The Adoption: Ephraim and Manasseh

4 Facts about the adoption displayed in Genesis 48 and how it speaks to our adoption as the children of God.

The adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh gave them the full rights and privileges as sons of Jacob.

Illustration

I have a friend who is an adoptive parent. Their children are obviously adopted because of their ethnicity. It is however surprising how often they and others in their situation get questions like “are they yours?”

It is surprising because the answer to that question is yes they are mine. The problem is their question communicated something other than what they were asking. What they were really asking was “did you adopt these children?”

Others who are even less sensitive might ask “which ones are your real kids?”

Truth be told it is not the feelings of the parents that are of chief concern when these situations come up. They signed up for this. What I am most concerned about is the ideas that can be inadvertently planted in the mind and heart of the child. They shouldn’t have to grow up hearing about which ones are the “real kids” and which ones are the adopted kids.

Adoption in its purest and right form is when the child is treated in the exact same manner and given the exact same privileges.

In our text Jacob adopts his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh.

Context (v. 1, 2)

Genesis 48:1-2 “Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.”

Jacob is dying

He knows it and Joseph knows it.

So, naturally Joseph comes to his father’s bedside, and he brings his children with him so they might see their grandpa for perhaps one last time.

Covenant Reviewed (v. 3, 4)

Genesis 48:3-4 “Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’”

Thus the covenant that God blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with becomes the basis for the blessing that Jacob extends to his family on his deathbed.

Adoption Finalized (v. 5, 6)

Genesis 48:5-6 “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.”

We are not told if Jacob told Joseph ahead of time that he was going to do this, but we have to be careful to read it in the right tone and light.

Jacob was not taking Ephraim and Manasseh away from Joseph. He was after all on his deathbed.

Unlike many adoptions this was not about who would raise them, but rather giving them a more direct connection to Jacob and therefore the Abrahamic Covenant.

Jacob shows what adoption is meant to be. “Ephraim and Manasseh are mine; as Reuben and Simeon are mine.”

He compares them to his biological children and declares that there is no difference.

He intentionally uses his oldest two children as well. They will be like my first born.

Main Point: The adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh gave them the full rights and privileges as sons of Jacob. When you are adopted into the family of God you are given the full rights and privileges as a child of God.

1 John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Blood might be thicker than water in some cases, but not here. Our adoption into God’s family is not based on blood, or the will of man but rather on the will of God.

Illustration: A biker and software engineer

The adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh was based on the love Jacob had for their father Joseph.

What had Ephraim and Manasseh done to earn this? Nothing.

Now we do see that Jacob had figured somethings out because he doesn’t make the mistake of given them each a coat of many colors.

Who does talking with Joseph make Jacob think about? Rachel, the wife whom he loved.

Genesis 48:7 “But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).””

Thinking and speaking of Rachel is exactly what we would expect Jacob to do on his deathbed.

This helps us understand further the question of why Jacob adopted his grandsons.

In other words by adopting Joseph’s sons Jacob was giving a double portion of the inheritance and blessing to Joseph.

Genesis 48:22 “Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.””

Jacob didn’t need more sons, he already had twelve. This was about two things, the covenant and Jacob’s special love for Joseph.

And to be honest Joseph earned it.

Main Point: Just like Ephraim and Manasseh did nothing to earn their adoption you did nothing to earn yours.

Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

“blessed with every spiritual blessing” = the rights and privileges that we already discussed.

“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...” = adoption is a choice

You have been adopted into the family of God by no merit of your own for the glory of God.

The inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh was more about God’s covenant than Jacob’s wealth.

Illustration: When we adopted Coda it was made very clear to us that we were not differentiate between him and our other children when it came to their inheritance.

Jacob extends the blessing (v. 8-16)

Genesis 48:8-16 “Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?” Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!” So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Jacob’s eyesight was failing and he must ask Joseph who is in the room with him.

Joseph identified his sons. (Notice that Joseph recognizes his sons as a gift from the Lord.)

Jacob embraces his grandchildren as a grandfather should.

Jacob is overwhelmed by the blessing of family. Genesis 48:11 “And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!””

Joseph places himself and the children in place to receive the blessing. (v. 12)

Jacob switches the children’s places (v. 13, 14) more on this in a moment.

Notice how the text says that Jacob was blessing Joseph (v. 15)

Content of the blessing is basically that Ephraim and Manasseh would be a part of the fulfillment of the covenant. And they clearly were, because they each become the father of a tribe of Israel.

This makes sense, it is not like Joseph needed more money.

Main Point: Jacob kept his focus and his families focus on the fulfillment of the covenant through this adoption. I believe it was one way that Jacob told his sons that they were a part of this divine covenant and no one could take that away from them. Genesis 48:21 “Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.”

God’s adoption of us has also given us something that no one can take away.

Romans 8:15-17 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Our adoption into God’s family has given us:

Access

Intimacy

Assurance

Inheritance

What does it mean that we are joint heirs with Christ?

The term heirs of God emphasizes our relationship to God the Father. As His children, we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade . . . kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4).

The Greek term translated “heirs” in Romans 8:17 refers to “those who receive their allotted possession by right of sonship.” In other words, because God has made us His children (see John 1:12), we have full rights to receive His inheritance. We are His beneficiaries (see Matthew 25:34; Galatians 3:29; Colossians 1:12; 3:24).

Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, is the natural “heir” of the Father. “God said to him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” (Hebrews 5:5; cf. Psalm 2:7). Christ’s inheritance is the whole universe, all that is in existence: Hebrews 1:2 says that the Son has been “appointed heir of all things.”

Being a co-heir with Christ means that we, as God’s adopted children, will share in the inheritance of Jesus. What belongs to Jesus will also belong to us. Christ gives us His glory (John 17:22), His riches (2 Corinthians 8:9), and all things (Hebrews 1:2).

We are as welcome in God’s family as Jesus is; we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6, NKJV). All that belongs to Jesus Christ will belong to us, the co-heirs, as well.

“You are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:7). Think of all that means. Everything that God owns belongs to us as well because we belong to Him. Our eternal inheritance as co-heirs with Christ is the result of the amazing grace of God.

The adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh did not conform to human reason.

Once again we see the younger being blessed over the older.

Joseph even tries to correct the situation, but Jacob refuses.

Genesis 48:17-20 “Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.”

Manasseh is the latest in a line of older brothers in Genesis that are not given the primary blessing.

Ishmael

Esau

Reuben

Why does God subvert our expectations in this way? It reminds us that it is not our plan it is His.

Main Point: God’s adoption of us into His family doesn’t make much human sense does it?

You mean to tell me its free?

God did that for me?

God took me who was His enemy and made me His child?