Genesis. Back to the Land of My Fathers Chapter 48:1-22

Transcription

1 Genesis Back to the Land of My Fathers Chapter 48:1-22 W e have been talking a lot about the importance of remembering that we are citizens of Heaven before we are citizens of any earthly government. But the reality of this is dependent on the process of discipleship. In this case by discipleship I mean the process of teaching all of the implications of this truth. And while, ideally, teaching the young is the most effective, we also have to teach the spiritually young, even if they are chronologically challenged. We are to teach in light of what scripture identifies as our priorities, not what we think they should be. Raymond Ortlund stated the following in an article on church priorities. Primarily first and foremost the church is to be for the Lord. He is the Head, and He must be the focus, the first priority. Churches and individual believers are to be committed first to Christ, then to one another in Christ, and then to the world. These three are not to be "done" chronologically, one at a time, but they are to be part of churches' and believers' lives all at the same time. The Bible repeatedly spells out these three priorities, both generally and specifically. In John 15 Jesus weaves these into His teaching on the vine and the branches. Verses 1-11 stress the admonition, "Remain in me." That is the first priority. Verses focus on the command, "Love each other." That is the second priority. And verses say, in essence, "Testify about me." That pertains to the third priority. 1 Jacob makes this teaching practical as he applies it through his will. The lessons will be learned because circumstances will teach them. But for now, VI. The Patriarchs Chapter 11:11-Chapter 50 E. Joseph Chapters A Family Good-bye Chapters a. Jacob and Joseph Verses 1-7 b. Jacob and Joseph s Sons Verses 8-16 c. Jacob and Joseph s Disagreement Verses And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Deuteronomy 6:6 7 ESV) Introduction: Israel and his family had settled down in Goshen. The famine went on, but eventually it came to an end. As an issue for discussion, it disappeared. Moses only focused 1 Ortlund, Raymond C., Priorities for the Local Church, Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol,138, No. 1, Dallas, TX, p. 5.

2 on it as it was necessary to advance the story of Joseph and his family. Now some time has passed, though how much we aren t told. Again, Moses doesn t inform his readers as to the chronology of the incidents addressed here. We do know that some time has passed since Jacob made his burial wishes known to Joseph. And now he really was dying. a. Jacob and Joseph: Joseph was informed accordingly. So, he took his two boys to Goshen to see their grandfather. Keep in mind Joseph would have been back in Egypt proper carrying out his job as Pharaoh s right hand. Just the knowledge that Joseph had come to see him raised Jacob s spirits. He sat up and prepared to receive his son. Note two side points here. First, Manasseh and Ephraim would be have been around 18 to 20 years of age at this point. Second, Moses calling Jacob Israel relates to the fact that the actions he was about to take had national implications. Joseph entered his father s presence while his sons apparently stayed in the background. Jacob told Joseph of God s promises and blessings. This is God, El-Shaddai, the all mighty God. Parenthetically; Luz is synonymous with Bethel. Anyway Jacob identified the promises as follows: 1. That Jacob s numbers would be great. 2. Jacob would be a community of peoples, referring to the tribes. 3. Canaan would be given as an everlasting possession. The everlasting nature of this last promise must be understood. This is vital because it impacts one s of all scripture. It is the ignoring of the everlasting component of God s promises that has lead to so much poor exegesis and in some cases an anti-sematic religiosity. I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding. I will be their God (Genesis 17:8 JPS) Jacob was encouraging Joseph to rejoin the people of promise, that is to identify himself with his family rather than the people of Egypt. I wonder how recording this would have impacted Moses and reminded him of when he had to make the same choices. Jacob states his intent to adopt Joseph s two sons. This has the effect of putting them on an equal footing with his eleven brothers. It is in this way that Ephraim and Manasseh were recognized as two of the twelve tribes and Joseph wasn t. Jacob also noted, for future reference, he only intended to adopt these two. If Joseph had any children, they will not be adopted. Any other children would not receive a separate inheritance, but would be considered as belonging to Ephraim and Manasseh. There is no real way to understand this other than it was under the leading of the Spirit for an unknown reason. Remember there were twelve tribes, yes I know that eleven plus two makes thirteen. But Levy, which would become the priestly tribe, was not considered among the twelve for the ) 454 (

