Genesis 50:1

Genesis 50:1 says, And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.  Joseph was heartbroken when his father died.  They had been deprived of many years together and hadn't had too many after being reunited,  When a family member dies, we may be heartbroken, but if they are a Christian and we are also, then we know that we will see them again.  Verse two states, And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.  Joseph had his father Israel embalmed.  The Egyptians were very good at preserving bodies, but then and now only God can preserve a soul.  Though his body may have been preserved to return to the burial place of his ancestors, his soul had already gone to be with God forever.  Verse three adds, And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.  Quite a long time passed with the embalming and the mourning.  We are told that the Egyptians mourned for Israel, I believe because of their respect for or fear of Joseph.  Verse four declares, And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,  The time of mourning passed, as it always must.  Joseph then went to talk to Pharaoh.  He begin by saying that if he had found grace in the eyes of Pharaoh.  Joseph had been doing great things for Pharaoh, but Pharaoh was still in charge and Joseph needed his permission to act.  We may be doing great things for God today as followers of Christ, but we still need to acknowledge that He is in charge and we should go to Him with all our plans to make sure that they are in accordance with His will.  Verse five adds, My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.  Joseph told Pharaoh that he had sworn to his father that he would bury him in Canaan, and asked Pharaoh for permission to return there to bury him, with a promise that he would return again.  Joseph had been brought to Egypt as a slave, and still was one as far as we know.  Pharaoh could have seen this as an attempt by Joseph to escape.  Though we have great freedom with God through our faith in Christ, we must always remember that He is in charge and we must always return to Him if we are to be successful in life.  Verse six declares, And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.  Pharaoh told Joseph to go and do what he swore to Israel that he would do.  Pharaoh had to have faith that Joseph would return as he said he would.  God should have the same faith in us today that we will fulfill our promises to Him.  Verse seven says, And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,  Then verse eight adds, And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.  Many of the Egyptians went with Joseph, as well as Joseph's family.  Israel had come to Egypt in fear, but when he was returned to Canaan, his body was accompanied by many that he had feared.  Even if we come to God out of fear, if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord then we will depart this life victorious.  Verse nine states, And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.  This simply tells us of more who accompanied Joseph.  Verse ten declares  And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.  When they got to their destination, they mourned for another week.  Verse eleven adds, And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.  The people of Canaan saw the Egyptians mourning, so they named the place Abelmizram.  Naming a place to commemorate an event was not that unusual in that day.  Verse twelve states, And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:  Then verse thirteen adds, For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.  Israel's sons carried out his instructions for his burial.  Just as Israel's sons carried out their promise to him, we should even more so carry out our promises to God.

Genesis 49:22

Genesis 49:22 says, Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:  Jacob now begins to share his understanding of God's plan for Joseph.  If we are to look to the future of God's plans for anyone, we need to make sure that they are God's plans and not ours.  Though Jacob had treated Joseph as special, he could not ensure Joseph's future, but could only share God's plans for him.  Likewise, we cannot determine that God will endorse our plans for our children.  We can only lead them to a knowledge of Christ.  Verse twenty-three states, The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:  I am not sure when Joseph had literally been attacked by archers, but I do know that his life was threatened on more than one occasion, first by his own brothers.  Verse twenty-four adds, But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)  Jacob said Joseph was protected by Jacob's mighty God.  Through all Joseph's physical struggles, he was able to become a physical shepherd of Israel, saving them from destruction.  Just as Joseph was the physical shepherd of Israel, so is Christ the spiritual shepherd of all who put their faith in Him.  Christ saves us from spiritual destruction, though we may not be spared physical suffering and destruction.  Verse twenty-five continues, Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:  Jacob basically said that God would bless Joseph in all ways, not because of who Joseph was, but because of Who God was and always will be.  We cannot expect God to bless us simply because of who we are.  Verse twenty-six concludes, The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.  Matthew Henry states that this referred to Isaac having but on blessing to bestow, but Jacob had a blessing for all his children.  God's promise to make a great nation of the descendants of Abraham, though slow in being fulfilled by our concept of time, was now about to really begin to flourish.  Even if we think God's promises are slow to be fulfilled, we can be certain that they will be in His time.  Verse twenty-seven says, Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.  Matthew Henry points out that since Benjamin became Jacob's favorite after he thought that Joseph was dead, if these were just Jacob's hopes fot his children that Benjamin's blessing would have been more positive.  These blessings for his children were what God lead Jacob to bestow on them.  All we can do for our children is lead them to Christ, and then He was bestow His blessings on them.  Verse twenty-eight declares, All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.  These twelve would become the twelve tribes of Israel, through whom God would work to bring people to a knowledge of Him.  Today, God works through those who are followers of Christ, those who are born again into His family.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,  Jacob had his children vow that they would not bury him in Egypt, but would return his remains to be buried with his ancestors.  As Christians, it really doesn't matter where we are buried or not buried from a spiritual perspective, because God will keep us in His hands.  Verse thirty adds, In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.  Jacob specifies exactly where he is to be buried.  Verse thirty-one adds, There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.  Jacob said this was where Abraham and Rebekah were buried, as well as Leah.  Leah was Jacob's first wife, and he was to be buried with her.  Again, from a spiritual perspective it does not matter where we are buried or whom we are buried with.  It really doesn't even matter if we are buried.  Verse thirty-two continues, The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.  Then verse thirty-three concludes, And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.  Jacob had given his sons their blessings and had given them his instructions for his burial.  He did not live to see all this happen.  We may not live to see all of God's promises fulfilled, but we can put our faith in the fact that they will be.

