No Ordinary Joe: Blessing
Genesis 48
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
2-06-2022
Turtle
When I was in junior high, I made the basketball team. The coach, who was known for verbally berating players, quickly gave me the nickname “turtle.” (I had not developed the puma-like quickness I have now!) He not only called me turtle on the court but, as the health teacher, he called me turtle in class. I can still remember being embarrassed when I would raise my hand and he would say, “Make it quick, turtle!” The class would laugh and I would too, but I was not laughing on the inside.
A Blessing
Fast-forward thirteen years. I was a week away from graduating seminary. Our class had gathered in a conference room to celebrate the end of exams, papers, and endless nights of studying. One by one, we were asked to sit in a chair in front of our peers.
As I sat down, I found myself laughing nervously. Dr. Dale Berry, one of my professors, laid his hands on my head and spoke this blessing over me:
“God has gifted you with the ability to speak the language of children and then translate for parents to understand. May God continue to use you to give energy where there is apathy, humor where there is sullenness, and hope where there is despair.”
These words now hang in my office in a shadow box and they are as meaningful today as they were twenty five years ago.
Words are Spirit
If I were to ask you to remember a time when someone’s words hurt you deeply, it would be a matter of seconds before memories would flood your mind. Why is that? Why do words from twenty years ago stick in our brains when we have trouble remembering where we put our keys this morning? [Or is that just me?]
My mother-in-law always cautioned me, “Words are Spirit.” What she meant is that our words have power in the lives of others. Our words can build up or tear down. The words we speak have the ability to bring life or death. They can hurt or bring healing.
Solomon, writing to his sons in the book of Proverbs, said,?
“The tongue has the power of life and death...” (Proverbs 18:21)
It’s been said, “sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt me.” I think the more realistic view is “sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can break your heart!”
In high school, I was invited to a party by a very popular girl. She said that I could come but my friends couldn’t. When I asked her why not, she said, “Because they are dorks. You are kind like the king of the dorks so that’s makes you kind of cool but not them.” Then she paused and said, “I meant that as a compliment.”
Solomon’s words again,
“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)
Once you have said something hurtful, it’s hard to take it back. I often say it’s like putting toothpaste back in the tube, which is always a messy situation.
If it is true that our words have power, then we need to use them for good. As Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) was told, “With great power comes great responsibility.” This is true in every arena of our lives but it is most important in our family relationships.
The way we talk to our spouses and children have the potential to set them up to feel blessed or cursed by our words. That means we have a spiritual responsibility to use our words to build each other up.
As a church that has a heart for the family, we want to help you to leverage your words to bring a blessing to the children and grandchildren that God has placed in your life. It isn’t something you automatically know how to do and many of us didn’t have good examples growing up. That doesn’t mean you can learn and apply what we will be studying today. God is ready, willing, and able to help you learn to use your words to bless others.
An Epic Family Reunion
Last week, the brothers went back to Canaan and tell their dad Jacob that not only is Joseph alive, but he is the prime minister of Egypt!
At first Jacob didn’t believe them and mat have even had a small heart attack. But after seeing the carts and all the provisions that were sent to him from Egypt, he “revived” and agreed to go to Egypt with them to see his long, lost son.
As they traveled south, he stopped at Beersheba to worship God and to seek His will for this journey.
God had promised to give his grandfather and father the land of Canaan. He really wanted to see his son again but he didn’t want to disobey God. He needed confirmation and direction.
And God was faithful and did just that. God reconfirmed the covenant with Jacob and promised to go down to Egypt with him and that Joseph would be the one to close his eyes when he died.
When they arrived at the land of Goshen, Joseph rode out to meet his family. What a family reunion! What an epic hug when Joseph and Jacob finally see each other again.
The family settled in the land of Goshen, the perfect place for shepherds and Joseph provided for them during the family.
Our text this morning takes place nearly seventeen years later.
Turn with me to Genesis 48.
Prayer.
Jacob is Dying
“Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
Jacob is now 147 years old and he knows he is close to death. By the way, this is the first time that “illness” is mentioned in the Bible.
Jacob had lived the past seventeen years in the foreign land of Egypt.
