Thursday Night Bible Study

-->

Genesis 49-Genesis 50 

"Jacob's and Joseph's Last Words" • 8.26.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Service

Intro.

- Jacob, the final patriarch of the nation of Israel, is close to death. He has blessed his adopted sons Ephraim and Manasseh. He speaks now leaning on his staff, full of faith.

Text

• Genesis 49:1,2 : "And Jacob called his sons and said, 'Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father.'" : When Jacob says "the last days," it might be better understood as the days that were on their particular horizon. He will be speaking to them about what God had spoken to him about their lives.

- There is certainly an aspect of supernatural, divine intervention involved in what we are about to observe. Some of the things that he says can only be accounted to divine help.

- At the same time, there are also natural observations that Jacob has carried regarding the lives of his sons. What is about to be said to them can be traced back to what they have been.

• Genesis 49:3,4 : "Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it— He went up to my couch." : Reuben, as the firstborn would have been the lasting testimony to Jacob's fortune. Jacob says in essence "You had it all."

- Position, grace and strength to do anything. Nothing prohibited Reuben, except for his inability to keep his eyes on the prize.

- Jacob calls him "unstable as water." The idea is translated various ways, but a few words give us the sense. He was impetuous, uncontrolled and turbulent, a man lacking discipline.

- He was completely unpredictable and as a result, completely untrustworthy. Reuben would not excel and history would bear this out, as none from that tribe would emerge to lead.

- Reuben's tribe decided to stop before entering the land. Numbers 32 describes this being a day that disqualified an entire generation from entrance into Canaan.

- Jacob cites Reuben's action with his concubine Bilhah that we read about in Genesis 35. He dishonored Jacob at that time, but not only Jacob.

- He despised his own birthright for the pleasure of the moment. Much like Esau before him, Reuben did not calculate the cost of his actions correctly. Unfortunately, his tribe followed suit.

• Genesis 49:5-7 : "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." : Of course Simeon and Levi were brothers. That's not what this means. One commentator says, "These two are a pair."

- These guys were partners in crime, united in cruel anger. Their weapons were not for self-defense. They were instruments of cruelty, ready to strike for any reason.

- Jacob does not even want to be named among them or to be party to their ways.

- Jacob brings to mind the events of Genesis 34. Dinah had been raped by Shechem. In a fit of rage, Simeon and Levi sacked the town.

- Their anger and wrath displeased the Lord and He would separate them in the land.

- It's important to hear these words: Jacob curses them for their anger. That is expressed a few different ways here. First, it's in their self-will. It just pleased them to be cruel.

- They hamstrung an ox, not for food, not out of necessity, but simply to be cruel.

- Second, their anger was fierce. It was always out of proportion to what was done against them. Finally, he calls it their wrath.

- God is not pleased with anger that boils over and acts this way. May the Lord minister that to us. Man's anger like this does not represent Him at all.

- God takes measures to deal with their alliance, first by separating them. Simeon became a relatively small tribe. The second comes from Levi's service as priests, as they embraced a call.

• Genesis 49:8-12 : "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk." : Judah offered his life in exchange for Benjamin's.

- His brothers will praise his line, which will eventually lead to the Messiah Jesus Christ.

- In his line, there is a promise of victory and submission from among the brothers, acknowledging what God has done.

- Judah is a lion's whelp or the young lion who has just finished the hunt. Who will disturb him during his time of contentment?

- Judah's line would be one of victory, ultimately through the victory of Jesus. Until Jesus, the line of the Kings would run through Judah's line, but then Shiloh would come.

- Shiloh is another term for the Messiah. It means "Peacemaker." Jesus would be the one to usher in peace between God and Mankind by fulfilling every demand of the law.

- Jacob prophecies that the Messiah will bind his donkey to the vine. This whole section speaks of Jesus working in the harvest field, reaping bountifully.

