Ruth Works in Boaz’s Fields

Things are getting better for Naomi and Ruth.

Naomi is recognizing God’s kindness in the life of her family.

Ruth 2:17-23 NLT
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Fieldsbr¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. ¹⁸ She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.
¹⁹ “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”
So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
²⁰ “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”
²¹ Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
²² “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
²³ So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth Works in Boaz’s Fields
Ruth 2:17-23 NLT
¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. ¹⁸ She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.

Repeated from the last lesson.

• • • Ruth worked all day and into the evening.

• • • Ruth made sure Naomi’s needs were being met.

¹⁹ “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? 

• Naomi knew Ruth could not have gleaned an entire basket of grain in one day under normal conditions. 

May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”

• Naomi prayed a blessing on the person who had been so generous to Ruth before she knew who he was. 

So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”

• Ruth told her mother-in-law that she had worked in the field of Boaz.

²⁰ “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law.

• Naomi repeated her blessing on Boaz.

“He (God) is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. 

• At the end of chapter one, Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

^1:13 … Things are far more bitter for me than for you, (Naomi’s comment to her two daughters-in-law.)

• • • • Naomi felt like her situation was “far more bitter” than Orpah’s or Ruth’s situation.

^{1:13 continued} because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” 

• • • Naomi believed that the Lord had caused her to suffer and the Almighty had sent tragedy upon her. 

^1:20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

• • • Naomi was sure her problems were all God’s fault.

• • • Naomi was feeling “empty” and depressed.

• • • Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

Naomi now sees hope for a better future.

• Naomi was now beginning to feel God’s kindness on her family.

Note: Our relationship with God should not be based on “feelings”.

That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.” 

Naomi saw the potential for good to come from this situation.

• This situation combines two Israelite customs. “That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”

One of our closest relatives
and
One of our family redeemers.

The Family Redeemer

In the book of Ruth, the phrase “family redeemer” has a specific, technical meaning. Elsewhere, the underlying Hebrew term go’el is translated “nearest relative”.

According to the law, family redeemers had three main responsibilities in Israel:

1. 1. 1. Leviticus 25:23-34 stipulates that if an Israelite became so poor that he had to sell his land, a family member was to pay off the debt so the land would remain in the family. If no relative could purchase the land and the seller was unable to buy it back, the land still reverted to the seller or his heirs in the jubilee (fiftieth) Year. Two examples of family redeemers buying land for their relatives are Boaz (4:1-12) and Jeremiah (Jer32:6-15).

1. 1. 2. Similarly, if an Israelite became so poor he had to sell himself into debt-slavery, a family
         redeemer was to buy his relative from service to a non-relative (Lev 25:35-55). The poor Israelite would pay off his debt by working for his relative, who could be expected to treat him better than a stranger would.

1. 1. 3. The family redeemer was to pursue justice for an Israelite killed by another’s hand, under conditions described in Numbers 35:9-34.

The concept of the family redeemer reminds us that God is the true owner of all things,
and he commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. The NT presents Jesus as the perfect family redeemer, buying us from slavery to sin and death.

Source: NLT Study Bible-Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Close relative.

Boaz was a close relative, but more than that he was a kinsman-redeemer of property and persons.  He could act as a levir, a Latin term for brother-in-law.  Boaz could redeem by fulfilling the levirate law, which required a brother of a deceased man to marry his widow and raise a son to his name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).

Ruth had more good news. 

²¹ Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”

• God’s timing: Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem at the time when work was available for Ruth.

²² “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest.

Naomi is excited.

• Naomi wants to make the best of this opportunity.

Naomi doesn’t want Ruth to minimize the chance of a good thing that is coming her way. 

You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.” 

This most likely was not Naomi’s primary motive for Ruth to continue working in Boaz’s fields. 

²³ So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer.

• Ruth continued working in Boaz’s fields through the wheat harvest in early summer.

This was about 2 months of labor.

And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law. 

To be continued.

Ruth Meets Boaz

Boaz turns out to be a very special man with many outstanding character qualities.

Ruth 2:1-17 NLT
Ruth Meets Boaz
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field
¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
² One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” ³ So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
⁴ While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
⁵ Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”
⁶ And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. ⁷ She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”
⁸ Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. ⁹ See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
¹⁰ Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
¹¹ “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. ¹² May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
¹³ “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”
¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.
¹⁵ When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. ¹⁶ And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”
¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 2:1-17 NLT
Ruth Meets Boaz
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field

¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

• Boaz was a wealthy and influential man.

Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s husband.

(Boaz was qualified to be a family redeemer for Naomi and Ruth.  This will be discussed in more detail in the next lesson.)

Boaz had a reputation for being both wealthy and influential.

The name Boaz means “in him is strength”

The Hebrew words describing Boaz means “a man of valor”

Boaz exhibited many outstanding character qualities.

• Boaz is listed in the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke.

Luke 3:32 NLT
³² David was the son of Jesse.
Jesse was the son of Obed.
Obed was the son of Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Salmon.
Salmon was the son of Nahshon.

Matthew 1:5 NLT
⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.

Since biblical genealogies sometimes skip generations, it’s possible that Rahab was Boaz’s grandmother or great-grandmother. 

² One day Ruth the Moabite

“the Moabite” a foreigner (more about this later)

said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”

• Ruth took the initiative to support herself and her mother-in-law.

• Apparently, Ruth knew the Mosaic Law.

Leviticus 19:9-10 NLT
⁹ “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. ¹⁰ It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God. 

Leviticus 23:22 NLT
²² “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.” 

Deuteronomy 24:19-22 NLT
¹⁹ “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. ²⁰ When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ²¹ When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ²² Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command. 

This was a way that God used to provide food for the poor.

Ruth was aware of her options.

Two widows living by themselves. 

Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 

Naomi supported Ruth’s initiative. 

³ So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. 

And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. 

“as it happened”

• The events in this story are not mere chance.

Two factors:

God’s providence was at work in Ruth’s life.

Ruth took the initiative to “get a job”.

• God works through ordinary choices to provide for those who trust Him.

Boaz, a relative of her father-in-law, is clearly God working in this occurrence.

The phrase “a relative” repeated here for the second time.

⁴ While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied. 

Note Boaz’s relationship with his harvesters.

