Reading for April 5th

Read Genesis 48.1-22
Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons.
In verse 3: Jacob refers to God's first blessing given to him at Bethel (also know as Luz) in 28.10-22.
In verses 5-6: Jacob adopts hos two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own sons on a par with the oldest sons, Reuben and Simeon.
This action explains why Manasseh and Ephraim will be listed in place of Joseph in later lists of the twelve tribes of Israel (Num 1.32-35; Josh 17.17).
These tribes were dominant in certain periods of Israel's history.
In verses 13-14: The blessing by Jacob (also known as Israel) with the right hand would imply a more favored status than a blessing with the left hand.
The firstborn son would normally receive the right hand blessing, but Jacob lays his right hand on Ephraim, who was the younger (v. 14).
In verse 19: Old blind Jacob (v. 10) refuses Joseph's request to give the favored right-hand blessing to the elder Manasseh.
The scene is a replay of the elderly and blind Isaac blessing the younger Jacob in place Esau (27.1-40).
In verse 22: Jacob gives to Joseph the portion I took from the Amorites in battle.
The word for portion ("shekem") is a wordplay on the Canaanite or Amorite town of Shechem, which Jacob and his sons captured in a violent raid (34.25-29).
Shechem was located on the border between Ephraim and Manasseh, the two Joseph tribes.
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