| | Here we see the dually-named Jacob-Israel close to death. The question of birthrights and firstborns comes up yet again.
God appeared to Jacob and told him that he would give Jacob's descendants, who will be numerous, the land of Canaan as an "everlasting possession" (verse 4, KJV). Since we know that the Israelites have not always had a homeland both in ancient and modern history, it shows God doesn't know how to keep a promise (or doesn't exist: take your pick).
Jacob tells Joseph that Joseph's first two sons are now his. How that works, we're not told. I guess if gramps wants to claim any of his sons' sons as his own, he has the right? Did God tell him this?? But Joseph gets to keep all his other sons (they aren't numbered here, maybe later; we'll see).
So anyway Joseph, who is apparently fine with this arrangement, brings the two eldest to Jacob. Jacob blesses Joseph and then the two grandsons, but gives the secondborn (Ephraim) the blessing that should have been given to the firstborn (Manasseh). Joseph is none too pleased with this, and tells his aged, poor-sighted father that he's mixed the boys up. Jacob insists, though, saying:
"I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." (48:19, KJV)
Certainly Joseph, the not-eldest dream boy who became nearly as great as Pharaoh, can understand that the oldest son doesn't have to be the most successful? Why is there this obsession with favoring the firstborn? Speaking of playing favorites, Jacob in fact promises Joseph that he'll give him "one portion more" (verse 22) than his brothers, meaning I believe that he'll inherit twice as much as any of his other brothers gets. Not very equitable, but God doesn't protest.
By the way, everyone's always going to give rise to great nations, according to God and the head honchos (okay, patriarchs) in the Bible so far. Why does he have to keep re-promising this? I guess with a God who sends 5 years of famine on a whim, you need reassurance sometimes. And his people have had mixed fortunes so far. In the last chapter (47:9), Jacob seemed to admit that he lived a long, hard life and didn't get much out of it; although maybe the 17 years or so in Egypt made up for the over a century of not much). If I remember my Exodus well, good ol' God will definitely find excuses to deny his chosen people what he promised.
One last thought: What happened to the 120-year rule in Genesis 6:3? God must be senile, or decided not to apply it to the over 140-year-old Jacob...
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| | Posted 6/11/2009 12:35 AM - 49 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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