up with are just arguments to avoid obeying God. They don’t like the word “obey.” They like the word “liberty”, which is another word for lawlessness.

Galatians 4:28, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh [that is, Ishmael] persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” (v. 28-31). And we are children of promise. So here again, I’m trying to tie the things of Abraham back into the New Testament. And of course we have Abraham in Chapter 3, we have Isaac in Chapter 4.

Now let’s come down to the time that the blessing is passed on to Jacob. And of course, God said before they were born about Esau and Jacob, they were two kinds of people. Esau would serve, who was the oldest, who he would serve the younger. And the younger would prevail. Now sometimes God does things and allows things to happen by the use of human nature. And so, we find that Jacob connived to get the blessing, or the birthright, from Esau. He didn’t have to do it, because God would have given it another way. But also it was a test on Esau. Esau was willing to sell it and give it up. Then it came time for the blessing, and Mama got involved in it too. And she said, “You go in and you pretend you’re Esau and get the blessing.” He said, “Well how can I do that? He’s a hairy man.” She said, “Well, we’ll put a goatskin on your neck.” Now you talk about a hairy man. It must of been a real hairy man if you feel the back of the neck and it’s all like the goat’s hair.

So she made the stew, she put the skins on his hands and on the back of his neck because he was a smooth man. So he went in. Genesis 27:18, “And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, [are you] my son? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn…” A big fat lie. Now the reason God does things like this is so that Esau would think that he just took it. But he didn’t.

“…I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?” You know, going out and shooting venison and, you know, it takes a little while to chase it down and get it with a bow and arrow. “…And he said, because the LORD thy God brought it to me” (vs. 19-20). I mean, this is something.

“And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.” So he had his doubts. “And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him. And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am” (vs. 21-24). Boy, he checked him out a couple of times here, didn’t he?

“And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be everyone that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee” (vs. 25-29).

Now will see how this expanded out to the twelve tribes of Israel. “And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made in end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.” I mean, with the movies we have now days, you can just picture this. You know- phhft - just got out the door. “And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed” (vs. 30-33). Because the blessing can only be given once. It’s not like the Olympics this year, where they finally catch the French judge in cheating on the judging, and so now they give two gold medals. There’s only one blessing.

“And when Esau and heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is he not rightly named Jacob? [which means “supplanter”], for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his [your] brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept” (vs. 34-38).

“And Isaac his father answered and said and to him, Behold thy dwelling shall be [far from] the fatness of the earth, [as it should read], and of [far from] the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shall serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck” (vs. 39-40). That has not yet happened. Esau and Ishmael are still subject to the descendants of Jacob. Witness the latest war that we have going on right now.

“And Esau heated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob” (vs. 41). Harkens back to Cain and Abel, doesn’t it?

So Jacob, he gets out of there. Rebecca says, “Look get out of here, go hide, run away. Go to Laban, my brother. Go up there.” So he left, and he went. And right before he left, here’s the charge, chapter 28:1, “And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.” Now remember that Esau did. “Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land where in thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham” (Gen. 28:1-4). And so Isaac sent him away to Padan-aram.

And then Jacob had a dream. He saw this ladder ascending up. Verse 12, “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land where on thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (vs. 12-15).

And He did. Now there was still some chicanery. Now, Jacob got his punishment back, didn’t he, for being deceitful and lying. What happened? Well, he came to Laban and he saw Rachel, and said, “This is it. First love. Gotta have her.” Made a deal and said to Laban, “I’ll work seven years for her.” He says, “That’s fine. You can have her.” So, came the wedding night, and I guess there were all wearing burqas then, you know. So came the wedding night, and lo and behold, when he woke up in the morning, guess who it was? It was Leah. Not Rachel. So he wanted Rachel so bad, he said, “OK. I’ll work another seven years for you.” And Laban said, “That’s fine.” So he had worked 14 years. So he had a little deceit brought back upon him for his deceit. And he had to work 14 years instead of seven.

So anyway, all the children of Israel were born. You know the rest of the story. They all got jealous at Joseph. Now Joseph had quite a bit of vanity. And he came out with his coat that his father made him, and he said, “Look guys, I had a dream. And I was standing there, and I was the main sheaf. And all the other sheaves bowed down to me. That’s you guys.” So they got mad. Then he came out and had another dream. And so they got together and said, “Look, we gotta stop this. Let’s kill him.” And Judah said, “No, let’s sell him. So here’s what we’ll do - we’ll take and kill a goat, and take the coat, and spread it with the goat’s blood. We’ll sell Joseph for his snotty-nosed way of doing things. We’ll sell him off to the Arabs when they come by.”

