“¹⁵Then 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, ¹⁶the 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.”

– Genesis 48:15-16 (NIV)

‘The NIV Edition’

“Then he blessed Joseph (what a “blessed” 😋 picture of The Father and Son(s) as One i.e. that the blessing of the children is as blessing the father: “for The Father and I are One” [John 10:30]; in a more immediate sense, any Good parent will of course also tell you that by blessing their beloved child you are in a very real way also blessing them, for they so do want to see their children prosper ☺) and said, “May the God (The One True God, The God of gods, YHWH) before whom * my fathers (for has it not always been that the blessing of the father is the blessing of the son? the baton of “God With Us” * passed from one generation to another; if ever there was a moment that the patriarchy of Our Faith is so firmly, formally and finally established) Abraham and Isaac walked (‘The Way’) faithfully (overcoming and persevering to the end), the God who has been my shepherd (how beautifully The Glory of this picture is authoritatively established in the very land once known for persecuting shepherds; recognise also the precious image of “The God Who Goes Before Me” [Deuteronomy 1:30] evident in this phrase “the God who has been my shepherd“, so profoundly juxtaposed beside “The God Who Stands Behind Me” [Psalm 139:5; Isaiah 52:12], as garnered, in turn, from “the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked“) all my life (also behold the juxtaposition of man’s yielded obedience, surrendered free will and faithfulness in keeping to- and persevering in ‘The Way’ – “my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully” – versus God’s Sovereign, Perfect Will and The Grace afforded them to do so – “the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day” – within this blessed confluence of God’s Will and man’s free will in accomplishing what God has pre-ordained even before the foundations of the world) to this day (celebrated, affirmed, glorified on this, the day of its culmination, as Jacob looks back upon his life with a vision and a clarity perfected as much as it can be on this side of eternity: within his final moments in the earth), the Angel who has delivered me from all harm ** (Jesus The Christ through whom I am saved; see ‘The NKJV Edition’ next 😉) – may he bless these boys (may they be blessed In The Name that is above every other name [Psalm 8:1]). May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac (Israelites Indeed! [John 1:47] if ever this phrase meant anything: True Sons of Abraham [Galatians 3:7]; recognise here also the formal instating – unbeknownst to Jacob himself – of another revelatory Name of God henceforth to come into use: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”, even as the top tiers of The Patriarchy of The Faith is firmly established this day), and may they increase greatly on the earth (let The Nation of Israel, The People of God and His Kingdom invade the earth, colonising, dominating and subduing it for The Glory of their King: even He in whose Name they are here Blessed and who will rise triumphant and reclaim it out of enemy hands ** once and for all in around 4000 years – and yet as if it has always been His – , to rule and to reign beside Him forever and ever in The New Heavens and The New Earth 🔥🙌🏽🔥 Blessed Be His Holy Name!).”

* Also: “In The Shadow of The Almighty” [Psalm 91:1]; forever In His Presence; Fathered by The Father of fathers 😊.