Genesis 47-50

If you have ever wondered why the name “Joseph” is not generally listed as one of the “Twelve Tribes of Israel,” your answer is here in Genesis 48, where Jacob/Israel adopts Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own (Gen. 48:5), in effect giving Joseph a double portion of the inheritance. (And given that without Joseph, they would all be dead, I guess that is only fair…) So these two grandsons of Jacob are treated as sons and become the heads of tribes for the ongoing generations (with Joseph standing in the background). Of course, that means we now have thirteen tribes of Israel. We’ll see how we get back down to twelve when we get to the book of Numbers…

Interestingly, when Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons, he deliberately places his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger of the two, giving him the greater blessing. Clearly, this runs contrary to Joseph’s expectation, but it is not unprecedented in the history we’ve covered so far:

• Abel is favored over Cain
• Isaac is favored over Ishmael
• Jacob is favored over Esau
• Now Ephraim is favored over Manasseh

God’s plan just does not always fit human expectations or traditions.

In Genesis 49 Jacob prophecies over each of his sons. These are not idle words, emotional sentiments of an aged father about to die. These are pronouncements shaping the future of generations to come. I expect that whole dissertations have been written on each verse in turn. Luckily for you, I will make no such attempt, but here are a few highlights:

• Reuben
  • Remember Genesis 35:22? Jacob apparently remembers well enough!
• Simeon and Levi
  • Remember Genesis 34? Jacob does.
• Judah
  • The scepter shall not depart from Judah. (Gen. 49:10) Indeed.
• Joseph
  • He still sounds like Jacob’s favorite.

After blessing his sons, Jacob dies at the age of 147. He is embalmed, carried back to Canaan, and buried in the family tomb.

It is now 39 years since the brothers sold Joseph into slavery and 17 years since being reunited with him. They still feel the guilt, and they fear reprisal, so they finally ask forgiveness. Joseph replies very much as he had 17 years earlier:

“Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:19-21

Sometimes good news is hard to believe. Sometimes it takes time to sink in. In this case that slowness amounts to 17 extra years of guilt.

Just as we need to forgive and let resentments go, so must we accept forgiveness when it is given and not continue to wallow around in guilt. So what guilt might we be carrying unnecessarily? What are the things others have forgiven that we still lug around? In particular, what has God forgiven that we need to release?

Genesis 43:16-46:34

[Joseph’s steward] replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you…”

Genesis 43:23

This line, spoken by an Egyptian, expresses far more truth than he yet knows — indeed more truth than the brothers yet know!

Joseph, however, is not yet ready for full reconciliation with his brothers. He has a further test for them. First, he shows extraordinary favoritism toward Benjamin, heaping upon him five times more feasting than the others. This action presses in on the brothers’ weak spot, the very jealousy that pushed them to mistreat Joseph.

He then sends them on their way, again surreptitiously returning their money and additionally planting his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack, and the trap is set. Having baited the brothers by the favor shown to Benjamin, he now marks Benjamin as a target. The brothers are thus primed to sell him out, at which point Joseph can rescue Benjamin from any further abuse. But they don’t give up Benjamin to save themselves. They return to Joseph, and Judah holds true to his pledge, offering himself in exchange for Benjamin.

The brothers thus pass the test, and Joseph finally reveals himself to them and embraces them in an astounding display of forgiveness and reconciliation. He tells his brothers:

And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life… So it was not you who sent me here, but God…

Genesis 45:5,7,8

That is a tremendous expression of faith in a sovereign God. Joseph lets go of resentment toward his brothers for his enslavement and instead chooses to see God’s hand of provision. Joseph realizes that God is in control and has been in control all along, and that allows him to forgive his brothers.

So what about us? We all face pain and suffering of one kind or another. We’re all mistreated by someone: family or “friends,” coworkers or colleagues, or outright enemies. The pain may be mild or severe, even devastating. But in all of it, can we, like Joseph, choose to see God at work?

