Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/253

Rh through God's grace, break through the temptations of worldly wealth and preferment, to embrace religion in disgrace and poverty. Jacob will have Ephraim and Manasseh to believe, that it is better to be low, and in the church, than high, and out of it; that to be called by the name of poor Jacob, is better than to be called by the name of rich Joseph.

3. A proviso inserted concerning the children he might afterward have; they should not be accounted heads of tribes, as Ephraim and Manasseh were, but should fall in with the one or the other of their brethren, v. 6. It does not appear that Joseph had any more children; however, it was Jacob's prudence to give this direction, for the preventing of contest and mismanagement. Note, In making settlements, it is good to take advice, and to provide for what may happen, while we cannot foresee what will happen. Our prudence must attend God's providence.

4. Mention is made of the death and burial of Rachel, Joseph's mother, and Jacob's best-beloved wife, (v. 7.) referring to that story, ch. 35. 19. Note, (1.) When we come to die ourselves, it is good to call to mind the death of our dear relations and friends, that are gone before us, to make death and the grave the more familiar to us. See Numb. 27. 13. Those that were to us as our own souls, are dead and buried; and shall we think much to follow them in the same path? (2.) The removal of dear relations from us, is an affliction the remembrance of which cannot but abide with us a great while. Strong affections in the enjoyment, cause long afflictions in the loss.

8. And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? 9. And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 10. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face : and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed. 12. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born. 15. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16. The angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 17. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 18. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head. 19. And his father refused, and said, 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. 20. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 22. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

Here is,

I. The blessing with which Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, which is the more remarkable, because the apostle makes such particular mention of it, (Heb. 11. 21.) when he says nothing of the blessing which Jacob pronounced on the rest of his sons, though that also was done in faith.

Observe here,

1. That Jacob was blind for age, v. 10. It is one of the common infirmities of old age; They that look out of the windows are darkened, Eccl. 12. 3. It is folly to walk in the sight of our eyes, and to suffer our hearts to go after them, while we know death will shortly close them, and we do not know but some accident between us and death may darken them. Jacob, like his father before him, when he was old, was dim-sighted. Note, (1.) Those that have the honour of age, must therewith be content to take the burthen of it. (2.) The eye of faith may be very clear, even then when the eye of the body is very much clouded.

2. That Jacob was very fond of Joseph's sons. He kissed them, and embraced them, v. 10. It is common for old people to have a very particular affection for their grand-children, perhaps more than they had for their own when they were little; which Solomon gives a reason for, (Prov. 17. 6.) Children's children are the crown of old men. With what satisfaction does Jacob say here, (v. 11.) I had not thought to see thy face, (having, many years, given him up for lost,) and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed. See here, (1.) How these two good men own God in their comforts. Joseph says, (v. 9.) They are my sons whom God has given me, and, to magnify the favour, he adds, "In this place of my banishment, slavery, and imprisonment." Jacob says here, God hath showed me thy seed. Our comforts are then doubly sweet to us, when we see them coming from God's hand. (2.) How often God, in his merciful providences, outdoes our expectations, and thus greatly magnifies his favours! He not only prevents our fears, but exceeds our hopes. We may apply this to the promise which is made to us and to our children. We could not have thought that we should have been taken into covenant with God ourselves, considering how guilty and corrupt we are; and yet, lo, he has showed us our seed also in covenant with him.