Genesis-151 – I Know Too, My Son

Genesis 48:17-22

 

“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 be 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. Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”” Amen.

 

The Meaning of Blessing Bestowed by God, Our Friend and Shepherd

Last week, as we meditated on the scene of Jacob’s blessing, we focused not just on the content of the blessing itself, but on Jacob’s description of the One who bestows it. Jacob proclaimed God by three names. First is Jehovah Rei, the God who is my friend. Second is the name so familiar to us, Jehovah Roi, the God who is my shepherd. Finally, he declared Jehovah Ishi, the God who is my salvation. Who is the One giving blessings to us and our children today? It is the One who is our friend, shepherd, and savior. Every time I meditate on these names, my heart overflows with deep emotion.

 

Scripture reveals this very God to us. The latter half of today’s text continues with a prayer for God to bless these children. Jacob prayed that they would be called by his name and the names of his ancestors, Abraham and Isaac, and that they would increase greatly on the earth. This was an expression of his earnest desire that the spiritual heritage and the names of the covenant—passed down through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob himself—would be fully inherited through these children.

 

The Grace of Adopting Children of the Gentiles as Heirs of the Promise

Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, were born of an Egyptian woman. Their maternal line was from the house of an Egyptian priest. While there is no explicit record in the Bible that Joseph’s wife later came to believe in God, we can clearly infer from Joseph’s steadfast faith and life that he introduced his wife to God and raised his children within a household that feared the Lord.

 

Now, Jacob is adopting these two children of Joseph—who carry Gentile lineage—as his own sons. What would have become of their lives had they not been united with Jacob’s family? They likely would have lived and died as Egyptian nobles, mere Gentiles. Yet now, they have been accepted as descendants of Abraham, becoming beings called by the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This means that the promise God gave to Abraham became equally valid for them. As heirs of the promise, they were not only guaranteed the Promised Land, God’s inheritance, but they also came to participate in the holy fulfillment of the redemptive history through which all nations would be blessed through Abraham. This is indeed an indescribable and spiritual blessing.

 

A Foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the True Israel

Later, in the time of Moses, Israel came to be called a "kingdom of priests." This signifies that Israel was a nation destined to fulfill the role of a mediator between the whole world and God. Originally, Israel was meant to faithfully carry out this sacred duty of leading the nations to God; however, lamentably, they failed to do so due to human frailty.

 

Jesus Christ, the True Israel, came to this earth to perfectly fulfill the mission of the kingdom of priests that Israel had failed to achieve. Jesus faithfully filled the void of failure left by Israel. As the True Israel and the eternal High Priest, He saved God’s people by offering Himself, once and for all, as the propitiation. The essence of the Gospel that the Bible tells us is contained within this grace of atonement.

 

The Kingdom of God Expanding into Spiritual Israel

Jacob is now proclaiming the glorious role and the blessings that Joseph’s two sons will enjoy in the future. The ensuing blessing echoes the core covenant of Genesis to "be fruitful and multiply," implying that the Kingdom of God will expand through them. This primarily refers to the numerical increase of the Israelite people, and indeed, Israel’s numbers grew remarkably throughout history.

 

However, there was a ultimate point of fulfillment that this promise of God intended to reach. It was through Jesus Christ that the Gospel spread to all nations, and all believers—transcending bloodlines—became "Spiritual Israel." Therefore, the blessing in today’s text does not remain a mere ancient story that took place in a distant land thousands of years ago. It is a word of life directly connected to us, who have become the New Israel within the Gospel, and it is a living promise we must cherish in our hearts today.

 

The Conflict Between Human Thought and Divine Providence

When Jacob proclaimed such a marvelous promise, Joseph should have rightfully rejoiced and given thanks to God. Yet, the Bible records that Joseph was, instead, displeased. The reason for his dissatisfaction was not the content of the blessing, but the manner in which it was delivered. Joseph earnestly desired for his firstborn, Manasseh, to receive the blessing of the firstborn. Thus, he positioned Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand and the younger son, Ephraim, at his left. However, Jacob, whose vision had grown dim, suddenly performed the unexpected act of crossing his hands. Seeing this, Joseph judged that his father was making a mistake and urgently intervened, saying, "Not so, my father; for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

 

In response to Joseph’s earnest request, Jacob firmly stated that he was by no means making a mistake. His answer was: "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he." In truth, Joseph’s act of stopping his father cannot be called wrong. In the past, Jacob had deceived his own father to steal a blessing, but here, Joseph was not deceiving his father. He had simply brought Manasseh honestly as the firstborn, and his view was perfectly common-sensical and proper. This scene where Joseph physically took hold of his father’s hand is a very unusual occurrence in the Bible, vividly showing how much he valued and trusted Manasseh as the firstborn.

