Note: When doing a study on a book in the Bible you use a lot of resources. The major influence for me on this study of Genesis is The Genesis Record by Henry Morris.
Genesis 48
In this chapter we will see the blessings of Jacob over the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. We will also see the peculiar and unusual way in which he blessed them.
Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.
Why is this considered to be an act of faith when this is the normal way of doing things, that is always blessing the children before the fathers death?
Before we begin with this chapter I would like us to think about the life of Jacob. If there was one word that would sum up the activity of his whole life what would it be?
Esau and Jacob struggle in birth and is born Gen 25:22-25
Esau and Jacob growing up different 25:27-28
Esau sells birthright to Jacob Gen 25:29-34
Jacob steals Esau's birthright Gen 27:1-33
Jacob runs from Esau Gen 27:42-28:5
Jacob meets God at Bethel 28:10-17 (Jacob's ladder)
Jacob makes a vow(or bargain) with God 28:18-22
Jacob works for Rachel Gen 29:1-22
Jacob deceived Gen 29:23-32
Jacob's family Gen 30:1-23
Jacob prepared to leave Laban Gen 30:24-39
Tension mounting between Jacob and Laban Gen 31:1-16
Jacob flees Haran Gen 31:16-42
A Covenant with Laban Gen 31:43-49
Jacob tries to deal with Esau Gen 32:1-23
Jacob wrestles Gen 32:24-26
Jacob's name changed to Israel Gen 32:27-32
Jacob's meets Esau Gen 33:1-16
Jacob journey's to Shalem Gen 33:17-20
Sin of Jacob's children Gen 34
Jacob again in Bethel Gen 35:1-8
God's renews his covenant Gen 35:9-15
Jacob and Family moves to Egypt Gen 46
Jacob blesses Family Gen 47
What a life he lived. But all is filled with growth. From the time that he met the Lord until the time of his death Jacob grew closer and closer to him. How? One word that stands out is trust or faith in God. No matter what he trusted in the Lord because God said,"I will be with thee."2 Peter 3
18 But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.
1. And it came to pass after these things, that [one] told Joseph, Behold, thy father [is] sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And [one] told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
Here is where Jacob's mind is now always on the Lord. Remembering what God did for him but also remembering what God told him.
Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am] the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of. 16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this [is] the gate of heaven. 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.
So here is the first appearing of him to the Lord.
Three fold promise:
1) the Land
2) multiply seed
3) blessings to all
Jacob has only seen the beginning of one-third of this but he truly has faith in God that the other two-thirds will be fulfilled
4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [for] an everlasting possession.
Jacob only focuses on two of these promises 1) the land and 2) multiply seed
5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
It seems that Jacob adopts the two children as his own. They have the same status as Reuben and Simeon.
6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, [and] shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
So Ephraim and Manasseh becomes tribes of Israel just as if they were Jacob's sons. Now this would seem to make 13 tribes but there are only 12 so what happened to 13. Well it is the tribe of Levi which was not really a tribe but priests
7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same [is] Bethlehem.
Jacob really loved his wife. He had a tenancy to go back to her death.
8. And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who [are] these?
9 And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whom God hath given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
Jacob could not see well just as his father Isaac.
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, [so that] he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.
12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
This is actually a custom of adoption to place the boys between his knees.
13 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 unto him.
Joseph is bringing his children to him the way he expects Jacob to accept them. But we will see something different.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] upon Ephraim's head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn.
He swithes his hands to show this. Ephraim as we will see will be a dominant tribe over Manasseh. He will dominate him. Joshua came from the tribe of Ephraim.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
Now let us try to answer the question that I asked at the beginning.
Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.
Why is this considered to be an act of faith when this is the normal way of doing things, that is always blessing the children before the fathers death?
What better testimony could a father leave to his son? A testimony of the one true God. Let us read on.
16 The Angel which redeemed (to buy back) me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
What did the angel (some consider this angel to be the Lord) that he wrestled with do to make him say this? He woke him up. He allowed Jacob to wrestle with him. He touched his hip.
17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this [is] the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused, and said, I know [it], my son, I know [it]: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
Even though it went against custom to use the younger brother God had a tenancy to do this. Why? The younger was considered to be the weaker and the least. God wants these people. God has no custom. Can you name any other times in scripture that God does this. 1)Isaac over Ishmael Gen 21 2)Jacob over Esau Gen 25 3) Joseph over Reuben Gen 48,49 4) Gideon over his brothers Jud 6 5) David over his brothers 1 Sam 16
God's ways usually goes against the grain.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Jacob gives to Joseph in place of his inheritance a parcel of land that was taken from the Amorites in Genesis 34. We see it mentioned in John 4:5
John 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the
parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Today this is known as the west bank. One of the most fought after pieces of land in Israel.
