Joseph & Family Sojourn in Egypt

Transcript

GRS 2-13
2/27/2010
Joseph & Family Sojourn in Egypt
Genesis 46-50
Gil Rugh

We are going to the book of Genesis in your Bibles and the 46th chapter and we are going to looking at the closing chapters of the book of Genesis in our study together as we have surveyed this book to get an overview of its contents and found it is foundational to everything through all the rest of scripture. If we did not have the book of Genesis in our Bibles, it would be almost impossible to comprehend most of the rest of scripture. The matters of creation have been unfolded in the opening chapters along with the matter of the fall in the sin, the judgment of the flood in the days of Noah, the dividing of the world into nationalities, races, differing languages, the selecting of Abraham and his descendants to be the nation in which God will focus his salvation purposes. We have seen how many of the other nations came into existence as well.

Beginning in chapter of 12 of Genesis the concern of the Bible from Genesis chapter 12 all the way through the rest of the Old Testament as well as the first four books of the New Testament, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are about God’s program with the nation Israel. We will see a resumption of that program and after he completes the program that is now in operation with the Church and much of the book of Revelation. From Revelation chapter 6 onwards deals with God completing that program with Israel in bringing about their salvation. Closing chapters of Genesis are about God’s dealing with Jacob and his family. Jacob is the father of the twelve patriarchs, the twelve fathers. The twelve sons of Jacob become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel though the whole development of the nation comes out of them.

Genesis chapter 15 and verse 13, God told Abraham that his descendants would spend time in Egypt and for 400 hundred years they would be in Egypt; Genesis 15:13, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs where they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 hundred years” and the realization of that prophecy is now to come about. Joseph is in Egypt you remember having been sold in the slavery by his own brothers, but that was all part of the plan of God to establish Joseph in a position of leadership in the land of Egypt second only to Pharaoh and then in God’s providence he brought about a famine throughout the land of Egypt, the land of Canan and surrounding areas. The result being that Joseph’s brothers come down seeking grain and you are familiar with the story as we have gone over it. Joseph ultimately reveals himself to his brothers and they are sent home to bring their father Jacob and their families down to Egypt where Joseph is because the famine is going to go on for years. Now there is no indication that they knew they were going to spend 400 years here. They may have been familiar and known what was promised to Abraham how much they were able to put together of that at this point we are not sure. We are sure they will see that when they are coming down into Egypt. When Jacob is here he is confident the God’s plans for them focus in the land of Canaan. Joseph has the same confidence when it comes for him to die, you might think that they may think that God has moved them to Egypt they are in a fertile part of Egypt that this probably what God has forced but there is clarity. God’s plan for the descendants of Abraham focuses in Canaan in Palestine, not in Egypt. So we see clarity on that subject

Chapter 46 opens up with Jacob and his family now coming down to see Joseph in Egypt. Moved to Egypt is in the first 7 verses. Israel set out with all that he had, remember Israel was the other name for Jacob and he came to Beersheba and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said “Jacob, Jacob” and he said “Here I am.” He said “I am God, the God of your father, do not be afraid to go down to Egypt for I will make you a great nation there, I will go down with you to Egypt, I will also surely bring you up again and Joseph will close your eyes.” Jacob begins his journey down, he stops at Beersheba and both Abraham and Isaac had worshipped at Beersheba and so Jacob follows in their pattern, Abraham in chapter 21 verse 33 and Isaac in chapter 26 verse 25, they had worshipped there built alters there. You know earlier God had told Isaac the father of Jacob not to go to Egypt back in chapter 26 of Genesis and verse 2, “The Lord appeared to him and said “Do not go down to Egypt, stay in the land of which I shall tell you, sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for you to and your descendants I will give all these lands and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. Isaac is told by God not to go to Egypt the land that is promised to him is Palestine he should stay there, but God’s plans for Jacob are different and it is God’s will for Jacob to go to Egypt and that is confirmed here when God tells him don’t be afraid to go to Egypt and he may have had doubts, his father may have shared with him God’s instructions, the revelation he revealed to Isaac, he may have told him how God made clear he was to stay in the land. It could have been a shaky situation in Jacob’s mind. God confirms it, he is to go down to Egypt with confidence and God tells him I will bring you up again; you are going to die in Egypt and Joseph will close your eyes but you will be coming back, it will be 400 years before the family is brought back. Jacob will be brought back to be buried, but his descendants will remain there for 400 years.

