A Blueprint for Generational Blessings
From the message “Generation to Generation” by Philip McCallum (Lead Pastor) on January 28th, 2024.
Have you ever complained about the younger (or older) generation? It’s natural for there to be differences in the way we see the world and operate in it. It can be harmless and even funny in the right context.
But what if what is natural is blocking what is supernatural?
The work that God has to do is so great that it takes many lifetimes to achieve it. The problem is that these generational rifts can become so wide that God’s blessing does not flow from one to the other as He intended. This is how He stated it in the book of Joel:
3 “Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation."
— Joel 1:3
How can we repair this rift and get unstuck so that God can do great works from generation to generation?
The Divine Blueprint for Generations
The story of Joseph and his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, in Genesis, reveals a family saga and a timeless lesson on how to keep blessings flowing from one generation to the next.
In Genesis 48, the aging patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, bestowed blessings upon Joseph's sons. This act is not merely a familial gesture; it's a divine transfer of promises. It was a continuation of God's covenant all the way back to Abraham. This passage encapsulates the idea of generational blessings, where the blessings of the past flow seamlessly into the present and onwards:
1 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.
Nearing the end of his life, Jacob embraced his grandchildren with a kiss and an embrace. His actions reflect the intimacy of passing down blessings and the joy of witnessing the continuation of one's lineage. In this family scene, a powerful symbolism of arms crossed and hands laid on the younger, Ephraim, indicates that God's plan often defies human expectations, choosing the unexpected to carry forth His promises (Genesis 48:14).
14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
The Five-Generational Shift
This moment may feel like a long time ago, but we have something unique in common with them. For the first time since the book of Genesis, 5 generations are alive simultaneously.
Genesis: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Ephraim
Today: Boomers, Gen X, Millenials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha
Both Joel 2 and Acts 2 promise an end-time awakening when everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. That makes this moment in history an unprecedented opportunity for the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
28 And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
The convergence of these generations signifies a unique receptivity to the promised awakening. Acts 2:17 echoes this sentiment, highlighting that in the last days, God will pour out His Spirit on all people, transcending age barriers and empowering each generation.
We should be expecting the blessing to flow from generation to generation!
How to Keep the Blessing Flowing to the Next Generation
There are three pivotal choices that you can make in order to keep the blessing flowing to the next generation:
1 — Are you stuck in the past? Step toward the future!
Jacob was so busy running from his past that he nearly missed his future. But he didn’t stay there. He got unstuck, and it opened the door for his children and grandchildren to get unstuck, too.
It happened during the times he got alone with God. The most well-known time was when he wrested with God all night and emerged with a new name.
24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
There was another time he got alone with God to get unstuck.
2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
3“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
Despite his initial fears, Jacob's journey to Egypt turned into a greater promise. His decision to face the future rather than dwell on past losses reveals the power of stepping into the unknown with faith (Genesis 46:3-4). The lesson is clear—get over the past and move into the future. Embrace time alone with God, cease running, and lead others forward.
Are you stuck in the past? Stop running from the past, get alone with God, and lead others forward.
2 — Are you stuck in yourself? Weep with brothers.
Joseph was caught up in his own success to forget the pain of his childhood. The names he gave his sons reflect this: Manasseh, meaning "forget," signified Joseph's attempt to forget his troubles, while Ephraim, meaning "fruitfulness," represented God making him fruitful in the land of his suffering without any support from his family.
51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
However, success couldn't numb the deep wounds. Joseph didn’t experience healing until he opened himself up and wept. Joseph cried seven times and each time he wept in the presence of God, he was healed:
He wept when he saw his brothers
He wept when he saw his closest brother, Benjamin
He wept loudly when he revealed himself to his brothers
He wept again over Benjamin
He wept for a long time when he saw his father
He wept prostrate when his father died
He wept when his brothers offered to be his slaves
Are you stuck in yourself? Step back from achieving and take time to weep. Tears, when shared, become a healing balm that bonds generations and unveils God's plans.
3. Are you stuck in busyness? See tomorrow through your kids.
Joseph was so busy with the demands of his position in Egypt that he nearly missed passing the blessing on to his own sons. Jacob (aka Israel), at the end of his life, still didn’t seem to recognize his own grandsons.
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
In his busyness, Joseph also seems to have missed the potential of his youngest son. When Jacob laid hands on the boys to bless them, he crossed his arms and blessed the younger more than the older.
14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
Are you stuck in busyness? Get around your grandparents (or get your kids around their grandparents). The older generation can become the battery chargers for the younger, transmitting wisdom, insight, and a legacy of faith.
The Church Today
God worked through one family in Genesis, then He worked through the nation of Israel, and today He works through the Church. The only thing that Jesus is building on earth right now is the local church. It is the vessel through which His blessings flow and it is one of the few places left where all 5 generations can come together.
This is why it’s so vital for you to put down deep roots in your local church. When you do this, you will help to bridge the generational gap by fostering connections that span the entire spectrum of ages. It will bless you in your lifetime and you will bless it beyond your lifetime.
The story of Joseph and his sons, interwoven with the promises of God, transcends time and culture. It becomes a blueprint for generational blessings, a call to break free from the shackles of the past, share our deepest struggles, and envision a future through the lens of the coming generations. In embracing this principle, we find a profound guide for building a generational church that spans the ages, rooted in faith, and echoing the promises of God from generation to generation.
