8 Just then Jacob noticed Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these?"
9-11 Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place."
"Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them." (The Message)
Bypassing all the questions about why Jacob has not met Joseph's sons up to this point we come to the end of Jacob/Israel's life. His desire is to leave a blessing to his grandsons and Joseph seems to desire this as well.
I have to admit that this is a rather strange concept to me as I grew up living far away from my grandparents and never really knew them. But when you read through the Bible it over and over again the passing of blessings between the generations seems to be a common practice.
So what might a generational blessing be in today's world? Can it only happen between blood relatives or can it be across family lines? Would it benefit us today to be intentional about giving others a verbal blessing on a regular basis?
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- What might have been going through Joseph's mind as he watched his father bless his sons?
- What do you think the two boys were thinking as the grandfather they had never met placed his hands upon their heads?
- If you are over the age of 45 who might you need to give a blessing to?
- Who do you still need to / want to receive a blessing from? Why is it important to you?
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