"Joseph said to his father, 'No so, my Father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.' But (Jacob) refused, and said, 'I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.'"
(Genesis 48:18-19)
Jacob (the Trickster) is nearing the end of his life. He and his 11 sons have been reunited with Joseph - the son who'd he assumed was dead (but was actually sold off into slavery by his other brothers). Joseph had, by the grace of God, become a very powerful man in Egypt, and was able to provide for his entire family during a severe drought. Now he brings his two sons to Jacob for a blessing.
Jacob, of course, is the subject of the other "memorable" blessing story in Genesis - for he is the one who tricked his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing that was supposed to be for his older brother, Esau. Now with his grandsons before him, Jacob does the very same thing - gives a greater blessing to the younger! When Joseph protests, Jacob tells him that he knows what he's doing.
Does Jacob see something in his grandson, Ephraim (the younger) that he doesn't see in Manasseh (the older), which will lead to greatness? Or is Jacob still a champion of "younger brothers," whomever they may be? It's hard to say. But it's clear that Jacob's past continues to influence his present.
What even from YOUR PAST (positive or negative) continues to influence your present? Have you given it to God to become a blessing in your life & others' yet? God can take anything you've gone through and use it for good... the question is, will we let Him?
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