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Q2. The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh


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Jacob crosses his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh because he wants to give the blessing that would go to the firstborn son to the second born son. Ephraim,the younger, would be greater than his older brother Manasseh. His descendants would become a group of nations.

Joseph tries to stop Jacob because he thinks his father is confused. By this time Jacob is about 147 years old and nearly blind.

Jacob's blessings are an actual prophecy of God in that the Spirit of God was probably upon him. He is prophesying God's words over Joseph's sons. :)

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Q2. (Genesis 48) Why does Jacob cross his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh? Yahowah

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  • 4 weeks later...

It appears that Jacob had beeen made aware of how God had purposed to bless the two sons of Joseph. . .Opposed to human custom, God had chosen to do things a different way. . .

Isaiah 55:8-11 (NKJV)

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.

9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Joseph was accustomed to the customs and ways of the people he lived around and were family members - as was Jacob - and thinking that Jacob may have been confused because of his age - he attempted to correct what he thought to be a mistake. . .

Jacob's blessing were actual prophecy from God in the sense that they were in agreement with the promise God had made with Abraham. . .

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  • 1 year later...

Q2. (Genesis 48) Why does Jacob cross his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh?

I reckon Jacob was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit when he did that. It seems to be God's way in the Old Testament to reverse the traditional order of things to emphasize that it's in fact God who is working through events and circumstances to effect His purpose. Jacob himself was the younger of the twins born to Rebekah. Go right back to the beginning and Abel was favored over Cain.

Why does Joseph try to stop him?

Because Manasseh was the older of his two sons and by birthright should have been the favored one.

In what sense are Jacob

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  • 5 months later...

2a)The right hand is associated with God’s strengthExodus15:6Jacob deliberately chose the second-born to receive a greater blessing with the preferred right hand than the first born .God chose Ephraim to take the position of the first born.He wasn’t confused.

b)Joseph had different ideas and was displeased,thinking first born should be blessed according to custom.

c)Jacob was obedient.The blessings are prophecy from God allowing Ephraim to fulfil the God’s plan.God showed His own free mercy,in choosing those not as the world chooses Jeremiah 31:9says For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn . When the nation of Israel originally left Egypt, the tribe of Ephraim was larger than that of Manasseh (Numbers 1:32-35), and after the kingdom was divided, the prophetic name for wayward Israel was Ephraim Psalms 78:67-68, Isaiah 11:12-13,

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  • 1 year later...

The reason that Jacob crossed his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh is because God had laid it on his heart which one would be the greatest. Joseph tried to stop him because he was thinking earthly things while Jacob was thinking Holy things. The sense that Jacob’s blessings are an actual prophecy from God is because Jacob knew who was going to be the greater.

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  • 9 years later...

Q2. (Genesis 48)

Why does Jacob cross his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh?

Why does Joseph try to stop him?

In what sense are Jacob's blessings an actual prophecy from God?

Jacob is blessing the young boys by prophesying over them the words that  God has laid on his heart. Ephraim the younger would become the greater and become many nations, and he was standing on his left side. So that was why he crossed his arms so the right hand would be on Ephraim.   Hundred of years later when in the Promised land, the Northern kingdom was also referred to as Ephraim. 

Joseph is trying to put the right hand on the older lad.  

What he speaks over them actually comes to fruition later.   It was not noticeable at the time, so Jacob could not have guessed it.  

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