Tawa Baptist

Secure

Scripture: Romans 8:14-17

Video Link: https://youtu.be/0MS9jZG8uqw

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Affection
  • Adoption
  • Assurance
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

What makes you feel secure? Perhaps when you were young, your teddy bear made you feel safe and secure. Then, as you grew older, being accepted by your friends gave you a sense of security.

Some people find security in their job; they are always at work, never able to rest, always feeling like they have to achieve more. Other people seek security by accumulating money, houses and stuff. Or by projecting a certain image of themselves which may not be entirely true.  

There is nothing wrong with earning money to buy a house, just as there is nothing wrong with wanting people to think well of you. We need these things to survive in this world. But as necessary as a house and a job and a good reputation are, they don’t last. The security they provide is only ever temporary at best.

Ironically, the pursuit of security can cause quite a bit of anxiety. Ultimately, our security needs to be based on something that cannot be lost or stolen or die.

Today is Pentecost, 50 days since Easter. After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days before ascending to heaven. Ten days after his ascension, Jesus’ disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God’s divine Spirit. The Holy Spirit connects us to the ultimate source of security, the risen Jesus Christ.       

Our sermon this morning is based on Romans 8, one of the traditional readings for Pentecost. Romans 8 talks about the Holy Spirit quite a bit. We won’t be covering all of Romans 8 today, just four verses. From verse 14 we read…

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; but you have received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

These verses are talking about the security the Holy Spirit gives believers.

Three words to hang today’s message on, all of them closely related to security: affection, adoption and assurance.

The Holy Spirit shows us God’s affection, He is involved in our adoption by God and He assures us we are God’s children. Let us begin with the Spirit and our affections…

Affection:

Affection is a positive feeling. You can show affection in all sorts of ways.

When you rub a dog’s belly, you are creating a positive feeling both for you and the dog. When you give someone a word of encouragement or a hug (and it is welcome) this also creates a positive feeling of affection.

Feelings, of course, move us. They are a source of energy. Feelings motivate us. If we feel affection for someone or someone shows us affection, then we will feel good about that person and be motivated to give them our best.

The Bible uses a variety of images to describe the Holy Spirit including wind, breath, fire, water and a dove. While these are all helpful, none is adequate on its own to describe the work of God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an unconscious force. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, capable of giving and receiving affection.

The gospel of John talks about the Holy Spirit being a comforter or an advocate. One who comes alongside and guides us in the love and truth of Jesus.

In contemporary terms we might think of the Holy Spirit as a sports coach. If the church is a team, then God is the owner and manager, Jesus is the captain, the Holy Spirit is the coach and we are the players. It is the job of the coach to come alongside the players to guide, train, correct and encourage them.

The best coaches know how to rub the belly of their players, metaphorically speaking. Their presence affects the players at a heart level. The players know the coach cares about them and that brings out the best in the team.

Or to put it another way, the players feel affection for a good coach. They will do anything for a coach they love and respect. 

In verse 14 of Romans 8, the apostle Paul writes: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  

The Spirit here reminds us of a sports coach leading, guiding and encouraging his players. To be led by God’s Spirit is to have a mind-set of learning to do God’s will. Those who are led by God’s Spirit are thinking, how do I love God and my neighbour in this situation?

Like a good coach the Holy Spirit doesn’t drive us by fear. Rather, the Spirit inspires belief and builds trust. He rubs our belly when we need it and gives us the feeling of genuine security, bringing out the best in the team.

Of course, for the players to benefit from the coach’s influence, we must listen to the coach and do what he says. If we love God, if Jesus holds sway over our affections, then we will trust and obey the promptings and pushings of the Holy Spirit.

Who holds sway over your affections?

We are talking about the security the Holy Spirit gives believers. The Holy Spirit shows us God’s affection and He is involved in our adoption by God.

Adoption:

Psychologists say that a deep and lasting sense of security comes from the way parents interact with their infant children. If a baby gets lots of face-to-face time, lots of affection and connection from at least one consistent adult, they will learn basic trust and feel secure throughout life. They call this attachment.

