Genesis 48 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Genesis 48:1-11

1 Some time later Joseph was told, ‘Your father is ill.’ So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, ‘Your son Joseph has come to you,’ Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

3 Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me 4 and said to me, “I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.”

5 ‘Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath’ (that is, Bethlehem).

8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, ‘Who are these?’

9 ‘They are the sons God has given me here,’ Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, ‘Bring them to me so that I may bless them.’

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

11 Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.’

A. Find Out:

1. Who went to see Jacob? v.1
2. Who does Jacob tell Joseph about? v.3,4
3. What are the names of Joseph’s sons? v.5
4. What did Jacob say about them? v.5
5. What did he want to do for them? v.9
6. Why was Jacob especially blessed? v.11

B. Think:

1. What do you think it says about Joseph that he took his two sons along to see Jacob?
2. What do we learn about Jacob’s health in this particular passage?
3. What do we learn about his general state?

C. Comment:

Jacob is old, unwell, bedridden and nearly blind. For most people in this state we might expect them to be feeling sorry for themselves and somewhat low. However that is very far from how Jacob is feeling; this twister turned man-of-God is about to move powerfully in faith. As soon as Joseph arrives “Israel rallied his strength”, i.e. he made a big effort, and look what followed: first he testifies to how good God has been to him; having promised him many descendants, He has already started fulfilling that promise.

Then, as if to make up for all Joseph has been through, he announces that he wants Joseph’s two sons to be accounted as his sons. When the tribes of Israel are accounted in the rest of the Bible, Ephraim and Manasseh are often named instead of Joseph. Finally he has said he wants to bless them, and we should have learnt the significance of that by now! This old man is full of faith in his last days, still making decisions and pronouncements that will have long lasting effects. What a man of faith, God has made out of this twister!

D. Application?

1. In old age or infirmity or in illness, what sort of person are we?
2. Praise God for His grace that works in us to create people of faith out of self-centred twisters!

Passage: Genesis 48:12-22

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right towards Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

‘May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
    all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
    – may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.’

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, 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 too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’ 20 He blessed them that day and said,

‘In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
    “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”’

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.’

A. Find Out:

1. How did Joseph arrange his sons? v.13
2. But what did Jacob do? v.14
3. What did he desire for them? v.16
4. What did Joseph feel about what happened? v.17
5. What did Jacob explain? v.19
6. So what had he done? v.20c

B. Think:

1. What was Joseph expecting?
2. What does Jacob’s (Israel’s) actions tell us about him in his old age?
3. Look up Proverbs 16:9 How is that worked out here?

C. Comment:

Jacob in his weak old age has said he wants to bless the two sons of Joseph. We said yesterday that he was seeking to move in faith. Today we have seen that in even greater measure. Joseph expects the older son to get the greater blessing as was the custom but, as he places Jacob’s hands on the boys’ heads, Jacob senses that this is not right and swaps them over and pronounces the greater blessing on the younger. Confused Joseph feels put out by this but Jacob graciously explains that it’s not a case of what they want, but what will happen in God’s plans. This is at the heart of a blessing.

We should learn something from this today, in respect of blessings. Yes, we are to pronounce blessings over our families, but only as the Lord leads us. Yes, we are to declare the Lord’s will on the earth for them, but it is His will and not our wishes. What an example Jacob is: an old man sensitive to the Spirit and to the purposes of God for those around him. At last he is showing signs of real paternal leadership, bringing spiritual counsel and guidance to his family!

D. Application?

1. Do we do what is expected of us by people or custom, or what God reveals is His desire for us?
2. Are we sensitive to the prompting of God and understand the will of God in our families?
3. Ask the Lord to make you this sort of person.