The God Who Carries Us
Text: Genesis 48
Core Idea: The God who has carried us until now knows what He is doing and will remain with us through all that lies ahead. So, let’s remember His grace, trust His wisdom, and entrust our future to Him – knowing that in Jesus Christ, we belong to the Shepherd who will one day bring us home.
INTRODUCTION
We’re continuing our journey through the Book of Genesis – discovering how God faithfully accomplished His purposes. And last week, we were reminded that our hope in life and death rests in the God to whom we belong. We saw Him preserve lives through Joseph, keep His promise to Jacob’s family in Egypt, and sustain Jacob as death drew near. Today, we’re still at Jacob’s bedside. His strength is fading, and Joseph comes to see him with his two sons. Now, did you realize that we’ve been following Jacob’s story since the beginning of this year? We’ve spent months walking through the joys, sorrows, struggles, and failures of his life. So, I don’t know about you, but after following him for so long, I find something deeply moving about seeing him here – on his deathbed. The man who fled from his brother, struggled with Laban, buried Rachel, and grieved the son he thought he had lost is now nearing the end of his days. Then, what will he say to the family gathered around him? There are moments when we listen more closely because we know we may not have many opportunities left to hear someone speak. This is one of those moments. So, with that in mind, please turn with me to Genesis 48.
1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me 4 and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’ 5 Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. 7 As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). 8 When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?” 9 “They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm – may He bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.” 17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day and said, “In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this passage:
GOD HAS CARRIED US
GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING
GOD WILL BE WITH US
1. GOD HAS CARRIED US
Verse 1 tells us that Joseph heard his father was ill – so he took Manasseh and Ephraim to see him. So, Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in bed. His body was weakening, but he still had something important to say. And notice where he began – verse 3: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me.” Luz is another name for Bethel – a place where God first met Jacob when he was fleeing from Esau. He was alone and uncertain about his future, but God promised to be with him and bring him back. Here, however, it seems like Jacob was recalling his second encounter at Bethel in Genesis 35. Now, why did Jacob begin here as he prepared to bless Joseph’s sons?” He could’ve spoken about so many other moments – the time he wrestled with God, the day he married their grandmother, or the day he finally saw Joseph again. Then, why here? Well, remember what happened just before this. In Genesis 34, Dinah was violated by Shechem, and Jacob’s sons responded with deception and violence. It was a devastating chapter in this family’s life, and Jacob had failed to lead his household well. And yet God didn’t abandon him. He graciously called Jacob back to Bethel and moved him to repentance. And there, God blessed him again – reaffirming His promise to make him fruitful, form a community of peoples from his descendants, and give them the land of Canaan. And as Jacob sat before Joseph, he remembered the God who graciously called him, corrected him, and continued to care for him. And now, he wanted his grandsons to experience this grace as well. They had been born and raised in Egypt – but Jacob wanted to give them a place in the future God had promised his family in Canaan. So, he said in verse 5: “Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.” Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons as his own so that they would each receive an inheritance alongside Jacob’s other sons. Egypt was where they lived, but God’s word would tell them where they belonged and where this family was going.
Now, we’ll look at the way he placed his hands in our next point. But first, listen to how he described God in verse 15: “The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day.” “All my life.” It’s so easy to pass over those words quickly. But they’re truly remarkable when you remember the kind of life Jacob had. He grew up with a father who favored his older brother. He spent 20 years working for Laban, who deceived him and repeatedly changed his wages. He was tricked into marrying Leah when he had worked to marry Rachel. His household was constantly filled with rivalry – between his wives and between his children. Rachel died in childbirth. And his sons sold Joseph into slavery – leaving him grieving a death that had never happened. Jacob, of course, wasn’t innocent. He also contributed to the trouble in his family. He deceived his father, manipulated his brother, showed favoritism, and failed to lead faithfully. All that to say, his story included both the harm others had done to him and the harm he had done himself. And yet, looking back, Jacob said, “God has been my shepherd all my life.” As a shepherd himself, Jacob knew what that meant. Sheep needed someone to lead them, feed them, protect them, and bring them back when they wandered. And Jacob recognized that this was what God had done for him. He had cared for him when he was afraid, provided when Jacob was vulnerable, and corrected him when he drifted. Through it all, God had remained faithful. This, of course, didn’t mean there was no pain in his life – he had just spoken about Rachel’s death. But he recognized God had preserved him through dangers he couldn’t overcome himself. His grief was real, but so was God’s care.
