Genesis 50 : "All in God’s Hands"

 

This Lord’s day  morning  I received  the news that my dear mother  had died. Though we expected it, we did not expect it,... if you know what I mean. 

Death always catches us off guard.  I am so thankful that she died in the Lord, and therefore this is all in God’s hands. I am comforted  by this  truth, and I am comforted by the fact that my mother knows the God of all Truth. And I am able to stand before you this evening, grieving not as those that have no hope.“All in God’s hands”,   was the title I chose for Genesis 50 some time ago. Today I needed to know that!

You will also  have  noted that this closing  chapter   mentions  two significant deaths,  that of Jacob and Joseph.  

OUTLINE 

1.      50:1-3 The Grief of Joseph and of the Egyptians in response to Jacob’s death

2.      50:4-14 The Burial of Jacob in Canaan

3.      50:15-21  Dealing with the sense of guilt of  Joseph’s brothers

4.      50:22-26 The Death and Burial of Joseph

 1.      50:1-3   The grief of  Joseph  and of the Egyptians in response  to Jacob’s death

We read of  the grief of Joseph and the Egyptians, but  nothing is said about  the other brothers. We will consider their reaction  in 50:15-21. The grief of Joseph is described graphically: “Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him.

He commands his servants the physicians to embalm his father…. fourty days were required for it… We have  here a description of  the  process of embalming among the ancient Egyptians by   Herodotus[1],

“The body was given to the embalmers, who first took out the brains and entrails and washed them in palm wine impregnated with strong astringent drugs; after which they began to anoint the body with the oil of cedar, myrrh, cinnamon, and cassia; and this lasted thirty days. They next put it into a solution of nitre (saltpeter) for forty days longer, so that they allowed seventy days to complete the embalming; after which they bound it up in swathes of linen besmeared with gum. Being then able to resist putrefaction, it was delivered to the relatives, enclosed in a wooden or paper case somewhat resembling a coffin, and laid in the catacomb or grave belonging to the family, where it was placed in an upright posture against the wall.”[2]

Embalming was the customary way in which the Egyptians prepared their dignitaries for burial. For Jacob’s burial this was especially helpful for he had requested to be buried at the ancestral cave of Machpelah in Canaan. It was a long way back to Canaan, and his body would have never made that trip without being embalmed.  We then read of a 70 day mourning period by the Egyptians (50:3b). He must have been a very popular figure.  

But ultimately  Jacob's death was all in God's hands.  His death was not the end for the  people of God.

2.      50:4-14 The Burial of Jacob

Since his father Jacob needed to be buried in Canaan, Joseph   requested permission from Pharaoh to bury his father there. His request being granted, he was accompanied by a large delegation of high-ranking Egyptian officials, in addition to his brothers (50:8), and also a large company of horsemen and charioteers (50:9).  The burial site was at the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan, and a further 7 day mourning period happened there (50:10).  The ceremony was so awesome that it made a profound impression on the Canaanites (50:11).  In so doing Jacob’s wishes and instructions  to his sons were carried out (50:12-13).

It was all in God's hands. Jacob was buried in the land of covenantal  promise. 

3.      50:15-21   Guilty Feelings reappear,  issuing in fear

Here we find a significant portion of Scripture and the heart of chapter 50. Previously we had seen that grief was seemingly only expressed by Joseph and the Egyptians.  We have no reason to believe that the other brothers were less grieved by their father’s death, but this  account by Moses  is  deliberately delayed to deal with the primary emotion of the brothers. They  feared Joseph’s reaction following their father’s death. “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph should bear a grudge against us and pay us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” (50:15).

This is the power of a guilty conscience, and a lack of understanding of godly forgiveness! Years later, they were still not able to lay their consciences to rest in respect to their horrible treatment of Joseph (cf. 42:21-22). Despite Joseph’s previous assurance in 45:4-8 (read) their collective consciences weren’t easy,   even though 17 years had passed since then, and despite the fact that Joseph had been nothing but kind to them. Now they feared that Joseph would be vindictive to them and that thought appeared to dominate their minds more than the death of their father.  And so, in another sense they were actually distrusting Joseph. None of that was true, of course. We understand that Joseph, with God’s help had dealt with his own bitterness against them. He had truly forgiven his brothers. He would have had plenty of opportunity to do them harm, but it never happened in 17 years.  His brothers failed to receive and believe the complete forgiveness that Joseph had already offered to them.

Now, lest we think that all this has no bearing on us… be careful!  When we experience troubles or illness, or misfortune, even we as professing  Christians quickly fall into the same trap  thinking, “I am being punished for my old sins.” We quickly doubt what God has said in I John 1:8, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. We quickly  forget  that  Christ is faithful to His Word.