Verses 8 and following talk about those who came down into Egypt with Jacob and they are listed, the verse 8, these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons who went to Egypt. I mean Reuben his firstborn and then he talks about the children of Reuben and on we go through the different sons, you come down to verse 26, all the persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt his direct descendant not including the wives of Jacobs sons were 66 persons in all: So 66 actual descendants of Jacob. There is total of 70 altogether because you have Jacob himself, you have Joseph who is already there and you have Joseph’s two sons who are counted and they are in the line here and receive special blessings. So, you have 66 of the direct descendants of Jacob plus the extended family and then you have Jacob himself a 67 and Joseph and his two sons who are already in Egypt to make a total of 70. Jacob and his direct descendants who come down into Egypt and the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two, and all the persons of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were 70. Seventy people go down into Egypt, 400 years later when they come out of Egypt there will be a nation of approximately of 2 million people. So those 400 years are the time when God will build them into a great nation, the end of verse 3 in chapter of 46, “I will make you a great nation there.” Remarkable in the plan of God, remember the difficulties that beset the family in Canaan we saw in Genesis 38, a very unpleasant moral situation. God is going to take this family down into Egypt and isolate them. You think they might intermingle in marrying and get absorbed into Egypt, I mean their going down into Egypt that is a great power and has been for some time, .by this time. You will take a family down there, you would think just over a time there will be assimilated and lose any identity, but God’s plan were just the opposite. He is taking them down there where they will be isolated. If they stayed in Canaan , we saw about Judah, part of the problem they begin to marry Canaanite women, the danger of mixing here in the loss of identity, down in Egypt that won’t happen. There the nation will be established and built.

There is a great reunion here in verse 28 and following. He sent Judah before him to Joseph to tell them how to go to Goshen. Joseph prepared his chariot, went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel and they have a great reunion. Joseph who is now 39, he has not seen his father since he was 17, all these years Jacob thought Joseph was dead, now 22 years later they are reunited, it’s a great time. Joseph gives them instructions and you see how God’s plan works. There will be an audience with Pharaoh because remember Joseph is the second most powerful man under Pharaoh. So some of Joseph’s family will have an audience with Pharaoh and so Joseph says I’ll go tell Pharaoh that you have arrived. I’ll tell them that my family are shepherds, they brought their flocks, verse 33, when Pharaoh calls you. Joseph is aware of the procedure. I will go and tell Pharaoh and then Pharaoh will call for you to come and have an audience with him and when he says to you “What is your occupation? you shall say your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers, that you may live in the land of Goshen. For every shepherd is loathsome and abomination to the Egyptians,” Isn’t interesting. The Egyptians despise the shepherds they didn’t intermingle with them and so Joseph says tell him you’re shepherds and the land of Goshen will be perfect for you because that is good fertile land and it also has its own entity because the Egyptians won’t want you living with them anyway, isn’t amazing the plan of God, send his people down there and by their occupation they are loathsome and abomination to the Egyptians, they don’t want to mix with them and so here they have their isolation in Goshen where they can now grow and multiply and become a great nation.