A blessing indicating that faith in God was active in the life of Boaz and the lives of his harvesters.

• Faith in God was active in the life of Boaz and the lives of his harvesters. 

⁵ Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”

Boaz noticed Ruth.

⁶ And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 

The foreman was informed. 

⁷ She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters.

• Ruth had asked for permission to work the fields.

She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”

• Ruth was a diligent worker.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” 

⁸ Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter.

Boaz: 45-52 years old.

• At this point in the story, Boaz treated Ruth as he would treat a daughter.

Ruth 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor.

Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. ⁹ See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them.

Boaz was kind to Ruth from the time he first met her.

Boaz invited Ruth to continue working in his fields.

This could mean 4 months of work harvesting both the barley and wheat crops. 

I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly.

Boaz protected Ruth from being mistreated by the young men.

And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”

The special treatment continued.

Ruth would not have to draw her own water. (Which was often the case.) 

¹⁰ Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly.

A common gesture of humility.

“What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” 

• Ruth was surprised by the favor or acceptance she was receiving from this important man since she was a foreigner and a stranger.

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 NLT
³ “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. ⁴ These nations did not welcome you with food and water when you came out of Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in distant Aram-naharaim to curse you. ⁵ But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you. ⁶ As long as you live, you must never promote the welfare and prosperity of the Ammonites or Moabites.

She asked, “What have I done to deserve such kindness?”

Ruth was a recipient of grace and she was grateful.

• Ruth asked, “What have I done to deserve such kindness?”

¹¹ “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.  

Boaz had heard about Ruth.

News travels fast in small towns.

• Initially, the special treatment from Boaz to Ruth was because of everything she had done for her mother-in-law Naomi.

¹² May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”

Somehow Boaz recognized that Ruth had come to the place in her life where she was truly trusting in God for all of her needs.

Boaz prayed that God would reward Ruth as repayment for the kindness she had displayed toward her mother-in-law.

Psalm 17:8 NLT David
⁸ Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36:7 NLT David
⁷     How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings. 

Psalm 57:1 David
¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.

Psalm 61:4 NLT David
⁴ Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings! 

Psalm 91:4 NLT (anonymous)
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Matthew 23:37 NLT
Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem
³⁷ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

Soon Boaz would be used by God to answer his own prayer. 

¹³ “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”

• Ruth continued to respond in humility.

She mentioned her gratitude for his kind words.

¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.

• Boaz continued his kindness to Ruth.

He invited her to eat the food provided for himself and his harvesters.

This was very generous.

Generally, gleaners, like Ruth, had to fend for themselves.

It was very unusual for someone like Ruth to get some of the food that was intended for the harvesters. 

¹⁵ When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. ¹⁶ And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”

• Boaz went far beyond what was required by the Mosaic Law.

He instructed his workers to deliberately drop handfuls of barley stalks for Ruth to gather. 

¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 

• Ruth worked all day and into the evening.

An entire basket was a lot of barley.

Commentators believe this would amount to about half a bushed, likely weighing about 30 to 40 pounds, and would be food for many days.  

¹⁸ She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.

• Ruth made sure Naomi’s needs were being met.

 

 

 

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

The famine in Judah is over.

Naomi and her daughters-in-law are getting ready to leave Moab to return to Naomi’s homeland.

Dialog is the primary device used by the author.  85 verses in the book of Ruth.  59 verses contain dialog.

Ruth 1:6-22 NLT
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. ⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.
⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.
¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”
¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? ¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”
¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. ¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” ¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.
²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”
²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 1:6-22 NLT
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.

• The famine in Judah was over.

• The Lord blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.

So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 

Naomi was going home.  She was leaving Moab, an idolatrous land, and was going back to Judah, the land of promise.

60-75 miles away.
7-10 days of travel.

Naomi was reversing her direction and was going back home (like repentance).

• Naomi had good reasons to return to Bethlehem.
• Naomi had friends, family, and property in Bethlehem.

Friends:

Ruth 1:19 NLT
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.

Family:

Ruth 2:1 NLT
¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

Property:

Ruth 4:3 NLT
³ And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.

⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living,

and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 

• Both of the daughters-in-law were loyal to their mother-in-law and were willing to move to Judah.

(Verse 10 “We want to go with you to your people.”) 

⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes.

• Naomi believed that she had to leave her daughters-in-law in Moab because she thought that would be best for them.

The prospects of a Moabite female remarrying in Israel would be slight.

• Ruth and Orpah had good reasons to remain in Moab. 

And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.

• Naomi blessed her two daughters-in-law.

Naomi viewed both Orpah and Ruth as kind individuals in light of the way they treated their husbands and her.

The three women had a good relationship with each other.

Since they had married Israelite men they were under God’s covenant. 

 ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.”

Naomi asked that God would bless them with another husband.

At this point in time marriage was security for a woman.

• In the ancient Near East a woman without a husband, especially a widow, was very venerable.

It is clear that Naomi loved her two daughters-in-law and wanted what she thought was best for them. 

Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. 

¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 

¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 NLT
⁵ “If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. ⁶ The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! 

• Naomi knew that she was too old to provide her daughters-in-law with new husbands. (She was probably over 50.) 

Things are far more bitter for me than for you,

• Naomi felt like her situation was “far more bitter” than Orpah’s or Ruth’s situation.

because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” 

• Naomi believed that the Lord had caused her to suffer and the Almighty had sent tragedy upon her. 

Looking ahead to verses 20-21

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” 

¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye.

• Orpah did exactly what her mother-in-law asked her to do.

She does what makes sense from a human perspective.

Nothing more is said about Orpah in the book of Ruth.

But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.  

An expression of loyalty and devotion. 

¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 

This does not seem to be the best advice she could have given.

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.

• Three times Naomi had encouraged Ruth to return to her people.

Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 

• Ruth chose life with Naomi over her family, her national identity, and her religious idolatry.

Ruth chooses a path that doesn’t make sense humanly speaking, and God will honor her for her loyalty to him and to her mother-in-law.

Ruth chose the people of Israel (your people) and the God of Israel (your God).

• Ruth was making a complete break from her past despite Naomi’s encouragement to do otherwise.

Ruth’s commitment was for life.

