January 18, 2023
God’s Eyes are Upon You
My beloved child, you may feel the like you are the runt and most insignificant of your family, but I have a great plan for you. Manasseh and Ephraim were brothers, and their dad was Joseph. Manasseh was the oldest. Jacob whom I changed his name to Israel, was coming to the end of his life’s journey Joseph got word and went to see his dad taking his two sons. When he arrived, Israel asks Joseph to bring his sons closer to him – he wanted to pray blessings over them. The boys were young enough that they could fit between their granddad’s legs, he embraced them and kissed them. (Genesis 48:9-14) Then Joseph bowed low to the ground. Jacob knowingly stretched out his right hand and began to pray for Ephraim the younger boy and placed his left hand on Manasseh the oldest and blessed his son Joseph first. He prayed: ‘God before whom my father’s Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me my whole life, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; let my name be upon them, and the name of my father’s Abraham and Isaac and let them grow into a multitude in the earth’. Amen. (Genesis 48:15-16)
When Joseph saw that Jacob laid his right hand on the youngest son Ephraim it upset him, so he took his dad’s hand to lay it upon the firstborn son, but Jacob refused and said, ‘I know son, I know what I am doing. (Genesis 48:17-19) He will also become a people and he shall be great, but the youngest child will become greater than his brother and his descendants will become a multitude of nations!’ So, Israel blessed them that day saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’ – setting Ephraim before Manasseh. Turning to his son Joseph – he said, ‘I am dying but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. I have given you one portion above your brothers, that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow. Be encouraged if you are the one who seems to be overlooked and disregarded for I the Lord God have seen you and blessed you this day. Be fruitful and multiply! (Genesis 48:20-22)
