"Famous Last Words" Genesis 47:27-48:22 Pastor Allan Wooters, D.Min.
History is filled with the last words of famous people. Some of these final statements are poignant. John Wayne turned to his wife and said, “Of course I know who you are. You’re my girl.” Some are sobering. Michael Landon, actor from Little House on the Prairie fame, responded to his family after his son said it was okay for him to go said, “You’re right. It’s time. I love you all.” Other words are just a bit different. One of my drummer idols, Buddy Rich, died after surgery in 1987. As he was being prepped for the procedure, a nurse asked him, “Is there anything you can’t take?” Rich replied, “Yeah, country music.”
In Genesis 47 and 48, we have a record of some of the last words of Jacob. They are not brief, but they are poignant, insightful, and above all, massively important. They are words filled with hope and faith. There’s no fear expressed, only confidence. They are words which look to the future and no doubt gave a huge sense of confidence and even joy to his family. Jacob’s last words carry the theme we have seen for the past few weeks namely, the theme of blessing. Indeed, blessing is front and center yet again.
In chapter 47: 27 – 31 there is a summary statement of the blessings Jacob enjoyed along with a sobering account of him insisting that Joseph vow to bury him in the Promised Land. Of course, Joseph agrees. Then in chapter 48 there is the account of Jacob’s final days but more importantly, the record of his blessing given to his family. Let’s read vs.1 – 7. The words here are a prelude to the actual blessings Jacob is about to impart. But his words are not mere background information. What he says informs us concerning the foundation of any blessing we give or receive. That foundation is one of absolute confidence in God.
Confidence in God is the Foundation of Any Blessing
We see this confidence expressed in vs.3 – 4. There Jacob recounts how in his youth “God Almighty” appeared to him and blessed him. This sounds very different from what he expressed in the past. All through the record of Joseph’s life, Jacob is a sad man. He is always talking about death. Everything is painted black in his life. He even tells Pharaoh when they met that his days had been few on earth and “unpleasant” (Gen. 47:9). But now, things have changed. Something has gotten hold of Jacob and turned his blacked outlook into one of gratitude.
There is gratitude and confidence in Jacob’s words here in vs. 1 – 7 and in what follows. And all of it is based on Jacob finally understanding and trusting in the character of God. It is noteworthy that Jacob refers to the Lord not just as “God” but as “God Almighty.” He understood that God had the power to bring about any plan set out for his life and that of his family. With his eyes fixed firmly on this Almighty God, Jacob begins his blessing.
Let’s note this in vs.8 – 16. What Jacob gives to those young men, was nothing less than the blessing God had promised to Abraham that he would be the father of millions and that they would dwell in a land of God’s choosing; what we call “the Promised Land.”
Now, this is amazing when you consider it. At the beginning of his young life, God extended the blessing of Abraham to Jacob. Through Jacob, God would fulfill His promise of a land and a massive number of descendants. Yet, during his lifetime, Jacob didn’t see anything remotely close to that promise being fulfilled. He lived as a wandering shepherd with his sons doing the same. There was no glory. No multitude. No possession of land. Indeed, there had been strife, incredible loss with the death of his beloved wife, Rachael, and the assumed death of Joseph. On top of that, instead of the land being abundant in harvest, there was famine.
That Jacob was able to look beyond all that pain, all that he saw and felt, and look with gratitude and confidence to God to bless Joseph and his sons is astounding. It is a near miracle, a miracle of faith. Now we can see why Hebrews 11 depicts Jacob as an example of faith using the events in our text as proof of his faith.
Jacob was no longer trusting his scheming as he had for so many years. He was not trusting luck, or fate, or anything but God Almighty. This leads us to ask ourselves who or what do we trust? What helps us make sense out of our lives? And when life doesn’t make sense, how do we cope? What allows us to face hard times? The answer for us is the same as for Jacob. It is God Almighty! He is the One who can make sense out of our lives. He alone can bring good out of evil, hope from despair, victory out of seeming defeat. It is God and God alone. Jacob saw that God had turned around his entire life and he wanted his descendants to get in on the blessings of this amazing God. But it was not just God’s power, His almighty nature that Jacob considered. It was also God’s grace. Indeed, this is a fact about all our blessings. They are anchored in God’s grace.
