Download Notes on Genesis 46 through 48 46:1-7 Jacob offered his sacrifice to

Notes on Genesis 46 through 48
46:1-7
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Jacob offered his sacrifice to God at Beersheba because that was the place where Abraham
planted a tree after God tested him with Isaac, and where Jacob camped for a long time (and
probably the place where Jacob received his brother’s birthright). It is always important to
revisit places that are a turning point in our life especially to praise God for how far he has
brought you.
God speaks to Israel in a vision and refers to him as Jacob. Could it be that at this critical
moment of leaving the land and trusting in God that he is thinking about resorting to his old
ways. The purpose of the vision is to reassure Jacob of God’s faithfulness. God is still God and his
promises have not changed. God will make Jacob into a great nation even in Egypt.
God promises to go down to Egypt with him. God’s presence is not restricted to the Promised
Land, but is Lord of everything. He promises to bring him out again. This is a promise of eternity
for Jacob as an individual, but also a promise for Jacob’s ancestors that God will bring them out.
His final reassurance is that he will die in Joseph’s presence and so he will see his son and spend
the rest of his days with him.
Jacob and the children ride in the wagons during the long trip. He does not leave his possessions
behind, but brings them with him. We are also told that 3 generations travel with Jacob, all of
his descendents. So although for some time they may have been somewhat scattered across
Canaan, this is an exodus of the entire family from Canaan.
46:8-27
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This is a listing of all of Jacob’s descendents that made the trip. These names are divided by the
children of Leah, the children of Zilpah, the children of Rachel, and the children of Bilhah. It is an
important list to have, and lets us know how many kids each son had and the total number of
grand children Jacob had. The total number of his descendents (not including his daughter in
laws and wives) are seventy. Notice that not all of these made the trip for Joseph’s sons
remained in Egypt and several of the children would be born in Egypt (such as Benjamin’s sons),
but this gives us a total number of his descendents that ended up in Egypt.
46:28-34
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Judah, it would seem, by the success of his mission has elevated his status in Jacob’s house. He
is the one sent on ahead to Joseph so that they might be led directly to the land of Goshen
Joseph promised to give them. Goshen was on the east side of the Nile River closest to the Sinai
Peninsula.
Notice that Joseph does not live in Goshen. It is a little removed from the central hub of
Egyptian society. When he sees his father he weeps with his head on his shoulder for a good
while. What an amazing moment!
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Jacob’s response is basically, “I can now die in peace because I have seen your face for myself
and know you truly live.” Instead of grief leading him to the grave, it is now joy that allows him
to have the sweet release of his life into God’s hands.
Joseph tells them exactly what he will say to Pharaoh. The message is to inform Pharaoh that he
has been obedient to his command, but also to set up a situation where Joseph’s family will be
protected. He is going to tell Pharaoh that his brothers are shepherds, thus, keeping them away
from Egyptian courts and civilization since they will be considered an abomination. It will also
keep his identity safe.
He gives this instruction to his father Jacob as well for when he is to present himself to Pharaoh.
Why? So that they will dwell in the land, but also be separated and not absorbed by the culture.
Thus, the land of Goshen is perfect for it is fertile (when not in drought), it is closer in proximity
to the Promised Land, and it is somewhat secluded.
47:1-6
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Joseph reports to Pharaoh directly and brings five of his brothers to present to Pharaoh. Who
did he choose? And what was the criteria? Did he choose the ones that looked like backwoods,
country farmers or the ones that would look more presentable in the court of a king?
They do as they are told and report that they are generational shepherds and that they would
like to take care of their flocks in the land of Goshen.
Pharaoh’s response is directed to Joseph. These men are your family so let them settle in the
best of the land. If they want to settle in the land of Goshen, then they can settle wherever they
want. I trust you so much that I will entrust your family with my livestock if you think any of
them are capable of taking care of them. Joseph’s unblemished character speaks for itself and
for that of his family. The family of deceivers is now trusted and seen as trustworthy based upon
the faithfulness of Joseph. The disaster at Shechem did not doom the family for generations to
come. Joseph changed the future of his whole family by his honesty and faithfulness to God. No
longer are they a family of untrustworthy deceivers.