Chapter 47, you have Joseph and Jacob in Egypt, the first 12 verses you have Jacob meeting with Pharaoh. Joseph went in and told Pharoah and said my father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan, and behold they are in the land of Goshen. He took five men from his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh and Pharaoh according to what Joseph has said Pharaoh says “What is your occupation? They said to Pharaoh your servants are shepherds, we and our fathers. They tell him why they have come that they ask for Pharaoh’s pleasure in allowing them to live in the land of Goshen. Verse 5, Pharaoh said to Joseph “Your father and brothers have come to you, the land of the Egypt is at your disposal, settle your father and brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen and you know any capable men among them then put them in charge of my livestock.” Then Joseph brought his father Jacob, presented him to Pharaoh and Jacob blessed Pharaoh and you remember Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 7, “Without any dispute the lesser is blessed of the greater.” Here is Jacob an old man, Oh with his family he keeps livestock in the land of Canaan, here he is standing in the presence of one of the most powerful rulers on earth, the Pharaoh of Egypt and Jacob blesses Pharaoh because who is the greater here, of course Jacob is, he is the chosen of God. Pharaoh doesn’t compare to him in importance and stature. We know of Jacob if you go back into the history book, you can find the name of the Pharaoh, but there is probably no one here unless you just happened to read it in preparation for tonight who could say who the Pharaoh was right and if he did know his name, you probably don’t know anything about him, just a second I will have to back and dig that out, but Jacob the name Israel turn on the news you will hear the name Israel because his descendants are still there. Jacob blessed Pharaoh and Pharaoh asked him “How old are you? How many years have you lived.” Jacob said to Pharaoh, the years of my sojourning are 130, he has 17 years to live, he would live to be a 147, we will see that at the end of the chapter. Few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, that doesn’t sound like a very good testimony does it. I have had a relatively short and miserable life, nor have they attained the years my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning. I am only a 130, I mean I haven’t lived years as long as my father and grandfather lived, I’ve had a difficult life. Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from Pharaoh’s presence. So, Joseph settles his family in the best of the land in the land of Goshen and of course that is fitting I mean the second most powerful person in the land, his family is come, and Pharaoh is delighted. Joseph provided his father and his brothers in verse 12 and all his father’s household with food and that everything they need. God had provided through Joseph for the land.

Down to verse 20 and which you have going on up to verse 20 is the report of the famine that is going on in the land. What happens as the people run of money and still need more food because the famine is dragging on. Joseph says well “You bring your livestock and I will trade you food for your livestock.” So all the animals of the people of Egypt now belong to Pharaoh, interesting to see the man of God Joseph being used of God to solidify the power of Pharaoh in Egypt and his role as a ruler, secular authority here. Down in verse 20, Joseph brought all the land in the Egypt for Pharaoh, that’s is the follow-up. They bring their first of all to buy food from Joseph and when that food runs out they will use their money so they bring their livestock to Joseph and he gives them food. Now they have used up their livestock, verse 19, they come to Joseph and ask him why should we die before your eyes both we and our land, buy us and our land for food and we and our land will be to slave to Pharaoh.

In the ancient world, it was understood that a person would pay their own way as long as they had anything and that included as a last resort selling themselves into slavery. We think we have hard times today and you know taxation isn’t fair and we don’t get enough for our work, but in the ancient world it was a matter of your honor that they don’t come here saying we deserve something, they come here and say Oh you are doing us a favor. All our money was used up to buy food, but then you did us the favor of taking our livestock, but now our livestock is used up, we were going to die. So, Joseph comes up with a further plan and so verse 20, Joseph borrow the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field because the famine was severe thus the land became Pharaoh’s, isn’t it strange. In our way of thinking, in our dramatic lifestyles that here Joseph is working just the opposite taking all the land of Egypt, he has taken all their processions, their money, their animals, now all the land that they own will no longer be privately held. It’s all going to be Pharaoh you know what, they all become direct servants of Pharaoh and then Joseph is going to be kind to them by leasing it back to them and their pay will be there will get to keep 80 percent of what they produce and 20 percent of they produce will belong to Pharaoh. So which there was 20 percent tagged, but it is just the opposite, they are getting paid 80 percent of what they produce because remember they are no longer working their own land, they are working Pharaoh’s land. They had to trade their land for food. Then so the land that used to be their farms, they used to belong to them now belong to Pharaoh. The Pharaoh needs someone to work the land, so your pay will be 80 percent and 20 percent of it comes to Pharaoh. So, when it is all said and done the result of the famine in Joseph’s leadership, everything in Egypt now is under the control of Pharaoh, interesting how Joseph has been used and the decisions he makes and the people are very grateful. Then verse 21, he moved them from the land to the cities. So, he really moves them off of their land and focuses them in cities and they will go out from the cities and work the land, perhaps part of the reminder that the land was no longer theirs because if they continued to live on it, once the famine is gone they begin to think oh this is our land, I live here, I have lived here, my ancestors have lived here, but no they no longer live there, then they moved to cities. That is no longer home and Joseph can do it because he represents Pharaoh. So these people want to move off their land, it doesn’t matter, they just sold their land to Pharaoh remember that is not their land anymore. You sold the farm, you got to move, you come into the city, but again there is no rebellion here because remember thinking as long as you have anything including your own liberty, you would sell that to fulfill your obligations. It wasn’t the idea that the government was supposed to take care of you in Egypt and so Joseph is acting according to the plan of the time.

