Genesis-150 – Yahweh Roi

Genesis 48:12–20 (NIV)

 

"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. Then he blessed Joseph and said, 'May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.' When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, 'No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.' He blessed them that day and said, 'In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: "May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh."' So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh." Amen.

 

The Invisible Hand: Life Planted in the Darkness

The passage we encounter today is the solemn scene of the elderly Jacob blessing Joseph’s two sons. You likely envision the striking image of Jacob crossing his hands to bestow this blessing—the grandfather’s hands interchanged over the heads of the firstborn, Manasseh, and the younger, Ephraim. Looking at this, we might wonder: Was Jacob projecting his own past pain of being the younger son who did not receive the birthright, thus intentionally favoring the second-born? Or was there a deeper, spiritual reason beyond our understanding? While we will explore the specific background next time, today I wish to focus on a more fundamental aspect of this event.

 

Though Jacob and Joseph seem to be the focus, Joseph’s two sons emerge as the protagonists receiving Jacob’s blessing. At this time, Jacob was an old man of approximately 147 years, with failing strength and dimmed vision. This solemn moment, however, was more than just a grandfather blessing his grandsons; it was a legal and spiritual procedure in which Jacob adopted them as his own sons. By taking the place of Joseph, the two grandsons were incorporated into the generation of Jacob’s direct sons, thereby increasing the number of his heirs. In essence, Jacob stood before them with the heart of a father blessing his own children.

 

The text begins by explaining that Israel’s eyes were dim with age. Jacob kissed Joseph’s sons and embraced them, whispering a profound confession to Joseph: "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." This confession carries a sense of awe toward God’s faithful grace—going beyond the joy of reuniting with the son he thought was dead to the miracle of meeting his grandchildren. This "overwhelming" moment, like a storm of emotion, testifies to God's meticulous providence throughout Jacob's life journey.

 

As Jacob’s heart burned with love and passion, Joseph’s heart must have also been deeply moved. There was a time when Joseph believed he would never return to Canaan and held no hope of seeing his father again in this life. Is that not why he named his firstborn 'Manasseh,' meaning "God has made me forget"? Yet now, he brings his two sons before his father and witnesses the grace of their adoption. Joseph bowing with his face to the ground was an act of profound filial piety and, simultaneously, the highest form of worship offered to the Providence that had perfectly guided his weary life.

 

The Time We Thought Was Darkness Was the Time We Were Planted by God

Consider for a moment the life of Joseph. It was a succession of hardships we can hardly imagine. Is there any word more appropriate than "darkness" to describe those years? The wretched moment of being sold to slave traders, the days in Potiphar’s house, the cold isolation of the prison, and the long years of silence even after he thought he found a way out. The Psalmist describes Joseph’s state then as his soul being bound in iron chains. How agonizing that must have been! No wonder he named his first son Manasseh, declaring, "I will forget all my trouble," once he rose to power. He did not seek to return to Canaan, nor did he send word even to the father who loved him so. He wanted to bury the past in the abyss of oblivion. Yet, paradoxically, that vow to forget was proof that his wounds remained deep and that he was still passing through a tunnel of darkness.

 

However, God was working His holy will on a completely different plane than Joseph’s plans. Finally, God drew an unexpected and great confession from him. When he eventually faced his brothers, Joseph declared: "Brothers, do not be afraid. God sent me here ahead of you to preserve life for you and our family." Think of the spiritual struggle it took for his resentment to vanish and for him to accept his tragic destiny through the lens of faith. After the outcry of "Why is this happening to me?", he finally realized the essence of God’s work. Until then, those years were nothing but a dead end of darkness. Severed from his brothers and far from his father, he simply consoled himself with the thought, "I will forget it all and live here in Egypt."

 

This does not mean he lacked faith. He certainly trusted God. Yet, the truth we find through Joseph’s life is that even in those moments when he groaned in pain and resentment, God never left his side for a single second. God was not only with him when he showed mature faith by forgiving his brothers and welcoming his father; He was steadfastly holding him even in the depths of the prison when things weren't working out and he revealed his fragile human limits. Through Joseph, the Bible shows the reality of the human condition—that even those with faith cannot help but tremble.

 

As much as we admire Joseph, he was a human being who felt anxious about an unknown future. He might have presumed his life would simply end within the massive walls of Egypt. Like clutching a flickering candle, he might have endured day by day with the solace of saying, "At least I am successful; I am the Vizier." Thus, he named his second son 'Ephraim,' meaning "fruitful," vowing to somehow take root in this foreign land. However, the dark time Joseph considered a prison was, in fact, the time God was deeply planting him in the land of life. It was a holy process of preparation—strengthening roots beneath the invisible earth and spreading branches to eventually bloom and bear abundant fruit.

