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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Genesis, Chapter XLVIII].</TITLE>
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1></center>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1706)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<A NAME="Page255"> </A>
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>G E N E S I S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XLVIII.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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The time drawing nigh that Israel must die, having, in the former
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chapter, given order about his burial, in this he takes leave of
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his grand-children by Joseph, and in the next of all his children.
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Thus Jacob's dying words are recorded, because he then spoke
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by a spirit of prophecy; Abraham's and Isaac's are not. God's
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gifts and graces shine forth much more in some saints than in
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others upon their death-beds. The Spirit, like the wind, blows
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where it listeth. In this chapter,
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I. Joseph, hearing of his
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father's sickness, goes to visit him, and takes his two sons with
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him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:1,2">ver. 1, 2</A>.
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II. Jacob solemnly adopts his two sons, and takes
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them for his own,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:3-7">ver. 3-7</A>.
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III. He blesses them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:8-16">ver. 8-16</A>.
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IV. He explains and justifies the crossing of his hands in
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blessing them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:17-20">ver. 17-20</A>.
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V. He leaves a particular legacy to
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Joseph,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:21,22">ver. 21, 22</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Ge48_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Jacob's Last Illness.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1689.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And it came to pass after these
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things, that <I>one</I> told Joseph,
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Behold, thy father <I>is</I> sick: and he took
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with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
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2 And <I>one</I> told Jacob, and
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said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh
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unto thee: and Israel strengthened
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himself, and sat upon the bed.
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3 And
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Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty
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appeared unto me at Luz in the land
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of Canaan, and blessed me,
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4 And
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said unto me, Behold, I will make thee
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fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will
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make of thee a multitude of people;
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and will give this land to thy seed after
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thee <I>for</I> an everlasting possession.
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5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and
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Manasseh, which were born unto thee
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in the land of Egypt before I came
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unto thee into Egypt, <I>are</I> mine; as
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Reuben and Simeon, they shall be
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mine.
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6 And thy issue, which thou
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begettest after them, shall be thine,
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<I>and</I> shall be called after the name of
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their brethren in their inheritance.
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7 And as for me, when I came from
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Padan, Rachel died by me in the land
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of Canaan in the way, when yet <I>there
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was</I> but a little way to come
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unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in
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the way of Ephrath; the same <I>is</I>
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Beth-lehem.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here,
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I. Joseph, upon notice of his father's
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illness, goes to see him; though a man of
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honour and business, yet he will not fail to
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show this due respect to his aged father,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>.
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Visiting the sick, to whom we lie under
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obligations, or may have opportunity of doing
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good, either for body or soul, is our duty.
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The sick bed is a proper place both for
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giving comfort and counsel to others and
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receiving instruction ourselves. Joseph took
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his two sons with him, that they might receive
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their dying grandfather's blessing, and
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that what they might see in him, and hear
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from him, might make an abiding impression
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upon them. Note,
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1. It is good to acquaint
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young people that are coming into the world
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with the aged servants of God that are going
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out of it, whose dying testimony to the
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<A NAME="Page256"> </A>
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goodness of God, and the pleasantness of wisdom's
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ways, may be a great encouragement
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to the rising generation. Manasseh and
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Ephraim (I dare say) would never forget
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what passed at this time.
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2. Pious parents
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are desirous of a blessing, not only for themselves,
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but for their children. "O that they
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may live before God!" Joseph had been,
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above all his brethren, kind to his father, and
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therefore had reason to expect particular
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favour from him.</P>
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<P>
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II. Jacob, upon notice of his son's visit,
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prepared himself as well as he could to entertain
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him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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He did what he could to
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rouse his spirits, and to stir up the gift that
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was in him; what little was left of bodily
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strength he put forth to the utmost, and <I>sat
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upon the bed.</I> Note, It is very good for sick
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and aged people to be as lively and cheerful
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as they can, that they may not faint in the
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day of adversity. <I>Strengthen thyself,</I> as
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Jacob here, and God will strengthen thee;
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hearten thyself and help thyself, and God
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will help and hearten thee. Let the spirit
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sustain the infirmity.</P>
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<P>
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III. In recompence to Joseph for all his
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attentions to him, he adopted his two sons.
