Morally Correct
"Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, for Elohim made me forget all
my hardship and all my father's house." (Gen 41:51)
Joseph became the most powerful man in Egypt. He married and had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
His first son was named Manasseh because, as the verse above states, YHVH made him forget his hardship and his father's
house. Joseph was not thankful because he forgot his grieving father. To the contrary, the very fact
that he named his son Manasseh showed that he remembered his father Jacob.
When Joseph came to Egypt, and especially when he rose to power, he realized that in that society different
standards had to be made. What was a sufficient safeguard in his father's house was no longer sufficient in Egypt. He knew
that his old ways of personal safeguards against sin had to be revised. Therefore, he "forgot" his old ways in his
father's house and adapted to the new situation. He now would be more careful to protect his morality in this corrupt
society. Therefore, he named his son Manasseh to thank YHVH that he was able to forget his old, more lenient way.
He followed by naming his second son Ephraim, which means YHVH made him fruitful in this land of suffering. This
meant that he was successful in his efforts to remain morally pure.
Our society today is clearly not the society of a few decades ago. What was okay then is no longer an
option today.