The Blessing

DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE BLESSING

Gen 48:15-20

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May 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 delivered me from all harm — may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth."  17 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. 18 Joseph said to him, "No, my father, 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 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." 20 He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

NIV

Israel now pronounces the blessing on Joseph although he sounds as though he is blessing his sons because he has his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. Yet in blessing his sons, he is in effect blessing Joseph. The interesting truth within this moment is that Ephraim would indeed be ahead of Manasseh. We need to jump way ahead in the scriptures to find that Joshua, the successor of Moses, was from the tribe of Ephraim. His companion Caleb was from the tribe of Judah. When all the tribes settled and the nation was divided into the northern and southern kingdoms, Israel, the northern kingdom of ten tribes was sometimes called Ephraim. The southern kingdom of the remaining tribes was called Judah. Here Jacob blesses Joseph in his own name. We should point out that this right hand on Ephraim was of supernatural insight. Jacob’s eyesight was so poor he could not see the boys unless they we right in front of his face. He could not see which was on the right or left of Joseph when they were bowed down before his bed. This blessing on Ephraim was God inspired as it proved out in the days ahead. He also recounts the fact that God was his shepherd all the days of his life and that he protected, well actually delivered him from all harm. Is this not the story of redemption? Is this not the picture of salvation? It is God who delivers us from all harm. Now we could say that even though we are believers, we can experienced some form of harm. Some believers throughout the world have been killed for their faith, so the ultimate worldly harm has certainly found them. How then can Jacob say God has delivered him from all harm? The answer is in the words of Jesus.

John 16:33

33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

NIV

Salvation delivers us from eternal harm. Those who are not a member of the household of faith, those who are not called by his name will in fact experience eternal harm. However, we are in that blessing, we are descendants of Abraham through the circumcision of our heart. We are co-heirs with Christ because we are the children of God. There is so much that points to this truth we would have to include complete books or letters of the Apostles to explain it fully. The words of Israel carries out throughout all generations. God is our Shepherd. He delivers us from harm, the second death. We are called by his name, Israel. When the scripture says that all of Israel shall be saved, that is all us believers in Christ Jesus, all we who have circumcised our heart, all we believers who are now descendants of Abraham. We serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We have been blessed in his name.