Genesis 48:8–11

When Rachel died, Jacob was still at full strength. Now his natural strength was gone and his eyes were dim, so that he could not even make out the sons of Joseph. In his strong days he had too often walked by the sight of his own eyes. Now at the end he begins to walk and act by faith, not by sight. At the same time he sees how very kind God has been to him.

Jacob has spoken up to now, but from this point in the story he speaks as Israel. Jacob, the man of nature, has looked back over the past and seen all his hopes end in death. Now, as Israel (the prince with God), he will declare the mind of God. As Jacob he has seen death ending the plans of man. As Israel he looks beyond death and unfolds the purpose of God (verses 8-11)... If heavenly things are opening to him, earthly things are fading from him.

He then adopts the sons of Joseph. This was needed to give them the rights of children, because, in strict legal terms, they were strangers to Abraham. Their mother was an Egyptian. So they were the kind of children the law of that day would have sent away. But Jacob adopts them. He takes them into the family.

He adopted them before he saw them. He gave them the place of the firstborn in the family while he had still not looked on them, for his eyes were dim with age. All the desire of his heart had gone out to them while they had never yet stood before him. So when the blessing does come, it comes with all its value. The warmth of Jacob's heart and tongue came with it. It is sealed, and sealed again, before Ephraim and Manasseh enjoy it. They are to know that their adoption had been their father's delightful plan and promise — the subject of his thoughts and love — before it was ever made known to them.

As Jacob received the blessing, so now he gives it to both the sons of Joseph. Jacob had no claim on God for a blessing. He was a fugitive from his elder brother Esau, to whom by natural right the blessing belonged. But God allows no rights. He acts according to the counsels of His own will... He could look at his grandchildren, and see the blessing of God coming on them from the grace of God, as freely as it had come on him.

Joseph is a wonderful picture of Christ, who brings His children into the Father's presence. It is the Father's delight to bless us.

Pharaoh gave Joseph a wife, and God gave Joseph two sons. The oldest was named "Manasseh" ("Forgetting"), because God made Joseph forget his work and sorrow. The younger was named "Ephraim" ("Fruitful"), because God caused him to be fruitful in the land of his trouble.

He then adopts the sons of Joseph. This was needed to give them the rights of children. In a real legal sense they were strangers to Abraham. Their mother was an Egyptian. They were a seed, therefore, whom the law would in its day have put away. But Jacob adopts them. He takes them into the family.

But if blessing rests on the promise made sure to Jacob's descendants, then Jacob can claim a blessing for Joseph's sons. Jacob can say, "they shall be mine." He claims them as his descendants and therefore as the heirs to the inheritance.

As Jacob he has seen death ending the plans of man. As Israel he looks beyond death and unfolds the purpose of God. But the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. If heavenly things are opening to him, earthly things are fading from him. And so he no longer thinks of the sorrows along the way, but of the goodness of God that had never forsaken him. He acknowledges that God had been better to him than all his natural thoughts.

In Genesis 48, which follows, we get the one act in his life that the Spirit marks out as the act of faith. See Hebrews 11:21. But the whole chapter is beautiful. All is grace on God's part, and all is faith in the heart of Jacob. It is the proper business and duty of faith to accept the decisions of grace, and that is just what grace is doing here. Grace adopts the sons of Joseph, who had no claim by birth, and takes them into the family of Abraham. Grace gives them the place and portion of the firstborn, the double portion, as though they were Reuben and Simeon. Grace sets the younger of them above the elder.

Suppose we bring them with a desire for their prominence and glory. Suppose we want them distinguished either in this world or the world to come, so that our natural pride and pleasure in them grows. Then we have no ground for expecting the Lord to act. If we bring them so that their desperate need may be met and their blessing accomplished, He will hear us. The varying circumstances on our side will be no hindrance.

Jacob — the man of nature — is weakened by age and sickness. The world he had clung to so tightly is fast fading from his view. His eyes are dim with age (verse 10). But his natural strength weakens and his natural sight grows dim. Everything on earth is fast slipping from his grasp. So he rises above the loss of all earthly joys and finds in God his only trust and unfailing resource.

If heavenly things are opening to him, earthly things are fading from him. And so it is he no longer thinks of the sorrows by the way, but of the goodness of God that had never forsaken him.