In verse 23, Joseph said to the people, behold I have today buy you and your land for Pharaoh, you and your land. Here is seed for you, you may sow the land. At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, 4/5th shall be for your own seed of the field for your little ones and those of your household. 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 it a statute concerning the land of the Egypt valid to this day. Remember Moses is the one who set down first five books of the Bible in the writing, the Torah, that’s going to be several hundred years later, this is still valid that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the priests were able to maintain their own land. The only ones now with their own private property in Egypt are the priestly class and because they are excluded from Joseph’s regulations here.

Verse 27, I am not saying his good or bad, I am just want you to see the difference here. When I study Genesis, I am always amazed that Joseph could become the instrument here to remove all the land from private holdings in Egypt into the hands of Pharaoh and to keep in mind it’s not going to be this Pharaoh but down the road the Pharaoh’s have so oppressed Israel, made life so miserable, but keep in mind the Pharaoh’s will have now absolute power, you don’t own anything, you don’t have anything, you are working Pharaoh’s land and if you were unable to do that how would you feed your family. So we have now the total rule of Pharaoh. Verse 27, and these closing verses here, Joseph gives a promise to his father now Israel lived in the land of Egypt in Goshen. They acquired property in it, they were fruitful and became very numerous. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years. So the length of Jacob’s life was 147 years. He met with Pharaoh in verse 9 when he was 130, and 17 years later its time for him to die. So, when the time came for Israel to die, he knows he is getting near the end of his life, he called for Joseph verse 29, said, “Please if I found favor in your sight place your hand under my thigh, deal with me in kindness and faithfulness, please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers you shall carry me out of the Egypt then bury me in their burial place.” He said “I will do as you have said.” He said “Swear to me.” He swore to him, then Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed. You know Jacob is absolutely confident in the promises of God. I note all Jacob has is the promises of God and in with famine in the land, with their situation in the land, their buying land the land of Goshen, Joseph’s settled position even I think it would be easy for him to begin to think he has settled down here and this is the better life than Canaan anyway, the promises of God overrule everything. In fact, he is so convinced to those promises, he doesn’t even want his body buried in Egypt. Joseph has to promise that when he dies, he will take him back to Canaan and bury him in their land there and in the burial plot there as we will see.

