THANKS FOR READING! I took a break from my public blogging for nearly six months after finishing Genesis with the following entry. I now blog at pirate-pastor.blogspot.com.
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Click here to read Genesis 50
Joseph had such a good relationship with Egypt that they mourned the death of his father, and accompanied him to his father's funeral.
Joseph weeps again (#6), mourning for his father.
Jacob is embalmed, possibly as a culturally sensitive way of showing the Egyptians how important he was, or possibly to keep his body until he could be buried in Canaan. 70 days of mourning were probably 40 for embalming (the Egyptian time of mourning) plus 30 for the traditional Hebrew time of mourning. This shows a great deal of respect not just for Jacob, but also for his people.
Pharaoh respects Joseph's vow and Joseph leads a procession to his family tomb where Jacob is buried.
Joseph's brothers did not completely receive the forgiveness that Joseph offered them fully and unconditionally in chapter 45. They call God "the God of YOUR father". They do not yet know God for themself, but Joseph does. That they should try to gain his forgiveness by manipulation causes him to weep (7th time!). We are reminded of Jacob's attempts to placate his brother, Esau.
Genesis 50:19-20
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
vv19-20 - This statement sums up much of the theme of all of Genesis. Joseph is unwilling to take God's place. He KNOWS who God is. The next verse shows that Joseph puts God in his proper place if true authority. He also KNOWS who he is.
He restrains himself. Though he has been placed in a position of authority over his brothers, he does not assume the licence to use that power.
Relationally, he insists that he and his brothers are equal. God is the only true authority.
v20 - God meant what happened to Joseph for good. Joseph does not judge, because of his faith in God. It is faith in God's work that allows him to be nonjudgmental.
This verse is a thesis for the entire book of Genesis.
Considering the original audience again, we see how this would resonate as the previous chapters resonated with the judgments of Simeon and Levi. They will be given authority by God to take the land of Canaan. But that authority will never be theirs. It will always remain in God's hands. They are only plenipotentiaries. They are ambassadors of the One who is the only king. They should not assume to take the authority for themself, as though it is for them to judge. God alone is sovereign. God alone is judge. To use power or authority outside of God's intention is an abuse of that power. This is oppression and injustice. There is only one legitimate authority, and that is God.
The Israelites are to restrain themselves in their taking of the land of Canaan. Though the narrative is ruthless in the battles of Joshua and Judges, it is God's wrath, not the wrath of the Israelites that should be seen.
Later in the Torah, we see Moses judged harshly by God for walking in authority that had not been given him. He struck a rock when God told him to speak to it. When water comes out, he takes credit for what God does. For this, Moses is denied entrance to the Promised Land. The severity of his punishment shows how seriously God's authority (and no other) should be taken.
The kings of Israel take a lesson from Joseph and Genesis here. The descendants of Judah are representatives of God, and are to act in a way that reflects his authority. Their kingship shows the people what his kingship is like. When they abused their power, they marred the image of God the king that they were to reflect.
Finally, vv19-20 bring us all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 and the fall.
We are not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The power of judgment is not in our hands. God alone is judge. God alone is the Master Avenger. The same judge who will enact justice upon those we believe are our enemies will also judge us without partiality. We live in humility and submission to the one and only authority, and we will not raise his sceptre ourselves.
Whatever is meant for evil, God intends for good. When we remove our hands from the fruit of the forbidden tree, we rest in the knowledge that our good God will accomplish every good purpose he intends.
Why the serpent? Why barrenness? Why slavery? Why injustice?
Whatever the circumstance, God will deftly play his pieces to turn the tables in his favour. No matter how the pieces may be played, no matter how his enemies may appear to gain an upper hand, God always owns the board, and he will always checkmate.
EPILOGUE
Joseph adopted his (biological) great grandchildren before he died. They were placed on his knees as his sons were placed on Jacob's knees.
Joseph remembers God's promise that they will be taken back to Canaan. When this happens, it will be by God's hand. He makes them promise to take his body to the Promised Land.
Unlike his father whose body was brought to the family grave immediately, Joseph asks to be brought there when they are all brought to the Promised Land by God. His embalming would preserve him until they arrive. His body lay in a temporary tomb, and by it the Israelites would always remember that God's promises were still to be fulfilled, and sure to happen.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Jacob's Blessings of Joseph's Brothers - Genesis 29, 30, and 49
(These notes were made by Kate Birss as part of her study for the sermon she preached on November 6 at Look to the Cross in Edmonton. For more on Joseph's brothers, see her sermon notes in the entry before this one, and the entries of October 31-November 4 and November 16-18.)
Kate’s extra study notes on Joseph’s family
Genesis 29 & 30 - The sons of Jacob
v. 31 God opened Leah’s womb because she was hated, presumably by Jacob (as indicated in v. 30).
Leah had:
1- Reuben – Leah said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me."
2- Simeon- Leah said, "Because the LORD had heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also."
3- Levi- Leah said, "Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have born him three sons."
4- Judah- Leah said, "This time I will praise the LORD."
Then she ceased bearing. (v. 35)
"Give me children or I shall die!" -Rachel
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel. Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah.
Bilhah had:
5- Dan - Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son."
6- Naphtali - Rachel said, "With mighty wrestling I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed."
Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children and gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob.
Zilpah had:
7- Gad - Leah said, "Good fortune has come!"
8- Asher - Leah said, "Happy am I! For women have called me happy!"
V.15 - Leah had bitterness and unforgiveness toward her sister Rachel.
V.16 - What an insult and sign of disrespect for Leah to "hire" Jacob with mandrakes. What does it say that Jacob would submit to such an insult, for he does go and lie with her, and it doesn't say he gets angry. Also, what an insult from Rachel this must have been to have "hired out" her husband for mandrakes (Was this a common superstition of the day?). Then God gave Leah a son out of it all!
Leah had:
9- Issachar - Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband."
What does this mean? Is she saying it was a good thing for her to have given her servant to her husband?
10- Zebulum - Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honour me, because I have born him six sons."
v.22, "Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb."
Rachel had:
11- Joseph - Rachel said, "God has taken away my reproach." and, "May the LORD add to me another son!"
12- Ben-oni – name given by Rachel that could mean son of my sorrow, or son of my strength. Benjamin – the name he keeps, given by his father (only son to have been named by father instead of mother) – meaning son of the right hand.
Genesis 49:1,2 ESV
Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.
"Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.
Leah’s children – the older kids
1-Reuben
Gen. 35:22 – Reuben sinfully sleeps with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.
Israel’s dying word on his son Reuben:
Genesis 49:3,4 ESV
"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it--he went up to my couch!”
2-Simeon
Gen. 34:30 – Simeon and Levi bring their father trouble when they killed all the males of the city of Shechem in defense of their sister Dinah. This happens after the birth of Joseph and before the birth of Benjamin. Later, as Israel is dying and blessing his sons, he curses Simeon and Levi for their violence. (Gen.49:5-7)
Israel’s dying word on his sons Simeon and Levi:
Genesis 49:5-7 ESV
"Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.
Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
3-Levi
(See above notes about Simeon and Levi.)
4-Judah
Gen. 37:26 – Judah convinces his brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites,
and Gen. 38 – the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Israel’s dying words on his son Judah:
Genesis 49:8-12 ESV
"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.”
Bilhah’s children
5-Dan
Gen. 37:2b – Joseph grows up with Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Israel’s dying words on his son Dan:
Genesis 49:16-18 ESV
"Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward.
I wait for your salvation, O LORD.”
6-Naphtali
(See above note about Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.)
Israel’s dying words on his son Naphtali:
Genesis 49:21 ESV
"Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.”
Zilpah’s children
7-Gad
(See above note about Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.)
Israel’s dying words on his son Gad:
Genesis 49:19 ESV
"Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.”
8-Asher
(See above note about Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.)
Israel’s dying words on his son Asher:
Genesis 49:20 ESV
"Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.”
Leah’s later children (“bought” with mandrakes)
9-Issachar
Israel’s dying words on his son Issachar:
Genesis 49:14,15 ESV
"Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds.
He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.”
10-Zebulun
Israel’s dying words on his son Zebulun:
Genesis 49:13 ESV
"Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.”
Rachel’s children
11-Joseph
It is mentioned in Gen. 37:2, at the very beginning of the story of Joseph, that he was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah – Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Joseph is 17 years old when his story begins.
Gen. 41:45 – Pharaoh renames Joseph “Zaphenath-panea.” (tsof-nath' pah-nay'-akh)
Abraham, Sarah, and Israel are all renamed by God. Joseph, here, is renamed by Pharaoh. This is interesting to note.
Joseph’s children with Asenath:
Manasseh – “for God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” (v.51)
Ephraim – “for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (v.52) Ephraim, though he is the younger of the two brothers, is later bless by his grandfather Israel as the greater of the two brothers (Gen. 48:19)
Note- Manasseh and Ephraim are later adopted by Israel (Gen. 48:5,6). “They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.” (v.6)
Israel’s dying words on his son Joseph:
Genesis 49:22-26 ESV
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.”
12-Benjamin
Benjamin is the only son who is named by his father instead of his mother. Technically, his mother does give him a name – Benoi – but the name he keeps is the one his father gives him.
Israel’s dying words on his son Benjamin:
Genesis 49:27,28 ESV
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil."
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.
Kate’s extra study notes on Joseph’s family
Genesis 29 & 30 - The sons of Jacob
v. 31 God opened Leah’s womb because she was hated, presumably by Jacob (as indicated in v. 30).
Leah had:
1- Reuben – Leah said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me."
2- Simeon- Leah said, "Because the LORD had heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also."
3- Levi- Leah said, "Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have born him three sons."
4- Judah- Leah said, "This time I will praise the LORD."
Then she ceased bearing. (v. 35)
"Give me children or I shall die!" -Rachel
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel. Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah.
Bilhah had:
5- Dan - Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son."
6- Naphtali - Rachel said, "With mighty wrestling I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed."
Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children and gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob.
Zilpah had:
7- Gad - Leah said, "Good fortune has come!"
8- Asher - Leah said, "Happy am I! For women have called me happy!"
V.15 - Leah had bitterness and unforgiveness toward her sister Rachel.
V.16 - What an insult and sign of disrespect for Leah to "hire" Jacob with mandrakes. What does it say that Jacob would submit to such an insult, for he does go and lie with her, and it doesn't say he gets angry. Also, what an insult from Rachel this must have been to have "hired out" her husband for mandrakes (Was this a common superstition of the day?). Then God gave Leah a son out of it all!
Leah had:
9- Issachar - Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband."
What does this mean? Is she saying it was a good thing for her to have given her servant to her husband?
10- Zebulum - Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honour me, because I have born him six sons."
v.22, "Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb."
Rachel had:
11- Joseph - Rachel said, "God has taken away my reproach." and, "May the LORD add to me another son!"
12- Ben-oni – name given by Rachel that could mean son of my sorrow, or son of my strength. Benjamin – the name he keeps, given by his father (only son to have been named by father instead of mother) – meaning son of the right hand.
Genesis 49:1,2 ESV
Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.
"Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.
Leah’s children – the older kids
1-Reuben
Gen. 35:22 – Reuben sinfully sleeps with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.
Israel’s dying word on his son Reuben:
Genesis 49:3,4 ESV
"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it--he went up to my couch!”
2-Simeon
Gen. 34:30 – Simeon and Levi bring their father trouble when they killed all the males of the city of Shechem in defense of their sister Dinah. This happens after the birth of Joseph and before the birth of Benjamin. Later, as Israel is dying and blessing his sons, he curses Simeon and Levi for their violence. (Gen.49:5-7)
Israel’s dying word on his sons Simeon and Levi:
Genesis 49:5-7 ESV
"Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.
Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
3-Levi
(See above notes about Simeon and Levi.)
4-Judah
Gen. 37:26 – Judah convinces his brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites,
and Gen. 38 – the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar.
Israel’s dying words on his son Judah:
Genesis 49:8-12 ESV
"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.”
Bilhah’s children
5-Dan
Gen. 37:2b – Joseph grows up with Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Israel’s dying words on his son Dan:
Genesis 49:16-18 ESV
"Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward.
I wait for your salvation, O LORD.”
6-Naphtali
(See above note about Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.)
Israel’s dying words on his son Naphtali:
Genesis 49:21 ESV
"Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.”
Zilpah’s children
7-Gad
(See above note about Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.)
Israel’s dying words on his son Gad:
Genesis 49:19 ESV
"Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.”
8-Asher
(See above note about Joseph, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.)
Israel’s dying words on his son Asher:
Genesis 49:20 ESV
"Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.”
Leah’s later children (“bought” with mandrakes)
9-Issachar
Israel’s dying words on his son Issachar:
Genesis 49:14,15 ESV
"Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds.
He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor.”
10-Zebulun
Israel’s dying words on his son Zebulun:
Genesis 49:13 ESV
"Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.”
Rachel’s children
11-Joseph
It is mentioned in Gen. 37:2, at the very beginning of the story of Joseph, that he was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah – Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Joseph is 17 years old when his story begins.
Gen. 41:45 – Pharaoh renames Joseph “Zaphenath-panea.” (tsof-nath' pah-nay'-akh)
Abraham, Sarah, and Israel are all renamed by God. Joseph, here, is renamed by Pharaoh. This is interesting to note.
Joseph’s children with Asenath:
Manasseh – “for God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” (v.51)
Ephraim – “for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (v.52) Ephraim, though he is the younger of the two brothers, is later bless by his grandfather Israel as the greater of the two brothers (Gen. 48:19)
Note- Manasseh and Ephraim are later adopted by Israel (Gen. 48:5,6). “They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.” (v.6)
Israel’s dying words on his son Joseph:
Genesis 49:22-26 ESV
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.”
