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.

Living by faith, not by sight.

Introduction

Jacob was far from perfect.
Jacob made so bad choices in his lifetime, but he is recorded in scripture as a man of faith.

Hebrews 11:2, 21, 39 NLT
² Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
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.
³⁹ All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT
⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. 

Living by faith, not by sight.

Genesis 47:27-48:7 NLT
²⁷ Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. ²⁸ Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all.
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.”
³¹ “Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.
Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
^48:1 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
² When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed.
³ Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. ⁴ He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
⁵ “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.
⁷ “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 47:27-48:7 NLT
²⁷ Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly.  

This is all a part of God’s plan for the people of Israel.

Genesis 15:5 NLT
⁵ Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

• The people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. God’s promises were being fulfilled.

The Israelites had to wait for the fulfillment of the second promise.

Genesis 22:17 NLT
¹⁷ I will certainly bless you (Abraham). I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 

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.”

The time from the promise given to Abram until Jacob comes to Egypt was 220 years.
400 years in Egypt.
40 years in the wilderness.
Nearly 700 years until the Israelites move into Canaan.

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

For seventeen years Jacob witnessed the increase of the Israelite community.  Jacob had a glimpse of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and himself being fulfilled.

• Jacob lived for seventeen years after his arrival in Egypt.

• Jacob saw a glimpse of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and himself being fulfilled.

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:

Jacob wanted to know for sure that Joseph would follow through on his request.
A very solemn oath. A commitment to follow through.
An ancient Near Eastern custom. 

Abraham did the same with one of his servants.

Genesis 24:2 NLT
² One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. 

• Jacob asked Joseph to honor his 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.”

Bury me in the family burial cave in Canaan.

Jacob repeated this request, in more detail, immediately before he died.

Genesis 49:29-32 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. (Sarah – Genesis 23:1-20)(Abraham – Genesis 25:7-10) There Isaac (Genesis 35:27-29) 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.” 

In Canaan – the Promised Land

• It was very important to Jacob that he be buried with his father and grandfather in Canaan. 

So Joseph promised, “I will do as you ask.” 

³¹ “Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.

This request was consistent with God’s will for Jacob.

Genesis 28:15 NLT
¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

• Jacob’s insistence on being buried with his ancestors was a good indication that he had a basic understanding of God’s plans for the Israelites.

Jacob Blesses Manasseh and Ephraim
^48:1 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph, “Your father is failing rapidly.” So Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
² When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” So Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed.
³ Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. ⁴ He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations. And I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’

Jacob remembered and verbalized God’s promise, made to him many years ago. (Before he was married.)

Genesis 28:10-14 & 19 NLT
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
¹⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. ¹¹ At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. ¹² As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.
¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.    …
¹⁹ He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.

• Jacob remembered and verbalized the promises God had made to him.

• Jacob shared the story of God appearing to him at Luz with his son Joseph.

Psalm 78:4, 6-7 NLT
⁴ …
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.

⁵ “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are.   

1 Chronicles 5:1-2 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. 

*More about this in the next lesson.

For now, this means Ephraim and Manasseh will become heads of tribes for the Israelites.

• Jacob granted Rachel’s two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, three tribal territories in Canaan out of love and gratitude for Joseph (and Rachel).

***Jacob gave the birthright to Joseph by elevating Ephraim and Manasseh to the rank of firstborn sons, thus giving a double portion to Joseph.

Joseph received a double portion – two tribes. 

⁶ But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh. 

⁷ “Long ago, as I was returning from Paddan-aram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way, some distance from Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). So with great sorrow I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.”

Jacob’s memories of Rachel must have been vivid in his mind as Jacob claimed Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons.

Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine

A quick glance at this story may lead some to believe that Joseph was taking advantage of the famine to benefit himself.  This is not the case.  Joseph was looking out for the welfare of the people of Egypt and his actions saved the lives of many, many people.

Qualities of a Good Leader.

Genesis 47:13-27 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. ¹⁴ By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury. ¹⁵ When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Our money is gone!” they cried. “But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!”
¹⁶ Joseph replied, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.
¹⁸ But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”
²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. ²¹ As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land.
²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. ²⁴ Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.”
²⁵ “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.” ²⁶ Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh.
²⁷ Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 47:13-26 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. 

Famines were not uncommon in the ancient world.
A famine occurred early in the lives of Abraham (12:10) and Isaac (26:1).
This famine was particularly severe.
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.

• The famine became so severe that people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. 

¹⁴ By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury.  

