The “blessings” we watch Jacob distribute in Genesis 48 and
49 are sacred and powerful moments!
I remember with joy, how a Christian book, entitled—I think—The Blessing, inspired me to “bless” the
boys each night just after prayers and just before sleep. I would recite the Aaronic Blessing from
Numbers 6:24-26, and lay my hand on them.
They seemed to take to it, reminding eagerly, if I forgot. When I would travel, I would call the
“blessing” in from wherever I was.
These “blessings” of Jacob are something a good deal more
than those nighttime blessings; these are more akin to prophecies or “final
testaments.”
Reading Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh brought
happy tears to my eyes. No, he’s not
reverting to his deceptive, heel-grabbing days when he crosses hands and
blesses Ephraim, the younger grandson, above Manasseh, the elder. He’s simply acting on some word that God had
given him concerning the boys. And the
“blessings” for the sons in Genesis 49 are certainly a mixed bag. A key moment occurs when Jacob identifies his
fourth son, Judah, as the one
who holds the scepter and ruler’s staff; Judah would also have the
birthright and be the one through whom the Messiah (here, cryptically referred
to as Shiloh—Genesis 49:10) would
come. After finishing these blessings,
Jacob dies.
Jacob had made Joseph promise to bury him back in Canaan;
and Pharaoh does more than just allow the funeral procession to the Promised
Land, he sends a “very great company” of Egyptians along with the people of
Israel. The funeral was so intense that
the Canaanites took note of it!
But the best moment in Genesis is saved for last. The brothers, fearful of Joseph now that Dad
is dead, come, hat-in-hand, to make sure they were really forgiven. Joseph’s answer is one of the grandest
testaments to faith in God’s Sovereignty in Scripture: You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. (Genesis 50:20). There it is, Romans 8:28 in its Old
Testament form!
Until tomorrow, when we enter Exodus,
Pastor Gary
No comments:
Post a Comment