47:7-12
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You have an amazing event. Jacob is old and bowed over with age and he is brought before
Pharaoh. And Jacob blesses Pharaoh. The promise continues to be seen. “Whoever blesses you, I
will bless. And whoever curses you, I will curse.” And “I will bless you so that you might be a
blessing to the nations.” Jacob is very grateful not only for how he is being treated personally,
but how his son Joseph has been taken in and given a position of leadership.
It would seem that Pharaoh is amazed at Jacob’s age. From what we know about the lifespan of
ancient Egyptian kings 130 years is not even on the scale. It would seem that Jacob’s age is a
testament alone of God’s blessing upon the descendents of Abraham.
But in Jacob’s perspective, his days have been few compared to the lifespan of his father and
grandfather (who lived to 175 and 180 years old). He refers to the scope of their lives as a
“sojourning” or a pilgrimage because they never came to possess the promised land, but
wandered among it. They never received the true rest or peace they desired in this life. This is
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important for us to remember that we are just sojourners in life as well and cannot seek rest or
peace in this life for we know that our true home awaits us in eternity with Jesus after death.
Jacob again blesses Pharaoh before he leaves his presence. Now they are receiving a piece of
land in Egypt as their own, but they must always remember that this is not the land that God
had promised them. They are still to consider themselves sojourners in the land of Egypt
although the wandering will be put on hold for a while. Goshen seems to be the best of the land
for pasturing animals. It is also known as the land of Ramses (which would be named after the
sequences of Pharaohs named Ramses during the time of Moses).
Joseph allotted food for his family as they had need. He treated them just like everyone else in
rationing food during the famine. He did this, most likely, so that no one could accuse him of
favoritism.
47:13-22
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The land of Canaan or Egypt is described as languishing or is exhausted by the famine. You get
the visual representation of the land giving its last breaths because of the prolonged period of
time without water.
Joseph trustworthiness continues to be revealed: he gathers ALL the money given in exchange
for grain and brings it to Pharaoh’s house. The famine was so severe that all money (precious
stones, gold, silver, and coinage) was given to Pharaoh in exchange for food. Talk about the
most powerful man in the world! But when it comes to basic needs and survival, those things
quickly lose their value.
So Joseph begins to take their livestock after the money of the land is accumulated. In a year’s
time, all of the land’s livestock now belongs to Pharaoh. So the people have become fully
dependent on Pharaoh, the government, to provide for them. All they have is themselves and
the land they own. And they are willing to give up both in order to survive.
So we see all the people of the land giving up their land and themselves to Pharaoh in order to
survive. Let’s step back for a second and see the answer to some of our questions. Why did God
not want Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to settle in the land? Because at this point it would all
become Pharaoh’s anyway. But because of their faithfulness, they are the only people group
that lives in the land that is theirs. It was given them by Pharaoh. So Joseph and his family are
the only people in the known world not “owned” by Pharaoh. They are still dependent on his
favor, but Pharaoh himself is dependent on Joseph’s leadership.
We see here as well that these people were to give up everything to have life. What are we
willing to give up in order to have life eternal? If we change our perspective and see what is truly
valuable in life might we not sacrifice everything even ourselves to attain life? Remember that
Joseph is a foreshadowing of Jesus. In order to receive the fullness of eternal life, we must
sacrifice our all to attain it. How far are you willing to go?
So Pharaoh owns all the land and all the people in the land of Egypt. You get the impression that
it was more of a democracy before this time, now it is a dictatorship. All the wealth and power
belong to Pharaoh and the people are truly at his mercy. That is the relationship with God. He is
the loving and all powerful dictator of our lives. We have seen the danger of dictatorships
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throughout human history and this one is no different. Why would God allow this to happen?
Because it would be through this governmental structure that the Israelites would one day
become slaves and then remind the world that Yahweh God is the only God as he delivers his
enslaved people out of the most powerful nation in the earth. God always has a plan for the
benefit of all humanity.
