Sunday Worship Service March 12, 2023

Call to Worship John 4:24
Hymn JBC # 216 King of my life
The Lord’s Prayer
Testimony
Offering
Scripture Genesis 49:1~2, 28~33
Prayer
Sermon “Assemble and listen”
https://youtu.be/nNNIMBjRZ2A
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 376 ‘Tis the grandest theme
Doxology JBC # 673
Benediction

In Genesis 49 that is today’s bible passage, Jacob speaks of his life’s final words as a blessing to his own sons, and finally breathed his last.

In verses1～2, Jacob says as follows.
1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.

　Jacob wanted to tell something to his sons. He wished to bless his sons at the end of his life. For that reason, he told his sons to [gather around] and called them before him.
There was no longer strength for Jacob to get up of his own and go to his sons’ place. Therefore, I suppose that Jacob exerting his final strength could have told his sons this sincere desire [gather around], [assemble and listen].
Jacob had the desire “lastly, I want to bless my sons”. And perhaps he also had the strong desire to see the figure of his sons all gathered in unity.
It’s because siblings being able to come together itself was an event of delightful blessing.
Through discord with his brother Esau (we can say that most of its root cause was on Jacob himself) Jacob himself experienced the blessing of sibling reconciliation and can be united.
Moreover, Jacob especially loved Joseph even among his sons, and Joseph also behaved that seemed to look down at the rest of his brothers.

For that reason, the rest of his brothers hated Joseph, and he was then sold to Egypt. Through God’s wondrous guidance and grace, Joseph once again met his brothers and were reconciled.
I believe that to Jacob, to see the figure of his sons gathered around him at the end, is indeed a happy matter, deeply moving, and for that reason he was urged to give thanks to God.
Thus, we likewise gather to church today, and the truth is, we are also gathered to church as this through the voice [gather around] of the heavenly Father God.

In fact, we cannot hear the voice [gather around] with our ears. However, God the Father of Jesus Christ calls us spiritually saying [gather around], [gather and connect today as well to the church which is the body of Christ and listen to God’s voice with your brothers and sisters]
In response to that Lord’s calling, we can gather to the place of worship that the Lord has prepared.

We are presently within the period of Lent. Let us then meditate on the suffering that Jesus Christ carried on the cross, be thankful and renew our feeling of repentance during this Lent.
Since Jesus was crucified, we could go before God the Father. We can gather as this because Jesus calls us to church.
Therefore, with sincere gratitude of that matter, let us rejoice with our fellow brothers and sisters that we can gather at church which is the body of Christ.
And let us keep in mind that before we think to “come to church”, the God of Jesus Christ in fact calls us beforehand saying, “gather around”.

Well then, it is written in today’s passage’s subtitle “Jacob Blesses His Sons”, and if we look at the content of verses 3 to 27, Jacob tells also of a severe matter that cannot be considered a blessing.
For instance in verse 4, it is written regarding the firstborn son Reuben as～
Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.

This [you went up onto your father’s bed] is a written matter in Genesis 35:22, and it refers to the fact that Reuben laid with Bilhah, his father Jacob’s concubine.
That Reuben’s behavior was a sinful act, and Jacob himself might have thought he cannot forgive his son Reuben due to that matter. However, he has included in his last words of “blessing” even that sinful act that Reuben has committed.

Verses 5～7 is written concerning Simeon and Levi. In verse 6 is written,
[for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased]
This probably refers to what is written in Genesis 34. Besides his sons, Jacob also had a daughter named Dinah. For the broters, she’s a younger sister.

Dinah was sexually defiled by a man named Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite. Eventually, Shechem loved Dinah and desired to marry her.
The sons of Jacob (Dinah’s brothers) deceived Shechem and his men, and with the leadership of Simeon and Levi they eventually killed all Shechem’s people.
Yielding to anger of their “sister being humiliated”, Simeon and Levi did a dreadful act of revenge. The sons of Jacob plundered the entire land of Shechem, and it was a violent revenge that cannot be said a self-defense. It was an event that is considered an obvious sin before God.
Perhaps Jacob has entrusted such a sin that his sons have committed in the past in the hands of God.
Since the event of sin committed by his sons in the past is also included in his last words of blessings, Jacob might have wanted to say, “Admit that you are sinners before God, and live as you ask God for forgiveness constantly”.

And as Jacob asked that God may forgive the sins that his sons might commit even from now on, he could have spoken the words in chap. 49. Admitting our sin, and to that God’s forgiveness is given～is also well to say that it’s a “blessing” to the believer.
In that way Jacob had spoken his last words of blessing (including severe words that point out sin) to each one, and also to all the siblings.
With all the siblings listening together to the words of blessing that is addressed to each one of them, God’s blessing is made known before all of them that “anyone of us is a sinner and has our own shortcomings and weaknesses” and “such as we are forgiven before God and receive His blessing”.
I believe that that resembles the fact that we worship God as this and listen to His Word together.
We hear the voice of God together in the worship service that is addressed “to us”, and at the same time, we also listen to His voice that is personally directed to “me” as well.

And we mutually realize that anyone of us is one who has shortcomings and weaknesses. For that reason, it is not that we criticize each other, but on the contrary, let us hear God’s calling “be considerate of each other”, “help one another”, “encourage each other”.
Jacob after blessing his sons, finally before his death (from today’s v.29), lastly once again admonishes his sons that he desires to be buried in his forefathers’ grave,
In Genesis 47 from verse 27 and below, Jacob already tells his sons [bury me in my forefathers’ grave].
In today’s passage, he mentions that matter in further detail. [Forefathers’ grave] was the graveyard bought by Jacob’s grandfather Abraham from Ephron the Hittite.

At the point of his death, Jacob wished that there be God’s blessing to his sons who are left behind and will have to live henceforth, and he must have been thankful to Abraham that he his grandfather has prepared the graveyard where he (Jacob) could rest eternally.
Through his desire [bury me in the graveyard that my grandfather Abraham has prepared], I believe that Jacob has conveyed a message of blessing to his sons “the God who has protected my ancestors and protected and guided me also will certainly protect and guide you as well even from now on”.
With regards to the place of eternal rest, we also give importance to what is commonly called graveyard. The graveyard can also be a testimony that that person has lived on earth.
And we would like to remind ourselves today that there is the assurance of hope to us believers who believe Christ that “the Lord God remembers everything of each one of us” and “there is a place of eternity prepared by Christ”.

There is a hope of resurrection ahead our life here on earth.
Jesus tells us “In my Father’s house are many rooms”.
Let me read John 14:1～2. These are the words that Jesus told His disciples before He was crucified.
[Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?]
Where are we going? Is there a place for us to go? There is. Through the path called Christ, we will reach the Truth, the True life, and the Eternal peace.
As we believe and give thanks that ～we are invited to what Christ has promised “ In My Father’s house has many rooms”, let us walk together the days of our lives and the road of faith.