Chapter 48, Jacob is going to bless Joseph’s sons and then in chapter 49, he will bless all of his own sons. After these things, Joseph was told behold your father is sick, so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. It was told Jacob, your son Joseph is come to you, Israel collected his strength, sat up in bed. Bedridden here now, but he gets himself together and gathers his strength, sits up in bed for the audience with Joseph and his sons. Verse 3, then Jacob said to Joseph “God almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, He said to me behold I will make you fruitful and numerous, I will make you a company of people, will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possessions, now your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine as Reuben and Simeon are,” great chapter. Back to book of Hebrews selects the events of this chapter to mark Jacob out as a man of great faith, Hebrews 11:21, and what he is going to do here when he says in verse 5, your two sons are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh are mine as Reuben and Simeon are, what he is going to do is elevate them and he is going to give his blessings to Joseph’s two sons. So that, instead of just one portion for Joseph, there is a double portion. So, in effect, Joseph gets the blessing of the firstborn; he is not the firstborn, Reuben is, but here he is going to be elevated in further explanations will be given, but it is because of Reuben’s sin in sleeping with his father’s concubine now Jacob in effect elevates Joseph to the position of firstborn, he will get a double possession. I am going to treat Manasseh and Ephraim just like I treat Reuben and Simeon as though they were mine own sons. So, they are each going to get a portion from me. So in effect Joseph is getting a double portion, that’s the point being made.

Look over in first Chronicles. We usually don’t go to many passages outside for time. We go to first Chronicles, chapter 5 and sometimes it is good to turn keep you from getting too drowsy. First Chronicles, chapter 5 and verse 1, a reference to these events. First Chronicles 5:1, now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel. So that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright, even though his firstborn is not enrolled as the firstborn, Joseph gets that. Though Judah prevailed over his brothers and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph. The clarification here, Judah is going to have the elevated position, the leader of Israel will come through Judah, but the birthright is given to Joseph in the double portion being bestowed upon him, so the Chronicler refers to this as well.

Come back then to chapter 48 and the blessings given and interesting what happens here. Joseph brings his two sons over and by this time, Jacob’s eyes, you know they couldn’t deal with cataracts and those kind of things in those days, so it was common in olden years that people lost both of their sight if not all of it and keep in mind we have a man here now who is about an 147 years old. So, his eyes are gone, verse 8 that explains a question when Israel saw Joseph’s sons he said who are these. I mean he may be able see shadows, things like that, but he doesn’t know he can’t recognize anyone any longer. Joseph said to his father these are my sons whom God has given me. Jacob said bring them here to me, that I may bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim from age, so he couldn’t see. Joseph brings them near to him. He kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, I never expected to see your face, now here I am seeing your kids. Joseph took them from his knees and bowed with his face to the ground. Joseph took them both and this is recognized as remember a consistent pattern that in occasions this passing on of the blessing from the father to the son and of this case the grandsons is viewed as tremendously significant and binding. Recognition that God was revealing what he would do in this. Joseph took them, Ephraim with his hand, toward Israel’s left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right because he wants his father’s right hand to be on the head of his older son because that’s where the main blessing will come and the older should get the prime blessing and left hand on the other. What Jacob does is, he crosses hands and put his right hand on the younger son, which means he will give the prime blessing, he will supersede his older brother, puts his left hand on the younger son.

Verse 14, Israel stretched out his right hand, laid it on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on Manasseh’s head crossing his hands although Manasseh was the firstborn. He blessed Joseph in blessing his sons, his hands are on the heads of Joseph’s sons. Now, remember this is blessing for Joseph, he is getting the double portion from each of his sons. He blessed Joseph and said “The God, before whom my father’s Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angle who has redeemed me from all evil bless the lads and may the my name live on in them, the names of my father’s Abraham and Isaac, may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Now, here is Jacob giving the blessing and Joseph realizes with his right hand on his younger son’s head, he is going to be getting the prime blessing. Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head and it displeased him. He grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so my father, this one is the firstborn, place your right hand on his head.” His father refused and said I know my son, I know; he will also become a people, he will be great, however, his younger brother will be greater than he, his descendants shall become a multitude of nations. He blessed them that day, saying, by you Israel will pronounce blessing saying “May God make like Ephraim and Manasseh,” then he put Ephraim before Manasseh and Israel said to Joseph “Behold I am about to die, but God will be with you, bring you back to the land of your fathers, I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.” So here is that reminder I am giving you an extra portion. What would have been Reuben the firstborn, I give to you the double portion of the firstborn.