The only Egyptian people that kept their land were the priests who lived off the fixed allotment
of Pharaoh. So in a sense they were already dependent on Pharaoh.
47:23-26
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Joseph sets up a governmental structure. Since their lives and land are now Pharaoh’s, he will
provide seed and land for them in exchange for 1/5 of their crop. 4/5 they get to keep. This is a
20% tithe. Do the people have a problem with this? No! They are thankful! For they would not
even have their lives if it were not for Joseph and Pharaoh. They were happy with their 4/5s.
And this principle lasted all the way up until the time of Moses (so the people remained
indebted to Pharaoh except the priests who kept their land).
This is the perspective we need to have about tithing. God has given us our very lives and has
provided us with the means to make money by his generosity. All that we have is his and is
shared with us. He only asks for 1/10 or 10%, why should we complain? The problem is that we
do not see our indebtedness to God. We don’t realize that we are his servants (although he calls
us sons and daughters) and it is our duty and privilege to give 10% and keep 90%. All that we
have is God’s. He is more generous than Pharaoh!
47:27-31
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48:1-7
We are told that Israel, Jacob and his descendents were fruitful in the land and multiplied
greatly (which is repeated at the beginning of Exodus).
We are told that old Jacob lived 17 more years in Egypt and died at the age of 147 which is 28
years less than Abraham and 33 years less than Isaac (but still a really long time!).
Just as Abraham required his servant to put his hand under his thigh close to his reproductive
organs in order to show the significance of the vow, so Jacob does the same with Joseph before
he dies. He makes him vow that when they return to Egypt that they will take his bones out and
bury him with his ancestors (probably on the plot of land where Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac lie).
Not only does Joseph have to promise to this, but he has to swear an oath. This is not done in
Jacob or Joseph’s lifetime, but is accomplished in the Exodus when the bones of both men are
taken and buried in Canaan.
Israel bows himself at the head of his bed, or walking staff (both words are similar in structure).
The meaning of this gesture is one of thanksgiving to Joseph and to God. It is prostrating oneself
before the other.
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After this event, Joseph finds out his father is sick and so brings his sons to Israel. It may have
been obvious that Israel did not have much time left on this earth.
Jacob is told of Joseph’s coming, and uses all his strength to just sit up in bed which lets us know
the weakness of his condition.
Jacob reminds Joseph of God’s initial promise and vow to him at Luz when he was fleeing for his
life to his Uncle Laban’s house. But the words shared are a combination of the promise given to
Abraham and Isaac. The ‘everlasting possession’ promise was given to Abraham, which implies a
home in eternity beyond a physical land.
Jacob does something amazing here. He takes Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons, as his
own. They are to be considered sons of Jacob instead of sons of Joseph and they are to take
their father’s place. All of Joseph’s other sons are to be considered his, but these 2 are
considered Jacob’s. Why does he do this? His love for Joseph is so great that his two sons will be
given an equal share of the inheritance of the brothers in place of their father. In a sense, the
descendents of Joseph will receive a double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh. And this is
true, the land of Israel is divided into 12 tribes. Ephraim and Manasseh are two of those tribes
(with the tribe of Levi being sanctified to God for temple worship and so do not receive a piece
of the land as their own).
He also tells his son of the sorrow he felt at the loss of his mother and where she is buried, in
the place that would come to be known as Bethlehem.
48:8-16
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When Joseph’s sons are brought to Jacob, he does not know who they are. It is not because he
has not met them before (he has lived in the land for 17 years!). In verse 10 we are told that his
eyes are dim so he was near blind and that is why he does not recognize them.
He has Joseph bring them near and he kisses them and hugs them before blessing them. What
an amazing thing for Jacob to cherish! To not only have his son Joseph back but to hold and love
on his grandsons. And he says the same to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again and
now I get to look upon my grandchildren!” Now these sons are probably 18 or 19 years old as
they were born before Israel came into Egypt (verse 5).