Nothing can happen to me that God doesn’t want. And all that He wants, no matter how bad it may appear to us, is really for the best.

St. Thomas More

Ponder that today. Look for any unforgiveness in your heart, any lingering resentment you may harbor, and offer it all up to our sovereign — and loving — God.

Genesis 41-43:15

For those of us who grew up going to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, the story of Pharaoh’s dreams of seven fat cows followed by seven emaciated cows and of seven plump ears of grain swallowed up by seven thin ears of grain is likely to be very familiar territory. We know Joseph’s interpretation of the dream — that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine — so well that it seems obvious, and we wonder why no one else in Pharaoh’s court could figure it out. But I bet that we are much less familiar with Joseph’s dealings with his brothers when they come to buy grain, yet that’s the part of the story that gets the most ink, and we do not even reach the end of it until tomorrow’s reading.

To understand Joseph’s actions, one need only look at what he tells them: “…that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you…” (Gen. 42:16) He knows their earlier character. He knows how they treated him, but that was over 20 years before. (Add them up: 13 years in Egypt before Joseph becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man [Gen. 37:2, 41:46], then seven years of plenty.) Joseph needs to see what kind of men they are now. Have they changed? Or are they still scoundrels? In particular, how might they treat Benjamin, his full-blooded little brother, whom Jacob clearly now favors?

The brothers, of course, do not recognize Joseph. (How could they? Who would imagine that he would now have the authority of Pharaoh?) They talk among themselves, and Joseph overhears and gets the first clue that, perhaps, they regret their prior actions:

Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” They did not know that Joseph understood them…

Genesis 42:21-23a

But talk is cheap and insufficient evidence of real change, so Joseph holds Simeon hostage, demanding to see Benjamin. Further, he surreptitiously refunds their money, which is simultaneously generous and a test of their integrity.

Jacob is then faced with an incredibly difficult challenge: face starvation, or offer up his “baby,” Benjamin, his last reminder of Rachel, to the mercy of this powerful governor of Egypt. Reuben nobly tries to convince Jacob by vowing the lives of his two sons if Benjamin does not return. But that is not good enough (or Jacob is not yet hungry enough). (Gen. 42:37-38) Finally, Judah — the one whose idea it was to sell Joseph — pledges himself as surety for Benjamin, and Jacob relents. (Gen. 43:8-15)

Is Joseph satisfied? Or does he need more proof? Does he forgive his brothers? Or seek vengeance? Stay tuned.

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One more thing…

On a completely unrelated note, a young man I know publishes short essays occasionally (about once a week) that you all might find interesting. Take a look at his website at https://www.dtsheffler.com/, particularly the Notebook or even the Archive. He recently started an ongoing series, so I’d recommend going back to the start of that series (Enemies of Excellence – Intro) published 12/30/2022, and moving forward from there.

Enjoy!

Genesis 37-40

Let’s recall a bit about Jacob’s family. First he has four wives: Leah and Rachel (his cousins) and their two maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah. These four women bear him 12 sons and a daughter:

Leah	Rachel	Bilhah	Zilpah
1 – Reuben 2 – Simeon 3 – Levi 4 – Judah 9 – Issachar 10 – Zebulun Dinah	11 – Joseph 12 – Benjamin	5 – Dan 6 – Naphtali	7 – Gad 8 – Asher

Of the four women, Rachel is Jacob’s favorite, the only one he intended to marry. Jacob passes that favoritism on to Rachel’s sons, particularly to Joseph, as we see today, but also to Benjamin, for whom Rachel dies in childbirth. (Gen. 35:16-20)

Jacob shows his favoritism of Joseph in giving him a robe of many colors (Gen. 37:4), but my guess is that the robe is just one of many bonuses that Joseph enjoys. It is not a secret that Joseph is the favorite, and that naturally leads to ill will toward Joseph from his brothers. When Joseph starts having dreams that suggest that he would somehow have dominion over them, or that he is superior to them, they hate him even more. But none of that justifies what they do to him — or to Jacob.