¹⁵ When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Our money is gone!” they cried. “But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!” 

• The severity of the famine bankrupted the people in Egypt and Canaan.

• The Egyptians came to Joseph for help. 

Joseph was approachable.  The people could come to him.  Joseph listened.

¹⁶ Joseph replied, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food.

In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.

• Joseph came up with a solution that benefited both the people and Pharaoh.

Joseph provided solutions for the problem at hand.

The people would not have been able to provide for their livestock.  The livestock would have starved to death.  The cattle were actually worthless to the people.

¹⁸ But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”

Again the Egyptians came to Joseph for help.

• The people came up with a solution that benefited both the people and Pharaoh.

The people offered themselves and their land. (Again Joseph listened.)

• The Egyptian population understood the deadly nature of famines.

²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh.

Joseph did not have to buy the land.  Pharaoh could have simply confiscated the land.

All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. ²¹ As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other. 

The welfare of slaves is the responsibility of their owner.

²² The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land. 

²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. 

Joseph had implemented a grain ration that saved the people and supplied seed to plant new crops.

• Joseph provided the seed that the people needed to plant the fields. 

Joseph did not withhold something of great value from the people.

²⁴ Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.” 

²⁵ “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”  

• The people recognized and expressed gratitude to Joseph for his wise administration.

 ²⁶ Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. 

Joseph initiated a program that is still in effect today. (taxes)

It is difficult to come up with an “average” tax rate, but for the sake of discussion I will use the following statement that I found on the Internet:
The average single American contributed 29.8% of his earnings to three taxes in 2019—income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security.

Source: How Much Does the Average American Pay in Taxes? By Beverly Bird, review by Ebony J. Howard, Updated November 24, 2020 

Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh. 

²⁷ Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly.

• The people of Egypt survived, but they were in bondage to Pharaoh.

• God blessed Pharaoh because he had blessed the seed of Abraham with the best of Egypt.

• The people of Israel were fruitful and their population grew rapidly.

• For seventeen years Jacob witnessed the increase of the Israelite community. Jacob had a glimpse of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and himself being fulfilled.

Jacob’s Family Arrives in Goshen

Jacob and Joseph reunite.

Genesis 46:28-47:12 NLT
Jacob’s Family Arrives in Goshen
²⁸ As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived there, ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time. ³⁰ Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive.”
³¹ And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s entire family, “I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan. ³² These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’”
³³ Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, ³⁴ you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.”
Genesis 47:1-12 NLT¹
 Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, “My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen.”
² Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. ³ And Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”
They replied, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors. ⁴ We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen.”
⁵ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, ⁶ choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too.”
⁷ Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
⁸ “How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him.
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.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.
¹¹ So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded. ¹² And Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 46:28-47:12 NLT
Jacob’s Family Arrives in Goshen
²⁸ As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen.

Note:  Judah received directions to Goshen, not Pharaoh’s palace.

Joseph’s brothers would set up “camp” in Goshen.

Genesis 45:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”

Judah the 4^th oldest son.

Trusted.

Reuben, the firstborn, violated his father’s concubine, while Simeon and Levi went on to deceive and kill the men of Shechem in revenge for the rape of their sister.

The ancestor of King David and of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 49:10 NLT
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.

Judah interceded for Benjamin.

Judah was far from perfect.

Reckless in his behavior with Tamar
(briefly the wife of two of Judah’s sons who were both killed by God. Genesis 38:6-30)

• Judah is continuing to take on leadership responsibilities.

And when they finally arrived there, ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time. 

Joseph and his father wept.

Joseph is now 39 years old. (22 years had passed since he had seen his father.)

Joseph would live to be 110.

Genesis 37:2 & 14 NLT
² This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 

¹⁴ “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron. 

Genesis 41:46 NLT
⁴⁶ He (Joseph) was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. 

• Jacob and Joseph reunite. 

God’s timing is different than our timing.

³⁰ Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive.”

Die in peace.

Jacob was now 130.  He would live to the age of 147.

1 Chronicles 5:1-2 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.

The birthright (bekorah) has to do with both position and inheritance. By birthright, the firstborn son inherited the leadership of the family and the judicial authority of his father. Deuteronomy 21:17 states that he was also entitled to a double portion of the paternal inheritance.

Genesis 28:13-15 NLT
¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” 

• The reunion between Jacob and his favorite son was a confirmation that God’s promised blessing was intact.

³¹ And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s entire family, “I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan. ³² These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’”

³³ Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, ³⁴ you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’

• Jacob’s family raised livestock all their lives, as their ancestors had done.