In removing them from his knees they probably were not sitting on their crippled grandfather’s
knees, but sitting on the floor leaning upon his knees. Joseph shows his father great reverence
by his promise to his sons by bowing all the way to the ground before his father. This is not act
of worship, but one of submission.
Now we have an interesting situation. The right hand was considered the hand of greater
position. So Joseph situates his sons to receive Jacob’s blessing by putting the older Manasseh
on Israel’s right and Ephraim on Israel’s left because Manasseh was the first born. But Jacob
knowing this tradition crosses his hands and lays his right hand on the younger and his left hand
on the older.
He blesses Joseph through blessing his sons. We should have the same approach to our children.
If God pours blessing upon them it is also an act of love to us for he is looking after our children
as his children (of which they truly are).
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The blessing itself is amazing! He is saying, “The God before whom my father and grandfather
lived their lives according to (their very steps were watched over and guided by God as they
lived in accordance to his way to walk through life), the God who has been my shepherd (the
shepherd of the shepherd. The one who cares for, feeds, provides, loves, and supplies. The
guide and protector of the dumb sheep!) ALL my life long, to THIS day, the angel, or messenger
of God, who has redeemed me from all evil (possibly Jesus Christ himself who has continually
brought Jacob out of many hardships especially when it was undeserved), bless the boys; and in
them let my name (the name Israel not Jacob) be carried on (let the blessing I received from God
be passed on to them as well as a reflection of God’s character), and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac (the patriarchs who received the promise of God); and let them grow into a
multitude in the midst of the earth (may their numbers increase on this earth).” So the fullness
of the blessing is this: may God pass on the blessing given to me and my ancestors by God pass
on to them. Amazing! We should pray those same kind of prayers over our own children,
grandchildren, nephews, and nieces.
48:17-22
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Joseph seeing that the hands were placed in contrast to age and birthright tries to move his
father’s right hand onto the oldest. He was displeased that the younger was getting the blessing
of the older.
Even on his deathbed, Jacob continues to teach his son Joseph. He reassures Joseph that he is
intentional in what he is doing. He is basically saying I know the world’s standard for blessing of
children, but God works differently. Just as I was the younger and received God’s blessing so
Ephraim will receive the greater blessing.
Both will become great, but Ephraim will be the stronger and more powerful, having more
descendents than Manasseh. And even so, both boys’ descendents will be so great that people
will use their names as a blessing, “God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh.”
Jacob gives a blessing to Joseph as well. He tells him that God will be with him and will bring
him, eventually, back to the land of his forefathers. This is true in that his bones were brought
back, but he is referring to the promise of God given to Abraham that his descendents would be
slaves in a foreign land, but would eventually be brought back.
He is also giving a piece of land specifically to Joseph that he is not sharing with his other sons. It
is a mountain slope (which is what the word Shechem means) that he took from the Amorites
using his sword and his bow. This is not the same land as the city of Shechem for Israel did not
fight in that awful terrorist attack. We are not told where this piece of land is located other than
it used to belong to the Amorites and is most likely in Canaan. But it is something precious to
Jacob that he reserved for Joseph. He may have done this knowing that his sons were to inherit
pieces of the Promised Land, but he wanted a slope to be remembered as Joseph’s. In looking at
the parallels between Joseph and Jesus it is hard not to speculate that this piece of property,
this slope, may have been a hillside where the King of Kings died for the sins of the world. But
any speculation is truly just that.
Application:
1. God is all about restoration and is the author of true love stories.
2. God is outside of time and so has a purpose and plan for even world and governmental
structures.
3. We need to see God as a divine, loving dictator that we are indebted to. Whatever he asks of us
we should be willing to do, for he has promised us eternal life with Him. Nothing is of greater
value than that.
4. God’s design and plan for our lives is not often accomplished through man’s designs or
perspective.
5. God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are for all of their descendents including us. Will
you submit your life to God and receive all the blessings he has for you? The course will not
always be easy as we have seen through the lives of the patriarchs, but our hope is of eternal
blessings and not limited to the things of this world.