- The NLT really helps us to see the meaning of this verse: "He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine because his harvest is so plentiful."

- This is Jesus standing in the harvest field, working and receiving a great harvest.

• Genesis 49:13-18 : " Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon. Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens; He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves. Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation, O Lord! " : Zebulun would have property along the sea of Galilee, while Issachar would serve the people that they were around. The picture is that they were lazy. Dan would serve as the judge over the tribes.

- Dan is like a well hidden snake. The horse comes and considers the land free and then the snake bite. The snake would bite, as Dan later became a center of idolatrous worship in Israel.

- Interestingly, the most famous Danite was a man named Judas Iscariot!

- It's possible that this is a picture of Christ's betrayer and a call back to Genesis 3:15.

- The serpent would bruise the heel, but his head would be crushed. Lending credence to that is what comes next. Jacob says, I have waited for your salvation, O Lord.

- Literally, Jacob said, "I have waited for Yeshua" which was the very name of our transliterated word "Jesus!" Jacob, not knowing exactly what he was saying, prophecied Christ's eventual victory!

• Genesis 49:19-21 : "Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last. Bread from Asher shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties. Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words." : Gad provided troops for King David, but would be in a consistent place of struggle.

- He would look as if he was on the losing end, but God promised that He would win in the end.

- Asher would provide rich food, literally, his bread will be fat!

- Naphtali would be like a deer, who had been captive, but now loosed. Interesting, Naphtali is also tied into the region of the Galilee, where beautiful words of Christ's coming would originate!

• Genesis 49:22-26 : "Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers." : Jacob speaks next of Joseph and the circumstances that faced him. The language is very telling.

- He is a fruitful bough or a tree. Not just a tree anywhere, but one that is near a water source. It's pictured as being fruitful and hanging over a wall. Overflowing fruitfulness.

- He grows to such an extent, even in the presence of his brothers, who treated him so poorly.

- His brothers are the archers, filled with bitterness and hate. In the midst of it, Joseph did not falter. He remained strong. How did he remain strong?

- By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob? Our negative circumstances do not need to cripple us. God can give us the power to stand and the power to be fruitful.

- All the blessings of God would reside upon Joseph.

• Genesis 49:27,28 : "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.' All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing." : Finally, Jacob comes to Benjamin and tells him that he will be a ravenous wolf who gathers and then shares of what he has.

- This might sound to the male mind like a compliment, but it was a prediction of the violence that would come from this tribe.

- One final note though on the ferocious nature of the Benjamites. When directed toward the Lord, any impulse can be used mightily for God.

- Who was the most famous Benjamite? A little guy by the name of Saul of Tarsus!

- Israel blessed them all individually, according to their own blessing.

- I want to offer one last look back here, as Pastor Bob Probert pointed out something very interesting about this passage. In all of the sons of Jacob, there is a picture of Jesus Christ.

˚ "Reuben reminds us of the excellency and dignity of Christ, the Firstborn. Simeon and Levi reminds us of Christ on the Cross, as instruments of cruelty were used on Him. God cursed their anger, Jesus was made a curse for us! Levi's line would one day be priestly. Jesus is our High Priest! Judah's lion is Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Zebulun was a haven of rest; Jesus is our rest! Isaachar was a lowly servant; Jesus was God's servant. Dan was to be the judge of Israel; Jesus is the Judge of the World. Gad looks beaten, but ends up triumphant. Jesus was killed, buried, but then resurrected from the dead! Asher made some fat bread; Jesus is the bread of life that satisfies! Naphtali had beautiful words; Jesus brought the news of Gospel! Joseph was a picture of endless blessing; Jesus is the fountain of God's blessings. Benjamin was a fierce warrior; Jesus will come back at the end of the tribulation as the one leading His people into battle!" Pastor Bob Probert[1]

• Genesis 49:29-33 : "Then he charged them and said to them: 'I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.' And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people." : Jacob's final words reflect his faith in the promise that God made. He was to be buried in the land.