The thing about attachment is that the baby needs the relationship with the one consistent adult to be reinforced regularly. You don’t create a sense of security in a child by occasional, infrequent episodes of attachment.

The kind of attachment in view here is not like attaching a trailer to your car every once and a while. It’s more like the seats in a car, which are permanently attached. Wherever the car goes the seats go. 

The sort of attachment that leads to deep and lasting security in the child requires an intentional and lasting commitment by the adult.      

God (our maker) understands our human need for attachment and meets this need by adopting us into his family. Verse 15 reads: The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; but you have received the Spirit of adoption.

In the Greco-Roman world of the first century, in which Paul lived, adoption was a serious business. There was a thorough legal process to follow which resulted in a lasting and binding commitment between the parent and child.

In his commentary on Romans, F.F. Bruce writes (and I paraphrase here)…

The term ‘adoption’ may sound a bit artificial to our ears; but in the first century an adopted son was deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was in no way inferior in status to a natural born son and might well enjoy the father’s affection more fully and reproduce the father’s character more worthily. [1]    

To be adopted by God, therefore, is a big deal. We sometimes talk about making a commitment to God. But really, God’s commitment in adopting us comes first and is greater and more reliable than any commitment we might make.

The one being adopted does nothing to deserve this grace. All we can do is accept the father’s love with gratitude and seek to reproduce the father’s character in our own relationships.

The Spirit of God changes our status and gives us a new kind of relationship with God the Father, a more personal, intimate relationship. One where we can approach God with confidence and affection so that we cry ‘Abba, Father’.

‘Abba’ was the Aramaic word for father, used by Jewish families in antiquity.

It was an everyday term like dad or daddy or da (as the Irish say).

Children in the first century never addressed God as Abba, that would have been considered incredibly disrespectful and yet Jesus almost always addressed God as his ‘Abba’.  

Most famously Jesus addresses God in this intimate way in his prayer of anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Abba, Father”, he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

This is interesting. Jesus is secure enough in his relationship with God to be honest about what he is feeling and what he wants. In the end though, Jesus is willing to put aside his own desires to obey God. Jesus does this, not out of fear of reprisal, but out of love and affection for his Dad.

The Holy Spirit gives us security. He shows us God’s affection, He is involved in our adoption by God and He assures us we are God’s children.

Assurance:

John Wesley (born in England in 1703) was one of nineteen children. I’m not sure how much attachment time John got with his parents, given how large the family was, but his mother, Susanna Wesley, gave her children a thorough education and raised them with strict discipline.

John attended Oxford University, where his brother Charles Wesley (of hymn writing fame) founded the “Holy Club”, a group committed to prayer, Bible reading, weekly communion, and helping the poor.

In 1735 John Wesley and his brother Charles travelled to America by sea.

At that stage both brothers were ordained ministers in the church of England.

On the voyage there, John and Charles met a group of Moravian Brethren. (Protestant Christians.) Their calm assurance of salvation deeply impressed John Wesley, as did the warmth of their fellowship and singing. When a storm enveloped their ship, the Moravians were not anxious. They had a peace which passes understanding.

Once he arrived in America, John undertook a short-term mission trip to Georgia. It was not very successful, and he returned to England in 1737 a bit dejected.

A year later while in London, on 24 May 1738, John went very unwillingly to a meeting in Aldersgate Street. Someone was reading Martin Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans.

John Wesley wrote in his journal what he experienced that night…

About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

John is describing his experience of divine assurance given by the Holy Spirit.  

In verse 16 of Romans 8, Paul writes: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Paul is talking here about the inner witness of God’s Spirit, who assures us we are loved and accepted as children adopted by God.  

You might be wondering, what exactly is meant by our spirit, (spirit with a lower case ‘s’). Because the word spirit is a bit vague, a bit ambiguous. It can mean different things to different people depending on the context.

Well, in the context of Romans 8 verse 16, our spirit refers to the human spirit, which is our capacity to relate with others. Our eyes enable us to see. Our ears enable us to hear. Our feet enable us to stand. Our lungs enable us to breathe and our spirit enables us to relate with others, to connect with them and form trust.

