John Calvin Commentary Genesis 48:3

"And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me," — Genesis 48:3 (ASV)

And Jacob said unto Joseph. The holy man's design was to withdraw his son from the wealth and honors of Egypt and to reunite him with the holy race, from which he had been separated for a short time. Moreover, he neither proudly boasts of his own excellence, nor of his present riches, nor of his power, to induce his son to comply with his wishes; but simply presents to him the covenant of God.

Similarly, it is right that the grace of adoption, as soon as it is offered to us, should fill our thoughts and thereby extinguish our desire for everything splendid and costly in the world. This passage is undoubtedly remarkable.

Joseph possessed the most exalted dignity; he foresaw that the most excellent nobility would pass to his posterity through the memory of his name. He was able to leave them an ample patrimony, nor would it have been difficult to advance them so far in royal favor that they might obtain rank among the nobles of the kingdom.

Too many examples show how easy it is not only to be caught but to be altogether fascinated by such allurements. Indeed, most people know from their own experience that as soon as the least ray of hope from the world shines upon us, we are torn away from the Lord and alienated from the pursuit of the heavenly life.

If a very few drops can thus intoxicate our flesh, how dangerous is it to drink from the full bowl? But to all the riches and honors of Egypt, Jacob opposes the vision in which God had adopted him and his descendants as His own people.

Therefore, whenever Satan tries to entangle us with the allurements of the world to draw us away from heaven, let us remember for what purpose we are called. This is so that, in comparison with the inestimable treasure of eternal life, everything the flesh would otherwise prefer may become loathsome to us.

For, if holy Joseph previously held an obscure vision in such esteem that, for this sole purpose, forgetting Egypt, he gladly crossed over to the despised flock of the Church, how shameful today is our folly, how vile our stupor, how detestable our ingratitude, if we are not, at least, equally affected when our heavenly Father, having opened the gate of His kingdom, invites us to Himself with unutterable sweetness?

At the same time, however, we must observe that holy Jacob does not impose vain imaginations to allure his son; instead, he presents to him the sure promise of God, on which he can safely rely.

This teaches us that our faith is rightly founded on nothing but the sole word of God, and also that this is a sufficiently firm support for faith, preventing it from ever being shaken or overthrown by any schemes whatsoever.

Therefore, whenever Satan attempts to draw us in different directions with his enticements, let us learn to turn our minds to the word of God and rely so firmly upon its hidden blessings that, with a lofty spirit, we may reject those things which the flesh now sees and touches. Jacob says that God appeared to him in the land of Canaan so that Joseph, aspiring to that land, might become alienated in his heart's affection from the kingdom of Egypt.

And blessed me. In this place, the word “blessed” does not mean the present effect or manifestation of a happy life, in the same way that the Lord is sometimes said to bless His people when He indeed declares, by the favor with which He watches over them, that He openly makes them happy because they are received under His protection.

But Jacob considers himself blessed because, having embraced the grace promised to him, he does not doubt its effect. And therefore, I take what immediately follows—namely, I will make thee fruitful, etc.—as explaining what precedes. Now the Lord promised that He would cause an assembly of nations to descend from him, because thirteen tribes, which constituted the whole body of the nation, were, in a sense, like so many nations.

But since this was nothing more than a prelude to the greatness that would follow later, when God, having scattered seed over the whole world, would gather a church for Himself from all nations, we may, while recognizing the fulfillment of the blessing under the old covenant, yet allow that it refers to something greater.

Therefore, when the people increased to such a great multitude, and thirteen populous tribes descended from the twelve patriarchs, Jacob already began to grow into an assembly of nations. But from the time the spiritual Israel was spread through all parts of the world, and various nations were gathered into one Church, this multiplication moved towards its completion.

Therefore, it is no wonder that holy Jacob so highly esteemed this most distinguished mark of divine favor, though it was indeed deeply hidden from carnal perception. But because the Lord had kept him in suspense for a long time, profane men have said that the old man was in his dotage.

Indeed, few are to be found in this age like Joseph, who, disregarding the enjoyment of pleasures at hand, yield entire submission to the plain declaration of God’s word.

But just as Jacob, relying confidently on invisible grace, had overcome every kind of temptation, so now his son, the true heir of his faith, regards with reverence the oracles of the Lord. He esteems more highly the promise he was persuaded had come down from heaven—though it was in the form of a dream—than all the riches of Egypt he enjoyed.

For an everlasting possession. We have shown elsewhere the meaning of this expression: namely, that the Israelites would be perpetual heirs of the land until the coming of Christ, by which the world was renewed.

The Hebrew word עולם (olam) is understood by some to mean merely a long time, and by others eternity. But seeing that Christ prolongs to the end of time the grace that was previously foreshadowed to the patriarchs, the phrase, in my judgment, refers to eternity.

For that portion of land was promised to the ancient people of God until the renewal introduced by Christ. And now, ever since the Lord has assigned the whole world to His people, a fuller enjoyment of the inheritance belongs to us.