- That cave was a burial place, but also a fixed point of reference for the people of Israel.

• Genesis 50:1-3 : "Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days." : Joseph, as predicted by the Lord, closed the eyes of his Father. In all, Joseph had 34 years with Jacob, split evenly by his 20 years of separation.

- Joseph had Israel embalmed, a process that is quite involved. According to one website, the process began with a bath in the Nile river, symbolizing rebirth.

- Then, the brain was removed through the nose, as well as the other internal organs, except the heart, which remained in the chest.

- The organs are placed inside of jars that will accompany the mummy. In the meantime, the body is left to dry out, being stuffed with sand and grass. This process takes a full 40 days![2]

- The Egyptians mourned him for 70 days, likely a tribute to the greatness of Joseph.

• Genesis 50:4-11 : "Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, 'If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, 'Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.' Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ And Pharaoh said, 'Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.' So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering. Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, 'This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.' Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan." : Notice a few things here. Joseph for all of his fame and position, was still a man under authority and was still "property" of the Pharaoh.

- He had to request some time off to do this and then promise to return. You have to admire this about Joseph, as the temptation to chart his own course for the first time might have been great.

- Notice also what a procession that this was. We're talking a huge horde of people coming out of Egypt, to mourn a man of God!

- Coming to Canaan, the mourning began fresh again for 7 days, causing the Canaanites to comment upon it: "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians."

• Genesis 50:12-14 : "So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father." : The funeral and the experience of grieving together in the land of Canaan, going back to the field of Machpelah, must have been an emotionally draining experience.

- It must have been very surreal for all of them, but especially Joseph, who has traveled for the first time, out of Egypt!

• Genesis 50:15-18 : "When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.' So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, 'Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: 'I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, 'Behold, we are your servants.'" : All this time, with all the good fortune that had been bestowed upon them, the brothers had never felt the peace of forgiveness. They had not come to understand Joseph's position.

- They knew what they deserved. They were sure that Joseph would take retribution for what had happened. Their only saving grace in their minds was the life of Jacob, which was now gone.

- It seems that they come to Joseph telling a lie or perhaps just something that was not recorded for us. Perhaps this was Jacob at his "Jacobiest," telling the brothers how to do it!

- Whatever the case, Joseph wept when they said this. The combination of old wounds, fresh insults to his character and the possible collusion between Father and brothers, was too much.

- How could they think these things? Truthfully, that is what happens to people who have sinned in certain ways. They project their guiltiness out in some form or fashion.

- They came before Joseph and said, "We're your servants." Don't even count us as your brothers. Being your servants will be enough for us.

• Genesis 50:19-21 : "Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them." : Joseph's first words are "Do not be afraid." I John 4:18 tells us that "perfect love casts out fear."

- Joseph loved his brothers and did not want to make them fear. How can we come to this place ourselves? It begins with trusting God for righteousness.

- Joseph was not in the place of God. Who was he to deal with them?

- This is a profound word to each of us who have suffered any level of injustice. Are we in the place of God? Can I execute judgment upon somebody else?

- Joseph would likely have been justified by the world for his actions. He could have gotten away with it and I am sure that had at least considered some creative ways to mete out justice.

- But knowing that God would bring justice to pass was enough for Joseph and it should be enough for you and I!

- Second, Joseph trusted God through his circumstances. Listen to what he says: "You meant evil against me." There's an understatement! These men had murder in their hearts!

- They wanted to snuff out Joseph's life. Their intentions were evil. There is no question about it and Joseph calls it as it was.

- But as much as that is true, God took their intentions and twisted them to suit His intentions. God turned it around and made a horrific, evil circumstance, a tremendous blessing!

- That is what God does. We can choose to dwell on negative circumstances or we can begin to thank God for the positive that He brings about!

- The difference is between looking back and looking around. Where are you looking?