When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.”

• The Egyptians despised shepherds.

Genesis 47:1-12 NLT
¹ Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, “My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen.”

² Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. ³ And Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”

They replied, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors. 

The brothers did not do as Joseph had instructed.

^“34 you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’”

Words matter.  (Choose your words carefully.)

⁴ We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen.” 

⁵ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, ⁶ choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen.

And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too.”

“livestock” 

⁷ Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 

The first of two blessings. 

⁸ “How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him.

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.”  

¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.

• Jacob blessed Pharaoh. (A blessing from God.)

Genesis 12:2-3 NLT
² I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. ³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

¹¹ So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded.  

• Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers

Joseph’s family, the Israelites, lived separately from the Egyptians.  This separation would allow the people to grow into a great nation without losing their identity.

Suited for pasture.

The Israelites would run no danger of being absorbed by them so long as they continued to devote themselves to their old pursuits.

• The fact that the Egyptians despised shepherds turned out to be a blessing for the Israelites.

¹² And Joseph provided

“provided” or administered.

food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children.

“reign over”

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. 

• Joseph reigned over his brothers.

Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt

A story with “stunning” news.

Genesis 45:16-28 NLT
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt
¹⁶ The news soon reached Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this.
¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”
¹⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your father here. ²⁰ Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
²¹ So the sons of Jacob did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. ²² And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces of silver. ²³ He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey.
²⁴ So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, “Don’t quarrel about all this along the way!” ²⁵ And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan.
²⁶ “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it. ²⁷ But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived.
²⁸ Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 45:16-28 NLT
Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt

¹⁶ The news soon reached Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have arrived!” Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this. 

¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph,

Pharaoh himself instructed Joseph to have his entire family move to Egypt.

“Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’”

Pharaoh offered Joseph’s family the best land in Egypt. 

¹⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry your little children and your wives, and bring your father here. 

Pharaoh provided wagons (carts) to transport members of Joseph’s family to Egypt.

²⁰ Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

Joseph’s (God’s) role in preparing Egypt for the seven year famine was a direct benefit to his entire family.  Pharaoh’s appreciation of Joseph extended to his entire family.

• God can, and does, use the ungodly to fulfill his plans.

• God can, and does, use the ungodly to bless his chosen people.

²¹ So the sons of Jacob did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. ²² And he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and 300 pieces of silver. ²³ He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey. 

²⁴ So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them, “Don’t quarrel about all this along the way!” 

It was time for the brothers to put their sinful past behind them and enjoy the reunion and reconciliation that had taken place in their lives. 

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 

• Don’t dwell on the past. Rather, look forward to what lies ahead.

How might this apply to us?

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

²⁵ And they left Egypt and returned to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan. 

²⁶ “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it. 

Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it.

Jacob’s state of mind:

Genesis 37:34-35 NLT
³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. ³⁵ His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

Genesis 42:2 NLT
² I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.”

Genesis 42:35
… the brothers and their father were terrified …

Genesis 42:38
… “you would send this grieving, white haired man to his grave. …

I can’t imagine anything more difficult and painful than a parent losing a child.

Having said that.  I do not believe that it was God’s plan for Jacob to live a life consumed by grief and fear. 

“Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it.”

Stunned: So shocked that one is temporarily unable to react. 

Should Jacob have been stunned when God blessed him with the wonderful news?

Genesis 28:13-15 NLT
¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

• We should not be stunned when God blesses us beyond our greatest expectations.

Reflect on the following scriptures.

Psalm 46 NLT
¹ God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
³ Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
⁴ A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
⁵ God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
⁶ The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
⁷ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
⁸ Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
⁹ He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
¹¹ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.  

God always keeps his promises.

Numbers 23:19 NLT
¹⁹ God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

 Psalm 36:5 NLT
⁵ Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Isaiah 25:1 NLT
¹ O Lord, I will honor and praise your name,
for you are my God.
You do such wonderful things!
You planned them long ago,
and now you have accomplished them.

Hebrews 6:18 NLT
¹⁸ So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 

David’s song of praise 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 NLT
⁸ Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
⁹ Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
¹⁰ Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
¹¹ Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
¹² Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
¹³ you children of his servant Israel,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
¹⁴ He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
¹⁵ Remember his covenant forever—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
¹⁶ This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
¹⁷ He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
¹⁸ “I will give you the land of Canaan
as your special possession.”
¹⁹ He said this when you were few in number,
a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
²⁰ They wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
²¹ Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
²² “Do not touch my chosen people,
and do not hurt my prophets.”
²³ Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
²⁴ Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
²⁵ Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
²⁶ The gods of other nations are mere idols,
but the Lord made the heavens!
²⁷ Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and joy fill his dwelling.
²⁸ O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
²⁹ Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
³⁰     Let all the earth tremble before him.
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
³¹ Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
³² Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
³³ Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
³⁵ Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you.”
³⁶ Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting! 

