But 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 Manasseh was the firstborn. He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” – Genesis 48:14-16 (NASB)

As I continue reflecting on what it means to be the shepherd God wants me to be, the verses above represent the second contextual reference I found.  Israel (Jacob) is coming to the end of his life.  He has been reunited with his lost son Joseph in Egypt.  Joseph has had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his Egyptian wife Asenath (Genesis 46).  In Genesis 48 Israel calls upon Joseph to bring his sons to Israel so he can bless them before he dies.

There are a few lessons for the shepherds of today in these verses.  First, in many ways Israel is a type of shepherd.  He is the patriarch of the family, he is a man of God, and he understands the responsibilities that come with filling each role.  Shepherds of today should also understand their roles and responsibilities with the clarity of Israel.

Second, Israel passes on God’s blessing as he adopts Joseph’s sons as his own.  One component of Israel’s blessing is his desire for the family name to live on in his grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim.  Likewise, we shepherds should be asking God to bless our children and we should be doing all we can to pass on the family name of Christian on to subsequent generations.  One piece of wisdom I’ve kept in my rucksack over the years is you don’t really know how you did raising your children to become Christians until you see if they do the same for your grandchildren.  I’ve not reached that point in my life yet, but it is a fervent prayer of mine that not only will my children continue in their walk with God, but also that they will pass that heritage on to my grandchildren.  It is a sobering thought.

Finally, it is significant how Israel describes God.  James Burton Coffman comments:

One of the great things of significance in these verses is the triple designation of God, who is extolled as, “Deum Patrem, Deum Pastorem, and Angelum.” This means God of My Fathers, Shepherd God, and Angel of Jehovah. There are many names of God in the Bible; and, as always, the name chosen signified not some special “source” but some special significance. Hab. 1:12 also uses three names for God in a single verse! The Angel mentioned here is the Angel of Jehovah, identified with God Himself in the prophecies. Looking back over his life, Jacob was conscious of the guiding hand of God.[1]

I can’t say it any better.  All I can do is echo what Coffman wrote, in that just as Jacob was conscious God had guided his life, I too must remain conscious that, if I let Him, God guides mine as well (Acts 20:28)

May your blessings exceed mine. – DEM