Genesis 49:13

Genesis 49:13 says, Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.  Jacob continues to speak of the future of his sons and the groups they will become.  Zebulun and his family would live at the haven of the sea and become a safe port for ships.  As followers of Christ, we all have different purposes in life, but we all have a purpose in life.  Verse fourteen states, Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:  Then verse fifteen continues, And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.  Issachar and his descendants were to be strong, industrious and patient people.  We might not think this to be something to be desired, especially in today's world, but we could certainly us more people like this today.  Too often, if we are strong, we think that gives us the right to impose our will on others instead of helping them to bear their burdens.  Verse sixteen says, Dan shall judge his people,  As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan's descendants would be judges over the people of Israel.  Dan was the son of one of the handmaidens, but his descendants would judge all Israelites.  Matthew Henry points out that this shows that God makes no distinction between bond and free in earthly terms.  It does not matter how we are born in this world, but how we relate to God through our relationship with Christ.  Verse seventeen continues,Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.  Dan's descendants would judge with the subtilty of a serpent, which Matthew Henry said could refer to Samson's fooling the Philistines.  Verse eighteen concludes, I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.  However good the descendants of Dan might be as judges, the still could not bring salvation to the people of Israel, nor can we today bring salvation to the world.  We must wait for the salvation of Christ and can  only point people to that salvation.  Salvation can only come from God.  Verse nineteen says, Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.  Gad and his descendants would be temporarily defeated, but would ultimately overcome their enemies.  We, as followers of Christ, may be temporarily overcome by the world, but through Christ the victory is ultimately ours.  Verse twenty states, Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.  Asher's descendants would be a tribe rich in the things of the world, but that is not necessarily what we should be looking for.  This does not say that they would not follow God, but often those who are rich in the things of this world do not follow God's teachings.  Verse twenty-one says, Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.  The descendants of Nephtali were to be well spoken people, though Matthew Henry states that we really don't have many examples of how this came to pass in the Bible.  Sometimes, we can see where God's prophesies, and these really were God's prophesies for His people, come to pass more easily than with others, but we simply need to realize that theywill all come to pass.