And so we read, “they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” (50:16-17). When Joseph heard this message he was shattered:  “Joseph wept when they spoke to him”. Why did he weep? He had been kind to them for 17 years, and still they still doubted his sincerity.

Joseph’s response is significant. Here in 50:19-21(read)  we find a model response, based on a profound understanding  of God’s sovereign hand  over all kinds of difficult things that might  happen to a believer.  

How did Joseph respond? He told them that ultimately all was in God's hands!

a.      JOSEPH POINTED THEM TO THE ULTIMATE JUDGE (50:19). “Am I in the place of God?” Joseph was a powerful man in  Egypt, but he himself in relation to God. He  knew that he wasn’t  God (unlike the Pharaoh’s). He knew that he was in God’s hands.  God was the ultimate Judge  of  those that sinned against him. What an insight. Joseph’s question is a good one to ask when tempted not to grant forgiveness,  or  when seeking revenge  against someone who has wronged you. Take your place before God. Acknowledge God as the one who evaluates and assesses every single life without exception. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay” (Rom. 12:19). Part of our understanding of who we are  and who God is, is this  understanding that  God alone is  the ultimate Judge. Joseph understood that

b.      JOSEPH POINTED THEM TO THE SOVEREIGN GOD OF PROVIDENCE (50:20). You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”. He had told them this before  in 45:5 - “God had sent me ahead of you to preserve lives.  God’s sovereign purpose was to preserve a remnant in famine years. His purpose was to preserve the seed of Abraham and the seed of the woman and the Messiah who one day shall come. And so he could assert  that he  could take no credit for  his position in Egypt.  God did this! We are all in God’s hands.  Dear Christian friend, are you grumbling about your  circumstances and about what people have done to you? You may find yourself grumbling against God. You will have to deal with your attitude before God or you may die a bitter, unforgiving person. Today, stand with Joseph and say, “Those people mean it for evil, but God meant it for good, and I submit to him and trust his purpose in it all.”  Let’s learn a few lessons  from Joseph.

c.       JOSEPH TELLS THEM- “BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL, I WILL BE FAIUTHFUL TO YOU.” (50:21)

From Joseph's example we learn a few important  lessons:

·         Believing in God’s providence frees us from bitterness. If you really understand  that  God is at work in your situation, you  will  trust  God.  Learn not to look at second causes.

·         Believing in God’s  providence can give us a new perspective on our tragedies. God is involved with us even in the worst moments of life. He is somehow in control even in our darkest moments.

·         Believing in God’s  providence gives us courage to keep going in hard times. God is designing something beautiful out of what now seems  painful. And yes, life is hard –but God is good.

·         Believing in  God’s providence helps us to live by faith.

 

4.      50:22-26 The Death and Burial of Joseph

There are more than 50 years between 50:21 and 50:22.  Genesis  finishes with  the deaths of Jacob and Joseph. Joseph died at the age of 110 (50: 22). He lived long enough to see  his third generation (50:23).  He too, like Jacob, charged his brothers concerning his burial. He too requested that his bones be carried back to Canaan at the time of the Exodus. In Exodus 13:19 we read, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God shall surely take care of you; and you shall carry my bones from here with you”.

Conclusion

And so we come to the end of Genesis. 

Two funerals do not seem to constitute a very positive ending, for after all Genesis began with man’s promising  origin. It all began in paradise, in the garden of  Eden. But thankfully the book of Genesis is not the end of the story. The final chapters of the  Bible are found in Revelation, where  we are shown where it all leads to – paradise restored  (Revelation 21:1-4 Revelation 22:1-5).

But even in the book of Genesis  we learn that death is not the end.  

·         And Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people (Gen. 25:8).

·         And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him (Gen.35:29).

·         When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his lost, and was gathered to his people (Gen.49:33).

The expression, “to be gathered to his people” was no mere euphemism for death. It was an expression of the patriarch’s hope of life after death. They viewed their death as the occasion to be re-joined with those whose death had separated the living from the dead. 

When  Jesus said, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Matt. 22:32), He spoke in the present tense. He  did this  to prove that there is life after death. Otherwise, He would have spoken in the past tense, saying “I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”!

Both Jacob and Joseph called their  sons  and spoke about their  death and gave clear instructions regarding their burial. Let us  follow them in  seeing death not as the end, but as  the beginning. 

Let us, by faith, look forward to being reunited with those we love (I Thess. 4:13-18) and dwelling with our Saviour (John 14:1-3), forever in His presence and experiencing the things He has prepared for us. All is in God's hands!

