Genesis 48:14-19 “Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. (15) And he blessed Joseph, and said: "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, (16) The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." (17) Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. (18) And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." (19) But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. 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.”
There is one other area where we are taught to lay hands on people, and that is in the area of imparting the Lord’s blessing to them. This is another aspect of ministry that was practiced under the Old Covenant and one which we also practice under the New Covenant. In the above quoted account in scripture we see Israel blessing Joseph’s sons through both prophecy and the laying on of hands. That which Israel spoke over these young boys not only came to pass in their own lives, but also affected whole peoples that were descended from them. And so we see that this type of blessing can be extremely powerful when it is applied in faith. And we know that Israel blessed these young boys by faith because the scripture clearly teaches us that truth (Hebrews 11:21). As an aside it is important to recognize that this scripture teaches us that the greater blessing comes through the right hand rather than the left, which is why Joseph became upset when he saw his father placing his right hand on his second born and not his firstborn son. We saw earlier when we looked at this scripture that the gifts of the Spirit are not influenced by which hand is used, but it is very clear from this passage that blessing that is imparted through the laying on of hands is affected by which hand is used. In support of that truth there are many instances in scripture where the right hand of the Lord is mentioned in relation to His strength and His blessing. And so if God imparts His blessing through His right hand then we should do the same.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments