Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto
thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Jacob, upon notice of his son's visit, prepared himself as well as he could to entertain him, Ge 48:2. He did what he could to rouse his spirits, and to stir up the gift that was in him; what little was left of bodily strength he put forth to the utmost, and sat upon the bed. Note, It is very good for sick and aged people to be as lively and cheerful as they can, that they may not faint in the day of adversity. Strengthen thyself, as Jacob here, and God will strengthen thee; hearten thyself and help thyself, and God will help and hearten thee. Let the spirit sustain the infirmity.
3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at
Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 and said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply
thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born
unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and
shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
In recompence to Joseph for all his attentions to him, he adopted his two sons. In this charter of adoption there is,
1. A particular recital of God's promise to him, to which this had reference: "God blessed me (Ge 48:3), and let that blessing be entailed upon them." God had promised him two things, a numerous issue, and Canaan for an inheritance (Ge 48:4); and Joseph's sons, pursuant hereunto, should each of them multiply into a tribe, and each of them have a distinct lot in Canaan, equal with Jacob's own sons. See how he blessed them by faith in that which God had said to him, Heb 11:21. Note, In all our prayers, both for ourselves and for our children, we ought to have a particular eye to, and remembrance of, God's promises to us.