 

At the dead end (No way out) where he wandered, not knowing where to go, and at the peak of pain where he resigned himself, saying, "This is the end of me," it was actually God "planting" him. The fruit that eventually ripened shone even more brilliantly through the reunion with Jacob. This final meeting was the ultimate comfort and encouragement for Joseph. The names he gave to settle into life in Egypt—Manasseh and Ephraim—received new spiritual meaning through Jacob’s blessing. Now, Manasseh was more than just forgetting Egyptian sorrow; he became 'the son who would leave Egypt for Canaan.' Ephraim was no longer just success in a foreign land; he was reborn as 'the one who would fulfill God’s promise in Canaan.'

 

The Most Important Faith Confessed at Life’s End

The spiritual weight of Jacob’s adoption and blessing of his grandsons is clearly revealed in the "Hall of Faith" in the book of Hebrews. Usually, we think of the 'Vision at Bethel' as the most dramatic moment of Jacob’s life—the overwhelming sight of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending. One might expect Hebrews 11 to record, "By faith Jacob prayed at Bethel," yet the Bible is silent on this. What about the 'Jabbok River incident' where he wrestled with God all night and earned the name 'Israel'? That, too, is a peerless confession of faith, yet the author of Hebrews chooses silence. Instead, the Bible defines Jacob’s faith in a single sentence: "By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons." This one scene is recorded as the essence of faith encompassing Jacob’s entire life. We must not overlook this.

 

We must grasp the spiritual value of why, among so many famous events, this scene of blessing was chosen. Jacob solemnly declares that Joseph’s sons will now stand in the same rank as Reuben and Simeon. In effect, they inherited Joseph’s portion and fulfilled the role of Jacob’s practical firstborn. According to 1 Chronicles 5, although Judah was the strongest among his brothers and the ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn were given to Joseph. The authority of the firstborn was realized in history through Joseph’s two sons. At the center of this are Ephraim and Manasseh. Within Providence, Ephraim was put ahead, and later, the mainstream of the Northern Kingdom of Israel emerged from the tribe of Ephraim. This is why when God calls all of Israel, He says, "O Judah, O Ephraim." The Davidic dynasty representing the Southern Judah and the Ephraimite tribe symbolizing the Northern Israel—God Himself thus personally governed the vast history of Israel.

 

Today’s text in verse 20 suggests that the majesty of this blessing would continue through the descendants of Israel for generations. It became a custom for the people of Israel to bless one another by saying, "May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh." How marvelous is this? Since we are facing such a momentous event, we cannot help but look deeper into the reality of that blessing. Let us meditate once more on the confession of God proclaimed through Jacob’s lips in verses 15 and 16:

 

"Then he blessed Joseph and said, 'May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.'"

 

The God Who Accompanies: The Intimacy of Coram Deo

Jacob’s great confession primarily recalls God’s covenant with Abraham. It confirms that the grandsons have officially been incorporated into the lineage of faith along with the promise of increasing descendants. However, what we must specifically note here is that Jacob does not stop at listing blessings; he clearly identifies the Source of those blessings. The first ground mentioned is the expression in verse 15: "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked."

 

We need to carefully examine the nuance of the word "walked" (or "served" in some translations). While it is easy to understand this as an act of worship or service, the original text contains a much more dynamic and powerful meaning. This word shares the same root as the expression "walked with God" used to describe the life of Enoch, who was taken to God without seeing death. This spirituality of "walking with" is the core of faith that flows continuously through Noah, Abraham, and Isaac to Moses. To walk with God means more than just walking side-by-side; it signifies an extremely deep and intimate union, sharing life itself.

 

At the foundation of this intimacy lies the solemn spiritual attitude of being "before God." Living in the presence of God, obeying His word, and following His promises—later generations called this 'Coram Deo' in Latin. This was the value that Reformers held as a lifelong guide, alongside 'Soli Deo Gloria' (Glory to God alone). The essence of the many crises facing the church today may be that we are no longer living before God. This means the holy awe toward God has cooled, and it is a result of unbelief that forgets God’s actual presence here and now. Therefore, a life of Coram Deo is a holy discipline of godliness—thoroughly realizing that I am a sinner, honestly facing my weakness, and pleading for God’s help.

 

Yet, this life before God is not a crushing fear or surveillance. When God watches us with His flaming eyes, it is not for the purpose of waiting for us to make a mistake so He can rebuke us. This gaze becomes true comfort because it is connected to the intimacy of "walking with Him." God is not an overseer monitoring us, but stays by our side as our closest 'Friend.' He is the one who protects us when we waver before temptation and who intercedes for us with the groaning of the Holy Spirit when our strength is gone and we cannot even pray. He is our true Friend, our Lord.