Four consecutive generations, God selects the younger over the older, it is an interesting pattern. Isaac was selected over Ishmael, but Ishmael was born first to Abraham. Jacob is selected over Esau even though Esau was born first. Joseph was selected over Reuben although Reuben is the firstborn and Ephraim is selected over Manasseh even though Manasseh is the firstborn. Some of these we see reasons for the choice, others we don’t. Isaac over Ishmael, we say well I understand that because the son of promise had become from Abraham and his wife, so Ishmael wasn’t born to the right mother, but Jacob over Esau why? The Jacob I have loved, then Esau I have hated. They said that before either were born. Joseph over Reuben, well there is a reason for that, Reuben sinned, but Ephraim over Manasseh why? There is not any indication here that Manasseh done anything wrong. So, you see sometimes we see a human reason that we could understand, sometimes there is no human reason we can see, its just the sovereign purpose of God to do it that way and we are reminded that He is potter, we are the clay and the potter has the right to do with the clay as he determines to do. In later years, Ephraim will become the key tribe in the northern part of the kingdom much superior, much greater than the tribe of Manasseh. So Jacob’s blessing will come about. Ephraim will supersede Manasseh, will be much more dominant, much more important and of coming days.

Chapter 49, Jacob blesses his sons, now the whole family is gathered together. Joseph has come in with his sons for a special audience and there the right of firstborn is bestowed on Joseph. But now, Jacob summons his sons “Assemble yourselves that may tell you what will befall you in the days to come, gather together and hear ye sons of Jacob and listen to Israel your father,” and what he is going to do now is walk through each of his children and he is going speak to them about the future and some it refers to events that will take place in the land of Canaan after they come out of their bondage in Egypt, some of what would be carried even to the end to Messianic times, but all of it is a long way, we are going to have them, we have to do is as close as 400 plus years away, but some of it will be thousands of years away awaiting fulfillment. We are about 1800 years before Christ, so we are close to 4000 years and Messianic Kingdom hasn’t been set up yet. Some of the things that are said here will yet be fulfilled, some of these things we realize when Israel took possession of the land after having come out of Egypt, we are not going to go through all the details, but make some comments on these as Jacob gives his blessing and again the blessing is given by God through Jacob. Jacob becomes the spokesman of God because what he had to say here regarding the destiny of these sons and their future descendants, let’s face it. When I go # of Egypt, we are going to be 400 plus years removed from what’s going to be pronounced here. So, we were being told of God’s working not only in them directly, but then down through their descendants

He starts with Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning of my strength, preeminent in dignity, preeminent in power, uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father’s bed, you defiled it, you went up to my couch. So, Reuben you are a man of great promise, but dignity and power you squandered it, uncontrolled as water you wasted it and your emotions were unstable like water back and forth. So, he loses the blessings and characteristic down through of what will be true of him. Simeon and Levi are put together because they acted together as their swords are instruments of violence back in chapter 34, remember to avenge the rape of their sister, they had the Shechemite men circumcised and then they removed their swords and slaughtered them. So, their swords are instruments of violence. We might say “Well they had a right to do that.” They did not have the right to usurp their father’s role and authority, so they went behind their father’s back and acted. “Let my soul, not enter into their counsel, let not my Glory be united with their assembly, in their anger they slew men and in their self-will, they lamed oxen, cursed be their anger for it is fierce, their wrath for it was cruel, I would disperse him in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. Simeon, the tribe of Simeon really disintegrated, its scattered among Judah. Levi, they will become aggressive tribe and they won’t get anything as far their own possession, they will get 48 cities scattered throughout the other tribes. I will disperse them in Jacob, scatter them in Israel. Now, these kind of thing which say “Boy here is dad on his deathbed and that’s all he has got to say to me, couldn’t be a lot of warmer, couldn’t there be a lot of more expression of love, it sounds like Jacob needed some of the classes in books that we have today on how men need to show their little more love and affection and here your dad’s is on his deathbed and you walk in and this is all he has to say “Let my soul not enter their counsel, let not my glory be united with their assembly, cursed be their anger, cursed be their wrath, its cruel, I will disperse in Jacob, scatter them in Israel.” He is speaking as God’s mouthpiece and it happened to Simeon, just gets disintegrates and scattered throughout Judah that clear identify and we were familiar with Levi the priestly tribe, they don’t even get possessions in land.

