MANASSEH'S CHOICE- BY GREG ELKAN

A major difference between Manasseh and the other firstborns of the patriarchal narratives is his reaction to being demoted below his younger brother.

Let’s look at Cain. Despite God’s explanation to him about the reason for his rejection, Cain still killed Abel. Perhaps he stupidly assumed getting rid of the _other_ child would give God no other person to bless. 

Joseph’s brothers had the same mindset, too. When they saw Joseph, the 11th son, being treated by Jacob as the firstborn, they decided to do away with him, (Gen 4:1-12; 37:19,20).

Jacob himself had this experience. Even though he was the valid heir of the Promise, both by prophecy and by legitimate transaction, he still had to run for his life from Esau (Gen 25:29-34).

And of course, we still have to reference Ishmael’s malicious action towards his younger brother, Isaac, the declared heir of Promise, (Gen 21:9; Gal 4:29).

From the above examples, we see that the default action taken by older siblings who were skipped in favour of their younger was to attack said younger sibling. But contrast the above reactions to Manasseh's, Joseph’s firstborn who was prophetically placed _below_ his younger brother, Ephraim. 

Notice that Manasseh never uttered a word of protest and never attempted any form of harm against his brother afterwards. Why? I believe it was because he read between the lines of Jacob’s supposed ‘demotion’. 

When Jacob placed his right hand on the younger Ephraim instead of Manasseh, their father Joseph, agitated and much displeased, cried out, _“Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put your right hand upon his head.”_ But Jacob refused, and said, _“I know it, my son, I know it: *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.”_ Gen 48:18, 19,

Jacob was saying two things at the same time, and Manasseh had the choice on which one of the two he should focus on:

*Statement #1: Manasseh’s younger brother is going to be greater than him* 

*Statement #2: Manasseh is going to be great.*

During their respective ‘demotions’, Esau, Ishmael, and Joseph’s brothers focused on the first phrase. But Manasseh focused on the second. 

Ishmael’s greatness was promised by God Himself, but his eyes were on Isaac’s blessing. Esau was prophesied to be a “nation” even before his birth; but his obsession with Jacob blinded him to that promise. The 12 sons of Jacob were all going to be recipients of the Abrahamic promise, (as evident from Jacob’s prophetic deathbed declarations); but their envy of Joseph also blinded them to this fact. 

Because all these firstborns and older brothers were so fixated on what their younger was getting, heaped troubles upon themselves and missed out on God’s plan for their lives. 

Beloved, your brother or sister’s blessing is not as an indicator of where you stand before God. God has the prerogative to lift anyone up; don’t interpret that action to mean that He’s putting you down. 

You’re just as blessed as anyone; look up and receive yours today.

AMEN

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

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