It will be accomplished only according to God’s sovereign will.

When Jacob's father Isaac was old and blind and could not see clearly,

he tried to bless his eldest son Esau, but was deceived and blessed his younger son Jacob

(Genesis 27:1-29).

Joseph's father Jacob was also old and had already lost his sight.

When it was dark and he could not see clearly (48:10),

rather than placing his right hand on the head of Joseph's eldest son Manasseh,

he placed it on the head of his second son Ephraim and blessed it (vv. 14-15).

So, when Joseph saw his father Jacob's right hand being placed on Ephraim's head,

he was displeased and wanted to move his father's hand from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

He took his hand and said, "Father, don't do that. This is the eldest son.

“Put your right hand on the child’s head.” But Jacob refused.

Jacob intentionally placed his right hand on the head of Joseph's second son, Ephraim, and blessed him.   Jacob's father, Isaac, tried to bless his eldest son, Esau,

but was deceived into blessing his second son, Jacob.

Jacob then intentionally blessed Joseph's second son, Ephraim. Why did they do that?

Genesis 48:19 says: “Son, I know it. Manasseh will be the father of a nation and will become great,

but his younger brother will be even greater than him, and his descendants will become a people.”  

As I thought about what Jacob said to Joseph, I thought of Genesis 22:25:23:

“And the LORD said to her (Jacob’s mother Rebekah), ‘Two nations are in your womb;

two peoples are in you. They will be divided in the womb;

one nation will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'."

God's sovereign will was for the older brother, Esau, to serve his younger brother, Jacob. 

So even though Isaac tried to bless his eldest son Esau, he ended up blessing Jacob.  

Joseph wanted Jacob to place his right hand on his eldest son, Manasseh, and bless him,

but Jacob intentionally blessed his second son, Ephraim,

and placed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh (48:20).

Jacob said that Ephraim would become greater than Manasseh

and that his descendants would become many nations.  

When we meditate on these words, when we pray as parents,

we pray that God will bless our children,

but it will only happen according to God's sovereign will.