Bible Study Online Article
In the last article we learned that Jacob claimed Ephraim and Manasseh as his very own. Because of this, they are now recognized as Jacob's direct descendants; by which, they are now added to the twelve tribes. This would be the first part, when it came to Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh. We also learned; that their addition to the twelve tribes, doesn't change their number -- for they are still twelve. The reason for this; is that Joseph and Levi -- don't have a tribe named after them. This is not to slight them in anyway. For Joseph's household, would be recognized through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh; and Levi will have the honor, of bringing forth the Levitical Priesthood; through his three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Now let's move forward, for we now find Jacob inquiring about the two boys: "Who are these." He asked Joseph. "They are the sons God has given me here." Joseph responded. "Bring them to me, so I may bless them." Jacob told Joseph. Note: It would seem that Jacob already knew of the two boys, for he had already claimed them. But the great patriarch; had not yet, met them personally. Understand, that this would be the first time that Jacob would lay eyes on the two boys. Now we must also keep in mind, that just like his father before him, Jacob's natural eyesight was very weak, due to his old age. I find it interesting that Jacob would find himself in a somewhat similar position. But there are some very important differences, between the two situations. In which, I will explain in the next article. So after Joseph had brought the boys close to Jacob, so he could see their faces the best that he could: the great patriarch would kiss and embrace them: "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." After Jacob had said this, Joseph removed the boys from Jacob's knees, and bowed down with his face to the ground. Note: Depending on your translation, when you read the Scripture that explains this moment, you could easily get confused. For some seem to think that the two boys had ran away from Jacob, based on the way the text reads. "And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth." (Genesis 48:12) -- Now this Scripture reads very similar between the: KJV, NKJV, BBE, NASB translations. Most other translations make it clear that the boys were taken from Israel's (Jacob) knees. Understand that I'm not pointing this out, to speak against certain translations. For I believe God's Word, is just as powerful, regardless of the translation. I'm thankful that the Bible comes in many forms, translations, and languages and not limited to a certain group or culture. I just want to make it clear, for there are many; who like to take these types of Scriptures that are slightly different between translations, and use them -- to try to confuse and discourage people from seeking out the one true God. Be as it may, Joseph remove the boys from their grandfather's knees and bowed down before his father. Joseph would take Ephraim, and place him on the left-hand-side of Jacob; and take Manasseh and place him on Jacob's right-hand-side. This is important to note, for Manasseh was the oldest between the two boys, so it was customary that he be placed on the right. For it was the right side that was seen to be more honorable and signified some type of priority. With Joseph know that his father's eyesight was very weak, he placed them close to him. But Jacob reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, and crossed his arms and placed his left hand on the head of Manasseh. Then he blessed Joseph (through his kids) by saying: "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; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." Now after Joseph had seen, that Jacob had crossed his arms and placed his right hand on top of Ephraim's head and not on top of Manasseh's -- he became disappointed. For he felt like Jacob had made a mistake, being that Manasseh was the oldest. So Joseph would take hold of his father's hand and tried to place Jacob's right hand on the head of Manasseh: "No my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." But Jacob refused and told Joseph: "I know, my son, I know. Manasseh too will become a great people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother Ephraim will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations." And so afterwards, Jacob blessed them by concluding: "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" Basically this last statement points out, that Joseph was blessed as well. For we must understand; that the blessing is bestowed upon Ephraim and Manasseh, and by them being his sons -- Joseph would receive his blessing through them. So therefore, he was blessed, not in person, but through his children. So Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh and if we were to look ahead for a brief moment, I would like to show that this prophecy did come true for Ephraim and Manasseh. For Ephraim would eventually be greater in number: "On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. And his army was numbered at forty-thousand and five-hundred. Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand and two-hundred." (Numbers 2:18-21) Ephraim also held the advantage in position and power, for they held the first seat in the tabernacle while they dwelled in the wilderness, and later on represented the Northern Kingdom (the ten tribes) after the house of David was divided into two kingdoms. With the other one being the Southern Kingdom (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) The Northern Kingdom first king, Jeroboam the son Nebat would come from Ephraim, for he reigned for twenty-two years. Also keep in mind that Joshua, who was Moses' successor, the one that lead the Israelites from out of the wilderness and into the promise land -- also came from the tribe of Ephraim as well. Remember that our explorations when it comes to the Sacred Scriptures, allows us to see how God moved in the natural. For we also gain a huge advantage, because we are able to see God working first hand in people lives, when they couldn't. We are able to see how it's much better to obey God, than to go against Him. We are able to see how his Word is constantly foretold and fulfilled. The Sacred Scriptures are a true blueprint on how to identify God and His movements. For it reminds us, that we stand on facts, and not hype, or superstition. The exploration of the Sacred Scriptures, allows us to stand confident under the promise of the Blood Covenant that Jesus Christ paid for with His natural life. God never broke a promise, He didn't then and He doesn't now; or never will. Many people run to the book of Revelations, to see if it's being fulfilled. But they fail to realize, that the same Spirit that moved through the Apostle John, is the same Spirit that moved throughout the prophets of old. If we would learn to be patient, and humble ourselves, we would see how God's Word is constantly confirmed throughout time. For God never changes, He will be, forever the same: today, yesterday and forevermore. We will explore this a little bit more in the next article. For Jacob is not done prophesying. We will also take a brief look at Joseph's disappointment in this matter. Was it warranted? Is it wrong to have great expectations when it comes to God?
Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty **YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE**
102) Jacob the Stunned & Delighted 105) Israel's Blessing to Pharaoh 107) The Promise Between Father & Son 108) Jacob Becomes Ill 109) Jacob Adds Manasseh and Ephraim 110) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 111) Joseph's Expectation and Disappointment 112) The Promise Covenant with Humanity 113) The Prophecy of Reuben, Simeon and Levi 115) The Tribe of Kings 116) Representation of the Scepter 117) The Importance of the Sanhedrin 118) The Gathering of the People  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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