Ruth invoked judgment from Israel’s God if she were to break her commitment of loyalty to her mother-in-law.

• Ruth was turning away from idols to serve the living and true God.

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.

• Many changes had taken place in Naomi’s life from the time she left Bethlehem until the time she returned home.

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

Naomi’s grief and depression (verse 13) continued.

Instead of being called Naomi (sweetness or pleasantness) she wanted to be called Mara (bitterness).

• Naomi was sure her problems were all God’s fault.

Naomi was feeling “empty” and depressed.

• Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Introduction:

The Book of Ruth

Introduction to the Book of Ruth

Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab

 

Author unknown (possibly Samuel)

The date of the writing is uncertain (shortly before or during David’s reign.)

The book is named for a Gentile woman. (Ruth and Esther are the only two books in the Bible named for women.

Today’s lesson:

Ruth 1:1-5 NLT
Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab
¹ In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. ² The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.
³ Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. ⁴ The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah (or pa), and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 1:1-5 NLT
Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab

¹ In the days when the judges ruled in Israel,

The story of Ruth took place around 1100 BC

The Judges ruled from the death of Joshua (1376 B.C.) to the beginning of Saul’s reign. (about 1050 BC) 300+ years

Some commentators think that this was during the reign of Gideon others say Jair.

Judges 17:6 NLT
⁶ In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Life in Israel:

Each tribe looked out for its own interests.

Discord existed between the tribes.

Many of the original inhabitants had not been driven out of the area and still maintained control of large tracts of land.

The Israelites were influenced by the idolatry of Canaan and the surrounding countries.

Judges 2:11 NLT
¹¹ The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal.

Judges 3:7 (ditto)

Judges 8:33 (ditto)

Judges 10:6 NLT
The Ammonites Oppress Israel
⁶ Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and no longer served him at all.

God punished His people each time they turned to idols. When they repented, God raised up judges to deliver them. But during times of peace, Israel fell in love with idols again. Notice the cycle that the Israelites kept repeating.
Sin – slavery – sorrow – salvation

• The story of Ruth took place somewhere around 1100 BC when judges ruled in Israel. 

a severe famine came upon the land.

Famines were not uncommon in the ancient world.

God acting in judgement on His sinning people. (?)

Genesis 47:13 NLT
Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine
¹³ Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan.

Famine occurred early in the lives of Abraham (12:10) and Isaac (26:1).
Famine was a devastating catastrophe in an agrarian society.  It was often accompanied by starvation, disease, or war that brought adversity at many levels of society. Famines had far-reaching results in price inflation, robbery, social exploitation, agricultural collapse, migration, and even cannibalism.

• Famines were not uncommon in the ancient world. 

So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home

Main characters:

Elimelech was married to Naomi.

Elimelech and Naomi had two sons, Mahlon and Kilion (A Hebrew family).

Orpah and Ruth were Moabites

Boaz 

Bethlehem (a place where significant events of Biblical history takes place).
5 miles south of Jerusalem

Naomi and Ruth will move back to Bethlehem

Both David and Jesus were born in Bethlehem.

and went to live in the country of Moab,

Elimelech was forced to move his family to a foreign land.

• Elimelech moves his family from Bethlehem in Judah to Moab.

(View this on a map)

The Moabites were the decedents of Lot’s oldest surviving daughter.

Genesis 19:30-36 NLT
Lot and His Daughters
³⁰ Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. ³¹ One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. ³² Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”
³³ So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
³⁴ The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” ³⁵ So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
³⁶ As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 

Moab was the son of the older daughter.

Ben-Ammi was the son of the youngest daughter.

These sons became the founders of the Moabites and the Ammonites, nations that often warred against Israel.

God is amazing and uses WHOEVER He chooses to use! 

taking his wife and two sons with him. ² The man’s name was Elimelech (My God is King), and his wife was Naomi (pleasant). Their two sons were Mahlon (sick) and Kilion (pining). 

They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah.

Inhabitants of Ephrath (Ephratah or Ephratha) another name for Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 NLT
A Ruler from Bethlehem
²  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.

And when they reached Moab, they settled there. 

³ Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons.  

• Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi in a foreign land without a husband. 

Note: In verse one we read, “a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home”. 

Elimelech left his home in Bethlehem because of the famine.  We can assume that he intended to return to Bethlehem after the famine in the land ended.

• We can assume that Elimelech intended to return to Bethlehem after the famine in the land ended.

⁴ The two sons married Moabite women.

Hebrew men marrying Moabite women.

Marrying a Moabite did not violate Mosaic Law, (marrying a Canaanite was forbidden) however marrying foreign women often proved to be unwise (learn a lesson from Solomon).

• Elimelech’s sons marry Moabite women.

One married a woman named Orpah (stubborn), and the other a woman named Ruth friendship). But about ten years later, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion died.

• Both Mahlon and Kilion die leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth without husbands.

Note: Ruth had been barren for years in Moab before her husband Mahlon died.

• God’s sovereignty is jumping off the pages in this story. 

This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

At this point in the story Naomi is sad, discouraged, and without hope, having lost her husband and two sons.

If the family name were to carry on, there had to be an heir.  But having no sons, Naomi was left without hope.   Her Moabitess daughters-in-law offered her no apparent means to an heir.

• At this point in the story Naomi is sad, discouraged, and without hope, having lost her husband and two sons.

We are coming to the end of Genesis.

The end of another era of Biblical history.

A lesson in a lesson.

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Genesis 50:14-26 NLT

The End of Another Era of Biblical History

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

¹⁴ After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. ¹⁵ But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.
¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us ¹⁷ to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. ¹⁸ Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
¹⁹ But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. ²¹ No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
²² So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. ²³ He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.
²⁴ “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.” ²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 50:14-26 NLT

The End of Another Era of Biblical History

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

¹⁴ After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. 

 ¹⁵ But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful.

A lesson in a lesson.

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

• Joseph’s brothers were experiencing feelings of guilt for their sinful behaviors

and

they underestimated the genuineness of Joseph’s forgiveness and affection for them. 

“Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

Had Joseph forgiven his brothers?

The brothers were “guilt-ridden” (consumed with guilt).

The brothers did not feel forgiven.

• Joseph’s brothers did not feel forgiven and expected Joseph to “pay them back” for all the wrong they had done to him.

¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us ¹⁷ to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’

If Jacob, in fact, said this he too underestimated the genuineness of Joseph’s forgiveness and affection for them.

Discuss:
Reconciliation
Forgiveness (is not a feeling)

People often confuse forgiveness with reconciliation, as if they were the same thing. They aren’t. Reconciliation is the final step in the forgiveness process, but it might not happen. Forgiveness can take place without reconciliation taking place. It takes two people to reconcile, but only one to forgive.

Reconciliation – restore broken relationships.

• Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same things.

• Forgiveness is not a feeling.

So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.”

• Joseph’s brothers begged Joseph to forgive their sin.

When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 

Why did Joseph weep?  I believe Joseph wept because his brothers had not experienced the forgiveness he had intended to extend to them.

Forgiveness is
a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. … Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offenses.

Understanding God’s forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 NLT
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Hebrews 8:12 NLT
12 And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins.”

Forgive as God forgave.

Ephesians 4:32 NLT
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

• I believe Joseph wept because his brothers had not experienced the forgiveness he had intended to extend to them.

¹⁸ Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

Genesis 37:5-8 NLT
⁵ One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ⁶ “Listen to this dream,” he said. ⁷ “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
⁸ His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. 

Genesis 44:12-16 NLT
¹² The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! ¹³ When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.
¹⁴ Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. ¹⁵ “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”
¹⁶ Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.” 

• Joseph’s brothers recognized the reality of the relationship (roles) that existed between themselves and their brother.

1 Corinthians 12 – One Body with Many Parts 

¹⁹ But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 

Forgiveness never includes revenge.

Romans 12:19 NLT (17-21)
¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.

• Forgiveness can never include revenge.

²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. 

He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 

Another example of God’s sovereignty.

Esther 4:13-14 NLT
¹³ Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: … ¹⁴ Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

Psalm 139:16 NLT
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

²¹ No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” 

So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. 

• Joseph reassured his brothers that he had forgiven them of their sin against him.

Genesis 45:4-11 NLT
⁴ “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. ⁵ But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. ⁶ This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. ⁸ So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
⁹ “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! ¹⁰ You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. ¹¹ I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’” 

• Joseph recognized God’s role (God’s sovereignty) in the events of his life.

The Death of Joseph

²² So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. ²³ He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim,

Great-great grandchildren

and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.

Great-grandchildren

A sign of God’s blessing.

Psalm 128 NLT
¹ How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways! …
⁵ May the Lord continually bless you …
⁶ May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.

 Proverbs 17:6 NLT
⁶ Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; …

 Proverbs 3:5-6 

• Joseph experienced God’s blessings in his old age.

²⁴ “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

Genesis 17:8 NLT
⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

• Joseph understood the promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.”  

Besides being a physical place (the land of Canaan), the Promised Land is a theological concept. In both the Old and New Testaments, God promised to bless his faithful followers and bring them into a restful place. Faith and faithfulness are the conditions of entering the Promised Land (Hebrews 11:9). 

²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of 110. 

Joseph’s death signified the end of his generation and of the patriarchal age.  From this point forward, God dealt with Israel as a nation. 

The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt. 

Joseph’s body was kept in Egypt as a pledge of hope for the slaves awaiting the Promised Land.

Exodus 13:19 NLT
¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.” 

Joshua 24:32 NLT
³² The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the plot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.

• Joseph’s dying wishes were carried out.

Jacob’s Death and Burial

Genesis 49:29-50:14

We are coming to the end of Genesis.

The end of another era of Biblical history.

Genesis 49:29 – 50:14 NLT
Jacob’s Death and Burial
²⁹ Then Jacob instructed them, “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. ³⁰ This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. ³¹ There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. ³² It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”
³³ When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.
^50:1 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. ² Then Joseph told the physicians who served him to embalm his father’s body; so Jacob was embalmed. ³ The embalming process took the usual forty days. And the Egyptians mourned his death for seventy days.
⁴ When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s advisers and said, “Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. ⁵ Tell him that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, ‘Listen, I am about to die. Take my body back to the land of Canaan, and bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself.’ So please allow me to go and bury my father. After his burial, I will return without delay.”
⁶ Pharaoh agreed to Joseph’s request. “Go and bury your father, as he made you promise,” he said. ⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh’s household, and all the senior officers of Egypt. ⁸ Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. ⁹ A great number of chariots and charioteers accompanied Joseph.
¹⁰ When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn memorial service, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph’s father. ¹¹ The local residents, the Canaanites, watched them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad. Then they renamed that place (which is near the Jordan) Abel-mizraim, for they said, “This is a place of deep mourning for these Egyptians.”
¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them. ¹³ They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
¹⁴ After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 49:29 – 50:14 NLT
Jacob’s Death and Burial

²⁹ Then Jacob instructed them (his sons), “Soon I will die and join my ancestors. Bury me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 

• Jacob instructed his sons to bury him with his father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

Jacob’s request represented hope for the future.

Jacob had made this same request earlier.

Genesis 47:29-30 NLT
²⁹ As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request: Do not bury me in Egypt. ³⁰ When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors.”
So Joseph promised, “I will do as you ask.”

• This is a testimony of Jacob’s understanding and belief in the promises God had made to him as well as to Abraham and Isaac.

Review.

Genesis 23:9 NLT
⁹ … let me (Abraham) buy his cave at Machpelah (Mach pe lah), down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family.”

This is the only land in Canaan owned by Abraham

Abraham paid the full price and became the legal owner.

Hebrews 11:9 NLT
⁹ And even when he (Abraham) reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.

Hebrews 11:13-16 NLT
¹³ All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. ¹⁴ Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. ¹⁵ If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. ¹⁶ But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

Acts 7:5 NLT
⁵ “But God gave him (Abraham) no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet. 

³⁰ This is the cave in the field of Machpelah (Mach pe lah), near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site. ³¹ There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. 

 Abraham and his wife Sarah.
Isaac and his wife Rebekah.
Now Jacob and Leah.

Notice that Jacob mentions Leah, not Rachel.

Genesis 35:18-20 NLT
¹⁸ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). ¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.

• Leah appeared to receive more honor in death than she did in life. 

³² It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites.”

Not in Egypt where he was currently living.

³³ When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.

Genesis 47:28 NLT
²⁸ Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all. 

Jacob’s life had not been easy.

Jacob was both deceptive (with his father) and crafty (with his uncle Laban).

In the end, Jacob died as a man of genuine faith.

Death Is Inevitable

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NLT
A Time for Everything
¹ For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
² A time to be born and a time to die.

Psalm 90:10 NLT
¹⁰ Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.

James 4:14 NLT
¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

Hebrews 9:27 NLT
²⁷  …. each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

• Death Is Inevitable for all of us.

• Scripture recognizes Jacob as a man of faith. (Hebrews 11:21)

Hebrews 11:21 NLT
²¹ It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. 

• Jacob’s death was the end of another era of Biblical history.

^50:1 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.  

² Then Joseph told the physicians who served him to embalm his father’s body; so Jacob was embalmed. ³ The embalming process took the usual forty days.

This appears to be embalming by Egyptian physicians using Egyptian processes.

Usually in Egypt, mummifying was a forty day process, which included gutting the body (the heart was removed not because the ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the center of intelligence, emotions, and feelings), drying it, and wrapping it. (MacArthur) 

• Jacob was embalmed by the physicians who had served him. 

And the Egyptians mourned his death for seventy days.

The period of mourning for a pharaoh was 72 days.

Jacob was obviously a greatly honored man.

Note the details recorded in the Scriptures.

⁴ When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s advisers and said, “Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. ⁵ Tell him that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, ‘Listen, I am about to die. Take my body back to the land of Canaan, and bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself.’ So please allow me to go and bury my father. After his burial, I will return without delay.”

Another brief look at the character of Joseph.

Love and respect for his father.

Respect for authority (the Egyptian government). Romans 13

⁶ Pharaoh agreed to Joseph’s request. “Go and bury your father, as he made you promise,” he said. ⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh’s household, and all the senior officers of Egypt. 

This Egyptian escort was a display of honor and respect for Joseph by the Egyptian dignitaries.

⁸ Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. ⁹ A great number of chariots and charioteers accompanied Joseph.

• This was Joseph’s first time back to his homeland in 39 years.

This journey was made in sorrow to bury a man, the next journey into the land would be to live there.

¹⁰ When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad (At id), near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn memorial service, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph’s father. ¹¹ The local residents, the Canaanites, watched them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad. Then they renamed that place (which is near the Jordan) Abel-mizraim (A bel miz ram), for they said, “This is a place of deep mourning for these Egyptians.”

A place of deep mourning for these Egyptians.

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them. ¹³ They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

• Jacob’s instructions to his sons about his burial had been carried out.

Genesis 46:2-4 NLT
² During the night God spoke to him in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called.
“Here I am,” Jacob replied.
³ “I am God, the God of your father,” the voice said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation. ⁴ I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes.”

God had promised Jacob that Joseph would be with him when he died and Jacob would be brought back to the land of Canaan.

¹⁴ After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial.

Joseph’s second trip to Egypt.

The brother’s fourth trip to Egypt.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 3)

Genesis 49:3-28

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

In the last lesson, we read Jacob’s words to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, and Issachar.

In this lesson, we will read Jacob’s words to Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 3)
Genesis 49:1-2 NLT
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

Genesis 49:16-28 NLT
¹⁶ “Dan will govern his people,
like any other tribe in Israel.
¹⁷ Dan will be a snake beside the road,
a poisonous viper along the path
that bites the horse’s hooves
so its rider is thrown off.
¹⁸ I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!

¹⁹ “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands,
but he will attack them when they retreat.

²⁰ “Asher will dine on rich foods
and produce food fit for kings.

²¹ “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

²² “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,
the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.
²³ Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.
²⁴ But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
²⁵ May the God of your father help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,
and blessings of the watery depths below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb.
²⁶ May my fatherly blessings on you
surpass the blessings of my ancestors,
reaching to the heights of the eternal hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers.

²⁷ “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
devouring his enemies in the morning
and dividing his plunder in the evening.”

 ²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.

 Examine the Scriptures

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 3)
Genesis 49:1-2 NLT (previous lesson)
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

Genesis 49:16-28 NLT

Jacob is telling his sons what would become of them in the days ahead. 

¹⁶ “Dan will govern his people,
like any other tribe in Israel.

Dan was one of Jacob’s 12 sons, he will be the head of one of the 12 tribes.

The name Dan means “judge”.

Dan was called to provide justice.

• In many ways, the tribe of Dan will be like the other tribes of Israel.

But the tribe chose treachery.

¹⁷ Dan will be a snake beside the road,
a poisonous viper along the path
that bites the horse’s hooves
so its rider is thrown off.

This is not a prediction of success and prosperity.

• The tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of the land assigned to them.

Joshua 19:
The Land Given to Dan
⁴⁰ The seventh allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Dan.
⁴¹ The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, ⁴² Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, ⁴³ Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴ Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵ Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, ⁴⁶ Me-jarkon, Rakkon, and the territory across from Joppa.
⁴⁷ But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land, so they attacked the town of Laish.  They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.
⁴⁸ The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages.

Judges 1:34-35 NLT
³⁴ As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them back into the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains. ³⁵ The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves.

Judges 18:27-29
²⁷ Then, …, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. ²⁸ There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob.
Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. ²⁹ They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.

• The tribe of Dan was not known for moral stature or religious faithfulness.

The tribe chose to worship idols.

Judges 18:1-31 tells us that the tribe of Dan turned idolatrous and abandoned God after they entered the Promised Land and moved north.

Judges 18:30-31 NLT
³⁰ Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. ³¹ So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.

1 Kings 12:28-30 NLT
The Northern Tribes Revolt
²⁸ So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
²⁹ He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. ³⁰ But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there. 

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 ¹⁸ I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!

(This follows all we know about Dan)

At this point, Jacob interjects an expression of hope.
“I trust in you, O Lord!)
There are a lot of tough years ahead for the Children of Israel.

