Genesis 48: God Knows Best

Introduction

Getting my swatch stolen… Mom wanted me to forgive… Last thing I wanted to do… Mom knows best.

You will go throughout life thinking you know what’s best for you, but ultimately, only God knows what’s best for your life. He wants you to experience His best for your life, not what you think is best for your life.

Joseph’s story… If he were writing his own story, he wouldn’t have written it this way, but God knows what’s best. God knew exactly what He was accomplishing through Joseph to bring Joseph’s family to Egypt to spare them from a famine.

Now, after years of being in Egypt, Joseph reunited with his family. His father, Jacob, now in Egypt with his family.

In this passage, Jacob blesses his sons - 12 sons who will become the 12 tribes of Israel. Genesis is telling us the story of the formation of a great nation: Israel.

This OT nation is so important because from this nation, Jesus Christ will be born as the Savior of the world.

Three truths from this story that will help you to live your best life as you trust that God knows best.

Story

Jacob on his deathbed. Jacob’s joy - he’s been reunited with Joseph. His family is in a safe place. He can go to his death in peace, and before he dies, he speaks blessings over his sons.

This isn’t something we do, but for an ancient family following God, this was a big moment. Blessing = a word that the Father speaks over the son that says something about the son’s future. The words Jacob would speak over his children were God’s words about these children.

Joseph wants his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to be blessed by Jacob. Two sons of Joseph by an Egyptian wife - a step of faith for Joseph. They could have had a different life than Joseph had growing up: access to the best the world had to offer.

But, Joseph didn’t want his sons to be identified with Egypt. Joseph didn’t believe Egypt, with all of its advantages, was the best for his sons. He believed that identifying with Jacob’s family, the Hebrews, was far better - because the Hebrews were the people that God chose to be a blessing to the world, not the Egyptians.

While the Hebrews were God’s chosen people, they were a hated people - nothing more than a bunch of stinky, traveling shepherds that the Egyptians hated. Joseph wanted his sons to go from prestigious to detestable because their godly heritage was far more important to Jospeh than their privilege in Egypt.

Jacob does far more than bless them - he adopts them. (vs. 5) (Picture of the Gospel - We’ve been adopted.) 1 Chronicles 5:1 - they are given the birthright along with Joseph - double portion of inheritance. Tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Ruben, the firstborn, will not receive the inheritance of the firstborn.

Jacob puts his hands on them - right hand on Ephraim and left on Manasseh - not the way it was supposed to be! The older is supposed to get the greater blessing! Right hand should be on the oldest, Manasseh - Joseph thought it was a mistake - Jacob old and blind. Joseph moved the hands, but the younger would be greater than the older. Sound familiar?

The two half tribes would be powerful descendants of Jacob, and Jacob prophecies that they would be celebrated.

Joseph wanted the best for his children, and it was not Egypt. Jacob wanted God’s best for Jacob’s children, and God’s best was different than what Joseph had in mind.

I must choose the best life rather than a “better life.” Better life in Egypt? Best life - a part of the covenant family. What is the best life that God has for you?

Fill in the blank… My life would be better if… (I had more time to hang with friends, that girl would go out with me, I could talk my parents into getting me that new whatever, I could get into my dream college, etc.) You can so focused on “my life would be better if...” that you miss God’s best for you. And, what you think is better never really ultimately fulfills you because you’ll always be looking for something better. (Dave Ramsey - Man won $22 million dollars but hasn’t told his teenage children. All he has bought has been patio furniture. Why? What’s best for them is NOT knowing their dad is filthy rich…)

The best life is RIGHT NOW building a foundation of faith that will last a lifetime. The choices you make today will determine you will become.

The best life is RIGHT NOW learning not to say “Hands off” to God. What area of your life are you saying, “Hands off?” God desires a life of obedience to Him in all areas. Are you obedient?

The best life is RIGHT NOW learning to develop Christlike character. What you see in Joseph’s life that compelled him to keep his eyes on God in terrible circumstances. What about you? Fruit of the Spirit -

The best life is living for God’s best - a life that is distinct from the world.

Why should you desire this kind of life? Because God gave His best for you. Joseph’s story is the story of God at work to build a nation that would ultimately bring forth a child: Jesus. Jesus would come, live the life you could not live, die the death you deserve, and rise from the dead so your sins could be forgiven. Do you know Him?