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In this charter of adoption there is,
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1. A
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particular recital of God's promise to him,
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to which this had reference: "<I>God blessed
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me</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>),
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and let that blessing be entailed
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upon them." God had promised him two
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things, a numerous issue, and Canaan for an
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inheritance
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>);
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and Joseph's sons, pursuant
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hereunto, should each of them multiply
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into a tribe, and each of them have a
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distinct lot in Canaan, equal with Jacob's
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own sons. See how he blessed them by
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faith in that which God had said to him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+11:21">Heb. xi. 21</A>.
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Note, In all our prayers, both
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for ourselves and for our children, we ought
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to have a particular eye to, and remembrance
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of, God's promises to us.
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2. An express
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reception of Joseph's sons into his family:
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"<I>Thy sons are mine</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>),
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not only my grand-children,
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but as my own children." Though
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they were born in Egypt, and their father
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was then separated from his brethren, which
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might seem to have cut them off from the
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heritage of the Lord, yet Jacob takes them
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in, and owns them for visible church members.
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He explains this at
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:16"><I>v.</I> 16</A>,
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<I>Let my
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name be named upon them, and the name of
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my fathers;</I> as if he had said, "Let them
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not succeed their father in his power and
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grandeur here in Egypt, but let them succeed
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me in the inheritance of the promise
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made to Abraham," which Jacob looked
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upon as much more valuable and honourable,
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and would have them to prize and
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covet accordingly. Thus the aged dying
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patriarch teaches these young persons, now
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that they were of age (being about twenty-one
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years old), not to look upon Egypt as
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their home, nor to incorporate themselves
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with the Egyptians, but to take their lot
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with the people of God, as Moses afterwards
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in the like temptation,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+11:24-26">Heb. xi. 24-26</A>.
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And because it would be a piece of self-denial
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in them, who stood so fair for preferment
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in Egypt, to adhere to the despised
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Hebrews, to encourage them he constitutes
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each of them the head of a tribe. Note,
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Those are worthy of double honour who,
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through God's grace, break through the
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temptations of worldly wealth and preferment,
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to embrace religion in disgrace and
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poverty. Jacob will have Ephraim and
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Manasseh to believe that it is better to be
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low and in the church than high and out of
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it, to be called by the name of poor Jacob
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than to be called by the name of rich Joseph.
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3. A proviso inserted concerning the children
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he might afterwards have; they should
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not be accounted heads of tribes, as Ephraim
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and Manasseh were, but should fall in with
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either the one or the other of their brethren,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
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It does not appear that Joseph had
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any more children; however, it was Jacob's
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prudence to give this direction, for the preventing
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of contest and mismanagement.
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Note, In making settlements, it is good to
|
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take advice, and to provide for what may
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happen, while we cannot foresee what will
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happen. Our prudence must attend God's
|
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providence.
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4. Mention is made of the
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death and burial of Rachel, Joseph's mother,
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and Jacob's best beloved wife
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>),
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referring to that story,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+35:19"><I>ch.</I> xxxv. 19</A>.
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Note,
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(1.) When
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we come to die ourselves, it is good to call
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to mind the death of our dear relations and
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friends, that have gone before us, to make
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death and the grave the more familiar to us.
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See
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+27:13">Num. xxvii. 13</A>.
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Those that were to us
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as our own souls are dead and buried; and
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shall we think it much to follow them in the
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same path?
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(2.) The removal of dear relations
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from us is an affliction the remembrance
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of which cannot but abide with us a
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|
great while. Strong affections in the enjoyment
|
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cause long afflictions in the loss.</P>
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<A NAME="Ge48_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_20"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ge48_22"> </A>
|
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Jacob Blesses the Sons of Joseph; Jacob's Dying Prophecy.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1689.</TD></TR>
|
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
|
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</TABLE>
|
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons,
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and said, Who <I>are</I> these?
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9 And
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Joseph said unto his father, They <I>are</I>
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my sons, whom God hath given me
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in this <I>place.</I> And he said, Bring
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them, I pray thee, unto me, and I
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will bless them.
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10 Now the eyes of
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Israel were dim for age, <I>so that</I> he
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could not see. And he brought them
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near unto him; and he kissed them,
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|
and embraced them.
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11 And Israel
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|
said unto Joseph, I had not thought
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|
to see thy face: and, lo, God hath
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showed me also thy seed.
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12 And
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Joseph brought them out from between
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his knees, and he bowed himself
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|
with his face to the earth.
