DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BLESSING OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BLESSING OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN

"Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, 'Indeed your father is sick'; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim…. Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, 'Who are these?' And Joseph said to his father, 'They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.' And he said, 'Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.' " (Genesis 48:1, 7-8)

Joseph brought his two boys, Manasseh and Ephraim, to their grandfather, Jacob, for a blessing. The blessing by Jacob of his grandchildren was a special thing in Joseph's mind. Of all the other sons of Jacob, Joseph was the only one who sought this blessing on his children. It shows Joseph's heart in recognizing the importance of spiritual input.

There is something spiritual that happens in these kinds of ceremonies. For example, the dedication of children to the Lord as infants may not seem to be such a big deal, and brings no guarantees that the child will serve the Lord. But it is an act of acknowledging the importance of God in the lives of our children.

I believe that there is transference of something spiritual by the laying on of hands. Jesus often touched people to heal them. In the book of Hebrews, there is a list of basic Christian doctrine, and included in this list is the "laying on of hand" (Hebrews 6:1-2). Usually, we associate this with ordination of people to Christian ministry as when the Timothy received a spiritual gift "through the laying on of my hands" (II Timothy 1:6) by the Apostle Paul. But I believe it is more than this.

I remember well the times that I took my own children to their grandparents for a blessing. Both of Mildred's and my fathers and mothers were godly people who loved and served the Lord Jesus. I had read this incident in Genesis of Joseph taking his sons for a blessing, and felt impressed that I needed to do the same thing with my children. So, before our fathers died, we went as a family to each parent and sought a blessing for our children.

As grandparents we have the privilege of blessing our grandchildren, not just with material things, but with a spiritual heritage. There is no guarantee that the children will serve the Lord, but it is an important statement of our faith that God is important in our lives.

Love, Dad