His Word Today

⁸  “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. ⁹ Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. ¹¹ Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. ¹² His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.” (Genesis 49:8–12 (ESV)

Immediately following Jacob’s oracle toward Reuben, Simeon and Levi, the patriarch then turned his attention to his fourth eldest son: Judah. Jacob had much to say to Judah. Therefore, it will take us several days to unpack today’s text.

To begin with, Jacob told Judah that his brothers would praise him. This would be an ongoing public expression of thanksgiving. A wordplay was used here because the name Judah means “praise” (Gen. 29:35).

Secondly, Jacob likened Judah to a lion’s cub. The lion would become an iconic image for not only Judah, but also for the tribe bearing his name.

Additionally, the image of the lion would translate into Judah becoming the kingly tribe of Israel. Jacob indicated that the scepter, the staff and rod of a king, would never leave Judah. Consequently, tribute and obedience would be given to Judah and his progeny.

However, Jacob’s oracle point to a greater king to come. The greater king would be known as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This would be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 5:1-5).

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is a title of the Messiah that appears only in Revelation 5:5: “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has conquered” (nlt). This is an allusion to the messianic promise of Genesis 49:9–10, “Judah is a young lion.… The scepter will not depart from Judah” (nlt). The expression summarizes the OT hope that the Messiah would come as a conquering hero, delivering his people from every form of spiritual, political, and social evil. The OT frequently employs the lion as a symbol of power and the complete ability to subdue one’s enemies (Job 10:16; Ps. 10:9; Ezek. 1:10; Dan. 7:1–4). The author of Revelation expressed the belief of all Christians—that Christ is the deliverer who would defeat all the powers of evil. However, in contrast to the OT hope, the deliverer comes not as the conquering Lion of military power, but rather as the Lamb, who suffers and is sacrificed for the sins of his people (Rev. 5:6).”

Matthew Henry writes, “God was praised for him (Gen. 29:35), praised by him, and praised in him; and therefore his brethren shall praise him. Those that are to God for a praise shall be the praise of their brethren.”

May each of us in Christ find our praise by God, praise in God resulting in praise and honor from fellow believers to the glory of God. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁸  “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. ⁹ Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. ¹¹ Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. ¹² His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.” (Genesis 49:8–12 (ESV)

Immediately following Jacob’s oracle toward Reuben, Simeon and Levi, the patriarch then turned his attention to his fourth eldest son: Judah. Jacob had much to say to Judah. Therefore, it will take us several days to unpack today’s text.

To begin with, Jacob told Judah that his brothers would praise him. This would be an ongoing public expression of thanksgiving. A wordplay was used here because the name Judah means “praise” (Gen. 29:35).

Judah’s brothers, including their descendants, would not only worship him, but he would also have victory over the enemies of Israel. This coincides with Jacob’s expression “your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.” What does this mean?

One commentator explains, “The expression “your hand on the neck of your enemies” was a token of superiority and triumph. Job makes use of a similar metaphor when he represents God as taking him by the neck and shaking him: “He seized me by the neck and crushed me” (Job 16:12). David wrote, “Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me” (2 Samuel 22:41, KJV). The implication of the expression is much like the later action of victorious soldiers putting their feet on the necks of their enemies: “When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, ‘Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks” (Joshua 10:24).”

The Tribe of Judah would be superior to the rest of the tribes; not only more numerous and illustrious, but having a dominion over them. Judah was the lawgiver (Ps. 60:7). That tribe led the caravan through the wilderness, and in the conquest of Canaan (Judges 1:2).

Dr. R .C. Sproul writes, “Recall that Judah sinned grievously when he led the sale of Joseph into Egyptian slavery (Gen. 37:12–28). Later on, he wickedly failed to provide a husband and thus an heir and provider to his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Gen.38:1–23; Deut. 25:5–10). Were this the end of his story, Judah would have lost the greatest portion of Jacob’s favor as well. However, Judah showed himself sensitive to the Spirit when he confessed his evil deeds concerning Tamar (Gen. 38:24–26). Judah’s repentance bore its fullest fruit later on when he offered to sacrifice himself and take Benjamin’s place as Joseph’s slave (Gen. 44). Judah inherits the firstborn’s rights because of his selflessness. Jacob declares in today’s passage that Judah’s brothers will praise Him and that he will have his hand “on the neck” of his enemies (49:8). In other words, Judah will triumph over his foes. Jacob’s other sons will also bow to Judah, according to the same verse.”  

Jacob’s prophecy would ultimately be fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Judah sought exaltation but was humbled. When Judah humbled himself, God exalted him. True humility, evidence by Christ (Phil. 2:5-11), results in exaltation.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!  

⁵  “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. ⁶ Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. ⁷Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5–7 (ESV)

After blessing his eldest son Reuben, Jacob then blessed the next two eldest sons: Simeon and Levi. However, whereas Jacob balanced blessings with judgment regarding Reuben. He had no such balance with the next two sons. Jacob’s oracle toward Simeon and Levi was solely one of condemnation.

Jacob identified his sons with the phrase, “weapons of violence are their swords” In other words, Simeon and Levi were violent men whose plans and possessions resulted in destruction. The references to violence and killing was a remembrance of the sign and seal of circumcision to exact revenge upon the Shechemites for violating their sister Dinah (Gen. 34).

Second, Jacob personally stated that he did not want to be a part of their schemes or their purposes. He did not want his wealth, honor and reputation to be in any way associated or united with them.

Third, Jacob reasoned that the Simeon’s and Levi’s violent nature was due to their anger and wrath. The word anger pertains to their facial expressions and even their intense breathing. The word wrath refers to the pleasure they experienced when they attacked. Jacob also said their anger was fierce or intense while their wrath was severe and stubborn.

Jacob heralded a curse upon these two sons. As they brought harm and injury to others, their father prayed that the LORD would bring injury and harm upon them. Jacob promised them that he would divide and disperse their progeny in the land of Israel.

On author explains, “As expected, Jacob’s words would come true in the history of the nation of Israel. Simeon is the only tribe Moses does not bless in Deuteronomy 33, and he is given only a select number of cities in Judah’s territory (Josh. 19:1–9). The tribe of Judah eventually absorbs the Simeonites, and they disappear from history.  Levi is also scattered throughout Israel, but his tribe fares better in the history of redemption. Moses, a son of Levi (Ex. 2:1–10), later mediates the old covenant. Moreover, God would choose the Levites to be His priests (Num. 3:5–13), restoring honor to these displaced sons of Jacob.”

 John Calvin writes that God’s “incredible goodness unexpectedly shone forth, when that which was the punishment of Levi became changed into the reward of the priesthood.”

Throughout redemptive history, God extends His grace to even the worse of sinners (I Tim. 1:12-15). It is through His sovereign grace alone, by God given faith alone, and through the person and work of Jesus Christ alone that God delivers any sinner from the penalty, power and eventual presence of the consequences of their sin.

May each of us today thank the LORD for His amazing grace toward sinners deserving of His wrath (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 2:1-3). Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!   

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2022. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Nine. Of The Lord’s Supper. Part Four.

7. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament,^a do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and all benefits of his death: the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are, to their outward senses.^b

a. 1 Cor 11:28. • b. 1 Cor 10:16.

8. Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament, yet they receive not the thing signified thereby; but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with him, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table, and cannot, without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries,^a or be admitted thereunto.^b

a. 1 Cor 11:27-29; 2 Cor 6:14-16. • b. Mat 7:6; 1 Cor 5:6-7, 13; 2 Thes 3:6, 14-15.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

³  “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. ⁴ Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!” (Genesis 49:3–4 (ESV)

Jacob’s evaluation of his firstborn son, Reuben, involved not only blessings but also judgments. Jacob mentioned Reuben’s admirable qualities first and then concluded with his liabilities.

The prophecies concerning Reuben, Simeon and Levi refer to punishment for their crimes. Their sins would impact their future generations. There are no animal comparisons given regarding the three elder brothers. .  

Jacob acknowledged Reuben to be his first born. It must be noted that a firstborn son’s inheritance could never be revoked arbitrarily by a father’s whim. However, changes in the inheritance could be made if the son in question committed sexual sins against the family.

