创世记——第四十八章

约拿

创世记第四十八章： 48:1 这事以后，有人告诉约瑟说：“你的父亲病了。”他就带著两个儿子玛拿西和以法莲同去。 48:2 有人告诉雅各说：“请看，你儿子约瑟到你这里来了。”以色列就勉强在床上坐起来。 48:3 雅各对约瑟说：“全能的　神曾在迦南地的路斯向我显现，赐福与我， 48:4 对我说：‘我必使你生养众多，成为多民，又要把这地赐给你的后裔，永远为业。’　 48:5 我未到埃及见你之先，你在埃及地所生的以法莲和玛拿西，这两个儿子是我的，正如吕便和西缅是我的一样。 48:6 你在他们以后所生的，就是你的，他们可以归于他们弟兄的名下得产业。 48:7 至于我，我从巴旦来的时候，拉结死在我眼前，在迦南地的路上，离以法他还有一段路程，我就把她葬在以法他的路上；以法他就是伯利恒。” 48:8 以色列看见约瑟的两个儿子，就说：“这是谁？” 48:9 约瑟对他父亲说：“这是　神在这里赐给我的儿子。”以色列说：“请你领他们到我跟前，我要给他们祝福。” 48:10 以色列年纪老迈，眼睛昏花，不能看见。约瑟领他们到他跟前，他就和他们亲嘴，抱著他们。 48:11 以色列对约瑟说：“我想不到得见你的面，不料，　神又使我得见你的儿子。” 48:12 约瑟把两个儿子从以色列两膝中领出来，自己就脸伏于地下拜。 48:13 随后约瑟又拉著他们两个，以法莲在他的右手里，对著以色列的左手；玛拿西在他的左手里，对著以色列的右手，领他们到以色列的跟前。 48:14 以色列伸出右手来，按在以法莲的头上，以法莲乃是次子；又剪搭过左手来按在玛拿西的头上，玛拿西原是长子。 48:15 他就给约瑟祝福说：“愿我祖亚伯拉罕和我父以撒所事奉的　神，就是一生牧养我直到今日的　神， 48:16 救赎我脱离一切患难的那使者，赐福与这两个童子。愿他们归在我的名下和我祖亚伯拉罕、我父以撒的名下，又愿他们在世界中生养众多。” 48:17 约瑟见他父亲把右手按在以法莲的头上，就不喜悦，便提起他父亲的手，要从以法莲头上挪到玛拿西的头上。 48:18 约瑟对他父亲说：“我父，不是这样，这本是长子，求你把右手按在他的头上。” 48:19 他父亲不从，说：“我知道！我儿，我知道！他也必成为一族，也必昌大，只是他的兄弟将来比他还大，他兄弟的后裔要成为多族。” 48:20 当日就给他们祝福说：“以色列人要指著你们祝福说：‘愿　神使你如以法莲、玛拿西一样。’”于是，立以法莲在玛拿西以上。 48:21 以色列又对约瑟说：“我要死了，但　神必与你们同在，领你们回到你们列祖之地。 48:22 并且我从前用弓用刀从亚摩利人手下夺的那块地，我都赐给你，使你比众弟兄多得一分。”

约拿

10．雅各祝福约瑟的儿子（四八）

　　四八1～7 有人告诉约瑟，他的父亲病了。约瑟就连忙带着玛拿西和以法莲来到父亲床边。临终的雅各勉强在床上坐起来，立两个孙儿归在自己的名下。多年后，各支派分占迦南地。雅各这样做，是要约瑟的支派得占双分的土地。承受地业上，约瑟得着长子的名分。不过，约瑟并没有全然得着长子的名分，他只得着双份地土的部分，而作王掌权的部分则归给了犹大(参四十九8～12；代上五2)，作祭司的部分则归给了利未(参申卅三8～10)。约瑟在他们（玛拿西和以法莲）以后所生的就归约瑟，而不是雅各，定居在分给玛拿西和以法莲的土地上。第7节说明雅各为何要立约瑟的儿子归入自己的名下，因他俩是雅各的爱妻拉结的孙子，雅各深感受妻太早去世。雅各对拉结的爱，并没有因她的死而消减。

　　四八8～22 随后雅各祝福两个孙子，把长子的名分给了次子以法莲。约瑟为长子玛拿西纠正父亲，雅各却说他是故意的，昔日的回忆在他脑海掠过，他凭着信，给次子祝福。多年前，他父不知不觉地祝福他这个次子。然而，现在他刻意要祝福次子，因为他要与掌管将来的神保持连系。约瑟虽然反对，雅各却没有理会，因为这是神的旨意。神常常会用人意想不到的方式行事。神不看人的外貌，也不按传统或地位，而是按人的内心来拣选人去完成他的计划。

　　当约瑟被卖为奴后，雅各以为他死了，哀伤不已（三七30）。但是在神的计划之中，不但使他能再见儿子的面，并且还见到孙儿。不管我们身处任何恶劣的处境，神都能挽救。雅各复得儿子；约伯得到新的家庭（伯四二10-17）；马利亚复得弟弟拉撒路（约一一1-44）。我们既有慈爱的神，就不用沮丧。

　　雅各临终所说的“我要死了”，并不是一句绝望的话。他并不关切他的死，他所看重的，乃是神是永活的。因此他又接着说，“但神必与你们同在。”能在一生路程中的末了，深深的知道，我们并不是不可缺少的，这是一件有福的事。可能有许多事我们还没有作，但是那并不重要。我们虽然死了，神却仍然长存。这样我们就能平安离世。

　　以色列相信他的后裔终有一天要返回应许之地。虽然目前他们在埃及飞黄腾达，但埃及不是他们的久住之地；他们将来终必回到迦南地去，因为那里才是神的心意所在。雅各把从前从亚摩利人手下夺得的山坡交给约瑟，“雅各井”（约四5）可能就是在这地。雅各赐给约瑟的这块地，当时仍被非利士人和迦南人占据着，直到以法莲和玛拿西攻占了约旦河两岸（书16章），他们才真正得到这份礼物。

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Genesis 48 Israel's Last Days 1Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two sons (A)Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, "(B)God Almighty appeared to me at (C)Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for (D)an everlasting possession.' 5"Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; (E)Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as (F)Reuben and Simeon are. 6"But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7"Now as for me, when I came from (G)Paddan, (H)Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." 8When Israel (I)saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" 9Joseph said to his father, "(J)They are my sons, whom God has given me here " So he said, "Bring them to me, please, that (K)I may bless them." 10Now (L)the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he (M)kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well." 12Then Joseph took them from his knees, and (N)bowed with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although (O)Manasseh was the firstborn. 15He blessed Joseph, and said, "(P)The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, (Q)The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16(R)The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, (S)Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And (T)may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." 17When Joseph saw that his father (U)laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head." 19But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and (V)his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." 20(W)He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but (X)God will be with you, and (Y)bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22"I give you one portion more than your brothers, (Z)which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."