Day 109 – Review Genesis 48
Genesis 48 – A Blessing Beyond Expectation
Scripture Reading – Genesis 48:15-20
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,
Genesis 48:15 KJV
The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Genesis 48:16 KJV
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
Genesis 48:17 KJV
And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
Genesis 48:18 KJV
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
Genesis 48:19 KJV
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Genesis 48:20 KJV
Scripture Review
Genesis 48 gathers a sick grandfather, a restored son, and two grandsons born in Egypt around the covenant promise. Jacob remembers Luz, Rachel’s grave, the face he never expected to see again, and the God who fed him all his life long. His memory is not tidy, but it is governed by faith. God’s word, grief, provision, and wonder all belong in the testimony.
The crossed hands show that blessing is not controlled by age, custom, or Joseph’s careful positioning. Both sons are received, but God chooses the order. Jacob then looks beyond his death and says, “God shall be with you.” The chapter’s confidence does not rest in Jacob’s eyesight or remaining strength. It rests in the covenant-keeping God.
Joseph meant to secure his sons’ blessing in the expected order, and Jacob meant to give them a place and testimony within Israel.
God meant to extend the covenant through Ephraim and Manasseh, display the freedom of grace, and direct the family’s hope beyond Jacob’s death.
What this asks of me
I want to leave a testimony that can hold sorrow, surprise, and confidence together. I should bless the next generation by telling the truth about the God who has fed me, not by presenting myself as the hero. When expected arrangements change, I can trust the wisdom of the One whose promise remains.
Consider
- What would I want the next generation to know about the God who has carried me?
- Can I trust God’s wisdom when His order differs from the one I carefully arranged?