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.

Tawa Baptist

Jesus in transition

Scripture: Luke 2:41-52

Title: Jesus in transition

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Foreshadowing
  • Identity, belonging, purpose
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Recently I had an eye exam and was told I needed transition lenses, which are sort of a modern take on bifocals

–         Switching to transition lenses is really weird – it’s a transition in itself

–         With transition lenses you have to turn your whole head to keep things in focus. It takes a bit of getting used to

 

I’m telling you this for two reasons:

–         Firstly, if I seem to be looking at you funny, don’t be offended – I’m just getting used to these new glasses

–         And secondly, it relates to this morning’s message – Jesus in transition

 

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 2, verse 41 – page 77 toward the back of your pew Bibles

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships by focusing on Jesus, as a 12 year boy, interacting with adults in the temple in Jerusalem

–         In Jewish culture of that time, a boy became responsible for keeping the Law at 13 – so 12 was an age of transition as he prepared for manhood and the responsibilities associated with the Law, also a time of viewing oneself (in relation to God and the world) differently

–         And, as we’ll hear shortly, it wasn’t only a transition for Jesus, it was a time of transition for Jesus’ parents as well

–         From Luke 2, verses 41-52 we read…

 

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they travelled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate the gospel for us

Foreshadowing:

On the wall here we have an example of foreshadowing

–         The picture of a cave man, from the past, holding a stick foreshadows present day man who holds a cell-phone

 

Foreshadowing is a literary technique where the author plants little clues at the beginning of a story to hint at what is to come later

–         Foreshadowing helps us make the transition from ignorance to meaning

–         It creates a point of reference helping us to join the dots so we can accurately interpret the story

 

Many of the characters of the Old Testament foreshadow Jesus

–         Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers but then later saves them, foreshadows Jesus who was betrayed by his own for our salvation

–         Moses, the law giver, foreshadows Jesus who fulfils the law

–         David, the shepherd king, foreshadows Jesus the good shepherd king

–         Elisha who heals Naaman, the gentile leper, foreshadows Jesus who not only healed lepers but came that people of all nations would be cleansed

–         We could go on but you get the point: the Old Testament foreshadows Christ

 

We notice quite a bit of foreshadowing in this morning’s account of the boy Jesus in the temple

 

Luke 2, verse 41 tells us how every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival

 

The Passover remembers one of Israel’s great transitions – their exodus from slavery in Egypt

–         This little vignette of Jesus going to the Passover festival foreshadows Jesus’ death on the cross at Passover time

 

Travelling from Nazareth to Jerusalem is a journey of about 5 days each way on foot – so that’s at least 10 days on the road

–         Add to that another 8 days for the festival itself and the round trip took nearly 3 weeks – that’s a big commitment to make every year

–         Living as far away from Jerusalem as they did Mary & Joseph weren’t legally required by the Law to attend the Passover festival every year but they freely chose to do so – foregoing 3 weeks income to be there to honour the Lord

–         This shows us that Jesus’ parents, Mary & Joseph, were devout people – they were very committed to God and his law

 

With the festival over, Mary & Joseph head back to Nazareth

–         Because they were travelling in a large group with extended family & friends they didn’t realise Jesus was missing until the end of the first day

–         You can imagine their worry and anxiety – anything could have happened to their boy

 

It takes a day for them to return to Jerusalem and then on the third day they find him in the Temple

–         Here we observe a foreshadowing of the resurrection – for Jesus would be raised from the dead on the third day

 

Mary & Joseph are astonished (or surprised) to find Jesus sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions

–         How is a small town boy (a carpenter’s son) able to foot it with these heavy weight theologians from the big city?

–         It would be like losing your 12 year old child at the stadium after a test match, only to come back and find him discussing the game with Steve Hansen and Kieran Reid (the All Blacks coach & captain)

 

‘Listening & asking’ suggests humility and respect on Jesus’ part, so we shouldn’t imagine a precocious or arrogant child setting his elders straight

–         The 12 year old Jesus doesn’t know it all – rather he is hungry to learn

 

Apparently the teachers asked Jesus some questions too – not because they expected to learn something from the boy – but because questions encourage people to think for themselves – that was their teaching method

–         And all who heard Jesus were amazed at his intelligent answers

–         In other words, Jesus’ response showed a deep understanding of the Scriptures – far deeper than one would expect from a 12 year old

 

This picture of Jesus discussing theology with the teachers of the Law foreshadows Jesus’ ministry when he will amaze people with his wisdom and insight in teaching the ways of God

 

We all have foreshadowing in our lives don’t we

–         Things that happened to us in our childhood which anticipated an even deeper reality in adulthood

–         Some of that foreshadowing may have been helpful – it may have set you on a good path

–         By the same token some of it may have been detrimental – history has a nasty habit of repeating itself

–         Whatever foreshadowing you’ve had in your own life, whether good or bad, Jesus understands

–         He is able to join the dots and make sense of your life – give your life meaning

 

Identity, belonging and purpose:

I have here a tripod

–         This tripod is used to support a video camera

–         For this tripod to stand on its own it needs at least 3 legs

–         With just one or two legs someone needs to hold it, otherwise it will topple over and the camera will be broken

–         To make this tripod stable it helps if each of the legs are evenly matched

–         If one leg is shorter than the others it is more prone to tipping

 

Three things we human beings need to stand are: identity, belonging & purpose

–         Identity, belonging & purpose are like the three legs of the tripod supporting our soul

 

Identity answers the question: Who am I?