12-Benjamin
Benjamin is the only son who is named by his father instead of his mother. Technically, his mother does give him a name – Benoi – but the name he keeps is the one his father gives him.
Israel’s dying words on his son Benjamin:
Genesis 49:27,28 ESV
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil."
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.
Joseph, Who is Set Apart from his Brothers - Genesis 37-41, Genesis 49
(This sermon was first delivered on November 6, 2011 by Kate Birss at Look to the Cross in Edmonton, Alberta. For a further study of the ideas within this sermon, see the posts from October 31-November 4 in this blog. Also see the next entry for more of Kate's notes on Jacob's blessings of Joseph and his brothers.)
Genesis 49:22-26 ESV
22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
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23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
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24 yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
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25 by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
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26 The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers."
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Joseph’s story starts with his mother, Rachel, and his father, Jacob.
After Leah had her sixth son,
"God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb."
(Gen. 30:22)
When Joseph is born, Rachel says,
"God has taken away my reproach.” And,
“May the LORD add to me another son!”
And the LORD does, later, add to her another son – Benjamin – at which time Rachel dies in the throes of childbirth.
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But Benjamin is not born until after Jacob is renamed Israel and after Jacob, or Israel, is reunited with his brother Esau. For several very event-filled years before Benjamin comes along, Joseph is Rachel’s only son. He is the only son of Jacob’s beloved wife.
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We can look at the beginning of Joseph’s life and see the environment he was born into:
• We can see that there is strife between Leah and Rachel.
• There is strife between Jacob and his wives.
• And when Jacob’s sons are old enough, they are violent (Simeon and Levi, who murder every man in the city of Shechem), and rebellious (Reuben, who sleeps with his father’s wife). These sins cause strife between Joseph’s brothers and their father. Even Judah, from whom Jesus is descended, is deceitful and willing to burn his daughter-in-law alive for supposedly committing the same sin he himself was guilty of.
It should come as no surprise that by the time Joseph is seventeen, a young man, his brothers want to murder him but instead decide to just sell him into slavery and let their father believe that he is dead. --- Joseph, his beloved son.
Joseph is born into a messed up, jealousy-ridden family.
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But his father loves him. No doubt, as Potiphar, the jail-keeper, and Pharaoh later see, his father sees that the Spirit of the LORD is upon Joseph and this is why he gives his son authority in the household. Joseph is given great responsibilities because he is obedient to the LORD.
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So, Joseph is given great responsibility by his father.
Then, his brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt.
Joseph is given great responsibility by his new owner, Potiphar.
And Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph of raping her and he is thrown in jail.
Then Joseph is given great responsibility in the prison by the keeper of the jail,
But when he interprets the cup-bearer’s dream and asks him to remember him when he is released, the cup-bearer gives him the shaft, forgetting him until a couple years later when Pharaoh has a dream in need of interpreting.
Finally, Pharaoh promotes Joseph to be, basically, the ruler of Egypt only under himself. Pharaoh gives Joseph a new name, which we have learned is a very significant thing to do.
And Joseph is restored to freedom. He is no longer a slave. He is no longer a prisoner. He names his firstborn son Manasseh and declares, “for God has made me forget all the hardship and all my father’s house.”
Joseph is redeemed. But his story of redemption is different from that of his father’s story.
Unlike his father Jacob, Joseph goes through pain and hardship, but he remains with the LORD. He is not rebellious to God, even though he is in some pretty crappy situations. He is more like Job than he is like his father Jacob. He is more like David, close to the heart of God. He is more like Jesus, who is sold by his brothers yet is still humble -and faithful- to later rescue them in their need. Joseph is a way-stinkin’-better example of humble, Christ-like forgiveness for us to model than his father Jacob.
After Joseph is promoted by the Pharaoh, a great famine covers the earth, and his brothers come to Egypt in search of food. They are starving. Their families are starving. And, unknowingly, they come to their outcast brother, Joseph, for help.
And Joseph forgives them. He forgives the blood-thirsty brothers who sold him into a slavery which cost him thirteen years of his young life. He clearly was greatly hurt by them, for his first son is named “for God has made me forget all the hardship and all my father’s house,” but he gives them food. He invites them to come to Egypt to be taken care of by his own wealth.
Joseph is redeemed, and he offers redemption to his brothers.
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In Isaiah, there is a prophecy of Christ:
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Joseph is certainly not Christ. He has some pretty obvious faults – he didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut when he was a teenager, getting all those dreams about being greater than all of his brothers and telling them about it. I mean, seriously, these are brothers who sleep with their step-moms and go into cities to violently murder every man there. I don’t think Joseph was perfect.
Nor do I think that Joseph took on his brothers’ sins as Christ took on ours on the cross.
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But Joseph is an example of Christ to us, as well as a picture of Christ for the people of his time. His story of redemption, of set-apart-ed-ness, of forgiveness and willingness to forgive, was told for many years before Moses and the law came along, before King David with his psalms describing God, before the prophets and their foretelling of Christ.
And we can look at Joseph’s story and see Jesus in Joseph’s life. Quite literally, Jesus wrestled with Joseph’s father while Joseph was just on the other side of the river as a little boy. Joseph saw his father’s limp. He saw his father’s changed countenance upon having seen the face of God and survived.
And Joseph was a man of great faith. He did not renounce the LORD while he was in slavery or in prison. He gave the LORD honor when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s servants’ dreams. He gave the LORD honor when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream. Like Jesus, he gave all glory to his father in heaven.
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When we remember Jesus and his redemption of ourselves, we may feel much like Joseph’s brothers did when they saw his face and realized that Joseph had complete authority over them- to allow them to starve to death even be imprisoned for the rest of their lives if he so had the inkling. But instead, Joseph chose to forgive them. He forgave them, and he provided them with food and shelter when they would have starved or become slaves themselves.
It’s a pretty amazing story. Joseph really is set-apart.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
Genesis 49:22-26 ESV
Genesis 49:22-26 ESV
22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.
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23 The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely,
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24 yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
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25 by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
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26 The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers."
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Joseph’s story starts with his mother, Rachel, and his father, Jacob.
After Leah had her sixth son,
"God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb."
(Gen. 30:22)
When Joseph is born, Rachel says,
"God has taken away my reproach.” And,
“May the LORD add to me another son!”
And the LORD does, later, add to her another son – Benjamin – at which time Rachel dies in the throes of childbirth.
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But Benjamin is not born until after Jacob is renamed Israel and after Jacob, or Israel, is reunited with his brother Esau. For several very event-filled years before Benjamin comes along, Joseph is Rachel’s only son. He is the only son of Jacob’s beloved wife.
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We can look at the beginning of Joseph’s life and see the environment he was born into:
• We can see that there is strife between Leah and Rachel.
• There is strife between Jacob and his wives.
