Lesson 97 Genesis 48 Jacob's Testimony on the Ladder Days

The Official Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh into the 12 Tribes 48:1-7

English Standard Version (Chapter 48)

48 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).”

Jacob is near death and Joseph’s family is called in. The others were probably already there because they lived in near proximity. Joseph lived in proximity to where his duties prescribed as second only to Pharaoh. Joseph brings along his two sons, hoping to catch a grandfathers’s blessing and boom! Jacob unloads the dump truck on them. The scene is very dramatic as the 147 year old man “summons” up the strength to sit up and minister to Joseph and his sons. The”summoned” means an action with a high degree of intensity. Remember, this was before the times of fancy hospitals. It was all he could do to just sit up and do this, yet the text shows us it is with great accuracy he recounts the blessing made to himself before he blesses them. He is literally revived in spirit for this moment. It’s a God thing for sure!

Verse 3 tells us that God Almighty appeared unto Jacob. This Yahweh, or El Shaddai who came. The one of almighty power appeared at Luz. Luz is Bethel in the land of Canaan. It is the location of the vision of the ladder with angels ascending and descending. Hence, ladder days. Not latter. This is where Jacob poured the oil on the rock that was his pillow. Grandpa Jacob has the stories to tell for sure. I hope Ephraim and Manasseh were listening. The theme is that God is the One Who will be doing the blessing through His servants. It all had come from the hand of the Almighty God. Jacob recounts the blessing/ God encounter almost verbatim from earlier. At 147, he is a sharp old guy.

He recounts the blessing to Joseph and his sons of verse 4 and then in verse five he officially adopts Joseph’s two sons into the 12 tribes. Ephraim and Manasseh he takes as his own for sons, anybody who comes later, no. Here’s an explanation from I Chronicles 5:1, 2 of how that works and how it remained 12 tribes:

The Lexham English Bible (Chapter 5)

5 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he was not enrolled in the genealogy as the firstborn,

2 though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, but the birthright belonged to Joseph).

Later the tribe of Levi would not be given a share of the promised land because of the Levitical priesthood not receiving an inheritance in the Promised land as the Lord Himself was their inheritance. That equals a minus one clan from the 12. Ephraim assumed the leadership of the entire clan eventually and the 12 roll on. Both of Joseph’s boys were treated as full sons of Jacob, though they were one half Egyptian. This seems to be more of a problem with the Egyptians than with Jacob. We must remember that shepherds were hated and despised in Egypt. And, Reuben lost his birthright by sleeping with a step mother. It was a very serious offense that he paid for with his place in the family. While Joseph was not the first born in the family, he was the first born under his mother Rachel, thus putting him in the favored status along with his sons. Even though Rachel had passed and was long dead by this time. It may seem complicated, but back then, there would not have been as many critics of the setup before the advent of Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram. With Joseph being the one who has saved all of their lives, there is not a peep of complaint.

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Bethlehem gets mentioned right now and it points us to the coming Redeemer, Jesus. Though it is a very important landmark, we see the Savior because of being the place where shepherds went to see the baby Jesus, but the ancients, probably did not see that until the prophet Micah landed on the scene in chapter five of his book, verse 2:

King James Version Micah (Chapter 5)

2  But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;

Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Bringing the kids Near for the Blessing chapter 48:8- 13

English Standard Version (Chapter 48)

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.

When you are 147 years old, you can get by with not recognizing that it’s your grandchild when they are standing in front of you. “Who are these?” may seem a bit comical but growing old is not for sissies. He couldn’t see them. Jacob doesn’t skip a beat, doesn’t apologize, and goes straight to the blessing. He said bring them to me. Again, if they are right there, it seems there is a spacial context that Jacob is not aware of. Next we are told, easy does it, he’s getting older and could not see them.vs.10. Jacob then reminisces about the tough times of never expecting to see Joseph alive but he also got to see the grand kids. That is icing on the cake. Then Joseph gets the boys off his lap and bows in front of his dad and then starts to place the boys under Jacob’s right and left hands. Manasseh being the older was headed toward the right hand of Jacob and Ephraim would get the left hand, or what’s left.

As we end today, let’s listen in on a dad’s blessing on his son and grandsons:

47:15- 16

English Standard Version (Chapter 48)

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.”

Any son or grandson would be pleased to know they are not the end of the line. The big plus is that they are going to grow into a multitude. Bless the boys, in Jesus name Amen!