 

Joseph likely held a deeper affection or a special expectation for Manasseh. Ephraim taking the position of the firstborn was not in Joseph’s calculations at all. This was because, in Joseph’s criteria, Manasseh was the qualified candidate who met all the requirements. However, God sometimes puts a brake on the qualifications and orders that humans take for granted. He reminds us that the standards we believe to be right can be entirely different within God’s providence.

 

God’s Absolute Sovereignty in Calling the Unqualified

God often poses questions regarding the things we believe ourselves to be fully qualified for—the convictions we deem so right that we harbor no doubt. Joseph was certain of Manasseh’s qualifications and guided his father’s hand, but God presented an entirely different path through Jacob’s lips. This sternly asks us today: are we truly beings qualified to stand before God? In fact, must we not all confess that we live solely by God’s total grace?

 

Nonetheless, at every opportunity, we delude ourselves into thinking we are qualified. We subtly boast of our family’s religious heritage, citing generations of Christian lineage. I, too, used to emphasize the fact that I have believed in Jesus since my father's time. However, the background of being a third-generation Christian does not automatically guarantee entrance into heaven. Despite this, we constantly try to lean on our backgrounds. We view our diligence in never missing a service or our efforts to obey God’s will a bit more than others as secret medals of honor. Unknowingly, we try to differentiate ourselves through a sense of comparative superiority, thinking, "At least I don't live like that person," or "I'm at least not at that level." We misunderstand having a bit more biblical knowledge, longer prayer times, or being slightly kinder as qualifications to present before God.

 

God delights in shaking these deceptive qualifications we hold onto. And He asks us: "By what qualification do you come to this holy place?" This question does not only apply to Manasseh and Joseph. By what qualification do we pray, sing, and worship God today? Do you think the fact that you believe in Jesus makes you essentially superior to others? Was there a justifiable reason within us that we should be chosen before others? Were we not sinners just like them? Even the faith that allows us to confess Jesus as our Savior does not actually stem from our wisdom or effort. Is it not all, truly, God’s irresistible grace?

 

Persistent Divine Love: That Itself is Sovereignty

Although we have nothing to present before God but grace, we tend to forget that fact all too easily. Because we do not fully understand the essence of the Gospel, our faith often lingers in places of numerous trials, temptations, upset, frustration, and failure. This is because we constantly ask ourselves the question, "Do I not have at least a little more qualification than others?" as we cling to our own righteousness. Joseph must have been the same. When he heard Jacob’s voice saying, "I know, my son," it must have resonated like a massive shock in his mind.

 

Manasseh receiving the blessing of the firstborn was something Joseph earnestly desired and meticulously prepared for. In fact, from Joseph's perspective, bringing his two sons to Jacob was a life-altering decision. From a worldly standpoint, it was akin to giving up his sons' guaranteed path to success. To leave behind the mighty power and vested interests they could enjoy as the sons of the Egyptian Prime Minister and to have them adopted as Jacob's sons was a will to lay down their glamorous Egyptian background. Indeed, in the 400 years of history that followed, not a single individual from the descendants of this family is recorded as having held a great worldly title. Joseph had already made this enormous decision, putting everything on the line. He believed that because he had prepared and decided, Manasseh should naturally be the protagonist of that blessing; however, God made him lay down even that final plan. Joseph must have poignantly realized once again the truth he had learned throughout his life: that not everything goes according to my will.

 

Romans 9:16 declares: "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." This is a truth we must engrave deep in our hearts. That I stand in this place now is solely the result of God. By what qualification, truly, are you praising God here? The fact that you are a member of a specific church, the sincerity of having never missed a service, or even a passionate mission experience or confession of faith cannot be the fundamental reason for our being here. The only reason we can sit here and praise is because of God's grace, for He took pity on us and showed us mercy.

 

Confessing that life did not begin from me but originated solely from God is what we call 'God's sovereignty.' Often, when we speak of God's sovereignty, we misunderstand it as the image of a dictator or tyrant where the Almighty Creator decides everything arbitrarily. Thus, we might think of a resignation-filled compliance like, "What can I do if God says He'll do it?" However, the sovereignty of God testified to by the Bible is by no means such a cold power. The sovereignty shown to us through today’s text wears an entirely different, warm hue.