Then, let me ask you: When you look back on your life, what do you see? Perhaps you remember a loving home, friendships that sustained you, milestones to celebrate, or prayers God answered. But you may also remember rejection, family conflict, a painful loss, or a decision you still regret. In fact, some memories may be difficult even to revisit. Now, I’m not asking you to explain why everything happened the way it did. But even with questions still unanswered, can you recognize God’s faithful care in your life? Can you honestly say, “Through all of this, God has been my shepherd”? It’s possible that you couldn’t see it at the time – but looking back, you can see how He cared for you through someone who refused to give up on you – a friend who kept calling, a church member who prayed with you, or someone who spoke a difficult truth that you needed to hear. Maybe He sustained you through an ordinary provision or by giving you enough strength to face another day. And remember that God also cared for you by correcting you. When you were making excuses for sin, He confronted you through His Word. When you were drifting, He called you back. And you may have resisted then. But looking back, can you see His mercy in refusing to leave you there? He challenged the direction you were taking because He wanted you near Him. This is what it means to see our lives through the lens of God’s grace. We bring our memories before God – the joyful, painful, and shameful ones – and we allow what we know of His character to shape how we understand our story. For some of you, that may still feel difficult. You understand what Jacob is saying – that God has been his shepherd all his life. But you struggle to make that confession your own. If that’s you, I invite you to go to the cross because the cross shows us that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, laid down His life for His sheep. When you can’t recognize His care in a particular chapter of your life, look at what He has done to bring you to Himself. His love for you is not something you have to guess from your circumstances. His love is clearly displayed on the cross. Then, take time this week to look back prayerfully. Thank Him for the gifts He has given you. Bring Him the wounds you still carry. Confess the sins He is calling you to leave behind. And ask Him to help you recognize His gracious care so that, even with unanswered questions, you can still say, “Lord, I would not have been here without You. You have carried me all this way.”
2. GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING
Verse 13 tells us that Joseph positioned Ephraim, his younger son, toward Jacob’s left hand and Manasseh, his firstborn, toward Jacob’s right hand. The right hand was associated with strength and honor in the ancient Near East – so Joseph expected the greater blessing to fall on the older one. But look at verse 14: “Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.” Jacob crossed his hands. Instead of following Joseph’s arrangement, he placed his right hand on the younger son. This scene reminded me of Genesis 27. There, Jacob took advantage of Isaac’s failing eyesight and deceived him into giving him the blessing intended for Esau. And here, once again, an elderly father with failing eyesight was blessing the younger son ahead of the older. But this time, there was no deception. Now, Joseph was displeased but maybe he assumed his father had simply mistaken one son for the other because of his failing eyesight. So, he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head – but Jacob refused. Verse 19: “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he.” Jacob’s hands were crossed, but his mind was clear. He knew which son was older – which means his action was deliberate. Now, the passage doesn’t explain how Jacob knew what God intended for these sons. But the author of Hebrews helps us understand the nature of his action. If you’re familiar with Hebrews 11, you’ll know that it records examples of people who lived by faith – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, and, along with others, Jacob is there too. But of all the moments the author could’ve highlighted from Jacob’s life (the night he wrestled with God, the day he stepped forward to meet Esau, or the moment he allowed Benjamin to go to Egypt with his brothers), he chose this – Hebrews 11:21: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.” The author tells us that the blessing of Joseph’s sons was an act of faith. Why? Because Jacob was speaking confidently about a future he would not live to see. He blessed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh – trusting God’s purposes rather than just doing what was expected. The man who once manipulated others to get what he wanted was entrusting the future to God.
