Day #90 – Genesis 48-50 – after today’s readings you will have finished the books of Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Isaiah, Matthew, and Romans. Genesis 48 – As Joseph gets word that Jacob is near death he brings his sons to see their grandfather. In verse 5 as Jacob begins to bless them he basically states that he is adopting them as his own and the inheritance will be handed out accordingly. As Jacob is going to speak truth into his son’s lives in Genesis 49, it will be apparent then why Jacob states that Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons “are mine; as Reuben and Simeon are mine, they shall be mine.” It seems as though Jacob in blessing his grandsons is going to get the blessing “wrong” as his father did when Jacob deceived him. But Jacob had a word from the Lord and basically told Joseph “No, I know what I am doing here”. In chapter 41 we considered some of the ways that Joseph was a “type” or how he was like Jesus. There are some more things here toward the end of Joseph’s life that are worth pointing out that make the two similar. Joseph as a picture of Jesus (list continued from the end of Genesis 41:1-57). (1) In his 2nd appearing, he did not first go to his brothers; they came to him. (2) He blessed his brothers without their knowledge and we too are blessed by Christ without know it. (3) He wanted to do everything he could to ensure all of his brothers come to him and Jesus wishes all humanity would be saved. (4) There was a significant span of time that passed between his initial relationship with his brothers and his second relationship to his brothers. (5) He offered his brothers a way of deliverance through substitution and Jesus was our substitute on the cross. (6) His “second coming” to his brothers actually happened in two different appearances. He made himself known to his brethren at his second appearing to them. Jesus will come for His church, then at the actual 2nd coming every eye will see Him and know Him for who He is. (7) He was revealed as a man of compassion as was our Lord. (8) His brothers repented of rejecting him, with great wonder and tears. Many have been saved through repentance in great wonder and tears. (9) He allowed no fellowship (as in eating together) until his brothers repented and he revealed himself. We are not to take the Lord’s supper until we have repented and the Lord has revealed Himself to us by faith as our Savior. (10) His brethren leave to proclaim his glory. We too go out into the highways of life to proclaim the Lord’s glory. (11) He made provision for his brethren. The Lord provides for His own. (12) He prepared a place for his brethren, and he received them into it. The Lord is preparing a place for us and will one day receive us into it. (13) He brought Jew and Gentile together in the land. The Lord will have those from every tribe and tongue brought before a Holy God because of Him. Genesis 49 – This chapter details the rather cryptic blessings that Jacob hands out to his sons prior to his death. He starts with Reuben acknowledging the fact that he was indeed his firstborn. Typically here the father would explain how as firstborn he received double the inheritance of the others. But Jacob reveals to Reuben that he is aware of the way Reuben sinned against his father and dishonored him by going in to one of his father’s concubines (see Genesis 35:22) (the bible says your sins will find you out). To Simeon and Levi he points out their anger issues and cruelty in how they deceived then killed the men of Shechem (see Genesis 34). Because of that act Jacob refers to them as “instruments of cruelty”. While they intended to defend their sister and her reputation, their anger was fierce and cruel and in no way honored God. Judah then next is an example of a changed life. Whereas it was his idea to sale Joseph into slavery, it was also Judah that offered to take Benjamin’s place when it seemed as though Benjamin was to become Joseph’s slaves. God had chosen the line of Judah to be the line that Israel’s kings came from (v10 “the scepter shall not depart from Judah”). Verse 17 refers to the tribe of Dan as being a “serpent by the way”. It was the tribe of Dan that introduced idolatry formally into Israel in Judges 18:30. When we get to Joseph in verse 22 and Jacob uses the word “fruitful” in reference to Jacob. This prophecy came true as from Joseph comes Joshua, the leader of God’s people into the Promised Land; Deborah and Gideon; and Samuel the great prophet of God. Genesis 50 – Jacob dies at the age of 147 and the text tells us Joseph wept and mourned his death for months. I think at times, especially with men, when a loved one dies we don’t allow ourselves to grieve; we buy into the lie that ‘real men don’t cry’. Remember in John 11 at the graveside of Lazarus Jesus wept. When Jesus approached Jerusalem for the last time before His crucifixion Jesus wept over the city because they would not receive Him. With Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers fear that he might now take vengeance for the way they had treated him when he was younger. But in verse 20 Joseph tells them that even though they intended it for evil, God intended it for good that he Joseph might then be in place to save his family. Joseph, I think in a way to show his brothers that his forgiveness was genuine, tells them that he will take care of them and their families for as long as is necessary. It took great faith for Joseph to see God’s hand in being sold into slavery, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and being forgotten by the butler. But Joseph’s faith was strong. I read today that “your faith is like a muscle – it grows with exercise, gaining strength over time. After a lifetime of exercising trust (in the Lord), your faith can be as strong as Joseph’s.
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 22:18:22 +0000
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