Jacob call Reuben his might. This refered to power, strength and ability. Every indication in Scripture is that Reuben was a physically strong man. He also possessed preeminent dignity or exaltation along with preeminent power. Reuben was a great force to be reckoned.

Yet, in spite of these admirable qualities, or perhaps because of them, Jacob compared Reuben to the instability, recklessness and turbulence of foamy water. Reuben would no longer maintain his preeminence. This was directly the result of Reuben’s sinful sexual behavior years before with Jacob’s concubine (Gen. 29:32; 35:22).

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Reuben likely expects to receive a double portion of his father’s blessing (Deut. 21:15–17). Reuben’s chest probably swells with pride as his father begins to prophesy over him to commend his preeminence in power and dignity (Gen. 49:3).  However, Reuben’s bubble soon bursts when his father revokes these privileges. Reuben may have an advantage according to the world, but no such benefit is present in God’s eyes. Until now, Jacob has said nothing about his eldest son’s sin with his surrogate wife Bilhah (Gen. 35:22). But silence does not indicate Jacob’s ignorance, for this violation costs Reuben his place of prominence (Gen. 49:4). With his sin, Reuben has shown himself to be unstable as water, slippery in his character. Unsteady in righteousness and wisdom (see also 42:37), Reuben has forfeited his rightful place as the family’s leader.”

It should be noted that no prophet, judge or king descended from Reuben. Instability, rather than strength of character, was demonstrated by Reuben’s descendants (Judges 4:1-5:16). Reuben and his family reaped the consequences of his sin.

Galatians 6:7–8 (ESV) says, “⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

May we all observe the lessons God teaches in the life and legacy of Reuben. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. ² “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.”  (Genesis 49:1–2 (ESV)

Following Jacob’s blessing upon Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he then proceeded to bless his other sons. Jacob summoned them so he could prophecy what would happen to them, and their progeny, in the future. Rather than taking upon himself the role of a fortune teller or one conducting a psychic reading, Jacob heralded a divine oracle from God. This divine revelation would contain elements not only of blessings but also of judgments.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The blessings of the inspired patriarch prophesy the fate of the twelve tribes descended from his sons, mostly by means of wordplays on their names or comparisons to animals. The names and actions (good or bad) of the twelve sons portend the destiny of the tribes. These prophetic blessings at the end of the patriarchal era are arranged according to their mothers –Leah’s six sons (vv.3-15), the handmaids’ four (vv.16-21) and Rachel’s two (vs. 22-27—exhibit God’s sovereignty over the nation. These blessings will be expanded in the parallel final blessing of Moses upon Israel that is given on the threshold of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land (Deut. 33).”

Dr. John Walvoord explains, “A fundamental principle in God’s economy is that the lives and natures of the patriarchs affected their descendants. God works out the manifold destinies of His people in accordance with their moral distinctions. Genesis 49 gives a glimpse into such a program of God. This chapter includes the last of the several great sayings of destiny in Genesis—blessings, cursings, judgments, and promises. Jacob, in faith and as God’s covenantal instrument, looked forward to the conquest and settlement of Israel in the land of Canaan, and then beyond to a more glorious age. God gave His people this prophecy to bear them through the dismal barrenness of their experiences and to show them that He planned all the future.”

The future of Jacob’s family lay beyond the impending bondage of Egypt and into the land of promise. However, the enjoyment of the blessings of hope would depend on the participants’ faithfulness. So from the solemnness of his deathbed, Jacob evaluated his sons one by one. This appraisal would look forward to the future of the twelve tribes.

We will begin studying Jacob’s blessings upon each of his sons when next we meet. Until then, have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!   

¹⁷ “When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” ¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” ²⁰ So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” (Genesis 48:17–22 (ESV)

Joseph did not agree with what Jacob did in blessing Ephraim as the firstborn instead of Manasseh. This would make sense to Joseph since Manasseh was Joseph’s firstborn son (Gen.  41:50-52). However, the LORD had other plans and Jacob understood this, even if Joseph did not.  