The brothers conspire to kill Joseph, but Reuben steps in, hoping to rescue him later. (Is Reuben really that much morally superior to his brothers? Doubtful. My guess is that he just wants daddy to think better of him after his having slept with Bilhah — Gen. 35:22.) Judah then suggests selling Joseph, rather than killing him. (Hey, if you can get rid of Joseph and make a profit at the same time…) So they take advantage of a passing caravan and sell Joseph. Now they just need to explain Joseph’s disappearance, and a blood-soaked robe of many colors is more than convincing for Jacob. And again we have deceit — of the most horrendous kind. And they stick with the false story for years.

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch… Gen. 38 shifts our attention away from the Joseph narrative to tell us all about Judah and Tamar, his daughter-in-law, who scandalously becomes the mother of his children — yet another unflattering story. Aside from our base nature’s interest in such juicy details, why is this story here? After all, Reuben’s affair with Bilhah warranted only a single verse. I think the answer lies in that this is Judah, who is of particular note as the one through whom comes the anointed line of David, ultimately producing the Christ.

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One more thing…

Although our text here is silent about Benjamin, I am confident that he is not a party to the conspiracy against Joseph, as he is likely still a boy. It also becomes clear later that Joseph maintains a particular affection for Benjamin. Stay tuned.

Genesis 34-36

Today we again see family traits pass from generation to generation, both good and bad. Abraham passes along faith in the LORD to Isaac, and Isaac somehow passes it along to Jacob. But another family characteristic is similarly passed along: deceit. Abraham deceives both Pharaoh and Abimelech with regard to Sarah’s status as his wife (Gen. 12:10-20; 20:1-18), and apparently he does this all the time (Gen. 20:13) — but at least calling Sarah his sister is half true. Isaac goes on to repeat that same deception, calling Rebekah his sister, which is not at all true. (Gen. 26:6-11) Jacob, of course, deceives his own father, Isaac, in stealing Esau’s blessing. And now Jacob’s sons deceive the men of Shechem in the matter of Dinah. It’s not a pretty business.

Is this a function of nature or nurture? Yes. We are all born sinners and are naturally inclined to evil. But we also learn from the examples laid out for us by our parents, and when those examples are negative, it is easy to follow along. So when Jacob grumbles to his sons about their rash behavior (Gen. 34:30), he does not have too far to look for blame. He and Uncle Laban (the sons’ grandfather) set the pattern.

But then God instructs Jacob to revisit Bethel, the site of the “Ladder” dream, where God first spoke to Jacob and promised him protection. Jacob immediately tells his family, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves…” (Gen. 35:2) Presumably, that includes Laban’s household gods that Rachel stole. Jacob here sets a better example, turning his family away from false idols to the Lord.

So how about us? What kind of examples are we setting? What family traits are we passing down, for good or ill?

Genesis 31-33

After 20 years away from the land of his birth, Jacob is a changed man. At the outset he profoundly encounters the Living God in his “Ladder” dream at Bethel. Then he spends years dealing with Uncle Laban, where he learns what it is to be on the receiving end of trickery, theft, and abuse. He works 14 years to “earn” Laban’s two daughters, Leah and Rachel, and gets two concubines thrown in, resulting in one daughter (Dinah) and eleven sons (so far). After working another 6 years for deceptively changing wages, Jacob again hears from the LORD: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” (Gen. 31:3) It is finally time for Jacob to separate from Laban and return home.

Before getting on the road, Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, takes on the mantle of “schemer” and steals her father’s household gods (i.e., idols). It is not entirely clear here what Rachel’s intentions are regarding these so-called gods. Does she believe in them and so clings to them instead of the LORD? Is she trying to secure some kind of protection from these idols? Or is she just “sticking it” to her father, Laban, showing him that he is no longer in charge? I don’t know, and the Bible doesn’t say.

