Gen 48:1-16 · Read 10 min · think and write 15 min
In the last lesson, Jacob’s whole family went down into Egypt and settled in the land of Goshen. “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years” (Gen 47:28).
“The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph” (Gen 47:29), asking him, “Please don’t bury me in Egypt” (Gen 47:29), “but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said” (Gen 47:30).
This lesson reads how, when Jacob fell sick, Joseph brought his two sons to see him.
1After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed.
3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4and 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.’
5Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.
6Your offspring, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).”
8Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.”
12Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13Joseph 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 to him.
14Israel 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.
15He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.”
Sat up. “After these things, someone said to Joseph, ‘Behold, your father is sick.’ He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim” (v. 1). When Jacob heard that Joseph had come, “Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed” (v. 2).
Remembering. He spoke to Joseph of Bethel: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me” (v. 3). He said that Ephraim and Manasseh “are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine” (v. 5). And he spoke of Rachel: “Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way” (v. 7).
Who are these? “Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well” (v. 10). “Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, ‘Who are these?’” and Joseph said, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here” (vv. 8–9). Jacob “kissed them, and embraced them” (v. 10), and said: “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring also” (v. 11).
Crossed hands. Joseph put Ephraim toward his father’s left hand and Manasseh toward his right (v. 13). “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” (v. 14).
All my life long. He blessed them, saying: “The 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” (vv. 15–16).
I know. When Joseph saw his father’s right hand on Ephraim’s head, “it displeased him,” and he said: “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head” (vv. 17–18). “His father refused, and said, ‘I know, my son, I know’” (v. 19).
I am dying. “Israel said to Joseph, ‘Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers’” (v. 21).
Gathered to his people. Later Jacob called his sons and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come” (Gen 49:1). “When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people” (Gen 49:33). “Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him” (Gen 50:1). As he had asked, “his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah” (Gen 50:13).
As he blessed them, Jacob said: “Israel will bless in your name, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” (v. 20). Later, when Israel divided the land, the passage records: “For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim” (Josh 14:4).
Readers can see this: the two boys blessed at a sickbed became two of the tribes of Israel.
Perhaps you are old now, or ill; perhaps someone near you is walking the last stretch of their life.
This lesson does not say that at the end of a life everything will be complete. Jacob himself told Pharaoh that his days had been “few and evil” (Gen 47:9). What it shows you is this: an old man with dim eyes strengthened himself, sat up, held his grandsons, and spoke of God as “the God who has fed me all my life long to this day” (v. 15); and as he said goodbye: “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you” (v. 21). A psalm says: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing” (Ps 23:1).
This week: Looking back over these six lessons, write down the verse from Jacob’s life that has stayed with you most. This week, bless a young person near you once — in person, or written down for them.
Scripture: World English Bible.