Reflections: Genesis, Jacob Blesses His Boys
Genesis 48.1 - 49.28
Decades after stealing the blessing from his own father, Jacob, now at the end of his life, calls his 12 own boys to him to receive a blessing. His boys are all grown men with families of their own. They have had a bumpy history between the 12 of them. Some of them have hated and envied each other. While others were close friends and allies. Jacob, now know as Israel, has had a long time to observe his boys and think about the best way to bless each of them individually. In fact the author of Genesis tells us that He gave “each the blessing appropriate to him.” (Genesis 49.28)
Each blessing Israel gives is appropriate for each individual man and his descendants. He must have carefully considered the lives of each of his boys and then carefully decided how to bless them. If you read the blessings for yourself you will see that they are unique and seem to fit the lives each of them lived and their tribes will live.
As most of you know I am a big fan of parents blessing their children at important transitional times of their lives. At each Graduate Dinner/Banquet or Senior Sunday I have planned, the parents have blessed their son or daughter. No two of these have been the same and each has been appropriate for the graduate. The key for us as parents is to know our children. See them for who they truly are and not who we want them to be. The blessings we bestow on our children should guide them in life and strengthen them as they follow Jesus.
My challenge to you is to spend some time this week thinking and meditating on how you are blessing your children each and every day of their lives.
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