- The final point in Joseph's attitude was that he trusted God for His current purpose. He brought all this about as it is this day! Today, God had a purpose in Joseph's life.

- What was it? To save lives. Not only had he saved the lives of Egypt, but the very lives of his family and the very life of Christ, which was to come through it!

- He was where he was to save lives and to provide for them and their children!

• Genesis 50:22-26 : "So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees. And Joseph said to his brethren, 'I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.' So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." : Joseph in the end, was old enough to see his great, great grandchildren. Both Ephraim and Manasseh had children in Egypt.

- Some of Joseph's brothers, presumably the youngest of them, still lived when Joseph died.

- As he was dying, his words echo the words of Jacob. Take me home!

- At 110, Joseph died, having lived a very full life!

Conclusion

- In these chapters, there is one verse that brings it all together. Romans 8:28 tells us that "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

- Joseph is not just our illustration. He is to be part of our instruction!

---

[1] The substance of this quote comes from Pastor Bob's notes, though of the rewordings is mine.

[2] http://www.iw-chameleon.co.uk/history/ancient_egypt/5emba.htm

Thursday Night Bible Study

-->

Genesis 47:13-Genesis 48 

"Joseph Buys The Farm!" • 8.19.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- Joseph's family has successfully been relocated to Egypt. They are dwelling in a good place, in the land of Goshen.

- They have everything that they could want, including government level jobs and access through Joseph

- Moses now turns our attention back to Joseph, who continues his work as Egypt's prime minister, the second in command to Pharaoh.

- But the section ends with a reminder that must resonate within our souls on a daily basis. We'll see if it comes to your mind before we get there.

Text

• Genesis 47:13 : "Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine." : Our last time stamp came in Genesis 45, verses 6 and 11. Joseph commanded his family to come into Egypt two years into the famine.

- For our purposes, let's just say that this is the beginning of the third year.

- This famine was unique in that it was now affecting Egypt, which usually remained immune due to the annual overflow of the Nile river.

- This famine was strong enough to bring even Egypt to it's knees.

- Moses tells us that both lands, Canaan and Egypt "languished." Literally, they were faint. The picture behind the original is of a person with his tongue out, as one who is thirsty and faint.

• Genesis 47:14-17 : "And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, 'Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.' Then Joseph said, 'Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.' So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year." : The famine was outlasting the resource of the people of Egypt and Canaan. The money in both lands was now completely spent.

- All of it was brought into the Pharaoh's house. The combined wealth of both countries was now consolidated into Pharaoh's bank account.

- When that resource was entirely spent, the people were forced to bring out their livestock in exchange for food.

- There is an objection here among some who would think, "Why didn't Joseph just give it all away? Why put a value on it at all?"

- We need to value things in order to live with them conservatively. When you pay for something, it makes you value it. The people would use what they had been given well.

- All of the money and livestock was, by the third year, in the hands of the Pharaoh, leaving the people with bread, but very little else. The people of Egypt are in a very tenuous position.

• Genesis 47:18-22 : "When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, 'We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.' Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands." : This would be year number 4 of 7. Everything has been depleted, save the lands and the lives of the Egyptians.

- They come to Joseph and they say, as we might say today, "I'm not even going to lie: We're in trouble!" They had nothing with which to barter any longer. They agree to become slaves.

- This agreement comes from complete desperation, as they save their lives by selling their lands and their lives to Pharaoh.

- The people of Egypt are now indentured servants of the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh, because of the genius of Joseph, has become the richest King of all time. He literally has everything!

- The money, land, grain, and the people have all come under Pharaoh. Now, Joseph moves all of his people into the cities for direct access to the grain storage.

- Joseph had an eye on the land of the priests, but since they already had rations, there was no need for them to come for grain.

• Genesis 47:23-26 : "Then Joseph said to the people, 'Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.' So they said, 'You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.' And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s." : This last section of this chapter shows the response of the people to Joseph's dealings. One might think that the people would have disliked this agreement.