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[1]  Herodotus (c.484 – c. 425 BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey). He is known for having written the Histories – a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus was the first writer to perform systematic investigation of historical events. He is referred to as "The Father of History”

[2] https://www.worldhistory.org/article/89/herodotus-on-burial-in-egypt/

Genesis 49 : Jacob blesses his 12 sons

 

In chapter 48 we saw Jacob blessing Joseph’s sons. The story of Joseph, the 11^th son of Jacob is interwoven into the greater story of Jacob. Jacob is the key character of Genesis. He is the father of the 12 sons who will eventually form the nation of Israel. It is the story of God’s providence, rooted in His covenantal faithfulness. It is this faithfulness that keeps this family, and ultimately all God’s people against all human odds. That which God had promised to Abraham in 12:1ff  - namely  that He would make his family into  great nations, begins to find fulfilment in the 12 tribes of Israel.   It will be 400 years before  they will come into the land  promised on oath  to Abraham. 

This passage divides into two sections:

·         49:1-27 The prophetic word / blessing of Jacob for each of his sons.

·         49:28-33 Final  words  and death of Jacob

 1.      49: 1-27 PROPHETIC WORDS AND BLESSING

·         Other examples of  fathers who spoke  final words to their sons : Noah (Gen. 9:24-28); Isaac (Gen. 27); Moses (Deut. 33), Joshua (Josh.24),  Samuel  (1 Sam.12)

In this chapter we find Jacob having a personal word with each one of his sons. It reads more like a prophecy: “That I may tell you what shall happen in days to come”.  Jacob is thus looking into the future – even the distant future as we shall see.  It also rests on present observations concerning the 12 sons.  Most of it shall happen, not in the lifetime of these 12 men, but as these tribes develop, and especially over four hundred years later when their tribes enter into the land of Canaan. Some of his words anticipate the  coming of the great Son of David - our Lord Jesus Christ! 

We will consider  what  Jacob  has to say to each one of his sons  in turn, before we close with some vital observations and applications for our own  use.  The list of sons are chronological (i.e. as they are born).

1.      49:3-4 Reuben

Reuben, born to Leah is acknowledged as the first born. As such he possesses dignity and pre-eminence. And yet Reuben has done an unthinkable thing in Genesis 35:22. He had slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah- the mother of his brothers Dan and Naphtali (Gen.  30:3-8). Though nothing is said in Genesis 35, this matter was not forgotten. In his parting words Jacob makes his displeasure strongly known. He says that Reuben is as unstable as water (49:4). Reuben has  a strong character flaw. He fails to control himself. He is unstable. And because of this Reuben would have no pre-eminence. In  1 Chronicles  5:1-2,  we see that he forfeited  his first born status  to the sons  of Joseph. As we survey the Bible we see  that his tribe produced  no prophet, judge or king.  No great leaders of Israel came out of Reuben.  Although he remains a son of Jacob, and a member of the tribe of Israel, sin has robbed him of  his status as  firstborn. We have seen this same tendency with Esau in Gen. 25:29ff.

2.       49: 5-7 Simeon and Levi.

Simeon and Levi, are the 2^nd and 3^rd born sons of Leah. They too did a horrible thing in Genesis 34.  Jacob makes it clear that they acted contrary to God’s Word when they mercilessly killed the Shechemites, following the rape of their sister Dinah. There is a difference between a God-ordained warfare (e.g. Abraham in Gen. 14- repossessing Lot; and  the conquest of Canaan under Joshua) and a massacre which is based upon a desire for vengeance. God alone makes that distinction.  Simeon and Levi stepped over the line by their violence.   We shall see that both of these tribes were divided and scattered in Israel. The tribe of Simeon actually became absorbed into Judah. It disappeared. The tribe of Levi was scattered throughout Israel (they possessed no territory of their own) and eventually became the priestly clan  of the land. In fact in time they were rewarded for their loyalty at a time of national apostasy (Ex. 32:26-29 – the golden calf episode; Num. 18:1-6; 35:1-8) 

3.       49:8-12  Judah

Judah, whose name means praise ….”Your brothers shall praise you…” (49:8)  becomes the subject  of the most remarkable prophecy.  It stretches far into the future.  To him Jacob  not  only speaks of the dominion that Judah would have over  their enemies  (particularly under David and Solomon) and over the other tribes of Israel, but this portion points forward to the  reign of  Christ- the Messiah- the Lion of Judah from the root of David.

Those who rule in Judah  will do so “until tribute comes to Him…” (49:10b)  lit. “until Shiloh comes”. To this future ruler all nations will gather in obedience.   His reign will be marked by great prosperity. This is conveyed poetically through the image of a young donkey tied  to a choice vine and clothing washed in wine. This is the richness and the prosperity associated  with the days of the Messiah. He washes His garments in wine.  This passage is also related to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a foal of a donkey (Mk 11:1-10). One of Israel’s symbolic names was  “the Vine”. Jesus  was indeed  tied to Israel. He sought the lost sheep in Israel.

