Genesis 48-49 Jacob's Last Blessings

WBS Lesson 25

Genesis 48-49

Read Chapter 48 to answer the following questions: 

1. In 48:3-4, what significant facts does Jacob remind Joseph of before bestowing his 

    blessing? Reminding him of the great promises that God has given him. 

    He received a blessing directly from _______God_____________ at Luz. 

    He was promised the land of ____Canaan_________ to be possessed by his descendants 

2. What does Jacob mean by his statement in verse 5-6?He is adopting Joseph's two sons. They will get the inheritance. 

3. Jacob/Israel is old and frail, and his eyesight has grown weak. What is he very carful to 

    confirm in 48:8-10? Jacob is careful to bless the right sons. One reason may be because  he doesn't want to be put in a position that he was put in with Leah. He can't rely on his physical senses at this point. And it's ironic that Jacob is in the same position that his own father in when Jacob deceived him. So he is careful to put his blessing on the right one. 

4. Joseph is careful to position his sons with the older on Jacob’s right and the younger on 

    Jacob’s left. What does Jacob unexpectedly do (48:14)? He switches them... intentionally 

    Why do you think he does this? He may have finally understood that he serves a God who puts the last first and the first last. 

5.In the chart below fill in any adjectives or metaphors used to describe each son in Jacob’s prophetic blessing/cures. answers may vary

Name	Adjectives/Descriptors	Metaphor (animal, plant, etc.)
Ruben	Firstborn, Unstable, shall not have preeminence	Water
Simeon and Levi	Brothers	instruments of cruelty
Judah	receive praise form bros.	Lion
Zebulun	Ships	haven
Issachar	Strong/ yet lazy	donkey
Dan	Judge	Serpent
Gad	Trampled upon	victor
Asher	Bread /prosper	royal dainties flowers
Nephtali	beautiful speech	Deer
Joseph	Fruitful bough	Lion
Benjamin	devour/divide	wolf

6.  Chapter 49, which are the two brothers that receive the lengthiest "blessings"? Judah and Joseph

      What do you notice about these two brothers? Judah is from the line of Christ and Joseph is a type of Christ. 

7. In Chapter 49:31 there is a pattern. "Abraham and Sarah..."; Isaac and Rebekah..." "And there I 

    (Jacob buried____Leah______." Hint: Remember what we learned about Leah in past reading.

  Leah who was not the "chosen" one. And I'm sure she was totally aware of this fact, desiring to be the "one". But here in this last verse, Jacob is at last put to rest with the wife that he married first.  

8. What have these chapters revealed to you about God more clearly? What one thing can you do 

     today to live in light of this truth? answers may vary 

One thing may be that we see a God who is sovereign and His ways are not ours. His ways may seem "flipped" but they are always the best ways. And He always keeps his promises, even if we are not there to seem them come to fruition.