II) “EPHRAIM”—DOUBLY FRUITFUL, Next Joseph’s wife gave birth to his second son, whom he named Ephraim, which literally means, “doubly fruitful.” Joseph named this child Ephraim because, in his words, A) “For the Lord has caused me to be fruitful . And of course, the children of Ephraim were happy to go to battle. Feeling our inefficiency we are to contemplate Christ, and through Him who is the strength of all strength, the thought of all thought, the willing and obedient will gain victory after victory. Richard Ritenbaugh, after pointing to some recent miraculous interventions of God on behalf of America, warns people not to conclude that God tacitly approves or condones the American way of doing things. Notice, Joseph didn’t say, “God has made me to forget some of my toil, or most of my toil. It was Joseph’s desire, however, that they should unite with their own people. Manasseh and Ephraim were Joseph 's two sons that were born to him prior to his father, Jacob, arriving in Egypt.1. There is no spiritual power in that. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. That is what God esteems highly. “Here we are, you are using us last of all; why didn’t you bring us into the heat of the battle in the first place? The company is downsizing and you’ve been given the pink slip. If anybody could be justified for having a chip on his shoulder and a bad attitude, it would have to be Joseph. What were they doing? Not in our learning, not in our position, not in our numbers or entrusted talents, not in the will of man, is to be found the secret of success. This is the law of reciprocity. He has not, like his father Isaac, in chapter 27., to "tremble very exceedingly," in view of an almost fatal mistake. I know it hurts, but it isn’t time to quit, it is time to bear down, it is time to push out your blessing!” The story continues until the splintering of the kingdom took its full course. This is the time in which our characters are to be prepared to enter the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem. We may have been done wrong, we may have suffered at the hands of others, but we don’t have to let suffering sour our soul and fill us with bitterness and resentment. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law – Here lies the reason why people miss out. In GENESIS 48:19, Manasseh was told that he was to become a great people, or nation. what a blessing is that. 3.) He was going to fight to regain the kingdom of Solomon. There is no gate there for Ephraim. But God said, Don’t do it, because this is of Me. Some would look at the first few chapters of Joseph’s life and say, “See there, good guys finish last.” But keep on reading, God wasn’t done with Joseph when he was in the pit. 1 Kings 11:26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name [was] Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up [his] hand against the king. If an attempt be made to convince the envious person of his sin, he becomes even more bitter against the object of his passion, and too often he remains incurable. Which one of the two will have a gate for his name? Manasseh was born first and so should have been pre-eminent, but an act of chicanery reversed the order, resulting in Jacob giving the first-born blessing to Ephraim instead. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. It’s time to push! What is the purpose of these studies into the tribes of Israel? 17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Paul said, “These present sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Your attitude will determine your altitude. What does that remind you of? This blog only shows fiften articles per page, and you’ll need to scroll back to see all posts. Leave a comment. Who were Ephraim and Manasseh? But it’s too late to turn back now. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. Bookmark the permalink. God does not have to remove you from the land of affliction in order to prove His affection. 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. And this was under the headship of Jeroboam, who came from the tribe of Ephraim. He seeks to be thought best and greatest, not by putting forth heroic, self-denying efforts to reach the goal of excellence himself, but by standing where he is and diminishing the merit due to the efforts of others. Strange. Jesus said it like this: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. As it says, not in our numbers or entrusted talents is to be found our success, but in feeling our inefficiency. When you bless others, others will bless you. Joseph never cursed nor reviled his family. ( Log Out /  “Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not…” Ephraim is like that. Some of you are carrying around pain from your father’s house. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38, NKJV). And no matter how wealthy these people might be, like Joseph’s sons and the tribes that come from them, they are taken away from the high and lofty position of the world to the despised people of God. Here is now the genetical ingredient in these two sons: These youths were connected, through their mother, with the highest order of the Egyptian priesthood; {Ibid.}. How did God try to help him? Do past wrongs still vex you? However, Jacob chose to give Ephraim the greater blessing—even though Joseph objected. A poor and afflicted people, the 144,000 come out of that kind of background. Jacob adopted Joseph’s two eldest sons Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, so that they became tribes of … Isn’t this profound? Of the tribe of Nephthalim [were] sealed twelve thousand. We usually see the joy and pride of the parents as they hold up the newborn for us to see, but if you had been in labor and delivery a little while earlier you would have seen a woman in pain and man with a guilty look on his face. God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. God wasn’t done with Joseph when he was a slave in Potiphar’s house, and God wasn’t done with Joseph when he was in prison. Joseph was a blessing to his master Potiphar while he was there. 11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. You may not feel like it in your land of affliction, but push out a praise. Can you see something coming through Ephraim here? It was during this time that his wife gave birth to two sons. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. neither [have we] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. Heaven’s golden gate opens not to the self-exalted. Joseph said, “God has made me forget ALL my toil.” That word translated “toil” is the Hebrew word amal’, which is variously translated, “labor, misery, pain, sorrow, travail, trouble.” There had been much toil as a servant and then as a prisoner, but God had subsequently brought so much good and so many blessings into Joseph’s life that God had allowed Joseph to forget all the toil, all the labor, misery, pain, sorrow, travail and trouble. It’s time to forgive and forget, to move into your place of peace and joy and rest. They were the first children of … Can you identify with any of this? Push!” It may take a while, weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. It has a detrimental effect. He wasn’t just fruitful, but with two sons, Joseph was now “doubly fruitful.”. You can let your past get you down, or you can get over it and get on with life. Hunger for revenge, gone. 17 But [as for] the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. But you must persevere and give birth to your blessings. 12 I have written to him the great things of my law, [but] they were counted as a strange thing. Hosea 11:12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: God is compassed about with Ephraim’s lies. But there comes a time in the process where momma has to push. He desired to be first in heaven, and because he could not have all the power and glory he sought, he rebelled against the government of God. By John Thiel, The Characteristics of the Twelve Tribes of the 144,000 Conference, study 6, mp3 Only One of Two. mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. There was the touch of a child; they were depending, humbling themselves. Israelite tribal designations can be traced back to the sons of Jacob (Gn 29:31–30:24; 49). Forgiveness was his healing balm. Joseph had maintained his integrity and God had blessed him. What a sad story. I have mercy for him.” God is lamenting. But the everlasting portals will open wide to the trembling touch of a little child. I believe there are some of you here who are pregnant with a double portion blessing and God is telling you, “Push!”. He may not keep you out of the fiery furnace, but He may just decide to step into the fire with you and bless you there. That was the blessing. The Pharisees could not, pride did not permit them to, make any concession. in the land of my affliction.” But his set purpose of inducing the northern tribes to discontinue their annual visits to the Holy City led him to adopt the most imprudent of measures. This is a subject that pertains to us who are living on the very last segment of the work of this sealing angel. They were to be named under Israel. FROM MANASSEH TO EPHRAIM. Centuries later, when the tribes of Israel reached the Holy Land after being freed from Egyptian slavery, the city of Jerusalem had no meaning to them. You are pregnant with your Manasseh and it’s time to push it out, it is time to give birth to the joy of forgiveness in your life. The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim often are identified jointly as the tribe of Joseph and then the lines of who is what gets a little confused. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Here is a principle which the Manasseh people could actually realise – “I am not the natural line, but I am grafted in. R. Judah HeḤasid, in his comment on Jacob’s blessing asserts that the subject of Genesis 48:20b, “he placed Ephraim before Manasseh,” and 48:22, “I have given you [=Joseph] an extra portion…,” is not Jacob but Moses, referring to when Moses put Ephraim before Manasseh in the tribal listings in Num 2:18-21. Forgetting and forgiving comes before the fruitful harvest in the land of affliction. Deuteronomy 33:17 His [Joseph’s] glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock, and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh. 1 Kings 12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. When you give birth to your Manasseh, you can forgive and refuse to let past disappointments and abuses haunt you. So who was the greater? 7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt [him]. Jesus’ love cannot be shed abroad in the heart while there is envy there. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. He keeps on striving so hard. God has created you to be a victor, not a victim. We plant the seed, we water the seed, but God gives the increase. And then those very people who had given wonderful testimonies on how wonderful the message was, finally are not there anymore. When Jacob gave his blessing to his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh, he chose to bless the younger Ephraim first, despite Joseph’s protests. He laments many times over him. Now we come to the fourth case, the case of the shifting of the birthright from Manasseh to Ephraim (48:12-20). {Ibid.}. It is a decision. As a result of his good attitude, his dedication to God and righteous moral behavior, Joseph reaped a harvest of blessings and in so doing became a blessing to others. . 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? 9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. But instead of being angry and vengeful, Joseph is an illustration of what it means to keep on planting good seed in hard soil. But there are people that say, No; I’m not going with this anymore. We are living in the time in which we must be among those twelve tribes that are sealed. You harbor anger and bitterness, but all it has done is to make you bitter. But after they had brought the heads of these kings to Gideon. The posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. Notice now how Gideon sort of palliates them: Judges 8:2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? And, as Sister White was shown, the sealing angel is the third angel’s message of Revelation 14. God says, “You’re about to give birth to your Manasseh and your Ephraim. It looked like it was going to explode, but then, for no reason at all, everything calmed down again. God wasn’t going to give Ephraim up. He can bless you in the land of your affliction. Push! He can cause roses to grow among the thorns and put honey in the beehive. your non-biblical ephraim & manasseh story has this black man “ham” fathering egyptian children that you claim are white despite the fact that the bible says that their brothers were black ethiopians and their father was the black man “ham”! 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