 

God Working Through Love Beyond Bloodlines

Joseph, thinking of his family line, hoped that the blessing of the firstborn bestowed by his father would fall upon the legitimate firstborn he had designated. However, Joseph’s plan to establish the firstborn according to the order of bloodline collided with God’s providence. This is because blessing is not a reward given to the one humans prepare and designate, but a gift that flows solely from God. As the Gospel of John says, this is a mysterious grace that can be enjoyed only by those born of God, not of blood or the will of the flesh. This principle repeatedly appears, rearranged, throughout biblical history.

 

Occasionally, just because scenes where the second son receives the blessing instead of the first appear frequently in the Bible, we should not misunderstand this as a human compensation to soothe the sorrow of second sons. The Bible does not give blessings simply because one is a second son. Looking at Joseph alone, he was not the second son but the eleventh, yet he obtained the birthright instead of Reuben. What does the history of choosing Abel instead of Cain, Seth instead of the deceased Abel, and Jacob instead of Esau signify to us? It reminds us of a solemn fact: God’s choice is never bound by human bloodlines or the order of birth.

 

God's promise is not derived from human desire, but is a history that God Himself begins and personally fulfills. What is the basis for God performing His work so sovereignly? It is not because we are more outstanding or moral than others. It is solely because of the mercy that pities us—that is, the irresistible love toward us. God's sovereignty is not a whim that changes targets based on the mood of the day. Nor is it a vague passage of time where a Messiah will eventually come if Abraham’s bloodline continues. At the bottom of all those historical moments flows God's persistent and fierce love for us.

 

The Passion of God Who Never Gives Up on Us

The point God intends to reach through the history of redemption is clear. Knowing that this great work of salvation could never be achieved through human effort or the capacity of a specific individual, God determined to come to this earth personally. Even Noah, a righteous man of his time, or David, a man after God’s own heart, could not solve the fundamental problem of human sin. Thus, God Himself put on the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness, and came to give Himself for us. The event of Christ coming to this earth for us is by no means an accident or a natural result of the passage of time.

 

This was an impossible event that could never occur in human history. No matter how much love God bestowed, no matter how much He forgave and embraced us, we constantly betrayed and left Him. The heart of God, who speaks tearfully, "Ephraim, how can I give you up?" is like the aching heart of one who loves us as a hen gathers her chicks, yet watches us ultimately break away from that embrace. However, God did not give up on us just because we abandoned Him. Rather, for our wounded and backsliding selves, He resolved to give His everything.

 

God's love is a magnificent love that covers even our betrayals, sins, and the miserable state of having turned away from the Father. As John 3:16 witnesses, God so loved the world. Even when we still envy each other after believing in Jesus, struggle to prove our superiority, and seek high positions led by greed, God does not give up on us. This grace and determination of God, who loves us persistently to the end—this is precisely 'God's sovereignty.'

 

The sovereignty of God spoken of in the Bible is 'God's passion.' When the Lord says, "I will accomplish my purpose," within that lies a powerful will never to let go of us. Remember Jesus' words: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden." The Lord did not stop at a suggestion to lighten our burdens or give us peace. Rather, He requested: "Give me 'yourself,' the one who is wounded and struggling." It is a promise that He will carry us, bear us on His back, and personally become our life and salvation. This is the Lord’s sincerity toward us, the very essence of God’s persistent love that even our sins cannot break.

 

God’s Sovereignty: A Life Walking Within Love and Wisdom

To emphasize once again, believing in and following God’s sovereignty means realizing that my life is within such marvelous divine love and grace. It is knowing that my life—a continuation of daily pain, difficulty, upset, and frustration—is by no means an ordinary life. Even when it seems like nothing goes as I wish and I feel frustrated, wondering, "Is this all there is to my life?" the person who believes in God’s sovereignty acknowledges that their life is within God’s meticulous touch and love. Furthermore, trusting in God’s sovereignty means having the confidence that I am living within God’s deep wisdom right now.

