Genesis 48
Verses 1-2. The names Jacob and Israel are still going back and forth. Jacob at this point is very weak nearing death.
Verses 3-7. He is still expressing the loss of Rachel. He is now also doing something very interesting. He's saying he wants Joseph's sons born in Egypt to be his adopted sons. If you're familiar with the story, we know that Ephraim and Manasseh become two of the 12 tribes. But how does that work if there are already 12 sons that Jacob has from his marriages? We will see from the prophecies that were spoken over them there are two tribes that will sort of vanish into the rest of the tribes, Jen says. Also, when you remove the name of Joseph, you end up with a total of 12. Basically, you have a number of 12 sons and a number of landed tribes within the nation of Israel - tribes who have an alotted land portion. The list of names in that are not identical, she says. This will be talked about later.
Verses 8-10. Why does it play out this way in these verses? What does Israel/Jacob know? Jen says this: "he can't rely on his physical senses to be certain of who it is he is about to bless so he says "who is here?" Bring them close also. He needs to kiss them and embrace them so he can verify their identity. He does not want to fall in the situation he was placed in when Laban married him to Leah and when he deceived his father Isaac. Joseph is about 56 years old at this time, so his sons are probably in their early 20s.
Verses 11-12. These sons of Joseph sat on Jacob's knees. There's something going on in the Hebrew language here, Jen says, that we can pay attention and learn from. Remember the baby wars story? Look at Genesis 30 where it says about Rachel - "on my behalf". In Hebrew, this would be "on my knees." We understand at the time this was legal to say the child will be adopted as my own but it was after the case the adoptive parent was there at the birth to catch the child on her knees when the child was born. What we are seeing here is most likely a reference to that same idea - that they have been brought to the knees in a symbolic way to note that they are now going to be his adopted sons.
Interesting to note that one son is of an Israelite woman and the other an Egyptian pagan woman. In the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh we see a "firstfruits" fulfillment of the grafting of the Gentiles into the family of God, per Jen.
Verse 13. Joseph is steering them forward in their birth order so the oldest will receive his blessing and the younger as you would expect.
Verse 14. Now here what is Jacob/Israel doing? He is intentionally crossing his hands before he gives the blessing that the younger receive the blessing of the firstborn.
Verses 15-16. He is (Jacob) reiterating the key ideas of the original covenant that was given to Abraham. Notice that three times he mentions God. Why is he repeating the name of the God of Israel with such consistency? One probable reason is because of where Ephraim and Manasseh grew up - Egypt. He wants them to understand this blessing comes from YHWH. Interestingly, "the God who has been my shepherd" - we note that Jacob was a shepherd and so he understands this, but this is the first place in all of scripture where God is referred to in the terms of a shepherd.
Verses 17-20. Jacob here finally comes to understand. He's not acting here out of his own will. These are meant to be prophecies from the Lord. Jacob finally understands to submit his will to a God who makes the last first and the first last.
Verse 21. Notice the significance of this statement in verse 21. Back in Genesis 28:15, God said to Jacob "I am with you." Again in chapter 31:3 God said "I will be with you." In chapter 31:5 and 35:3 Jacob acknowledges "God has been with me." Now he assures his offspring "God will be with you."
Genesis 49
Verses 1-4. Reuben here is not to be forgiven. You will see this if you follow Reuben's tribe throughout the OT. They have very few descendants and none who are of note in the rest of the Biblical record.
Verses 5-7. What do we see in these verses? He's referencing that terrible day in Shechem due to, in many ways, his inaction. Because of this incident, they also are removed from his favor in his final words. Judah is now left in the place of honor. Simeon's tribe does actually get dispersed to other tribes in the OT. Their borders get undefined. What about the tribe of Levi - the priesthood? They were not given a land allotment. So these prophecies come true later on in Israel's history.
Verses 8-11. The longest prophecy is to Judah who is in the line of Christ and to Joseph who is a type of Christ. We can see Christ in these passages. Look at verse 10 - we see this reference to royalty. This is the line through which David will come - Judah. We know that Christ has been prophesied as the King who will sit on the throne of David. The phrase "until tribute comes to him" - "until it comes to whom it belongs" is another interpretation. Read it again with this translation: the septer shall not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until it comes to whom it belongs.
Remember when Jesus enters into Jerusalem He intentionally rides in on the foal of a donkey. Also, in Revelation we see Christ pictured wearing a robe dipped in blood. There are many ties between Revelation and Genesis.
Verse 13-21. Prophecies about the other sons.
Verse 22. Joseph's prophecy gives five different names for God. All of these blessings we can hear spoken over the person of Christ. "Almighty" the word for El-Shaddai, many commentaries trace back to the Hebrew word "Shad" which actually means "breast." God as nourisher.
The 12 tribes excludes Joseph and Levi, but includes Ephraim and Manasseh. The number 12 means completeness.
Verses 28-31. Notice "my wife" here. Leah at last dignified in death. Israel will be buried by the wife he married first.
Verses 32-33. Israel dies.
Genesis 50
Verses 1-3. Even the Egyptians are called to mourn for the father of Joseph. Think about the sovereign God in this. You know what the Hebrew practice was for burying their dead? Many Jews practice this still. When someone dies, they are buried within 24 hours. But when Jacob dies and requests that he would be buried in the land of Canaan, and dies in Egypt, he dies in an ancient land that has made an art form out of death. So Jacob passes away in the place that was most capable of preserving his remains so they can be carried back to Canaan as a down payment that that land will be theirs!
Verses 4-6. Pharaoh shows a sign of great respect and trust. You can contrast this with Exodus 1. The first statement after the geneology is "now there arose a king in Egypt who did not know Joseph." But now, here, he does.
Verses 15-17. A lot of statements here. Another deception in these verses by the brothers. Notice how Joseph responds "Joseph wept when they spoke to him." Why? Because he wanted the years of deception to be passed, most likely.
Verse 18. Another acknowledgment of what Joseph had said years before "fell down before him."
Verse 19-20. This is not personal. Good has come from this is what Joseph is saying.
Verse 21. He said he will provide for them so don't fear. Joseph was kind and comforting.
We need to ask ourselves, as in verse 20, "am I in the place of God?" Many live trying to be exactly that. Let's let God be God. For us, we can have the same relationship with the God that Joseph served.
Verses 22-26. The original audience who hears this know the story of the Exodus. They know the awaiting promise and that Joseph spoke of what is going to happen. He died at 110 years old. Abraham 175. Isaac 180. Jacob 147. Why not let him live longer? Look at Enoch's story: a small lifespan but the most righteous life. Joseph had a short life lived well. Exodus picks up the story right where this paragraph leaves off.
In Hebrews 11 the names and events correlate to Genesis. Notice at the end it says "though commended through their faith did not receive what was promised" (verse 39). Verse 40. What does this verse mean? It means they saw only part of what we look back on and see in full. We see the story of redemption from beginning to ending. How much more should we look back on the finished work of Christ and celebrate the riches that are ours in Him. In doing this, their stories are brought to perfection and completion.
Look at Hebrews 12:1 - what is this great cloud of witnesses witnessing? The sense of the text here is that they stand witnessing the faithfulness of God to all generations.
The God who said He will do it will surely do it.
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