Someone may have a cold, hard or mean spirit in the way we relate with others. Or they may have a warm, gentle and generous spirit in how we relate.

Our spirit (our ability to relate) can be damaged when trust is broken.

While our human spirit is different from God’s Holy Spirit the two are compatible. But our spirit needs to be open to receive God’s Spirit.

Now it is important to note that the assurance given by God’s Spirit is not the same for everyone. We don’t all feel our heart strangely warmed like John Wesley did. Spiritual experiences like that are relatively rare. Not everyone receives them.

More often the assurance given by God’s Spirit is felt in more ordinary ways, through other people, especially other believers.

Earlier in the service I told you about Mary, who passed away last Monday. Mary and Joyce were life-long friends. They were mates for over 60 years.

Their mutual friendship (I believe) was a means of divine assurance.

Mary loved to walk places but as her sight and hearing faded, crossing the road became more dangerous. Joyce was Mary’s eyes. And if Joyce misplaced someone’s name, Mary was Joyce’s memory.

Friendship; the Spirit working between people to support one another in ordinary ways. Through friendship the Holy Spirit reassures us of God’s presence, his Fatherly love and care.

So, if you have never felt your heart strangely warmed, as John Wesley did, then don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you are missing God’s Spirit or that you are not a child of God. The assurance of the Holy Spirit won’t be the same for everyone. But it will be personal for you. It will be what you need at the time.

The other thing to note here is that we may not feel divine assurance all the time. Ignatius taught that in the Christian life there are periods of desolation when God feels very absent, just as there are moments of consolation when God reassures us of his affection and presence. Christian faith is about continuing to follow Jesus, whatever the weather of our feelings.  

Paul continues to unpack the implications of our being God’s children in verse 17 where he says: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…

Paul’s thought here is this: because we are God’s children that means Jesus is our brother, which means we are co-heirs with Christ. Therefore, we will share Christ’s inheritance, his reward.

And what is the inheritance we share with Christ? Well, it is the kingdom of God. It is abundant, joyful, healthy, peaceful, life; the kind we want to go on living forever. But that is not all. The real reward is God Himself. Eternal life is intimacy with God. As any child knows, time with mum or dad is more valuable than gifts or toys.  

However, we cannot expect to share in Christ’s reward if we are not prepared to share in his suffering. Suffering with Christ is the path to glory

Returning to John Wesley for a moment. Quite often when John spoke about his new assurance, in Anglican pulpits, he was met with a hostile reception and told not to return. Being given an inner assurance by the Holy Spirit doesn’t make us immune from getting a hard time from the world we live in.

But the inner assurance of God’s Spirit can lend a deep and lasting sense of security to our human spirit. After being kicked out of the mainline church, John began to speak in the open air, taking the gospel to the poor in the industrial towns. These people had little contact with the church of England.

One is reminded of the apostle Paul’s experience in Acts, getting kicked out of the synagogue, then taking the gospel to the gentiles.   

For fifty-two years John Wesley travelled the countryside on horseback, preaching the gospel. Some people accepted his message, others rejected it. Either way, John Wesley’s sense of security was unshaken because his security wasn’t based on the opinion of others or the success of his ministry. It was based on his attachment to God through the Holy Spirit.

We are unlikely to have a preaching ministry like John Wesley, but we may still suffer for identifying with Christ. If (or when) that happens we can be assured we are not being punished by God but rather are following in the footsteps of our older brother, Jesus.

Indeed, suffering for Jesus is its own assurance. For if we share in Christ’s sufferings, we will share in his glory.

Conclusion:

Two questions for you to ponder…

What (or who) makes you feel secure?

How reliable (or lasting) is your security? 

