Ge. 48: Israel Blesses Eph and Manny

Well, by this time, old man Israel is ailing, and Joseph takes his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to go see him. When Israel hears tell that his boy Joseph is there, and he brought the grandkids, he sits up in bed. He tells Joseph about the stairway dream he had, where the LORD told him that He would make Israel fruitful, increase in number, and give him this land as an everlasting possession to the descendants after him. Everlasting, as in everlasting everlasting? Like...forever? As in, would never end? Like eternity? Not sure if Joseph heard him tell this story before. It was years before he was born.

Israel then tells Joseph that the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt will be reckoned as Israel's, just like Reuben or Simeon. Joseph adopts the two boys as his own. He confers upon them all rights and blessings as if they were his own sons. This I find amazing. I wonder if in this time, they and Joseph sort of felt that they were in some kind of ancestral limbo. They were after all, half Hebrew and half Egyptian. You know, which table do they eat at on Thanksgiving and Christmas....the Hebrew table or the Egyptian table? Now they have a home. They have their ancestry and their nationality clearly defined.

Any children born after these two will belong to Joseph, and will inherit territory in the land of Manny and Eph. Then Israel tells Joseph how Rachel died and when, and where they buried her. Joseph was probably too young to really comprehend it at the time. I don't know.

Israel finally meets Joseph's sons, and kisses them and embraces them as they sat on his knees. The gift of grandchildren. Israel says in verse 11, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." What joy Israel had in this simple, yet amazing gift from God! This son, once feared dead and gone, is alive! And brings amazing blessings!

Interesting here is how Jacob arranged Manasseh and Ephraim in front of Israel for their blessings. He places his oldest, Manasseh at Israel's right hand, and the younger Ephraim at Israel's left hand, in order to receive what Israel had to give. The blessing was given with the right hand, the symbolically stronger hand. But as we have seen, the younger Isaac received the blessing, and the younger Jacob received the blessing.

Israel follows suit. He crosses his arms, and puts his right hand on the head of Ephraim. He blesses Joseph first, and then confers on them his ancestry along with Abraham and Isaac, and that they would increase greatly.

Joseph sees that his arms are crossed. He actually reaches out and takes Israel's hand from the head of Ephraim's and moves it to Manasseh's. It may have been because Manny was the first born, and it may be because, like his fathers, Joseph had a favorite between them. Is this that drastic of a change or a deviation? Why the second or younger? What is God's reason for doing this, or allowing this?

"No, my father, this one is the first born. Put your right hand on his head." That may be how they do things in Egypt...

"I know, my son. I know. He too will become a great people. But his younger brother will be greater than he. And his descendants will be a group of nations."

He pronounces them Ephraim and Manasseh. Not Manasseh and Ephraim.

Then to Joseph, he says, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. Have some choice land I took from the Amorites."

Well, didn't Joseph have everything he needed in Egypt? Couldn't they take over Egypt anyway? What about Joseph's other brothers. Do they not get an audience with their dying father? We'll find out tomorry, I'm sure.