 

A good friend sometimes nags us almost to the point of being bothersome, asking how we are and wanting to share even the small details of daily life. Our relationship with God is like this. When we are lost, God does not just throw us an answer sheet. He leads us to the path of wisdom, but in the process, He molds us Himself. If we ask for love, patience, and gentleness, instead of giving them all at once, He allows situations of conflict and endurance where we can learn them. Sometimes He places a difficult person by our side to make us pray, allowing us to realize through our lives what it means to be a saint and what love is. This is the profound wisdom of God leading us toward maturity.

 

God constantly knocks on the door of our hearts from the moment we open our eyes in the morning until we go to sleep. How much intimate conversation have you shared with the Lord recently? You may be used to earnest petitions, but have you been stingy about chattering to the Lord about your trivial daily life as you would to a friend? God is not just a problem-solver who grants wishes; He is a personal Friend who wants to hear your honest story. The first essence of faith that Jacob wanted to pass on to his descendants is this: "Walk with this God." In Hebrew, it is 'Yahweh Re’i'—"The Lord is my Friend." Please do not forget that God is your most intimate Friend who treasures you more than anyone else in this world.

 

The Shepherd of Love Without Want

The second God Jacob confesses is the Source of Blessing, the one whom the believer must rely on and enjoy throughout their life. Jacob praises His name as "the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day." The expression "shepherded" (or "fed") is a translation that profoundly reflects the meaning of the original text. It goes beyond mere nurture for survival and encompasses the confession that flows through the entire Bible: "The Lord has become my Shepherd." What kind of being is a shepherd? One who not only protects the sheep from all danger but also ensures there is no lack in the sheep’s life. The famous confession of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," is also a song for this Shepherd-God. The shepherd leads the sheep to quiet waters and green pastures in due season. Of course, that path is not always smooth. Sometimes one must cross rugged mountain paths and pass through darkness like the valley of the shadow of death. Yet, the true Shepherd-God never leaves us in want even in those moments of suffering. Jacob is testifying to the Shepherd-God who has sustained his entire life, the One who tracks us down with goodness and mercy to hold us fast.

 

I often share stories of my children during my sermons, and every time, my family begs me, "Please stop telling those stories." So I try to save them, but as I grow older and my children reach adulthood, I believe sharing a fragment of those past years will benefit you. I believe it to be a story that deeply moved me. You were probably all similar when you raised your first child. Lacking financial leeway and the time to even find your bearings, you live such a frantic life that you cannot devote much time to your child. In particular, the life of a pastor is a very difficult environment for being a "good dad." Instead of staying by the child’s side on weekends, there are many cases where one cannot be with them even once for important events due to Sunday services and visitations. From the child's perspective, the disappointment that "Dad wasn't there when I needed him most" inevitably remains, making "good dad" a title that is quite hard to earn in this profession.

 

That is not all. It was also very difficult for me to be in a position where I could buy everything they wanted and give them plenty of allowance because of a comfortable situation when the child was born. Thinking back on those times, the regret that "I was such a lacking parent" comes first because there were many things I couldn't do due to circumstances that were never easy. Then, when my eldest son was about thirty, I felt a deep moving in my heart during a family gathering and offered him a sincere apology. "Son, I am truly sorry. It has always remained a burden in a corner of my heart that I couldn't be by your side every weekend due to church work when you needed me. I think I was too unaware of the many things you needed, and I am truly sorry."

 

My son’s answer then became an unexpected comfort to me. "Dad, although you didn't spend a lot of time with us, didn't you always say it in your sermons? 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.' That is what you have been saying your whole life." He added that, strangely enough, when he looks back on his past life, he feels no sense of lack at all. It is a truly precious confession of faith, but honestly, it was a statement I found difficult to understand readily. This is because I, more than anyone, know what a deficient environment he grew up in. I never properly bought him a single pair of the brand-name sneakers that were popular then, and we never even went on a memorable family trip.

 

I have even fewer memories of giving him a generous allowance. Looking back, I was so busy looking after my own expenses in those days that I couldn't even dream of filling the child's needs. Therefore, his confession that he "has no want" surely does not mean a lack of material deficiency. Even if he didn't have the trendy sneakers, it is clear that God filled that void with a heart of patience and with the wisdom to find true satisfaction in God. The regret of not going on trips must have been filled with the value of a family enduring hardship together and sharing love, and instead of a generous allowance, he must have filled that lack through the process of learning firsthand that everything I have belongs to God. Thus, the confession "I truly have no want" was engraved like a seal in the child’s soul. My pastoral journey is no different.

