When Jacob or Israel was dying, Joseph took his sons to him to receive their grandfather's blessing. This is reminiscent of Jacob and Esau paying a similar visit to their father, Isaac, except that Rachel and Jacob conspired to steal the elder's blessing. Joseph perhaps knew the story and so he positioned his elder son at Jacob's right hand and Ephraim, his youngest, at Jacob's left so the elder could get the right hand of blessing. Jacob did not cooperate with Joseph's plan but instead we read,
Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn (Genesis 48:12-14).
This time, Jacob got it right and acted as a prince, the meaning of his new name, Israel. There was no conniving, no plots, no stealing. Jacob imparted the greater blessing to the younger, as had been bestowed upon him, but without the intrigue or resulting family feud.
Why did Israel give the greater blessing to Ephraim and not Manasseh? He did so because he finally realized why he received the blessing instead of his brother, Esau. Jacob got the blessing because of God's grace! It was God's choice to bless Jacob so he was then cooperating with God's plan to pass the grace on to another undeserving person. Ephraim, whose name literally means "God has made me fruitful" was appointed by God to be a bit greater than his brother, but there was no natural reason for that choice; it was only a matter of God's sovereign will. It is interesting that every time after this when the tribes were numbered, Ephraim's head count was always greater than his brother's. Why? It was only because of God's grace.
Do you realize that you have a purpose, gifts, and creative skills for no other reason than God chose to gave them to you? They are a token of God's grace toward you and those who will benefit as you deploy them. Do you also realize that you can receive God's grace in vain? "As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain" (2 Corinthians 6:1). Do you see what you have is a matter of God's choice and that you have done nothing to earn it? Are you doing something with the grace extended you? Are you bearing fruit? Are you passing grace blessings on to others?
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