Genesis 48:8 - Meaning and Application

Here is, first, the blessing with which Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons. It is especially notable because the apostle gives it special mention (Hebrews 11:21), while he says nothing about the blessing Jacob gave to the rest of his sons, though that too was done in faith.

Jacob was blind from old age (Genesis 48:10). That is one of the common weaknesses of aging. “The windows are darkened” as a sign of declining life (Ecclesiastes 12:3). It is foolish to live only by what our eyes see and let our hearts chase after that, since death will soon close those eyes, and no one knows what may happen before then. Jacob, like his father before him, had poor eyesight in old age.

Those who have the honor of old age must also accept its burden. Still, the eye of faith may be very clear even when the body’s eyes are dim.

Jacob was also very affectionate toward Joseph’s sons. He kissed them and embraced them (Genesis 48:10). Older people often feel a special love for their grandchildren, perhaps even more than they once felt for their own children when those children were young. Solomon gives a reason for this, saying, “Children’s children are the crown of old men” (Proverbs 17:6).

Jacob spoke with deep thankfulness when he said, “I had not expected to see your face, and now God has let me see your children too” (Genesis 48:11). See how these two good men gave God credit for their joy. Joseph said, “They are my sons, whom God has given me,” and he added that this was so in the place of his banishment, slavery, and imprisonment (Genesis 48:9). Jacob said, “God has shown me your offspring.” Our joys are sweeter when we clearly see that they come from God’s hand.

We also see how often God goes beyond our expectations in his kind providence. He does more than stop our fears, he exceeds our hopes. We can apply this to the promise given to us and to our children. We could never have thought that we ourselves would be taken into covenant, that is, brought into God’s binding promise of grace, considering how guilty and corrupt we are. Yet God has also shown us our children within that covenant.

Before Jacob gave the blessing, he spoke of God’s goodness to him. He had already mentioned God’s appearance to him (Genesis 48:3). Special moments of grace, and close fellowship with God, should never be forgotten. But now he speaks of God’s constant care all his life long (Genesis 48:15, 16).

God had fed him all his life to that day. As long as we live in this world, we keep finding proof of God’s goodness in the daily provision of our needs. Our bodies require food every day, and much has gone into sustaining us, yet we have never lacked what we truly needed. The God who has fed us all our life long will not fail us at the end.

Jacob also said that God’s angel had redeemed him from all evil (Genesis 48:16). He had known much hardship, but God had kindly kept him from the full harm of his troubles. As he came to die, he saw himself as delivered from all evil and about to leave sin and sorrow behind forever. Christ, the Angel of the covenant, is the one who redeems us from all evil (2 Timothy 4:18).

It is fitting for God’s servants, when they are old and near death, to bear witness that God has been gracious to them. Our own experience of God’s goodness should be used to encourage others to serve him, and to strengthen us when we bless them and pray for them.

When Jacob gave the blessing and the name of Abraham and Isaac to these boys, he also set before them the example of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 48:15). He called God “the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,” meaning the God whom they trusted, obeyed, and worshiped in the appointed acts of covenant life. “Walk before me” was God’s call to Abraham (Genesis 17:1).

Those who want to inherit the blessing of godly ancestors, and enjoy the benefit of God’s covenant with them, must follow their faith and obedience. It should also make religion appealing to us that God was the God of our fathers, and that they found joy in walking before him.

Jacob blessed the boys with crossed hands. Joseph had arranged them so that Jacob’s right hand would rest on Manasseh, the elder son (Genesis 48:12, 13). But Jacob put his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son (Genesis 48:14). Joseph was displeased, since he wanted to protect the honor of his firstborn, and he tried to move his father’s hands (Genesis 48:17, 18). But Jacob made clear that he knew exactly what he was doing. He was not mistaken, not acting on impulse, and not favoring one boy for personal reasons. He was acting under the spirit of prophecy and in agreement with God’s purpose.

Manasseh would be great, but Ephraim would be greater. Later, when the tribes were numbered in the wilderness, Ephraim was more numerous than Manasseh, and Ephraim had the standard for that group (Numbers 1:32, 33, 35; 2:18, 20). Ephraim is also named first in Psalm 80:2. Joshua, who led Israel into Canaan, was from Ephraim, and so was Jeroboam. Manasseh was split into two parts, one on each side of the Jordan, which made it less strong and less important. Jacob saw this ahead of time and crossed his hands.

God often gives more to some of his people than to others, more gifts, more grace, more comfort, and more of this world’s good things. He often gives the most to those who seem least likely to receive it. He chooses the weak things of the world and lifts the poor from the dust. Grace does not follow natural order, and God does not always prefer the people we think most fit to be preferred, but those he chooses.

It is striking how often God, by the special favors of his covenant, put the younger ahead of the older, Abel above Cain, Shem above Japheth, Abraham above Nahor and Haran, Isaac above Ishmael, Jacob above Esau, Judah and Joseph above Reuben, Moses above Aaron, and David and Solomon above their older brothers. See (1 Samuel 16:7). He required the Jews to honor the rights of the firstborn (Deuteronomy 21:17), but he never bound himself to follow that rule. Some see in this a picture of the Gentiles being preferred over the Jews, since Gentile believers became much more numerous than Jewish believers (Galatians 4:27). In this way, free grace shines even more clearly.

Second, Jacob left Joseph with a precious promise about their return from Egypt. “I am dying, but God will be with you and will bring you back” (Genesis 48:21). Later, Joseph passed on the same promise to his brothers (Genesis 50:24). This assurance was given and carefully preserved among them so they would not love Egypt too much when it treated them well, and would not fear it too much when it turned against them.

Jacob’s words give us comfort when our friends die. They die, but God stays with us, and his gracious presence is enough to make up for our loss. They leave us, but he will never leave us. He will also bring us to the land of our fathers, the heavenly Canaan, where our godly fathers have gone before us.

If God is with us while we remain in this world, and if he will soon bring us to be with those who have gone before us to a better world, we should not grieve as people who have no hope.

Jacob also gave Joseph one portion above his brothers (Genesis 48:22). The lands he passed on are described as those he took from the Amorites with his sword and bow. He first bought them (Joshua 24:32), and it seems the Amorites later took them back. But he recovered them by force, pushing back force with force and reclaiming what was his when no other way remained.

Jacob settled these lands on Joseph. This grant is also mentioned in John 4:5. Because of it, this parcel of ground belonged by right to the tribe of Ephraim, and it was never chosen by lot. Joseph’s bones were later buried there, and Jacob may have had that in mind as much as anything else when he made the gift.

The lesson is plain: it can sometimes be both right and wise to give some children larger shares than others. But in this world, a grave is the only possession we can count on as truly our own.