Genesis 48: Are You Ready to Go?

The end of the life of another patriarch is near. It would “only” be 147 years long. Only a few generations earlier, men were living 6 times longer than that! Today, we live half as long as Israel did (see Psalm 90). But the length of a life is not nearly as important as whether or not a person is “ready to go.” It is clear from this reading that Jacob was well assured that God Almighty had been his God—and He still was. In view of this, he was able to make his final arrangements—which were spiritual things—in calm confidence. This is what he had to offer his sons. This is what we need to be able to offer to our sons.