- Joseph had bought all of them, their land and now decreed that a fifth of whatever they grew was to be given to Pharaoh. 20% was to come into Pharaoh's home perpetually.

- You'd think that there would be public outrcry! However, the response was overwhelmingly positive. "You have saved our lives!"

- This section provides us with another beautiful picture or type of what Christ would ultimately do for His redeemed.

- The people of Egypt were penniless, having nothing but their own lives to offer. They were desperately lost, destined for ruin.

- That's when Joseph redeemed them. He bought them and gave them life. That is what Jesus Christ will do for any person who will give themselves completely to Him.

- He redeems and then gives us gifts to sow with in the world that we live in! He saves us and makes us useful, a blessing in the world.

• Genesis 47:27-31 : "So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, 'Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.' And he said, 'I will do as you have said.' Then he said, 'Swear to me.' And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed." : Moses fast forwards us to the end of Jacob's life. They came into the land with their posessions and then grew from there.

- The multiplied and multiplied exceedingly. God blessed Jacob, His people Israel during this time. Soon their multiplication will be the source of problems.

- Jacob knew that while they were doing well there in the land, that his proper place was back in Canaan. In preparation for his death, he makes Joseph swear to take him back.

- The oath, which we have seen before, was a fairly severe one, which is not intended as a stab against Joseph's integrity, but as a sign of Jacob's intention.

- Things had gone good in the world, but this was not his family's home!

• Genesis 48:1-4 : "Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, 'Indeed your father is sick'; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, 'Look, your son Joseph is coming to you'; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph: 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’" : Jacob is now about to end his pilgimage on Earth. When Joseph came before him, what did he share with him? The covenant promise that God had made to Jacob.

- Yes, things were good for Jacob/Israel in the land of Egypt. They had multiplied and were being taken care of. As for Joseph, things were going better than he could've imagined.

- He was a national hero, second in command, with all honor and prestige. He had a family, a house, a few custom made chariots! It would be tempting to forsake ever going back!

- Jacob brings Joseph into to understand that none of what they were experiencing compared to what God had promised to their family.

- Don't get caught up here in Egypt. Don't let your heart get entangled in the world. God has made me a promise and that promise includes you.

- Joseph had not been out of Egypt for over 40 years. He had spent the majority of his life in Egypt, experiencing a true "rags to riches" story.

- While that was the case and while God used his life in a miraculous way, the promise was still more important. Jacob needed to impress that upon him.

• Genesis 48:5-7 : "And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).'" : In these verses, Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh. They would receive an inheritance from Jacob.

- This is how these two became half tribes of Jacob. They came in under the same banner.

- He speaks of them as being His own. He wants them to come into this blessedness. He wants Joseph's children, kids who knew of nothing except Egypt, to get caught up in the Lord.

- That's every Grandparent's dream. Their inheritance would now be in Canaan.

- But as for Jacob, he takes a whistful moment to consider their grandmother Rachel, who never got to see her grandchildren.

- It seems that he gives this information, so that they might see how deep their roots go in the land. After all, their grandmother is buried there.

• Genesis 48:8-16 : "Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, 'Who are these?' Joseph said to his father, 'They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.' And he said, 'Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.' Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, 'I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!' So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'" : Israel, Jacob had come into the same issue that his father Isaac had. At the end of his life, he also was blinded or near blind.

- This is a beautiful scene just in that fact. Here he is, in about the same condition as his Father, but now about to bless his sons. There is no more deception. This is a scene of peace.

- Jacob, in the eyes of some religious systems, should be on the receiving end of some deception here. That's not the case with God. Our negative past does not need to color our future!

- It's possible that Jacob had not seen Joseph's sons for many years and that they had now grown into late teenagers. Maybe it's just that grandpa, cheek squeezing moment!

