Study Desk

Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, "Who are these boys?" Joseph answered, "They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt." "Bring them to me," Jacob said. "I want to give them my blessing." Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged and kissed them.

Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, "For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children."

Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said: My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the Lord God. He has been with me all my life,

and his angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that he will bless these boys and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well.

Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God's blessings on one another by saying, "I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh." Jacob put Ephraim's name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.

After that, Jacob said, "Joseph, you can see that I won't live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago.

But you stood your ground, swiftly shooting back with the help of Jacob's God, the All-Powerful One— his name is the Shepherd, Israel's mighty rock.

Your help came from the God your father worshiped, from God All-Powerful. God will bless you with rain and streams from the earth; he will bless you with many descendants.

he told us, "You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you." Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped. When Joseph heard this, he started crying.

But Joseph told them, "Don't be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided.

You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing.

Before Joseph died, he told his brothers, "I won't live much longer. But God will take care of you and lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Now promise me that you will take my body with you when God leads you to that land."

But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to.

God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own. The Hebrews kept increasing

and God heard their loud cries. He did not forget the promise he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

God replied, "Don't come any closer. Take off your sandals—the ground where you are standing is holy.

I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.

God replied, "I will be with you. And you will know that I am the one who sent you, when you worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt."

Moses answered, "I will tell the people of Israel that the God their ancestors worshiped has sent me to them. But what should I say, if they ask me your name?"