Reading
SAA Notes
Manasseh and Ephraim are at least between 7 years of age and their early teens, when Jacob blesses them. Jacob acts as God’s prophet with his two grandsons. He makes no mistake when he blesses Ephraim, the second born with the first-born blessing. Notice that Jacob is the first to use the phrase: “the LORD is my shepherd.” (48:15)
SJA Notes
* Holy God, Your word is true and You are truth. Please teach us today.
“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).”
You can see the events.
Joseph brings his two sons, sons that Jacob had said would be upgraded into the inheritance line with Jacob’s other sons, and puts them in order right and left. Oldest on the right, youngest on the left. Older before younger.
But then Jacob does a strange thing.
This very old man, close to death, completely blind – He crosses his weathered spotty arms and puts the younger before the older. Ephraim before Manasseh.
We can imagine that within God’s sovereign will guiding Jacob was a mirroring of his own youthful experience with inheritance. Jacob and Esau, the younger gaining the blessing of the older.
God’s purposes work themselves out. He works His will out for His good purposes (that are good for us).
Sometimes we don’t like how God works.
But He is sovereign. We are not. He is perfect. We are not. He is God. We are created humanity.
Let us be encouraged to grow (hard-won, hard-fought, day-in-and-out) our trust in the Lord as He works His purposes out in our lives.
* Mighty God,
Please teach us from Your word today, write it on our hearts – that we might not sin against You.
Please help us to submit under Your will, even as we work to go about Your will.
Help us not to be caught up in human traditions or genealogies over Your word and our trust in You.
Amen.