Gen 48

Genesis 48:1–7 (ESV) —
1 After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”


• Something very significant happens in this passage -- what is it?
• Jacob elevates Ephraim and Manasseh to the level of his sons (vs5)
• In essence, Joseph gets a double blessing in the land of Canaan (two tribes - vs6)
• Some have puzzled over why Jacob brings up Rachel's death. Any thoughts in context with the passage?
• Rachel's death prevented her from having other children and Joseph's sons are the sons Rachel couldn't deliver
• Rachel delivered two sons to Jacob prior to entering the land, and Joseph delivers two sons to Jacob upon entering Egypt


Genesis 48:8–20 (ESV) —
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 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). 15 And he blessed Joseph and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’ ”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.


• How would you describe Joseph (the most powerful man in Egypt), his interactions with his Father?
• He is respectful of his Father as the one with more honor
• He might disagree, but he obeys
• This is the first instance in scripture of laying on hands
• It is used to bless
• It is used to give honor
• It is used to give responsibility
• What do we know later about Ephraim and Manasseh?
• Ephraim would be one of the more influential tribes during the period of the Judges
• Ephraim would become leader of the 10 tribes, the northern kingdom [See the Judges and their Homelands in Biblical Places Map]
• Manasseh would split up the tribe on both sides of the Jordan river
• Num 26-27, We need to be careful of our company also see chart
• What is faith?
• It certainly is believing that God will do as he promised
• Later in Exodus, after God had done amazing powerful things, the people complain and gripe about water
• Did they not believe God was powerful enough to provide water?
• God is angry with them for their lack of faith
• Jacob is absolutely convinced God will bring them back. Still, what is faith?
• Hebrews 11:21 (ESV) — By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
• Hebrews 11:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
• Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) — 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
• What two things are required?
• God exists
• God rewards those who love him
• Psalm 95:8–11 (ESV) —
8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
• Hebrews 3:12–19 (ESV) — 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

• What is rest?
• I believe it is maturity in Christ that gives hope in the midst of pain
• I believe it also refers to our inheritance, reigning with Christ in the millennial kingdom
• It does not refer to eternal life in heaven -- that is guaranteed by Christ's death
• They knew his power
• They did not believe he cared -- that he was a rewarder
• APPLICATION: Do we really believe God cares for me? What does that look like? How does that change our response to situations of life?