Well, what does this teach us? That God knows what He is doing, even when His ways do not follow our expectations. Now, all of us would agree that God knows what He is doing. But many of us would question this when rubber meets the road – when His purposes interrupt our plans or challenge our assumptions. We may be grateful for what He has done in the past but struggle to trust what He is doing now. And like Joseph reaching to uncross his father’s hands, we can find ourselves trying to rearrange what God is doing. We may never say that God is wrong, but we become convinced that He should do things differently. The problem comes when we turn our expectations into conditions God must meet before we trust Him. Then, let me ask you: Are you so certain of how things should unfold that you struggle to trust God when they turn out differently? This can be especially difficult when someone else receives something we wanted. You’ve worked so hard for years, but someone else receives the promotion. Someone younger is entrusted with responsibility you hoped would come to you. And you find yourself asking, “Why them? What about me?” In fact, this attitude can penetrate the church as well. We know everything comes by grace – and yet we quietly keep track of our years of service and sacrifices. And when someone else receives a blessing, we feel overlooked – as though God owes us something for our faithfulness. Friends, are you able to rejoice in God’s generosity when it benefits someone else? Are you able to serve faithfully without feeling entitled to a certain position, opportunity, or outcome? Now, here’s something I don’t want you to miss: Manasseh was blessed too. Jacob assured Joseph that Manasseh would also become a people and would be great – implying Ephraim’s greater prominence didn’t mean Manasseh had been forgotten. This is important to point out because comparison can make us overlook the grace we have received. We become so focused on what someone else has that we stop recognizing God’s care for us. But another person’s blessing does not mean God has withdrawn His love from you. If you belong to Christ, you are loved by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and indwelt by the Spirit. These gifts don’t become less precious because someone else receives an opportunity you wanted. And if we ever wonder whether God can be trusted when His ways challenge our expectations, we should look at Jesus. His disciples expected triumph, but He told them He would suffer and die. In fact, when Peter objected, Jesus rebuked him for setting his mind on human concerns rather than God’s purposes. Peter couldn’t see how the cross could belong to God’s plan – and yet through Christ’s death and resurrection, God accomplished the salvation Peter himself needed. Brothers and sisters, we may not understand what God is doing in a particular circumstance, but we know His goodness through what He has done for us in Christ. The cross gives us reason to trust Him when we cannot see where He is leading. Then, whenever unexpected things happen, we should bring our desires before God and let His Word govern our response. So, where are you struggling to trust Him today? Where has disappointment become resentment? Where are you withholding obedience because God has not given you the explanation or outcome you wanted? Bring that honestly to Him. Ask for what you need. But also ask Him to loosen your grip on your expectations. Pray, “Lord, I still want this. I still don’t understand. But help me trust Your wisdom and obey Your Word today.” God knows what He’s doing. So, let’s entrust ourselves to the One who loves us in Christ. We don’t have to see the whole picture to take the next faithful step.
3. GOD WILL BE WITH US
After blessing Joseph’s sons, Jacob said in verse 21, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.” Jacob knew his days were coming to an end. And soon, his family would have to continue without him. But listen to his words again: “I am about to die, but God will be with you.” Jacob’s presence was coming to an end, but God’s presence was not. His family was about to lose their father, but they weren’t going to lose the God who had shepherded him. Think about how much that must have meant to Joseph and the family. God promised to be with Jacob at Bethel when he was leaving home, and again before going down to Egypt. And now, as he prepared to leave his family through death, he was certain that God would be with them as well. He was basically saying, “Even when I’m gone, keep your eyes fixed on Him because He will carry you home.” Now, verse 22 tells us that he gave Joseph an additional portion of land beyond that of his brothers. The reference about acquiring it with his sword and bow seems to suggest that he was referring to Shechem – the city Simeon and Levi violently took over. This seems most natural, considering the word translated “ridge of land” also means Shechem – though we can’t be certain. But one thing is clear: even as his life was ending in Egypt, Jacob was still looking toward the land God had promised in Canaan. Life in Egypt was good, but Jacob didn’t want his family to mistake their comfortable surroundings for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Again, Jacob knew he wasn’t going to be there to see that promise fulfilled – but his death wasn’t going to bring God’s purposes to an end. Whether he was there to witness it or not, he was confident God would keep His word and lead his family where He had promised.
