Every Man a Warrior

"hen Israel said to Joseph, 'Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.'" -Genesis 48.21-22

Jacob is about to die, and here, in one of the final statements of his life, we learn something new about him. Jacob was a warrior. He tells his son Joseph that he is giving him an extra portion of the land that he took with the sword and bow. Jacob fought battles, and emerged victorious. And this is the fist time we hear about it.

The man who started off as the gentle, tent dwelling, cook, became a warrior. He took to the road, learned to work, and apparently how to fight. It makes you wonder about his inaction when his daughter was raped. The man knew how to fight, and yet when the warrior was needed, he left his sword at his side. Why did the warrior stay in the camp instead of heading to the front lines? But whatever the reason, we see that Jacob had fought his share of battles.

I hadn't noticed this verse before, and needless to say it gave me pause. It drives home the fact that every man is a warrior, even if you never know about the battles he fights. It shows that every man is capable of being a warrior, even if he is a gentle man who enjoys things that may not seem to be the most masculine. Every man is a warrior.

Men, you are all warriors. The world may never know about the battles you fight, but they matter. This past week I added a quote to the left hand column, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." If good men refuse to fight battles against evil, then evil wins. If we never allow the warriors in us to arise and be trained, we will not survive the battles when they come, and battles are coming.

Every man is a warrior. Don't deny it, and don't refuse to stand against evil. Let the warriors arise.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Blessed Legacy

"He blessed Joseph, and said,'The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'" -Genesis 48.15-16

Jacob is nearing the end of his life, and as he is wrapping up his affairs he blesses his son and grandson. And as he does this he passes the legacy on to his son and grandsons. He blesses Joseph and points him to the God his father and grandfather served. He tells Joseph how God has taken care of him all his life. And as he blesses his grandsons, he challenges them to live up to the family name.

This is now the fourth, and fifth, generations of the family. They have followed God, or tried to, and each generation has strived to follow Him. And Jacob wants to his son and grandsons to continue in the legacy. He has seen how God has provided for him and kept the promises that were made to Abraham and passed down. He wants his family to continue the covenant with God. The family has been far from perfect, but they have striven to follow God.

Men, what are you passing down to the next generations of your family? Some of us don't come from a Godly heritage, for some of us we are the first ones to follow, the Abraham's who begin a journey of faith. Some of us are Isaac's, others are Jacobs. And some of us may even fall in the fourth and fifth generations or beyond. But whatever legacy you've inherited, the legacy you leave is up to you. What legacy are you passing down?

Are you striving after God? Are you seeking to know and trust Him, and teaching your children to love and trust Him as well? Are you the patriarch, the beginning of a faithful line? Are you one of many to walk faithfully before God? No matter where you find yourself, no matter what you have been given, pass down a blessed legacy.

For some of us it means a lot of redemptive work, but it takes a man to bring redemption. And with this redemption comes a blessed legacy, one that you can proudly hand down to your son, and grandson. Leave a blessed legacy.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor