Genesis 49:3-4 Jacob's Blessing: Reuben

"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.  Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it." (Genesis 49:3-4 NIV)
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As Jacob's firstborn, Reuben had every advantage going for him.  He would be preeminent over his brothers and they would be subservient to him.  He would not only be the future leader of the family, but would likely be the one who would have spiritual authority as well.  The covenant blessings had been passed from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and would probably have been passed on to him.

I say 'would have been', because Reuben would no longer excel in these matters.  His premature attempt to grab for preeminence by sleeping with his father's wife Bilhah had been a selfish and shocking attempt to grab power which was not yet his to own.  His actions were obviously very much the opposite of honoring his father.  Although it may have seemed that Reuben had not suffered any repercussions, that he had gotten away with this sin up until this point, it now becomes evident that it had cost him everything.

I think it is interesting that Jacob calls Reuben 'turbulent as the waters'(v.4).  Some interpret this as 'indecisive', as in Judges 5:15-16, where Reuben's tribe hesitates instead of coming to the aid of their brethren.  I think it goes deeper than that, though.  It seems to be a generally unsettled,  double-mindedness.  As the New Testament book of James notes, a double-minded man is unstable in all he does. (James 1:8)

The 'turbulent waters' image reminds me also of Jude 1:23, where the ungodly are pictured as "...wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame...".  It is interesting that in that chapter, the consequences of immorality and sexual sins are prominent.

At any rate, after his sin with Bilhah, Reuben's efforts at leadership are always a dismal failure.  See Genesis 37:21-22 and then 37:29-30 for Reuben's unsuccessful attempt to help Joseph, or his failure to convince his father that he can be entrusted with Benjamin's safety in Genesis 42:37-38.

It is not that Reuben cannot be forgiven.  If he sincerely repented, God would forgive him.  However, sometimes there are results from sin which have lasting consequences, almost like deep scars from a severe injury.

There is no mention of a blessing here for Reuben.  Instead, we are left with a sad sense of what might have been.  Of course, Reuben, like each of Jacob's sons, will share in the covenant blessings promised to Abraham and his descendants.  That is a significant blessing in itself.  So it is not as though God has given up on Reuben or his future tribe.  However, it is difficult to come up with any significant bible figure from that tribe.  I can't think of any leader, prophet, or even a person of particular godly influence from Reuben's descendants who is mentioned in the Bible.  I am sure that there must have been individuals from that tribe who were godly and were used by God.  However, it does seem that Reuben's sin had some type of effect upon his descendants.

Let me be clear here.  I am not saying that Reuben ruined it for all his descendants, or that no godly person came from that tribe.  It is not as though a curse was placed upon them or anything.  However, there was seemingly some type of lasting result of his actions.

Perhaps what bothers me is that we are never really told that Reuben repented of his sin.  There is no mention of him apologizing to his father, or confessing his sin to God.  He may have done so, and it was not mentioned, but that seems strange.  Unconfessed sins could have that kind of dampening effect upon Reuben himself spiritually, and, as a consequence, upon his descendants, I suppose.  Any thoughts?

When we deal with Jacob's next sons, Simeon and Levi, we will continue this discussion, for it is interesting to see what happens in their lives.  They, too, committed some serious sins.  Yet one of them goes on to have a significant place in God's plan.  

Genesis 49: Jacob's Blessing: Overview

After speaking with Joseph and adopting Joseph's two sons as his own, it is time for Jacob to summon the rest of his sons so that he may give them his final blessing and instructions.  The entire chapter is taken up with these two aspects.  I have been looking forward to getting to this point, because it is fascinating to me to study in greater detail the message Jacob gives to each of his sons.

First of all, Jacob is given a prophetic message for his sons, and for the tribes which would come from them in the future.  This is part of the fascination that this chapter holds for me -- that God would reveal to Jacob things which he could not possibly know on his own.  In itself, this is another evidence of the reliability of the Bible/Torah.

Secondly, it is good to see that Jacob has a word for each of his sons.  Although Joseph and Benjamin have been favorites of his because of the fact that their mother was his favorite wife, Rachel, Jacob here takes the time to speak individually with each of his sons:

"Then Jacob called for his sons and said, 'Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.  Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.' "  (Genesis 49:1-2 NIV)

It may be noted that the blessing (v.2-27) is the longest poem in the book of Genesis, according to the NIV Study Bible.

Genesis 48:17-22 Ephraim Given Preference

While his father Jacob was blessing Joseph's sons, he purposely placed his right hand upon Ephraim's (the younger son's) head instead of upon the head of Manasseh, the eldest son.  Joseph thought it was a mistake, and immediately moved to correct the situation:

"When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.  Joseph said to him, 'No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.'  But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know.  He too will become great.  Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.'  He blessed them that day and said,

"In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing:

'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' "

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.  (Genesis 48:17-20 NIV)

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A similar thing had occurred in Jacob/Israel's own life.  Although his twin brother Esau was the firstborn, God had indicated to his mother Rebekah that the older son would serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)  This prophecy was probably the main reason why Rebekah conspired with her son Jacob to confer the blessing of the firstborn upon Jacob.  Although God had indicated that Jacob would eventually have first place in the family, Rebekah and Jacob's actions were sinful and deceptive and ended up causing a lot of heartache.  Instead, they should have waited for God to bring about His plan for Jacob's positioning in His own time.

The current situation is different, though.  There is no deception.  Apparently, God has revealed to Jacob that Ephraim will have a superior place to Manasseh, even though he was born after Manasseh.  So Jacob insists upon continuing in the manner in which he started to bless the boys.

The following quote from the NIV Study Bible note on Genesis 25:23 is concise and instructive:  "The ancient law of primogeniture...provided that, under ordinary circumstances, the younger of two sons would be subservient to the older.  God's election of the younger son highlights the fact that God's people are the product not of natural or worldly development but of his sovereign intervention in human affairs."  The note goes on to remind us that God does not intervene in an arbitrary way, but according to His perfect will.

This is a good place for this discussion to take place, for I was struggling to express the fact that, although the firstborn is usually blessed with the greater position in the family and with a greater portion of his father's worldly goods, the treasure which was being passed down in Abraham's family line was not only the usual inheritance, but a particular spiritual blessing -- the covenant which God had made with Abraham.  So while Jacob is blessing his grandsons, his language hints that through their line this covenant blessing will continue. For example, Ephraim's "descendants will become a group of nations'' (v.19).  This echoes some of God's promises to Abraham.  However, note that Manasseh will also become a people and become great.  So Manasseh is not being left out, or cheated of anything.  He, too, shares in the covenant inheritance.  It is just that God will have greater purposes for Ephraim, according to His will, and in order to accomplish His own goals.

Of course, if Ephraim is going to be preeminent over his brother, we might wonder what will become of Joseph and his eleven other brothers.  In the next verse, Genesis 48:21, Jacob comes right out and tells him plainly:  Joseph will be preeminent over his brothers:

"Then Israel said to Joseph, 'I am about to die,

but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.

And to you, as one who is over your brothers,

I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.' "

Genesis 48:21-22 NIV 

Genesis 48:12-16 Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

""Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.  And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right towards Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him."  (Genesis 48:12-13 NIV)

Joseph bows respectfully before his father and then brings his sons towards Israel to have him bless them.  He even arranges them so that the eldest son, Manasseh, will be positioned correctly to receive a firstborn's blessing.  [Actually, Joseph or one of his 11 brothers will be receiving this passing on of the firstborn's blessing soon when Israel gathers his sons to give them his final words.  However, it seems that Joseph expected some greater honor or blessing for Manasseh as the firstborn of his sons, so he carefully positions him so that there will be no confusion on the part of his aged and nearly blind father (v.10).  I wonder if somewhere in Joseph's mind he was also thinking back upon events in his own family's history, when his father deceitfully stole his twin brother Esau's blessing from his father Isaac?  There would be no mistakes this time.

However, the purposes of God are always accomplished in the end, despite our careful attempts at controlling our circumstances.  For Jacob has a different goal in mind:

"But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn." (Genesis 48:14 NIV)

Things are starting to get interesting here.  Why is Jacob doing this?  Knowing the years of turmoil which his own manipulations of his father's blessing brought upon himself and his family [for after Jacob fled to his uncle Laban's home from his brother Esau's wrath, he never saw his mother again, and was not reconciled with his brother until years afterwards, and that rather incompletely], why would Jacob 'mess' with the proper order of such blessings?!

Jacob continues:

"Then he blessed Joseph and said, 

'May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

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

the Angel who has delivered me from all harm

--may he bless these boys.

May they be called by my name

and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

and may they increase greatly upon the earth.' "

Genesis 48:15-16 NIV

It is worth noting that Jacob calls God his shepherd.(v.15)  This is appropriate, because the family keeps flocks and this presents a very visual image of the care and effort which God has taken in Jacob/Israel's own life.  In the culture of the ancient Near East, the image of the king as a shepherd caring for his people was well known.  Jacob will call upon this metaphor again when he is blessing his twelve sons in the next chapter of Genesis (49:24).

Israel then refers to God as 'the Angel'.  This can be a bit confusing.  Why call God an angel?  I think that I need to do a whole post on that subject, but just for now let's remember that Jacob has seen this angel-man-God before several times and has referred to him as God. [See Genesis 28:10-22, Genesis 32:22-30, Genesis 46:1-4, etc.]  Even in the poetic style of the above blessing, Jacob equates 'the God before whom my fathers Abraham  and Isaac walked' with 'the God who has been my shepherd all my life' with 'the Angel who has delivered me from all harm'.  These are all just different ways of describing the same God who has cared for Jacob/Israel all his life. 

Genesis 48:8-11 Grateful Grandfather

"When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, 'Who are these?'

'They are the sons God has given me here,' Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, 'Bring them to me so I may bless them.'
 
Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.  So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.  Israel said to Joseph, 'I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.' "  (Genesis 48:8-11 NIV)
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At first, Jacob does not appear to recognize his own grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh.  Certainly this is not the first time he is meeting them, for Jacob lived about seventeen years in Egypt with Joseph before his death, and even if Joseph was busy with his work for the Pharaoh, he would have made time to have his sons meet their grandfather long before this.  The text reveals that his vision was failing because of old age (v.10), so that is probably why he questions the identity of these young people who are accompanying Joseph.

Jacob is one grateful grandfather.  At one time, he had given up hope of ever seeing Joseph again, yet here he is, able to enjoy being with his grandsons as well.

Genesis 48:5-7 Jacob Adopts Joseph's Sons

"Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.  Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.  As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath.  So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem)." (Genesis 48:5-7 NIV)

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As I mentioned at the end of the previous post, Jacob announces that he will adopt Joseph's two sons as his own.  Then he goes on to speak about Rachel's death and burial.  Although this may seem like just the ramblings of an old man as he thinks back over his life, the two items are connected:

Jacob's beloved wife Rachel had died after producing only two sons, Joseph and Benjamin.  Jacob no doubt believed that had Rachel lived, she would have had the opportunity to give him more sons.  His adoption of Joseph's two sons would somewhat alleviate that loss, particularly since Joseph was Rachel's son.  Joseph's two sons would have equal status with Jacob's sons, Reuben and Simeon.

[Spoiler note:  Actually, because Reuben is disqualified for the right of the firstborn because of his sin of sleeping with his father's wife, Bilhah, Joseph (and thus eventually his sons Ephraim and Manasseh after him) would take that place and therefore even supercede Reuben and Simeon.  Simeon and Levi, the next two sons in line, had been disqualified because of their deception and violence in dealing with the men of Shechem.  More on this later, in chapter 49, when Jacob gives his final words to his sons.]

We will continue to discuss this adoption process in the next post.  Remember how, long ago, Jacob stole his own brother Esau's blessing?  Now there is going to be another firstborn's status upset, but this time the event seems to be according to God's directing of Jacob's actions.

Genesis 48:1-7 Jacob's Private Talk with Joseph

Genesis chapters 48 and 49 give an account of Jacob's final words and instructions to his sons.   First, he apparently had a private talk with Joseph, for in chapter 48, Jacob is speaking with Joseph and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, while the beginning of chapter 49 states that Jacob called all his sons together for his final words to them.

"Some time later Joseph was told, 'Your father is ill.'  So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.  When Jacob was told, 'Your son Joseph has come to you,' Jacob rallied his strength and sat up on the bed."  (Genesis 48:1-2 NIV)

When Joseph was told that his father was ill, he must have figured that Jacob's last days were near, for he brings his two sons with him as he visits his father.  Jacob must have been very weak at this point, for it seems to take quite an effort for him to gather the strength to sit up on his bed.

Jacob begins to recount some of the main highlights of his life and dealings with God:

"Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, "I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers.  I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you."  (Genesis 48:3-4 NIV)

Jacob is in the process of passing the information about the covenant which God had made with his grandfather Abraham, which then passed to Abraham's son Isaac, and on to Isaac's son, which is Jacob himself.  No doubt he had spoken with Joseph and his brothers before about this covenant, and about God's various dealings with their ancestors.  However, now that Jacob's death is near, he outlines this information once again.  In his words there is the concept of blessing, of fruitfulness and increase, even to the point of becoming a community of peoples.  The promise of the land as an everlasting possession is also repeated here. Later, when Jacob is blessing Joseph (Gen. 48:15-16), he will also include the concept of relationship, for God has also promised to be with Jacob.

Next, Jacob adopts Joseph's two sons as his own, and blesses the boys and Joseph himself.  This is a longer section (v.5-22), which may require several posts to cover, for there are many interesting things going on here.
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Note:  When Jacob speaks about "Luz", he is talking about Bethel, where God appeared to him.  Luz is the older name for this place. (Genesis 28:19)  "Bethel" means "house of God" and an awestruck Jacob called it this when he awoke from his dream and realized that God had been speaking with him.

Genesis 47:28-31 Jacob's Burial Instructions

"Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.   When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, 'If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness.  Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.'

'I will do as you say,' he said.

'Swear to me,' he said.  Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff."
(Genesis 47:28-31 NIV)
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Shortly before Jacob's death, he called for Joseph to appear before him so that he could give him instructions regarding his burial.  He makes Joseph promise that he will be buried with his ancestors in Canaan.  This is so important to him that he also makes Joseph swear an oath that he will indeed comply with his wishes.

Jacob knows that his family is not supposed to remain in Egypt forever.  The land which God had given him was in the land of Canaan.  He knows that God had told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years and then delivered so that they could return to the land which God had given them.  (Genesis 15:13-16)

In those verses, of course, no specific nation is named which will enslave the Israelites.  However, the verses do state that in the fourth generation (from Abraham), the Israelites will come back to Canaan (v.16).  So, since the Israelites are now in Egypt, and there have already been the generations of Isaac, Jacob and now Joseph, the timeline does not really allow much time for other nations besides the Egyptians to have the opportunity to enslave the Israelites, for in the generation following Joseph, the Israelites would be coming back to Canaan.  [I suppose there could be some type of war with another nation which could result in their enslavement, but that seems less likely.]  With the benefit of hindsight, we know that it was indeed Egypt which enslaved the Israelites for four hundred years.

Jacob wants to make very certain that the Israelites do not become too comfortable with life in Egypt and forget all about the land which God had given them.  I am sure that he also had the desire to be buried with his ancestors, but his insistence upon being buried in Canaan helps to assure that the following generations of his family will be aware of their connection with Canaan.  [Later, when Jacob's son Joseph is near death, he also gives instructions for his bones to be buried in Canaan. (Genesis 50:24-25 NIV)]

Joseph assures his father that his instructions will be carried out.  Then Jacob, leaning upon his staff, worships God.  I wonder if this is the same staff that Jacob used from the beginning of his travels?  (Genesis 32:10)  I suppose the important thing is that spiritually, Jacob is actually leaning upon the God who has been with him all his life, the One who first appeared to him at Bethel when he fled from his brother Esau.  As He promised, God has been with him wherever he has gone.  No doubt this is at least some of the reason why Jacob stops to worship God at this point.

Genesis 47:27 Goshen

"Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.  They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number."  (Genesis 47:27 NIV)
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The Israelites settled in Goshen, in the Nile delta.  It was a fertile area, and the Israelites flourished there.  However, we need to remember that their increase was not just a result of the delta's fertility, but because God was keeping His promise to Jacob:

"And God said to him, 'I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number.  A nation and a community of nations will come from you..." (Genesis 35:11 NIV)

Also:  "...Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there..." (Genesis 46:3 NIV)

Of course, this promise was the same one which God had made to Abraham and Isaac, Jacob's grandfather and father.  It was all part of the covenant which God had made with Abraham and his descendants.

Genesis 47:18-26 Egyptians gratefully accept Joseph's plan

Joseph had already accepted livestock as payment for food when the Egyptians ran out of money.  Now they had nothing left to barter for food except the land itself and their own service:

"When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, 'We cannot hide the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.  Why should we perish before your eyes -- we and our land as well?  Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.  Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.'

"So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh.  The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them.  The land became Pharaoh's, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other.  However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them.  That is why they did not sell their land."  (Genesis 47:18-22 NIV)

Now Joseph accepted land and labor as payment from the Egyptians.  Otherwise, the people would die and the land would revert to wilderness.  However, Joseph worked things out in such a way that the Egyptians sense of self-worth remained intact:

"Joseph said to the people, 'Now that I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground.  But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh.  The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children."  (Genesis 47:23-24 NIV)

Joseph's plan was ingenious.  Pharaoh owned the people and their land, but the people were free to use their own efforts to provide for themselves and their families.  Only one fifth of their crops were to be given to Pharaoh.  The rest was for food for themselves and provided the seed for future crops.  In this way, the people had some incentive to work hard and take good care of the land which had passed into Pharaoh's hands.  This plan gave them a sense of hope and also made them grateful to Joseph:

" 'You have saved our lives,' they said.  'May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.'  So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt -- still in force today -- that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh.  It was only the land of the priests which did not become Pharaoh's."  (Genesis 47:25-26 NIV)

Only the priests were exempt from all these doings.  They received a regular allotment from Pharaoh in recognition of their priestly duties and office, so they did not have to sell themselves, their lands or animals for food.

Genesis 47:13-17 Livestock Exchange

"There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.  Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he bought it to Pharaoh's palace.  When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, 'Give us food.  Why should we die before your eyes?  Our money is used up.'

'Then bring your livestock,' said Joseph.  'I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.'  So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.  And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock."  (Genesis 47:13-17 NIV)
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Joseph continues to implement his plant to sell the food reserves which they had collected to the Egyptians and people from other nations during the seven years of famine.  However, soon the Egyptians' money was gone.  Joseph had little choice at that point, for if he did not accept livestock as payment for food, the Pharaoh's subjects would eventually perish.

Genesis 47:11-12 God's Provision for the Israelites

"So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed.  Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children."  (Genesis 47:11-12 NIV)
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Goshen (Gen. 45:10, where the Israelites settled was also known as "the district of Rameses" (Gen.47:11) and "the region of Zoan" (Psalm 70:12,43).

The "district of Rameses" probably refers to the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II.  Of course this brings up the question of who was the Pharaoh during these times and the times of the Exodus.  I have read some arguments, and need to do more reading before I can take a stand myself, but the topic should come up again soon, for we are near the end of the book of Genesis and will probably start on the book of Exodus after that, Lord willing.  So we will wait a bit on that question.

In case you are wondering, if Rameses is not the current Pharaoh during the times of the Israelites in Egypt, the fact that the writer mentions Rameses here could be due to a later editorial updating inserted into the text.  [However, then you have to deal with the question of which information in the Bible is 'original' and which is 'editorial'!  I'm guessing that manuscript evidence could help settle that question.  Sounds like a topic for another post when I learn more.]

Anyway, the Israelites are settled into this region in the eastern part of the Nile Delta.  It was a fertile region (Genesis 45:18 ''the best of the land of Egypt'').  I also read that it still remains fertile to this day.  I thought about how God had prepared this area years before His people came to live there during their stay in Egypt, for of course it would have taken years of sediment deposits to enrich the area before it came into the fullness of fertility which greeted the Israelite refugees upon their arrival in the district of Rameses.

I noted that, in addition to property,  Joseph also provided food for his father and brothers and all Jacob's household.  I assume this includes any workers or servants they may have had.  It would take some time for the Israelite's own crops to mature, even in this fertile area.

Genesis 47:7-10 You Think Your Life is Difficult?!

"Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh.  After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, 'How old are you?'

And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.  My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.'  Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence."  (Genesis 47:7-10 NIV)
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Finally, Jacob is presented to Pharaoh.  Pharaoh seems interested in this old man who has arrived after such a long journey.  Jacob is also the father of his most trusted servant.

I wonder why Pharaoh asked Jacob his age?  Was it just polite small talk, or did Jacob's appearance cause Pharaoh to wonder?  I suppose Jacob could have looked older than he was -- he had had quite a life.  On the other hand, I think back to when Jacob rolled away the stone which covered the mouth of the well -- by himself -- and wonder if perhaps he still appeared quite vigorous for a man his age?  This is all speculative, of course, but something must have caused Pharaoh to remark upon his age.

Jacob's reply to Pharaoh seems kind of depressing.  He seems to be saying that he has had a difficult life and that his years do not equal his ancestors' in quantity or accomplishment.

In one respect, this is true.  Jacob has had a difficult life:

• His parents named him 'he grasps the heel', that is, 'he deceives', just because he was born with his hand on his twin brother Esau's foot.
• Jacob's father favored Esau, for Esau was a hunter and Jacob loved wild game.  Rebekah, his mother, favored Jacob.  Favoritism is never good, and doubtless brought many conflicts.
• Jacob bought the firstborn inheritance rights from his brother, and deceived his father into also giving him the firstborn's blessing.  The first transaction was legit, for Esau agreed to it, but it was also somewhat shady, because Jacob took advantage of the opportunity of Esau's hunger.  The deception Jacob employed to gain his father's blessing was wrong, and led to his brother looking for an opportunity to kill him.
• Jacob had to leave home to escape his twin's wrath, and go live with his uncle Laban.
• Laban proved to be a match for Jacob's deceptiveness.  He cheated Jacob by secretly giving him the wrong woman on his wedding night, after Jacob had worked seven years for his beloved Rachel.  Later, Laban would give him his other daughter, but in exchange,  Jacob had to work additional years for Laban.
• Jacob's work as a shepherd was difficult.  He had many sleepless nights, and the changing temperature assured that he would be either freezing or consumed by heat most of the time.
• Laban also cheated him regarding his wages, changing them constantly in order to try to benefit his own self.  If God had not intervened, Jacob would have had nothing to show for his many years of labor.
• Jacob's beloved wife Rachel was barren at first, while his other wife Leah had many children, causing marital strife.  Jacob agreed to take his wife's maidservant Bilhah as another wife, in order to produce children which would be considered Rachel's.
• Leah also persuaded Jacob to do the same with her servant, Zilpah.  Anyone want to be in his shoes?  While it might seem to be a man's dream come true to have so many women, this arrangement brought untold conflict as the women constantly jockeyed for position.  Jacob had to provide for all of these wives and their many children.  He also had to divide his time somewhat fairly between all of his wives. 
• Jacob's God-given success in his work caused Laban's sons to resent him, and his father-in-law to become cold toward him.
• Jacob chose to run away from Laban secretly, which resulted in Laban and their other relatives chasing him down.  If God had not intervened, they probably would have taken his wives and children, as well as his flocks and herds, from him.  As it was, an uneasy truce was obtained.  I do not believe they went to see the in-laws much, if ever, again!
• As he arrived back home, Jacob had to deal with his brother Esau's reception.  He sent gifts to pave the way, which were met with the news that Esau and 400 men were galloping in his direction.
• He wrested with God on the night before his meeting with Esau, and thought he was winning, only to realize that God had been letting him 'win'.  At least now he realized Who was really in charge.  But now his hip hurt.
• Esau was glad to see him, which was a miracle in itself.  Yet, Jacob fearfully would not accompany his brother back to his place, choosing instead to deceive him again and go to Shechem.
• While at Shechem, his daughter was raped by the son of the ruler of that city.  His sons deceived the men of that place into becoming circumcised, then murdered them while they were incapacitated in order to avenge their sister.  Now Jacob's household was in danger of being overwhelmed and destroyed by the surrounding peoples, who would soon hear of the attack.
• When they finally get near home, his beloved wife Rachel delivers her second son.  Then she dies.
• Not long after, Jacob's firstborn son Reuben sleeps with Jacob's concubine Bilhah.  This is not only morally wrong, but also is a blatant attempt to seize leadership of the family from Jacob.
• Jacob favors his son Joseph, and his other sons wish to kill the boy after he has dreams that indicate his future rule over them.  Instead, they sell Joseph into slavery and let Jacob believe that Joseph has apparently been mauled to death by a wild animal.  Nice guys.
• Jacob's son Judah goes off and marries a Canaanite.
• A famine comes, and Jacob's sons eventually have to travel as far as Egypt to obtain food.  However, his sons reveal that they have another brother at home, and now Pharaoh's official wants to see him in order to prove that the men are not spies.  However, Benjamin is the only son of Rachel that Jacob has left.  Meanwhile, his son Simeon has been imprisoned as a hostage.
• Jacob is forced to allow Benjamin to go with his brothers to Egypt, for they are out of food and this is the only way that they can trade with the Egyptians, or get Simeon back.
• Good News:  Joseph is alive in Egypt.  He has a pretty good job, too.  Bad News:  His sons are heartless liars for having caused him grief over Joseph's 'death' for years.
• The famine will continue for years.  Now the whole family has to move to Egypt in order to survive.  At least they sent carts so that he doesn't have to limp to Egypt.
• Jacob sees Joseph for the first time in years.  However, he looks like an Egyptian.  Where is his beard?
• Jacob is standing before the Pharaoh of Egypt.  The guy wants to know how old he is.  Does he look that bad?!  Perhaps the Pharaoh is impressed with his long journey.  Or maybe he is just nosy.  At any rate, Jacob is anxious to get back to Goshen and settle his family and his flocks.
• Speaking of flocks, Jacob learns that Egyptians detest shepherds.  Oh well, at least they should not have much trouble with his sons intermarrying with those who do not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and, well, himself.  So they will have some of the best land of Egypt for themselves.  Perhaps life is not so bad after all... 

Genesis 47:1-6 Jacob Appeals to Pharaoh

"Joseph went and told Pharaoh, 'My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.  He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh asked the brothers, 'What is your occupation?'

'Your servants are shepherds,' they replied to Pharaoh, 'just as our fathers were.'  They also said to him, 'We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture.  So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.'

Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.  Let them live in Goshen.  And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.' " (Genesis 47:1-6 NIV)
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It seems that Joseph had carefully planned for his family's meeting with Pharaoh.  He had previously instructed his brothers as to what they should say when they approached Pharaoh.  Joseph also did not bring all of his brothers into Pharaoh's court.  Whether this was because some brothers needed to remain behind to watch over the family's flocks and herds, or whether this was done for other reasons, is not stated.  Perhaps a smaller group was more appropriate, rather than overwhelming Pharaoh with the whole group of men.  Also, the men treated Pharaoh with appropriate deference ('your servants') and respect ('please let your servants settle in Goshen').

I do notice, though, that the brothers are not reluctant to ask for what they truly want.  They specifically ask to be allowed to settle in Goshen.  I think that this honesty is a good thing.  They are not being demanding, just requesting what they think would be the best outcome for their situation.

Pharaoh seems pleased to allow Joseph to settle his family in the best land which Egypt has to offer.  After all, Joseph's plan to store up food during the seven years of abundance did help save the Egyptians' lives and maintain order during the difficult years of famine, which were still upon the land.

Pharaoh also offers Joseph the opportunity for some of his brothers to oversee his own flocks.  We are not told if Joseph took him up on the offer, or whether the brothers already had enough work to do to keep their own herds healthy and intact.

Genesis 46:31-34 Joseph's Plans

"Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, 'I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, "My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.  The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.'  When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.'  Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."  (Genesis 46:31-34 NIV)
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Joseph knows that Pharaoh is likely to grant his request for his father and brothers' households to live in Egypt.  Joseph hopes to secure a place for them in Goshen, a fertile part of Egypt, which would be a great place to raise crops, flocks and herds.  Joseph instructs his brothers as to what they should say when Pharaoh interviews them:  They are shepherds who have tended livestock all their lives.

Joseph knows that this will strengthen his family's chances of being allowed to live in Goshen.  Shepherds were, as Joseph said, detestable to the Egyptians.  Therefore, Pharaoh would be inclined to allow them to live in Goshen, somewhat apart from the rest of the Egyptians.  This would help ensure their physical safety and, whether Joseph realized this or not, would help the nation of Israel to develop without the temptation to intermarry among their Egyptian neighbors, who worshiped many 'gods'.

I was also thinking about how Joseph's faithfulness in his duties helped pave the way for his father's household to live in Egypt.

• If Joseph hadn't faithfully carried out his duties after he had been sold into slavery, he never would have attained a high position in his master Potiphar's household.
• If he hadn't continued to be faithful to God, he might not have been able to resist Potiphar's wife's advances.
• If he hadn't inquired about his fellow prisoners' welfare in prison, he would never have had the chance to interpret their dreams.
• If he hadn't interpreted their dreams through God-given wisdom, he would never have been summoned to appear before Pharaoh.
• If he hadn't interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, he would never have been made the prime minister of Egypt.
• If he wasn't put in charge of Egypt's famine relief, he would probably never have seen his brothers when they came to Egypt to buy food.
• Finally, if he had been bitter instead of gracious toward his brothers, they and his father's household would have been at least impoverished, and possibly even eliminated, during the famine.
• Instead, his repeated acts of faithfully carrying out his duties in a godly manner led to an extensive knowledge of the land of Egypt and a grateful Pharaoh, who would be glad to grant his request to allow the Israelites to settle in the land.
• The Israelites would eventually grow into a mighty nation, and the Savior of the world would come through Jacob's family line.

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I think I will go do some wash now, and then get dinner ready.  As I do these everyday tasks, I will probably be rehearsing in my mind other things which need doing.  Thinking about Joseph, though, I have the feeling that I will be doing these tasks in a much more godly spirit than usual.  We never know what could come of it all, now do we?!

Genesis 46:28-30 Family Reunion

Jacob and his household finally arrive in Egypt.  Jacob probably experienced a mixture of emotions:  joy at the prospect of seeing Joseph, thankfulness to God for their safe arrival to this place where they can wait out the famine, and also a bit of apprehension as to how they will manage in this strange land.

"Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen..."  (Genesis 46:28 NIV)

Once Jacob's family arrives in Egypt, they need more specific directions in order to go to the region where Joseph has indicated they should settle.  It is interesting that they head toward Goshen even before they have Pharaoh's permission to do so.  However, Pharaoh had said that the best of Egypt would be theirs (Gen.45:18), so I suppose it would not be too presumptuous on their part to settle in some of the best farmng and grazing land in Egypt.  This would also be a smart move considering their extensive flocks and herds.  Besides, Goshen is in the north of Egypt and one of the first places they would come upon as they enter Egypt's territory.

"When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.  As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.  Israel said to Joseph, 'Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.' " (Genesis 46: 28-30 NIV)

It is remarkable that we do not hear more about what happened when Jacob and Joseph are finally reunited, but this is a family matter and I am sure that there was much excited chatter and plenty of hugging and kissing all around as the family greeted the long-lost Joseph.  Later, after things had subsided, Joseph began to put into motion his plan for their more permanent settlement in Goshen during the years of the famine:  He would go to Pharaoh and request specific permission for Israel's household to reside in Goshen.

Genesis 46:26-27 Seventy in Egypt

"All those who went to Egypt with Jacob -- those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives -- numbered sixty-six persons.  With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all."  (Genesis 46:26-27 NIV)

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Some observations:

• The sixty-six persons of verse 26 came from this calculation:

                               v.15:  33 persons
                             +v.18:  16 persons
                             +v.22:  14 persons
                             +v.25:    7 persons

Some of you math whizzes may say "Hey, but that equals 70 persons, not 66!".  Yes, this is true.  However, I wasn't finished yet.  Now that we have seventy persons, we need to subtract Er and Onan, who had died in Canaan (v.12) and Manasseh and Ephraim, who did not go on this trip because they were Joseph's sons who were born in Egypt.  Ah, now we have sixty-six!
  Then, just to keep us from getting too smug, the very next sentence, verse 27, throws another monkey-wrench into the mix by stating that the number of Jacob's family members who went to Egypt numbered 70 persons.  Now we could say that this is the 66 plus Jacob and his three wives [Rachel had already died], for that would equal 70.  However, verse 27 states that this new number, 70, includes Ephraim and Manasseh.  The only thing I can figure out is that the 70 comes from the 66 plus Jacob, Leah, Ephraim and Manasseh.  (Rachel had already died -- see Genesis chapter 35, and I am guessing that they didn't include Zilpah and Bilhah in the count.)

• Another thing to keep in mind is that 70 was one of those numbers which signified completeness, so it may be that if only Jacob's direct descendants are being counted, we could include Er and Onan, who had died, and Ephraim and Manasseh, in order to arrive at 70 (not including Jacob) of Jacob's direct descendants.  In this scenario, none of Jacob's wives are counted, not because they are not important, but because they are not descendants.  Er and Onan, even though they died and obviously did not make the trip, are still Jacob's descendants and in an ideal sense, would be part of the 70.
• Also, as I am learning, writers have many reasons for including genealogies in an account.  Sometimes a listing is very literal, with each generation being counted.    Other times a genealogy may skip generations and say that someone is a person's father, when they are actually their grandfather.  Or a person may be said to be a son of a particular tribal leader, when they are actually several generations down the line.  In this latter case, perhaps all that they are trying to show is that this person is part of that tribal line.  Of course, all this ambiguity makes me crazy and leads many to conclude that the Bible has errors, when actually it is just that often we do not understand the writer's purpose.  [There is a certain humility in saying that perhaps it is our interpretation that is wrong, not the Biblical account.]  I am sure that this topic will come up again.  As I learn more things, I will try to include this information, and perhaps gather it all together on a single topical page, with Biblical examples.
• One last observation:  The seventy going down to Egypt would have been accompanied by others not included in this count of Jacob's direct descendants.  For example, there would have been Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah (Jacob's wives/concubines), and also the former captives (women and children) resulting from the attack upon the city of  Shechem.  Also, I assume there may have been other servants or employees of the household, as well as the wives of all of Jacob's sons, (v.26) who had not been counted in the 70.

And that is all that I am gong to say about that, for right now.  Except for the fact that Acts 7:14 in the New Testament says that 75 persons went to Egypt!  More about that later, but just know that it is because the writer included sons and grandsons of Ephraim and Manasseh in the count.  Why?  Well, look below:

Altogether, I think that one of the main reasons a count is given at all is to show that Jacob's family included a relatively small amount of people when they entered Egypt.  Later, true to His covenant with Abraham, we will see that the Lord increases the Israelites exponentially, so much so that the Egyptian Pharaoh starts to get very nervous.  However, I am getting ahead of myself again.  Right now, Jacob and his household are just entering Egypt!   

Genesis 46:23-25 Jacob's Descendants Through Bilhah

"The son of Dan:  Hushim.

The sons of Naphtali:  Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel -- seven in all."  (Genesis 46:23-25 NIV)
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Life must have been a bit strange for Bilhah and Zilpah, the servants of Rachel and Leah.  We are not told where Laban obtained these women as servants.  First they are given to Rachel and Leah as maidservants and then they become somewhat like pawns in the sisters' battle for Jacob's affection, eventually ending up as wives/concubines of Jacob.  However, in several respects, they end up ahead.  They come to learn about the true God, instead of continuing to follow Laban's idols, and their sons eventually become four of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel.

Genesis 46:19-22 Jacob's Descendants Through Rachel

"The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel:  Joseph and Benjamin.

  In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

The sons of Benjamin:  Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob -- fourteen in all." (Genesis 46:19-22 NIV)
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Rachel only has two sons, while Leah has six and a daughter.  However, Rachel is Joseph's favorite wife (and would have probably been his only wife if Laban hadn't interfered.)  In spite of this, Jacob did agree to take his wives maidservants as additional wives/concubines when Rachel and Leah were battling for his affection, so we can't blame that one on anyone but Jacob.

I think it would be interesting to follow these sons of Jacob through the Bible, which is actually what we are doing as we follow Abraham's line.  Jacob's son Joseph is a well-known biblical person, but what about some of the lesser-known sons of Benjamin?  I think that keeping these relationships in mind can serve to illuminate other Scriptural passages which might be hard to understand otherwise.  We will see.

Genesis 46:16-18 Jacob's Descendants Through Zilpah

When Jacob's uncle Laban tricked Jacob by giving him Leah as a wife (when Jacob had wanted Rachel), Zilpah had been given to Leah as a handmaid to accompany her.  Later, when Rachel and Leah had their "Battle of the Babies", Leah had given her servant Zilpah to Jacob as an additional wife, in order to have more children with which to impress Jacob and win his love.  Although this did not change Jacob's feelings toward her, it did result in two more sons being added to Jacob's line:  Gad and Asher.

Our present passage is discussing these sons of Jacob and Zilpah:

"The sons of Gad:  Zephon, Haggai, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

The sons of Asher:  Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.  Their sister was Serah.
                           The sons of Beriah:  Heber and Malkiel.

These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah --  sixteen in all."  (Genesis 46:16-18 NIV)
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There are not too many passages which speak of Zilpah, aside from the fact that she bore Jacob two sons.  The only other one which I could find was in Genesis 37:2, where Joseph brought back a bad report about his half-brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah.

At times Zilpah is called the 'wife' of Jacob and at others, his 'concubine'.  I believe she would have had a lesser status than Rachel and Leah, and her children would be considered to 'belong' to Leah.  The same would be true of the relationship between Rachel and Bilhah.

Genesis 46:8-15 Jacob's Descendants Through Leah

"These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
     Reuben the first born of Jacob.
     The sons of Reuben:
                            Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

     The sons of Simeon:

                             Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar
                             and Shaul the son of a Canaanite
                             woman.

     The sons of Levi:
                            Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

      The sons of Judah:
                            Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah
                           (but Er and Onan had died
                            in the land of Canaan).
  
      The sons of Perez:  Hezron and Hamul.
 
      The sons of Issachar:
                            Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

      The sons of Zebulun:
                             Sered, Elon and Jahleel.

These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah.  These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all."  (Genesis 46:8-15 NIV)
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It seems that there are 34 names in the passage, not counting Jacob and Leah.  Some commentators say that Ohad (v.10) should be removed, because his name looks very much like Zohar (also v.10) in the Hebrew language, and they believe it was just a scribal error.  Also, the name does not appear in parallel lists of Simeon's descendants (see Numbers 26:12-13, I Chronicles 4:24).  However, it does appear in Exodus 6:15.  I suppose that could be because the writer of Exodus used this list as a reference.  I am not totally satisfied with this explanation yet.  Hopefully as we explore the rest of this genealogy, things will fall into place.

Genesis 46:1-7 All aboard!

"So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.  And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, 'Jacob!  Jacob!'

'Here I am,' he replied.

'I am God, the God of your father,' he said.  'Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.  I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.  And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes.'  (Genesis 46:1-4 NIV)
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Jacob began the journey which would take him to Egypt.  At Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to God.  Both Abraham and Isaac had called upon the Lord there.  (Genesis 21:33, Genesis 26:23-25)  In his day, Abraham had remained in the land of the Philistines a long time, while Isaac had been told to remain in Gerar (about halfway between Beersheba and Gaza) rather than go down to Egypt.  Perhaps Jacob was still seeking guidance as to whether he really should go to Egypt.

However, God soon reassured Jacob in a vision.  He promised to accompany Jacob to Egypt and make a great nation out of him there.  He told Jacob that he would bring him back to Canaan, the promised land.  God also told Jacob that Joseph's hand would close his eyes (that is, when he dies), so Jacob knows that he will indeed see his beloved son again.

I wonder if Jacob realized that this trip to Egypt might be the start of the prophecy which God had spoken to Abraham back in Genesis 15, about how Abraham's descendants would be "...strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years...and afterward they will come out with great possessions." (Genesis 15:13-14)  I am sure that Abraham would have conveyed this information to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob, at some point in the past, because as spiritual leaders of the family, they would have to understand these things as well.

However, since God had not specified a certain country, Jacob would not have known for sure that their time in Egypt would be longer than the five years remaining in the seven-year-long famine in Egypt. (Genesis 45:6,11)  It is possible, though, that these matters were on his mind and making him somewhat fearful as he contemplated the trip to Egypt.  Or, Jacob could have just been an old man wondering if he would really be able to make such a long trip.  Either way, God graciously reminds Jacob that he will not be going anywhere alone, for God would be with him.

This was a reminder of the covenant which God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and with Jacob himself, back when he was fleeing from his brother Esau's wrath.  The same God who had protected him in the past was going with Jacob and his family to Egypt.

"Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.  They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.  He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and grandaughters -- all his offspring."  (Genesis 46:5-7 NIV)

I see that these verses emphasize that Jacob took every one of his offspring with him.  This is truly a momentous journey.  Can you imagine going to another nation with all your relatives and all your possessions?  What thoughts and feelings would be going through your mind at such a time?

I just thought of something.  Jacob's twin brother Esau (and Esau's descendants) did not go with them to Egypt.  He had already been living apart from Jacob, due to their abundant possessions.  So this is a parting in another way, too...from a twin brother and, on Esau's part, a very distinct separation from the people of God.  It is one thing to live some distance away so that there is room for flocks to graze.  It is entirely another to watch the people of God leave for another country, while you choose to remain behind. 

I wonder if Esau survived the time of famine.  At least some of his descendants did, for Edomites are alive to confront the Israelites four hundred years later when they return from Egypt.  However, I am getting ahead of myself.  Right now, we are still with Jacob as he leaves on his journey to Egypt! 

Genesis 45:25-28 Joseph is Alive!

"So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.  They told him, 'Joseph is still alive!  In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.'  Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.  But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.  And he said, 'I'm convinced!  My son Joseph is still alive.  I will go and see him before I die.' "  (Genesis 45:25-28 NIV)
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At first Jacob is incredulous.  How could Joseph still be alive?  If he were alive, surely he would have come back home.  Were his sons just trying to get him to go to Egypt because of the severe famine here in Canaan?

However, as Jacob looked at the carts and provisions which had been sent, his hope must have started to rise.  He had sent his sons with money to buy some food, but surely they had not had enough to purchase all these rich things.  The brothers' account of how Joseph was not only alive, but ruler of all Egypt was certainly too fantastic for them to have made up.  Besides, Jacob remembered a dream which young Joseph had told him about years before.  He had never forgotten that dream.  Now it seemed as though the dream had indeed come true.

Jacob might be old, but he was determined.  He would go to Egypt and see his son.

Genesis 45:16-24 Pharaoh's Reaction

"When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased.  Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Tell your brothers, "Do this:  Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, and bring your father and your families back to me.  I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land."

'You are also directed to tell them, "Do this:  Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come.  Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours." '

Pharaoh seemed quite excited to have the rest of Joseph's family come to live in Egypt.  It appears that he genuinely appreciated the work of his prime minister Joseph, and was happy to offer Joseph's family the best of the land.  This is actually quite appropriate, for Joseph's plan and work had saved his country from starvation.  Now Pharaoh is happy to do the same for Joseph's extended family.

"So the sons of Israel did this.  Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.  To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.  And this is what he sent to his father:  ten donkeys, loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.  Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, 'Don't quarrel on the way!' " (Genesis 45:16-24 NIV)

I find it kind of strange that Joseph has to warn the brothers against quarreling on the way home.  Granted, they had been jealous and quarrelsome years before.  Also, Joseph had given Benjamin silver and clothing beyond what he gave to the other brothers.   Perhaps he is still a bit worried that something will happen to derail the plan to bring his father Jacob to Egypt.

Genesis 45:9-15 Reunion

"Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says:  God has made me lord of all Egypt.  Come down to me; don't delay.  You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me -- you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.  I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come.  Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.' "  (Genesis 45:9-11 NIV)

Now that Joseph has been reunited with his brothers, he can not wait to see his father as well.  Besides the fact that his father is elderly, there are still five more years of famine to go, and if the family were to remain in Canaan, they would become destitute as supplies became scarcer and harder to obtain.

Apparently the brothers are still staring at him, unable to believe that it is really him.  Or, if it is him, they don't understand why he is not furious and demanding revenge.  For Joseph has to say the following:

" 'You can see for yourselves,

and so can my brother Benjamin,

that it is really I who am speaking to you.

Tell my father about all the honor
accorded to me in Egypt

and about everything you have seen.

And bring my father down here quickly.'

Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping.  And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them.  Afterwards his brothers talked with him."
(Genesis 45:12-15 NIV)

Finally, the news seems to sink in to the brothers' minds.  There is plenty of embracing and weeping to go around and then they probably stayed up half the night catching up on the past 20-plus years that they have been apart.

Genesis 45:4-8 God Sent Me to Egypt

"Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come close to me.'  When they had done so, he said, 'I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.  For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping.  But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.  He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt."  (Genesis 45:4-8 NIV)

Talk about a godly perspective!  Three times in this short passage, Joseph tells his brothers that it was God who sent him to Egypt, not them.   This was not just pious talk, either.  Joseph really believed that God had orchestrated things so that he could be used to deliver his entire family (and their households) from the time of famine, which would last another five years.

Imagine if we had that type of perspective on our own situations.  You may be going through things which you don't understand, and wondering why it seems that God has abandoned you.  He hasn't.  We just have to remember that He holds all the pieces of the puzzle.  He alone has the wisdom and power to bring about all that is truly best for us, from an eternal perspective.

Joseph could have become bitter and angry during his long years of imprisonment.  Instead, he learned to trust in the character of God.  We can also see that his focus is not just upon himself and his troubles.  Instead, looking at things from a wider perspective, he can trust that God is also working out His plan in the lives of others around him.

It's not all about us.  That may be a blow to our self-importance, but we probably need it.  Besides, do you think Joseph ever imagined he would be ruler of Egypt and get to save the lives of great multitudes of people besides his own family?  For God's plans are not small plans.  He is dealing with all of eternity in mind.  We are not able to come up with plans which are better than His for our lives.

Genesis 45:1-3 Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers

"Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his brothers, and he cried out, 'Have everyone leave my presence!'  So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.  And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it."  (Genesis 45:1-2 NIV)
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Joseph could no longer continue this testing of his brother's love and loyalty toward Benjamin and their father.  However, he clears the room before revealing himself to his brothers.  This was a private matter, and a private moment.

However, the loud weeping of Joseph caused the Egyptians outside the room to wonder.  What had happened to this great man to cause such a reaction?  The news spread quickly, even reaching Pharaoh's household.  Something very big was going on at Joseph's house.

The Egyptians weren't the only ones who were wondering.  Apparently Joseph's brothers were frozen with terror at the strange outburst.  Had the theft of the cup so enraged this man that even Judah's compelling story had failed to move him?  Were they all gong to be killed?

Something in their expression made Joseph realize that they had no idea what was going on.

"Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph!  Is my father still living?  But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence."  (Genesis 45:3 NIV)

I bet they were terrified.  Standing before them was their younger brother Joseph, whom they had sold into slavery years before out of jealousy.  They had callously laughed at his pleas for mercy.  Now, he had the power of life or death over them.