What does this teach us? That we can entrust the future to God because He will remain faithful beyond what we can see and beyond what we can oversee. Jacob’s life was coming to an end, but there was still so much he would not live to see. His family was in Egypt, and God’s promise had not yet been fully fulfilled. So, if it were me, my mind may have been troubled by all the uncertainties: “What will happen to my family when I’m gone? Will they keep trusting the Lord?” And yet Jacob blessed them by faith – confident that the God who had carried him would remain with them. He was able to face his death in peace because he had entrusted their future to God. Now, I wonder if we have that kind of confidence. We often want to know how things will turn out before we feel ready to entrust them to God. We want to know that our children will be okay, that the people we’ve invested in will keep following Christ, and that the work we’ve poured ourselves into will bear fruit. We pray, serve, and care deeply – but waiting without knowing the outcome can be difficult. In fact, sometimes, that uncertainty makes us hold on to things more tightly – and we begin to carry the future as though it rests entirely on us. But Jacob reminds us that we can faithfully do what God has placed before us today and entrust what comes after us to Him. Now, this doesn’t mean we stop caring or taking responsibility. Look at Jacob – he blessed Joseph’s sons and urged them to remain faithful. He used the strength he had to prepare them for what lay ahead. But there was a point beyond which he could not go. He could bless his family, but he couldn’t accompany them through every chapter of their lives. He could speak God’s promise, but he couldn’t fulfill it – that belonged to God. Now, do we recognize those limits in our own lives? We can teach our children, but we cannot make every decision for them. We can encourage someone in their faith, but we cannot do their believing for them. We can serve our church faithfully, but we cannot guarantee what the church will look like years from now. And honestly, that can be uncomfortable to accept. But recognizing our limits can also help us to pray with greater dependence on God and serve with greater freedom. We can give ourselves wholeheartedly to the work because we know that the future belongs to the Lord. Then, let me ask you: What part of the future are you struggling to entrust to God today? Are you afraid of what might happen when you can no longer be there for someone you love? Is there work you fear will remain unfinished when you’re not there? Can you keep serving faithfully even when you may never see the results? Bring these concerns to Him. And keep praying, teaching, and serving. But when you reach the limits of what you can do, remember that God’s faithful work will continue. Brothers and sisters, Jacob was able to confidently assure his family, “God will be with you” – knowing that God was his Shepherd. And because we belong to Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, we can entrust our future to Him too. Our days are limited, but His faithfulness is not.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the God who has carried us until now knows what He is doing and will remain with us through all that lies ahead. So, let’s remember His grace, trust His wisdom, and entrust our future to Him – knowing that in Jesus Christ, we belong to the Shepherd who will one day bring us home.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How could Jacob call God his shepherd “all my life,” despite his suffering and failures? As you look back on your life, where can you now recognize God’s care that you could not see at the time?
How did Joseph respond when Jacob blessed Ephraim with his right arm and Manasseh with his left? Where are you struggling to trust God because things unfolded differently than you expected? Have you ever treated a desired outcome as a condition God must meet before you will trust Him?
What gives Jacob confidence about a future he will not live to see? What part of the future are you finding hardest to entrust to God – your own future, someone you love, or work you care deeply about? How does the future God has promised you in Christ help you entrust that to God?
Questions for Youth: What worries you most about your future right now? What is one thing you can do faithfully this week, and what do you need to entrust to God?