Genesis 49:1

Genesis 49:1 says, And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.  Jacob called his sons together to tell them what was going to happen to them in the last days, or future.  This was not based on what Jacob thought, but on what God had revealed to him.  The last days did not mean the end of the world, but the days to come, which at some point would be their last days,  We know what the Bible tells us will happen in the last days, before Christ returns, but everyday becomes the time of the last days for the life of many people,  Verse two  states, Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. The sons are called on to gather together and Jacob refers to them as the sons of Jacob with Israel being their father.  This was the same person.  We are called on to gather together as followers of Christ, the children of God.  This is not two Gods, but One.  Verse three says, Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:  Jacob first speaks to Reuben, his first born.  What Jacob says about Reuben at first seems pretty good.  Then verse four adds, Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.  Reuben was called unstable as water and had forfeited his birthright because of his sin with Jacob's wife.  Matthew Henry says Reuben had been forgiven, but his sin still bore consequences in this world.  Though our sins are forgiven when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we may still have to face the consequences of them in this life.   Verse five says, Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.  Jacob didn't have much good to say about Simeon and Levi, but they were still a part of God's plan  to make a great nation of the descendants of Abraham.  Verse six adds, O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.  Jacob was referring to their killing Shechem and the Shechmites in an act of revenge and hatred.  Some might say that they were justified in their actions, but God never expects His people to act out of anger and revenge.  Verse seven continues, Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.  Jacob said they would be divided, or separated from one another, and then scattered in Israel.  The Levites were scattered among the other tribes and the Simeonites were forced to disperse to find enough substance to stay alive.  Still, they were also a part of God's chosen people.  Fortunately, we do not have to be perfect to be a part of God's family, nor to remain a part of it once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight declares, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.  Judah was praised by his father as being the one who would be above all his brothers.  Matthew Henry says that Judah's name signified praise, and that God was praised for him, by him and in him, just as God should be praised in our lives.  Verse nine adds, Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?  Jacob said that Judah was like a powerful lion.  Verse ten continues, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Then verse eleven states, Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:  Then verse twelve concludes, His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.  Though the  scepter would not  depart from the tribe of Judah, the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come from the tribe.  Jesus would bring peace between people and God, and some day all knees will bow to him, fulfilling the prophesy that Jacob gave to Judah.

Genesis 48:10

Genesis 48:10 says, Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.  Israel's eyes were getting dim, much like Isaac's were when he blessed Israel, or Jacob as he was known then  Verse eleven states,  And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.  Israel told Joseph that he had not thought that he would ever see him again, but now he was seeing not only Joseph but Joseph's children as well.  Sometimes, things that seem impossible with the world are very possible with God.  Verse twelve says, And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.  I guess that the boys were clinging to Joseph, but he brought them out to present to Israel.  When it comes to meeting Christ, we cannot hide behind our parents or anyone else.  We must come before Him face to face,  Verse thirteen says, And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.  Ephraim was on Israel's left hand side and Manasseh was on his right.  Verse fourteen declares, And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.  This would not have been the natural way for Israel to reach out to them, but he willingly chose the manner in which he would bless them.  Again, we may not make much out of blessings and birth order, but some cultures do.  Fortunately for us, God doesn't.  All are blessed equally.  Verse fifteen adds, And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,  Israel then asked God to bless Joseph.  He identified God as the God of Abraham and Isaac Who had blessed him all his life.  As followers of Christ, we need to let others know that the God that we follow is the One God of all time.  Verse sixteen says, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.  Israel asked that God continue to fulfill His promise through Ephraim and Manasseh.  We can be certain that God will continue to work through our children if they accept the blessing of salvation through Christ.  Verse seventeen declares,  And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.  Joseph attempted to change Israel's hand from Ephraim to Manasseh's head.  He was displeased with the order in which Israel we blessing them, since the birth order was wrong.  We cannot demand that God bless our children in a particular order.  Verse eighteen states, And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. Verse nineteen adds, And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.  Israel refused to change the order, because he said that the younger would become greater thane the older, much like with Esau and himself.  We cannot demand that God works in a particular order in the lives of our children.  Verse twenty states, And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.  Israel asked God to bless them both.  All we can ever do is to ask God's blessing on our children and that they come to Christ for salvation.  Verse twenty-one continues, And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.  Israel told Joseph that he would die, but that God would be with Joseph and bring him again to the land of his fathers.  Even if we die, God will bring us safely to our heavenly home.  Verse twenty-two concludes, Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.  Israel was still showing favoritism to Joseph.  We really should never do that with our children.