3 purposes of holding land in Israel. Levy was scattered throughout the nation in its priestly role. Does this remind you of anything? Sounds a lot like what we are to be doesn t it? So, as Jacob had Joseph before him, he naturally thought back to his beloved Rachel, her death and burial at Bethlehem. Let s hear Keil and Delitzsch s comments on this passage: By this adoption of his two eldest sons, Joseph was placed in the position of the first-born so far as the inheritance was concerned (1 Chron v.2). Joseph s mother, who had dies so early, was also honoured thereby. And this explains the allusion made by Jacob in ver. 7 to his beloved Rachel, the wife of his affections, and to her death how she died by his side on his return from Padan (for Padan-Aram, the only place in which it is so called, cf. xxv. 20), without living to see her first-born exalted to the position of a saviour to the whole house of Israel. 2 One other interesting point comes from Matthew Henry s commentary: In recompense to Joseph for all his attentions to him, Jacob adopted his two sons. They are mine. He explains it. Let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers; as if he had said, Let them not succeed their father, in his power and grandeur here in Egypt; but let them succeed me in the inheritance of the promise made to Abraham, which Jacob looked upon as much more valuable and honourable, and would have them to prize and covet accordingly. Thus the aged dying patriarch teaches these young persons, now they were come of age, being about twenty-one years old, not to look upon Egypt as their home, nor to incorporate themselves with the Egyptians, but to take their lot with the people of God 3 Does this bring any principles to mind? Don t you think that an important part of Christian Education, not just for children but for all of us, is to remember that we are to consider our inheritance in eternity, not to become totally entangled with our Egypts? Again, as we have discussed in prior sessions, this doesn t mean that we are not to be good citizens of the United States, but we are to remember where our first allegiances must go. All of life is to be an act of education in walking before God. Even though Moses is referring to children in Deuteronomy, the concept can be applied to discipling believers as well. These words, which I myself command you today, are to be upon your heart. You are to inculcate them in your children and are to speak of them in your sitting in your house and in your walking in the way, in your lying-down and in your risingup. You are to tie them as a sign upon your hand, and they are to be for bands between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:6 8 SB). b. Jacob and Joseph s Sons: Jacob next noticed the shape of two men in the room, but because of his poor vision, he didn t recognize them. Joseph brought them forward and introduced them to their grandfather. Israel prepared to bless them. His actions were carried out as the spiritual head of the future nation. The Holy Spirit was obviously directing him in his actions. Jacob was acting in faith in the Lord. 2 Keil, C. F. and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1, The Pentateuch, William B. Eerdman s Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, MI, 1975, p Henry, Matthew and Thomas Scott, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Genesis to Esther, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1973, p ) 455 (

4 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff (Hebrews 11:21 ESV). The Israel s joy was clearly expressed because, not only had he never expect to see Joseph again, and was greatly blessed in so doing, he had seen Joseph s children. Joseph prepared his sons to receive Jacob s blessing. He placed Manasseh, the oldest, so Jacob would bless him with his right hand, conferring the elder s blessing. Jacob though, under the leading of the Holy Spirit we safely assume, crossed his arms putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim, giving the greater blessing to him. The blessing was as follows. Though it was directed at Joseph, Jacob called God s blessing down on the men who would be part of His family and considered part of the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They, as their fathers, would become numerous. He identified the God whom will do the blessing: 1. Ha-Elohim, the true God, the one before whom Jacob s fathers walked. 2. God led Jacob as a shepherd, reminiscent of Psalm 23. Notice that Jacob recognized God s involvement in his entire life. 3. Not only did God lead him, but He also protected Jacob from harm. I would expect that the angel referred to here is the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ, Jacob s redeemer. Once again we see God does not always choose to follow man s expectations. He didn t choose the first born. He chose Seth, the youngest, Jacob, the 2 nd born and now Ephraim. Later He would choose David. God always chooses for His own reasons. c. Jacob and Joseph s Disagreement: Of course even godly men, don t always see it God s way, especially if they don t recognize God s hand. Joseph was upset when Jacob gave Ephraim the place of precedence over Manasseh. This is understandable if we assume that he wasn t even thinking about the fact that Jacob was acting under God s leading. Jacob spoke prophetically, making it clear to Joseph he knew he had given the best blessing to the second born. Manasseh would be a great people but Ephraim would be greater. This would one day be fulfilled when Ephraim became the head of the ten tribe confederation after the civil war which split Israel into two nations. By speaking accordingly, Jacob moved the focus from who got the greater blessing to the importance of the blessing itself. In thee (i.e. Joseph) will Israel (as a nation) bless, saying: God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh (i.e. Joseph shall be so blessed in his two sons, that their blessing will become a standing form of benediction in Israel). 4 4 Keil, p ) 456 (