Jacob responded to Joseph’s objection by saying, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” Jacob then declared to Ephraim and Manasseh, ““By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ” By this declaration, Jacob was placing Ephraim before his older brother Manasseh.

Dr. John Walvoord explains, “Joseph, like so many others, expected God to work in a certain way, but found that He is often pleased to work differently and sometimes even unconventionally. But faith recognizes that God’s ways are not man’s ways. It took Jacob a lifetime of discipline to learn that fact. But he learned it, and now he blessed the younger over the elder. For four consecutive generations this re-versed pattern was followed: Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over Reuben, and Ephraim over Manasseh.”

It was after this that Jacob the said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Jacob’s history does not record any conquest of Amorite land. He did purchase property from the children of Hamor (Gen. 33:19) but that was not by conquest. At some time this military event had actually occurred, but for some unknown reason it finds no other mention in God’s revelation.”  

Another author provides us today’s application. “Jacob learned the ways of the Lord who exalts what men might forget (Matt. 19:30) and gives a better blessing to the younger Ephraim while relying on God’s ways honestly, nobly, and carefully. If an outsider were called upon to write the history of your life, would character qualities like honesty and carefulness show themselves time and again? Would you be shown as a person who relied on God and did what He said was right, even when it cost you dearly?”

Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁵ And 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 long to this day, ¹⁶ the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (Genesis 48:15–16 (ESV)

The words blessed and blessing have been frequently used in these recent blogs. The Hebrew word for blessed is pronounced waybarek. It means to speak words invoking divine favor. This is done with the intent that the object of God’s blessing will have favorable circumstances or conditions throughout their life.  

In today’s text, Jacob not only invoked divine favor upon Manasseh and Ephraim but also their father, Jacob’s favored son, Joseph. Jacob referred to his heritage when he said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.” The Shepherd God who was with his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, Jacob acknowledged was also with him. Jacob affirmed that God, like a shepherd, guided, fed, protected and corrected him for close to 150 years (Gen. 47:28; Psalm 23; Isiah 59:20).

In the same breath, Jacob referred to God as the angel. The Hebrew word for angel, pronounced hammalak, means messenger and guide. This would be a reference to the Angel of the LORD.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains, “The angel of the Lord, sometimes ‘the angel of God’ or ‘my (or ‘his’) angel’, is represented in Scripture as a heavenly being sent by God to deal with men as his personal agent and spokesman. In many passages he is virtually identified with God and speaks not merely in the name of God but as God in the first person singular (e.g. with Hagar, Gen. 16:7ff.; 21:17f.: at the sacrifice of Isaac, Gen. 22:1ff.; to Jacob, Gen. 31:13, ‘I am the god of Beth-el’; to Moses at the burning bush, Ex. 3:2; with Gideon, Jdg. 6:11ff.). Sometimes he is distinguished from God, as in 2 Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12f, but Zechariah does not consistently maintain the distinction (cf. Zech. 3:1; 12:8).”  

For the angel to be virtually identified with God would be appropriate since Jacob identifies the angel as redeeming him from all evil. To redeem means to deliver, liberate and free. This angel could very well be a pre-incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ.  

Jacob also invoked a prayer to the angel. He prayed, “bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

One author explains, “Jacob’s blessing depicts the nature of the One whom he served (Gen. 48:15–16). First, Abraham and Isaac also walked before this God. True to His word for His name’s sake, He keeps His covenants from generation to generation. Second, our Creator shepherds us like He did Jacob, leading us in the way of righteousness and disciplining us when we go astray (chap. 29–32; Heb. 12:7–11). Finally, He is the “angel” who redeems us (Gen. 48:16). He is not a creaturely angel, but the angel of the Lord with whom Jacob wrestled (Gen. 32:22–32), a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Messiah, according to churchmen throughout history. Centuries after Jacob lived, God came to earth to defeat sin and reveal His faithfulness (John 1:1–18).”

The Shepherd God who led Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David, etc. is the same Shepherd God who currently leads you and me. May we take comfort and courage in our Shepherd who eventually will lead us home.

Soli deo Gloria!   