One more thing. The fact that Judah is chosen for this is not because there was anything meritorious in him- there wasn’t. The story of Judah in Genesis  38 doesn’t make pretty reading.  Judah’s unique blessing was not because he was more worthy.  His appointment was by the grace of God alone. This was the sovereign will of God.  (see Ps. 78:67-68)

4.      49:13 Zebulun

Zebulun  (6^th son of Leah name means ‘ dwelling’) shall dwell at the shore of the sea. This tribe would be prosperous through its association with Sidon, a prosperous neighbouring coastal people and a seafaring nation.

 5.      49: 14-15 Issachar 

Although Issachar (5^th son of Leah) was before Zebulun he follows Issachar here.  Issachar, we are told became  a servant / slave to others.  The  reason  given may be  that being settled in a  good and pleasant land  he relaxed too soon / became complacent. A people  addicted to good things and easy living may become addicted to  their  ease and become soft.  They invite others to rule over them.

The sons of the servants, Bilhah and Zilpah  49:16-21

6.      49: 16-17 Dan

Dan (firstborn of Bilhah;  his name means judge)  shall judge his people. His tribe was the smallest in Israel. He produced one of the judges of Israel, Samson. Dan was “a serpent in the way” – treacherous, not a nice  guy.  The people of Dan are mentioned in  Judges 18,  and  are associated  with  the stealing of Micah's idols and share thus in that particular plague and sin. Significantly Dan is not mentioned among  the tribes of Israel in Revelation7: 5-8.  Is this  an indication of  judgment on the tribe of Dan? In the light of that it  seems  that  Jacob’s prayer in 49:18  is an  indication  of  his exasperation: "I wait for your salvation O LORD." Perhaps Jacob knows Dan’s  devious  heart, and he is praying to God for  future mercy.

7.      49:19 Gad

Gad (first born of  Zilpah)  settled in the Transjordan  with the half tribe of Manasseh and  Reuben. In this region  he would be the victim of border raids by Midianites, Ammonites and Arabs. But we are told that he would overcome even in that adversity and he would raid those who raid him, and would succeed. The tribe of Gad became skilled warriors and helped David  (1 Chron.12:8)

8.      49: 20 Asher

Asher (second son of Zilpah – “the lucky or fortunate one”)  was going to be situated  along the seacoast north of Mt.Carmel- one of the most fruitful areas in the promised land. His land  would provide food fit for a king.  

9.      49:21 Naphtali

Of Naphtali (2^nd son  of Bilhah – “wrestling”) it is said that he is  like a deer let loose, bearing beautiful fawns. He is associated with Deborah and Barak as they served as judges in Israel.  Maybe Judges 5, and the song of Deborah,  fulfills that particular prophecy.

The sons of Rachel

10.   49: 22-26 Joseph

Jacob speaks of Joseph (first son of Rachel)  being a fruitful bow. But Jacob also thinks of what Joseph's brothers had done to him, and what the Egyptians had done to him.  He remembered the trial and tribulation that Joseph went through, and yet he prevailed. But no sooner could he speak of Joseph prevailing, than he has to trace the source of Joseph's success right back to  the  God who is the shepherd, God who is the stone, God who is the almighty, the  God who is the God of His fathers. That is the source of Joseph's ability to prevail. And so Jacob rehearses the names of God. He pronounces specific blessings on Joseph and his sons. Jacob acknowledges that his blessings upon Joseph have exceeded the blessing that he had been given by his  father  Isaac. Ephraim will become the biggest tribe.

11.   49:27  Benjamin.

As the last born son of Rachel, the loved wife of Jacob, Jacob has a formidable word for him,  perhaps hinting at the violent actions of the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 19-21. And yet, many great men came out of Benjamin. Ehud, the judge was from Benjamin. Saul, the first king of Israel, was from Benjamin.  Paul, the apostle  was of the tribe of Benjamin.

2.      49: 28-33  JACOB’S FINAL WORDS 

“This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.”  (49:28) This   verse provides us with an interpretative  key to the approach  Joseph took: He blessed them! And blessing means speaking God’s truth over His sons. Blessing does not ignore sin. Jacob mentions their sin and weaknesses  and  warns  his offspring that they need to  remember their sinful histories  and inclinations.   These things were not spoken to a perfect  people. These were fallen Adam’s sons  after all.  And please note  that the covenant promises of God, the love and the favour and the mercy of God  are not withheld  from any of them. That is the chiefest of blessing! These 12 sons are  God’s  chosen people, and He chose them not because they were  good, but because He loved them (see Deut. 7:7,8).He chose them for His own sake. From them, and  from the tribe of Judah would come the lion  of Judah, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer  who would ultimately purchase  a people for Himself. 

