Scripture: After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). And 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 long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
Genesis 48:1-22 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Moses notes that Jacob, the aging patriarch, dwelled in Egypt for seventeen years (until his death at 147) and that in his last days, Jacob called for Joseph and asked Joseph to place his hand under Jacob’s thigh (following the clan’s oath protocol) and swear that he would bury Jacob with his fathers in Canaan. Joseph readily agrees, but Jacob insists that Joseph swear on oath, which he does.
Today’s passage chronicles Jacob’s blessings of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Hearing Jacob is ill, Joseph brings his sons before their grandfather to receive a final blessing. But first, Jacob recounts God’s blessing on him: Jacob will be fruitful and multiply into nations, and his heirs will inherit the Promised Land into perpetuity. Jacob then claims Joseph’s sons are his first-generation heirs who will take Joseph’s place among the tribes of Israel. Next, Jacob (whose vision was poor) directs Joseph to bring his sons near to receive their blessing. So Joseph stands the younger Ephraim to Jacob’s left side and the older Manasseh to Jacob’s right. But Jacob crosses his arms and places his right hand on Ephraim’s head (to offer the firstborn blessing) and his left hand on Manasseh’s head.
First, though, Jacob utters a collective prayer that both grandsons would carry on the name and blessing of their patriarchs: to be fruitful and multiply. At this point, Joseph interrupts and switches Jacob’s hands to correct the supposed mistaken firstborn blessing on the younger son. But Jacob clarifies that the younger must receive the firstborn blessing and rise to greater prominence and progeny. Then, Jacob tells Joseph that his end is near and assures Joseph that God will be with Joseph and return him to his homeland. Lastly, Jacob endows Joseph with an extra territory (mountain slope) above and beyond what his brothers will receive.
Takeaway: As with the previous patriarchs, the younger child receives the firstborn blessing, pointing to a break in tradition that emphasizes the blessing is a gift from God that the recipient must not assume is their right. Another intriguing development that will climax in the next chapter (with Jacob blessing his sons) is that even though God mightily worked through Joseph to save his people, the future of salvific works belongs to Judah’s line, for Joseph’s two sons will take their subordinate place with the other brothers. Still, Ephraim and Manasseh will outgrow the ten other tribes in number and land allotment. Consequently, their territory will become synonymous with “Israel” as later prophets and historians scribe.
Another significant feature of Jacob’s blessing is his reference to his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walking with God (v.16). You can read more about this in the August 22, 2024, Daily Focus. Moses’ point for this inclusion is the continuity and unity of the patriarchs’ faith: each walked with God. Still, Moses wants his audience to understand that their faith cannot rest on the shoulders of the patriarchs, for they, too, must walk with God. Indeed, Moses revisits this core element of faith and blessings in closing remarks before his passing (Deuteronomy 30:16). Moreover, a millennial later, the prophet Micah will call out God’s people to get back on track lest they face exile: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)
Our takeaway? Micah mainly aimed his prophecy at the wealthy, who ignored and sometimes abused the disadvantaged. They wrongfully assumed their prosperity was an earned right, equivalent to assuming the firstborn blessing is one’s right. So, whatever advantage we may gain in life, whether or not we have worked hard to achieve it, we must not construe it as an earned or inherited privilege. Instead, we must remind ourselves that it is God’s gift and can be taken away in an instant by matters beyond our control (e.g., declining health that leads to incapacitation or death). Thus, when God’s blessings enable us to thrive, we must use our resources and influence to grow his kingdom and glorify his name above our welfare.
Our part? Resist demanding our perceived rights and live the “right life” where we humbly attune to God’s will to seek justice where corruption prevails and loving-kindness where hate persists. How? The critical attributes for us and ancient Israel are humility and an earnestness to know and align with God’s will. It’s not enough to champion social justice. We must nurture our love and affection for our Triune God and continually remind ourselves that we are not God. Only then can we live the “right life,” humbly walking with God as agents of change who grow his kingdom and glorify his name.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for giving us your Son, who personified the “right life” by always walking humbly with you and doing your righteous work of seeking justice and spreading loving-kindness toward the disadvantaged. Still, we confess that we struggle to follow in his footsteps. So, please help us live the “right life” in your Son by submitting to the convictions and directions of your Holy Spirit so that we might become agents of change who grow your kingdom and glorify your name. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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