Dr Paul Allen

Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph by Rembrandt, 1656. Genesis 48 describes how Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “By faith Jacob , when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph , bowing in worship over the head of his staff” (Heb. 11:21). In Hebrews 11:20 we saw how Isaac by faith blessed his two sons at the end of his life. This evidence of faith shows that those with true persevering faith will hold onto God ’s promises even if they die before they are all fully realized. In Hebrews 11:21 we read another example of faith drawn from the last days of an old covenant saint. This time our model is Jacob who when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph while “bowing in worship over the head of his staff” (v. 21). This verse reflects upon the book of Genesis and the story of Jacob blessing his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh . We read in Genesis 48:8–16 that near the end of Jacob’s life, Joseph brought his two sons to their grandfather. Manasse

English: English translation of hebrew version. Map of the twelve tribes of Israel, before the move of Dan to the North (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) " Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” ( Hosea 4:17 ) Our God is longsuffering and full of mercy, but there is a line which must not be crossed. It is dangerous to presume that God will always continue to forgive; He can become a “consuming fire” ( Hebrews 12:29 ). The leaders of Ephraim (a collective term for the ten northern tribes of Israel ) had passed this point of no return. They had become completely infatuated with the pantheistic polytheism of the nations, being “joined” to their symbolic models of natural forces and all the immoral practices which accompanied such nature worship. The word for “joined” means “fascinated by.” They had been brought so deeply under the occult powers behind these nature-god idols as to be irrevocably committed to them, so that it would be a waste of time and tears to try to reclaim th

English: English translation of hebrew version. Map of the twelve tribes of Israel, before the move of Dan to the North (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light." ( Judges 19:26 )   This tragic story took place in Israel in a time when "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" ( Judges  21:25 ). The woman was of the tribe of Judah , concubine to a Levite dwelling among the tribe of Ephraim . Although she had been unfaithful, he had taken her back and they were traveling to Ephraim, staying overnight in a city of Benjamin. The "sons of Belial " among the Benjamites , however, had abused the woman throughout the night, leaving her dead at "the dawning of the day."   The whole sordid story illustrates the depths of depravity to which even men among God's chosen people can descend under cover of darkness.