youngest first

Sometimes stories seemed to go in a circle, or at least in a spiral. Jacob’s story did that.

This morning, I read about Jacob’s last days, when he made Joseph promise to bring his bones back to Canaan, and when he blessed Jacob’s two sons. It was the second event that got me thinking.

Specifically, it was this part, from Genesis 48:17-20 17 “When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’
But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’ He blessed them that day and said,
‘In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”’
So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.”

Isn’t it interesting that Jacob, the younger brother who stole the blessing meant for the eldest son from Esau, intentionally gives his best blessing to Joseph’s younger son? I don’t know what it means, but it makes me think of a couple of things.

First, it reminds me that God doesn’t work according to our rules. He intended to work his plan through Jacob, no matter that tradition would look toward the eldest. Years in the future, he passed up all the impressive, mature sons of Jesse to anoint the boy David to be king. I wonder, then, how often I’ve hesitated because it seemed to me that a pastor or professor or older person surely was better suited.

It also reminds me that God chooses who will be blessed. None of us earn it by our status. Being the eldest brother, or a white male, or an immigrant woman will not earn any of us anything special, not by itself. God blesses those he chooses to bless, including but not limited to his followers.

There are a couple of actionable take-aways here, as we’d say at work. First, when I see something to be done, I should do it. Sure, someone else might be more qualified by my logic, but the fact that God showed it to me suggests he thinks I can handle it, or at least he’ll equip me to. Second, it isn’t my job to decide who deserves a blessing. I should spread blessings as far as I can on as many people as possible, because I can. God will decide whether judgment is necessary; that’s a task I shouldn’t be trusted with.

I’m sure any theologian who accidentally stumbles across this will shake his or her head. There’s meaning in these verses that I can’t see. But one of the wonderful things of scripture is that it speaks to me at my own level, with relevance for my life. And these simple lessons, for me, on this day, are enough.