Revelation 7:4-8 NLT
⁴ And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
⁵ from Judah                12,000
from Reuben               12,000
from Gad                     12,000
⁶ from Asher                12,000
from Naphtali              12,000
from Manasseh           12,000
⁷ from Simeon*           12,000
from Levi                      12,000
from Issachar              12,000
⁸ from Zebulun            12,000
from Joseph                 12,000
from Benjamin            12,000

(No mention of Dan)

• The tribe of Dan is not mentioned with the 144,000 marked with the seal of God in Revelation 7:4-8.

• Samson known as a judge and deliverer of Israel was from the tribe of Dan.

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 ¹⁹ “Gad will be attacked by marauding bands,
but he will attack them when they retreat.

The name Gad means “attack”.

Tribes located east of the Jordan River were often raided.  This resulted in the development of valiant fighters.

They were all skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows.

1 Chronicles 5:18 NLT
The Tribes East of the Jordan
¹⁸ There were 44,760 capable warriors in the armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were all skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows.

1 Chronicles 12:8 & 14 NLT
⁸ Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains.

¹⁴ These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand!  

• The tribe of Gad was skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows. 

The demise of Gad

2 Kings 10:32-33 NLT
The Death of Jehu (The 11^th king of the separate kingdom of Israel – the Northern kingdom)
³² At about that time the Lord began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country ³³ east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan.

 ********************

 ²⁰ “Asher will dine on rich foods
and produce food fit for kings.

Asher was located on the agriculturally rich coastal region of the Mediterranean Sea.

• The land of Asher was fertile and productive producing rich food. 

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 ²¹ “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

• Naphtali, like a doe, would be a free mountain people.

(The hilly region northwest of the Sea of Galilee.)

 Their lives were not always carefree.

Judges 5:18 NLT
The Song of Deborah
¹⁸ But Zebulun risked his life,
as did Naphtali, on the heights of the battlefield. 

********************

The next blessing is addressed to Joseph but applicable to his two sons.

• Jacob reserved his longest blessing for Joseph, confirming his special standing.

 ²² “Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey,
the foal of a wild donkey at a spring—
one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.

Genesis 49:22 KJV
²² Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

Genesis 49:22 ESV
²² “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
a fruitful bough by a spring;
his branches run over the wall.

Genesis 49:22 NIV
²² “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.

²³ Archers attacked him savagely;
they shot at him and harassed him.
²⁴ But his bow remained taut, – the promise of victory
    and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
²⁵ May the God of your father help you;
may the Almighty bless you
with the blessings of the heavens above,  (rain for crops)
and blessings of the watery depths below, (streams and wells of water)
and blessings of the breasts and womb. (Abundant offspring)
²⁶ May my fatherly blessings on you
surpass the blessings of my ancestors, (Abraham and Isaac)
    reaching to the heights of the eternal hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
who is a prince among his brothers. (A reflection of both his character and position)

1 Chronicles 5 NLT
¹ The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. ² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Samuel was from Ephraim

Gideon was from Manasseh

 ********************

 ²⁷ “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,
devouring his enemies in the morning
and dividing his plunder in the evening.”

A description of a violent tribe.

• The Benjamites were a cruel and violent tribe.

Read Judges Chapters 19 and 20.
The Levite and His Concubine
Israel’s War with Benjamin

• Both Sauls in the Bible were from the tribe of Benjamin.

Both exhibited streaks of cruelty.

Old Testament Saul

1 Samuel 9 NLT
¹ There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. … ² His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.

1 Samuel 19:10 NLT
¹⁰ Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

New Testament Saul

Philippians 3:5 NLT
⁵ I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin …

Acts 8:3 NLT
³ But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

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 ²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message. 

• These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

 

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 2)  Continued in the next lesson.

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

This lesson is not an in-depth study of how these prophecies were all fulfilled.  We will simply see some examples of the fulfillment of these prophecies.

Again, be reminded of the fact that the fulfillment of many of these prophecies did not even begin to take place for 400 years.

Genesis 49:1-2 NLT
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.
Genesis 49:3-28 NLT
³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.
⁴ But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch.
⁵ “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
their weapons are instruments of violence.
⁶ May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.
⁷ A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel.
⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
⁹ Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.
¹¹ He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
¹² His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
¹³ “Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.
¹⁴ “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,
resting between two saddlepacks.
¹⁵ When he sees how good the countryside is
and how pleasant the land,
he will bend his shoulder to the load
and submit himself to hard labor. 

²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message.

Examine the Scriptures
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 2)

Genesis 49:1-2 NLT (previous lesson)
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

Genesis 49:3-28 NLT

• Jacob is telling his sons what would become of them in the days ahead.

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms, but be prepared to be amazed.

• These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

Note the order: (There is no consistent pattern)
The six sons of Leah
The one son of Bilhah
The two sons of Zilpah
The one son of Bilhah
The two sons of Rachel

³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.

Jacob begins by praising Reuben.  As firstborn, Reuben was entitled to be head of the family and to receive a double blessing.

But … 

• As firstborn, Reuben was entitled to be head of the family and to receive a double blessing.

But …

⁴ But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch. 

Genesis 35:22 NLT
²² While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it. 

1 Chronicles 5 NLT
¹ The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. ² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.

• Reuben lost his “leadership rights” and his “double inheritance”

Judges 5:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak.
They followed Barak, rushing into the valley.
But in the tribe of Reuben
there was great indecision.
¹⁶ Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds—
to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks?
Yes, in the tribe of Reuben
there was great indecision.

• The tribe of Reuben was characterized by indecision.

A wavering between two or more possible courses of action.

NOTE: There is very little mention of the tribe of Reuben in the history of Israel.  It did not produce a judge, prophet, military leader, or other important person.

Deuteronomy 33:6 NLT
⁶ Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:
“Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
though they are few in number.” 

********************

⁵ “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;
Simeon and Levi had the same mother (and father).
their weapons are instruments of violence.
⁶ May I never join in their meetings;
may I never be a party to their plans.
For in their anger they murdered men,
and they crippled oxen just for sport.
⁷ A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;
a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.

• Simeon and Levi were men of violence. They were men of uncontrolled anger and fury, with disregard for men and animals.

