Genesis 48:3

Age and sickness have weakened Jacob — the man of nature. The world he had clung to so tightly is fast fading from his view, his eyes dim because of age. But the strength of nature fails, and natural sight grows dim. When all earthly things are fast slipping from his grasp, he rises above the loss of every earthly joy. In God he finds his only trust and unfailing resource. That is why his mind travels back to that great moment. At the start of his pilgrim path, God Almighty appeared to him at Luz in the land of Canaan.

He is not now concerned with his failures — with deceiving his father, or with having to flee from the anger of his outraged brother. These were very sorrowful and serious matters. But he felt in his soul the presence of God, and all that it brought to him pushed into the background all that he was in himself. He still had to suffer under God's government for his sins. Yet the blessing of God in grace had triumphed over all that he was naturally, and this was what filled his heart as he spoke to Joseph.

This name first appears in Genesis 17:1: the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty" — that is, EL SHADDAI. The word El is said to mean strength, or omnipotence. Some think Shaddai means the same thing, while others prefer the rendering all-sufficient, or self-sufficiency. Either way, the two words together carry divine attributes. Omnipotence and all-sufficiency are found in God alone. These two words are used, for example, when God said to Moses, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them" (Exodus 6:2-3).

God revealed Himself to Abraham as "the Almighty" (El Shaddai). God called Abraham to be a pilgrim, with none but God to look to, so He revealed Himself to him as the "All Powerful One."

Happy pilgrim! The "staff" he leaned on led his soul back to Luz. And what was Jacob at Luz? Nothing but a houseless, homeless, destitute wanderer. Yet for him, in those circumstances, Luz becomes Bethel — the house of God. There God found Jacob. God blessed him as a pilgrim who had nothing but his "staff." 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.

Someone told Jacob, "Your son Joseph has come to you," and Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. Then it immediately says, "And Jacob said to Joseph…" We know there is nothing in Scripture without its specific meaning. So this interchange of names contains some instruction. In general, we may say that "Jacob" shows the depth to which God had descended; "Israel," the height to which Jacob was raised.

Jacob speaks to Joseph of God's first recorded appearance to him at Luz (or Bethel) in Canaan. There God gave him His special blessing. He promised to multiply him into a multitude of people, and to give that land to his descendants for an everlasting possession. Jacob was therefore not interested in any other land on earth.

Hebrews 11 singles out one event in Jacob's life as an example of the faith that was in him: his blessing of the sons of Joseph… It is striking how at once Jacob went back to the moment when he first came into contact with God. He remembered the blessing granted then and repeated the promises made then in a way that shows he received them by faith.