The Sequel
Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Genesis 48:10 NASB
Dim– Ah, do you remember the first part of this story? Perhaps I can refresh your thinking. “When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see,” (Genesis 27:1 ESV). As always, Hebrew connects one part of a story with another through the use of similar phrases. Now that you see the connection, you will need to ask, “How is the story of Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim like the story of Isaac’s blessing of Jacob?” Oh, and, of course, “How is it different?” The wheel turns. You will remember (maybe?) that the statement of Isaac’s blindness is probably not to be taken as a physical assessment. Isaac has been blind to the true obligation he has toward God’s plan for most of his life (since the Akedah). He attempts to restore his relationship and responsibilities by concocting the opportunity for “deception.” The Hebrew kābēd (translated “dim”) has overtones of “grievous, hard, heavy.” While we could imagine its figurative use in this story, there are enough clues for us to conclude that Isaac’s real issue is a matter of the heart, not the eyes. So he creates an elaborate scheme where all of the actors are playing parts the he has scripted, even though they don’t realize it. In the end, Isaac does bless the one who should be blessed, the second son, Jacob, even though Jacob’s perspective on the circumstances leaves him thinking that he has obtained the blessing through deceit. Jacob is about to rewrite the plot.
Now let’s consider the circumstances (the unusualcircumstances) of Jacob’s blessing of Joseph’s two sons.
“And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).” Genesis 48:14 ESV
Did you notice the oddities? Yes, plural. First, there’s the fact that it isn’t “Jacob” who blesses. It’s “Israel.” That’s important because it tells us that this blessing occurs in the psychological identity of the name given at the Brook. It is the name associated with Jacob’s redirection as progenitor of the tribes. It is his renewed name, not the name he had when Isaac blessed him those many years ago.
Second, of course, is the oddity of switching hands so that the second son receives the first (most important) blessing. Joseph notices right away.
“And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused . . .” Genesis 48:18-19
Why does Jacob refuse? If we follow the clues in the text, it is not because his eyes are dim. They weren’t dim when Isaac gave the blessing, and they aren’t dim now. That is merely the pretense for the story. Jacob undoes the deception that he perpetrated on his father (and that his father perpetrated on him) by deliberately and publicly blessing the second son. In other words, at the end of his life, Jacob performs an act of restitution. He achieves final forgiveness, not just for his part in the deception of his father, but for the entire facade that brought about another cycle of family disintegration. That’s why this story has to be read in light of the original “too dim to see” story. It isn’t another story. It’s the completion of forgiveness for the first part of the story. By the way, Jacob would not be able to perform this act of repentance and renewal. Jacob is the identity locked into the past history of deceit. But Israel is the renewed man, at last able to undo the tragedy he perpetrated years before. In this sequel, repentance outweighs tradition and expectation. Would that it could do the same for us.
Topical Index: Jacob, Israel, dim, kābēd, blessing, forgiveness, Genesis 48:10