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13 And
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Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his
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|
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<A NAME="Page257"> </A>
|
|
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|
right hand toward Israel's left hand,
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|
and Manasseh in his left hand toward
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|
Israel's right hand, and brought <I>them</I>
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near unto him.
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14 And Israel stretched
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|
out his right hand, and laid <I>it</I> upon
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Ephraim's head, who <I>was</I> the younger,
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|
and his left hand upon Manasseh's
|
|
head, guiding his hands wittingly; for
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Manasseh <I>was</I> the firstborn.
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15 And
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|
he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before
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|
whom my fathers Abraham and
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Isaac did walk, the God which fed me
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all my life long unto this day,
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16 The
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Angel which redeemed me from all
|
|
evil, bless the lads; and let my name
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be named on them, and the name of
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|
my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and
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|
let them grow into a multitude in the
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|
midst of the earth.
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|
17 And when Joseph
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|
saw that his father laid his right
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|
hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased
|
|
him: and he held up his father's
|
|
hand, to remove it from Ephraim's
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|
head unto Manasseh's head.
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|
18 And
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|
Joseph said unto his father, Not so,
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|
my father: for this <I>is</I> the firstborn;
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|
put thy right hand upon his head.
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19 And his father refused, and said,
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I know <I>it,</I> my son, I know <I>it:</I> he also
|
|
shall become a people, and he also
|
|
shall be great: but truly his younger
|
|
brother shall be greater than he, and
|
|
his seed shall become a multitude of
|
|
nations.
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|
20 And he blessed them that
|
|
day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless,
|
|
saying, God make thee as Ephraim
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|
and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim
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|
before Manasseh.
|
|
21 And Israel said
|
|
unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God
|
|
shall be with you, and bring you again
|
|
unto the land of your fathers.
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|
22 Moreover I have given to thee one
|
|
portion above thy brethren, which I
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|
took out of the hand of the Amorite
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|
with my sword and with my bow.
|
|
</FONT></P>
|
|
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|
<P>
|
|
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|
Here is,
|
|
|
|
I. The blessing with which Jacob
|
|
blessed the two sons of Joseph, which is the
|
|
more remarkable because the apostle makes
|
|
such particular mention of it
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+11:21">Heb. xi. 21</A>),
|
|
while he says nothing of the blessing which
|
|
Jacob pronounced on the rest of his sons,
|
|
though that also was done in faith. Observe
|
|
here,</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
1. Jacob was blind for age,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
|
|
It is
|
|
one of the common infirmities of old age.
|
|
<I>Those that look out at the windows are darkened,</I>
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ec+12:3">Eccl. xii. 3</A>.
|
|
It is folly to <I>walk in the
|
|
sight of our eyes,</I> and to suffer our hearts to
|
|
go after them, while we know death will
|
|
shortly close them, and we do not know but
|
|
some accident between us and death may
|
|
darken them. Jacob, like his father before
|
|
him, when he was old, was dim-sighted.
|
|
Note,
|
|
|
|
(1.) Those that have the honour of
|
|
age must therewith be content to take the
|
|
burden of it.
|
|
|
|
(2.) The eye of faith may be
|
|
very clear even when the eye of the body is
|
|
very much clouded.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
2. Jacob was very fond of Joseph's sons:
|
|
<I>He kissed them and embraced them,</I>
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
|
|
It is common for old people to have a very particular
|
|
affection for their grand-children, perhaps
|
|
more than they had for their own children
|
|
when they were little, which Solomon
|
|
gives a reason for
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Pr+17:6">Prov. xvii. 6</A>),
|
|
<I>Children's
|
|
children are the crown of old men.</I> With
|
|
what satisfaction does Jacob say here
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:11"><I>v.</I> 11</A>),
|
|
<I>I had not thought to see thy face</I> (having many
|
|
years given him up for lost), <I>and, lo, God has
|
|
shown me also thy seed!</I> See here,
|
|
|
|
(1.) How
|
|
these two good men own God in their comforts.
|
|
Joseph says
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>),
|
|
<I>They are my sons
|
|
whom God has given me,</I> and, to magnify the
|
|
favour, he adds, "<I>In this place</I> of my banishment,
|
|
slavery, and imprisonment." Jacob
|
|
says here, <I>God has shown me thy seed.</I> Our
|
|
comforts are then doubly sweet to us when
|
|
we see them coming from God's hand.