 

This is why we refer to God’s sovereignty as wisdom. To Joseph’s eyes, the qualified person to receive the blessing of the firstborn was clearly Manasseh. Joseph was certain of Manasseh’s capacity as the firstborn, which is why he urgently intervened, blocking his father’s hand. Could God have been unaware of this? The words given to Joseph through Jacob likely contain this meaning: "Joseph, I know what is precious in your heart. I know even the expectations you have cherished for a long time and your deep inner thoughts." The Lord knows all our tears, pain, and even the sound of our deep sighs. Moreover, He is the One who examines our greed, ambition, envy, and jealousy in every detail.

 

The Wisdom of God Who Knows Everything Because He Loves Us

The Lord truly acts this way often. There are so many times when He gives us results quite different from what we so earnestly hope for and desire. In those moments, does the Lord really do so because He is ignorant of our circumstances and hearts? He is not a dogmatic being who ignores our wishes and simply pushes us, saying, "This is my will, so follow me unconditionally." The Lord speaks tenderly: "I know, my son. I know you well." In fact, the Lord knows me better than I know myself. He is looking into my tendencies, temperament, and the situation I face without missing a single detail. Because He knows everything in such a way, God permits and performs this work for us today.

 

We often misunderstand that God acts only according to His own will because He knows everything. However, God knowing us does not merely mean the 'omniscience' of possessing all information. God knows because He loves you infinitely. Think of your own heart toward someone you love. Once you begin to love something, the depth of your knowledge toward that object becomes completely different from before. Simply knowing information and deeply empathizing and understanding with a heart of love are entirely different dimensions.

 

Because God loves us and because He considers us so precious, He knows our everything. The wisdom of God, who says, "I know you. That is why I am performing this work this way now," is rooted in this very love. Even now, at every turn of our lives, God is revealing that deep and mysterious wisdom of love.

 

The Wisdom of God Working Through Weakness

As we examined earlier, from Abel to Seth, and through Jacob and Joseph to Manasseh, God’s choices have always bypassed human expectations. We often think that the person who fits our common sense and meets the criteria is suitable, but God often chooses the one who falls short of our standards and seems lacking. To Isaac, Esau was a reliable, grown son, while Jacob seemed somewhat deficient. However, God deliberately pointed out that very weak one within His wisdom. This deeply resonates with the words Paul proclaimed in 1 Corinthians:

 

"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." (1 Corinthians 1:27–29)

 

I, too, ask this question every time I pray: "God, why is it me, who lacks even the skill to handle this? Why is it us, who are easily hurt and vulnerable to misunderstanding even by small things? Why do You entrust such a momentous task to us, who do not even know how to listen deeply and embrace others?" I cannot help but ask how You commission this great mission—the task of preaching the Gospel of God and living a life resembling Jesus Christ—to a person like me, and to us.

 

God's answer then is clear: "That is precisely why I entrust it to you." It is not because of how we are, but a declaration that He will work through us because it is us. He says He will use our weakness itself as a channel to reveal His glory. This is truly a marvelous thing. Furthermore, God is still praying for us with tears without rest to personally achieve that work. Ultimately, He never wavers in His determination to mold us into citizens of the eternal Kingdom of God and have us live with the Lord forever in that Kingdom.

 

What a heart-fluttering fact this is. Even in my case, if I stay still, dissatisfaction tends to raise its head before gratitude. Even while reading the Bible, I often find my heart stolen by the things I lack rather than seeking grace. When I am alone, I hope my daughter will come and speak to me tenderly, but I only have sons who only look after their own food. I even seem quite weak as I regret the daughter I don't have rather than giving thanks for the two sons I already have. I am a person who falls into an inferiority complex at the slightest thing, quickly falls into a superiority complex at small achievements, and is utterly lazy in examining myself before God. God says that He will recreate and restore a person like me—who falls so easily to his own greed—into a being that resembles Jesus Christ.

 

I sometimes think it would have been better if He had called me when I had become a more perfect person. In our church, there are many people I would like to recommend who are more outstanding than I am. Yet, I do not know why He specifically chose me to walk this narrow path. What kind of being is God that He loves us so much, and how deeply does He endure and bear with us that He likes us this much? I cannot begin to fathom the depth of that love—how He intends to fulfill His holy will through people like us.

 

A Call to be a Worshiper Who Overcomes the World

Through us, who are so weak, God says He will pour out His boundless grace. God desires for us to enjoy perfect satisfaction. It is a promise that He will fully satisfy our souls to the extent that the lamentation, "Lord, I am dissatisfied with this," no longer comes before God. That glorious day will surely come. God has promised that He will certainly make us encounter that day within the journey of our lives. The God we call 'Father' is exactly that kind of person.

