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“And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:10).
“And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better” (Hebrews 7:7).
As we saw yesterday, Jacob had to admit that his life had not been a happy one, and we saw that this was because he had tried to get God’s blessing by his own efforts. But then it is recorded that he blessed Pharaoh—the king of the mightiest country in the world at that time. How could this be?
It was because Jacob realized that, in spite of all his failures, he was a child of God, and thus was superior to those who did not know the Lord. Yes, it is true that Pharaoh had seen the power of the Lord displayed in Joseph, who had saved Egypt from disaster by interpreting Pharaoh’s dream correctly. But sadly, it appears that Egypt continued on in idolatry, and at times even the Israelites were affected by it.
By this time in his life, Jacob had realized the grace of God in spite of his failures. His favorite son Joseph, whom he thought was dead, was alive. His happiest years were ahead of him, and he could confidently bless Pharaoh, for surely “the less is blessed of the better.”
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