Unpopular Truth

Yesterday morning I was reading the account of Jacob (Israel) blessing the sons of Joseph in Genesis 48. The chapter paints a beautiful picture of Joseph bringing his sons to sit on their grandfather’s lap. As I read the story of Jacob lovingly embraced his grandchildren, I could hear the joyful thankfulness in his voice when he said to Jacob, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." At this point, Joseph placed his sons Jacob’s feet.

During that period of time, the custom was to place the sons so that the father or grandfather would set his right hand on the eldest son’s head and his left hand on the younger son’s head. Jacob knew this, yet he crossed his hands, placing his right hand on the youngest and his left hand on the eldest. Jacob then proceeded to bless Joseph and his descendents:

May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked,

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

upon the earth.

However, displeased that Jacob had crossed his hands, Joseph attempted to move them saying, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." But Jacob replied, “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." Scripture then says, “So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.”

Whenever I finish reading a passage of scripture I think about how 2 Timothy 3.16 applies to it. Honestly, I was stumped. How does Genesis 48 train me in righteousness? After a time of prayer, it became evident to me.

God had revealed the future to Jacob, and Jacob’s blessing responded accordingly even though it wasn’t the culturally correct response. Christians today are in a similar position. God has revealed his word to us in the Bible, and a lot of what the Bible has to say isn’t very popular in today’s culture; however, it is our job as Christians to proclaim the word that God has revealed to us.