Wednesday, August 26, 2009
I was wondering...
I was reading Genesis 48, where the dying Jacob blesses Josephs two sons Manasseh(oldest) and Ephraim(youngest). The boys were placed, Manasseh on the right side of Jacob and Ephraim on the left. But when Jacob blesses them he crosses his hands, so his left goes to Manasseh and his right is on Ephraim. Joseph tries to correct Jacob thinking that because he was half blind, he made a mistake. But Jacob said in Genesis 48:19(NLT) "...Manasseh will be a great people but his younger brother will become even greater." What did he mean?
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This is part of a key motif in Genesis, that the "elder shall serve the younger." God respects Abel's offering but rejects Cain's. God chooses Jacob over Esau. Finally, Joseph (the eldest son of Rachel) is chosen to receive the double portion of the first-born over Reuben (the eldest son of Leah) because Reuben had sinned against his father. Joseph's "double portion" is that his sons each receive an apportionment in Israel (instead of sharing one apportionment). But even then, Joseph's younger son Ephraim receives a greater blessing than Manasseh.
ReplyDeleteIn the history of Israel, Ephraim is one of the more powerful tribes, particularly after the kingdom divides. Some of the prophets refer to the Northern Kingdom as "Ephraim," because that tribe virtually controlled the political decisions of the 10-tribe kingdom.