Ephraim

Genesis 48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” 

Some detailing in the book of Genesis attracts our attention and God has messages teaching to us through them. One incident is the choice of Ephraim over Manasseh. Since Jacob had strengthened himself and got up from his bed, we can read the importance of the message he is about to convey to his son. This message is an important revelation from God.

Jacob starts the message with the incident at Bethel which God had promised to give to his sons. But he substitutes Rueben and Simeon with Ephraim and Manasseh as he thought that the first two had disappointed and so, Ephraim would inherit Bethel. This inheritance is the best as we read how the tribe of Ephraim grew up really well in the time of prophets and the kings. The larger northern kingdom was referred to as the kingdom of Ephraim a lot of times (Is 7:17). We also read that Jacob mentions that he has a place on the way to Bethlehem where Rachel was buried. This place could have been Jerusalem which became the capital of Israel. Ephraim had grown well but because of his self-centeredness, Ephraim was completely lost with the other ten tribes of Israel. Some people claim that Ephraim became England and Manasseh became USA. Even though these are theories, we can take them as prophesies fulfilled in Jeremiah 31:20.

When the first two sons sinned, the sons of Joseph who were brought up in Egypt are substituted. This is the eternal wisdom of God which still fulfills Abraham’s promise through us as we become his seed through Jesus. Also, the second is blessed more than the first son which removes the seniority in the church. We depend on Jesus completely and exalt him alone. God is very specific to remove the status of being the first born.

When blessing the lads, Jacob uses three terms which are God before whom the patriarchs walked, the God who had fed them and the Angel who redeems which also points to the Holy Trinity. The blessing “let my name be upon them” explains that the name of Joseph should not be upon them as the kids were brought up in a different environment. Joseph initiated this as he mentions “the sons God gave in this land”. God in the three forms has to come together to remove this Egyptian identity and make us children of promise.

Now, our lesson is how God yearns and has wonderful plans for exalting us and we fail because of selfishness.  When Jacob said that children born after them shall be Joseph’s, Joseph could have tried to build his legacy in Egypt. But Joseph knew that Israel only is honor and he did not have any more children there. This is why we read that there was a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph in Exodus 1. But despite all these efforts, somehow Bethel was completely lost in history. The first king of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam was from Ephraim, but just because he wanted to be against Rehoboam and the house of David, he introduced idol worship in Israel so that the northern kingdom would worship calves and not go to Jerusalem. Every opportunity given was torn apart and lost.

We should follow Christ’s example here instead of Ephraim. When authority was given, the tribe used this authority for taking honor to itself and not God. But Joseph an image of Christ was willing to shed away all the honor he had so that the children would be Godly. Jesus was the ultimate in this sacrifice where he put His life down so that the people under the authority would be saved. We have to remember that this authority given to us was because of another person’s sacrifice and another tribe being substituted instead of us. All we have to do is hold this authority with reverence and not lose Bethel the house of God.

Amen.