Grandfather
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 48:5 ESV
Jacob adopted his two grandsons from his son Joseph. This is an unusual event. I think it has to do with them getting to appropriate God’s blessings to Jacob.
Ephraim and Manasseh’s mum was Egyptian, possibly pagan, matched with Joseph as an arranged marriage by Pharoah. So maybe the danger was that they’d end up slipping into pagan Egyptian ways. Whatever the reason, elderly Jacob took them under his wing.
It doesn’t matter if we have a mixed heritage. If we’re chosen by God, nothing can thwart His plans for us. God isn’t racist in favour of the Jewish ethnic kinsfolk of the Lord Jesus.
I know that C.H. Spurgeon, the ‘prince of preachers’, was brought up by his grandparents. We can’t underestimate the value of godly grandparents. Their influence can echo through eternity.
‘Our Father in heaven, thank You for adopting us into Your spiritual family. May we bring honour rather than shame to the family name, for Your honour and praise we pray, amen’
Robert Chamberlain is a graduate of Aberystwyth University with his degree in International Politics and Conflict Resolution. He is currently a teaching assistant with CER Education. He and his family live in England, UK. You may find more about Robert at Watching Daily at Wisdom’s Gates
Image by DEEPAI
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