Genesis 49
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Summary of Genesis 37-50:
God saves his family as a foreshadowing of how he will save the world. Forgiveness solves the problem of sin and allows for re-creation.
Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob (Israel), has dreams that his brothers and parents will bow down to him. His brothers hate him and sell him as a slave to a caravan of Ishmaelites, who take him to Egypt. They deceive Jacob into thinking that Joseph is dead.
In Egypt, Joseph works for Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard, and earns his favor. But Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph and falsely accuses him of rape when he refuses. Joseph is thrown into prison, where he interprets the dreams of two fellow prisoners, a cupbearer and a baker, who used to work for Pharaoh.
The cupbearer is restored to his position and the baker is executed, as Joseph predicted. Two years later, Pharaoh has two troubling dreams that none of his wise men can interpret. The cupbearer remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about him. Joseph is brought before Pharaoh and explains that his dreams mean that there will be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine in Egypt. He advises Pharaoh to appoint a wise man to store up grain during the good years and distribute it during the bad years.
Pharaoh is impressed by Joseph's wisdom and appoints him as his second-in-command, giving him authority over all Egypt. Joseph is 30 years old when he begins his service to Pharaoh. He has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, before the famine begins.
The famine affects not only Egypt but also Canaan, where Jacob and his sons live. Jacob sends ten of his sons to buy grain from Egypt, keeping Benjamin, his youngest and only remaining son by Rachel, at home. Joseph recognizes his brothers when they come to him, but they do not recognize him. He accuses them of being spies and demands that they bring Benjamin to prove their honesty. He keeps Simeon as a hostage and sends the rest back with grain and their money secretly returned in their sacks.
When the grain runs out, Jacob reluctantly agrees to let Benjamin go with his brothers to Egypt. Joseph is overjoyed to see Benjamin and invites his brothers to a feast at his house. He tests them by planting his silver cup in Benjamin's sack and then accusing them of theft. Judah pleads with Joseph to let him stay as a slave instead of Benjamin, because he does not want to break his father's heart.
Joseph can no longer hide his identity and reveals himself to his brothers. He tells them not to be angry with themselves for selling him, because God sent him ahead of them to save lives. He instructs them to bring Jacob and their families to Egypt, where he will provide for them during the remaining five years of famine. He embraces Benjamin and weeps with his brothers.
Pharaoh hears about Joseph's reunion with his brothers and approves of his plan. He gives them wagons, provisions, and gifts for their journey. Joseph sends his brothers back with a message for Jacob: "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay." He also gives them new clothes and silver, and gives Benjamin five times as much.
Jacob is stunned when he hears the news, but believes it when he sees the wagons sent by Pharaoh. He says, "It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." He sets out for Egypt with all his descendants, 70 people in total. On the way, he stops at Beersheba and offers sacrifices to God. God speaks to him in a vision and tells him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt, because he will make him into a great nation there. He also promises that he will bring him back up again and that Joseph will close his eyes when he dies.
Summary of Genesis 47:
Joseph introduces his father Jacob and his brothers to Pharaoh, who allows them to settle in the land of Goshen and assigns some of them to oversee his livestock Jacob blesses Pharaoh and tells him his hardships.
Joseph gives his family the best land in Egypt and provides them with food during the famine.
Joseph collects all the money, livestock, land and people of Egypt and Canaan as payment for the grain he sells, and finally gives them seed to sow the land in exchange for them becoming slaves of Pharaoh.
Joseph makes the people pay a fifth of their harvest to Pharaoh as tax, except for the priests who have their own allotment from Pharaoh.
Jacob lives in Egypt for 17 years and asks Joseph to bury him in Canaan with his ancestors. He makes Joseph swear an oath to do so.
The book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible and one of the five books of the Pentateuch, traditionally attributed to Moses. It can be divided into two main sections: **Primitive History** (chapters 1-11) and **Patriarchal History** (chapters 12-50).
Primitive History records four major events: the **creation** of the world and humanity (chapters 1-2), the **fall** of humanity into sin and its consequences (chapters 3-5), the **flood** that destroyed the wicked world (chapters 6-9), and the **confusion of languages** at the tower of Babel that dispersed the nations (chapters 10-11).
Patriarchal History narrates the lives of four main patriarchs: **Abraham**, the father of faith and of the chosen people (chapters 12-25), **Isaac**, the son of promise and heir of the covenant (chapters 21-28), **Jacob**, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel (chapters 25-36), and **Joseph**, the favored son who became a ruler in Egypt and saved his family from famine (chapters 37-50).
