Photo Cred: (1) | Updated: 5/18/2026
Sermon Prep
I shared this message after our annual family vacation, but had prepped the vast majority of it weeks ahead of time. I did add and tweak a lot Saturday night after returning from vacation that enhanced the message, but about 80% was already done if not more before vacation. Given the subject matter, I think this was a well-oiled machine of a message by the time I got up there to teach. On that note, here are my notes down below and the YouTube recording here.
Sermon Notes
Opening Prayer
- Father God, lead us this morning as we search the scriptures. Thank you for your Son whose sacrifice is our salvation. Dwell with us, Holy Spirit, as you teach us today. Amen.
Intro
- Conversation with Grandad in 2021 and how he reacted to what Papa said about him.
Main Point
- The words of our fathers can define our futures whether we want them to or not.
- We’ve all been defined by our dads, but in Christ we have a new destiny.
Our Father’s Blessing | Genesis 48-49:28 (NRSVue)
- Joseph hears Jacob is ill and takes his sons to him to be blessed (Genesis 48:1-2).
- God blessed Jacob at Luz and said he would be fruitful in Canaan (Genesis 48:3-4).
“[5] Therefore your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are now mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. [6] As for the offspring born to you after them, they shall be yours. They shall be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance.”
- Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons as direct heirs, so they become 2 of the 12 tribes of Israel.
“[8] 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, and he could not see well. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. [11] Israel said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see your face, and here God has let me see your children also.” [12] Then Joseph removed them from his father’s knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. [13] Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them near him. [14] But 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] He blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, [16] the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys, and in them let my name be perpetuated and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude on the earth.” [17] When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, so he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. [18] Joseph said to his father, “Not so, 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.” [20a] So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will invoke blessings, saying, ‘God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’”“
- Jacob’s dim eyes links to Isaac having dim eyes blessing Esau and Jacob. He behaved deceptively as the youngest, but now Jacob publicly blesses Ephraim the youngest.
- The right hand in the ANE represented a greater blessing. The firstborn son always got double the inheritance and led the extended family performing priest duties for them.
- מַשְׁכִּיל / שִׂכֵּל (sikel/maskil) — “He guided his hands knowingly/wisely.” Jacob purposely crosses his arms to bless the younger Ephraim as an action of divine decree.
- Manasseh (making to forget) and Ephraim’s (fruitful) names foreshadows their futures.
- Jacob says God will return them home giving Joseph an extra portion (Genesis 48:21-22).
- Shechem = shoulder/mountain ridge; City of Shechem. Also foreshadows Exodus.
“[3] Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the first fruits of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. [4] Unstable as water, you shall no longer excel because you went up onto your father’s bed; then you defiled it—you went up onto my couch!”
- Reuben loses birthright since he slept with Bilhah after Rachel’s death (Genesis 35:22).
“[8] Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. [9] Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches down, he stretches out like a lion, like a lioness—who dares rouse him up? [10] The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and the obedience of the peoples is his. [11] Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes; [12] his eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk.”
- Jacob splits the birthright between Joseph, Judah; Levi (resources vs royalty vs religion).
- Messianic prophecy that foreshadows the Son of God and Son of Man (Genesis 49:8-12).
- Jesus is the blessing for the whole world (Genesis 12:3 → Galatians 3:16, 21-29).
“[22] Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. [23] The archers fiercely attacked him; they shot at him and pressed him hard. [24] Yet his bow remained taut, and his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, [25] by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.[26] The blessings of your father are stronger than the blessings of the eternal mountains, the bounties of the everlasting hills; may they be on the head of Joseph, on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers. [27] Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”
- Benjamin’s blessing refers to King Saul, Mordecai; Paul for their all-in, wolf-like ferocity.
- King Saul’s military might, Mordecai’s political prowess, and Paul’s pastoral reach.
Why It Matters
- The blessing Jacob gives to each of his sons as heirs is a tribal blessing oracle that not only describes their character, but foreshadows their own future and their tribe’s future.
- As heirs of Christ, we now live in the reality of God’s grace and love for us.
Power Text
“[4] But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. [6] This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)
Outro
- Christians have been grafted into God’s family and enjoy the whole world’s blessing.
- In spite of our own failures and our fathers, in Christ our fate has changed.
- How have your father’s words defined you? How are you defined by God the Father?
Final Thoughts
The reception was good and delivery was as well. I also ad-libbed some things I cut out from prior research I did on this text, which I think just made it better. Overall, some pretty good preaching and a solid sermon in my opinion. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.
Footnotes
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