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Chapter
46 records Jacob's trip to Beersheva, where his
grandfather Abraham had lived for a time. His
father Isaac also lived there, and dug a well
there, and built an altar there, and called on
the name of the Lord. While there, Jacob offered
sacrifices, which enabled him to draw nearer to
the Living God. And God did draw nearer to Jacob.
God spoke to him in visions during the night,
and revealed Himself to Jacob as El - The Strongest
One, the Mightiest One. God assured Israel that
it was right for him to leave the Promised Land
and go to Egypt. The Jewish people would live
in Egypt for a time, and during that time the
Mightiest One would increase them from a small
group into a great nation. As for Jacob, he would
go down to Egypt, but he himself would also return
to the Land of Israel. The word of the Lord is
true. Jacob did go to Egypt, where he died, but
he did return to the Promised Land, where he was
buried.
Jacob
and his entire family, including his sons and
grandsons, daughters and granddaughters, went
to Egypt. Counting only Jacob's sons and grandsons,
the number, including Joseph and his two sons,
amounted to seventy.
They came
to Goshen, which was in the northern part of Egypt.
Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, went to meet
his father. After being separated for many years,
they had a tearful and joyous reunion. They were
so overcome with emotion that they couldn't speak
for a while. Jacob felt so happy and so fulfilled,
that he expressed the sentiment that he had nothing
else left to live for.
Next,
Joseph went to Pharaoh to make arrangements for
his family. He counseled them to tell the King
of Egypt that they raised livestock. Since the
Egyptians despised shepherding, they would be
allowed to remain in the rich land of Goshen -
perhaps somewhat distant from the capital.
Joseph
took five of his brothers, and with them came
before Pharaoh. Rabbi Hertz observes that this
was a crucial test of Joseph's character. For
the Prime Minister of Egypt to acknowledge as
his own brothers these rude Canaanite shepherds,
who had also given him every reason for repudiating
them, called for the highest loyalty and devotion.
Many people have started from humble beginnings,
and then risen to positions of eminence, and then
have failed to pay the debt which they owe to
their own humble relatives who have helped them
to succeed. But not Joseph. He showed a nobility
of character rarely equaled (C.F. Kent, quoted
in Hertz).
Because
of Pharaoh's love for Joseph, and the gratitude
he felt to him, the king of Egypt treated Joseph's
family very well. He put the land of Egypt at
their disposal, and offered to allow them to live
in the very best part of the country. He also
offered to appoint them as royal officials in
charge of the king's herds!
Joseph
also introduce his father Jacob to Pharaoh. Aged
Jacob must have been grateful to the king of Israel,
for the goodness he had shown to Joseph, and the
kindness he had just shown to Jacob's family,
and so Jacob blessed Pharaoh. He prayed that the
God of Israel would do good things to the king.
Pharaoh
asked Jacob his age, and he responded, "my journey
through life has lasted 130 years," replied Jacob.
"The days of my life have been few and hard. I
did not live as long as my fathers lived during
their pilgrimage through life" (The Living Torah,
Kaplan). "Jacob, who was 130 when he appeared
before Pharaoh and 147 when he died, did not attain
the longevity of Abraham (175) or of Isaac (180)
[Ryrie].
Verse
13 tells us that the famine at this point was
very severe through Egypt and Canaan. The people
ran out of food, and had to spend all their money
to buy the food they need to survive from Pharaoh.
This enabled Joseph to collect virtually all of
the money in Egypt and Canaan, making the king
of Egypt exceedingly wealthy!
When the
food that the money bought ran out, the Egyptians
sold their livestock to Joseph for more food,
so Pharaoh wound up owning all the livestock of
Egypt, increasing his already great wealth. When
that food was used up, the following year the
people sold themselves and their land to Joseph,
so Pharaoh owned all the land and the people of
Egypt, except for the land of the priests. They
didn't need to sell their land for food because
they had a food allowance from the king. Pharaoh
had to be the wealthiest man on Earth, in part
because he blessed Joseph, and Jacob and his family,
and listened to God's holy people!
Because
the king of Egypt now owned virtually all of Egypt,
and everyone and everything in it, the people
of Egypt were more like tenants or sharecroppers
than free men. As tenants, they were required
to give the king 20 percent of the crops. That
20 percent requirement then became a law in Egypt
which lasted hundreds of years.
Meanwhile,
the Jewish people who were living in rich Goshen
prospered and increased. Jacob lived in Egypt
for another 17 years. When it came time for Jacob
to die, he made Joseph swear that he would not
be buried in Egypt, but in Canaan, in the burial
place of Abraham and Isaac in Chevron. He knew
that God would fulfill His promise to give Israel's
descendants the land of Canaan, and he wanted
to participate in that promise, even if he was
dead. He also wanted his children to understand
that their visit to Egypt was a temporary one,
and that eventually, the Almighty would bring
them back to the Land that was promised to them.
