Another Tale of Two Brothers.

Manasseh and Ephraim were the sons of Joseph, but only one of these tribes is found amongst the 144,000. Dan and Naphtali were also blood brothers, but only one name will appear on the gates of the New Jerusalem.  

Read Rev. 7:1-4. This is a subject that especially pertains to us who are living during the closing work of the sealing angel. The angels are holding the four wings of strife. In 1848 a war was on the point of breaking out in Europe. It looked like it was going to explode, but then, for no reason at all, everything calmed down again. This was the beginning of the experience of the sealing angel. Ever since 1848 the angels have been holding those winds of strife. The First World War broke out, and then it was peaceful again; but then the Second World War came. And now men’s hearts are failing them for fear of the things that are coming onto this planet.  Once more we are on the verge of a world war. It is just phenomenal. We are living in a time in history in which it is our urgent duty to make sure that we are understanding the sealing message and the personal experience that we must have in order to be sealed. This is the time in which our characters are to be prepared to enter the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 19:7 - . . .  the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

This is the pure character that we are to develop, and with which the 144,000 are clothed. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This is the righteousness of the saints. We are studying the twelve sons of Jacob to see how this righteous character was perfected in them.

WHO WERE EPHRAIM and MANASSEH?

Genesis 48:8 - And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who [are] these? 9 And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whom God hath given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

Ephraim and Manasseh were not the literal sons of Jacob.

Genesis 48:5 - And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

What did Jacob say? These two sons of yours, Joseph, are mine. Jacob is here declaring that Ephraim and Manasseh now belong to him.

. . . the sons of Joseph were to be formally instated among the children of Israel. Joseph, coming for a last interview with his father, brought with him Ephraim and Manasseh. {PP 234.2}

What genetic inheritance did these two sons receive?

These youths were connected, through their mother, with the highest order of the Egyptian priesthood; {Ibid.}

Joseph married a daughter of one of the Egyptian priests. Can you imagine the kind of legacy these two children inherited, coming as they did from a mother who was born into a line of pagan priests?

As the adopted sons of Jacob, and now officially part of Israel, what new privileges did they inherit?

Read Genesis 48:14-16

These lads became part of the twelve tribes of Israel by the decree of Jacob’s blessing. They were much younger than the other sons of Jacob and therefore were not subject to the early influences that shaped the older men. At what point they left the Egyptian palace and joined the sons of Jacob is not revealed. But the influence of their early training would have remained with them.

. . . and the position of their father opened to them the avenues to wealth and distinction, should they choose to connect themselves with the Egyptians. It was Joseph’s desire, however, that they should unite with their own people. Joseph manifested his faith in the covenant promise on behalf of his sons, and renounced all the honours that the court of Egypt offered for a place among the despised shepherd tribes, to whom had been entrusted the oracles of God. {Ibid.}

What was Jacob doing when he crossed his hands to bless these two sons? What special privilege did Ephraim gain by that?

Read Genesis 48:18-19  

This was the blessing: Ephraim would be greater than Manasseh. And the blessing was repeated by Moses.

Deuteronomy 33:17 - His [Joseph’s] glory [is like] a first-born bull, and his horns [are like] the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.

So, who was the greater? Though Moses’ blessing, Ephraim had ten thousands, while Manasseh only thousands. So once again we see the same pre-eminence of Ephraim over Manasseh.  But now we ask the question: Is there any special spiritual pre-eminence by being greater in number?

Not in our learning, not in our position, not in our numbers or entrusted talents, not in the will of man, is to be found the secret of success. Feeling our inefficiency, we are to contemplate Christ, and through Him who is the strength of all strength, the thought of all thought, the willing and obedient will gain victory after victory. {COL 404.1}

The victorious who will enter in through the gates are the people who are not necessarily greater in number. It is the spiritual blessing that counts, and which is found in what? The deep sense of our great need. Feeling our inefficiency, we are to contemplate Christ, and through Him we may gain those victories. So, the blessing of greater numbers was not the issue.

THE CHARACTER OF EPHRAIM

There is much written about Ephraim, and very little about Manasseh. But one stands with the 144,000 while the other doesn’t.

Read Judges 7:24 -25  

Gideon with his three hundred men had just done their great work and sent the Midianites scurrying. And while this was happening, Gideon realised that the two Midianite kings were escaping, so he called upon Ephraim to chase them. And of course, the children of Ephraim were happy to go to battle. But after they had brought the heads of these kings to Gideon, the men of Ephraim said to him, ‘Why have you done this to us when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they reprimanded him sharply, Judges 8:1.

What character traits are Ephraim displaying here? They are envious and upset. “Why didn’t you call us first? Why did you call us last?” This is the legacy of pride. Notice how Gideon tries to palliate them.