Skip Heitzig has said that there are seven decades of man:
Spills
Drills
Thrills
Bills
Ills
Pills
Wills
It was a peaceful time and it gave him time to reflect of his life.
The time of his death was drawing close and he wanted to make sure that he said the most important things to his children and grandchildren. That’s what chapters 48 and 49 are - blessing and admonitions to his family.
The news reached Joseph that his dad was fading and he took his two sons, Manasseh (means “He has made me forget my sorrows”) and Ephraim (“God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction). Notice Manasseh is mentioned first because he is the first born.
When Joe arrives with Jacob’s grandsons, Jacob rallies his strength and sits up in bed to address them.
Before we move on, let me say that it can be very encouraging to someone who is very ill to receive visits in the hospital.
Here are some things I’ve learned along the way.
Read Scripture. I love to read Psalm 18 to people who are struggling.
Pray with the patient. Ask if it is okay to hold their hands.
Don’t stay long. Ten minutes at the most.
Don’t sit on the bed.
If they are sleeping, don’t wake them up. Leave a note on the board.
Touch base with their family to let you know that you visited.
Never assume a comatose patient can’t hear you.
If they are near death, do not be afraid to ask if they are scared or to even plan some aspects of the funeral.
Jacob recalls the Covenant Promises
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 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.’
Jacob invokes the name El Shaddai, God Almighty. This is God that appeared to Jacob at Luz, (Bethel).
It was at Luz that Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a stairway to heaven and where God promised him:
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)
God promises to increase him as a family, as a community, and then reconfirms the promise of the Promised Land.
Notice that Jacob seems to focusing more on the blessings of God than his usual Eeyore self. Death has a way of making things very clear.
Adoption
“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. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.
In these verses, we see Jacob initiated a formal adoption process for Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Interesting that Jacob says their names in reverse order, younger and then older.
These two boys, now in their late teens, were half Egyptian and had been raised in the status, privilege, and splendor of the Egyptian court. But they would be counted and identified with the dirty, hated shepherds out in the land of Goshen.
All other sons of Joseph will be his but they will be counted under the first two brothers names as far as inheritance.
So, here’s a question? How many tribes are there? Twelve or thirteen? And why isn’t there a tribe of Joseph? And who was afforded the double portion inheritance of the first born?
“The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.” (I Chron 5:1-2)
So Joseph’s son, Manasseh and Ephraim became tribes and constitutes the double blessing to Joseph.
That does make thirteen tribes but remember that Levi were a tribe of priest and did not inherit any land. So there were twelve tribes allotted land when they made it the Promised Land.
O Rachel
As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).”
Rachel was said to be very beautiful and Joseph had his mother’s eyes. As Jacob looked into Joseph’s eyes he couldn’t help remember one of the saddest events of his life, the death of his beloved wife and Joseph’s mother, Rachel.
This was his only true love and his heart was broken the day that she died.
She died while giving birth to Benjamin and he buried her outside of the town of Bethlehem.
You can visit Rachel’s tomb today. Today is it considered the third holiest site in Judaism. [Picture].
The Blessing
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”
“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
Jacob had met these boys before and he knew who they were. Two things are happening here.
One, Jacob, like his father, had lost his sight so he had trouble seeing the boys.
But this is also formal adoption language, like when I do a wedding and say, “Who gives this woman in marriage?” And the dad answers, “Her mother and I do.”
Jacob was feeling his time slipping away and he wanted to make sure he gave the blessings to these two grandchildren.
Joseph brought them close to where he could see them and he kissed them and embraced them tenderly.
It was overwhelming. He had lived more than twenty years thinking that Joseph was dead and now he actually gets to bless Joseph’s grandchildren.
Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.
Joe continued the adoption process by bowing down to the ground. Here was the second most powerful man in Egypt and he submits himself to his father.
Joseph then positioned the boys so that Jacob could lay hands on them and bless them.
Criss Cross Blessing
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.
Jacob crossed his arms and gave the firstborn blessing to Ephraim and the second born blessing to Manasseh.
Had he gotten confused? Did he hear God wrong? Not at all.
Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“
May the God before whom my fathers? Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,?the God who has been my shepherd? all my life to this day,
Notice they by blessing the boys, he was blessing Joseph.
He starts with covenant language. These boys need to know who their great great grandfather was - Abraham. And who their great grandfather was - Isaac. And who he is - Issac. And they need to know the God that all three of these Patriarchs followed.
God had been faithful and had provided for him like a shepherd takes care of sheep. This is the first time that God is referred to a shepherd in the Bible.
the Angel who has delivered me from all harm? —may he bless these boys.?May they be called by my name? and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,?and may they increase greatly? on the earth.”
The angel of the Lord, who he wrestled and who has protected him, made that God bless these two boys. May they remember where they came from spiritually and he prays for them to be fruitful and multiply.
The term “earth” should really read “land” because that that is where these two tribes will increase in number and become powerful.
Joseph Tries to Correct Jacob
When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
Joseph is confused and frustrated. How can we tell? Because the Hebrew says that he grasped his father’s hand firmly.
He tries to correct his father’s blessing by moving his hands to what he thought was the correct placement.
But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”
Jacob understands his confusion but his crossing of the arms was deliberate and a prophecy from God.
He blessed them that day and said,
“In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing:? ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
This is a pattern that we see in the Bible, the second born evaluated above the first born.
Abel over Cain.
Isaac over Ishmael
Jacob over Esau
And now Ephraim over Manasseh.
In fact, in some Jewish homes, on the eve of the Sabbath, the father will pronounce as blessing on his children quoting this verse, “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh”.
The First Installment of Inheritance
“Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
Jacob will die soon but Joseph is not worry. God, the God of his fathers, will be with him. And more than that. God will bring Joseph back to Canaan.
Jacob then gives him a piece of land for the his inheritance. “Ridge of land” can be translated as Shechem, the town about thirty miles from Jerusalem.
This where Jacob dug a well. This is where Jesus will meet. Samaritan woman who has been married five times.
And this is the place where Joseph’s bones would be buried when the people come back into the land.
Jacob gives this to Joseph in faith. He trusts that God is faithful to His promises and this piece of land will be Joseph’s burial place.
In fact, out of all the events that took place in Jacob’s life, it was this blessing that the writer of Hebrews decided to single out in the Chapter of Faith:
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff (Hebrews 11:21)
Application
The Power of Blessings
When you hear the word “blessing” what comes to your mind?
Maybe it’s the prayer you say before you eat or something you say when someone sneezes.
But blessing is much more than that. The word “blessing” means “the bestowal of good.” It is the act of “speaking well of someone or to praise a person.”
It becomes apparent that our culture doesn’t understand “blessing” like the Hebrew culture does.
With the advent of tabloid media, shock jocks, bloggers, and so-called reality television, our culture revels in tearing people down. I think that is because we really do not see our words as having spiritual power.
The Hebrew culture was, and to an extent, still is very different from ours in the way they view blessing. In Biblical times, it was assumed that infants would be carried to their parents on the Sabbath and the Holy Days to receive a blessing. Once they could walk, children would go to their parents, with “body bent and head bowed” to receive their blessing.
The practice of blessing children goes back to Abraham’s time and probably further. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all pronounced blessings on their children.
A young Galilean rabbi named Jesus, who didn’t have children Himself, rebuked His disciples when they tried to keep the children away from Him.
“He took them up into His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:16)
Today, it is still common for a rabbi to call the children up to the front of the synagogue to bless them. Jewish children are wired to expect blessing. It’s part of their spiritual heritage.
This is clearly seen in the story of Esau and Jacob. Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, schemes to get him the blessing of the firstborn. Jacob puts on Esau’s clothes and covers himself in hair (Esau was a “Robin Williams” hairy man) and brings his dad, Isaac, some food that he had prepared.
Isaac was nearly blind and the deception worked. Issac gave Jacob Esau’s first-born blessing:
“May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed."(Gen 27:29)
Esau returns from hunting just as Jacob is leaving their father’s tent. Together they figure out that Jacob, who name means deceiver, has tricked them both. As the implications of this sink in, Esau is devastated:
“When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, "Bless me--me too, my father!" ...Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!" Then Esau wept aloud.” (Gen 27:34,38)
Do you hear that cry? That cry is still heard today in our culture from our children. When we withhold our words of blessing, it hurts not only their heart but their souls as well.