Genesis 34 NLT
Revenge against Shechem
¹ One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. ² But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. ³ But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. ⁴ He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”
⁵ Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. ⁶ Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. ⁷ Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.
⁸ Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. ⁹ In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. ¹⁰ And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”
¹¹ Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”
¹³ But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! ¹⁵ But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, ¹⁶ then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. ¹⁷ But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”
¹⁸ Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. ¹⁹ Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, ²⁰ and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.
²¹ “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. ²² But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. ²³ But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
²⁴ So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. ²⁵ But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, ²⁶ including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
²⁷ Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. ²⁸ They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. ²⁹ They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.
³⁰ Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”
³¹ “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.

I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;
I will disperse them throughout Israel.

So the tribe of Simeon:

received an allocation within the territory of Judah.
was the smallest tribe in the second census of Moses. (Numbers 26:14)
was omitted from the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:8)

The Levites lived among the other tribes and had no region of their own.

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⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
⁹ Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

A lion symbolizes sovereignty, strength, and courage.

• Jacob predicted a fierce lion-like dominance of Judah over his enemies
  and over his brothers who would praise him.

1 Chronicles 5 NLT
¹ The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. ² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.

Genesis 29:35 Judah is related to the Hebrew term for “praise.”  Judah’s brothers would praise him.

On the march through the wilderness, Judah went first.

They were the first to be allocated land in the Promised Land.

They received 1/3 of the whole land.

In time they became the most powerful and most important tribe.

¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,

Judah’s line included David and Solomon and their dynasty (640 years after this). 

until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.

Revelation 5:5 NLT
⁵ But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Isaiah 11:10 NLT
¹⁰ In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Jesus was the heir to David’s throne.

• Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

¹¹ He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine.
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.

Grapevines and wine will be abundant. (A sign of the prosperity of Judah.)  This is likely a millennial prophecy.

¹² His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk. 

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 ¹³ “Zebulun will settle by the seashore
and will be a harbor for ships;
his borders will extend to Sidon.

The actual settlement spread inland.

The tribe of Zebulun was situated to benefit from the important trade route traveled by sea traders moving through Zebulun’s territory.

Deuteronomy 33:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar:
“May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels.
May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.
¹⁹ They summon the people to the mountain
to offer proper sacrifices there.
They benefit from the riches of the sea
and the hidden treasures in the sand.”

• The tribe of Zebulun was situated to benefit from the important trade route traveled by sea traders moving through Zebulun’s territory. 

******************** 

¹⁴ “Issachar is a sturdy donkey,
resting between two saddlepacks.
¹⁵ When he sees how good the countryside is
and how pleasant the land,
he will bend his shoulder to the load
and submit himself to hard labor.

The tribe of Issachar was an industrious, robust, hardy, and stalwart tribe.

The tribe of Issachar was often subjugated by invading armies.
(Bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.)

Like a strong donkey, the tribe of Issachar would be forced to work for others.

• The tribe of Issachar was an industrious, robust, hardy, and stalwart tribe.
• The tribe of Issachar was often subjugated by invading armies. 

******************** 

²⁸ These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons good-bye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message. 

These prophecies are broad in scope, foretelling the future of the different tribes in general terms.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 1)

Review:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

 I believe this lesson gives parents and teachers a lot to think about.  You do not have to agree with everything I am saying, but please share with me your reason for disagreeing.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons (Part 1)

Genesis 48:21-49:2 NLT
²¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. ²² And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.
² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 48:21-49:7 NLT
²¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. 

Jacob was reminding Joseph that God will be with him.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT (A promise to Joshua)
⁶ So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT (The promise to Joshua repeated to all believers.)

⁵ … For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
⁶ So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”

Jacob was also telling Joseph something that would happen approximately 440 years from this point in time.

• Jacob had matured into a man of faith.

Jacob knew and believed the promise God had made with this father and grandfather.  He remembered and believed his dream at bethel when God had said to him, “The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.” 

• Jacob reminded Joseph of the covenant God had made with him (Jacob), his father (Isaac), and his grandfather (Abraham). 

These words would certainly have been encouraging to Joseph.

²² And beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

The same verse in different translations:

Genesis 48:22 New International Version
²² And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 48:22 Common English Bible
²² I’m giving you one portion more than to your brothers, a portion that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 48:22 English Standard Version
²² Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” 

Jacob’s history does not record any conquest of Amorite land.

This is the only mention of Jacob taking land from the Amorites with his sword and bow.

This verse may be unclear to us.  That’s o.k.

 

What do we know from scripture?  Let’s focus on what we do understand.

Joseph was going to receive something “beyond what Jacob gave to his brothers”.

1. 1. 1. Technically, there is no tribe of Joseph (although the phrase is used in Numbers 13:11, Numbers 36:5, and Revelation 7:8). Instead, Joseph received a “double blessing” when his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each had one of the twelve tribes of Judah named after them.

1. 1. 2. Jacob did purchase property from the children of Hamor (Genesis 33:19) but that was not by conquest.

Genesis 33:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. ¹⁹ Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. ²⁰ And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel. (“God, the God of Israel.”) 

1. 3. Jacob gave Joseph a plot of land near Shechem.

John 4:4-6 NLT
⁴ He had to go through Samaria on the way. ⁵ Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar (near Shechem), near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there …

Joseph was buried at Shechem.

1. 4. Joseph’s bones were buried at Shechem.

Joshua 24:32 NLT
³² The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the plot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph. 

• Joseph received a special blessing from his father Jacob.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
^49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.

• Jacob tells each of his sons what will happen to them in the days to come.

Descriptions of his sons included phrases such as:

Unruly
In their anger they murdered men.
Crippled oxen just for sport.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down – who dares to rouse him.
A sturdy donkey.
 A poisonous viper along the path.
A ravenous wolf devouring his enemies. 

Jacob’s words portrayed the future history of each son, seemingly based on their character up to that time.

“Jacob’s words” might be better stated as God’s prophecy.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

Jacob was God’s spokesman.

I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.

Jacob knew his sons.

Proverbs 20:11 NLT
¹¹ Even children are known by the way they act,
    whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

Matthew 7:15-20 NLT
The Tree and Its Fruit
¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶ You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Predictable outcomes for the behaviors of individuals (and nations).

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NLT
²⁶ “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! ²⁷ You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ²⁸ But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NLT
¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Psalm 37:22 NLT
²² Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.

• Choices have consequences.

Jacob’s words were not limited to the future history of his sons, his words also portrayed, to some degree, the future of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Consequences of parental disobedience.