- Joseph presents his boys in order of birth, putting them in the place where they would receive their blessing, the right hand for the older Manasseh and the left hand for Ephraim.

- This was the natural way to consider blessing, the older being blessed above the younger. Jacob responds by crossing his hands and putting the hand of blessing on the younger.

- Before dealing with that, Jacob wants to bless his son Joseph. His blessing reflects his families history. This is the God that Abraham and Isaac walked before.

- But this is not just a God of history. He is Jacob's God as well. Jacob knows that in all of his days, God had provided for him, even to that very day.

- That is a testimony for every believer. He has fed me to this very day. Literally, God had shepherded Him. God had been His provision physically and spiritually.

- He has protected me, which is represented by the Angel who redeemed him from evil.

- Now in thes last verses, Jacob adopts Joseph's boys into the line of God's servants.

• Genesis 48:17-19 : "Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, 'Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.'" : Joseph was displeased that Jacob took his hands and crossed them in order to lay the right hand of blessing on the younger.

- The sense is that Joseph trembled at the thought of what was happening here. It disturbed him as Jacob did this. It was not what he thought that it should be and he moved in to correct it.

- But Jacob knew, God had directed his heart, that this was the way it was supposed to be. God had again made it clear that the older would not have the younger man's blessing.

- We have seen this over and over again, first with Isaac and Ishmael, then with Jacob and Esau, now we have Ephraim and Manasseh.

- What is God trying to show us? God is not anti-firstborn. But He is showing over and over again that His choices are not going to be dictated by what we would call "natural order."

- God chooses people who according to a different standard. We don't know what He sees or why He chooses the way that He does. We are just grateful that He does that work.

• Genesis 48:20-22 : "So he blessed them that day, saying, 'By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.'" : Joseph was not the first born, but he is given a double portion and the leadership of the family nonetheless.

- God had been with Jacob and was with Him that very day. Soon, God would be with Joseph's family to bring them back to the land of promise.

- Joseph portion would be from an unknown battle, but would not be claimed for 400 years.

Conclusion

- We are in the world tonight. God has given us blessing, places to flourish, people to reach. But this is not our home.

- There is a place where our eyes are to be, where we must be if we are to be recipients of God's promise to us. Let us keep our eyes there.

Thursday Night Bible Study

-->

Genesis 46-Genesis 47:12 

"Jacob's Relocation" • 8.12.10 • Colton Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- In the last several chapters, the character of Joseph's brothers have been on display. Tonight, we will see that they were not the only ones that have changed.

- This whole story has been the story of Jacob. Moses is relaying how it was that Jacob and his family came to be in Egypt.

- Jacob has learned that Joseph was not only alive, but was the governor of Egypt, and upon hearing that Jacob said, "Say no more. I am on my way!"

- As Jacob journeys, I think we'll see a changed man from what we have seen before.

Text

• Genesis 46:1-4 : "So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, 'Jacob, Jacob!' And he said, 'Here I am.' So He said, 'I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.'" : Jacob began his journey with everything. He was coming to survive a severe famine. As he's going, the Lord started to impress the finality of this journey on his mind.

- That realization was on his mind as he came to Beersheba. Beersheba had been where Jacob grew up. He left Beersheba only after his split with Esau.

- Jacob had come to dwell in Bethel. Here he is, back in his homeland, on his way out to Egypt. The best thing to have done was to offer sacrifices to the Lord.

- Jacob had met the Lord often, but mostly by mistake and then mostly, out of desperation! Here, Jacob initiates relationship with the Lord by offering sacrifices to Him.

- He is seeking the Lord before he goes. He wants a blessing before he gets going. He is dependant on God's presence and peace. This is an older, wiser man!

- God had shown such faithfulness to him and I am sure that this was heavy on his mind during this time, but the moments left in the promised land brought fear to his heart again.

- As he went to sleep, it was time for the Lord to intervene. God spoke to Jacob and addressed what was on his mind.