• And when Jacob’s sons are old enough, they are violent (Simeon and Levi, who murder every man in the city of Shechem), and rebellious (Reuben, who sleeps with his father’s wife). These sins cause strife between Joseph’s brothers and their father. Even Judah, from whom Jesus is descended, is deceitful and willing to burn his daughter-in-law alive for supposedly committing the same sin he himself was guilty of.
It should come as no surprise that by the time Joseph is seventeen, a young man, his brothers want to murder him but instead decide to just sell him into slavery and let their father believe that he is dead. --- Joseph, his beloved son.
Joseph is born into a messed up, jealousy-ridden family.
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But his father loves him. No doubt, as Potiphar, the jail-keeper, and Pharaoh later see, his father sees that the Spirit of the LORD is upon Joseph and this is why he gives his son authority in the household. Joseph is given great responsibilities because he is obedient to the LORD.
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So, Joseph is given great responsibility by his father.
Then, his brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt.
Joseph is given great responsibility by his new owner, Potiphar.
And Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph of raping her and he is thrown in jail.
Then Joseph is given great responsibility in the prison by the keeper of the jail,
But when he interprets the cup-bearer’s dream and asks him to remember him when he is released, the cup-bearer gives him the shaft, forgetting him until a couple years later when Pharaoh has a dream in need of interpreting.
Finally, Pharaoh promotes Joseph to be, basically, the ruler of Egypt only under himself. Pharaoh gives Joseph a new name, which we have learned is a very significant thing to do.
And Joseph is restored to freedom. He is no longer a slave. He is no longer a prisoner. He names his firstborn son Manasseh and declares, “for God has made me forget all the hardship and all my father’s house.”
Joseph is redeemed. But his story of redemption is different from that of his father’s story.
Unlike his father Jacob, Joseph goes through pain and hardship, but he remains with the LORD. He is not rebellious to God, even though he is in some pretty crappy situations. He is more like Job than he is like his father Jacob. He is more like David, close to the heart of God. He is more like Jesus, who is sold by his brothers yet is still humble -and faithful- to later rescue them in their need. Joseph is a way-stinkin’-better example of humble, Christ-like forgiveness for us to model than his father Jacob.
After Joseph is promoted by the Pharaoh, a great famine covers the earth, and his brothers come to Egypt in search of food. They are starving. Their families are starving. And, unknowingly, they come to their outcast brother, Joseph, for help.
And Joseph forgives them. He forgives the blood-thirsty brothers who sold him into a slavery which cost him thirteen years of his young life. He clearly was greatly hurt by them, for his first son is named “for God has made me forget all the hardship and all my father’s house,” but he gives them food. He invites them to come to Egypt to be taken care of by his own wealth.
Joseph is redeemed, and he offers redemption to his brothers.
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In Isaiah, there is a prophecy of Christ:
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Joseph is certainly not Christ. He has some pretty obvious faults – he didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut when he was a teenager, getting all those dreams about being greater than all of his brothers and telling them about it. I mean, seriously, these are brothers who sleep with their step-moms and go into cities to violently murder every man there. I don’t think Joseph was perfect.
Nor do I think that Joseph took on his brothers’ sins as Christ took on ours on the cross.
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But Joseph is an example of Christ to us, as well as a picture of Christ for the people of his time. His story of redemption, of set-apart-ed-ness, of forgiveness and willingness to forgive, was told for many years before Moses and the law came along, before King David with his psalms describing God, before the prophets and their foretelling of Christ.
And we can look at Joseph’s story and see Jesus in Joseph’s life. Quite literally, Jesus wrestled with Joseph’s father while Joseph was just on the other side of the river as a little boy. Joseph saw his father’s limp. He saw his father’s changed countenance upon having seen the face of God and survived.
And Joseph was a man of great faith. He did not renounce the LORD while he was in slavery or in prison. He gave the LORD honor when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s servants’ dreams. He gave the LORD honor when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream. Like Jesus, he gave all glory to his father in heaven.
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When we remember Jesus and his redemption of ourselves, we may feel much like Joseph’s brothers did when they saw his face and realized that Joseph had complete authority over them- to allow them to starve to death even be imprisoned for the rest of their lives if he so had the inkling. But instead, Joseph chose to forgive them. He forgave them, and he provided them with food and shelter when they would have starved or become slaves themselves.
It’s a pretty amazing story. Joseph really is set-apart.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
Genesis 49:22-26 ESV
Thursday, November 17, 2011
God’s Judgment on Violence and Abusive Authority – Genesis 48, 49 and 50 (Conclusions)
Click here to read Genesis 48
Click here to read Genesis 49
The emphasis in these two chapters that is placed on Ephraim and Manasseh receiving the blessing, and the loss of the blessing by Simeon and Levi for their violence and lack of self-control would resonate loudly to the original readers of Genesis. Israel is wandering in the wilderness for a generation, and will take possession of the land of Canaan by force in the next generation. In this story, we see how two brothers who would take land in their own vengeance and for their own purposes are NOT blessed by God.
God's covenants are NOT a war strategy to simply be used to common or natural ends, as Simeon and Levi used circumcision against the Shechemites. Israel is not to take their own vengeance, and is not to be violent outside of God's intention for them and his direct commands. No matter how they may personally feel justified (should our sister be treated as a prostitute?), Israel is to only go as far as God commands, and no further.
God is having his own judgment on the Canaanites. Israel is only his tool. We also see this same spirit in God's future directions that Israel not take any of the spoils for themself. God is the avenger. God gives Canaan into their hands. God gets the spoils.
Click here to read Genesis 50
Genesis 50:19-20
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
vv19-20 - This statement sums up much of the theme of all of Genesis. Joseph is unwilling to take God's place. He KNOWS who God is. The next verse shows that Joseph puts God in his proper place if true authority. He also KNOWS who he is.
He restrains himself. Though he has been placed in a position of authority over his brothers, he does not assume the licence to use that power.
Relationally, he insists that he and his brothers are equal. God is the only true authority.
v20 - God meant what happened to Joseph for good. Joseph does not judge, because of his faith in God. It is faith in God's work that allows him to be nonjudgmental.
This verse is a thesis for the entire book of Genesis.
Considering the original audience again, we see how this would resonate as the previous chapters resonated with the judgments of Simeon and Levi. They will be given authority by God to take the land of Canaan. But that authority will never be theirs. It will always remain in God's hands. They are only plenipotentiaries. They are ambassadors of the One who is the only king. They should not assume to take the authority for themself, as though it is for them to judge. God alone is sovereign. God alone is judge. To use power or authority outside of God's intention is an abuse of that power. This is oppression and injustice. There is only one legitimate authority, and that is God.
The Israelites are to restrain themselves in their taking of the land of Canaan. Though the narrative is ruthless in the battles of Joshua and Judges, it is God's wrath, not the wrath of the Israelites that should be seen.
Later in the Torah, we see Moses judged harshly by God for walking in authority that had not been given him. He struck a rock when God told him to speak to it. When water comes out, he takes credit for what God does. For this, Moses is denied entrance to the Promised Land. The severity of his punishment shows how seriously God's authority (and no other) should be taken.
