A subtitle for today's message could be: “Patriarchal Prophecy”. Consider the significant context of these events recorded in Genesis chapters 48 & 49. Jacob has called a family reunion for the purpose of prophetic declaration. Assembling his sons, he takes the occasion of his looming death to communicate to the next generation their covenantal identity. This family-nation is not to be swallowed up in the cultural influences of a pagan land, namely Egypt. They are distinctly chosen, appointed unto the Lord's purposes in their future Canaan habitation. Imagine the impression an event like this would leave upon a family (as evidenced by its record here in the scriptures). Moses' final tribal blessing in Deut. 33 provides a shared context with our passage today. As this patriarchal leader is approaching his own death hundreds of years later, he once again calls attention to the sovereign perspective regarding the purposes of God for His people distinct to their tribes.