Remember then  that the Word of God comes to us unworthy men and women against the very same background: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us !” (Rom. 5: 8)

With all this  in mind then, Jacob pointed them to  the promised land. He requires his sons to  bury him in that promised land here symbolised by   Machpelah  where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah, and Leah are buried. 

We are reminded that far beyond that promised land lies  THE promised land  with the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God (Hebr. 11:10). Abraham was looking for that city! So 49:10 is the key  verse  which reminds us  that all this is far beyond the land of Canaan. It looks to the time when Judah's reign will be extended infinitely in the reign of Shiloh. Christians from the earliest times have recognized as the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Shiloh.

Genesis 48 - "Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons"

 

In chapter 47 we have seen Jacob and his family settled in the province of Goshen in Egypt.  In chapter 48 we shall find a special interaction of blessing between Jacob and Joseph and Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim before Jacob speaks his parting words and blessings to his sons in chapter 49. These last chapters of Genesis mark the end of Jacob’s life and introduce the next generation by means of a transfer of blessing. The Hebrew word barak (בָרַךְ), translated as blessing, means literally "to kneel". We kneel before God to receive a benefit or blessing. To bless is to give. The opposite of blessing is curse – to curse is to take away.  When we bless others we speak  and desire  well-being  in their lives. To bless and be  blessed is a fundamental part of our relationship with God, as well as relationships with other people. Whenever  such a mind-set  prevails  we are on our way to become a well ordered society.

OUTLINE

1.      48: 1- 4 Joseph   hears of his father’s final illness and prepares to receive his blessings

2.      48:5 -7 Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh into Israel’s inheritance.

3.      48:8-20 Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh and explains the choosing the younger over the older.

4.      48:21,22   Jacob makes a particular promise to Joseph.

1. 48:1-4 Joseph   hears of his father’s final illness and prepares to receive his blessings

We know that Jacob was an old man by the time he came to Egypt (47:9). He has given instructions to Joseph,  that should he die, he was not to be buried in Egypt, but in the land  of his fathers  (47:30). In the 48^th  chapter we shall find him sick and near the end of his life. Jacob's frailty is reflected in the effort it takes him to sit up in bed (48:2). When Joseph hears of his father’s illness, he does what many family members do when they hear of such terminal illness of a relative. They go to pay their final respects. He takes his two oldest sons with him in the hope of receiving their grandfather’s blessing. We have just considered  the nature of blessing.   It is really important that we should learn to respect the aged and to seek out the prayer and the blessings of their wisdom.  Matthew Henry says, “It is good to acquaint young people that are coming into the world with the aged servants of God that are going out of it, whose dying testimony to the goodness of God, and the pleasantness of wisdom's ways, may be a great encouragement to the rising generation.” It is sad, that in our own generation we find so few aged fathers dying in the full blaze of faith, and able to bless their children and grandchildren. When you have not lived in the blessed presence of God in all your life (yes- with all its ups and downs) how will you be able to bless your children and your children’s children with a sense of that presence?

We see that Jacob is thoroughly familiar with a lifetime of the blessed presence of God. And now that he is ill and weak we see that Jacob rallies to the occasion: He sits up in bed.  As he nears the end of his life, his thoughts were fixed on the past encounters with the blessings of  God,  but  also  upon the future promises of God.

In 48:3-4 Jacob recalls that time when the GOD ALMIGHTY (El Shaddai) appeared to him in Luz in 28:10-22 and blessed him there with the same covenantal promises given to his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. On occasion of this blessing he renamed this place Bethel (lit. house of God). From now on these covenant promises and blessings will not be bestowed upon solitary patriarchs but on the covenant family, consisting of the 12 tribes of Israel.

2. 48:5-7 He claims Joseph’s first 2 sons as His own and adopts them into Israel’s inheritance.

Joseph has been Israel’s human life-line  under God’s  good hand. It is therefore not surprising that Joseph will  receive a special blessing. From now on Joseph’s 2 sons Ephraim and Manasseh will constitute two future tribes in Israel. This is significant, for thereby he incorporates them into the covenantal line. [Note: Joseph’s name will fall away, and Levi will become the priestly tribe in Israel with no land inheritance in Canaan. Thus the future configuration will still be 12 tribes, but there will be no territory of Levi and Joseph].

All this must not be lost on us.  Jacob, by faith is assigning a blessing to the 2 sons of Joseph. A comment found in Hebrews 11:21 tells us, “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.”  That faith is in God’s leading, and not in his own strength.  In fact, Jacob- by God’s leading will elevate Ephraim and Manasseh’s position in the family above his oldest sons Reuben and Simeon (see his word concerning them in 49:3-7).  The extent of this blessing will eventually be seen in that Ephraim and Manasseh’s land allocations in Canaan will be bigger because of their numerical superiority.