Chapter
48 continues with the final events of Jacob's
glorious life. "In this concluding Sedra of Genesis,
we see the sunset of Jacob's career. We behold
this storm-tossed soul on his death-bed, blessing
his children. He is not afraid to die: ‘I will
sleep with my fathers,' he says. He is at peace
with God. ‘I wait for Your salvation O Lord,'
are among the last words he utters. He knows that
he can never travel beyond God's care. He is at
peace with man. Esau, Dinah, Joseph - what a world
of strife and suffering and anguish did each of
these tragedies bring him - and yet he dies blessing"
(Hertz).
Joseph
was told that his father was sick, and he wanted
to have his father bless his children before he
died. So, he brought them to Israel. Jacob placed
them between his knees, a symbol of birth and
adoption, and claimed Ephraim and Menashe, adopting
them as his own, thereby conferring the rights
of full heirs to each of them. By doing this,
Jacob was given Joseph a double portion of his
inheritance, and conferring the right of the firstborn
to him.
Not only
would Reuben, the eldest, be bypassed, and not
receive the rights of the firstborn, but likewise
God chose Ephraim, the younger, ahead of Menashe,
the elder, just as He chose Isaac over Ishmael,
and Jacob over Esau. Jacob blessed them by placing
his right hand on the head of Ephraim the younger,
and his left hand on the head of Menashe the elder.
By putting his hands on the heads of his grandchildren,
he was praying that they would be blessed from
head to foot, from top to bottom.
The blessing,
which is recorded for us in verses 15-16, is beautiful.
Israel asks Elohim - the God, the Mightiest One
whom Abraham and Isaac believed in and lived for,
the Strongest One who is not too great to be the
Good Shepherd of Jacob the shepherd - watching
over him, protecting him, guiding him, nurturing
him; the God who is also in some mysterious way
a Malach - an Angel, a Messenger, One Who Is Sent;
or is in some mysterious way intimately connected
and associated with this Messenger - but not just
any Messenger, but an Angel who is a Goel - a
Redeemer, a Helper, a Savior. Who is this Redeeming
Angel that is so closely associated with God?
I believe that it is none other than God the Son
- Messiah Yeshua, the One sent by God the Father
to be the Redeemer of Israel, and the Savior of
mankind.
Jacob
continues blessing Ephraim and Menashe, asking
God that Israel's name lives on in them - that
they would be worthy of having their names associated
with Israel, and with great Abraham and Isaac.
Jacob prayed that they would become a multitude
- and they did. Ephraim and Menashe combined became
one of the most numerous tribes. Ephraim was especially
blessed, becoming the dominant tribe in the north
of Israel (see Isaiah 7:2, Hosea 4:17, 11:8, 12,
12:1, etc).
They would
be so blessed, that even among the Blessed People,
they would be used as an example of blessing.
"By you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe!'"
This blessing is still used today, almost 4,000
years later, particularly on Shabbat, when the
father places his hand on the head of his sons,
and blesses them.
Ephraim
and Menashe were blessed with a prophetic blessing.
In Chapter 49 Jacob, who was a prophet, tells
his other children what will happen to them in
the days to come.
Reuben
who was born first, should have excelled in rank
and power, but he was unstable like water - like
water that turbulently boils, like water that
becomes disturbed when the wind blows on it. He
forfeited his place of preeminence because he
committed adultery with Bilhah. The souls that
is unstable commits sexual sins, which do have
their consequences! Ryrie notes that no prophet,
judge or hero ever came from the tribe of Reuben.
Simeon
and Levi are rebuked for their violence toward
men and cruelty toward animals. They unjustly
massacred the people of Shechem, and also maimed
bulls. This kind of anger and cruelty should not
be concentrated in one spot, and so they will
be scattered among the other tribes. Simeon was
scattered among the tribe of Judah, and Levi's
descendants, who later redeemed themselves by
opposing the idolatry connected with the golden
calf, became the priestly tribe, but nevertheless
were still scattered among the other tribes. So,
with the tribe of Levi we see redemption, and
yet they still experienced the consequences of
their father's sins.
Judah,
whose name means "praise," would be praised by
the other tribes. He would be praised because
the tribe of Judah would become the leading tribe
of Israel. They would be strong like a lion, and
lead in the victories over Israel's enemies. Verse
10 tells us that to the tribe of Judah would come
the scepter - a symbol of royal authority. This
was fulfilled more than 500 years later, when
the Lord chose David and his heirs to be the kings
of Israel.