The kings of Israel take a lesson from Joseph and Genesis here. The descendants of Judah are representatives of God, and are to act in a way that reflects his authority. Their kingship shows the people what his kingship is like. When they abused their power, they marred the image of God the king that they were to reflect.
Finally, vv19-20 bring us all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 and the fall.
We are not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The power of judgment is not in our hands. God alone is judge. God alone is the Master Avenger. The same judge who will enact justice upon those we believe are our enemies will also judge us without partiality. We live in humility and submission to the one and only authority, and we will not raise his sceptre ourselves.
Click here to read Genesis 49
The emphasis in these two chapters that is placed on Ephraim and Manasseh receiving the blessing, and the loss of the blessing by Simeon and Levi for their violence and lack of self-control would resonate loudly to the original readers of Genesis. Israel is wandering in the wilderness for a generation, and will take possession of the land of Canaan by force in the next generation. In this story, we see how two brothers who would take land in their own vengeance and for their own purposes are NOT blessed by God.
God's covenants are NOT a war strategy to simply be used to common or natural ends, as Simeon and Levi used circumcision against the Shechemites. Israel is not to take their own vengeance, and is not to be violent outside of God's intention for them and his direct commands. No matter how they may personally feel justified (should our sister be treated as a prostitute?), Israel is to only go as far as God commands, and no further.
God is having his own judgment on the Canaanites. Israel is only his tool. We also see this same spirit in God's future directions that Israel not take any of the spoils for themself. God is the avenger. God gives Canaan into their hands. God gets the spoils.
Click here to read Genesis 50
Genesis 50:19-20
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
vv19-20 - This statement sums up much of the theme of all of Genesis. Joseph is unwilling to take God's place. He KNOWS who God is. The next verse shows that Joseph puts God in his proper place if true authority. He also KNOWS who he is.
He restrains himself. Though he has been placed in a position of authority over his brothers, he does not assume the licence to use that power.
Relationally, he insists that he and his brothers are equal. God is the only true authority.
v20 - God meant what happened to Joseph for good. Joseph does not judge, because of his faith in God. It is faith in God's work that allows him to be nonjudgmental.
This verse is a thesis for the entire book of Genesis.
Considering the original audience again, we see how this would resonate as the previous chapters resonated with the judgments of Simeon and Levi. They will be given authority by God to take the land of Canaan. But that authority will never be theirs. It will always remain in God's hands. They are only plenipotentiaries. They are ambassadors of the One who is the only king. They should not assume to take the authority for themself, as though it is for them to judge. God alone is sovereign. God alone is judge. To use power or authority outside of God's intention is an abuse of that power. This is oppression and injustice. There is only one legitimate authority, and that is God.
The Israelites are to restrain themselves in their taking of the land of Canaan. Though the narrative is ruthless in the battles of Joshua and Judges, it is God's wrath, not the wrath of the Israelites that should be seen.
Later in the Torah, we see Moses judged harshly by God for walking in authority that had not been given him. He struck a rock when God told him to speak to it. When water comes out, he takes credit for what God does. For this, Moses is denied entrance to the Promised Land. The severity of his punishment shows how seriously God's authority (and no other) should be taken.
The kings of Israel take a lesson from Joseph and Genesis here. The descendants of Judah are representatives of God, and are to act in a way that reflects his authority. Their kingship shows the people what his kingship is like. When they abused their power, they marred the image of God the king that they were to reflect.
Finally, vv19-20 bring us all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 and the fall.
We are not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The power of judgment is not in our hands. God alone is judge. God alone is the Master Avenger. The same judge who will enact justice upon those we believe are our enemies will also judge us without partiality. We live in humility and submission to the one and only authority, and we will not raise his sceptre ourselves.
Jacob's blessings of his sons - Genesis 49
Click here to read Genesis 49
For lots more on Jacob's blessings of his sons (Joseph and his brothers) click here for thorough and enlightening notes by Kate Birss.
The blessing of a patriarch at death is NOT considered to be prophetic. God is not obliged to fulfill what is said. It carries the wishes of the father for his sons.
It is taken very seriously, and considered to have authority, just as naming their sons also had authority. Also, a good patriarchal blessing should include a father's careful consideration of what they see in their sons, and the future they believe that are likely to have.
This is why it is described as a "blessing according to their blessing" or "appropriate to each of them". It is up to time and the son's decisions to see if they actually come to pass.
Should God fulfill a greater purpose through these words is up to him, and we can give him credit, but it is not assumed when the statement is made. Therefore, a negative pronouncement could be taken more as a warning than a curse, no matter how likely it may be to come to pass.
Since Jacob already blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, the firstborn birthright that would otherwise fall to Rueben has already been given before Jacob starts blessing the twelve.
Rueben - Jacob reminds him of when he slept with his concubine.
Simeon and Levi - Jacob reminds them of their vengeance for Dinah. He calls them violent and cruel, and says they will be scattered.
Simeon's name is lost, his tribe swallowed by Judah's. Levi's tribe remains as the priests, but they never have a land. The priests live among all the tribes, owning nothing and supported by the tithe.
JUDAH - This pronouncement is the first with its eye more on the future than the past, the first with an animal metaphor, which continues past this point, and Judah is the first son praised. Jacob says that the other sons will bow to him. He calls him a lion. He says a scepter will come to his hand. He will wash his robe in wine.
All of these things are also spoken of Jesus, THE Lion of the tribe of Judah.
The scepter will not leave him until it comes to the one it belongs.
King David was of Judah's line. Later prophesies promise a greater king that comes from David's line.
This pronouncement and the messianic prophesies that follow it give justification for seeing Judah as a type of Christ. This is seen most clearly in his willingness to be sacrificed on Benjamin's behalf.
Joseph's dreams were that his family would bow to him, which occurred in his lifetime. This pronouncement of kingship is for the future of Judah's tribe, past their lifetime.
Jacob asks his sons to bury him in the same tomb as Abraham and Jacob, the tomb in Canaan that Abraham bought for Sarah.
For lots more on Jacob's blessings of his sons (Joseph and his brothers) click here for thorough and enlightening notes by Kate Birss.
The blessing of a patriarch at death is NOT considered to be prophetic. God is not obliged to fulfill what is said. It carries the wishes of the father for his sons.
It is taken very seriously, and considered to have authority, just as naming their sons also had authority. Also, a good patriarchal blessing should include a father's careful consideration of what they see in their sons, and the future they believe that are likely to have.
This is why it is described as a "blessing according to their blessing" or "appropriate to each of them". It is up to time and the son's decisions to see if they actually come to pass.
Should God fulfill a greater purpose through these words is up to him, and we can give him credit, but it is not assumed when the statement is made. Therefore, a negative pronouncement could be taken more as a warning than a curse, no matter how likely it may be to come to pass.
