Rachel's Sons: Genesis 49:22-27

It is always easier to not let the world bring us down when our mind is focused upon God.  God points us in fulfilling directions because He knows us.  Focus upon the Lord helps us ignore the distracting concerns of the world which only serve to pull us down.

We come to the end of the list to find blessings for Benjamin and Joseph.  We might expect Jacob’s blessing of Benjamin to be substantial, but it is not.  Benjamin is called a ravenous wolf and that’s about all.  This may indicate Jacob was so afraid of losing both sons from Rachel, he sheltered Benjamin and didn’t give him the same opportunities as his other sons. Perhaps Benjamin responded to being sheltered by devouring any opportunity he had to experience life.

Moving past Benjamin to Joseph, it is no surprise Joseph’s blessing is considerably longer than even the next longest of the blessings.  More to the point, Joseph’s blessing is a genuine blessing.  Jacob doesn’t give Joseph an epitaph like most of the other sons, Jacob gives Joseph a genuinely sincere declaration from God.

When comparing Joseph’s blessing and the epitaphs from his brothers, notice how frequently Jacob speaks about God with Joseph.  Jacob refers to God as the Mighty One, the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, the God of your father, and the Almighty.  Considering God isn’t mentioned with most of Joseph’s brothers, it is a stark contrast.  There is a clear sense of God’s hand upon the life of Joseph.  This doesn’t imply God wasn’t with Joseph’s brothers; it merely comments on how readily we can see God at work in Joseph.

God’s work is sometimes plain to see and sometimes His work is hidden.  John Piper has been quoted as saying “God is at work doing 10,000 things in your life and you may only be aware of three of them.”  God’s work in our lives may be more hidden than the work He does in the lives of others, but that doesn’t mean He is less active in your life or He loves others more.

Returning to Jacob’s blessing over Joseph, Jacob portrays a stark contrast between himself and a quality he sees in his son.  Joseph was the target of the world’s arrows, but Joseph did not target the world in return.  Considering Jacob’s life was all about wrestling and struggling against other people, Jacob’s elevation of Joseph’s ability to not retaliate speaks volumes.

Joseph’s focus was on the Lord, not upon paying the world back for prior transgression.  God made Joseph strong, why would his focus be anywhere else?  No wonder Jacob found reason to praise Joseph for his ability to let the attacks of the world slide across his back and continue with his life.  It is always easier to not let the world bring us down to its level when our mind is focused upon God.