• Don’t be stunned when God does what He says He will do!

• God always keeps his promises.

Psalm 23:1-4 NLT
A psalm of David.
¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
² He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
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.

Hebrews 13:5 NLT
⁵ Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.” 

I will not be stunned when God uses   ___________________ to fulfill his plans. 

Back to today’s text:

²⁷ But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived. 

²⁸ Then Jacob exclaimed, “It must be true! My son Joseph is alive! I must go and see him before I die.”

Genesis 15:13NLT
¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.  

• Jacob’s family moving to Egypt was a part of God’s plan for the children of Israel (Jacob).

Joseph Reveals His Identity

Review:

• • God is gradually preparing Joseph’s brothers to be leaders of his chosen people.
  • God’s testing is having a significant impact on Jacob and his sons.

Lives are being changed.

Genesis 45:1-15 NLT
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. ² Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.
³ “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 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.’”
¹² Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! ¹³ Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” ¹⁴ Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. ¹⁵ Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him. 

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 45:1-15 NLT
Joseph Reveals His Identity

¹ Joseph could stand it no longer.

Moved by Judah’s speech and all of the events leading up to this point, Joseph is unable to control his emotions.

There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers

Joseph would have been 39 years old, and away from his brothers for 22 years.

when he told them who he was. ² Then he broke down and wept.

This was the third of five times Joseph wept over his brothers.

• Reasons for Joseph’s tears:

Genesis 42:21-24 NLT
²¹ Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”
²² “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?” Reuben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. And now we have to answer for his blood!”
²³ Of course, they didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. ²⁴ Now he turned away from them and began to weep. … 

• • Joseph was overcome with emotion when he sensed his brothers’ remorse.

Genesis 43:27-30 NLT
²⁷ After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”
²⁸ “Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.
²⁹ Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Joseph asked. “May God be gracious to you, my son.” ³⁰ Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept. 

• • Joseph was overcome with emotion for the welfare of his father and his brother Benjamin.

This verse (Genesis 45:2)- God’s sovereignty

• • Joseph was overcome with emotion as he experienced God’s sovereignty in the life of his family.

The verse at the end of this passage:

Genesis 45:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. ¹⁵ Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.

Reconciliation  (after decades)

• • Joseph was overcome with emotion as he experienced the reconciliation taking place between him and his brothers.

Genesis 50:14-17 NLT
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
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. 

• • Joseph was overcome with emotion as he witnessed repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
    

He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. 

³ “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?”

Joseph’s love and concern for his dad are evident.

But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 

• The brothers were experiencing amazement and fear.

If Joseph had not been submissive to the sovereignty of God he may have readily had his brothers executed.

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.  

• The process of reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers is coming to a climax. 

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. 

Joseph recognized that God, not his brothers, had sent him to Egypt.

• Joseph saw, understood, and verbalized the sovereignty of God at work throughout this entire process.

***Because of Joseph’s understanding of the sovereignty of God, he was able to forgive his brothers.

• We miss out on so many of God’s blessings when we do not recognize God’s sovereignty at work in our lives.

***Pray that God will help us see, understand, and be able to verbalize his sovereignty at work in our lives.

Genesis 50:20 NLT
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.

⁶ This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 

Conditions will be getting a lot worse.

⁷ God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 

• Joseph understands, at least in part, the Abrahamic covenant and its promise of a nation.

Pray for an understanding of the bigger picture of God’s plan for our lives. 

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.

• God had put Joseph, an Israelite, in the position of governor of Egypt. (God can certainly do similar acts in 2020.)

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. 

The region of Goshen was a fertile region, suited for grazing the herds of Jacob.

Separate from the populated areas in Egypt.

Genesis 46:33-34 NLT
³³ Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, ³⁴ you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds.” 

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.’”

If Joseph’s family did not move to Egypt, they would not survive the famine.

¹² Then Joseph added, “Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! ¹³ Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.” ¹⁴ Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same.  

¹⁵ Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him. 

Genesis 43:34 NLT
³⁴ And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him. 

In Genesis 43 the brothers were drinking freely with the Governor of Egypt.  Here they are talking freely with their brother Joseph. 