In any case, anticipating Laban’s unfavorable reaction to their leaving, Jacob tries to just slip away quietly. It is difficult to move a large contingent of people, livestock, and material goods without being noticed, so Laban realizes what is going on and pursues him. God, however, warns Laban not to step out of line with Jacob, so Laban is constrained in his actions and has a nice friendly uncle-to-son-in-law chat with Jacob regarding the matter of those missing household gods, about which Jacob knows nothing. In his ignorance, Jacob makes a rash vow that whoever has the idols should die, but Rachel — like her deceptive father and husband — lies her way out of the crisis.

Jacob and Laban finally part ways, establishing a covenant not to interfere with one another, erecting a heap of stones as a testimonial monument, and saying, “The LORD watch between you and me…” Laban says this with animosity, meaning it as a severe warning to beware of doing anything against him. (I find it interesting that I occasionally hear that phrase freely quoted out of context, always with an intended meaning very different from what we have here. People seem to say it as a blessing, a pledge of friendship and togetherness, maintaining a spiritual connection despite having to be physically parted. But that is not at all what it means. Be careful what you quote!)

Turning away from Laban, Jacob must then face the fearful prospect of meeting his brother, Esau, whom he cheated 20 years earlier. He learns that Esau is coming to meet him with a force of 400 men. But Jacob, recognizing his own unworthiness for God’s steadfast love, prays for protection and deliverance. He recalls the Lord’s promise and is encouraged. Even so, he sends wave after wave of livestock ahead of him as presents to appease Esau, hoping to deflect his anger and resentment. In fear, Jacob divides up his family, placing Zilpah and Bilhah (his concubines) with their children first, then Leah and her children, and finally Rachel with Joseph. But when Esau finally arrives, he does not attack but instead embraces Jacob. The brothers thus reconcile, and Jacob is humble in his interactions, calling himself Esau’s servant. Yet it is clear in the end that Jacob intends to remain independent and not become enmeshed with Esau.

But what about this other encounter that Jacob has with God? The night before he meets Esau, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure, a “man” that evidently is not just a man, but an angel, or even God Himself in some fashion. They wrestle until the break of day, and Jacob’s hip is put out of joint, but Jacob refuses to let go, demanding a blessing. The “man” declares, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Gen. 32:28) From that day forward Jacob is no longer just Jacob, but Israel.

I am not going to pretend that I understand this encounter, but one thing to note is Jacob’s displaced hip, which causes him to limp for the rest of his life. It becomes a constant reminder of this wrestling match, this contest with God. We sometimes hear it said that God always wants to heal our bodily ailments, that he never intends physical suffering. And yes, sometimes we need to bolster our faith and receive healing from His hand. But it is simply not true that God always wants to heal. Sometimes He wounds, but the wounds are for a good purpose, given by a loving and faithful God to keep us close to Himself.

Genesis 28-30

We know that Jacob, the schemer, does not deserve the blessing, but he gets it anyway. Before sending him off to Uncle Laban in search of a wife, Isaac conveys the blessing of Abraham, that his descendants would be multiplied and that they would possess the land. And on the way, in the dream of “Jacob’s Ladder,” the LORD Himself blesses Jacob, saying:

I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

Genesis 28:13-15

This is now the fifth time that God has told Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob that through them all the families (or nations) of the earth shall be blessed. (See also Gen. 12:2-3; 18:17-19; 22:16-18; 26:2-5.) Perhaps we should pay attention…

Genesis 25-27

If I were to sit down and make up stories of my family origins, I would make all the main characters excellent heroes — always honest and upstanding, good-hearted and courageous, faithful and strong. If I knew of any flaws, I would either leave them out entirely or make excuses for them. I would make my ancestors out to be practically perfect in every way. And it would be rubbish.

Fortunately for all of us, the Bible is far more honest, and that is one thing I love about it. The Bible just lays reality out there for all to see, warts and all — and there are a lot of warts. Today we see a few.

Before Jacob and Esau are born, Rebekah is given a prophecy:

Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.