Some scholars also divide Genesis by using a phrase that occurs ten times in the book: "These are the generations of..." This phrase introduces a new section that traces a genealogy or a history of a person or a family. For example, Genesis 2:4 says "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created..." and Genesis 5:1 says "This is the book of the generations of Adam."
The number 70 in the Bible, as shown in the examples below, symbolizes fullness, restoration, and an endpoint:
- The post-flood world was repopulated by 70 descendants of Noah, resulting in 70 nations (Genesis 10).
- Terah, the father of Abraham, was 70 years old when Abraham was born (Genesis 11:26).
- The nation of Israel began with 70 Hebrews who migrated to Egypt (Exodus 1:1-5).
- Moses appointed 70 elders to be the governing body of Israel (Numbers 11:16).
- Ancient Israel spent a total of 70 years in captivity in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:10).
- Seventy sevens (490 years) were determined upon Jerusalem for it to complete its transgressions, to make an end for sins and for everlasting righteousness to enter into it (Daniel 9:24).
- Jesus sent out 70 disciples on a training mission to preach the gospel to the surrounding area (Luke 10).
The connection between Joseph and Jesus is that Joseph is a type or a shadow of Jesus, meaning that his life and actions foreshadowed and pointed to the life and actions of Jesus. There are many similarities between Joseph and Jesus, such as:
- Both were the objects of their father's special love.
- Both had promises of divine exaltation.
- Both were mocked by their family.
- Both were sold for pieces of silver.
- Both were stripped of their robe.
- Both were delivered up to the Gentiles.
- Both were falsely accused.
- Both were faithful amid temptation.
- Both were thrown into prison.
- Both stood before rulers.
- Both had their power acknowledged by those in authority.
- Both saved their rebellious brothers from death when they realized who they were.
- Both were exalted after and through humiliation.
- Both embraced God's purpose even though it brought them intense physical harm.
- Both were the instruments God used at the hands of the Gentiles to bless his people.
- Both welcomed Gentiles to be part of their family.
- Both gave hungry people bread.
- Both had people bow their knee before them.
The connection between Joseph and Jesus highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and serves as a testament to God's unchanging love and provision for his people.
Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. Come together and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel:
Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the firstfruits of my virility, excelling in prominence, excelling in power. Turbulent as water, you will not excel, because you got into your father’s bed and you defiled it—he got into my bed.
The tribe of Reuben showed no leadership in the history of Israel. No judges, prophets, kings… nothing. On the Eastern side of the River Jordan, they are just barely in the promised land. Although technically destroyed by the Assyrian invasion in 734 BC, along with the tribe of Gad they had basically been assimilated into the Moabite kingdom prior to 900 BC.
These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. He is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright. Although Judah became strong among his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright was given to Joseph.
Simeon and Levi are brothers; their knives are vicious weapons. May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For in their anger they kill men, and on a whim they hamstring oxen. Their anger is cursed, for it is strong, and their fury, for it is cruel! I will disperse them throughout Jacob and scatter them throughout Israel.
Levi and Simeon massacred the Shechemites in Genesis 34. Scattering was the same curse as God made after the Tower of Babel. Simeon integrated into Judah and Levi became a tribe of priests, who eventually also integrated into Judah.
Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the kill. He crouches; he lies down like a lion or a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him. He ties his donkey to a vine, and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine and his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.
Genesis 12–50 (The Blessing on Judah)
Some of the early church fathers’ messianic interpretations of Gen 49:8–12. He notes that in the early church, the phrase “washed his garments in wine” (Gen 49:11) was understood as a reference to the baptism of Jesus. Similarly, the reference to the foal bound to the vine (Gen 49:11) was understood as a reference to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:30–34), with the vine symbolizing Jesus, the “true vine” (John 15:1).
Genesis 12–50 The Blessing on Judah
He asserts that God’s purpose in creating humanity—“to rule and have dominion” (Gen 1:26)—is narrowed by His selection of one family to restore that rulership.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
Zebulun will live by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships, and his territory will be next to Sidon.
Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the saddlebags. He saw that his resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load and became a forced laborer.
Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake by the road, a viper beside the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, Lord.
Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels.
Asher’s food will be rich, and he will produce royal delicacies.
Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches climb over the wall. The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him. Yet his bow remained steady, and his strong arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of your father excel the blessings of my ancestors and the bounty of the ancient hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.
Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey. In the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the plunder.”
These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this is what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.
Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite. The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property. Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there. The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.” When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
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