Genesis 47-49
Notes
Transcript
Background
Last week we continued through the final section in Genesis, focusing on the reunification of Joseph with his family. Joseph had revealed himself to his brothers, and he sent them to get their father Israel and his entire household, to bring them to Egypt.
Israel arrived in Goshen and was reunited with his long-lost son. The reunion ended with Joseph preparing his family to meet with Pharaoh, instructing them on what to say.
We’re going to do things a bit differently, as there is a lot of repetition in these final chapters. We’re going to focus on the main points of the story, rather than go through every verse as we usually do.
1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”
2 He took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”
MAP
MAP
As we’ll recall from last week, this went just as Joseph had instructed his brothers to do.
Joseph first presented his brothers, whom Pharaoh extended kindness and even asked Joseph to put those who were capable in charge of his own livestock.
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”
9 So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”
As the patriarch of the family, Israel was presented last to Pharaoh. As a sign of respect, Israel blesses Pharaoh, but there is also a cultural understanding that the superior blesses the subordinate.
19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Not only this, but the relations taking place are quite amicable, which is somewhat unusual for the patriarchal relationships with foreign rulers.
Abraham - Egypt, foreign kings (Melchizedek excluded), Abimelech
Isaac - Abimelech
Jacob - Laban, Shechem
This implication is reinforced by Pharaoh recognizing his elder and asking his age. Longevity was highly valued by ancient cultures and seen as divine favor.
Particularly for patriarchal societies, such as the Hebrews.
Israel’s response is a bit shocking and humorous, in that he seems a bit bitter, which would not be appropriate in addressing the Pharaoh under normal circumstances.
It is humorous because a long life was seen as a blessing, but he not only discounts his length of years as compared to his forefathers (175, 180), he also complains about his “unpleasant” sojournings.
TIMELINE
TIMELINE
Israel blessed Pharaoh again, and the patriarch and his household settled in the land of Goshen. They were provided for and blessed by both Joseph and by Pharaoh, but truly the source of blessing was God.
God blesses people and circumstances to be a blessing to others.
God blesses people and circumstances to be a blessing to others.
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
13 Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.
People from all over bought food from Egypt, and Joseph collected it and brought it to Pharaoh. When the money ran out, people traded their livestock for food. When all the livestock of Egypt belonged to Pharaoh, and people still needed food, they sold their land to Pharaoh and they became slaves to Pharaoh.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.
24 “At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”
25 So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”
Joseph made a law at this time that a fifth of all would belong to Pharaoh.
27 Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous.
28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
As Israel approached the end of his life, he made Joseph swear that he would be buried in Canaan with Isaac and Abraham.
1 Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.
Israel recounts his story to Joseph, and told Joseph that his firstborn sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, would be adopted as sons by Israel, and would therefore receive full inheritance rights.
The purpose of doing this is twofold: fulfillment of God’s promise to make him a great nation, and Joseph’s posterity would receive a double portion.
It appears he justifies this by reminding Joseph of the death of his mother, Rachel, perhaps making up for the lack of more children by her.
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.”
Israel is happy to be able to see his grandchildren, when he had thought he’d never see Joseph’s face again.
Like his father Isaac, Israel’s eyesight was fading from age.
Joseph aligned his sons that they would be blessed by age, with Manasseh receiving Israel’s right hand as eldest. But Israel switched hands, and blessed Ephraim with his right hand.
He pronounced the fulfillment of God’s promises made to Abraham and Isaac through these boys.
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”
The tradition of the younger sibling supplanting the older continues with Joseph.
Isaac supplanted Ishmael, Jacob supplanted Esau, Joseph supplanted his brothers, and now Ephraim supplants Manasseh.
1 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.
With the end of his life drawing near, Israel summons the rest of his sons, with Joseph already being present with his 2 sons. He proceeds to both prophesy and bless his children.
Though Reuben is firstborn, he disqualified himself from receiving the firstborn’s blessing due to his sin with his father’s concubine.
Simeon and Levi disqualified themselves because of their slaughter at Shechem, and sinned in their anger and self-will.
Judah receives preeminence amongst his brothers.
8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?
10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
These blessings are both applicable for the tribe of Judah, and for the prophecy of kings who are to come (David, and the Jewish Messiah, Jesus).
Zebulun is said to reside along the seashore. He is listed before his older brother, Issachar, and his tribe will occupy the area of Galilee.
Issachar is said to have good land, but would be made slaves. This does take place in the future.
Dan receives a mixed blessing, to be judge over people and yet to be represented by the very animal the was involved in the fall of man - a snake.
Israel concludes his blessing for Dan with an expectation of God’s salvation.
Gad also receives a mixed prophecy, suffering loss but exacting retribution.
Asher receives a blessing for his food, indicating success with agriculture.
Naphtali is described as a free ranging deer, whose territory will be blessed.
Joseph is given the longest of all the prophecies, being blessed with fruitfulness and plenty, military might, and the blessing of preeminence and favor from his father.
Recall that his blessing extends to his sons, having received the double portion.
Benjamin, Israel’s last-born, receives another animal blessing - that of a wolf. This foresees the tribe’s military might, though it is small.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.
With his blessings delivered, Israel declares that he is about to die, and tells all his sons to bury him with his ancestors in Canaan. He then dies at the age of 147.
Though many of these prophecies given would not make sense at the time, all of them would be significant within the span of the 12 tribes of Israel.
God is faithful to fulfill all of His promises.
God is faithful to fulfill all of His promises.
Thus Israel establishes the tribes of the nation that God will make His chosen people. Not all of the prophecies are good, but they will be used in the history of the nation of Israel.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
God blesses people and circumstances to be a blessing to others.
God is faithful to fulfill all of His promises.
Next week, we will conclude the book of Genesis.