Judges 8:2 -  And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison to you? [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

Because of their pride Gideon had to palliate them and bolster their ego. “Look at you; you’ve done greater than we’ve done.”

Observe how God laments over Ephraim. He laments many times over them. God knows the heart of these people, and He already foresees what is going to happen.

Jeremiah 31:20 – Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still. Therefore, My heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord. 

You can just about see the foreboding that is expressed here about Ephraim. God is lamenting his pride and self-sufficiency.

Isaiah 11:13 - The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

 This was Ephraim’s problem. He had an envious nature. If he was not first and in the highest position his nose was put out of joint.

Never can the love of Jesus be received and shed abroad in the heart until envious feelings, hatred, jealousies, and evil surmisings are put away. {SD 49.2}

Jesus’ love cannot be shed abroad in the heart while envy exists. And envy leads to other things, such as feelings of hatred, jealousies and evil surmisings.

Pure love is simple in its operations and separate from every other principle of action. When combined with earthly motives and selfish interests, it ceases to be pure. God considers more with how much love we work, than the amount we do. {SD 49.4}

How much love do we work with? This is what God esteems highly. Someone else might do greater work; it doesn’t matter with God. The thing that counts is the love that motivates us.

Isaiah says that envy shall be removed from Ephraim. But was envy removed from Ephraim? God was working to remove envy; but what happened?

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

After Solomon died, the kingdom of Israel was split in two between the ten northern tribes and the two southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah. Rehoboam took control of the southern tribes with Jerusalem as its capital. Jeroboam took charge of the ten northern tribes. What tribe did he come from?

1 Kings 11:26 – Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda . . . also rebelled against the king.

1 Kings 12:20-21 – Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back (from Egypt), they sent for him and . . . made him king over all Israel. There were none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin . . . to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

1 Kings 12:26-27 – And Jeroboam said in his heart, ‘Now the kingdom may return to the house of David if these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.’

So, what did Jeroboam do? To stop them from returning to Jerusalem he established a different form of worship. He created two places of worship, one in the northern city of Dan and the other in Bethel in the territory of Ephraim, and there he set up two golden calves, like the gods worshipped in Egypt.

Through their mother, Ephraim was connected to the highest order of the Egyptian priesthood. Now we see that the influence from this heritage had infiltrated the whole tribe, including Jeroboam, king of Israel. From that time forth there was no righteous king over the northern tribes, and eventually they were taken captive by the Assyrians, scattered among the nations, and disappeared from history.

So strong was Jeroboam’s desire to keep the ten tribes away from Jerusalem that he lost sight of the fundamental weakness of his plan. He failed to take into consideration the great peril to which he was exposing the Israelites by setting before them the idolatrous symbol of the deity with which their ancestors had been so familiar during the centuries of Egyptian bondage. {PK 100.2}

Can you see something coming through Ephraim here? The Egyptian priesthood.

Jeroboam’s recent residence in Egypt should have taught him the folly of placing before the people such heathen representations. But his set purpose of inducing the northern tribes to discontinue their annual visits to the Holy City led him to adopt the most imprudent of measures. “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem,” he urged; “behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” 1 Kings 12:28. Thus they were invited to bow down before the golden images and adopt strange forms of worship. {Ibid.}

THE DANGERS OF ENVY

Proverbs 27:4 - Wrath [is] cruel, and anger [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to stand before envy? (Jealously)

Envy is worse than all the others. It has a harmful effect.

Proverbs 14:30 - A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.

What does envy do? It rots your spirituality.

Envy is not merely a perverseness of temper, but a distemper, which disorders all the faculties. It began with Satan. He desired to be first in heaven, and because he could not have all the power and glory he sought, he rebelled against the government of God. He envied our first parents and tempted them to sin and thus ruined them and all the human race. {5T 56.1} 

The envious man shuts his eyes to the good qualities and noble deeds of others. He is always ready to disparage and misrepresent that which is excellent. Men often confess and forsake other faults, but there is little to be hoped for from the envious man. Since to envy a person is to admit that he is a superior, pride will not permit any concession. {5T 56.2}

The Pharisees could not, pride did not permit them to make any concession.

If an attempt be made to convince the envious person of his sin, he becomes even more bitter against the object of his passion, and too often he remains incurable. {Ibid.}

Here we see how the condition of Ephraim developed until it became incurable.

The envious man diffuses poison wherever he goes, alienating friends and stirring up hatred and rebellion against God and man. He seeks to be thought best and greatest, not by putting forth heroic, self-denying efforts to reach the goal of excellence himself, but by standing where he is and diminishing the merit due to the efforts of others. {5T 56.3}

Here was the condition of Ephraim. Envy cherished to a point of no return.

Hosea 7:8-9 - Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people, Ephraim is a cake not turned.  Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows is not. Yea, grey hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knows it not.

