Genesis 48-50

 

February 2, 1997

Review:

We've been looking at the life of Joseph.

Sold by his brothers into slavery and then put into prison unjustly.

One day he suddenly rose to be the second highest authority in Egypt.

We saw how he kind of toyed with his brothers when they came down to Egypt to buy food during the famine.

Actually, he was testing them to see if they had really changed.

When he found out they had really changed, he revealed himself to them, and brought the entire family to Egypt, so he could take care of them during the rest of the famine.

Genesis 48

:1 Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons,

Jacob is getting kind of old, and news that he's sick makes Joseph wonder if he's going to die.

He wants his sons blessed by Jacob before he dies.

If this is at the end of Jacob's life, then Jacob is 147 years old, and Joseph would be about 56 years old.

:3 Luz

Bethel, where Jacob saw the ladder going up into heaven, with angels going up and down.

:5 Ephraim and Manasseh ... they shall be mine

What Joseph is doing is in a sense giving Joseph the double blessing of the firstborn son.

Instead of Reuben, the actual first son of wife Leah, Jacob gives the right of the firstborn to Joseph, the first son of wife Rachel.

(1 Chr 5:1 KJV) Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

The "birthright" of the firstborn son would be twice the inheritance of the other brothers.

If Ephraim and Manasseh become equal in the inheritance to the other sons of Jacob as Reuben and Simeon, then this gives Joseph twice the inheritance as the other tribes.

This is also why you rarely see the tribe of "Joseph" mentioned, instead you see Ephraim and Manasseh referred to.

:12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees,

If this is at the end of Jacob's life, these aren't just little boys, but they're at least 19 years old.

Jacob has been in Egypt 17 years, plus 2 years of famine before he came.

:13 Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand,

Joseph knows how these blessing things are done.

He's putting Manasseh, the oldest, under Jacob's right hand, the hand for the greater blessing.

Manasseh, the firstborn should get the greater blessing.

:14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head,

Jacob doesn't follow orders too well.

He crosses his hands, and places the right hand on Ephraim instead of Manasseh.

:15 he blessed Joseph,

The blessing is on the two sons of Joseph, but in covering the two sons, Joseph is blessed.

:18 Not so, my father:

Joseph is telling his dad that he's got it backward with the hands!

:19 but truly his younger brother shall be greater

This gives us an insight into the proper view of this kind of "blessing".

It's not so much a bestowal of spiritual blessings, as much as a prophetic announcement about what will come about.

There's irony in this as well.

Jacob himself was a "younger brother" who got a greater blessing.

But he got his through trickery and deceit.

I kind of wonder if Rebekah hadn't meddled with making Jacob trick Isaac in the blessing, if Isaac would have had the spiritual sense to bestow the proper blessing.

Rebekah didn't trust that Isaac could do it right, according to the prophecy she had received when the babies were in her womb.

She took matters into her own hands, and the result was hatred in the family, with Jacob running off to spend twenty years at uncle Laban's

Lesson:

Don't try for spiritual rewards with fleshly tricks.

I wonder if we get our hands into things a little bit too much.

I wonder if we try to help God out a bit too much.

(Gal 3:1-3 KJV) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? {2} This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? {3} Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

:21 Behold, I die: but God shall be with you,

Others may leave us, but God will never leave us.

:21 bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

These blessings aren't just for tomorrow or the next day, but far down the line, when the descendants of Israel will again go back to the promised land.

Genesis 49

:1 I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Again, these aren't so much blessings that Israel is giving to his sons, as much as they are prophecies that he sees for his sons and their descendants.

Note:

To some extent, some of these prophecies are in direct correlation to the actions and personalities of the sons of Israel.

In other words, their personalities will affect their descendants.

Lesson:

You have an effect on your kids.

Like it or not, our failures and successes will affect our children.

We are setting an example.

:3 the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Reuben certainly had some good qualities.

He was the one who was originally trying to protect Joseph from the other brothers. (GEN 37:20-22)

He was willing to exchange his own sons for the protection of Benjamin. (GEN 42:37)

:4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel;

Reuben had one little problem though, he lacked self-control.

He got involved sexually with his father's concubine (not porcupine) Bilhah. (GEN 35:22)

In contrast, remember what happened with Joseph:

(Gen 39:10-12 KJV) And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. {11} And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. {12} And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Even though it seems that Joseph's self-control backfired, and he ended up in prison, in the long run Joseph was promoted in a way because of his ability to be trustworthy, to have self-control.

Lesson:

You can't excel beyond your self-control.

We tell ourselves that we just can't control ourselves.

But if you'll pay attention to yourself, you'll realize that you can very much control yourself in the things you want to.

Do you have a problem getting yourself to eat? (I know, the problem is getting yourself to STOP eating!)

When that movie comes out that you've been waiting to see, is it difficult to get yourself to go see it?

How about just getting to church, you're here after all!

Paul wrote:

(1 Cor 9:24-27 KJV) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. {25} And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. {26} I therefore so run, not as

uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: {27} But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;

Simeon and Levi were the brothers who went through the city of Shechem, and killed all the inhabitants, after tricking them into all becoming circumcised. (Gen.34)

Lesson:

Anger is self-destructive.

We can see that Simeon and Levi's anger was destructive to the city of Shechem.

But it was also destructive to them, eventually causing them to be diminished and scattered through Israel.

We might feel justified over our anger at times, but in reality, the one we're hurting the most is ourself.

JAM 1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

PRO 14:29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

:7 I will divide them

The result of their anger is that they would be scattered.

This prophecy was fulfilled in the days of Joshua, when the tribes received their inheritance.

Simeon

Simeon was given lands inside those of Judah (Josh.19:1), they didn't have a separate area all to themselves like the other tribes.

They eventually dissolved into the tribe of Judah.

Levi

When entering the promised land, the Levites did not receive their own territory (Josh 13:14), but instead received several dozen cities scattered throughout the land (Josh 21)

But in a way, there is a kind of grace to Levi, because they became the priestly tribe, and their scattering among Israel was so that the priests would be scattered among the people.

:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:

There's a little play on words here, Judah means "praise".

Though Joseph would receive the birthright of a double portion, Judah would be the one who would rule in authority over the other brothers.

We see this explained in Chronicles:

(1 Chr 5:2 KJV) For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)

In order of birth, the first three brothers disqualified themselves.

Reuben with his immorality.

Simeon and Levi with their murder.

Judah is one to take authority.

:9 Judah is a lion's whelp ...

... strong as a young lion that has eaten his prey and secure as a mature lion whom no one would dare to rouse (v. 9). This prediction did not begin to be fulfilled until the time of King David, some 640 years after Jacob's prophecy.

:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah ... until Shiloh come

Shiloh come. Probably means "the one who brings (or, until he comes into that which belongs to) peace," referring to Messiah who would be of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5).

There would be some form of ruling government or elders in Judah over the nation until the time of the Messiah.

From David's reign until the Babylonian captivity, there were kings in Judah.

After the Babylonian captivity, there were a series of governors, elders, and the Sanhedrin, which ruled, until shortly after Jesus' time.

:11 Binding his foal unto the vine,

This is something you don't do with a herbivorous animal, unless there is so much prosperity, so much abundance that you don't really care.

This is all a picture of great prosperity, probably speaking of the millenial reign of Christ on earth.

:13 Zebulun


Would be enriched by sea-borne trade, though it didn't actually eventually border on the sea.


:14-15 Issachar


Like a strong donkey, Issachar would be forced to work for others. Their location just south of the sea of Galilee was so fertile, that they were often subject to invading armies.


:16-18 Dan


Dan = judge


Though Dan was to be a judge over the nation, instead it became a serpent, leading many astray.


The tribe of Dan was the first tribe to go entirely into idolatry in the promised land (Judg.18)

:19 Gad


Gad = to break into, to attack


Play on words, Gad will be attacked, but will attack back.


Gad was located on the east of the Jordan, often open to attacking armies.


:20 Asher


Fertile, productive, providing rich food. Located along the northern coast of Israel.


