Genesis 48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh: And he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.
Ah Friends, that’s a source of serious problems in many families. Now Joseph hears that his father is sick and goes to visit him with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob, always the patriarch, wills his strength and sits up in bed to greet them. He tells Joseph of how the Lord blessed him and promised to multiply him fruitfully and give the land of Canaan ‘to thy seed for an everlasting possession.’ (vs.4) Then his sight being dim, he did not recognize Joseph’s sons, and asked ‘Whose are these?’ Joseph replied, ‘They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place.’ He tells Joseph to bring them to him so he can bless them. Joseph does it, he kisses and embraces them, saying to Joseph: ‘I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.’ (vs.11) Then Joseph takes his sons from between Jacobs knees, bows his face to the earth, and rearranges them with the eldest Manasseh to Jacob’s right hand, and Ephraim to his left. But the wily Jacob puts out his right hand and places it on Ephraim’s head, and his left on Manasseh’s. This displeases Joseph, and he points out the mistake to his father. Jacob refuses, saying he knows that, and though Manasseh would also multiply and be great, ‘but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 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.’ (Gen.48:19-20) Joseph also received one more portion of inheritance than his brothers. It seems that in Abraham’s lineage, the youngest became the greatest: Isaac over Ishmael; Jacob over Esau, Joseph over his brothers, Ephraim over Manasseh, right down to Bruh David and Solomon. Then Jacob calls his twelve sons to his side; ‘Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father.’ (Gen.49:2) And then, in beautiful, flowing language, he goes on to tell them all, from Reuben his first, to Benjamin, the last, what their lives would be like: Reuben, unstable as water: Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations: Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him and hated him. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the mighty God of Jacob;’ Oh Friends, Genesis 49 is a must read; Jacob describes his sons in such lovely language. And after he tells them to bury him in Canaan, Jacob gets into the bed and gives up the ghost. Joseph kisses his father’s face and weeps, then orders the doctors to embalm him. ‘And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.’ (Gen.50:3) But the best part Friends is this: ‘And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt.’ (Gen.50:7) Wow! All Jacob’s family, except the small children went too. ‘And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.’ (vs.) Yes Friends, if we live obedient to God’s Word, like Joseph, anything’s possible. He was so beloved in Egypt, that Pharaoh sent a whole host of people up to Canaan to bury his father Jacob. Can we muster such respect in our circles? Let’s all work towards that goal nuh, and so bring great glory to God’s name. Much LOVE!…in all we do…let’s put Him first…
Ah Friends, that’s a source of serious problems in many families. Now Joseph hears that his father is sick and goes to visit him with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob, always the patriarch, wills his strength and sits up in bed to greet them. He tells Joseph of how the Lord blessed him and promised to multiply him fruitfully and give the land of Canaan ‘to thy seed for an everlasting possession.’ (vs.4) Then his sight being dim, he did not recognize Joseph’s sons, and asked ‘Whose are these?’ Joseph replied, ‘They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place.’ He tells Joseph to bring them to him so he can bless them. Joseph does it, he kisses and embraces them, saying to Joseph: ‘I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.’ (vs.11) Then Joseph takes his sons from between Jacobs knees, bows his face to the earth, and rearranges them with the eldest Manasseh to Jacob’s right hand, and Ephraim to his left. But the wily Jacob puts out his right hand and places it on Ephraim’s head, and his left on Manasseh’s. This displeases Joseph, and he points out the mistake to his father. Jacob refuses, saying he knows that, and though Manasseh would also multiply and be great, ‘but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 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.’ (Gen.48:19-20) Joseph also received one more portion of inheritance than his brothers. It seems that in Abraham’s lineage, the youngest became the greatest: Isaac over Ishmael; Jacob over Esau, Joseph over his brothers, Ephraim over Manasseh, right down to Bruh David and Solomon. Then Jacob calls his twelve sons to his side; ‘Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father.’ (Gen.49:2) And then, in beautiful, flowing language, he goes on to tell them all, from Reuben his first, to Benjamin, the last, what their lives would be like: Reuben, unstable as water: Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations: Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him and hated him. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the mighty God of Jacob;’ Oh Friends, Genesis 49 is a must read; Jacob describes his sons in such lovely language. And after he tells them to bury him in Canaan, Jacob gets into the bed and gives up the ghost. Joseph kisses his father’s face and weeps, then orders the doctors to embalm him. ‘And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.’ (Gen.50:3) But the best part Friends is this: ‘And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt.’ (Gen.50:7) Wow! All Jacob’s family, except the small children went too. ‘And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.’ (vs.) Yes Friends, if we live obedient to God’s Word, like Joseph, anything’s possible. He was so beloved in Egypt, that Pharaoh sent a whole host of people up to Canaan to bury his father Jacob. Can we muster such respect in our circles? Let’s all work towards that goal nuh, and so bring great glory to God’s name. Much LOVE!…in all we do…let’s put Him first…
SCRIP-BITS 