Children’s hearts are fragile and they need a lot of encouragement. As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, coaches, and teachers we have the opportunity to speak words that build them up. We can intentionally say things to them to nourish their spirits.
When children hear a lot of negative comments, they tend to start defining themselves by those comments.
* Children who are told they are stupid, dumb, and never will amount to much, tend to see themselves as failures and that they don’t have the skills to achieve their dreams.
* Children who are told that they are “just like their father/mother” (In a negative way) tend to live a self-fulfilling prophecy and make your words come true.
* Children who are told that they are a “mistake” tend to see themselves as expendable and as less valuable as others.
* Children who are called worthless often believe it.
Children carry around the emotional bruises from our words. You can’t see them, but they are there.
A student once told a story I’ll never forget. I’ve shared it in multiple talks because I think it shows the power of our words.
She was standing in the bathroom, combing her hair. She noticed that her mother was leaning against the doorframe just staring at her. This student imagined that her mother was thinking how pretty her hair was. That is not what her mother was thinking.
Interrupting the silence, her mom said, “You know you were a mistake...I never wanted you...you ruined my life.” With that, she turned and walked away. But her words still linger in the mind of a little girl who needed to be blessed by her mother.
When children are blessed, they tend to see the world as a safe and hopeful place that they can navigate successfully.
As parents, we can forget that our job is to bless our children. We can get so hyped up about trying to make sure the house is clean, the dishes done, and the homework finished, that we can forget that all of those things are secondary to raising children who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, love others extravagantly and intentionally, and outlive and out-love the dying world around them.
Don’t think for a minute that just because I’m preaching this that Maxine and I have perfected it. Far from it! (We are saving money to pay for our children’s therapy bills when they get older!) But we are committed to trying to avoid words that hurt and using words that heal.
Dr. Rob Rienow, pastor and author of the book “Visionary Parenting,” writes of our responsibility as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, coaches, teachers, and other adults who have children in their lives:
“Taking time to bless our children with words of prayer and affirmation can transform their lives. Blessings are not magic formulas. They are powerful tools that God has given...to nurture faith and character in the hearts of their kids.”
Each child that God has placed in our lives, starting with our own children, and then to others, needs encouragement. It doesn’t matter what role you play in their lives, you have the potential to bless them.
Putting It All Together
The first step toward blessing our children is to make a conscious decision to use words that build up and not tear down.
No more discouraging words!
Gary Smalley and John Trent wrote a book many years ago that has become a classic entitled simply, “The Blessing.” They list five elements to blessings:
1. Meaningful Touch. In the Scriptures, kissing, hugging, and laying on of hands were all part of blessing of children. Touch communicates warmth, affirmation, and acceptance. After one of our students died, I was at the elementary school to provide support to the teachers and students. As one teacher walked by me, I simply put my hand on her shoulder. Several days later, that teacher told me that that simple touch meant more to her than I could know.
2. A Spoken Message. I’ve heard some parents say, “I don’t have to say ‘I love you” to my kids, they just know it.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. The blessings of Scripture are spoken words. The ultimate blessing from God was Jesus - “The Word made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) Notice the priests are to “say” the blessing to the Israelites. Don’t wait, say it today.
3. Attaching a High Value. A blessing is given not because of what your children can do, but simply for who they are. To bless someone is to see them as valuable.
I’ll never forget reading about what happened to Steven Curtis Chapman’s little girl. They were having a party and his son, Will Franklin, was driving out the long driveway when she ran in front of the car. He didn’t see her until too late. As they called the ambulance, and the realization came upon him that she was not going to make it, Steven went over to his son. Will Franklin was sobbing and frozen in shock. Steven grabbed his son, pulled him close, and said, “You are my son and I will always love you and that will never change.” Will Franklin will never forget that day but he will always remember his father’s words.