 

As mentioned earlier, Joseph was also a person who made a truly great decision. Bringing his children before Jacob was, from a worldly perspective, like personally blocking his sons' solid highway. Those children were in a position to receive an elite Egyptian education and enjoy immense power by the King's side. How sturdy was the background of their father, Joseph? However, Joseph yearned to go before his father Jacob and receive that blessing, even if it meant losing all his vested interests in Egypt. He longed for that covenantal blessing that had flowed steadily from Abraham. He knew exactly what was incomparably more precious and valuable than all the treasures and riches of Egypt.

 

Dear congregants, we must live this world faithfully. Since it is a one-time life God has given us, we must live it fiercely and diligently. However, the fact we must clearly remember is that life on this earth is a process that exists to prepare for the eternal kingdom. If one tries to see the final outcome of everything in this world, we cannot help but say toward them, "They do not yet fully know God."

 

God has already clearly confirmed how much He loves you. Thus, He chose us to call us to the glorious place of Christ. He personally taught us what we should live for on this earth and what we should look toward as we move forward. Scripture testifies regarding Moses that he considered the reproach received for Christ as greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt. Jacob also walked such a path of faith. Like the lyrics of the hymn we love to sing, the confession "I'd rather have Jesus than anything" must become the reality of our lives. It is a confession so earnest that I would want to sing it personally if only my voice allowed. Even if you achieve everything you planned in life and possess all the things of the world, if the Lord is not there, you can never avoid the fundamental emptiness that awaits at the end.

 

A Life of Trusting God’s Sovereignty: That is Worship

Now, I want to take one more step forward. We call a life lived by acknowledging God’s sovereignty a 'worshipping life.' Hebrews records: "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff." This scene does not merely mean the external act of Jacob bowing while leaning his body on his staff. Scripture is proclaiming that the entire process—where Jacob adopts and blesses his grandsons—is 'worship' and 'adoration,' for it is the site where God’s sovereign work unfolds.

 

This holds a truly deep meaning. It means that every moment of living according to God’s sovereignty and realizing, "Ah, my life is within the grace of God who loves me infinitely. It did not originate from me, but I live solely by God," becomes a time of adoring God. Because one trusts in God’s sovereignty, they do not let life just drift away, but they confirm the fact: "Truly, God is the most precious person in my life, and Jesus Christ is my only treasure. The promise given to me is incomparable to anything in the world." In every fleeting moment of living with a longing for heavenly things rather than earthly things because they know that truth, you are already living a life of worship.

 

God knows you really well. He knows because He loves you. Because He is guiding us with that divine wisdom, every event you are currently experiencing is not an accident that happened by chance, but a necessary path walked within God’s mysterious wisdom. Even if it is difficult and tiring, try confessing: "Lord, You know me. Because You love me, You know all my circumstances." The Lord will respond: "My daughter, I know you. My son, I know you well." Hearing that subtle voice and responding, "Lord, I too will go closer to You. I will humbly seek Your wisdom," is true worship.

 

You are the ones who dwell within God's love, remain within the wisdom of the One who knows you best, and sing making this your soul's only satisfaction. You are holy worshipers. Even in the middle of the world after leaving the church doors, if you resolve, "I too will walk the path of Jesus Christ's suffering," relying on the Lord's wisdom, you are a true worshiper. When you willingly endure the conflict and pain experienced because of fellow believers for the sake of Christ, and move forward believing that God will lead you to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ through this suffering, you are living a life of true worship. Dearly beloved, I earnestly pray that you live as these bold worshipers in your daily lives.

 

Closing Prayer

Loving Lord, when we stand at the place of decision, which path shall we truly choose?

 

When Joseph brought Manasseh and Ephraim before Jacob, he willingly gave up Egypt, where his sons' worldly success was promised. Now, what should we choose as we live? When God's clear will is vividly revealed before our eyes, which path should we truly walk?

 

Even when the Father realizes how much He loves us and tells us to take heart and praise the Lord, are we not still looking only at ourselves? Or are we looking only at the Lord? When You reach out and say, "Dear son, daughter, now let's go together, let's walk together," where are we gazing and how are we responding?

 

Lord, have mercy on us and help us. Help us to become true worshipers who trust in Your wisdom, knowing our circumstances. May we exalt God not just with the confession of our lips but with our whole and complete lives, and may we rise and walk vigorously holding the Lord's hand.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who never gives up on us until the end. Amen.