TITLE: WHEN GOD CROSSES HIS HANDS
SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 48:14
As we look at our text we read here where Joseph is presenting his two sons Ephraim and Manessah before his father JACOB/ISRAEL who by now can hardly see because of his advanced age. He is presented these two boys in whom he is going to make a divine impartation by laying hands upon them that will set them up just LIKE ISSAC HAD DONE TO HIS SON JACOB - ISRAEL.
• In this text, Israel - Jacob was about to pronounce his blessings on Joseph’s sons (Jacob’s grandsons)
So as Joseph brings them to his father, Israel kisses them and embraces them and say’s to Joseph, I didn’t think that I would see your face - for at one time he thought that Joseph was dead. You recall how his brothers had thrown him in a pit as a boy and ultimately sold as a slave to Egypt. Twenty-two (22) years passed since he had seen his son Joseph. Not only was Joseph alive so that his father could see him. He also sees Joseph’s sons, Joseph’s seed. As Joseph brings them out from near his father’s knees, he shows Joseph respect by bowing himself with his face to earth. After getting up -
• Joseph takes Ephraim (the youngest) by his right hand and leads him to Jacob’s left hand
• Then he takes Manessah (the oldest) by his left hand and leads him to his father’s right hand
Let’s pause and make sure we understand - what is a blessing? The dictionary defines a blessing as “God’s favor and protection.”
• When we pray or speak blessings upon others, we are asking God to pour out His gracious kindness upon them
• We are invoking His loving care
This is a fairly common practice within the church, the family, and elsewhere. As Christians, we are called to bless one another just as Jacob/Israel was chosen to be a blessing for all the world. This is why the benediction is so important at the end of every worship service.
• Have you ever stopped and listened to the benediction?
• Have you ever thought deeply about what it says about you, and your life?
• Often, we don’t
For the majority of churches, the benediction is the final act of worship. The Priest or Pastor stands before the gathering, with hand extended over the congregation, and closes the service. It can be easy to see the benediction in this way, as nothing more than the appropriate way to end a religious service. The prayer is said, the service closes, and we are on our way. What if there is a bit more to the benediction?
• What if the benediction is not simply a fancy prayer, but a profound act of empowerment and sending?
• What if the benediction actually declares a reality for your lives
• A reality bestowed upon you in that moment?
• If so, it might just be something we need to pay attention to
A blessing is an authoritative pronouncement of God’s presence, favor, and activity.
• It is a statement made - not a request asked
• This means that when you sit in church, and the time of the benediction comes, take a moment to sit or stand and receive these words
• The benediction is a powerful moment where you are invited to realize the truth of God’s presence and activity
• This is why you should never leave before the Benediction
• Afternoon programs I see saints leave right after the sermon
• You missed out on your blessing!
• ST. LUKE 24:50 “AND HE LED THEM OUT AS FAR AS TO BETHANY, AND HE LIFTED UP HIS HANDS, AND BLESSED THEM. AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHILE HE BLESSED THEM, HE WAS PARTED FROM THEM, AND CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN”
• When the Pastor lifts his hands to the congregation for the Benediction you don’t lift your hands back to the pulpit, lift them up to the Lord
We've seen the concept of blessing a number of times before --
• Isaac's blessing of Jacob and Esau -- Chapter 27
• Isaac's blessing of Jacob when he leaves -- 28:1-5
• The blessing of Abraham -- 28:4
• The nations blessed through Jacob's offspring -- 28:14
• Laban blessed through the presence of Jacob -- 30:27-28
• Potiphar is blessed through the presence of Joseph -- 39:5
You could argue that the whole narrative of the patriarchs -- and Jacob in particular -- centers around blessing --
• Seeking a blessing
• Receiving a blessing
• Blessing others
• Leaving a blessing as a legacy to one's descendants
Jacob spent the final 17 years of his life in Egypt. Jacob/Israel lived in Egypt 17 years, so he was 147 years old during the time of this text and the time of his death. Therefore, a significant amount of time had passed between his arrival in Goshen and the illness that led to his death. Nevertheless, one day Joseph received news that his elderly father was very sick. He and his two sons hurried to go visit Jacob. When Jacob saw them, he gathered his strength and sat up in the bed. He began to speak to his son and grandsons.
