Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 48:18-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 48:18-19
"And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."

I pondered on how Jacob knew which of Joseph's son should receive the greater blessing. It was the younger son Ephraim, just like Jacob himself being the younger son. It seemed like Rebekah had tricked Isaac in giving the birthright blessing of Esau to Jacob, but in truth Isaac gave the blessing the Lord would have him give. Just like now, Jacob is giving Ephraim the second son the greater blessing. No one can take someone else's blessing.

Day 3761

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 16:1, 9

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 16:1, 9

"And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,

And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages."

I thought about how the children of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, have among their descendants the Nephites and Lamanites. How the children of Lehi were from Manasseh and the children of Ishmael were from Ephraim. The tribe of Joseph was complete within their posterity. The Book of Mormon says that Lehi was "at Jerusalem" which was land the tribe of Judah inherited. Being "at Jerusalem" doesn't necessarily mean he lived in Jerusalem. The city of Gilgal is only 15 miles from Jerusalem and within the territory of Manasseh. When Lehi's sons went to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass from Laban they mention they went "down to the land of our inheritance" to gather their gold and silver and precious things to try and buy the brass plates. It's interesting to think that might be where they lived, but people can migrate to other lands. Both Lehi and Ishmael's ancestors could have moved enough in advance before the Assyrians took the Israelites captive stopping them from becoming part of the lost ten tribes.

Day 2362

Today's Favorite Verse: Hosea 9:17

Today's Favorite Verse: Hosea 9:17
"My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations."

I looked it up and Hosea's prophesies were about 826 BC. This was before Lehi and his family left Jerusalem in 600 BC. Why is that significant? Because Lehi and Ishmael's family that went with them are from Ephraim and Manasseh. They were led from out of Jerusalem before it was destroyed and carried away to the Americas. It was all part of the prophesy of being "wanderers among the nations".

As Jacob blessed Joseph and his son's Ephraim and Manasseh he said:
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall."
(Genesis 49:22)

This was all for a wise purpose in God's plan. I also can see how punishment can be blessings, for God will use them to move people in the directions he needs them to be.

Day 1446