The Holy Spirit is a source of security we can rely on. The Holy Spirit shows us God’s affection, He is involved in our adoption by God and He assures us we are God’s children.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, both seen and unseen. Help us to move at the impulse of your Spirit, that Jesus would hold sway over our affections and we would reproduce your character in our relationships. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What made you feel secure when you were a child? Has the source of your security changed as you have grown through life? How so?
  3. What (or who) makes you feel secure now? How reliable (lasting) is your security? 
  4. Discuss / reflect on some of the Biblical images of the Holy Spirit. What characteristics of the Holy Spirit do each of these image’s highlight?
  5. What is affection and why is it important? How do you like to show affection? Who holds sway over your affections?
  6. What does it mean to be adopted by God the Father? What are the implications for you personally?
  7. Have you ever suffered for identifying with Christ? What happened? Were you aware of God’s assurance or help in that situation? If so, how? 

[1] F.F. Bruce, Romans, page 166.

Tawa Baptist

Adopted

Scripture: Genesis 48:1-12

Video Link:  https://youtu.be/nSRh04MBs78

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Why Jacob Adopts (1-7)
  • How Jacob Adopts (8-12)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Last week we had a dedication ceremony for Micah. And next week we have a graduation ceremony for those children moving up a level in Kids’ Church.

Ceremonies like this help to mark special occasions. Ceremonies are a way of saying this is important. This matters. More than that, ceremonies bring things into effect. They make it official. 

We have ceremonies for all sorts of occasions. Weddings, funerals, baptisms, becoming a citizen, bestowal of awards, ANZAC day, powhiri, and so on.

While people of faith usually value ceremonies and find meaning in them, mainstream society, in general, is relatively casual in its approach. Most people today don’t think the ceremony is that important.   

This is quite different from the attitude of people in the ancient world. In Biblical times things were not complete, they weren’t done properly, until a ceremony had taken place. Ceremonies were a must have.

This morning we continue our series in the life of Joseph. Last week we heard about the ceremony Jacob used to update his Will. And next week we will read about Jacob’s special blessing ceremony. Today’s reading though focuses on an adoption ceremony. From Genesis 48, verse 1, we pick up the story…    

Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’ 5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this passage Jacob adopts Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

In verses 1-7 Jacob explains why he is adopting two of his grandsons. And in verses 8-12 we read how Jacob adopts. That is, the ceremony of adoption. Let’s begin with Jacob’s explanation of why he is adopting Ephraim and Manasseh.  

Why Jacob adopts:

Normally when we think of adoption, we imagine a couple who want to have children but for whatever reason can’t, so they go through the long and difficult process of adopting kids. 

Or we might think of Whaangai, a Maori tradition, in which a child is raised by grandparents or someone in their wider whaanau.

Jacob’s adoption is not the same as either of these scenarios. It does have a formal, legal aspect to it and it is a family type adoption. However, Ephraim and Manasseh are no longer small children in need of care. Nor is Jacob able to take care of them.

We know from the end of Genesis 47 that Jacob was near death and verse 1 of Genesis 48 tells us that Jacob was ill. This is the first time in the Bible that illness is mentioned.  

Sometimes we get a warning that death is imminent. Other times death comes out of the blue, as a complete shock. Illness can serve as a prompt to get our affairs in order. It also gives family members the opportunity to say goodbye.   

In any case, Jacob is in no condition to take care of grandchildren. He needs his family to take care of him. So why is Jacob (at a 147) wanting to adopt Joseph’s sons, who are now in their early 20’s and hardly in need of looking after.

Well, in ancient times it was common practice that the eldest son received a double portion of the estate when the father died. By adopting Joseph’s sons, Jacob is effectively blessing Joseph with a double portion of the inheritance, even though Reuben is the eldest of Jacob’s sons.

To put it another way, Joseph’s two eldest sons will be reckoned as Jacob’s two eldest sons. So, the descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim will receive an allotment of land in Canaan. In this way, Jacob gives Reuben’s double share to Joseph. Reuben and Simeon don’t miss out though. They still get a share.

So as to avoid a family dispute later on, Jacob sets out a sound spiritual and legal basis for his decision.

In verses 3 and 4, Jacob remembers God’s promises to him. Although Jacob is not currently in possession of the land, he looks forward in faith to that time when God will increase his numbers and give his descendants the land as an everlasting possession.

Jacob is connecting his adoption of Joseph’s sons to God’s promises. This adoption is an example of Jacob’s faith expressing itself in love. You can’t get a better reason than that.