Jacob reminded Joseph of God’s promise, which was given at Luz, to bless him and his descendants, to multiply them into a great nation, and to give them the land of Canaan as an eternal possession.
• Jacob then adopted Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own thereby entitling them to his inheritance
• Lastly, he explained why he had buried Joseph’s mother Rachel - the love of Jacob’s life - on the road to Bethlehem
Though Jacob was deathly sick and bedridden, he was delighted to see Joseph - and especially his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh.
• Most grandparents seem to have a special place in their heart for their grandchildren
• Grandparents are free to spoil their grandchildren rotten without fear of having to discipline them later
• We can spoil them, load them up on sweets and sugar and then send them home for the night
• Some of my sweetest childhood memories took place at my grandparents’ homes in Keyport, NJ
• There is an undeniably special bond between grandparents and grandchildren
By this time grand-daddy Jacob’s eyesight was bad, due to age and sickness, and he didn’t immediately recognize his grandsons. The Bible describes their introduction - “WHEN [JACOB] SAW JOSEPH’S SONS, HE SAID, ‘WHO ARE THESE?’ JOSEPH SAID TO HIS FATHER, ‘THEY ARE MY SONS, WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME HERE.’ SO HE SAID, ‘BRING THEM TO ME, PLEASE, THAT I MIGHT BLESS THEM.’” When Joseph brought them closer, he realized who they were and hugged and kissed them. Then Jacob prepared to speak a blessing over them.
• Though he was the Prince of Egypt, still Joseph humbly bowed in deference before his father and set his sons before him
• Manasseh, the oldest, stood on Jacob’s right and Ephraim, the youngest, was on Jacob’s left
Since Manasseh was the firstborn of the two brothers, Joseph had placed him on Jacob’s right side. The primary blessing was always given through the right hand - considered the hand of strength and dominance. That is why we traditionally give the right hand (not left hand) of fellowship to those new members of the Church. It is a Biblical principle.
• The lesser blessing would be given to Ephraim by being blessed with the left hand
• That’s how the blessings would have been given if Jacob had merely reached forward and blessed them
• But he did something unexpected
JACOB STRETCHED OUT HIS RIGHT HAND TO THE BOY ON HIS LEFT (EPHRAIM) AND HIS LEFT HAND TO THE BOY ON HIS RIGHT (MANASSEH).
• In other words, he crossed his hands
• This wasn’t a mistake
• It was the full intention of Jacob under the inspiration of God
Joseph is "displeased." This isn't going the way he wants it to happen. Surely his aged father is confused. He takes his father's right hand to move it from younger Ephraim's head to firstborn Manasseh's head and to correct his father. One must do these things properly! Old Jacob tenses his arms and refuses to let Joseph move them, and when he speaks, he speaks in a conciliatory way to his favorite son -- "'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' ... SO HE PUT EPHRAIM AHEAD OF MANASSEH." (48:19-20)
• Jacob, with his hands crossed, proceeded to pass the birthright blessings on to Ephraim and Manasseh
Joseph wanted his sons to be blessed by their grandfather. Back then a blessing signified an inheritance. Jacob wanted to bless Joseph’s sons so they could receive a portion of the inheritance along with his own sons. usually, the older son got more of the inheritance. Realizing that, Joseph put Manasseh under Jacob’s right hand so that Manasseh would receive the greater blessing. But Jacob crossed his hands.
After blessing his grandsons, Jacob turned his attention to Joseph. Knowing that his death was near, he reassured Joseph that God would continue to be with him even after he was gone. Jacob also prophesied that one day Joseph would return to Canaan, the land of his ancestors. This prophecy ended up having a duel fulfillment in that Joseph’s bones were eventually brought back and buried in Canaan and Joseph’s descendants eventually returned to and settled in Canaan.
