Genesis 48: 1-22
Now that Joseph has moved his whole family to Egypt where he can take care of them as the second in command after the king, they've stayed there for longer than the rest of the years of famine, prospering in the most fertile region of the whole nation. Life is good, so they've settled down there "permanently."
(1) Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.
This is years later, and Joseph is bringing his sons because he wants Jacob to see them again.
(2) When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in his bed.
He is Israel again, and he collected his strength to sit up on his bed, to greet his son and grandsons.
(3) Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, (4) and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.'
This is when he started out to come to Egypt sight-unseen because he heard that Joseph was still alive and a lord in this foreign land. And he offered a sacrifice to God in thanksgiving, trusting that this is true. Then God spoke to him, and he knows that he can trust God.
(5) "Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. (6) But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.
Jacob tells Joseph that instead of just one son, he is claiming both of his grandsons as his own sons, to be counted among his sons. Any other children Joseph will have after these two will be considered grandsons, at the same level as the children of his other sons. But Ephraim and Manasseh will be counted as among Jacob's sons, as Reuben and Simeon and the rest. This is a legal declaration.
(7) "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
Why Jacob would bring this bit of history up here is a mystery. Is he saying that, since she died, he couldn't have any more children by her, therefore he is claiming Joseph's sons as his own?
Now he is starting the ceremony of official blessing.
(8) When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" (9) 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."
This is all ritual language, as Israel is going to officially bless these descendants of his with God's blessing. This means that they are prophesies that will come to pass in the future.
(10) 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.
Because he couldn't see very well any more, Joseph brought his sons so close to his father that he could get to know them by touch and scent and voice, to distinguish one from the other.
(11) Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well."
Israel is rejoicing in God's goodness to him, in granting him this blessing of seeing Joseph again after believing that he was dead for so many years, and now seeing even two grandsons from his favorite son! This is overwhelming to him!
(12) Then Joseph took them from his knees and and bowed with his face to the ground.
Joseph honors his father and the Lord God in obeisance, with his face to the ground.
(13) 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.
Joseph was careful to make it easy for his father to put his right hand on the elder son and his left hand on the younger.
(14) 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.
Israel had other ideas, though, and crossed his arms in order to put his hands where he wanted to, not where Joseph wanted him to.
(15) 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, (16) 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."
Here Israel is blessing Joseph, by blessing both of his sons together. By this time, Joseph notices something, and tries to correct it.
(17) When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. (18) Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head."
Joseph thinks his father made a mistake, and tries to correct him, so that the firstborn's blessing will go to his firstborn son.
(19) But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." (20) He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
Israel assures Joseph that he knows what he is doing, because God is going to give the greater blessing to the second-born son over the firstborn. God is leading Israel to pronounce His prophecy accurately. God has often chosen the second-born over the firstborn, sometimes for reasons we can see, other times for His own reasons. But it is God who blesses who He chooses to bless.
(21) Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. (22) I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."
Israel is blessing his favorite son with a double portion, and God is in agreement, to bless Jacob with granting this desire of his. God knew that there needed to still be twelve tribes to settle the Promised Land, even when He will not grant the sons of Levi their own land, but will scatter them throughout the others' territories as their teachers. So having two tribes of Joseph will provide the proper number. God always sees the Big Picture, and knows what He is going to do, even when He doesn't tell us about it! He is God, we are not.
Jacob is now Israel. He is no longer the "Deceiver," but is the "Prince with God." He knows that he is old and will die soon but is confident that God will bring them all back to Canaan, as He promised. And he trusts God and Joseph to keep their promises.
We do not have any record of Jacob using a sword and bow to take some land by force from this unnamed Amorite. Jacob has always been shown to be, "a peaceful man, living in tents" (25:27), and fearing if the Canaanites and Perizzites might come against him and attack, that, "I will be destroyed, I and my household" (34: 30). So we have a different picture now of this second son of Isaac. Evidently he was sufficiently proficient in warfare to use his sword and bow successfully.
O my Father, You are such a good God. You are the Standard for what is good. And You are the Source of everything that exists. There is so much more to the stories You have given us in Your written Word, all combined into the whole Story of Mankind, that You have revealed to us. I look forward to learning all the details of the stories of all those that You have determined we don't need to know now. And to be able to share my own story with others, all the details that don't seem pertinent at this time.
But I am anticipating even more getting to know You better, my Lord and my Father. And I know, because I trust You, that I will have all eternity future to continue to learn more and do more in Your service.
My Father, You are teaching me more every day right now, how much You love me, and care for me and are working all the details of my days to bring about the very best for me. So I want to cooperate with you, in whatever You allow to come across my path, that You will continue to hold my hand, leading and guiding me over, around, and through all the bumps and potholes and brambles on the way.
O Father, bring all of Your children to the birth, and grow us all up to the maturity of the full stature of the Son of God. Send us all out to tell every living person in the whole world how much You love us all, and are not willing that any would perish, but come to repentance and seek Your face.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty, our Lawgiver and Fulfiller, the sovereign King over the whole World and all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
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