ISRAEL BLESSES THE SONS OF JOSEPH

PROCLAMATION

“And he blessed Joseph, and said, ‘God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, The God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.’”  Genesis 48:15-16 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  And it came to pass that Israel got sick and Joseph went to see him and took his two sons with him.  Israel recounted to Joseph that God Almighty had appeared to him in Canaan and told him that He would multiply his seed, and that He would give that land to his seed. (Genesis 48:1-4)  He also reminded Joseph of the death and burial of his wife Rachael. (Genesis 48:7)  Then he hugged and kissed both of the sons of Joseph.  Afterwards he blessed them, but he put his right hand on the head of Ephraim the youngest, and his left hand of the head of Manasseh the first born.  This displeased Joseph but Israel said that while both sons would be great, the younger son Ephraim would be greater than his brother and a multitude of nations shall come from him. (Genesis 48:8-19)  Then he told Joseph that The Lord God would be with him. (Genesis 48:21)

 

APPLICATION

If the truth be told, all of us are blessed, but we are not all equally blessed.  The Lord God does not follow man’s tradition of giving the first born the most of everything.  He blesses whomever He chooses, how and when He chooses.  God will frequently bless the younger son to be greater than the first born son.  That which The Lord God has in store for each of us will not be given to anyone else.  He blesses us according to our different abilities. (Matthew 25:15)  And in the end, we will all be rewarded according to how well we used the blessings, gifts, and talents which He gave us. (Matthew 25:21 and 25:23)  Hopefully, one day we will all hear Him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”