:21 Naphtali


Like a doe, it would be a free mountain people. They were located in the mountains north of Galilee.


:22 fruitful

Ephraim = fruitful, a play on words

:23 The archers have sorely grieved him,

It sounds as if Jacob found out how Joseph ended up in Egypt.

:26 the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

It sounds as if Joseph gets a great blessing from his father.

:27 Benjamin


Describes a violent tribe.


Judg.19-20 - they were almost wiped out because of the violence they displayed with the man's concubine, killing here, then defending the guilty parties.


:28 every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

Again, these are more prophecies than some kind of spiritual power or gift being given by Jacob.

I wonder if God would have us think about blessing and prophesying over our children?

Genesis 50

:3 forty days ... embalmed


forty days were required (= fulfilled) for embalming, an elaborate process during which the body was mummified by removing most of the vital organs, dehydrating the body, and wrapping it tightly.

:10 the threshingfloor of Atad,

the threshingfloor of Atad, E of the Jordan and N of the Dead Sea, a formal seven-day period of mourning was carried out.

:11 Abelmizraim,

"mourning of Egypt", because there were so many Egyptians involved in the mourning over Jacob.

:13 buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah,

The tombs of the patriarchs, in modern Hebron, the city newly given over to the Palestinians except for a small group of 400 brave Jews living in the area around the tomb.

:16 Thy father did command

If he did, why didn't he tell Joseph?

I think they're making this up.

:17 Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

He knows they're making up a story.

He's grieved to think that the brothers think he's holding some sort of grudge against them.

:19 am I in the place of God?

Lesson:

Holding a grudge is trying to do God's job for Him.

Ro 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

God will make things even in the end.

It's not your job.

People reading through Psalms often have a hard time with how David is calling down judgment on his enemies ("break their teeth ... shatter their bones ...")

But keep in mind, against David's greatest enemy (the one he's usually talking about), Saul, David never laid a finger on.

He always put it into God's hand, and that's what we read in the Psalms, David putting it into God's hands.

:20 ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good,

We see that the things Joseph had said earlier to his brothers weren't just words, he meant it.

He has really forgiven them.

Lesson:

Let it go and forgive.

Here's the real issue.

Are you going to hold a grudge and be bitter, or forgive and be better?

Illustration:

Chuck Swindoll reports that a seminary student in Chicago faced a similar forgiveness test. Although he preferred to work in some kind of ministry, the only job he could find was driving a bus on Chicago's south side. One day a gang of tough teens got on board and refused to pay the fare. After a few days of this, the seminarian spotted a policeman on the corner, stopped the bus and reported them. The officer made them pay, but then he got off. When the bus rounded a corner, the gang robbed the seminarian and beat him severely. He pressed charges and the gang was rounded up. They were found guilty. But as soon as the jail sentences were given the young Christian saw their spiritual need and felt pity for them. So he asked the judge if he could serve their sentences for them. The gang members and the judge were dumbfounded. "It's because I forgive you," he explained. His request was denied but he visited the young men in jail and led several of them to faith in Christ.

Lesson:

True maturity comes when we see God's plan.

Don't be quick to blame people for your misfortunes.

How do you know that God isn't trying to do something incredible in your life, like Joseph, and you're just back in chapter 40?

Let God turn your heartaches into victories.

Illustration:

Why does Ivory soap float? America's favorite soap floats due to an error in its original production -- too much air. In 1878, Harley Procter and James Gamble decided to create a new white soap that would rival the castile soaps made by their competitors. Their soap was a success, but in 1879 a worker accidentally allowed the soap solution to be overmixed. The new version of the soap was an immediate success because it bobbed to the surface of the water.That's the way

it is sometimes with our mistakes. God turns them into something good.

:22 Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

Another of those chronological markers.

:25 God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

This is prophetic.

Keep this in mind, God is going to visit them, and they will take Joseph's bones to Canaan.

:26 they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Joseph is embalmed like his father, but he is kept in Egypt, until the day comes that Israel leaves for the promised land.