- Jacob had come to fear this decision. He knew of the promises. He knew that God had promised his descendants this land.

- If he were to die in Egypt, what would happen to those promises? God tells him not to fear on account of two things. First, God had a purpose in moving them there.

- He was going to make them multiply in Egypt. As we'll see soon, Israel's family consisted of 70 people. This was a great sized tribe, but certainly not a great nation.

- In Egpyt, God would bring their numbers to a few million, maybe as high as three million!

- Second, God was going to go with them. God was not going to remain in the Promised Land, waiting for Jacob to return. He was going down there with Him. His presence was assured!

- It's a good thing to know: Unless the Lord goes with you, you might want to stay right where you are! God was in this and He wanted Jacob to go down with His blessing.

- Finally, God tells Jacob that He was going to bring Him back up again. Note that He uses the word "surely." You can bank on this. It will happen.

- There is no timetable. There is no assurance that Jacob will see this. God is talking about Israel as a nation, represented by Jacob.

- I mention this because often we hang onto promises as if God has to do them within our lifetime. He is not limited to that. We need not be alive for God to keep His promises!

- In fact, that is what is meant by what is said in verse 4. Joseph will put his hand on his eyes. In other words, Joseph will close Jacob's eyes at his death.

- Jacob will never again be in the land of Canaan, except in death. But God's promise will stand and His people will one day return.

• Genesis 46:5-7 : "Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt." : These verses provide a quick summary statement for the rest of this section.

- These wagons provided them with their transport, as well as all of their stuff, which was numerous. God had blessed this group of people in an amazing way there in Canaan.

• Genesis 46:8-18 : "Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three. The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons." " : In this section, we begin with the people that came from Leah and her maid Zilpah.

- The next section will record those who came from Rachel and Bilhah.

- A few notes here. Simeon had also had a child with a Canaanite woman. The Canaanite culture, with the women around, was a formidable temptation for these men.

- Also note that among the children, the children of Perez and Beriah are mentioned. These are Jacob's great-grandchildren and in the case of Perez, the direct line of descendancy to Christ.

- Leah, despite not being loved by Jacob, had a wonderfully sized family, a blessing from the Lord and a testimony to His ability to bring good from a difficult situation.

• Genesis 46:19-27 : "The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all. The son of Dan was Hushim. The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.
All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy." : Jacob's 70 family members were the first to come into Egypt. The people of Israel would later read this as a tie in to their own heritage.

- Where did they fit in? Who was their family? This is great information to them.

• Genesis 46:28-30 : "Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.
And Israel said to Joseph, 'Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.'" : Goshen was located very near to the Mediterranean Sea, which would have made it a lovely place to live.

- You have to wonder what this might have been like for both Jacob and Joseph. This verse is beautiful: he presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while!

- The NIV translates verse 29 this way: "As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time."

- The idea here is that he repeated this action over and over again. Joseph was in no rush for this moment to conclude. Jacob needs nothing else in his life.

• Genesis 46:31-34 : "Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.'" : You can consider this Joseph's orientation. The Egyptians were an interesting people. They really hated Shepherds.

- Joseph is preparing Jacob for what Pharaoh would ask and for the response that would engender among the Egyptians.

- He was to say that he worked with animals and that was something he had inherited from his fathers and had done since their youth.

- The idea seems to be, "This is all that they know. There is a rich history in this for them."

- For the Egyptians, hanging with animals was detestable. We'll explain more in a moment.

• Genesis 47:1-4 : "Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, 'My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.' And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, 'What is your occupation?' And they said to Pharaoh, 'Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.' And they said to Pharaoh, 'We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.'" : Joseph had already set his family in Goshen, which put them in a place where their livestock could feed.

- Additionally, when they came to meet with the Pharaoh, since they were already there, he would be inclined to say, "Why don't you just stay there."