Genesis 48:1

Genesis 48:1 says, And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.  Joseph received word that his father was sick, so he took his sons to Jacob.  He may have just wanted his son's and himself to be able to say good-bye.  Still, I believe that God had more in mind, as He often does when we do certain things today.  Verse two states, And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. Someone also told Judah, or Israel, that Joseph was coming, and his strength was revived.  This is not unheard of today, where someone who is old and ill will revive when family comes around.  Verse three adds, And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,  We could say that Jacob was now sharing his personal testimony with Joseph.  Had Joseph not been sold into slavery, maybe Jacob would have done so before, but I have to wonder why Jacob had not done so before that.  As followers of Christ, we should tell our children about our coming to faith in Christ as soon as they are able to understand what it means and not wait until we are on our death bed.  Verse four continues, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.  Jacob, or Israel, continued to tell Joseph about God's promises.  God would make a great nation of Israel's descendants and it was an everlasting promise.  As followers of Christ, God makes us a part of His great nation and it is an everlasting promise.  Verse five states, And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.  Jacob basically said that Joseph's two sons would be considered just as much a part of God's promise as his own sons, even though they were born in Egypt.  As followers of Christ, we are all equal heirs with each other, no matter where we were born or who our parents are.  Verse six declares, And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.  Jacob was just once again stating that Joseph's sons would be a part of God's promise.  Of course, we cannot make our children a part of God's family.  We can only point them to Christ.  Verse seven adds, And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.  Israel told Joseph about the death of his mother.  Verse eight states, And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?  I believe that we would have to assume that Israel was having memory problems at this time, since he had just declared Joseph's sons to be a part of God's promise to him.  Verse nine concludes, And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.  Israel told Jacob to bring his sons to him and he would bless them.  We can only bring our children to Christ, and if they accept Him as their Savior and Lord, then God will bless them.

Genesis 47:21

Genesis 47:21 says, And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.  Joseph moved the people to the cities.  If the land was unproductive, there was no sense in having to go all over the country to feed them.  As followers of Christ, we need not remain in a place where we are spiritually desolate, but need to come to where God can offer us spiritual nourishment.  Verse twenty-two declares, Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.  The land of the priests was not bought, and Pharaoh gave them their portion of food.  There should always be a difference between what is dedicated to God's use and what is not, and we as Christians should always support those who are set apart doing God's work, such as preachers and missionaries.  The land of the priests was not productive, but God through Pharaoh provided for their needs.  Verse twenty-three declares, Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.  Joseph told the people that he had bought them and their land, but he was going to give them seed to sow.  This would be for when the draught was over.  He then told them that a fifth of what they harvested would belong to Pharaoh.  When we become a follower of Christ, I believe that God will bless us with enough to meet our needs, but everything we have really belongs to Him.  I believe that we should also set aside a portion of what God blesses us with to support those who are doing His work, again preachers, missionaries, and such.  Verse twenty-five states, And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.  The people told Joseph that he had saved their lives and that if they could find mercy in his sight that they would be Pharaoh's servants.  We, as followers of Christ, have found mercy with God and He has saved our lives spiritually, so we should likewise be willing to serve Him.  Verse twenty-six says, And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.  Joseph made it a law that a fifth of everything the people produced would go to Pharaoh, except for what the priests produced.  God has asked of His people a tenth of what they produce to be set aside for His work, and the reward is much greater.  Verse twenty-seven declares,  And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.  Israel and his family lived in the land of Goshen and grew and multiplied exceedingly.  This was what God had promised Abraham all those years ago.  God's promises will always come true, even if it is years after they are made.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.  Jacob lived long enough to see God's promise being fulfilled, but not long enough to return to the Promised Land.  We may not live long enough to see God's promises fulfilled in this lifetime, but we can rest assured that His promises will be fulfilled.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:  Before Jacob died, he had Joseph promise to not bury him in Egypt.  Verse thirty continues, But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.  Jacob wanted to be buried with his fathers, or ancestors.  Though I don't believe that it matters much where our final resting place is in this world, I believe that as followers of Christ we will ultimately be called out of this world to live with our brothers and sisters in Christ in His Promised Land.  Verse thirty-one states, And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.  Jacob wanted to be certain that Joseph would carry out his promise.  Though Joseph had the ability to fail to keep his promise, God never will fail to keep His.