David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas.This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 48-49; Psalm 42.

Genesis 48:8-20

When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” ¹² Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
    the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
¹⁶ the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
    and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
    and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” ¹⁹ But his father 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.” ²⁰ So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

There is every reason to question old men when their actions don’t make sense. They (we?) can become confused and make the wrong moves. From taking a wrong exit to missing a turn altogether, our actions can be misguided and confused.

So is this what is happening when Israel crosses his hands and places his right hand on the younger and his left hand on the older? In the ancient world, the right hand symbolized strength, authority, and the greater blessing. It was the hand of preference – the hand that conveyed prominence and inheritance. Yet Jacob deliberately reverses expectations. Though Joseph objects, Israel insists that the younger, Ephraim, will receive the greater blessing.

This is not a mistake of fading eyesight but a familiar pattern in God’s dealings. God often overturns human assumptions about status and priority. Again and again in Genesis, the younger is chosen over the older – Abel over Cain, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau. The blessing does not follow birth order or human convention; it follows God’s gracious election.

In crossing his hands, Israel is confessing something profound: God’s purposes are not bound by our customs or calculations. The greater blessing rests not on human privilege but on God’s promise.

Years ago a pastor spoke proudly of being a fifth-generation Texas LCMS Lutheran. It made me wonder: Where do I fit in that story? I’m a first-generation Lutheran pastor who made it to Texas only in the last thirty years. I make no claim on that basis. But I will offer this reminder: our place in the heart of God rests on grace through faith.

And if God has crossed his hands in blessing, he has done so through hands that were nailed to the cross — hands by which we receive an eternal birthright of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

God knows what he is doing. Make no mistake: his favor and grace are given not by lineage or legacy, but by promise — to young and old alike.