Genesis 48:1-7 "And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem."
Jacob (Israel) had previously sent for Joseph and secured an oath from him that, when Jacob died, Joseph would not bury him in Egypt (Genesis 47:28-31). Jacob was by this time one hundred and forty-seven years old. Age had weakened him, and he was very sick. Joseph took his two sons (who by this time were young men) and went to see his father.
When Jacob heard that Joseph was coming, it renewed his strength. He was able to sit up and await Joseph’s coming. Upon Joseph’s arrival, he began to relate to Jospeh, Manasseh, and Ephraim something of his travels. Since he had been with them for the past seventeen years, it is likely that they had heard this before. Yet, Jacob deemed it important to tell them again.
He testified to them of how God Almighty had appeared to him in the land of Canaan. God blessed Jacob and affirmed to him the promise that He had made to Abraham and Isaac. He told them of God’s promise to make of him a multitude of people. The land of Canaan was to belong to Jacob’s seed for an everlasting possession.
Jacob then elevated Jospeh’s sons to being heads of families in Israel. He adopted them, and therefore they would be considered to be his when Israel as a nation began to possess their inheritance. Further, this elevated Joseph to the position of firstborn. He would receive the double portion of his father’s possession.
Finally, he tells Joseph of Rachel’s death. Remember that Rachel was special to Jacob. Joseph was Rachel’s firstborn and beloved of his father as a result. Rachel died by him in the land of Canaan. She was laid to rest in the land of God’s promise in the town of Bethlehem.
Dear ones, no matter how sick (whether literal disease or spiritual infirmity) we will always find strength when Jesus comes to us. He loves us and will not leave us to bear our infirmities alone. Even in our infirmities, let us be quick to give God glory for appearing to us and testify of His unshakeable promise. Let us always remember that the Savior was born unto us in the city of David (Bethlehem), and that He saves His people from their sins!