Daily reading

Today’s reading is: Gen. 45:16-47:27

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Genesis Chapter Forty-Five

(Outline continues from yesterday)

  1. Pharaoh rejoices with Joseph’s rejoicing, and eagerly provides for Joseph’s family to relocate to Egypt (Gen. 45:16-23).
  2. The brothers return to Canaan and share the good news with their father (Gen. 45:24-28).
    1. The good news is sufficient to revive Jacob’s soul (v.27).
    2. The revival of soul reminds Jacob that he truly is Israel (v.28).

Genesis Chapter Forty-Six

  1. Israel set out to sojourn in the land of Egypt, after determining that the move was according to the will of God (Gen. 46:1-7).
    1. He offered sacrifices at Beersheba, a prominent place in Isaac’s spiritual life (v.1; Gen. 26:32,33).
    2. The assurance that the Lord offered matched the prophetic vision He had previously given to Abraham (vv.2-4; Gen. 15:12-16).
    3. Jacob and the entire nation of Israel (67 men* including Jacob, v.26) migrated to Egypt (vv.5-7).
      * there were also an uncounted number of women beyond sister Serah (Gen. 46:17). Joseph, Manasseh & Ephraim make the number 70.
  2. The Seventy who Descended (Gen. 46:8-27). Ariel Commentary on Genesis is excellent here.
    1. At the time of the Eisodus, Jacob is 130 years old (Gen. 47:9), and Joseph is 39 (Gen. 41:46, plus 9 years).  Jacob’s ten older sons, Reuben through Zebulun are therefore 40-46 years old, and Benjamin is 23-25 years old.
    2. Moses records the Sons of Israel by their tribes and families as they enter into Egypt, and will do so again when they depart (Num. 26:5ff.).
    3. 70 is a significant number in Biblical numerology.
      1. The nations of the earth are divided into 70 divisions (Gen. 10; Dt. 32:8).
      2. The families of Israel are divided into 70 divisions (Num. 26:5ff.).  Consequently, Israel has a body of 70 elders (Ex. 24:1,9; Num. 11:16,24,25).
      3. The Lord will appoint 70 disciples to go forth and preach the gospel (Lk. 10:1-17).
    4. Some scholars are skeptical that all 70 listed here are actually alive at this time, but the Scripture record is consistent (Dt. 10:22). How was 25 year old Benjamin the father of ten children?
  3. Judah lead the tribes into Goshen, where Joseph was reunited with Israel (Gen. 46:28-34).
    1. Judah exercises leadership once again, and will shortly be prophesied over concerning the rulership of the nation (Gen. 49:8-12).
    2. Joseph recommends a course of action for his father and brothers to follow when they are presented before Pharaoh (vv.31-34).  His advice: stress livestock, downplay sheep.

Genesis Chapter Forty-Seven

  1. Joseph presents his brothers and father before Pharaoh (Gen. 47:1-10).
    1. The brothers followed Joseph’s advice poorly, stressing their flocks rather than their herds, and Pharaoh granted them the land of Goshen to settle in (vv.3,4).
    2. Pharaoh provided beyond what they could ask or think, and offered them positions in his own house, to care for his own livestock (vv.5,6).
    3. Jacob blessed Pharaoh upon his arrival, and at his departure (vv.7,10).
    4. Jacob confesses that his sojourn has been 130 “few and unpleasant” years (Gen. 47:8,9).
  2. Joseph settles his family in the land of Goshen/Ramses (Gen. 47:11,12).

    The Septuagint identifies Goshen with Pithom, which is identified today with Tell er-Ratabeh in Wadi Thumeilat. The Bible also refers to the land of Goshen as the ‘land of Rameses’ (Gen. 47:11), which was the later name for Zoan (Tanis), to the north. Egyptian sources also mention the granting of grazing rights in the region of Pithom.
    —The archaeological encyclopedia of the Holy Lands / Avraham Negev.
  1. Joseph purchased all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh’s private ownership, and the Egyptian people’s feudal working (Gen. 47:13-26).
    1. As the famine was prolonged, the Egyptian people no longer had money to purchase grain (vv.14,15).
    2. Livestock became the medium for exchange until Joseph possessed all the livestock of Egypt (vv.16,17).
    3. Land became the medium for exchange until Joseph possessed all the land of Egypt (vv.18,19).

      It is recognized that for some reason during the reign of Sesostris III (1878–1843 b.c.) the provincial nobles were shorn of their traditional rights and privileges and the provinces became administered by appointed officials (Williams C. Hayes, “The Middle Kingdom in Egypt,” CAH, rev. ed., fasc. 3, pp. 44 f.).
      —Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia
    4. Joseph humbly exercised all his stewardship in Pharaoh’s name (vv.20-26).

(Chapter Forty-Seven continues tomorrow)