–         Belonging answers the question: Where do I fit?

–         And purpose answers the question: Why am I here?

–         Who, where and why?

 

As human beings we go through a number of transitions or changes in our life

–         And these transitions are not always easy – they may leave us feeling like a fish out of water, at least for a little while

–         The transition from the security of the womb to the outside world

–         The transition from home to kindy and then kindy to school and eventually from school (or university) to the workforce

–         The transition from childhood to adulthood – otherwise known as adolescence – this is a challenge for both teenagers and their parents

–         Some people make the transition from being single to being married or perhaps from being married to being divorced

–         Having children is one of life’s most profound transitions

–         A number of you here have made the transition from a different country and culture to come to New Zealand

–         Others have made the transition from full time paid employment to retirement

–         Grief is a kind of transition – as we come to terms with loss and adjust to a new normal

 

The point is: we go through lots of transitions in life and these are sometimes painful or difficult at the time

–         Having a good sense of identity, belonging & purpose gives us security – supporting us through times of transition and change

 

The transition Jesus was going through at 12 was not easy for Mary & Joseph

–         When Mary asks Jesus…

–         “My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

 

Jesus points out that they had no need for concern, saying…

–         “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

 

Jesus’ response here reveals a strong sense of identity, belonging & purpose.

–         Jesus identifies himself in relationship with God

–         He basically says, ‘God is my Father and I am His Son’

–         That’s identity

 

Because Jesus knows who he is (God’s Son) it then becomes clear where he belongs – in His Father’s house, that is, in the temple

–         As God’s Son, Jesus felt perfectly safe and at home in the temple

 

And as for purpose, well, ‘I had to be in the temple’

–         In other words, it was inevitable that you would find me here discussing theology with the experts – because the temple is where people learn about God and my life’s purpose is to teach people the ways of God

–         How can I teach others unless I first learn myself?

 

If you are going to be a doctor it is inevitable that you will go to medical school and hospital

–         If you are going to be a teacher it is inevitable that you will go to teachers’ college and end up in the classroom

–         If you are going to be a minister or a priest then it is inevitable that you will study the Bible and spend time in church

 

This all seems intuitively obvious to Jesus – but it’s lost on his parents

–         Mary & Joseph didn’t understand what Jesus was saying to them

–         They knew from the circumstances of his birth that he was somehow special – but they didn’t yet realise his identity as God’s Son, much less his purpose in life or where he belonged

 

Incidentally, being misunderstood by those closest to him is another foreshadowing of Jesus’ future ministry

 

Jesus is not put off by his parent’s slowness to understand though

–         He is secure in his identity, belonging and purpose

–         Jesus knows that God (his Father) understands him and that’s enough for Jesus

–         So he returns to Nazareth with Mary & Joseph and is obedient to them

 

Conclusion:

Luke 2 finishes by telling us that Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with both God and man

–         That Jesus ‘grew in wisdom’ tells us that our Lord wasn’t born knowing everything – he had to learn wisdom like everyone else

–         (Although it appears he was a faster learner than you or I)

–         Even though God was his Father, this didn’t mean any short cuts for Jesus

–         He did his time, paid his dues and went through puberty as we all do

–         Jesus wasn’t just fully divine – he was also fully human

 

Sometimes we might think that being Christian somehow makes us exempt or gives us immunity from the misfortunes or hardships of life – It doesn’t

–         We are just as likely to catch a cold or have car trouble or be misunderstood or made redundant or lose a loved one, as anyone else

–         God didn’t prevent his own Son from experiencing loss and suffering and difficulty – so we shouldn’t expect special treatment either

 

Like Jesus we do have some advantages though

–         In Jesus we have a secure and level tripod for our soul

–         We find our identity, our belonging and our purpose in Christ

–         Jesus is our answer to those deeper questions of who, where and why

–         Jesus is our brother – that’s identity (we are brothers and sisters with Christ – that is who we are)

–         Through Jesus we have a place in the Kingdom of God – that’s belonging (you might not feel like you belong in this world, well we are just sojourners passing through – heaven is our home)

–         And, with the power of Christ’s Spirit in us we find our unique purpose (we are all different and that’s because we each have a special purpose)

 

Let us pray…

 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, you are our security in an insecure world – you provide stability for our soul through times of change & transition. Whatever the foreshadowing in our own lives, may we find our identity, belonging and purpose in you.