• Joseph and his brothers experienced the joy of reconciliation.

Nothing is too hard for God!

Joseph’s Silver Cup

Review:

• God is gradually preparing Joseph’s brothers to be leaders of his chosen people.
• God’s testing is having a significant impact on Jacob and his sons.

Lives are being changed.

Genesis 44:1-34 NLT
Joseph’s Silver Cup
¹ When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack. ² Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.
³ The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys. ⁴ But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil? ⁵ Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”
⁶ When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.
⁷ “What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing! ⁸ Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”
¹⁰ “That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”
¹¹ They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 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.”
¹⁷ “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”
Judah Speaks for His Brothers
¹⁸ Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.
¹⁹ “My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ ²⁰ And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’
²¹ “And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’ ²² But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’ ²³ But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’
²⁴ “So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. ²⁵ Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’ ²⁶ we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
²⁷ “Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons, ²⁸ and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. ²⁹ Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.’
³⁰ “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. ³¹ If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ³² My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’
³³ “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. ³⁴ For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 44:1-17 NLT
Joseph’s Silver Cup
¹ When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack. ² Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

The testing continues.

Joseph (God) was testing the brothers’ concern for both Benjamin and Jacob.

• If Joseph’s brothers failed to demonstrate a concern for Benjamin (and Jacob) they would not be the kind of men God wanted as leaders for His chosen people.

Deuteronomy 11:27-28 NLT
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.

Exodus 32:7-10 NLT
⁷ The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. ⁸ How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
⁹ Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

³ The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys. ⁴ But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. 

When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil? ⁵ Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future?

“My master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future.”

Verse 15: “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

In the Egyptian culture, Egyptian viziers practiced divination or hydromancy.  This cup would have been used in the process of pouring water into oil, interpreting the results, predicting the future, and passing new revelations on to the Pharaoh.

Joseph was continuing his ruse, he knew that only God grants revelation.

• The silver cup found in Benjamin’s sack would have been extremely valuable to an Egyptian vizier.

Without this cup, the vizier could have felt handicapped in performing his duties. 

What a wicked thing you have done!’” 

The testing would be reaching a climax. 

⁶ When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

 ⁷ “What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing! ⁸ Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die.

This may be a foolish statement to make, but it was normal at this time to stake your life on what you said.

• For a moment, the brothers were feeling confident and believed they were making things right with Joseph.

Genesis 43:34 NLT
³⁴ And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.” 

¹⁰ “That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.” 

¹¹ They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. ¹² The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest.

They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.

The palace manager created tension by starting with the oldest and ending with Benjamin, knowing the silver cup was in Benjamin’s sack.

And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! ¹³ When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. 

• In an instant, the brother’s confidence and hopes were crushed.

The brothers were experiencing despair similar to the despair Jacob experienced.  A feeling that “all was lost”.

Genesis 37:31-34 NLT
³¹ Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. ³² They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”
³³ Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. 

This would be a “new” feeling for the brothers.  They were beginning to “care”.

This was certainly a roller coaster experience for the brothers, but the brothers were “passing” the test. 

• The tearing of one’s clothes is an ancient tradition among the Jews, and it is associated with mourning, grief, and loss. 

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. 

They did not just bow politely,

They fell to the ground before him. This could be an indication of true remorse.

(Joseph’s dreams)

• The brothers appeared to be demonstrating genuine remorse. 

¹⁵ “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

The ruse continues.

Joseph was still disguising himself as an Egyptian official.

¹⁶ Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence?

Judah (not Reuben, the firstborn) was once again the spokesperson for the brothers.

God is punishing us for our sins.

Judah recognizes the hand of God in these events.

Hebrews 12:11 NLT
¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

• God is working in the lives of Joseph’s brothers and they are responding in a positive way. 

My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

• Judah is recognizing and confessing the sins of all of the brothers.

¹⁷ “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”

The testing continues.

Joseph is giving the brothers an “out”.  He is letting them “off the hook”.

If the brothers take Joseph up on this offer, they would be failing the test.

• Joseph gives the brothers “an out”.

Judah Speaks for His Brothers
¹⁸ Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.
¹⁹ “My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ ²⁰ And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’
²¹ “And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’ ²² But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’ ²³ But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’
²⁴ “So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. ²⁵ Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’ ²⁶ we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
²⁷ “Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons, ²⁸ and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. ²⁹ Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.’
³⁰ “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. ³¹ If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ³² My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’
³³ “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. ³⁴ For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

Judah interceded for Benjamin with a lengthy plea to Joseph, offering to be imprisoned in the place of his younger brother.