Sheeloh
will come - which can be understood to mean "peace"
(from shalom) or "the one to whom" the obedience
of the peoples belongs. So, Judah will become
the ruling tribe. Victory, leadership, the obedience
of the other nations of the world, and great prosperity
are connected to Judah. When the tribe of Judah
comes to its fullness, conditions will be so prosperous
that donkeys will either be tied to grapevines,
because there is so much fruit on them that they
can eat as much as they want and there will still
be enough grapes; or there will be so much of
a grape harvest that the donkeys will be loaded
down with the fruit! There will be so much wine
that it will be as plentiful as water! People
could wash their clothes in it! The people will
be healthy and vigorous.
There
were periods of prosperity under King David and
his family, but this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled
in its entirety. It awaits the Second Coming of
the Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah, who will rule
over the tribes of Israel, and receive the obedience
of the nations. He will usher in the golden age
of human history, when He rules from the throne
of David, from Jerusalem, bringing peace, prosperity
and salvation to the world. May He come speedily
and soon, and let us say, "amayn."
Zebulun
will dwell in the northen part of Israel, and
benefit from the shipping activity on the Mediterranean
and the Kinneret - the Lake of Galilee.
Issachar
is like a strong donkey. His land will be good
and pleasant, and the people of Issachar will
be hard workers.
Dan "ya-deen"
will judge his people. Sampson came from Dan,
and judged his people for 20 years. Dan is also
compared to a poisonous snake that bites the heels
of a horse, so that the rider of the horse falls
backward. That means that they will be crafty
and experience victory over their enemies - which
they did (see Judges 18). The tribe moved to the
north, where they were exposed to Israel's enemies.
Or, perhaps this comparison to a snake means that
they would introduce evil into Israel - which
they did when early in our history they embraced
idolatry (also see Judges 18). Interestingly,
at this point Jacob prays for the Lord's Yeshua
- the Lord's salvation - for the tribe of Dan,
and perhaps for the other tribes of Israel as
well. The fact that the tribe of Dan helped establish
idolatry into Israel may be the reason why the
tribe of Dan is not mentioned in the list of tribes
recorded in the Book of Revelation.
Gad means
success, but it can also mean "raider" and "g'dood
v'goo-de-noo" - raiders will raid Gad. The tribe
of Gad, which settled east of the Jordan River,
would be vulnerable to attack, but would be enabled
to fight back. "Gad succeeded in repelling the
Ammonites, Moabites and Arameans, who were constantly
raiding his borders." (Hertz).
Asher
would be happy and prosperous, and produce delicious
foods. The tribe of Asher settled along the rich
seacoast toward the north along the Mediterranean
coast. They may have had access to unusual imports
and exports, including delicacies.
Naphtali
is compared to a deer that runs free. They will
bring forth beautiful words. Kimchi applies this
to "the great victory of Barak, who was from Naphtali,
which was followed by the glorious Song of Deborah"
(Hertz).
Some of
the most beautiful blessings come to Joseph. Joseph
is a successful son, like a beautiful and well-watered
vine that bears much fruit. He was attacked, but
he remained strong, because Aveer Ya'akov - the
Mighty One of Jacob, Israel's Shepherd who protects
and guides and provides, Israel's Stone which
defends and protects and gives strength and stability,
aided him.
This Mighty
One who was the God of Jacob, who gave him life
and existence, and sustained him, Shaddai - the
Almighty One who abundantly gives out of His vast
resources, will give Joseph blessings - good things
from Heaven above, and good things that come from
the waters lying beneath, good things like many
children. Joseph's blessings will be great and
last as long as the hills. As high as the hills
are above the plains, so may the blessings that
come to Joseph be great.
The territory
of Ephraim and Menashe was indeed large. They
played a large and influential role in the history
of Israel. Great leaders like Joshua, Deborah,
Gideon, and Jephthah came from Joseph.
Benjamin
is compared to a hungry wolf. This refers to the
aggressive and warlike nature of this tribe, which
they were. This one tribe were vastly outnumbered,
but fought the rest of the tribes, and initially
won the first two battles (see Judges 20). Israel's
first king, Saul, was from Benjamin, as was Rabbi
Paul.
After
Jacob blessed his sons, he commanded them to bury
him in the Cave of Machpelah, where Abraham and
Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah were buried.
Again, he knew that God would fulfill His promise
to give Israel's descendants the land of Canaan,
and he wanted to participate in that promise,
even if he were dead. He also wanted his descendants
to understand that their visit to Egypt was a
temporary one, and that eventually, the Almighty
would bring them back to the Land that was promised
to them. They should not try to be permanent residents
in Egypt. They should look forward to their return
to the Promised Land, where they would fulfill
the Almighty's purposes for them there - to be
a light to the nations, and bring the knowledge
of God, His Word, and salvation to the other nations
of the world.
