The Paternal Blessing Series

Turn with me to Genesis 48:8-16. We will begin our message this morning by standing in honor of the reading of God’s Word:

8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!” 12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

A Blessing Is Desirable to Every Individual

What we see in this passage is a paternal blessing being bestowed on Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by their grandfather Jacob who is known here as Israel. The word paternal means “fatherly,” deriving from the Greek word pater for “father.” So a fatherly blessing - or grandfatherly blessing - is being said over Ephraim and Manasseh in this example.

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, “The paternal blessing was the most valuable heritage that parents could [bestow on their] children . . . the parents’ good-will and blessing were regarded as the greatest happiness that [a child could receive].”(1) “In Greek and Latin, [the word] ‘blessing’ is eulogia and benedicto, which both suggest ‘speaking good words’ . . . In Hebrew [the word] ‘blessing’ is bereka, suggesting the conference of an abundance of life on someone. From its earliest appearances in the Old Testament, blessing is revealed as paternal [or fatherly] word and gift of life.”(2)

The blessing is a gift of life for those to whom it is conferred. Why is that? Well, a blessing “includes the best wishes for a person’s life and future, [and] it carries with it the acknowledgment of a person’s worth – a sense of great value is placed upon [an individual by the blessing].”(3) C. A. Bjornsen, in an article in the Journal of Youth Ministry, noted that, “The blessing, which simply stated is the father’s acknowledgement and acceptance of the son’s adult status and, more importantly, his adult masculinity . . . allows the son to leave childhood and adolescent attachments to the [parents] behind and progress into adult emotional status . . . the event necessary for this transition is the father’s blessing, a message that ‘you are a man, my son’.”(4)

For a moment let’s look at the nature of the blessing in our passage of Scripture. In verse 10, we see that as he brought his two sons to their grandfather to receive his blessing, Joseph conveyed the message of blessing himself when he kissed and hugged his sons. The element of touch is important in the relationship between a father and child, for it conveys the message of acceptance and love for the child as a person and as an individual. We also see the element of touch being demonstrated in verse 14 when Israel, or Jacob, placed his hand on each of the boys’ head. A father can demonstrate the vital element of touch through a hug, through wrestling with his son, or through a simple pat on the head. Father’s, every time you fail to touch your child or spend time with him or her you are communicating a message that says, “You are not worth anything to me.”

In verse 16 Jacob said in his blessing, “Let my name be upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” What we see here is an immense bestowal of trust and confidence being placed on the two children, for Jacob was willing to leave his name or reputation with them. When we say to our child, “I trust you,” we are enabling him or her with the confidence necessary to succeed in life. We are saying to our child that we feel confident that they are competent to succeed. We also see in this verse that Jacob prayed for Ephraim and Manasseh to “grow into a great multitude in the midst of the earth.” This was once again the communication of confidence in the two sons that they would be successful in life.