5 Jacob next pronounced a benediction on Joseph, recognizing he was dying. He reassured Joseph that though he wouldn t be around, God would. God would one day take the family back to Canaan. This of course refers to the people and not specifically Joseph himself. Jacob also gave Joseph specifically an additional inheritance because of what he did to save the family. This inheritance is generally recognized as the piece of land purchased at Shechem, the land in which Joseph was buried after the conquest of Canaan. It is thought to be the West Bank area of Israel, which is the one that is constantly under contention because of Israel s continued building to the antagonism of its neighbors. As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph (Joshua 24:32; John 4:5 ESV). The issue of the taking of the land by the sword is unclear. It is a good example of what happens when, coming upon an obscure passage, commentators simply have to be able to explain it. Calvin speculates understanding the passage this way: I rather incline to this interpretation: first, that he wished to testify that he had taken nothing by means of his two sons Simeon and Levi; who, having raged like robbers, were not lawful conquerors, and had never obtained a single foot of land, after the perpetration of the slaughter. For, so far were they from gaining anything, that they compelled their father to fly; nor would escape have been possible, unless they had been delivered by a miracle. When, however Jacob strips them of their empty title, he transfers the right of victory to himself, as being divinely granted to him. For though he always held their wickedness in abhorrence and will show his detestation of it in the next chapter; yet, because they had armed his whole household, they fought as under his auspices. Gladly would he have preserved the citizens of Shechem, a design which he was not able to accomplish; yet he appropriates to himself the land left empty and deserted by their destruction because, for his sake, God had spared the murderers. 5 It seems the editor of Calvin s commentaries couldn t let his comments stand alone. Perhaps this interpretation of a confessedly obscure passage, will be deemed rather ingenious than solid. It is supposed by many, that Jacob refers to some transaction of which no record is preserved. He may, like Abraham, on some occasion, have armed his household to recover from the hands of the Amorites the field of Shechem, which he had previously purchased. But the whole must be left in hopeless obscurity. Ainsworth thinks that Jacob is speaking prophetically, and representing the future conduct of his children under Joshua, whose sword and bow he here calls his own. But this seems farfetched. The Chaldee interpretation, that the sword and bow are figuratively used for prayer and supplication, is still more improbable. Ed. 6 The whole focus of this chapter is being identified with one s own people in light of the God s promises. Jacob wanted to make sure Joseph s children remembered they were of the family of Israel and not part of Egypt. 5 Calvin, John, Commentaries on the First Book of Moses called Genesis, Vol 1., Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1979, p Ibid. ) 457 (

6 We have the same struggle today, that is remembering we are of the Church, not the world. And, like Levy, we do not have our own land, but are scattered throughout the world, living as small families in the midst of a fallen humanity. As such we must constantly be reminded where home is. For Jacob, home may have been family, but it was also Canaan, and he made Joseph promise to take him back. For Joseph home was also Canaan and though it took some four hundred years for the faithful people of Israel to return his bones to home. This was accomplished by reminding the people of God s truth. This is called teaching. Moses emphasized it, as we have already seen. These words, which I myself command you today, are to be upon your heart. You are to inculcate them in your children and are to speak of them in your sitting in your house and in your walking in the way, in your lying-down and in your risingup. You are to tie them as a sign upon your hand, and they are to be for bands between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:6 8 SB). Christ also taught the importance of teaching all who would follow after Him. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19 20 ESV). The importance of teaching, and specifically reminding us of our foundation for living, scripture, not the worlds truth, is found throughout God s Word. Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your undertakings and only then will you be successful (Joshua 1:8 JPS) How can a young man keep his way pure? by holding to Your word. In my heart I treasure Your promise; therefore I do not sin against You. (Psalms 119:9, 11 JPS) For us home is God s kingdom. Let us remind each other. Let us teach our children, both by birth and by rebirth. Let us focus more on looking up, desiring to please God by advancing His kingdom, not by trying to change the world into it. Let us please God by bringing the message of the gospel, coopting the citizens of Satan s kingdom, being used by God to bring them into His kingdom. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Colossians 3:2 3; Philippians 3:17 21 ESV). ) 458 (

7 Even so come Lord Jesus! And always remember When we preach atonement, it is atonement planned by love, provided by love, given by love, finished by love, necessitated because of love. When we preach the resurrection of Christ, we are preaching the miracle of love. When we preach the return of Christ, we are preaching the fulfillment of love. 7 Let us go forth in LOVE! 7 source unknown. ) 459 (

8 Genesis Back to the Land of My Fathers Chapter 48:1-22 VI. The Patriarchs Chapter 11:11-Chapter 50 E. Joseph Chapters A Family Good-bye Chapters a. Jacob and Joseph Verses 1-7 b. Jacob and Joseph s Sons Verses 8-16 c. Jacob and Joseph s Disagreement Verses Introduction: (Deuteronomy 6:6 7 ESV) a. Jacob and Joseph: (Genesis 17:8 JPS; Deuteronomy 6:6 8 SB) Note 1. That Jacob s. 2. Jacob. 3. Canaan.

9 b. Jacob and Joseph s Sons: (Hebrews 11:21 ESV) 1. Ha-Elohim, 2. God led Jacob 3. God protected Jacob c. Jacob and Joseph s Disagreement: (Joshua 24:32; John 4:5 ESV; Deuteronomy 6:6 8 SB; Matthew 28:19 20 ESV; Joshua 1:8 JPS; Psalms 119:9, 11 JPS; Colossians 3:2 3; Philippians 3:17 21 ESV) Personal Application: How has God demonstrated, in your life, that His ways are not our ways? Have you accepted or fought against this truth? How has that worked out? Prayer for the Week: Father, thank You that You are in control, not me. Amen.