Judah, the most important of all the sons because of the role the descendants of Judah will play, the messiah will come from the line of Judah, verse 8, your brother shall praise you, your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons shall bow down to you. Now the only ones whose blessings come close to this are the blessings on Joseph, the long distance view Judah is the dominant. Ephraim and Manasseh will not compare with Judah in its importance and significance. Judah will be the tribe of the ruler and he stresses this in verses 9 and 10 that he with their sons were all bow down to him and his power is like a lion, you don’t want to arouse him up. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes, to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The word Shiloh probably means him to whom it belongs. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor r ruler’s staff from between his feet until the one to whom it belongs comes, to be shall be the obedience of the peoples. So it was recognized down through Israel’s history that the ultimate ruler comes in the line of Judah. Messiah is of the tribe of Judah. So, here you have a prophecy that carries beyond and has not yet received its realization even as yet. Verses 11 and 12, speak of the abundance and prosperity that will characterize the one who will come in verse 10. It’s a description of messianic days, verses 11 and 12 and prosperity of those days. Passages like Isaiah chapter 11, verses 1 to 9; Isaiah chapter 65 verses 21 to 25 speak of the overwhelming abundance and prosperity of the Messianic Kingdom and that’s where we carried to. Here, remarkable that Jacob is the spokesman of God on this occasion.

Zebulon, verse 13, we won’t say anything. Issachar; Dan in verses 16 to 18 would be a judge of his people and Samson the judge will come from the tribe of Dan and he ruled as a judge over Israel for 20 years in Judges 13, but he didn’t live up to his potential either. He chose treachery, was like a snake in the analogy. Here Dan shall be a serpent in the way that bites the horse’s heels and so he likes that strong moral commitment and in the time of the judges when we get to chapter 18, the first major practice of idolatry comes out of the tribe of Dan. We don’t have to go on any sidetracks, but it is interesting in Revelation chapters 7, verses 5 to 8, the tribe of Dan is not listed among the twelve tribes of Israel. There is a lot of discussion about that, but Dan has something of a prominence here and character revealed.

Gad in verse 19, Asher verse 20, and Naphtali verse 21. Joseph in verse 22 pictured here with growth and prosperity that’s already seen in Joseph in all the way God has used him and would be true particularly of Ephraim in coming days. The blessings are given to Benjamin at the close down there in verse 27, he is compared to a wolf because however Benjamin in its future history will be a war tribe, violent, war-like people. The Judge Ehud came from the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 3. King Saul comes from the tribe of Benjamin, Jonathan Saul’s son, and the apostle Paul the little New Testament warrior comes from the tribe of Benjamin.

Verses 28 to 33, the death of Jacob and again Jacob makes clear here, he is not to be buried in Egypt, but take him back to Canaan. He wants to be buried in the family burial cave in the field of Machpelah in verse 30, the one that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite verse 30. There they buried Abraham, his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca, there I buried Leah. So, when he finished, he draws up his feet into his bed, is done and he breathes his last.