Hosea 7:10 - And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

What a sad story. Ephraim is systematically described as coming to a point of no return. How did God try to help him?

Hosea 11:3 - I taught Ephraim also to walk, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

Hosea 11:4 - I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love: and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck, I stooped and fed them.

Hosea 11:5 - He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to repent.

This story is reminiscent of those in Laodicea who refuse to repent. God does everything He can to save us, without forcing our will.

Hosea 11:6-8 – My people are bent on backsliding from Me . . . How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over Israel? . . . My heart churns within Me, My sympathy is stirred.

Matt 23:37 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not.

Eze. 18:32 – I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God. Therefore, turn and live.

You can see the heart of God here. And for those who are of the Ephraim mind, God doesn’t want to give us up. He keeps on striving so hard.

What was God’s final cry over Ephraim?

Read Psalms 78:9-11

They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law – Here lies the reason why people miss out. It’s not because they are weak, or because they’ve made mistakes and have committed serious sins. It is because they refuse. They have decided not to walk any longer under the banner of this beautiful message.

We are here today because we want to follow Jesus, no matter what mistakes we have made or what sins we have committed in the past. But there are people who say, No! I’m not going along with this anymore. That was the condition of Ephraim.

Hosea 8:11 - Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, they have become for him altars for sinning.  I have written for him the great things of My law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

You don’t have to be shut out of the 144,000 if you understand what is written here. Ephraim deliberately turned his back on God and His ways. There was nothing more that God could do for him.  He chose to reject Him.

Hosea 4:17 - Ephraim [is] joined to idols: let him alone.

There is no gate into the Holy City for Ephraim.

Heaven’s golden gate opens not to the self-exalted. It is not lifted up to the proud in spirit. But the everlasting portals will open wide to the trembling touch of a little child. Blessed will be the recompense of grace to those who have wrought for God in the simplicity of faith and love. {COL 404.2}

The golden gate, the pearly gates, will not be open to the self-exalted. It is not lifted up to the proud in spirit, to those who cherish envy in their hearts. This is why Ephraim won’t be there. But what about Manasseh?

MANASSAH

2 Chronicles 30:1 - And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

But Hoshea, king of Israel, said, No; we’re not going.

2 Chronicles 30:10-11 - So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless, divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

None from Ephraim accepted the offer, but certain of Manasseh humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. They also joined in the work of breaking down the idol images in their own territory. (2 Chron 31:1).  

The work of reform in the days of good king Josiah was also carried to the land of Manasseh. They did not lose their interest in the temple at Jerusalem but gave of their means to restore it after its defilement during the reigns of Manasseh (from the tribe of Judah) and Amon (2 Chron 34:9). It is believed that Psalm 80 was written by some inspired penman from the house of Joseph.

Gideon, the greatest of the judges, came from the tribe of Manasseh. When David went out against the marauders who had carried his family away captive, ‘captains of the thousands of Manasseh,’ joined David. They were all ‘mighty men of valour.’ (1 Chron 12:20-22).

At the death of Saul, 18,000 of the half tribe of Manasseh came to make David king. (1 Chron 12:31).

The five daughters of Zelophehad, who are the first women mentioned in the Bible as holding an inheritance in their own name and right, came from the tribe of Manasseh. (Numbers 27:1-8).

The faint and scattered references to Manasseh after the settlement in Canaan all indicate a desire on the part of many to serve the Lord.  The blessing of the Angel rested upon Manasseh, and his name will be immortalised on the gates of the New Jerusalem, while that of Ephraim sinks into oblivion. Manasseh truly represents those who take the crown of others who prove to be unworthy of the privilege.

Manasseh and Ephraim were not the literal sons of Jacob but were grafted into the olive tree. Manasseh, though less in number, savoured this privilege. Ephraim did not. He felt himself superior because of his relationship to the governor of Egypt and its royal priesthood.

Read 1 Chronicles 5:18- 20

They cried for the help of God. There is the touch of a little child here. They were depending on God, humbling themselves before Him, trusting Him, and so God delivered them.

The people of Manasseh appreciated the blessing of being part of the Israel of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob became their God. They realised that they were not of the natural branches of the olive tree but were grafted in and clung to that great privilege. (Romans 11:17-25).

But Ephraim was affected by the world. Ephraimites are those who allow the world to fill them with pride and envy. As for Manasseh, there is not much written about this tribe, but enough to show that, despite coming from a background of pagan worship and idolatry, they accepted the God of Israel as their God, and humbly depended on Him. Such can be part of the 144,000. We can now see why Ephraim is not among the 144,000 but his brother Manasseh is.

We must guard ourselves carefully so that we don’t fall into Ephraim’s mould, but instead, remain humble and open our hearts to the privileges that are ours. May God bless us as we take this to heart.