By quoting what God said to him, Jacob is also reminding people of his credentials. None of Jacob’s sons can say they have heard God speak to them in the way Jacob has. And since there is no higher authority than God Almighty, Jacob’s decision cannot be contested by his sons. 

In verse 7 Jacob talks about the premature death of his wife Rachel. At first glance we might think this is an old man getting a bit lost in his memories and digressing from his main point. But it’s not. Jacob is right on point with this comment about Joseph’s mother.

Jacob is drawing attention to the fact that, because Rachel died relatively young (while still of childbearing age), he missed the opportunity to have more children by her.

In the cultural thinking of the ancient near east, when Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim also become Rachel’s sons. And as such they take the place (posthumously) of other children Rachel may have had to Jacob, if she had lived longer. [1]

That argument wouldn’t stand up in the family courts today, but it made for solid case law in Old Testament times.      

Did you know the head of a dandelion actually consists of many small flowers. A single dandelion head is a community of flowers. Jacob’s family in Egypt was a bit like a dandelion. It was a community of people soon to multiply and grow.

When we think of this adoption from Manasseh and Ephraim’s point of view, we begin to appreciate what Jacob did for them personally.

Joseph’s sons were not like their cousins. They had never set foot in Canaan. They had been born and raised in Egypt and they had an Egyptian mother. Maybe they struggled to speak the Hebrew language. Perhaps they felt like strangers in their own family.       

Being adopted by their grandfather would have given Manasseh and Ephraim a deep sense of belonging. It would have strengthened their Hebrew identity, giving them an honoured place in the dandelion head of Jacob’s family.   

Okay, so we have heard why Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons. Now let’s consider how Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh. In verses 8-12 we catch a glimpse of the adoption ceremony.

How Jacob Adopts:

What do these four things have in common: a wedding, a baptism, a powhiri and a funeral? [Wait]

That’s right, they are all ceremonies. Each of these ceremonies involves spoken words and symbolic actions. And you’ll notice that each of these ceremonies create connections. They bring people together and form a bridge from one state of being to a new state of being.  

With a wedding, two people’s lives become one and two families come together. As the couple exchange vows and rings and a kiss, they enter a new state of being, marriage.

With a baptism, the person being baptized is joined to Christ and they become a part of the people of God, the church. Words are pronounced over the baptismal candidate and water is used as a symbol of cleansing and rebirth.

With a powhiri the manuhiri (or the guests) are properly welcomed onto the Marae and are joined with the mana whenua (the people of that place). Speeches and waiata are exchanged and then people line up to hongi before having a kai.  

With a funeral ceremony the body of the deceased is being returned to the earth and their spirit is committed to God. A funeral marks the transition from one state of being to another. From this life to the next. Eulogies are given, words of committal are spoken and flowers or dirt are put on the coffin.

In verses 8-12 of Genesis 48, we catch a glimpse of the formal ceremony Jacob uses to adopt Joseph’s sons. This adoption ceremony is serious business. It has all the gravity and sacredness of a marriage ceremony or a baptism. Manasseh and Ephraim enter a new state of being. They become Jacob’s sons. 

When Jacob says, in verse 8, “Who are these?” It’s not that Jacob doesn’t know who Manasseh and Ephraim are (even if he is a bit blind). It’s simply that the adoption ceremony follows this formal ritual.

Sort of like a wedding ceremony when the celebrant says, “Who gives this woman to be married?” And the parents say, “We do”.  Everyone in the room knows who the parents of the bride are but you still say the words to complete the protocol.

Joseph answers his father saying, “They are the sons God has given me here”.

Then Joseph brings his sons close to Jacob. If the boys weren’t grown men, Joseph might put them on Jacob’s knees. More likely, in this situation, Manasseh and Ephraim stand between Jacob’s knees, while Jacob sits on the edge of the bed.

The symbolism here is of a child coming from a parent’s loins. It’s like saying, ‘You have the same standing as a biological child. You are my blood’.

Jacob then embraces and kisses Joseph’s sons. Again, this might be a symbolic gesture similar to a wedding ceremony when the celebrant says, “You may kiss the bride”. Except the kiss of adoption will be that of a father and not a spouse.