Since Jacob already blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, the firstborn birthright that would otherwise fall to Rueben has already been given before Jacob starts blessing the twelve.
Rueben - Jacob reminds him of when he slept with his concubine.
Simeon and Levi - Jacob reminds them of their vengeance for Dinah. He calls them violent and cruel, and says they will be scattered.
Simeon's name is lost, his tribe swallowed by Judah's. Levi's tribe remains as the priests, but they never have a land. The priests live among all the tribes, owning nothing and supported by the tithe.
JUDAH - This pronouncement is the first with its eye more on the future than the past, the first with an animal metaphor, which continues past this point, and Judah is the first son praised. Jacob says that the other sons will bow to him. He calls him a lion. He says a scepter will come to his hand. He will wash his robe in wine.
All of these things are also spoken of Jesus, THE Lion of the tribe of Judah.
The scepter will not leave him until it comes to the one it belongs.
King David was of Judah's line. Later prophesies promise a greater king that comes from David's line.
This pronouncement and the messianic prophesies that follow it give justification for seeing Judah as a type of Christ. This is seen most clearly in his willingness to be sacrificed on Benjamin's behalf.
Joseph's dreams were that his family would bow to him, which occurred in his lifetime. This pronouncement of kingship is for the future of Judah's tribe, past their lifetime.
Jacob asks his sons to bury him in the same tomb as Abraham and Jacob, the tomb in Canaan that Abraham bought for Sarah.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Joseph's sons (Ephraim and Mannassah) replace Joseph's brothers (Simeon and Reuben) - Genesis 48 (Conclusions)
Click here to read Genesis 48
Jacob is dying.
He tells Joseph and his sons of God's promise that the Israelites will live in Canaan.
Everlasting - in perpetuity.
Joseph's two sons are "adopted" by Jacob. Each will be a tribe.
Jacob tells Joseph and his sons about burying Rachel near Bethlehem.
Israel (Jacob) could hardly see, just like his father before him when he received the blessing.
Placing a child on the knee is a symbol of adoption. This is the intent of the verse, which we can see from Jacob's words and Joseph's reaction.
Adoption by a patriarch was a high honour, like when my friend was adopted by an African tribal chief.
Joseph crossed his arms over the children, blessing them in reverse order as he had been blessed before his brother. He insists to Joseph that the younger will be a greater nation.
Today, Jewish people lay hands on their children's heads on Friday night, the beginning of Passover, and pray a blessing for them in the names of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Since the birthright passed through Joseph, praying a blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh on children probably invokes the best of the blessing of the covenant of Abraham.
Ephraim and Manasseh were probably raised in the house of Egypt, as Moses was. But they did not remain as Egyptians. They returned to their people. Raised as princes, they returned to the despised Hebrew shepherds.
This path may remind Israel of Moses' path from Egyptian Prince to regular Israelite and then shepherd.
By making Ephraim and Manasseh his own, and replacements for his firstborn Simeon and Rueben, Jacob makes another legal justification for passing the birthright on to Joseph. He is the firstborn of Rachel his first wife (arguable), but he is also the father of his firstborn by birth order.
By invoking the early death of Rachel, Jacob explains why he believes these sons to be legitimately his. Rachel died before her time, before she could bear all the sons she may have been able. Therefore, these sons are the sons of Rachel to Jacob.
Jacob mentions the land inheritance, because this will be the beginning of the land of the tribes of Israel. Though the land of Shechem was taken in an illegitimate way of which Jacob did not approve, it has nonetheless been taken. Jacob redeems it by saying HE took it, since it was taken in his name. By replacing Simeon with Manasseh, he wipes the vengeance from the history, and creates a new legal history by which it will pass to his sons, though never to Simeon or Levi.
Simeon and Rueben lose their names among the tribes of Israel, and are replaced by Ephraim and Manasseh.
Jacob is dying.
He tells Joseph and his sons of God's promise that the Israelites will live in Canaan.
Everlasting - in perpetuity.
Joseph's two sons are "adopted" by Jacob. Each will be a tribe.
Jacob tells Joseph and his sons about burying Rachel near Bethlehem.
Israel (Jacob) could hardly see, just like his father before him when he received the blessing.
Placing a child on the knee is a symbol of adoption. This is the intent of the verse, which we can see from Jacob's words and Joseph's reaction.
Adoption by a patriarch was a high honour, like when my friend was adopted by an African tribal chief.
Joseph crossed his arms over the children, blessing them in reverse order as he had been blessed before his brother. He insists to Joseph that the younger will be a greater nation.
Today, Jewish people lay hands on their children's heads on Friday night, the beginning of Passover, and pray a blessing for them in the names of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Since the birthright passed through Joseph, praying a blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh on children probably invokes the best of the blessing of the covenant of Abraham.
Ephraim and Manasseh were probably raised in the house of Egypt, as Moses was. But they did not remain as Egyptians. They returned to their people. Raised as princes, they returned to the despised Hebrew shepherds.
This path may remind Israel of Moses' path from Egyptian Prince to regular Israelite and then shepherd.
By making Ephraim and Manasseh his own, and replacements for his firstborn Simeon and Rueben, Jacob makes another legal justification for passing the birthright on to Joseph. He is the firstborn of Rachel his first wife (arguable), but he is also the father of his firstborn by birth order.
By invoking the early death of Rachel, Jacob explains why he believes these sons to be legitimately his. Rachel died before her time, before she could bear all the sons she may have been able. Therefore, these sons are the sons of Rachel to Jacob.
Jacob mentions the land inheritance, because this will be the beginning of the land of the tribes of Israel. Though the land of Shechem was taken in an illegitimate way of which Jacob did not approve, it has nonetheless been taken. Jacob redeems it by saying HE took it, since it was taken in his name. By replacing Simeon with Manasseh, he wipes the vengeance from the history, and creates a new legal history by which it will pass to his sons, though never to Simeon or Levi.
Simeon and Rueben lose their names among the tribes of Israel, and are replaced by Ephraim and Manasseh.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Joseph the Despot and the Amazing Technicolour Story Rewrite - Genesis 47 (Conclusions)
Click here to read Genesis 47
I like Joseph. I want to like Joseph. We all do. He is the hero of this story, and it is a really good story.
But the untold parts of Joseph’s story are, quite frankly, really disturbing. And our ability to ignore this particular chapter (lit. Gen chapter 47) in Joseph’s history is really quite amazing.
Joseph may have been wise. He may have been put in charge of the food in Egypt according to God's plan. But what he does with the power he has is controlling, manipulative, and cruel.
The people are starving. Joseph is not distributing the food of Egypt to these starving people. He is selling it to them.
He is selling food to starving people.
When they run out of money, he takes their flocks. When they run out of flocks, he takes their land, and makes them servants. They must now pay Pharaoh for the privilege of working their own land, a flat income tax of one fifth. The government owns everything, and everyone works for the government.
