Genesis 48:1-22
Jacob asks Joseph to bring his grandsons for a visit.
He wanted to bless them as sons and rightful heirs to inherit the
promises of God.
God intended for a good
life to be imparted to children through the spoken blessing. The Patriarchs expected their blessings to be
fulfilled in the lives of their children.
Orthodox Judaism continues to preserve the tradition of powerful and formal
family blessings.
Jacob knew he was
dying, and wanted not to pass before
blessing Joseph’s sons. He understood
the power of the father’s blessing as he had deceived his father
Isaac to usurp his older brother’s right to the blessing of inheritance. He knew the blessings of his grandfather
Abraham had set the course of history for the Hebrew children and the nation of
Israel. They were to inherit and occupy
the land of Canaan on the other side of the Jordan River, promised to them by
God.
As Joseph guided his
sons to Jacob’s outstretched hand, he knew the protocol. The right hand held the blessing. Joseph named his first born son Manasseh,
(God has made me to forget all my troubles.)
To his second son he gave the name Ephraim, (God has caused me to be
fruitful in the land of my affliction.)
Naming conventions focus on intent and meaning, on relationship to a
source code. The naming of children
requires prayerful consideration.
In spite of Joseph’s
commandeering shuffle to protect the right of the firstborn, Jacob understood
the interpretation of the names of his grandsons. Perhaps he chose to invest the blessing of promise in the son who was born when Joseph’s heart was in a better and
stronger place.
We may use the word
blessing casually, while seriously we long for the inheritance of peace and
God’s favor to be spoken over us and over our children.
Be blessed
of the Lord!
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