|
|
|
|
(2.) How often God, in his merciful providences,
|
|
outdoes our expectations, and thus greatly
|
|
magnifies his favours. He not only prevents
|
|
our fears, but exceeds our hopes. We may
|
|
apply this to the promise which is made to
|
|
us and to our children. We could not have
|
|
thought that we should have been taken into
|
|
covenant with God ourselves, considering
|
|
how guilty and corrupt we are; and yet, lo, he
|
|
has shown us our seed also in covenant with him.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
3. Before he entails his blessing, he recounts
|
|
his experiences of God's goodness to
|
|
him. He had spoken
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>)
|
|
of God's appearing
|
|
to him. The particular visits of his
|
|
grace, and the special communion we have
|
|
sometimes had with him, ought never to be
|
|
forgotten. But
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:15,16"><I>v.</I> 15, 16</A>)
|
|
he mentions the
|
|
constant care which the divine Providence
|
|
had taken of him all his days.
|
|
|
|
(1.) He had
|
|
<I>fed him all his life long unto this day,</I>
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:15"><I>v.</I> 15</A>.
|
|
Note, As long as we have lived in this world
|
|
we have had continual experience of God's
|
|
goodness to us, in providing for the support
|
|
of our natural life. Our bodies have called
|
|
for daily food, and no little has gone to feed
|
|
us, yet we have never wanted food convenient.
|
|
He that has fed us <I>all our life long</I> surely
|
|
will not fail us at last.
|
|
|
|
(2.) He had by his
|
|
angel <I>redeemed him from all evil,</I>
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:16"><I>v.</I> 16</A>.
|
|
A great deal of hardship he had known in his
|
|
time, but God had graciously kept him from
|
|
the evil of his troubles. Now that he was
|
|
dying he looked upon himself as <I>redeemed
|
|
from all evil,</I> and bidding an everlasting farewell
|
|
to sin and sorrow. Christ, the Angel
|
|
of the covenant, is he that redeems us from
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Page258"> </A>
|
|
|
|
all evil,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ti+4:18">2 Tim. iv. 18</A>.
|
|
Note,
|
|
|
|
[1.] It becomes
|
|
the servants of God, when they are old
|
|
and dying, to witness for our God that they
|
|
have found him gracious.
|
|
|
|
[2.] Our experiences
|
|
of God's goodness to us are improvable,
|
|
both for the encouragement of others to
|
|
serve God, and for encouragement to us in
|
|
blessing them and praying for them.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
4. When he confers the blessing and name
|
|
of Abraham and Isaac upon them he recommends
|
|
the pattern and example of Abraham
|
|
and Isaac to them,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:15"><I>v.</I> 15</A>.
|
|
He calls God the
|
|
<I>God before whom his fathers Abraham and
|
|
Isaac walked,</I> that is, in whom they believed,
|
|
whom they observed and obeyed, and with
|
|
whom they kept up communion in instituted
|
|
ordinances, according to the condition of the
|
|
covenant. <I>Walk before me,</I>
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+17:1"><I>ch.</I> xvii. 1</A>.
|
|
Note,
|
|
|
|
(1.) Those that would inherit the blessing of
|
|
their godly ancestors, and have the benefit
|
|
of God's covenant with them, must tread in
|
|
the steps of their piety.
|
|
|
|
(2.) It should recommend
|
|
religion and the service of God to us
|
|
that God was the God of our fathers, and that
|
|
they had satisfaction in walking before him.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
5. In blessing them, he <I>crossed hands.</I>
|
|
Joseph placed them so as that Jacob's right
|
|
hand should be put on the head of Manasseh
|
|
the elder,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:12,13"><I>v.</I> 12, 13</A>.
|
|
But Jacob would put
|
|
it on the head of Ephraim the younger,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:14"><I>v.</I> 14</A>.
|
|
This displeased Joseph, who was willing to
|
|
support the reputation of his first-born, and
|
|
would therefore have removed his father's
|
|
hands,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:17,18"><I>v.</I> 17, 18</A>.
|
|
But Jacob gave him to
|
|
understand that he know what he did, and
|
|
that he did it not by mistake, nor in a humour,
|
|
nor from a partial affection to one
|
|
more than the other, but from a spirit of prophecy,
|
|
and in compliance with the divine
|
|
counsels. Manasseh should be great, but
|
|
truly Ephraim should be greater. When the
|
|
tribes were mustered in the wilderness,
|
|
Ephraim was more numerous than Manasseh,
|
|
and had the standard of that squadron
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+1:32,33,35,2:18,20">Num. i. 32, 33, 35; ii. 18, 20</A>),
|
|
and is named first,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+80:2">Ps. lxxx. 2</A>.
