When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” . . . Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. . . When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “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.” Genesis 48: 8, 10-14, 17-19, NIV.
Gracious God, we thank You for your mercies. Even though we are not worthy of the least of them, You do not give up on us! Thank You for this! In the blessed name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Today, we will look at grandfather Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Do you see what I see? History is repeating itself, in the reverse! I do not know how old Jacob was when he deceived his father, and received the blessing of the birthright, which was ordained by God to be his, anyway! I am going to say, that it could have been roughly, more than eighty years ago (Genesis 26: 34-27: 19). Today, he is at the opposite side of the pole. He is the one passing on the blessing.
Joseph has received word that his dad is not doing too well health-wise; so he goes to see him, and takes his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim along. Jacob, the patriarch of the family, does not have long to live, and before he closes his eyes in death, he will pronounce a blessing on his offspring. The blessing must continue even after he is gone. You see, the blessing came from God, and is passed on from generation to generation. The blessing is prophetic and retributive – customized, in accordance with the personality, of the person receiving it (see Genesis 49: 1-28).
How tragic, if in our homes, the head of the family dies without pronouncing a blessing upon those who remain behind. Passing on the blessing is so essential! The blessing that I am talking about is not a blessing of material things. It is of much greater value than that – it is an, “I wish for you” pronouncement that should empower the one receiving it. It should also be fortified by the prayers of the one who is pronouncing it. Please, fathers and mothers, let us make of our homes, places of blessings! And do not wait until you are dying to grant the blessing. Do it when you are alive and well, and can see the results of the blessing!
Jacob does purposely, what his father Isaac did, under his deception, many years ago. He gives the greater blessing to Ephraim, the younger of Joseph’s two sons. God had apparently told him that that was how it was supposed to be. He thereby closed the door to the possibility of any further acts of deception within the family. But he also does something of equally great proportions, he takes Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own, and informs Joseph that their children, will in turn, become his children (see 48: 5, 6).
Sometimes grandparents do that (31: 43). I heard my maternal grandmother declare that about her first granddaughter, and her first great grandson. “These are mine,” she said, and she meant it!
Now, let us observe how Jacob redeemed the past! Besides giving the blessing of the birthright to the younger son, he showed no other sign of preference of one over the other (14-17)! He had learned the hard way, how preference of one child over another, can bring disharmony and pain to the family. Now, on his death bed, he would make sure, that this new generation not come under the curse of a divided family! He got a second chance, and he made good use of it! God is so merciful to us grandparents! Blessed be His holy name!
NOTE: These counsels are shared from a Biblical, not a clinical, perspective.