So Jacob
breathed his last breath, at peace with God, blessing
his children, looking forward to the promises
of God in the future. A righteous soul like his
was immediately "gathered to his people." His
soul was still alive, and was reunited to Abraham
and Isaac, and the souls of other righteous relatives.
Chapter
50 records the burial of Jacob. He was embalmed
by the Egyptians, which lasted 40 days. The Egyptians
mourned for him for 70 days, which is a very long
time for mourning, indicating that they recognized
that Jacob, a Hebrew shepherd, was indeed a very
great man. What a testimony the life of Jacob
was to the Egyptians! The honors did not end there:
a great entourage comprised of the leaders of
Egypt, and Jacob's family, along with part of
the Egyptian army, accompanied the body of Jacob
to Chevron, to the Cave of Machpelah.
After
Jacob's death, Joseph's brothers were afraid that
Joseph might harm them. They must have thought
that what held Joseph back from taking revenge
against them was the restraining influence of
their father - that Joseph would not dare to harm
them while Jacob was alive, because that would
upset their father, And so they concocted a story
that before he died, Jacob had commanded them
to ask Joseph to forgive them.
But godly
Joseph didn't have hatred in his heart, or thoughts
of revenge toward his brothers. He also knew that
taking revenge was not his right, but was the
prerogative of God. When people hurt us, we try
to do them good. When they curse, we bless. Very
few of us have been hurt as much as Joseph was
by his brothers. If he could forgive those who
harmed him, can't we?
Then Joseph
makes one of the most profound statements in the
Word of God, and one of my very favorite: "As
for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant
it for good. He made it come out as it actually
did, to keep many people alive."
The Almighty
is so powerful, the All-Knowing One is so wise,
the Righteous One is so good, that He is capable
of taking the evil things that human beings may
do to harm us, and turn them around and make them
into something that will not only benefit us,
but benefit many others as well! Knowing this
should transform our attitude toward everything
that happens to us, and the people that treat
us in a bad way. Be gracious, like Joseph was
to his brothers, who comforted them and spoke
kindly to them, and provided for them.
So, when
someone does something hurtful to you, try not
to hate them, or wish them destroyed. Have confidence
in God, that He will take what was meant to harm,
and transform the situation, and bring something
good out of it. Have faith that God is at work,
transforming and redeeming this bad situation.
Be patient and long-suffering, knowing that eventually
He will bring something good, something wonderful,
out of this trial. This should be your attitude
toward everything that happens to you in life.
This will make you a different person. This will
radically change the way that you look at reality
and your circumstances.
The book
of Genesis concludes, telling us that the Lord
made up for the earlier trials in Joseph's life.
Joseph lived until he was 110, living to see the
third generation of Ephraim's sons. He lived a
long and honored and glorious life. And even though
he was among the greatest of Egyptian society,
he never assimilated into Egyptian society. He
never lost sight of his Jewish identity, or his
heritage or his special calling. He made his brothers
promise that when God brought the Jewish people
back to the Land of the Covenant, they would bring
his bones with them. He would be buried in the
Land of Israel. Egypt was very good to him, but
Israel was his home because the God of Israel
was his God, and he was a member of the Covenant.
And the Jewish people kept this promise. At the
Exodus from Egypt, Moses took the bones of Joseph
with him (see Exodus 13:19), and Joseph was eventually
buried in Shechem (see Joshua 24:32).
Thus ends
the life of one of the greatest men who ever lived.
May each one of be enabled to become more like
Joseph, who was the ideal son, the ideal brother,
the ideal servant, the ideal administrator (Hertz).
He was righteous, godly, humble, capable in his
tasks, always faithful to God, even in his suffering,
he was gracious and forgiving to his brothers,
loyal to his family, true to his heritage, faithful
to the Covenant, hoping in the future!
Some have
seen in Joseph's character and story the character
and story of the Jewish people. Like Joseph, the
Jewish people have been a kind of dreamer - dreaming
the dream of universal justice and peace and brotherhood
and salvation. Like Joseph, the Jewish people
have often been the helpless victim of the hatred
of his step-brothers, hatred that drove him from
home and doomed him to Exile" (Hertz). Israel
is God's firstborn son, and God's other sons,
the other nations, have so often resented us,
and mistreated us. Like Joseph, the Jewish people
will ultimately be redeemed and rescued, saved
and exalted and greatly successful, helping to
save many people alive! And, what the nations
meant for evil, the Lord will transform it into
something good!
That brings
us to the end of the book of Beresheet - Genesis.
And so we say, "Chazak, chazak v'nit-chazek! Be
strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened
as we continue our study of the divinely inspired
Word of God!"
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