Remember, the food he is selling back to them was never bought from them in the first place. It was commandeered. It cost Egypt no more than storage to take the people's grain.
Now he is selling it back to them as though they did not own it to begin with.
If this were to happen today, we would compare this person to Lenin or Stalin or Chairman Mao. This is the worst of totalitarian government control.
Worst of all, in this chapter we see Joseph set up the system of Egyptian finance and labour that has the perfect environment for slavery to begin among the people if the land.
Years later, when the Israelites are enslaved and oppressed in Egypt, they could probably trace the beginnings of the trend toward it to this time.
Awful.
This is a very good example of WHY we do NOT interpret Joseph's story as being a moral example presented to us for us to emulate.
It is not the intention of the text to teach us that we should run from temptation, as Joseph did from Potiphar's wife.
If we interpret Joseph's story this way, we must apply the same interpretation to his economic policy. If we insist that scripture is teaching us about self-control in the story if Potiphar's wife because the same lesson is elsewhere in scripture we should teach it from elsewhere in scripture.
Joseph is not a model for us to emulate. This is not a morality tale.
This is not a story to teach us about Joseph's uprightness. It is about God.
Joseph shows us that God is sovereign and that his hand is on all we do. What he promises (in this story, to Abraham), will come to pass.
I like Joseph. I want to like Joseph. We all do. He is the hero of this story, and it is a really good story.
But the untold parts of Joseph’s story are, quite frankly, really disturbing. And our ability to ignore this particular chapter (lit. Gen chapter 47) in Joseph’s history is really quite amazing.
Joseph may have been wise. He may have been put in charge of the food in Egypt according to God's plan. But what he does with the power he has is controlling, manipulative, and cruel.
The people are starving. Joseph is not distributing the food of Egypt to these starving people. He is selling it to them.
He is selling food to starving people.
When they run out of money, he takes their flocks. When they run out of flocks, he takes their land, and makes them servants. They must now pay Pharaoh for the privilege of working their own land, a flat income tax of one fifth. The government owns everything, and everyone works for the government.
Remember, the food he is selling back to them was never bought from them in the first place. It was commandeered. It cost Egypt no more than storage to take the people's grain.
Now he is selling it back to them as though they did not own it to begin with.
If this were to happen today, we would compare this person to Lenin or Stalin or Chairman Mao. This is the worst of totalitarian government control.
Worst of all, in this chapter we see Joseph set up the system of Egyptian finance and labour that has the perfect environment for slavery to begin among the people if the land.
Years later, when the Israelites are enslaved and oppressed in Egypt, they could probably trace the beginnings of the trend toward it to this time.
Awful.
This is a very good example of WHY we do NOT interpret Joseph's story as being a moral example presented to us for us to emulate.
It is not the intention of the text to teach us that we should run from temptation, as Joseph did from Potiphar's wife.
If we interpret Joseph's story this way, we must apply the same interpretation to his economic policy. If we insist that scripture is teaching us about self-control in the story if Potiphar's wife because the same lesson is elsewhere in scripture we should teach it from elsewhere in scripture.
Joseph is not a model for us to emulate. This is not a morality tale.
This is not a story to teach us about Joseph's uprightness. It is about God.
Joseph shows us that God is sovereign and that his hand is on all we do. What he promises (in this story, to Abraham), will come to pass.
Joseph’s Brothers Meet the Pharaoh and Settle in Egypt - Genesis 47
Click here to read Genesis 47
Pharaoh meets five of Joseph's brothers, and tells them to settle in Goshen, which he calls the best part of the land. He also says that he wants them shepherding his own flocks. He has seen the blessing that comes with Joseph's family. He's no fool. He'll take as much of that as he can get.
Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Goshen is called the district of Ramses. Joseph made sure they were provided for well with food and land.
Joseph's father, Jacob, makes Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan. He knows that his family's time in Egypt will be temporary. Canaan is his home.
Jacob has Joseph put his hand under his thigh again - another oath to seed, like Abraham and his servant.
Funeral arrangements were taken care of by the son of the birthright. Jacob is bestowing the birthright on Joseph, the eldest son of his favourite wife.
+
This story of Joseph's faith did more than just make him able to endure suffering. It made him good. It made him forgiving and humble and righteous. We do not see obvious divine intervention in Joseph's story. There are no miracles or supernatural events in the making of Joseph in the same way they occur in every other story up to this point. Joseph has faith in the unseen. God's hand is on every part of his life.
+
...which is why the rest of this chapter is so strange to me (see next entry).
Pharaoh meets five of Joseph's brothers, and tells them to settle in Goshen, which he calls the best part of the land. He also says that he wants them shepherding his own flocks. He has seen the blessing that comes with Joseph's family. He's no fool. He'll take as much of that as he can get.
Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Goshen is called the district of Ramses. Joseph made sure they were provided for well with food and land.
Joseph's father, Jacob, makes Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan. He knows that his family's time in Egypt will be temporary. Canaan is his home.
Jacob has Joseph put his hand under his thigh again - another oath to seed, like Abraham and his servant.
Funeral arrangements were taken care of by the son of the birthright. Jacob is bestowing the birthright on Joseph, the eldest son of his favourite wife.
+
This story of Joseph's faith did more than just make him able to endure suffering. It made him good. It made him forgiving and humble and righteous. We do not see obvious divine intervention in Joseph's story. There are no miracles or supernatural events in the making of Joseph in the same way they occur in every other story up to this point. Joseph has faith in the unseen. God's hand is on every part of his life.
+
...which is why the rest of this chapter is so strange to me (see next entry).
Monday, November 14, 2011
Joseph reunited with his father, Jacob - Genesis 46
Click here to read Genesis 46
God speaks to Jacob in a dream, and reassures him that Joseph is still alive.
He renews his covenant with him to make him a great nation. Jacob may have wondered if he should leave Canaan, the land God promised to his family. God makes it clear that for him to leave is part of his plan.
Would this have reminded the early Israelites of chapter 12, when Abraham is told to go to the land God will show him?
God does not reveal himself by name this time, but by relationship. God is the God of Jacob's fathers.
The readers of this book had recently left Egypt. This chapter reminds them that it was God who brought then there, just as it was God who brought them out. In the context of Joseph's story, they will see that God has not abandoned them. God has not changed. Just as God meant all that happened to Joseph for good, so too did he mean all that happened to them in Egypt for good.
From Joseph, all the nations were blessed. From the nation of Israel, all the nations will be blessed.
Jacob brought everything and everyone. He had no intention to return personally. The Israelites reading this are reminded that there are no kin in Canaan.
Seventy Israelites settled in Egypt. The number seventy is reached carefully. Onan and his brother are counted, though they are dead. We might assume the sons of Tamar have replaced them. Numbers 26:5-50 has a somewhat different list if names. We can assume that some fathers and sons may have been swapped out in similar ways to Onan and his brother being switched with Tamar's sons, or other changes made. Onan legally entered Egypt, but did not biologically enter Egypt. The intention at least, is to come to the number 70. It probably also describes for future generations who the legal family settlers of Goshen are.