48:7 Note here that even now the death of Rachel (Joseph’s mother), who lies buried in Bethlehem is on Jacob’s mind. She was in truth his legitimate wife.  In marriage you can really only love one partner. Polytheism doesn’t work. 

3. 48:8- 20 Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh and explains the choosing the younger over the older

As Joseph stands with his 2 sons before his father, Jacob is not able to recognise them, because he was nearly blind (48:10) - like Isaac his father (27:1). In those days there was no cataract surgery – a wonderful blessing of our day.  Getting old is not for sissies, and Matthew Henry helpfully reminds us in this regard  that (i) those that have the honour of age must therewith be content to take the burden of it, and  that  (ii) The eye of faith may be very clear even when the eye of the body is very much clouded. [1]

As Joseph presents the boys to their grandfather, Jacob says, “Bring them to me, please that I may bless them.” (48:9). Joseph arranges them so that the older is to Jacob's right side, and the younger to Jacob's left. This followed typical customs of the day, and implied that the older son would receive the greater blessing. Fondly grandpa Jake embraces them and kisses them, like a good grandfather would. Proverbs 17: 6 reminds us, “grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.”  

Joseph bows down with his face on the ground before his aged father. He doesn't notice that Jacob crosses his hands (48:14) —placing his right hand, and thereby the primary blessing on the head of Ephraim, the younger grandson (48:13–14). As he does this once again remembers how God had shepherded him throughout life, and he remembers the angel of God that had protected him from all evil (48:15b,16; cf.  2 Tim. 4:18). This is a lovely thing, - an experiential knowledge that belongs to older people that have faithfully walked with God. Our experiences as older people, of God’s faithfulness and our testimony to His keeping power must serve to encourage  and bless  our younger people who as yet have not  tasted as deeply of the Lord’s  faithful provision throughout life.  

From this follows the blessing, “bless the boys, and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of  my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”  Here Jacob asks God to continue his legacy and   the legacy of Abraham and Isaac through them (48:15–16). Pray that your offspring will follow in  your footsteps , who has followed in the footsteps of Christ.

48: 17-20 When Joseph realizes that the hands were switched, he is displeased. This wasn’t according to plan.   His father Jacob however says, “I know my son, I know.” Hebrews 11:21 is our interpretive key: “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.”  This was no accident. This was by God’s design.  You may remember that he himself had tricked his father Isaac by pretending to be firstborn Esau and thus he inherited the blessing.  Here in this case Jacob deliberately chooses the younger over the older, by faith!  To be sure, both would be blessed, but the younger shall be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations. (48:19). We may wonder why Ephraim is given the greater position. The simplest answer is that God’s blessings always come to those who do not deserve it. And so it is true  that  God  frequently  choses the younger above the older - Abel above Cain, Shem above Japheth and Ham, Abraham above Nahor and Haran, Isaac above Ishmael, Jacob above Esau; Judah and Joseph before Reuben and Simeon, Moses before Aaron, David before his older brothers.  Even in the matter  of the preference given to the Gentiles above the Jews whereby Gentile believers converts  would be many more than those of the Jews. (See Gal. 4:27). It is true that  the first born  birth-right  was the norm  (Deut. 21:17), but God as the sovereign One  reserves  the right   to change  that rule.   Free grace is God’s operative principle. And as we look into the future this is exactly what we see. Ephraim did become the dominant tribe from the days of the Judges onwards. Joshua was of that tribe after Moses died.  When the division occurred after  the death of Solomon, Ephraim was often used to  designate the Northern kingdom  (cf. Hosea 5:1-6:11). The rebel king of the NK was Jeroboam from the tribe of Ephraim. In the foresight of all this, Jacob crossed his hands and blessed accordingly.

48:21-22  Jacob makes a particular promise to Joseph

The chapter concludes with Jacob giving Joseph and his descendants a very specific piece of land in Canaan as a gift. Earlier portions of Genesis don't mention this specific piece of land, The exact Hebrew word Jacob uses here for the mountain slope   is shekem, so some think  this is Shechem, which was conquered by Jacob's sons in revenge for the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34:27). John 4:5 tells  us of a town called “Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there…”. Joseph will be buried here on this special piece of land given to him by his father (Joshua 24:32). Again, Matthew Henry  astutely  comments, “It may sometimes be both just and prudent to give some children portions above the rest; but a grave is that which we can most count upon as our own in this earth.”

So much then for the earthly blessings which are ours in the Name of God. Above all let us remember then that all these things are shadows. May the Lord increase your families in the sincere faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may many of your tribes be found in the  heavenly Canaan by virtue of your fatherly blessing and prayer, in the Name of God. Amen!

In Chapter 49  Jacob will make predictions and bestow other blessings on his remaining sons.

