Gen 48:15-16

He blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

The blessing of the “lads” begins with the blessing of Joseph.

The Word says “he blessed Joseph and said…”

In the blessing of the father the children are blessed.
In the blessing of the children the father is blessed.

Look at what we learn of God and Israel’s forefathers.
Abraham and Isaac walked before God.
God had been Israel’s shepherd all his life.
God, the angel, had redeemed Israel from evil…all evil.

The past.

It is “this” God, the Most High, that Israel calls upon to bless the lads.

The present.

Israel calls upon the Lord to make his name and the name of Abraham and Isaac to live on in them.
Israel reminds the Lord of His promise of a multitude of descendants upon the earth.

The future.

A blessing rooted and based upon the Word of God…
…in the past
…in the present
…in the future

May we have this understanding and trust in the Lord.
Remembering what He has done.
Rejoicing in what He is doing.
Resting in what He has for us.