And, as verse 11 indicates, the embrace and the kiss are not just for show. Jacob is expressing real warmth and love for Ephraim and Manasseh. He is also expressing gratitude to God.

For people of faith, a ceremony is empty if God is not in it. Although God is unseen, he is the most important person in the room and needs to be acknowledged as such.  

We are talking here of the sacramental aspect of ceremonies. In simple terms, a sacrament is something which conveys the presence and power of God. Christians believe it is the presence of God which makes the ceremony effective.

By way of analogy, imagine a bottle of wine. The ceremony is like the bottle and God’s presence and power is like the wine. A ceremony without God’s presence is like an empty bottle of wine. The purpose of the ceremony is only fulfilled when the wine of God’s Spirit is present.

Sacraments come in many forms. Marriage can be a divine sacrament when the Spirit of Jesus is active in the relationship to foster respect and intimacy.

Likewise, musical worship can be a sacrament when the Spirit of Jesus transports us to a place of deeper communion with God.

Enjoying a cup of tea and a good chat with a friend can also be a sacrament, when words of grace and truth are spoken, and loneliness is cast out. 

The church, the people of God, are a sacrament to the world

With any sacrament there is an element of mystery. We don’t know how God conveys his presence and power, but on a spiritual level we sense the Lord has communicated something of himself.

With Jacob’s adoption ceremony, God’s presence and power is honoured throughout. In verse 9, Joseph acknowledges that his children are a gift from God. And, in verse 11, Israel (aka Jacob) acknowledges God with gratitude for allowing him to see Joseph again and to adopt Joseph’s sons.

God’s presence and power is around us all the time, at church, at home, at school, at work, in the car or on the train. Sometimes though we are in too much of a hurry to notice the sacred in the everyday. Sometimes we need to slow down and be still so we can enjoy God’s presence in the simple things.

In verse 12, the adoption ceremony ends when Joseph removes his sons from (between) Jacob’s knees, before bowing down with his face to the ground.

It is unclear whether Joseph is bowing down to honour his father, Jacob, or to worship God. Perhaps it is both.

Joseph is thanking his father for blessing him with a double portion, by adopting his sons. And, at the same time, Joseph is acknowledging God Almighty who made this possible.

We note that Ephraim and Manasseh say nothing. They are led by their father Joseph and humbly receive what their grandfather Jacob wants to give them. Throughout the process they trust themselves to Joseph and Jacob.

Ephraim and Manasseh provide a model for us. As believers in Christ, we are led by the Spirit of Jesus and we humbly receive what God the Father wants to give, in an attitude of trust.  

Conclusion:

In his letter to the Romans, Paul reminds us how we are adopted by God. From Romans 8, verse 14, we read…

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sonsand daughters of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,   

Let’s sit with that for a little bit. Through your faith in Jesus, you are adopted into God’s family. You stand to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Your identity is in Christ. Your place of belonging is the kingdom of God. You are royalty. You are special. You were bought with a price. You are loved more than you can imagine.

As those who have put their faith is Jesus, our everlasting possession is not an acreage of dirt in the middle east. Our everlasting possession is an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.

Like Manasseh and Ephraim, we have done nothing to earn or deserve this.

It is only by the amazing grace of God. All we can do is humbly accept God’s adoption of us through faith in Jesus and by the sacrament of God’s Spirit.

May God bless you with an awareness of his presence and power at work in your life every day. Amen.    

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What is your attitude (or feeling) in relation to ceremonies? Are they a must have, or just an optional extra? Thinking of your own experience, what kinds of ceremonies have you found meaningful? Why was that?
  3. Why does Jacob adopt Joseph’s sons?
  4. Where does your sense of belonging and identity come from?
  5. What are some of the key elements in Jacob’s adoption ceremony?
  6. What is a sacrament? When are you aware of God’s presence and power at work in your life?
  7. What can we learn from Manasseh and Ephraim’s example?  

[1] Refer Bruce Waltke’s commentary on Genesis, page 597.