So they came by, sold him off, and they took him down to Egypt, and you know the story that happened there. He ended up in prison, and he was able to tell the answer to the dreams that different ones had, and he was raised to be the second in charge of Egypt because he was able to tell Pharaoh the dream of the seven fat cattle and the seven skinny cattle, that a famine was coming.

So, Joseph was down in Egypt seventeen years before the famine came. Then the famine came, and God sent the sons down to get food. And he knew who they were, but they didn’t know who he was. So sure enough, the prophecy came true. In order to get the corn, they had to bow down and worship him, because he was second in charge. And then remember, in order to get Benjamin, because he remembered Benjamin was his blood brother, through Rachel, he put some things in the sacks of corn. Then he told the soldiers, the Egyptian soldiers, “Now they’ve stolen things and hidden them in the corn. You go out and arrest them and bring them back here. “So they did. And he said, “Now look, you bring your youngest brother down here. Otherwise, I’m going to lock you all up in the dungeon.” So they said, “Okay we’ll bring him down.” So they brought him down. And then finally he revealed himself to them that he was Joseph. And they went back and got Jacob, brought him down. Jacob came in and Pharaoh gave him all the land of Goshen.

Now we come down to the final blessings that we have that were given to the sons of Jacob, or Israel. Let’s come to Genesis 48. And here’s a blessing that is with us to this day, and it cannot fit the circumstances of the Jews today. What occurred here in Genesis 48 and 49 is as momentous for the physical seed as the promise given to Abraham for the spiritual seed. Now, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew that they had blessings to pass on to their descendants.

Now Israel, whose name was changed from Jacob to Israel, it came time for the blessing to be given. And so we find that Joseph brought his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Now I might mention here that Joseph married the daughter of the High Priest of On. And a lot of people think that Joseph married a black woman. That’s not the case. Egypt at that time was much like what the United States is today. It was a diverse society. So to say that you married an American today, doesn’t tell you anything, does it? But in order for the blessing to be to those of the descendants of Joseph and the descendants of Jacob, he could not have intermarried with a race that was contrary to the - how should we say? The genetic inheritance which he had. So he obviously married someone the same as he was.

Now he brought both of his - Joseph brought both of his sons to him. And Genesis 48:13 now, “And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.” Now you would think this is just kind of all little detail, but it’s very important. “And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it up on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger…” (Gen. 48:13-14). Now, again, we have the same thing happened, right? The blessing goes to the younger first, then the older. Whereas through normal inheritance law, what do we have? The firstborn is the one who receives the inheritance.

Now I’m going through this, even though it doesn’t directly relate to the Passover, because we need to understand, and I want to make the record absolutely clear that the Jews today do not represent all the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. The Jews represent one tribe, plus a substantial number of Levites. That’s all of the true Jews. Now you can read the book of Josephus, and you can see where, that in the history, especially during the days of John Hircanus the high priest, during the days of the Maccabees, and also during the days of Herod the Great, that they forced Esauites to become circumcised Jews and follow the Jewish religion. Now they are Jews in the sense that they are proselytes. What we’re talking about here are the genetic physical descendants of Jacob and his twelve sons. And we hope to have a publication here in the not too far distant future which shows how these sons came to be in their modern inheritance today. And it’s very important concerning Ephraim and Manasseh. And I’ll just say here for the record that Ephraim, undoubtedly, is what we call Great Britain today; and Manasseh is undoubtedly what we call the United States of America today. Now, that is before the recent years when the strangers are coming in to rise up high above us. Now we’re seeing that fulfillment of prophecy because of disobedience.

But here is the prophecy of the physical seed coming down now to Ephraim and Manasseh. And when he did this, he guided “…His hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.” Verse 15, “And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 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;…” (vs. 14-15).

Now it’s important to understand that he did not give that blessing to the rest of his sons. He gave different blessings to them. Though they are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the special blessing of nations and power goes primarily to Ephraim and Manasseh with this: “…And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head” (vs. 16-18). Because the primary blessing came from his right hand.

“And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: He also shall become a people, and he shall also be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” So it’s no - how shall we say - incidental thing that the British Empire became to be known as the Commonwealth of nations. And it was to share the common wealth. In other words, the money. The gold. The silver. The possessions. The military. That’s why it was called the Commonwealth. Now verse 20, “And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh” (vs. 19-20). And so that’s how it came about.

Now right before he died, chapter 49, he gathered all the rest of his sons. “…Gather yourself together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” Now the last days are now. So this gives us an identification of the nations today. “Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: unstable as water…” Now, many people believe that the descendants of Reuben are the French. Very possible. “Thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: He went up to my couch” (Gen. 49:2-4).

