Day 104 – Genesis 48:1-7
God Almighty Appeared Unto Me
Scripture Reading – Genesis 48:1-7
And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Genesis 48:1 KJV
And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Genesis 48:2 KJV
And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
Genesis 48:3 KJV
And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
Genesis 48:4 KJV
And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Genesis 48:5 KJV
And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
Genesis 48:6 KJV
And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.
Genesis 48:7 KJV
Scripture Review
Joseph hears that his father is sick and brings Manasseh and Ephraim to him. Jacob gathers his strength, sits upon the bed, and begins with what God said at Luz. Before he speaks of Rachel’s grave or adopts Joseph’s sons, he rehearses the promise: God appeared, blessed him, promised fruitfulness, and gave the land to his seed. A weak body leans upon a strong word.
Jacob then receives Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, placing them among Reuben and Simeon for inheritance. He also remembers Rachel’s death near Ephrath. Promise and sorrow stand in the same testimony. Faith does not require Jacob to hide the grave. It teaches him to interpret even that grief within a covenant God has not forgotten.
Joseph meant to bring his sons for their grandfather’s blessing, and Jacob meant to set their place in the covenant household before his death.
God meant to preserve His promise through another generation, enlarge Joseph’s inheritance through two tribes, and anchor a dying man in the word spoken at Luz.
What this asks of me
When strength is small, I need to begin with what God has said. Memory can rehearse disappointments until they become the whole story, or it can carry both sorrow and promise honestly. I should tell the next generation about God’s faithfulness without pretending there were no graves along the road.
Consider
- What promise of God should I rehearse when physical or emotional strength is low?
- How can I speak honestly of sorrow without allowing it to silence the faithfulness of God?