|
|
Joshua was of that tribe, so
|
|
was Jeroboam. The tribe of Manasseh was
|
|
divided, one half on one side Jordan, the
|
|
other half on the other side, which made it
|
|
the less powerful and considerable. In the
|
|
foresight of this, <I>Jacob crossed hands.</I> Note.
|
|
|
|
(1.) God, in bestowing his blessings upon
|
|
his people, gives more to some than to others,
|
|
more gifts, graces, and comforts, and more
|
|
of the good things of this life.
|
|
|
|
(2.) He often
|
|
gives most to those that are least likely. He
|
|
chooses the weak things of the world; raises
|
|
the poor out of the dust. Grace observes
|
|
not the order of nature, nor does God prefer
|
|
those whom we think fittest to be preferred,
|
|
but as it pleases him. It is observable how
|
|
often God, by the distinguishing favours of
|
|
his covenant, advanced the younger above
|
|
the elder, Abel above Cain, Shem above
|
|
Japheth, Abraham above Nahor and Haran,
|
|
Isaac above Ishmael, Jacob above Esau;
|
|
Judah and Joseph were preferred before
|
|
Reuben, Moses before Aaron, David and
|
|
Solomon before their elder brethren. See
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+16:7">1 Sam. xvi. 7</A>.
|
|
He tied the Jews to observe
|
|
the birthright
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=De+21:17">Deut. xxi. 17</A>),
|
|
but he never
|
|
tied himself to observe it. Some make this
|
|
typical of the preference given to the Gentiles
|
|
above the Jews; the Gentile converts were
|
|
much more numerous than those of the Jews.
|
|
See
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Gal+4:27">Gal. iv. 27</A>.
|
|
Thus free grace becomes
|
|
more illustrious.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
II. The particular tokens of his favour to
|
|
Joseph. 1. He left with him the promise of
|
|
their return out of Egypt, as a sacred trust:
|
|
<I>I die, but God shall be with you, and bring you
|
|
again,</I>
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:21"><I>v.</I> 21</A>.
|
|
Accordingly, Joseph, when he
|
|
died, left it with his brethren,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+50:24"><I>ch.</I> l. 24</A>.
|
|
This
|
|
assurance was given them, and carefully preserved
|
|
among them, that they might neither
|
|
love Egypt too much when it favoured them,
|
|
nor fear it too much when it frowned upon
|
|
them. These words of Jacob furnish us with
|
|
comfort in reference to the death of our
|
|
friends: <I>They die;</I> but God shall be with
|
|
us, and his gracious presence is sufficient to
|
|
make up the loss: they leave us, but he will
|
|
never fail us. Further, He will bring us to
|
|
the land of our fathers, the heavenly Canaan,
|
|
whither our godly fathers have gone before
|
|
us. If God be with us while we stay behind
|
|
in this world, and will receive us shortly to
|
|
be with those that have gone before to a better
|
|
world, we ought not to sorrow as those that
|
|
have no hope.
|
|
|
|
2. He bestowed one portion
|
|
upon him above his brethren,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+48:22"><I>v.</I> 22</A>.
|
|
The
|
|
lands bequeathed are described to be those
|
|
which he <I>took out of the hand of the Amorite
|
|
with his sword, and with his bow.</I> He purchased
|
|
them first
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jos+24:32">Josh. xxiv. 32</A>),
|
|
and, it
|
|
seems, was afterwards disseized of them by
|
|
the Amorites, but retook them by the sword,
|
|
repelling force by force, and recovering his
|
|
right by violence when he could not otherwise
|
|
recover it. These lands he settled upon
|
|
Joseph; mention is made of this grant,
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Joh+4:5">John iv. 5</A>.
|
|
Pursuant to it, this parcel of ground
|
|
was given to the tribe of Ephraim as their
|
|
right, and the lot was never cast upon it;
|
|
and in it Joseph's bones were buried, which
|
|
perhaps Jacob had an eye to as much as to
|
|
any thing in this settlement. Note, It may
|
|
sometimes be both just and prudent to give
|
|
some children portions above the rest; but a
|
|
grave is that which we can most count upon
|
|
as our own in this earth.</P>
|
|
|
|
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