“Simeon and in Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.” Now that’s why the Simeonites, maybe, are more involved in Mafia within Israel, and the Levites, “instruments of cruelty,” that’s why they were selected for the priesthood and the slaughtering of animals. They could handle it without all the weeping and wailing and the animal rights boo-hooing, you see.

“O my soul, come not thou in to their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self will they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (vs. 5-7). And that’s the way it is in the last days. They’re scattered throughout all Israel.

Verse 8, “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come…” And that is Christ, and He came. And the disciples, then, became the lawgivers through the apostles. “…And unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk” (vs. 8-12). I think that describes maybe some of the things that going on in Israel today where the Jews are, doesn’t it? All the bloody warring that’s going on? Perhaps.

“Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea;…” Now many people think that this has to do with Holland. Could very likely be. “…And he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:…” Many people think this is Issachar, Issachar being Finland today. It’s between the West and between the East, and they carry a great burden from Russia. “And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute” (vs. 13-15). And of course, the Finlanders were under tribute to the Soviet Union for a long time.

“Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.” Now we have two aspects of Dan. We have Dan-mark, and we also have the Irish, which came from Dan. “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.” Now a lot of people think that Gad is Switzerland. That is right there, that little small country. “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.” A lot of people think that this is the Netherlands. “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words” (vs. 16-21). And a lot of people think that this is Sweden. Could very well be.

Now notice Joseph. Notice this blessing. This cannot apply to the Jews. “Joseph is a fruitful bough,…” (v. 22). And remember, that since before World War II, and even through the Holocaust and everything, there has never been very many more than 13 to 15 million Jews worldwide. “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:…” And we’ve seen this happen time and time again, haven’t we? “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:)” (vs. 22-24).

And that’s where you have the great stone that is under the coronation chair which they coronate the kings and queens of England. And by the way, they coronate them as kings and queens over “Your people Israel.” When you read the whole ceremony, it’s not over Britain, it’s not over England; it’s over “Your people Israel.” And she is coronated in the Jerusalem Room of the Westminster Abbey.

Now verse 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: 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” (vs. 25-26). So that’s really quite a blessing. You cannot say that this fits the Jews as we know them today. And remember, this is a prophecy for the last days.

Now Benjamin, “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf…” A lot of people think that Benjamin today is Norway, from whence we get the Vikings, who ravined as a wolf. “In the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoils” (vs. 27).

Now before we get into the Passover of Israel, let’s come to Deuteronomy 33. And again, let’s see some blessings which were passed on at that time. I’m just going to cover the blessing to Joseph so we can distinguish Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, from the Jews. Now verse 13, “And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills…” (vs. 13-15). And where has most of the gold and silver and precious jewels come from? They’ve come from the descendants of Joseph. And in particularly, and primarily, South Africa, because South Africa was part of the Commonwealth of Britain, and part of the British Empire too.

“And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns:…” And isn’t it interesting that both of those things are on the seal which the British have? “…With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth:…” Wasn’t it said of the British Empire, the sun never set on the British Empire? “…And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh” (vs. 16-17).

So there is the blessing given to the physical seed. Now let’s come to the book of Exodus and let’s look at the events leading up to the Passover with the children of Israel while they were in Egypt. But I wanted to go through and just carry those prophecies forward, showing the blessings that would come to the children of Israel, being all of the twelve tribes and of whom the ten that were carried off into captivity first were given the blessing then the fulfillment in the last days.

Now let’s come to the book of Exodus, chapter 3. Now, we know the story. After Joseph died, then arose another Pharaoh that didn’t know Joseph. And he enslaved the children of Israel. And he was bent on destroying all the male children of the children of Israel by having them drowned in the river. And you know the story of Moses. He was put in the basket, his mother watched it as it went on down. The daughter of Pharaoh found the basket and said, “This is mine. His name shall be Moses, for he came out of the water.” He was raised in the court of Pharaoh. He was next in line to be Pharaoh, and then God worked it out to reveal that he was really not of the bloodline - he was not the son of Neferteri the daughter of Pharaoh, but he was the son of Levi, who was a Hebrew.

So then, in trying to rescue one of the Hebrews, because of the harsh bondage, he killed an Egyptian. And then he fled into the wilderness, straight across the Sinai desert, and he came to Midian. And then he married one of the daughters of Jethro. And then we come to the time when Moses was out there watching the sheep, and the time of the burning bush. So let’s pick it up here in Exodus 3:3.