 

How could there have been no lack during the journey of ministry and faith? To be honest, there were times when the words "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" sounded resentful. There were times when I wanted to protest, "God, there are still so many things lacking in my life, and the things I hoped for are not working out like this, so how can You say there is no want?" There are piles of unresolved problems in the church, and when I see the saints suffering because of them, my heart also breaks. Our church is the same. It is something only the finance department would know, but in all my years of ministry, I have never heard the words, "Pastor, the budget is left over this year, so please use it freely." It was always precarious and lacking, so I had no choice but to fall before the Lord every day and say, "I am lacking." Yet, if I review the Lord's hand that has led me this far, I too have no choice but to make the same confession: "The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want."

 

We always seek visible peace and tangible abundance, but God’s filling is different from our calculations. Look at Jacob’s life. What would it have been like if he had settled in Paddan-Aram? He had overflowing wealth and many children, so from the outside, that would have been the period of his life with the least lack. However, God met him at the Jabbok River and reminded him, "Your life is still lacking." This is because as long as you remain the master of your own life and cannot let go of that initiative while wrestling, it is a life with a fundamental deficiency. By striking Jacob’s hip bone, the Lord made him accept God as his true Master and filled the radical lack deep in his soul with Himself.

 

When we look at the church, we also judge it, saying, "Our church is abundant in this aspect" or "It is lacking in that aspect." However, God’s perspective is different from ours. The Lord knows exactly whether we lack love or patience. And He invites us into the holy providence of filling that lack with God’s grace. God never abandons us because we are lacking. Nor is God finally pleased only because we have filled something perfectly. Rather, we are brought to our knees before the mysterious wisdom that proves who God is and how much He loves this church through people like us, despite our weaknesses. The realization that "God works even through someone like me; He fills our empty spaces like this" makes us humble.

 

To summarize, the first God Jacob confessed is 'Yahweh Re’i,' meaning "The Lord my Friend." The second is 'Yahweh Ro’i,' whom we have just shared—"The Lord my Shepherd." And finally, the third is "the Angel of the Lord who delivers me from all harm," namely, "The Lord my Salvation," who foreshadows the Christ who came for us. Look at the God who achieves the most wondrous good in the deepest valley of tribulation. Jacob is testifying to us through his own life how God led us from that place of despair where we tried to hold on with our own strength, and how He filled that lack with His grace.

 

The Light of Grace Passing Through the Wounds of Darkness

Dear saints, I exhort you once more for the last time. There will be times when only thick darkness fills your vision and you feel as if you have been imprisoned in that gloom forever. But remember: you are not incarcerated in the darkness. It looks like darkness, but in truth, God has planted you deep within the earth of life. Because you are a living child of God, you will surely break through that darkness to sprout and will eventually bear abundant fruit.

 

Is there anyone among you who is discouraged, saying, "My life has been shattered, the foundation I believed in has been shaken, and my life is stained with unhealable wounds"? Friends, only through a broken vessel can the sunlight seep in. Paradoxically, the cracks of those broken wounds become the holy channel through which the light of God's grace, the light of Jesus Christ's life, penetrates your life. Only then does our existence, which was submerged in darkness, come to wear the true light. Therefore, at the very moment you feel your life is broken and wounded, trust in the fact that the light of Jesus Christ—who personally experienced the pain of a broken life and bore that weight for us—is vigorously entering into you.

 

You and I are beings who have received the unspeakable love of God. No matter how the world defines you, or how the current of history opposes you, never be shaken. Even if this earth were split in half, the heavens rolled up like a scroll, all the seas evaporated, and the stars of the universe fell, plunging the whole world into darkness, you are a precious child in the hand of God, who keeps you more safely than any tribulation. Please never forget how He fills our deficiencies and what path of glory He is leading us on through that lack.

 

We are fellow travelers on that course of hope. God has already planted the seed of eternal life within our weary bodies and minds as a guarantee of that hope. Even if only sighs come out now and you are in a situation that is so exhausting and difficult, declare in faith that the life of Christ is still pulsing within me. That life force will surely break through the surface of darkness and bear brilliant fruit. Beloved saints, never forget this truth, and I bless you in the name of the Lord to hold onto the certainty and hope given by God—the joy of heaven that the world cannot give—to the very end of your lives.

 

Let Us Pray

Lord of Love, let us always remember that we are those who dwell within Your immeasurable grace. We earnestly hope that the name of the God whom Jacob called upon in the twilight of his life will become our own sincere confession today.

 

We confess once more with trembling hearts that God is my eternal Friend, my eternal Shepherd, and my eternal Salvation. O Lord, my Strength, I rely on You alone. Good God, we lay our deep wounds, unspeakable pain, and the pieces of our lacking lives entirely before You, our Shepherd; let songs of thanksgiving burst forth from our lips instead of resentment.

 

"The Lord is my shepherd, eventually we shall have no want."

 

We earnestly desire this declaration of faith to lead our entire lives, and we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who delivered us from all harm. Amen.