Daily reading

Today’s reading is: Gen. 47:28-50:26

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Genesis Chapter Forty-Seven

(Outline continues from yesterday)

  1. Israel and the Sons of Israel prospered under Joseph’s rule for the remaining 17 years of Israel’s life (Gen. 47:27-31).
    1. Whereas the Egyptians were moved from lands to cities, in their service to Pharaoh, Israel prospered in their own land of Goshen (vv.27,28).
    2. Israel charged Joseph with burying him in the land of promise (vv.29-31).

Genesis Chapter Forty-Eight

  1. Jacob’s terminal illness worsens, and Joseph takes the opportunity to present Manasseh and Ephraim to their grandfather (Gen. 48:1,2,9-11).
  2. Jacob reviews the Abrahamic Covenant for Joseph, and then adopts Manasseh and Ephraim as his own sons with equal standing to Reuben, Simeon, and the other Tribes of Israel (Gen. 48:3-6).
    1. Thus, Joseph is blessed with double portion, the blessing normally reserved for the firstborn (Gen. 48:22; 1st Chr. 5:1,2).
    2. All of Joseph’s subsequent children are considered Ephraimites or Manassites, and do not have their own Tribe within Israel (Gen. 48:6).
  3. Israel blessed the sons of Joseph, and exalted the younger over the older (Gen. 48:13-20).
  4. Israel prophetically teaches that God would deliver his sons back to the land of Canaan, and he blesses Joseph with an extra portion of land (Gen. 48:21,22).
    1. This is the only reference to a military conflict by Jacob against the Amorites. Possibly the reference is to Simeon and Levi’s deeds at Shechem (Gen. 34).
    2. The word for “portion” is a wordplay on the name of the town Shechem. שְׁכֶם shekem #7926: shoulder cp. #7927: Shechem.
    3. Joseph will later be buried in Shechem, and this territory was bequeathed to Joseph’s sons (Josh. 24:32; John 4:5,6).

Genesis Chapter Forty-Nine

  1. Following the special blessing of Joseph, Israel delivers twelve prophetic blessings upon his twelve sons.
  2. The twelve patriarchs are summoned and commanded to assemble themselves for prophetic messages of the end of days (Gen. 49:1).
  3. Judah is the first of two focal points in these prophetic messages.
    1. Judah is eternally promised the scepter, and the coming of Shiloh (the Messiah; Shiloh, like Solomon, from Shalom, meaning peace) (Gen. 49:10).
    2. Although Joseph will be granted the birthright aspect of “double portion,” Judah is the tribe that is granted the birthright aspect of “rulership” (1st Chr. 5:1,2).
    3. Judah is promised the praise from his brothers, and victory over his enemies.  Judah will be noted for their military achievements, both under David, and under the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 5:5).
  4. Dan has a Satanic inference, with its comparison to a serpent (Gen. 49:17).
    1. Dan instituted an alternative priesthood (Judg. 18).
    2. The Tribulational False Prophet (beast from the earth, Rev. 13:11) likely is a jew from the tribe of Dan.  Dan is omitted from the Divine protection of the sealed remnant of 144,000 (Rev. 7:4-8), but still has a millennial land grant (Ezek. 48:1,32).
  5. Joseph is the second focus of the chapter (Gen. 49:22-26).
    1. Joseph’s future fruitfulness is seen by the booming populations of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim.
      1. In Num. 1, the total population of Ephraim and Manasseh (i.e., the tribe of Joseph) is 75,900,* compared to the 74,600* of the next largest tribe, Judah.
      2. In Numbers 26, their total population was 85,200* while Judah’s was 76,500.* Jacob prophesied that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would “grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Gen. 48:16).

        * these numbers are all NASB numbers, and should all likely be much lower. A full explanation of this will be made in the Numbers portion of this series.
    2. The promise of blessings is seen in both tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
      1. Manasseh had the largest territory of any tribe, and extended its boundaries on either side of the Jordan river.
      2. Ephraim became so prominent, that in many of the later prophets, the northern ten tribes of Israel are referred to as Ephraim (Hos. 11:3; 12:1; Jer. 31:9,20).
  6. Benjamin
    1. Benjamin the wolf is prophetically noted for his vicious, warlike nature.
    2. This prophecy is fulfilled in such examples as the Judge, Ehud (Judg. 3:12-30), King Saul (1st Sam. 9:21; 11:1-11; 14:47b), Prince Jonathan (1st Sam. 14), Esther & Mordecai (fighting for their people) (Est. 2:5), and Saul of Tarsus (Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5; Gal. 1:13; Acts 8:3; 9:1,2; 22:4; 26:9-10).
  7. Israel’s last living action was to charge his sons with burying him in the Cave of Machpelah (Gen. 49:28-33).

Genesis Chapter Fifty

  1. Joseph and his brothers faithfully fulfill their charge in burying Jacob in Machpelah (Gen. 50:1-14).
    1. Jacob was mummified and mourned by the Egyptians for 70 days (v.3).
    2. Jacob was transported to Machpelah with a significant Egyptian guard of honor (v. 9).
    3. Canaanite observation of Egyptian activity is important here (v.11), but will be more important later (Ex. 15:14,15).
  2. Joseph’s brothers grow fearful of Joseph’s revenge, and this becomes yet another opportunity for Joseph to teach a Bible class on the Will of God, and forgiveness (Gen. 50:15-21).
    1. The brothers’ fear of murder motivates their lie to Joseph (vv.15-18).
    2. Joseph teaches them the principles of vengeance (v19), God’s overruling will (v.20), and God’s logistical grace supply (v.21).
  3. At Joseph’s death, he charges the Sons of Israel to carry his bones out of Egypt when God delivers them back to their own land (Gen. 50:22-26).