Genesis 25:23

Today we begin to see that prophecy playing out, and it is not pretty. It involves underhanded manipulation, scheming, conniving, and deception. We may eventually think of Jacob as “one of the good guys,” but he certainly does not behave honorably here. He cons Esau out of his birthright. Then at Rebekah’s prompting, he deceives Isaac into giving him the blessing, stealing it right out from under Esau.

Mind you, Esau is not particularly stellar, either. In selling his birthright for a bowl of soup, Esau reveals his shortsightedness and how little he cares for what really matters. And in marrying two local Hittite women, he dishonors his parents, disregarding the precedent that Abraham set in avoiding such unions.

Yet none of Esau’s behavior excuses Jacob. Jacob is unavoidably undeserving of any favor. Not from Isaac. Not from God. Yet Jacob — like Isaac before him — is the one through whom God’s promise is to be fulfilled.

If I were the Hebrew writing Genesis as the history of my great-great-great-grandpappy, that’s not the way I would tell it…

Genesis 24

Today we learn, in great detail, about how Rebekah comes to be Isaac’s wife. Abraham gives his right-hand man the task of finding Isaac a wife from his previous homeland, from among his kindred. Abraham adamantly charges him not to get a wife from among the Canaanite population (among whom they are sojourning) and also not to take Isaac back to the old country. Instead, the servant is to go fetch a cousin from far away and bring her back to be Isaac’s bride. The entire operation then becomes an undertaking of faith.

So why does Abraham give these particular directives? I think it is safe to say that he is primarily looking out for Isaac’s spiritual welfare. He does not want a Canaanite wife, because such would surely be a snare, pulling Isaac away from faith in the one true God. And he does not want Isaac to be drawn away from the land of his birth, thereby disregarding his promised inheritance, and reversing God’s command to dwell there.

Why Abraham wants Isaac’s wife to be drawn from his kindred (i.e., a cousin) is less clear to me. We know that returning to the same small gene pool is not a healthy practice (as the royal houses of Europe can surely attest!), so I can only assume that Abraham’s family as a whole has some semblance of faith in God, and that this is what Abraham wants to draw upon. It’s hard to tell, though, because as things play out, it is not entirely clear that Abraham’s family “back home” is particularly faithful…

In any case, at this point in Abraham’s life journey, it seems likely that Abraham is following the Lord’s direction. It is also clear that his servant does his best to likewise discern the Lord’s leading. May we do likewise.

Genesis 21-23

Isaac, the son that God promised to give to Abraham, arrives on the scene when Abraham is 100 years old and Sarah is 90. Both Abraham and Sarah laugh at the thought, and so, God instructs them to name him accordingly. (“Isaac” means “he laughs” or “laughter”.) This is the heir. This is the son through whom God promises to raise up countless offspring. This is the son whose descendants are to inherit the land.

And this is the son that God tells Abraham to sacrifice as a burnt offering.

Abraham obeys. The text here offers us no hint of hesitation on Abraham’s part, no arguing with the Lord, no questioning of the plan. Yet it is hard not to imagine the emotional turmoil Abraham faces as he leads Isaac up the mountain, laying the wood for the fire on Isaac’s shoulder. For Abraham, this is the ultimate test of his faith in the Lord, and he proves that faith through obedience, fully expecting to kill his precious son, yet declaring, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Gen. 22:8)

Abraham knows His God. He knows that God keeps His promises, and he knows that Isaac is that promised son through whom the other promises are to be fulfilled. He cannot anticipate how, but he knows that, somehow, Isaac will walk back down the mountain with him. (See Heb. 11:19.) And he knows all that by faith.

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Although we are walking through the Bible chronologically, let’s not miss the foreshadowing here of what happens 2,000 years later. Here Isaac carries the wood for the fire up the mountain. There Christ carries His own Cross up the hill of Calvary. Here Abraham offers up his beloved promised son. There God Himself offers up His own beloved promised Son to die for us. In both cases, the Lord provides the sacrifice.