- When they came into the presence of the Pharaoh, he asked them what their profession was, just as Joseph had instructed them. This was likely the customary way to meet people.

- What is interesting here is the fearlessness of the men to call themselves shepherds.

- There are more than a few commentators who have come to hypothesize that this Pharaoh was not an Egyptian at all. They surmise that he was of the Hyksos dynasty.

- The Hyksos were Semitic usurpers who had invaded Egypt, perhaps as early as Abraham's life, and had been in power for some time. The native Egyptians called them the "Shepherd Kings"

- This would help to explain the disposition against shepherds.

- But it might also explain what is happening in this section. The men calling themselves shepherds would put them in a good position with the Shepherd Kings who were most likely their kin!

- That is a hypothetical way to look at this passage. Nobody is sure of which dynasty was in power, but it is intriguing to consider.

- On the other hand, there is something else here that is principally more relevant to us personally. Calling themselves shepherds would bring about an extra level of separation.

- The Egyptians, already racial supremacists, were also snobs regarding one's profession.

- The blunt truth of who they were would automatically put them in low standing. I like this as I consider the typology here.

- These men were coming into Egypt, a picture of the world. Joseph, often a picture of Jesus, has set them up as shepherds in the world.

- Israel, the tribe, representing God's people, have come into the world and the truth of who they are would cause a deep separation from the world!

- They were not afraid to exclaim what it was that they were, even though it meant that the world would look down upon them.

- That is a wonderful lesson. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. The world hates Him, and as we have leared recently, when we represent Him, they'll hate us too!

• Genesis 47:5,6 : "Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, 'Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.'" : This Pharaoh gives them a place in the land of Goshen and even asks if there are any that could become chief herdsmen over his own flocks!

- God has brought them to a land of plenty and has set them in a good place. And, as if that was not enough, gave them jobs with the Pharaoh himself!

• Genesis 47:7-10 : "Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, 'How old are you?' And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.' So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh." : Jacob has come to a special black tie sit down with the Pharaoh. Pharaoh asks about his age and Jacob tells him, "Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life."

- I wonder how old Jacob looked! With all that he had experienced, he might have looked rather old!

- My testimony that brought me here has been difficult. A cursory look over Jacob's life and one could indeed see a trail of wreckage.

- He comes from a wrecked home. He'd been on the run from his past when he came into contact with the ultimate con man, who he eventually fled from. That's not all. Ask about his sons!

- His sons destroyed an entire city, destabilizing relations, and then conspired to kill Jacob's favorite son! Add in the death of his favored wife and you can see what Jacob meant.

- Jacob says, "It's been hard up to now and I haven't even caught up to how long my Fathers lived! I've got some years to go it seems!"

- Jacob is saying that he's not as old as his Fathers and he is not as strong in his faith as them.

- This response was one of humility. The old Jacob might have bragged about his prowess and used the occasion to bolster his own image.

- The man known as Israel here, admits that there is nothing much to talk about! That is the kind of person that God wants to make of us.

- "There is nothing special about me. I am a lowly sinner that Christ has saved!"

- Jacob can point to the difficulty in his years, but even a Christian who has difficult years has the better position than the Pharaoh himself!

- Jacob blessed Pharaoh, notice, twice, and went out from before him. Those words seem to be so ordinary to us, but the greater blesses the lesser and the greater goes out from the lesser.

- In the economy of God, Jacob, because of the greatness of the promises that were given to him, though unrealized, was greater than the Pharaoh!

• Genesis 47:11,12 : "And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families." : Joseph finally had his family within sight. They settled there and Joseph provided for them. Nothing lavish, but according to their family size.

Conclusion

- In all these things, throughout all these years, God has taken Jacob and used every circumstance to bring him right to this moment.

- He is dependant upon the Lord, humbled before Pharaoh, but confident in His Lord and in who God has made Him.

- That is the same journey that you and I are on. God is calling us to humbly submit to Him and to humbly present ourselves to others!