When Rachel died Jacob was still in full strength; now his natural strength was gone, his eyes were dim, so that he could not even recognise the sons of Joseph. In his days of vigour he had too often walked by the sight of his own eyes; now at the close he begins to walk and act by faith and not by sight, and at the same time he realises the exceeding kindness of God toward him.

Dim as to his natural eye, but clear-sighted by faith, he guided his hands knowingly. Jacob had used his own natural shrewdness in many ways in his past life. But now, as his natural powers fade, faith is very keen in discerning the ways of God.

Joseph does not know God's purpose for his sons. He lets his natural desires govern him. He places the elder son in front of his dying father's right hand, and the younger in front of his left. So Joseph would have had it; but not so Jacob. His eyes were dim with age, but in this he was clearer-sighted than Joseph after all. No one ever saw more clearly than Joseph. Yet Jacob, dying, sees the future with a steadier and fuller gaze.

It needs an exercised soul, as well as a spiritual gift, to see clearly the way of grace. Joseph stands far above his father Jacob in both gift and moral worth. But Jacob had been well sifted, and had learned by experience his need of grace.

Isaac's eyes were dim, so he could be deceived, and they set about doing so, instead of looking to God, who would have completely frustrated Isaac's purpose to bless the one whom God would not bless — a purpose rooted in nature, and in very unlovely nature, for "Isaac loved Esau," not because he was the firstborn, but "because he ate of his game."

Jacob clear, where Isaac had been dim; Jacob clearer than Joseph, who until now had seen into divine things more deeply than any other man of God. What deep self-judgment must have passed through Israel's spirit as he reviewed the blessing he had once stolen by his own trickery!

He adopted them before he saw them. He gave them the place of the firstborn in the family while he had not yet looked on them, for his eyes were dim with age. All the desire of his heart had been toward them while they were still unknown to him. So when the blessing does come, it comes with all its value. They may know that their adoption had been the delightful theme of the father's counsel and promise, the subject of his thoughts and affections before he made it known to them.

When at last he had to part with Benjamin, he poured out his grief: "All this has come against me." Were they against him? He could not see far enough. Little did he think that the shadow of dreaded loss resting on his spirit was in reality the clouds breaking. Instead of losing Benjamin he was about to regain Joseph. In regaining Joseph, every pinch of want would be a thing of the past. He would live in the land where Joseph supplied the food, and receive from his plenty, even though all the rest of the earth was suffering famine. Ask Jacob, "Does God care?" Hear him say to Joseph for answer, "I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also."

The very things that he thought were against him were working for richest blessing, both for him and for his children. Not only was Joseph alive, but very soon he would see Joseph, and also his sons. God used the loss of Joseph to preserve Jacob and his house, and also to preserve the lives of many more.

In Genesis 48:11 we have a very beautiful example of the way our God always rises above all our thoughts, and proves Himself better than all our fears… To nature's view Joseph was dead; whereas in God's view he was alive, and seated in the highest place of authority, next to the throne.

In his days of vigour he had too often walked by the sight of his own eyes. Now at the close he begins to walk and act by faith and not by sight. At the same time he realizes the exceeding kindness of God toward him. He had spent weary years thinking he would never see the face of his beloved son again. Now he has seen not only him but his offspring as well.

Jacob has spoken up to now, but from this point in the story he speaks as Israel, the prince with God… As Jacob he has seen death ending the plans of man. As Israel he looks beyond death and unfolds the purpose of God. But the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. If heavenly things are opening to him, earthly things are fading from him. And so he no longer thinks of the sorrows along the way, but of the goodness of God that had never forsaken him. He owns that God had been better to him than all his natural thoughts.

He then adopts the sons of Joseph. This was needed to give them the rights of children, because in a great legal sense they were strangers to Abraham. Their mother was an Egyptian. They were offspring whom the law would, in its day, have put away. But Jacob adopts them. He takes them into the family.

With the goodness of God filling his soul, Joseph and his two sons pass from his thoughts for the moment. In the presence of God "he bowed himself with his face to the earth." He has reached the highest moment in his spiritual life — he is a worshipper. We know from the Holy Spirit's comment in Hebrews 11 that this was the crowning act of faith in the life of Jacob… The scheming, the pushing of others out of their place, the selfishness, and the independence that so often marred his path had passed away. At last Jacob shows faith, dependence, and worship.