Chapter 50, you have the procedure for Joseph honoring his father’s request. Jacob is embalmed according to the customs of the Egyptians, verse 3 and 4, there were 40 days required for the process of embalming, a process that is still enthralls and intrigues people today. We see programs periodically on certain channels on TV and they are analyzing the mummies and talking about how they think the embalming process took place and # preservation of some of the mummies and so on. Then there was a period of 70 days of mourning over Jacob that was indicating greatly honored because when you mourn for the death of a Pharaoh it was only 72 days that tells you something of the role of Joseph and the honor given to his father because of the position Joseph has in the land that the period of mourning observed for him was just a little bit beneath the period they would have mourned for a Pharaoh. Verse 7, Joseph takes the body of his father with his servants and so on and they journey in this great entourage this funeral entourage back to Canaan so that even the people when they observe this in verse 11, the inhabitants, the Canaanites of the land, it is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians, they recognize there will be a great person here must have died for this kind of service and entourage with these important people making their way back here to Canaan. That’s Joseph’s first trip back to Canaan in 39 years to bury his father. Now, you can imagine what his brothers are thinking “Dad is dead, now what’s Joseph is going to do, maybe he just treated us kindly until the dad passed away.” So, they are afraid, verse 15, what if Joseph bears a grudge against us, pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him. So what did they think they will do, ask for Joseph’s mercy, no they will tell a lie. They sent a messenger to Joseph saying your father charged before he died saying thus you shall to Joseph please forgive I beg you the transgression of your brothers and their sin. They did you wrong, now please forgive the transgressions of the servants of the God of your father. I mean Joseph breaks down in tears over this that they would resort to this kind of thing again. They tried to say, we want to tell you what our father asked us to ask you. Jacob had an audience with Joseph in his closing days, he could have spoken this to Joseph, but the brothers are looking to resort to their own methods. Joseph’s response is crucial, verse 20, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in ordered to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive. It is a question to them, the first part of it was “Am I in God’s place, I wouldn’t attempt.” May be you deserve punishment, maybe you don’t, but that’s up to God, that’s not up to me. I will leave those matters with God and I see God’s hand on me whatever you intended, whatever your mottos. I know what God was doing in my life, God meant it good for me. All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose even when you can’t say it and so it is. Don’t’ be afraid, I will provide for you. Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Joseph lived a 110 years. He didn’t live near as long as his father. His father lived to be a 147 # is going down in age and 110 is still a good old age. Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you, bring you up from this land to the land, which he promised on an oath to Abraham. Nothing has changed. Joseph is absolutely sure that there future is not Egypt. Joseph made the sons of Israel swear saying God will surely take care of you and shall carry my bones up from here. Joseph died at the age of 110 years. He was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Hebrews 11:22, lists Joseph as one of the heroes of the faith because of what he expressed here, take my bones with you when you leave Egypt. I mean how can you be sure, look at they are settled here. The family is settled down here, we have had children, our children have had children, what makes you think anybody is going to leave. Joseph doesn’t require them to take his body out now like they took Jacob’s out, but he does say when you leave Egypt don’t leave me behind, you gather up my body and you take it with you and bury me in the land and his great unshakable faith in the promises of God. God would do what he has promised. Many have noted the book of Genesis began with a beautiful Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve living in such splendor and it ends with Joseph in a tomb in Egypt, but the purposes and plans of God are unfolding, it is His hand at work and children of Israel are in Egypt for the purpose of God. The book of Exodus will open up hundreds of years later and telling us what is taking place and God will be prepared to fulfill His promise and to bring His people back to the land that he told them was theirs.

Let’s pray to God. Thank you Lord that you are faithful to your word. You are the God who cannot lie, your promises are settled and sure. Thank you for the testimony of men like Jacob and Joseph who had nothing but your promises and yet they believed them completely. Lord, we have so much more. We have your promises confirmed by the full revelation of your word. We have the evidence even as we have considered the portion of it in the book of Genesis. Lord, we hold on to the promises, we are comforted by them. In the lowest of times and the most difficult of times, we know your hand is at work, your purposes for our good are being accomplished. We rejoice to know as even as Joseph testified that you would honor your promises to bring them to Canaan. You will honor your promises to us as your people. Someday, we will be brought into the glory of your presence, the passing of time is not in anyway diminish the surety of the promise and our hearts are blessed to be secure in all you promise for us. We praise in Christ’s Name. Amen.