The Beginning and Meaning of Everything that Matters Covenant—Jacob, pt. 12 Genesis 48:1-22 Outline 48:1-22 Jacob, in preparing to die (47:27-49:33), blesses Joseph and his two sons, before he blesses all of his twelve sons (49:1-33). 48:1-12 Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as if they were his own sons, continuing the promise of God through them. 48:13-22 Jacob blesses Joseph’s younger son, Ephraim, ahead of his older son, Manasseh, submitting to the unconventional purpose of God. What’s going on in this chapter? This chapter (along with the next chapter) narrates a significant moment in the life of Jacob as he prepares to die, which is much like what took place with Isaac (27:1-28:4)—blessing his sons. This chapter provides the backdrop for understanding (later on) the inclusion of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons, in the allotted inheritance rights (e.g. land) along with their uncles within the nation of Israel. This chapter highlights the relationship between the promises of God and His purposes in bringing them about, along with the responsibility of His people and the consequences for their conduct. This chapter demonstrates, especially, Jacob’s confident faith in the promises of God and in the God who makes promises, and thus provides a fitting wrap-up to his life (and story within Genesis). He made Joseph promise to bury him in Canaan (47:29-30). He blessed all of his sons before he died (48:1-49:33). He blessed Joseph’s two sons first, before the twelve brothers (48:1-20). He gave Joseph—rather than his brothers—a special gift (48:21-22). Jacob believed that the promises of God and their fulfillment endured beyond his own life, into subsequent generations. Jacob believed that his sons were both unconditional recipients of God’s promises and responsible for the consequences of their conduct. Jacob blesses his sons before he dies, starting with Joseph’s two sons, and demonstrates his confident faith in God who keeps His word. Genesis 48:1-12 Genesis 48:13-22 What should we make of this chapter? 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; Hebrews 11:21 Jacob demonstrated a confident faith… …that embraced physical death appropriately …that sought to perpetuate acting in line with God’s promise …that humbly acknowledged and depended on God …that insisted on submitting to the (unconventional) ways of God “The passage is fully about the faith of the patriarch who was about to die without receiving the promises but who had learned in his lifetime about the ways of God.” (Creation and Blessing, Allen P. Ross)