“Genesis 48:8-16”

Thursday, April 30, 2020

“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.’ So he said, ‘Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.’ Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.’ Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 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 to this day, The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, ‘Who are these?’” (verse 8) At first glance it appears that Jacob’s eyesight had grown “so dim from age” (verse 10) that he could not discern the identities of Ephraim and Manasseh. While this is a possibility, the more likely explanation is that this question was asked as a part of the official adoption procedure. Nahum Sarna suggested, “Actually, we have here the second stage of the legal adoptive process, namely, the establishment of the true identity of the candidates for adoption by formal interrogation of the natural father.”

“They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” (verse 9) Joseph clearly recognized that “children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them…” (Psalm 127:3-5) Far too often children are viewed as a burden and a hindrance to personal fulfillment and prosperity. In actuality they are just the opposite. Those wonderful little innocent souls are some of God’s richest blessings and the source of such pleasures and treasures the likes of which money cannot compare.

“Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.’” (verse 11) The old patriarch’s mind flooded with sentimentality and he saw the previous seventeen years of his life flash before his darkened eyes as he embraced and kissed his two grandchildren from his most cherished child. Those precious eyes, faltering as they were, had witnessed many spectacular things in a lengthy lifetime, but none so gratifying as the exquisite countenance of the living, breathing son he once thought to be dead. Israel praised the Lord that He had allowed his eyes to behold the grandchildren he shared in common with his beloved Rachel. Joseph acknowledged that God had given him those children and Jacob blessed the Lord for the favor of being a part of their lives.

“But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.” (verse 14) When Joseph presented his children to his father to receive the patriarchal blessing, he intentionally placed his older son at his right hand to eliminate any possibility of confusion. But although Israel’s eyes were dimmed his mind was still sharp, and with great awareness he deliberately stretched his dominant hand out to Ephraim standing at his left side to bless the younger son with “the right hand of power.” “The present episode provides an explanation for the reversal, with Ephraim becoming the more powerful and more influential of the two tribes, even to the extent that its name eventually became synonymous with the kingdom of Israel. This phenomenon is traced to Jacob’s blessing. Following his adoption of Joseph’s two sons, Jacob now exercises his prerogative to set aside chronological priority to grant Ephraim preferential status.” (Nahum Sarna)

“He blessed Joseph…” (verse 15) Either Israel bestowed an additional blessing upon his son or the implication is that Joseph was blessed indirectly through the consecration of his children. “God…has been my shepherd all my life to this day.” Israel prayed that the Great Shepherd who had been his Provider, Protector and Director all the days of his life would watch over and guard those precious sheep of his flock as well. “The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads…” (verse 16) “Since angels are often simply extensions of the divine personality, the distinction between God and angel in the biblical texts is frequently blurred (cf. Gen. 31:3,11,13; Exod. 3:2,4). Nevertheless, this verse may reflect some tradition associated with Bethel, not preserved in Genesis, concerning the angelic guardian of Jacob (cf. 31:13; 35:3). An echo of this may be found in Hosea 12:5.” (Nahum Sarna)

“And may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (verse 16) “Having adopted them, he foretells they would be called not only the sons of Joseph, but the children of Israel or Jacob, and would have a name among the tribes of Israel, and be heads of them, as well as would be called the seed of Abraham and of Isaac, and inherit their blessings: and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth; where they increased as fishes, as the word signifies, and more than any other of the tribes; even in the times of Moses the number of them were 85,200 men fit for war, Numbers 26:34; and their situation was in the middle of the land of Canaan.” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

James Burton Coffman quoted John T. Willis concerning the type of blessing Israel bestowed:

• It was a very formal, solemn, and serious affair.

• If the one conveying it was empowered by God to do so, it carried with it the power to achieve what was promised.

• When the blessing was uttered, it was irrevocable.

• The patriarch always asked the identity of the one who would receive the blessing.

• Those to be blessed were invited to come forward.

• The recipient(s) was(were) embraced and kissed.

• The right hand of the patriarch rested on the head of the one to receive the greater blessing.

Please read Genesis 48:17-22 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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