Blessings Anchored in God’s Grace
The theme of grace is seen in vs.5 – 6. The words are strange at first. Jacob says that Joseph’s two sons would now be his. What? Is he adopting them? Yes! Yes, he is! What Jacob is literally doing is elevating Ephraim and Manasseh in the place of his two oldest sons. Jacob is making Joseph’s sons the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. There is no tribe of Simeon or Rueben among the twelve. They had discredited themselves due to sin as we discover in the next chapter. But they are replaced.
But there’s more. The blessing to Joseph’s two sons was theirs alone. No other of Joseph’s children would have it. And on top of this, Ephraim and Manasseh are the only two grandchildren included in the blessing. No other grandchild is so honored.
All of this is grace. Joseph’s sons had done nothing to earn this incredible turn of events. They had no personal merit which demanded they be so honored. Really, they had a huge strike against them. They were sons from a pagan, Gentile mother! Yet, they were elevated to the status of being the ancestors of two of Israel’s tribes because that is how God planned it. Incredible! God’s grace on full display.
And so, it is with us! When we were blessed with the gift of salvation, we had nothing to commend us to God. The Lord owed us nothing especially the forgiveness of our sins. Indeed, our sin deserved God’s judgment. Yet, in grace God sent Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord making it so that we could go from outcast to child of God. That is love. That is mercy. That is grace. In Christ, you and I are accepted, claimed by God as His child, and given an inheritance which according to the apostle Peter, is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). Amazing! Yet, given all of this, there is one other factor to the biblical view of blessing we dare not miss. It is that all blessings display the sovereignty of God.
Blessings Display the Sovereignty of God
Let’s note vs.17 – 22. When Jacob blesses his two grandsons, he reaches out to place his hands on them to deliver the blessing but then crosses his hands. He puts the right hand on the youngest son and the left on the oldest. Joseph protests. But this is reminiscent of what happened with Jacob himself. If you recall the story, Jacob tricked his way into receiving the blessing of the firstborn. In that culture, the firstborn had rights and responsibilities over all other children. When the father died, the firstborn would assume the leadership of the family inheriting a double portion of the estate so he could have the means to carry out his duties and privilege. In the case of Abraham’s descendants, it also meant that the promise to Abraham would be given to the oldest son.
When Manasseh was born, Joseph knew part of his role as a father was to groom his son for that role of leadership, responsibility, and privilege. So, when Jacob crossed his hands it was a violation of tradition. The younger was not supposed to be preferred over the older. But this was God’s doing. God had chosen Jacob to inherit the rights of the firstborn and now God was doing it again with Ephraim and Manasseh. Why? Because God is God, that’s why. And that is always a good thing to consider. We can stand assured, even if at times perplexed at God’s choice, we know it is best. In later history, Joshua would emerge as the leader who would guide Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim.
So, in this chapter we are again given some important insights on the nature of God’s blessings. They come to us based on God’s character, grace, and sovereign choice. They are driven by His perfect plan for us and this world. You see, the blessing given to Joseph’s two sons were not just for them and their descendants. They were for me and you! We have inherited that blessing because through Christ we are now the spiritual descendants of Abraham! Abraham’s God is our God. He is the God of Isaac and Jacob. Is He your God? Jacob came to see God as truly “Almighty” but also the One “who has been my shepherd all my life to this day” (v.15).
Moreover, through God’s angel, the Lord “has redeemed me from all evil…” (v.16). Is this your God? Jacob was personally committed to the Lord and you can be as well. Jesus Christ has made such a commitment possible. And when you make that commitment, all the blessings God gave to His people Israel, becomes yours.
And if you are already trusting in Christ, remember that He is your faithful Shepherd and the Almighty King who has promised to be with you and to one day return and fulfill all the promises He has made to His faithful sons and daughters. The bottom line is, like Jacob and his descendants, we are blessed, and those blessings extend not just to us in this life, but for eternity as well. So, our last words can now be words of confidence and joy.
For Further Reading
Trusting God, Jerry Bridges