Genesis 49:17-27: a reflection

17Dan will be a serpent on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward. 18I have waited for your salvation, LORD. 19“A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. 20“Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties. 21“Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns. 22“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. 23The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him: 24But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel), 25even by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. 26The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers. 27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

As Jacob blesses his sons before he dies, he speaks a moving word over Joseph, who had suffered so much at the hands of others. The archers have severely grieved him, Jacob says, shot at him, and persecuted him; but his bow remained strong, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the God of Jacob. Joseph had been attacked, wounded, persecuted, first by his brothers, then in Egypt; the archers had shot at him again and again. Yet through it all his strength held, and Jacob names the source: it was God who made him strong, who sustained him through every attack. Joseph did not stand in his own strength; God strengthened him under the assault, kept his bow strong when others tried to break him. God strengthens those who are attacked and afflicted, sustaining them through the assault so that they are not broken. The strength that held Joseph through his persecutions was God's gift.

Notice the source of Joseph's endurance under attack: God made him strong. He had been grieved, shot at, persecuted; the archers had done their worst. Yet his bow remained strong, and Jacob attributes this not to Joseph's own toughness but to God, whose hands made Joseph's hands strong. Through all the attacks Joseph endured, God was sustaining him, strengthening him, keeping him from being broken. This tells us how those who are attacked and afflicted are held: not by their own strength, which the attacks would eventually break, but by God, who strengthens them under the assault. When others shoot at us, grieve us, persecute us, God can sustain us through it, making our hands strong, keeping our bow from breaking. The endurance of the afflicted is God's gift, not their own achievement. God strengthens his own under attack, holding them through what would otherwise break them. The strength to endure persecution comes from God's sustaining hand.

That is worth resting in, for God strengthens those who are attacked and afflicted, sustaining them through the assault. When we are attacked, wounded, persecuted, shot at again and again, we can feel our strength failing, certain to be broken; but Joseph, severely grieved and persecuted, had his bow remain strong because God made him strong. God sustains those under attack, strengthening them so they are not broken. The endurance we need under affliction is God's gift, not our own. When you are attacked and afflicted, look to God to strengthen you, as he strengthened Joseph under the archers' assault. Look to God to strengthen you when you are attacked and afflicted, sustaining you through the assault so that you are not broken, as Joseph, severely grieved and shot at by the archers, had his bow remain strong because his hands were made strong by God; for those who are attacked and persecuted are held not by their own strength, which the assault would break, but by God, who strengthens his own under attack and keeps them from breaking, so that the endurance of the afflicted is his gift rather than their own achievement.

Lord, as Jacob blesses his sons before he dies, he speaks a moving word over Joseph, who had suffered so much at the hands of others. The archers have severely grieved him, Jacob says, shot at him, and persecuted him; but his bow remained strong, and the arms of his hands were made strong by God. Joseph had been attacked, wounded, persecuted, first by his brothers, then in Egypt; the archers had shot at him again and again. Yet through it all his strength held, and Jacob names the source: it was you who made him strong, who sustained him through every attack. Joseph did not stand in his own strength; you strengthened him under the assault. Show me the source of Joseph's endurance under attack: you made him strong. He had been grieved, shot at, persecuted; the archers had done their worst. Yet his bow remained strong, and Jacob attributes this not to Joseph's own toughness but to you. Through all the attacks Joseph endured, you were sustaining him, keeping him from being broken. This tells me how those who are attacked and afflicted are held: not by their own strength, but by you, who strengthen them under the assault. The endurance of the afflicted is your gift. Let me rest in that, for you strengthen those who are attacked and afflicted, sustaining them through the assault. When I am attacked, wounded, persecuted, I can feel my strength failing, certain to be broken; but Joseph, severely grieved and persecuted, had his bow remain strong because you made him strong. When I am attacked and afflicted, help me look to you to strengthen me, Lord, as you strengthened Joseph under the archers' assault, keeping me from breaking.