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.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” ¹² Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).” (Genesis 48:8–14 (ESV)

Today’s text reveals a wonderful and poignant scene between Joseph and his father Jacob. For over two decades, Jacob resigned himself to the misunderstanding that his son Joseph was dead and he would never see him alive again in this lifetime.

How wonderful it was for both Jacob and Joseph to reunite within the purpose and plan of God’s sovereign providence. You can sense Jacob’s emotion when he said to Joseph, ““I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”

Do not glance over the words “God has let me.” In Jacob’s particular situation, he understood that the providential and sovereign God of heaven and earth permitted him to see his two Egyptian grandsons. This was the same providential and sovereign God who not only preserved Joseph while he was in prison, but also preserved humanity by releasing Joseph from prison.

Jacob was nearly blind, if not completely so. Therefore, Joseph brought his two sons close to their grandfather. Jacob then kissed and embraced them both. The aged patriarch was prepared to bless Manasseh and Ephraim. However, it is at this point that Jacob did a curious thing.

Dr. John Walvoord explains, “When Joseph presented his two sons to the aged patriarch, the blessing was pronounced. Like Isaac, Jacob gave this blessing when his eyesight was failing. But in the blessing Israel crossed his hands so that his right hand was on Ephraim’s head and his left on Manasseh’s … even though Manasseh, the firstborn, would normally have been blessed with the right hand. This was Jacob’s decision in spite of Joseph’s direction. Joseph, like so many others, expected God to work in a certain way, but found that He is often pleased to work differently and sometimes even unconventionally. But faith recognizes that God’s ways are not man’s ways. It took Jacob a lifetime of discipline to learn that fact. But he learned it, and now he blessed the younger over the elder. For four consecutive generations this re-versed pattern was followed: Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over Reuben, and Ephraim over Manasseh.”

English poet and hymn writer William Cowper (1731-1800) expressed the doctrine of God’s providence as follows in his hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unsearchable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings, on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower

Soli deo Gloria!

“After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. ² And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. ³ And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ ⁵ And 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 And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. ⁷ As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” (Genesis 48:1–7 (ESV)

Following the events recorded in Genesis 47, seventeen years pass (Gen. 47:28). This is signaled by the opening phrase found in today’s text: After this. Joseph discovered that his father Jacob was ill and dying. The word ill in the Hebrew refers to terminal sickness.

In response to this news, Joseph sought what Jacob and his brother Esau sought so many years before (Gen. 27). That was a blessing from their father. In Jacob and Esau’s case, it was a blessing from Isaac. In Joseph’s situation, he sought a blessing from his father, but not for himself. Rather, he sought Jacob’s blessing for his own two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. It was a blessing Jacob would give.

Moses records in the today’s text Jacob’s adoption of his grandsons as his own sons (Gen. 48:5). This is best seen as Jacob’s ultimate expression of his deep love and affection for his son Joseph. The Mosaic Law would later indicate that the firstborn son normally received a double portion of his father’s blessing to illustrate his privileged status (Deut. 21:15–17).

Joseph’s inheritance will be reckoned through two tribes named after his two eldest sons. Joseph’s honor belonged to the entire nation of Israel. However, the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will be regarded as special because they are directly linked to Joseph, the one God used to save the world from famine. 

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Jacob’s preface to his adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh sets up the passing on of the patriarchal blessing to all his sons. Recalling his encounter with the Lord at Luz (Bethel, 28:10–22), Jacob summarizes the content of God’s word to him — life, land, and offspring (48:3–4) — with verbiage that aligns his blessing with the one given to Abraham (17:1–8) and Isaac (26:1–5). A new era in the history of the Lord’s people is about to begin, and Jacob’s words reveal his faith that even his death cannot thwart God’s intent to bless His elect. The Almighty’s promise to Abraham, mediated through Isaac and now Jacob, must come true even if it must be passed down once again.”

We may not witness the fulfillment of our prayers to God this side of glory. However, we continue to trust the Lord that He will answer our prayers, even after we die. Let each of us take comfort in the character of God.  

Soli deo Gloria!