This plea clearly demonstrated his concern for his father who would surely die if Benjamin did not return home.

• The brothers demonstrated a genuine concern for their father and their younger brother, Benjamin. 

 

Notes on Judah:

Genesis 49:8-10 NLT
⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
All your relatives will bow before you.
⁹ …
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.

1 Chronicles 5:2 NLT
² The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation …

Judah is included in the lists of the ancestors of Jesus found in Matthew 1 and Luke 3.

The Brothers Return to Egypt

Review:

Points from the previous lesson.

• • The sense of divine retribution is beginning to awaken feelings of remorse in the brothers that they had not experienced up to this time.

• • God is convicting the brothers of their unconfessed sin.

• • Jacob is holding his sons accountable for the loss of Joseph and Simeon.

• • God is preparing Joseph’s brothers to be leaders of his chosen people.

These points continue through today’s lesson.

Genesis 43:1-18 NLT
The Brothers Return to Egypt
43 But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. ² When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
³ But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ ⁴ If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. ⁵ But if you don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
⁶ “Why were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?”
⁷ “The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
⁸ Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones. ⁹ I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. ¹⁰ If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”
¹¹ So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. ¹² Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake. ¹³ Then take your brother, and go back to the man. ¹⁴ May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”
¹⁵ So the men packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.” ¹⁷ So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.
¹⁸ The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 43:1-18 NLT
The Brothers Return to Egypt
¹ But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. 

The famine continued to ravage the land.  Jacob’s family would soon be facing starvation. 

² When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

Jacob was unable, on his own, to provide food for his family.

• God’s testing included Jacob.

³ But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ 

Joseph’s warning was taken seriously.

⁴ If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. ⁵ But if you don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’” 

⁶ “Why were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?”

• Jacob is holding his sons accountable for the loss of Joseph and Simeon, and now the potential loss of Benjamin.

Dissension continues to exist between Jacob and (most of) his sons. 

⁷ “The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?” 

• The brothers are now trying to pass the blame on to “the man”. (Sound familiar?) 

⁸ Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise, we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones. 

The famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.

• Starvation for Jacob’s family was a reality. 

⁹ I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. ¹⁰ If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”

Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, steps up to bat. (not Reuben)

Jacob had not agreed to let Benjamin travel with Reuben.

Genesis 42:37-38 NLT
³⁷ Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”
³⁸ But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.”

Judah was the brother who came up with the plan to sell Joseph, when the other brothers, except Ruben, were planning to let Joseph die in the cistern in the wilderness.

Genesis 37:26-27 NLT
²⁶ Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. ²⁷ Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed.

Judah was willing to take the blame if Benjamin were not returned.

Here in chapter 43 and also in chapter 44, we see Judah’s character maturing.

• God’s testing is having a positive effect on Judah. (More about Judah in chapter 44.)

¹¹ So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 

Apparently, these items were not available in Egypt.

¹² Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake. ¹³ Then take your brother, and go back to the man. 

Jacob was doing what he could to save Simeon and Benjamin.  (Bribe the Egyptian governor.)

• Jacob resigned himself to the possibility of now losing his son Benjamin.

¹⁴ May God Almighty 

God Almighty – (Hebrew El-Shaddai) This name for God emphasizes His power.

Genesis 28:1-4 NLT
¹ So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. ² Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. ³ May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! ⁴ May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.” 

Genesis 35:11-12 NLT
¹¹ Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! ¹² And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.”

Jacob appears to be putting some trust in God. (In case the bribe doesn’t pay off.)

• God’s testing is having a significant impact on Jacob.

give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. 

But if I must lose my children, so be it.”

• Jacob knew that the events going on around him were completely out of his control. 

¹⁵ So the men packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon.

The feast was both a celebration and a test.

Joseph had to feel good about the fact Benjamin was alive and well.

Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.” ¹⁷ So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace. 

¹⁸ The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house.

• The brothers were terrified (again).

Genesis 42:28
²⁸ “Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?” 

Genesis 42:35
³⁵ As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man’s sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money. 

• The brothers were not seeing any good coming from the Egyptian governor’s invitation.

“It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

• The brothers’ guilt was overwhelming.

Numbers 32:23 NLT
²³ … and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.

Jeremiah 16:17 NLT
¹⁷ I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me.

Luke 12:2 NLT
² The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.

• You may be sure that your sin will find you out.