 

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[1] Matthew Henry commentary

Genesis 47 - Israel in Goshen

 

We have seen how God had providentially sustained  a family which had been   severely divided and disjointed through  a combination of bad parenting, and  favouritism leading to mutual loathing, cheating,  distrust. They had been separated for many years,  but we saw that God was preparing to create a nation for Himself  out of this family, and He did this in  a most unlikely place – Goshen, in Egypt. Again we see  the wonderful hand of God  behind it all,nas He preserves  and provides.

 OUTLINE

1.      47:1-6  Jacob’s  family presented  to  Pharaoh

2.      47:7-10   Jacob himself is presented to Pharaoh and blesses  Pharaoh.

3.      47:11,12 Israel settled in Goshen.

4.      47:13-26   Joseph’s wise leadership in the famine.

5.      47:27-30   A Review  of  17 years in Egypt  and a renewed focus

1.  47:1-6  Jacob’s   family presented  to  Pharaoh

“So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, ‘My father and my brothers with their flocks and herds… have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.’” (47:1) God has already prepared  Pharaoh’s  heart for the kind reception of the family of Israel through Joseph’s agency, by giving them  favour not only through Joseph’s excellent testimony  to Pharaoh  (Ch. 41), but mainly because of God’s sovereign work  and plan  at work  (cf. 50:19-21). It is God that steers history for His own glory and for the good of His people.

In 47:1-2 we see that Joseph firstly presents 5 of his brothers to the Pharaoh. We are not told which ones.  In 46:31-34 we saw that Joseph had coached them in terms of approaching Pharaoh.  He coached them how to answer the question Pharaoh would ask them (a typically male question): “What is your occupation? What do you do?” (47:3). He encouraged them to be utterly honest: “Tell Pharaoh that you are shepherds”.  We are also told what Pharaoh’s attitude towards their profession would be. We read that “every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians” (46:34).  And so, it is noteworthy  that Joseph taught his brothers to be  absolutely honest about their profession. Humanly speaking they should not have expected a warm reception. But they did not need to ‘window-dress’ themselves. They did not need to give themselves fancy titles such as ‘agricultural- engineer’ or ‘livestock  and veterinary consultant’.  They were to present themselves as shepherds- just that!  They were to call a spade a spade and not an agricultural implement. And we will notice that this honesty will do no damage to them at all. In fact it will serve their purpose, which is to live in Goshen, and be separate from the Egyptian culture. And they tell Pharaoh that they have come to sojourn in the land – meaning that they will stay as long as is necessary and no longer. All this shows Pharaoh that these people have an occupation  (i.e. they will not be a burden to the economy)  and  a termination date. They intend to not use the kindness and hospitality of the Egyptians longer than is necessary.  

But over and above all this is the story of the God who provides for and preserve His people. This is the story of Almighty God who leads His people like a Shepherd (!)  Pharaoh was considered a god by his own people, but  he  was no shepherd to his people. In fact, he would depend on the son of a shepherd to  steer his nation through  this  famine. Pharaoh  is not in control here. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is in control here. And He preserves his people in a foreign land, just as He preserves His people – you and I -  today,  in this world system ruled by the evil one.  The Lord Jesus our true Shepherd  prayed for His people in the world,  not that they should be taken out of the world, but that they might be kept from  evil in this world,  because they are not of the world (Jn. 17:9-16).  And so, it is  part of our Christian faith to keep ourselves unstained from the world  (Jas. 1:27). In many ways the church is our NT Goshen  in this  Egypt world.

On a passing note  we observe how this truth telling contrasts  with  both  Abraham and Isaac  who lied  respectively to Abimelech, a foreign king  in whose country  they sojourned at different times (Abraham  Gen. 20; Isaac Gen. 26). Those lies based on the fear of man nearly got them into trouble, and if God had not helped them they would have been dead meat. Here God is being honoured  in the truthfulness of His people. And He will surely bless them there, as we shall see in conclusion of this chapter.

The result is seen in 47:5,6:  Pharaoh welcomes them and  tells them that the land is at their disposal. He even asks them to take care of his livestock.  Truly, this is a king’s heart in the hands of the Lord (Prov. 21:1)

2.         47:7-10   Jacob is himself presented  to Pharaoh and blesses  Pharaoh

After presenting five of his brothers, Joseph introduces his father:  “Then Joseph brought in Jacob, his father  and stood him before Pharaoh…” (47:7). We read further, “and Jacob blessed Pharaoh” (cf. 47:7,10). Hebrews 7:7 (context – Abraham blessed by Melchizedek) says, “without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater”. 

