DAY 40: The Mysterious Cross-handed Blessing That Made Joseph’s Children Israel’s Children

Per their father’s order, Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt to buy grain.

However, they don’t recognize Joseph, the one whom they had so cruelly betrayed many years earlier.

Joseph still hurt and angry decides to toy around with his brothers.

He accuses them of being spies and throws them into prison.

However, he’s also keenly aware that any harm he might inflict upon his brothers would only serve to hurt his now aged father.

At the end of the day, Joseph gives his brothers grain for them to take back to Canaan and after a series of incidents he brings his father and his whole clan to Egypt.

He knows because of his position and power he’ll be able to take care of them and assure their safety and survival during the famine.

Jacob arrives in Egypt with his entire clan which now totals 70 people (not including Joseph).

Fast forward a few years later and Israel (Jacob) is now on his deathbed.

However, before his last breath he pronounces a blessing on Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh that would change the history of both the nation of Israel and the world forever.

This deathbed blessing is called the “cross-handed blessing” because for inheritance purposes Joseph’s younger child Ephraim was put ahead of the older child Manasseh.

This went directly against the traditions of those times.

But that wasn’t all that happened.

This cross-handed blessing also resulted in Joseph’s two sons born from his Egyptian wife being made into Jacob’s own children.

In other words, Ephraim and Manasseh would no longer be considered Israel’s grandchildren but his very own children.

This incredible tradition-defying act had both immediate and long-term consequences.

By Jacob adopting these children to be his own, Ephraim and Manasseh’s national identities were instantly changed.

They would no longer be considered Egyptians but full-fledged Israelites.

And historically that’s exactly what happened.

In Israel’s history Ephraim and Manasseh held the most power and authority among all the tribes of Israel.

We’re gonna talk about this a little bit more the next time we meet because what happened with this cross-handed blessing was nothing less than a prophetic keg of dynamite that changed the world for all time and forever and affects us even today.