Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers. (Deuteronomy 33:16)
With this statement, Moses actually quotes what Jacob had said of Joseph just before he died. If he repeats Jacob, it merits our attention. There is no doubt that the tribe of Joseph, which was given a double portion through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, was blessed of the LORD, in fact, this tribe was to surpass that of his ancestors. But it is also important to consider the cost associated with this blessing. In other words, Joseph was instrumental in God’s plan for Israel, and consequently blessed, because he was “separate from his brothers.”
The story of Joseph’s betrayal at the hands of his brothers and his subsequent rise to power is well known. In the end, Joseph realized that all of his suffering and the separation from his family was God’s handiwork. After Jacob’s death, he said to his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20). Though it seems harsh to consider this was God’s doing, we have to ask, would his family’s salvation have occurred without the separation between them? Could all the great things that happened because of Abraham’s obedience come to pass if he had not separated himself from his country, family and father’s house?
As painful as it can be, sometimes separation from those we love is a necessity. As I see it, there was something about Abraham’s family that required a separation from them if God’s purpose was going to be fulfilled in Abraham. By that I mean, they would have held him back or prevented him from following God all the way, and consequently, he may not have become father Abraham.
Likewise with Joseph, God’s plan for Israel would have been frustrated if Joseph had not been forcibly separated from his kin. So then, for the greater good of His people, God will require us, at times, to separate from certain people in order to accomplish His will. However, if there is great cost then there is the potential for great reward. If we sow in tears, we will reap in joy and that thought brings me to Messiah’s promise:
“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time … and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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