Back to the Beginning: Genesis 48

Today's passage: Genesis 48
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And Jacob said to Joseph, "...And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. ..."

Genesis 48:3, 5

Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph, Jacob brought into his family as his own. In the same way Reuben and Simeon were his first two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh would now be considered the first two sons.

Reuben was the oldest son by birth. In the Jewish tradition, the first born son was given a double portion. Here we see Jacob giving the double portion to Joseph by including his two sons in the inheritance.

Joseph a younger son was placed ahead of Reuben the oldest son. We see it happen over and over in Scripture. Isaac was placed over Ishmael. Jacob supplanted Esau. Jacob even put Joseph's younger son Ephraim ahead of Manasseh, the oldest. It's a foreshadowing of things to come. The older shall serve the younger.

In the gospel of Luke, the lineage of Jesus refers to Adam as the son of God. Adam the first son, the first man, was surpassed by God's Son Jesus, the Son of Man. The first created son sinned, establishing the way of the world, as did Ishmael and Esau. The only begotton Son Jesus, the faithful Son, came and made the way of salvation for all the lost. He became greater than the first.

Through Jesus a better way was made. The Old Testament law fulfilled by Him, made the way for the New Testament, freeing God's people from the power of sin and death. The natural life giving way to the supernatural life in the Spirit. The temporal replaced by the eternal.

This is the way God works. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. All of Scripture points to Jesus.

Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:45-49 ESV

Father God, Your Son is greater than me and my flesh. Bless me with the faith

to come under His lordship. Teach me to lay down my life for His.

I surrender to Your greater way in the Spirit, than my way in the flesh.

Transform me to the image of Jesus.