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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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Genesis 48:17
Comments
When Joseph saw this, ‘it displeased him’; it was bad in his eye, literally. Could God allow a mistake to be made in such an important matter, and the wrong son given the primary blessing? Joseph went to guide his father’s hand, but Jacob knew what he was doing. Time and again in the Old Testament the youngest of two sons gets the blessing, because blessing is not by birth or status, but by grace. Jacob himself had secured the right of the firstborn from his brother Esau. It is woven into the fabric of Israel’s history in order that God may be God.Ephraim and Manasseh were made the heads of tribes, so actually there were thirteen tribes of Israel, although twelve loosely describes them. The tribe of Ephraim became so large that its name was used to stand for all the northern tribes – it was the largest and most significant of them, as well as the most disobedient at times. ‘By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph’ (Hebrews 11:21).
Application
God had indicated to Jacob in some way that he should bless the younger. To the end of his life he is obeying the Lord. He understands the instruction of God. Do we? It is a sad thing when preachers uphold centrality of the Bible but do not obey it? Are they responsible for bringing bands and informality into the worship? What about you and me? Do we help ourselves to many worldly things? This is a great testimony of Jacob. He understood and obeyed.
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