• Finally, Jacob explained that Joseph would receive a double portion of his inheritance in the Promised Land through Ephraim and Manasseh
There is a recurring theme that runs through the narratives of Genesis. God repeatedly chose a younger son to rule over or become greater than the older.
• ISAAC was chosen over ISHMAEL
• JACOB was chosen over ESAU
• JOSEPH (though not the youngest) was chosen over REUBEN
• Now EPHRAIM was chosen over MANASSEH
I can’t say with certainty why God did this, but it does show us that GOD’S WAYS ARE DIFFERENT THAN MAN’S WAYS. ISAIAH 55:8-9 “FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NEITHER ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS, SAITH THE LORD. FOR AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.” It also reflects to some degree on Jesus’ teaching in ST. MATTHEW 20: 16 “THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST AND THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST.”
There was no human reason that Jacob blessed Ephraim above his older brother. But in so doing, Jacob was illustrating a divine principle which he had learned - that God blesses us apart from any merit on our part.
• The world would have picked the skillful archer, ISHMAEL -- God picked quiet ISAAC
• The world would have picked the rugged outdoorsman, ESAU -- God picked conniving JACOB
• The world would have picked one of strong sons of JESSE – God picked little DAVID
• The world would have picked an ELOQUENT PRIEST – God picked the stutterer MOSES
• The world would have picked the older, MANASSEH -- God picked the younger EPHRAIM
Why doesn’t God operate on the merit system? Why doesn’t He choose the most Gifted – Intelligent – Upright - Promising people for His church? Paul tells us that He does it to shame the wisdom of this world, so that no one can boast before God.
One commentator writes about God’s crossed hands of blessing -- sometimes God chooses to bless that which we don’t expect Him to bless in our lives.
• Maybe you have a career and think, “This is my life’s calling.” But you are terminated or the business goes bankrupt, and you wonder what’s going on
• Then you start a second career and find it’s your second career that God chooses to bless
• That shows God’s crossed hands of blessing
• God chooses what He will bless in our lives
Thank God for unexpected blessings. As Ephraim and Manasseh sat under their grandfather, waiting for the Blessing to be released, Manasseh knew he was the firstborn and was therefore entitled to the greater blessing.
• I am sure Manasseh was happy about the fact their father, Joseph, had already prepositioned them under the proper hands
• The right hand was for the greater blessing and Joseph cleanly positioned Manasseh under Israel’s right hand
• But when the grandfather stretched forth his hands to actually release the blessing, he crossed his hands and put his right hand on Ephraim
Sometimes God will go out of his way to bless you in a way you were not expecting. Completely by Grace – unearned and unmerited. Our God is the only true God, but He is also a loving and caring heavenly Father. As you sit at His feet and it looks like others have blessings in store for them that far exceed what God has for you, like Jacob did with Joseph’s children --
• God will sometimes cross His hands and go out of His way to bless you greatly
• Not because you deserve it
• Not because you worked so hard for it
• But only because of His Grace!
--God doesn't always bless the way we expect
--Ephraim wasn't next in line, wasn't qualified, and didn't deserve it
--Yet God bypassed all the tradition and did something extraordinary
--God is showing how He can take those in the back
--Those who don't have the position
--Those who feel left out, and He puts them to the front
--God loves to choose people whom others think are not qualified or deserving
--Don't believe the lies that hold others back
--God has Crossed His hands and put you in a position you can't earn
--You don't qualify for it
--But you are next in line
--Unexpected favor is heading your way
--Your breakthrough is on the horizon
--They wonder how you got that new car – just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how you got that new house or apartment - just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how you got that promotion - just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how you finished that degree and they know you aren’t that smart - just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how you retired and living so good - just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how you are able to take vacations all year long - just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how they counted you out, but look at your now - just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how you are 70, 80, 90, years and still going strong – just tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--They wonder how I returned to the Pastorate of the historic First Baptist Church - I tell them because ‘God Crossed His Hands’
--I don’t deserve it
--I am not all that
--WHEN GOD CROSSES HIS HANDS
