““Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh. “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked. “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.” And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.” Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!” Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may he bless these boys. May they preserve my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac. And may their descendants multiply greatly throughout the earth.” But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.””
Genesis 48:5-22 NLT
Here we see that Jacob repeats the switching of the blessings. He purposely subverts the system that is obvious to man and continues his family’s tradition, dubious as it may seem, of placing it with the younger. We cannot talk about this without pointing out that we first see this as an acceptable outcome, when an angel prophesies it with Jacob and Esau. There is some providence here. Nonetheless, we can also see it many other places. In truth, it extends back to the protoevnagelion where the offspring would be the salvation. This would be, in premise, the third human. We see it with Cain and Abel. We see it with Cain and Seth. Even the order of creation shows it, as man is the second born high servant of God, lower than angels, who first fell. Jacob and Joseph, with a mild bit of explanation, agree to pass the blessing atypically, between the two sons. It is a major part of the story God is telling. God wants man to know that his prominence is subject to God alone. He may be first in his line, but the weaker and the more vulnerable is of more importance. Those who understand this, become protectors of the future. They become defenders of the weak and empower the defenseless. This leads all to prosper.
Blessing Tradition: Jacob continues the family tradition of blessing the younger son, subverting the system of primogeniture.
Providence and Prophecy: The blessing of the younger son is seen as acceptable and prophesied, highlighting God’s providence.
God’s Message: God emphasizes that human prominence is subject to God’s will, highlighting the importance of protecting and empowering the vulnerable.
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