Word of Encouragement (04/21/2022)
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." (Gen. 48:15-16).
Today, we move on to the actual content of Jacob’s blessing on the two sons of Joseph.
Jacob prayed, “...in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac....” This did not mean that the line of the Abrahamic Covenant would be passed down through Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. We know this to be the case because this blessing was given to bothof Joseph’s sons—“in them....” We know how strange that would be when we consider what happened between Jacob and Esau. Unlike Ishmael and Isaac in the previous generation, they were twins from the same mother, Rebekah. Even so, only one could carry on the covenant line—thus Jacob’s fierce and questionable attempts to get the birthright from Esau, his older brother. It was unlikely that these two boys would share the birthright. Indeed, we later find out that the line of promise was given to Judah to be Israel’s royal tribe, not to Joseph and his sons.
Commentators see this as Jacob “promoting” the two sons of Joseph to the status of Israel’s Patriarchs along with their eleven uncles. So, the nation of Israel would be made up of thirteen tribes, not twelve. Why Jacob did this and why God allowed this in His providence is not so clear.
What we know is that the tribe of Levi would be set apart to serve as the priestly tribe. Because God would be their inheritance, they would be excluded from receiving the inheritance of the land. In that sense, Israel was in a sense still a nation of twelve tribes as far as its political operation was concerned.
Jacob also blessed the boys, “and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Even though Judah would the biggest tribe in number, Manasseh and Ephraim would be among the biggest tribes. Interesting is the fact that Jacob placed his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son, rather than on Manasseh, the older one. In that culture, the right hand represented authority and strength, which meant that Ephraim received preference and favor. This displeased Joseph and he tried to change the hands, but Jacob insisted, telling him that this was intentional on his part. Maybe, as the younger of the twins, Jacob had a soft heart for Joseph’s younger son. God used it to show the principle of His grace. The Ancient Near Eastern culture followed the practice of primogeniture, the oldest son carrying the family name and receiving the biggest portion of the father’s inheritance. Against this background, Jacob and Ephraim, the younger sons, receiving the father’s favor highlighted the principle of grace.
This prayer reminds us of the blessing of carrying the name of someone prominent. If your last name were Kenney, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, or Walton, people would take another look at you. Think about how much attention Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie Woods, is getting these days. I’m not a golfer but even I’m hearing about it! Joseph’s two sons were given the privilege to carry the name of Israel along with their eleven uncles as two of Israel’s twelve/thirteen Patriarchs. This points to the privilege we have received as Christians to carry the name of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and the Savior of the world. As Christians, we are entitled to all the rights and privileges of God’s children (John 1:12) as coheirs with Christ. The world may not recognize it but we are valuable in the eyes of God, whose judgment alone matters in the end.
Let us not forget the costly price Jesus had to pay to grant us this privilege as God’s children. Let us cherish the fellowship we can now have with God as our heavenly Father, especially by diligently exercising the means of grace God has given to us. And let us carry the name of Christ with (humble) pride, which shows how grateful we are. And let us live in a way that would bring honor to the name of Christ!