4. Picturing a Special Future. Are you communicating to your children that God is going to do great things in and through them? Do you believe that they have gifts and talents no one else has and that they are destined to change the world? Part of our job is to help them believe that about themselves even when they can’t see it. Both of my boys are very gifted and I tell them all the time that God has a great adventure ahead of them.
I saw an interview with Jessica Jackley, founder of the micro-finance website, “Kiva.” She said that her parents constantly told her that she was going to change the world. She said, “After a while, I started believing them!”
5. An Active Commitment.
Smalley and Trent write,“Words alone cannot communicate the blessing: they need to be backed up with a commitment to everything possible to help the one blessed to be successful.”
The story is told by a pastor of his commitment to bless his daughter every night. When she became a teenager, he would sneak into her room and bless her while she slept. When he dropped her off at college, he and his wife had made a plan. They would help her move in, then holding each other’s hand; they would walk away from the dorm without looking back.
As they were walking away from the dorm, trying not to cry she came running back with tears streaming down her face and said, “Daddy, you forgot to bless me.” They huddled in the campus parking lot and they laid their hands on her head and prayed, “The Lord bless you...”
This story illustrates something very important. A father’s blessing is incredibly important to nurture the spirit of a child. Men, we have such an amazing opportunity to step into the lives of children and help single moms out. As men ur words are so powerful.
I’ll never forget the end of my ordination council when the group of men who had been questioning me all morning circled around me and blessed me. That’s something that many children will never experience.
J
James Montgomery Boice writes:
“The greatest legacy a man can leave his children is an unwavering faith in God and the memory of a testimony that give all the glory and witnesses to his unchanging faithfulness.”
Ken Gire book A Father’s Gift: A Legacy of Memories contains these words:
What pictures will my son remember when he comes to the plain granite marker over his father’s grave?
What will my daughter remember?
Or my wife?
I’ve resolved to give fewer lectures.
To send fewer platitudes rolling their way,
to give less criticism,
to offer fewer opinions…
From now on, I’ll give them pictures they can live by,
pictures that can comfort them,
encourage them, and keep them warm
in my absence.
Because when I’m gone there will only be silence,
And memories
Of all
I could give to make their lives a little fuller,
A little richer,
A little more prepared for the journey ahead of them,
Nothing compares to the gift of remembrance
Pictures that show they are special and loved.
Pictures that will be there when I’m not
Pictures that have within them
A redemption all their own.
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
In chapter 49, Jacob continues his blessings, and warnings, for the rest of his sons.
I want to focus on just one of them as we come to communion.
“Judah, your brothers will praise you;? your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;? your father’s sons will bow down to you.
This is a play on words because the name Judah means “praise.” Judah’s tribe will come to the the leaders of the other tribes.
You are a lion’s cub, Judah;? you return from the prey, my son.?Like a lion he crouches and lies down,? like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
Many Biblical writers will pick up this lion motif - in Numbers, Micah, and Ezekiel.
Ultimately, we see this term applied to Jesus in the book of Revelation:
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Rev 5:1-5)
The scepter will not depart from Judah,? nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,?until he to whom it belongs shall come? and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
This is the third Messianic prophecy in the book of Genesis:
First we have Genesis 3:15 in the curse of the snake:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
And in Genesis 22 where Abraham is going to offer Isaac but God stops him and a ram is provided to die in the place of Isaac.
But here, Jacob says that a descendant of Judah would usher in a time of celebration.
Wine, the symbol of joy and prosperity will be so abundant that the donkeys will eat grapes and clothes will be washed in it.
He will tether his donkey to a vine,? his colt to the choicest branch;?he will wash his garments in wine,? his robes in the blood of grapes.
His eyes will be darker than wine,? his teeth whiter than milk.” (Genesis 49:8-12)
Can anyone remember what the first sign in the book of John? Jesus changed the water of ceremonial washing into the wine of joy.
This wasn’t lost on the disciples or the ones gathered there. They knew this Messianic prophecy from Genesis 48.
Also, when Jesus celebrated the passover with his disciples and picked up the cup full of wine and said, “This is the new covenant in my blood” they knew that the prophecy of Genesis 48 was coming true.
Communion
