“¹⁹But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

– Genesis 48:19 (NKJV)

“But his father refused (a firm, convicted God-fearing posture even in very old age and in abject infirmity) and said, “I know, my son, I know. (Recognise the repetition of the phrase “I know” : Jacob is intimating here that he is fully aware of how this might seem outwardly – taking into account not only historically God’s own originally established traditions passed down through the Jewish people – but also his own painful and contentious history with first- and second born birthrights. How Kind of Israel however to take the time to explain this to Joseph so carefully – thankfully also for our sake – seeing as Joseph forgets himself and ought really not to be questioning his father so insolently in this matter in the first place; truly, truly how Gracious a Heavenly Father Jacob here represents!) He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great (it is at this point – as we recall to memory similar phraseology from a familiar scene we have heard somewhere before – that it begins to dawn on us that an Ishmael-Isaac type narrative is being set forth here *, for in the same manner in which The Lord comforted first Hagar [Genesis 16:13] in her distress in the desert – and later Abraham concerning his own sincere Love for his firstborn son Ishmael – by affirming that he too will become a great nation [Genesis 17:20], we see Jacob here comforting Joseph; for ultimately it is still with The True Child of Promise, The Isaac, with which God intends to broker His Everlasting Covenant [Genesis 17:21] as will soon become clear 🙂; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he (for the younger brother, The Isaac, is The True Child of Promise . . . ) , and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations ( . . . even yet the one through whom the salvation of the gentiles, The Everlasting New Covenant, shall come).”

* It is also worth investigating the profound revelation come presently through Brother RT Kendall – successor and mentee of Papa Martin-Lloyd-Jones – of the significance of the charismatic movement, who, though also blessed and very much used by God effectively for a time, represents the Ishmael, and that the enduring church, The True Child Of Promise, The Bride of Christ, The End-Times Multitude, will ultimately be birthed through The Reformed Church, The Isaac, in their comprehending more fully THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD (Psalm 33).