Genesis 48:1-49:27

Genesis 48:1-49:27

On his death bed, Jacob explains to Joseph that his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim will receive his portion of the blessing in the land of Canaan. At first, this might seem unfair to Joseph, as he does not receive part of his father’s blessing. However, if you consider the fact that out of the eventual 12 tribes of Israel, Joseph is the father of 2 of them, you can see where Joseph was blessed in this act. Joseph was always the favorite in Jacob’s eyes, but even more so than that, he was the son who (through God) protected his entire family. Because of Joseph’s presence in Egypt, his family did not have to suffer the devastating effects of the famine. Now, as a result, his two sons will each inherit 1/12 of the blessing of Jacob.

In blessing Manasseh and Ephraim, it appears as if Jacob messes up the blessing, once again blessing the younger child first. Joseph calls him out on this, reminding him that Manasseh had been born first. But Jacob tells Joseph that God had planned for Ephraim to receive the first blessing rather than Manasseh. Remember that in their culture, the first born typically inherited more, but time and time again God has reversed that order. This shows that He is not constrained to the ways of man. If He so chooses, He can reverse man’s ways for His own purposes. That is a promise that we can hold onto as well. Yes, we should abide by the laws that have been placed over us by government officials in our city, state, and country. We should respect the authority of our parents or teachers. However, God also makes it clear that when these other forms of authority go against His laws and His commands, then we must abide by His laws instead. Now although this is not the situation in Genesis 48, it does show how God’s word means so much more than anything man can say. God is above every aspect of our life, and we can always trust His plans. It may not have made clear sense why God was choosing Ephraim over Manasseh at the time, but Jacob and Joseph both had to trust once more that God had a plan.

As Genesis 48 closes, Jacob tells Joseph that God has promised that they would one day return to the land of Canaan. His people would remain in Egypt for a time, but when the time was right, God would deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and send them back to their land. After giving Joseph and his sons their blessing, Jacob calls in the rest of his sons. He tells them what shall happen in the days to come, and sets the stage for what will eventually become known as the 12 tribes of Israel.

At the beginning of Genesis 49 the prophecies seem harsh. Reuben is told that he will not have preeminence or superiority although he is the first born. Once more we see the eldest child not receiving the greatest blessing. Yet this time it is primarily due to his actions, to what he had done in the past. The same went for both Simeon and Levi who let anger and violence run their lives, and as a result they would one day be scattered across the land. It is the 4th child Judah, instead, who is given a great promise. Judah is the line that will one day lead to the kings of Israel and eventually to Jesus. If you look closely at the text, there are some phrases that allude to these future promises: “the scepter shall not depart from Judah,” is one phrase that sticks out to me, showing how God’s promised line from Abraham to the Messiah will run through Judah and his sons. Zebulun does not receive a curse either, for he is told that he will dwell by the sea. Issachar will be a servant of the land. Dan will be a judge of his people but will not survive without the Lord’s help. Gad will be invaded, but in the midst of this tribulation they will learn to fight. Asher will be known for his food and enjoy prosperity in the land while Naphtali will have a large family. Joseph receives the greatest blessing with the promise of a great family, as we saw in Genesis 48 (which seems right considering that his sons possess 1/6 of the blessing of Israel). Finally Benjamin will be a land of fighters, always on the lookout.

Some of these prophecies are harsh, while some are very promising. Yet all are accurate, for they have been promised of God. Although none of Jacob’s sons had any idea what the rest of their life would consist of, and although they themselves would never again see the Promised Land, God told them beforehand what would happen. He has a plan for all of our lives, and there are times when we will never know what the future holds. Things will happen in our lives that we will never understand. That is why we must be careful with the time we are given. Our actions will have an effect on the lives of our children and our grandchildren. This is seen all throughout Scripture, as this is true with all of Jacob’s sons. Following God’s will is not always easy, but it is what He requires of us. God requires obedience, and when we fail to follow His commands, we will face the consequences. You may feel that I have repeated this same point over and over as we have walked through the book of Genesis, but that is one of the book’s main themes. Scripture is clear that God demands obedience, and as His children, our desire should be to follow His commands every day.

Matt