Jacob knew the promise  of God to Abraham, that God would bless those who blessed the  descendants of  Abraham (Gen. 12:3). This is not merely a  formality  on Jacob's part. Jacob is not merely blessing Pharaoh  in the sense of thanking him for his goodness (with hat in hand, “God bless you sir for your kindness”). No! This is a picture of the head of God's covenant family acting in fulfilment of  Gen. 12:2, 3.  When God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, he said, “you will be a blessing to the families of the earth. And you will bless them.”  And  now, even though  Jacob may not have the political  power and prestige of  Pharaoh,  yet in God's economy, he is the representative of God Almighty, and Pharaoh instinctively  seems to recognise that. It is this sort of authority that we also find in Moses when he and Aaron shall  confront a later  Pharaoh,  when they say to him: “God says….Let my people go”!

Jacob now  stands before one of the most powerful rulers of the world, and in the Name of God blesses him for this temporary obedience.

Pharaoh then asks him a personal question, “How old are you?” Jacob’s answer is given in 47:9. Jacob tells Pharaoh that his 130 years of sojourning (pilgrimage) had been hard. He had hardly known a fixed abode in his life.  Hebrews 11:13-16 helps us to understand that he too ultimately also knew that he had no abiding city here.

He also thought he was not likely to attain the ages of his grandfather Abraham (175) and  Isaac (180). Physical and emotional trials erode life expectancy. Remember the trials with his brother Esau. And then remember the deception of his father in law, Laban with regard to giving him the wrong wife. Remember too that his chosen and favourite wife Rachel died in child birth.  And then his sons cheated on him when they told him that   Joseph had been killed by wild animals etc. Jacob’s words were not a complaint. It was the truth. What we learn from him about life is telling: Life is a pilgrimage. It is a short pilgrimage. It is a difficult pilgrimage.

3.         47:11,12 Israel settled in Goshen.

And then in accordance with Pharaoh's  permission, Joseph settles his family in Egypt in the region  of Goshen or the land of Rameses. And there  we are told, “Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food…”. This is a great testimony to Joseph’s ability to forgive and move on, in genuine kindness.  It is clear that he has come to grips with the sovereignty and the purposes of God in his own circumstances.  Oh, for every look at your own  dire circumstances  take ten looks  at  your God!  

Philip Doddridge  (1702-1751)  wrote this wonderful hymn,helping us to look to the God of Jacob:

1. O God of Jacob, by whose hand

Your people still are fed,

Who through this weary pilgrimage

A wav'ring Israel led.

 2.Our vows, our prayers, we now present

Before your throne of grace.

O God of Jacob, be the God

Of their succeeding race.

 3. Through each perplexing path of life

Our wand'ring footsteps guide;

Give us this day our daily bread,

And shelter fit provide.

 4.  Oh, grant us your protecting care

Till all our wand'rings cease,

That to those mansions kept for us

We all may come in peace.

 4.         47:13-26   Joseph’s Wise Leadership In The Famine And God’s Kindness  In Sparing Jacob's Family In The Famine.

We deal briefly with this  long section  which  shows us  the strategy which Joseph employed in managing the  severe challenges  of this famine.   47:13  shows us the severity of this famine:  “there was no food in all the land”. And Joseph managed  the affairs in line with the way  the country’s ideology – a country subject to the supreme king-god, Pharaoh.  We are not here to discuss justice, socioeconomics, or politics,  or whether the system was good  or not. That is not the point of this passage .In the end  we know that Joseph managed  the crisis to Pharaoh’s satisfaction, and in the end the people all had access to food, even though that meant that they had to sell themselves ultimately into slavery.  But note this!  Even as all of Egypt is becoming enslaved to Pharaoh, the family of Jacob was freed through the provision of Pharaoh and the provision of Joseph all  in God's good providence. The closing verses will show us that they prospered in adversity. That is the point! 

Make no mistake! God is good and kind even to the Egyptians through Joseph. And they were thankful for it. But there can be no doubt that  we learn here that  God’s special providence is for His people.  His eye is upon them.

5.         47:27-30   A Review Of 17 Years In Egypt And A Renewed Focus

In this last section we see this prosperity in adversity amplified: “…and they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied  greatly” (47:27).  God knows how  to  prosper His people  in adversity.

And then one last important thought. For the second time in  Genesis  we find  this  placing of  the hand under the thigh. We find it  first  in 24:2 where Abraham sends out his servant  under oath find a covenant wife for his Isaac.  This occasion here is also  associated with an oath. Jacob makes Joseph swear that he will carry his body  back to Canaan –  their  land of promise. He says to him, “Do not forget me here. I don’t belong here. I belong there.”  Canaan is my  home, my identity. Not Egypt.

And from our perspective as Christians that is no different.  This is not our eternal city. We are only pilgrims here.  We want to be where our heart is, and it is not in Egypt or in Babylon. Our sight must be on the city with foundations whose builder is God. To that end may God keep our eyes focussed  on that goal, and may we be content with being pilgrims on this earth, provided for and cared for by God, but with no abiding city, until we are truly home.