Children are not punished for the sins of their parents (Deuteronomy 24:16 ¹⁶ “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.) but the children would feel the impact of their parent’s sins as a natural consequence of the parent’s disobedience.  Children reared in such an environment would be influenced to practice similar sins, thus experience punishment for their sins.  The effect of a disobedient generation would take several generations to reverse.

Children are not punished for the sins of their parents, but their lives are affected by the sins of their parents.

Exodus 20:5-6 NLT
⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

Exodus 34:6-7 NLT
⁶ The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
⁷ I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Numbers 14:18 NLT
¹⁸ ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’

Jeremiah 32:18 NLT
¹⁸ You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

A parent tends to greatly influence a child’s belief system, from religion to personal values and habits.

• Parents play a major role in determining a child’s success or failure in life.

Verses we use all the time show that we believe that parents do play a major role in determining a child’s success or failure in life.

Proverbs 22:6 NLT
⁶ Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NLT
⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Psalm 78:4, 6, 7 NLT
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁶ so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷ So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.

Luke 6:40 NLT
⁴⁰ Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

Matthew 10:24 NLT
²⁴ “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 

2 Timothy 1:5 NLT
⁵ I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

• Scripture tells parents to direct their children on to the right path. 

² “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father. 

This is a two-way street.

The parent (Jacob) gives good honest counsel.

The children (sons of Jacob) need to listen and learn.

Proverbs 1:8-9 NLT
⁸ My child, listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
⁹ What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.

Ephesians 6:1-3 NLT
Children and Parents
¹Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ² “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: ³ If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 

• Scripture tells children to honor their parents.

Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim

Genesis 48:8-20 NLT
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
⁸ Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked.
⁹ “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.”
And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.”,br>¹⁰ Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. ¹¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!”
¹² Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. ¹³ Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. ¹⁴ But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. ¹⁵ Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham
and my father, Isaac, walked—
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life, to this very day,
¹⁶ the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm—
may he bless these boys.
May they preserve my name
and the names of Abraham and Isaac.
And may their descendants multiply greatly
throughout the earth.”
¹⁷ But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
²⁰ So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Examine the Scriptures

Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
Genesis 48:8-20 NLT
⁸ Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. “Are these your sons?” he asked.

Who was asking this question?  Jacob the deceiver (and the deceived).

Genesis 27 Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing

Genesis 29 Laban deceives Jacob.

His question was legitimate. (Verse 10 states that Jacob was half blind.)

⁹ “Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are the sons God has given me here in Egypt.” 

• Once again, Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty.
  (this will be addressed again in verses 17-18) 

And Jacob said, “Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them.”
¹⁰ Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see.

Like his father Isaac, Jacob gave this blessing when his eyesight was failing.

Stages of life can generally be predicted. 

So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. ¹¹ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!”

• In the last 17 years of his life, Jacob was blessed in ways he never expected would happen.

God gave Jacob another opportunity to express his love for his family.

Recognize God’s blessings in your life.

¹² Joseph moved the boys, who were at their grandfather’s knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. 

• Joseph, the second in command in Egypt, demonstrated great respect to his father.

Exodus 20:12 NLT
¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 

Joseph’s age and position in life did not stop him from showing honor and respect to his father.

This is a great example of practicing a Biblical principle.

¹³ Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob. With his right hand he directed Ephraim toward Jacob’s left hand, and with his left hand he put Manasseh at Jacob’s right hand. 

When each hand is placed on a different object, the right hand conveys the higher blessing.

• Joseph positioned Manasseh to receive the higher blessing.

¹⁴ But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn.  

¹⁵ Then he blessed Joseph and said,

• When Jacob Blessed Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph was being blessed.

Notice how much Jacob’s faith had grown over his lifetime.

Genesis 47:9 NLT
⁹ Jacob replied, “I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors.”

Notice how Jacob begins this blessing. 

“May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham
and my father, Isaac, walked—

1. 1. Jacob recognized the God of Abraham and Isaac was:

The one true God.

The covenant maker.

the God who has been my shepherd
all my life, to this very day,

1. 2. In hindsight, Jacob recognized God as his lifetime shepherd.

Jacob could have written parts of the 23^rd Psalm.

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.

³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.

¹⁶ the Angel who has redeemed (delivered or saved) me from all harm—

1. 3. Jacob recognized God as the one who delivered him from all harm. 

Psalm 23
⁴ Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.

may he bless these boys.

• Jacob wanted the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God who was his shepherd, and the God who redeemed (delivered) him to bless Manasseh and Ephraim.

Manasseh and Ephraim were being blessed by a man who had matured into a man of faith.

May they preserve my name
and the names of Abraham and Isaac.
And may their descendants multiply greatly
throughout the earth.”

Jacob blessed both sons.

• Jacob’s blessing was in line with the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It’s always right to want God’s will to be done.  (“May your will be done.”)

¹⁷ But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

Since Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see, Joseph may have thought his father mistakenly took Ephraim for Manasseh.

Back at verse 9, I stated that Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty.  Recognizing God’s sovereignty does not mean we always know God will.

• Recognizing that God is sovereign does not mean we know God’s will.

¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied.

Jacob knew what he was doing.

After a lifetime of discipline, Jacob was learning that God’s ways are not man’s ways.  God works differently and sometimes in unconventional ways to fulfill His plans.

Jacob learned that in spite of what man attempted to do God had blessed him, the younger.

• For four consecutive generations the blessing was given to:

Isaac over Ishmael
Jacob over Esau
Joseph over Reuben
Ephraim over Manasseh

“Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

• Manasseh was blessed by Jacob, but Ephraim received a greater blessing.

• The tribe of Ephraim became a leading tribe in the Northern kingdom, much superior to the tribe of Manasseh.

Note: Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim.  Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land.

²⁰ So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

• Jacob intentionally put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Note:

Psalm 78:67-71 NLT
⁶⁷ But he rejected Joseph’s descendants;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
⁶⁸ He chose instead the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loved.
⁶⁹ There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens,
as solid and enduring as the earth.
⁷⁰ He chose his servant David,
calling him from the sheep pens.
⁷¹ He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
God’s own people, Israel.

• Note: Ultimately the tribe of Judah was chosen over the tribe of Ephraim.