When Joseph saw his father, he had another good cry. The fifth.
Goshen was a land settles by shepherds. Shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians. Earlier, the text already told us that Hebrews were also detestable to Egyptians. This is not a great way to start a relationship in a new land.
God speaks to Jacob in a dream, and reassures him that Joseph is still alive.
He renews his covenant with him to make him a great nation. Jacob may have wondered if he should leave Canaan, the land God promised to his family. God makes it clear that for him to leave is part of his plan.
Would this have reminded the early Israelites of chapter 12, when Abraham is told to go to the land God will show him?
God does not reveal himself by name this time, but by relationship. God is the God of Jacob's fathers.
The readers of this book had recently left Egypt. This chapter reminds them that it was God who brought then there, just as it was God who brought them out. In the context of Joseph's story, they will see that God has not abandoned them. God has not changed. Just as God meant all that happened to Joseph for good, so too did he mean all that happened to them in Egypt for good.
From Joseph, all the nations were blessed. From the nation of Israel, all the nations will be blessed.
Jacob brought everything and everyone. He had no intention to return personally. The Israelites reading this are reminded that there are no kin in Canaan.
Seventy Israelites settled in Egypt. The number seventy is reached carefully. Onan and his brother are counted, though they are dead. We might assume the sons of Tamar have replaced them. Numbers 26:5-50 has a somewhat different list if names. We can assume that some fathers and sons may have been swapped out in similar ways to Onan and his brother being switched with Tamar's sons, or other changes made. Onan legally entered Egypt, but did not biologically enter Egypt. The intention at least, is to come to the number 70. It probably also describes for future generations who the legal family settlers of Goshen are.
When Joseph saw his father, he had another good cry. The fifth.
Goshen was a land settles by shepherds. Shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians. Earlier, the text already told us that Hebrews were also detestable to Egyptians. This is not a great way to start a relationship in a new land.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Stoned History - A brief retelling of the Old Testament - Acts 7
Click here to read Acts 7
(The chapter also appears in bold at the end of the entry)
Stephen is being accused of speaking against the holy place in Israel, against the law of Moses, and of claiming that the customs of Moses should be changed.
Though he takes a while to get there, his response to this accusation in to point to Jesus. Everything after the accusation is Stephen’s attempt to show the people that the Hebrew scriptures all point to Jesus. Jesus did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.
Matthew 5:17
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
After his death, Jesus pointed to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, to show his disciples how he himself had fulfilled them.
Luke 24:25-27
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:44-48
He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
Stephen is attempting to reveal that all of these stories from Genesis, Exodus, and the whole of the Hebrew scripture are about Jesus. This is an answer to the accusation because he is answering that no, he does not want to change the customs or law in the sense of abolishing them. In preaching Jesus, he acknowledges the final fulfillment of all of it. They are to be celebrated because they point to Jesus, and Jesus is what Stephen is all about.
vv1-16 – In the first sixteen verses, Stephen summarizes the entire book of Genesis. He also does so very accurately, using direct quotations and including the salient points. It took us twelve weeks to study this book in church, and we could have easily taken three times as long. As a Jewish person, Stephen would have had Genesis memorized, and so too would the people listening to him.
By being so detailed in his description of Jewish history, Stephen is also showing that he respects it and honours it deeply. The first Christians knew the scripture very well. The first Christians knew, believed, and preached the Hebrew scriptures well. Stephen is preaching Jesus from the Old Testament. We Christians today should sit up and take notice.
Stephen doesn’t even hint at getting negative until verse 42. This is the first example of his application of what he is saying. Up until now he’s telling a story. Here he is giving a hint of purpose.
In verse 51 he appears to go off the rails. Whether he intended to continue or not, we do not know.
It’s unfortunate that it is necessary to say so, but I will point out that this is not an accusation of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. This is an accusation of specific people who were explicitly involved or complicit.
Stephen’s death reminds us of Jesus’ crucifixion by its description and his last words.
vv55 and 56 are Trinitarian, probably yet another reason for him to be stoned.
Stephen is
FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT
he SEES
the glory of GOD
and JESUS at his right hand.
Finally, this is our introduction to Saul, later Paul, who becomes the first great missionary-evangelist-church-planter of the Christian church, and the first preacher to the Gentiles.
+++++
Acts 7 (New International Version 1984)
1 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?”
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our fathers could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.
17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 Then another king, who knew nothing about Joseph, became ruler of Egypt. 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.
20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord’s voice: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
35 “This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.
37 “This is that Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.
39 “But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
43 You have lifted up the shrine of Molech
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.
44 “Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built the house for him.
48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’
51 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”
54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
+++++
Wait a minute . . . where was that story in the Bible?
1. Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
2. Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
3. Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
4. Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
5. Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
6. Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
7. Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
8. Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27
9. Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
(The chapter also appears in bold at the end of the entry)
Stephen is being accused of speaking against the holy place in Israel, against the law of Moses, and of claiming that the customs of Moses should be changed.
Though he takes a while to get there, his response to this accusation in to point to Jesus. Everything after the accusation is Stephen’s attempt to show the people that the Hebrew scriptures all point to Jesus. Jesus did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.
Matthew 5:17
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
After his death, Jesus pointed to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, to show his disciples how he himself had fulfilled them.
Luke 24:25-27
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:44-48
He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
Stephen is attempting to reveal that all of these stories from Genesis, Exodus, and the whole of the Hebrew scripture are about Jesus. This is an answer to the accusation because he is answering that no, he does not want to change the customs or law in the sense of abolishing them. In preaching Jesus, he acknowledges the final fulfillment of all of it. They are to be celebrated because they point to Jesus, and Jesus is what Stephen is all about.
vv1-16 – In the first sixteen verses, Stephen summarizes the entire book of Genesis. He also does so very accurately, using direct quotations and including the salient points. It took us twelve weeks to study this book in church, and we could have easily taken three times as long. As a Jewish person, Stephen would have had Genesis memorized, and so too would the people listening to him.
By being so detailed in his description of Jewish history, Stephen is also showing that he respects it and honours it deeply. The first Christians knew the scripture very well. The first Christians knew, believed, and preached the Hebrew scriptures well. Stephen is preaching Jesus from the Old Testament. We Christians today should sit up and take notice.
Stephen doesn’t even hint at getting negative until verse 42. This is the first example of his application of what he is saying. Up until now he’s telling a story. Here he is giving a hint of purpose.
In verse 51 he appears to go off the rails. Whether he intended to continue or not, we do not know.
It’s unfortunate that it is necessary to say so, but I will point out that this is not an accusation of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus. This is an accusation of specific people who were explicitly involved or complicit.
Stephen’s death reminds us of Jesus’ crucifixion by its description and his last words.
vv55 and 56 are Trinitarian, probably yet another reason for him to be stoned.
Stephen is
FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT
he SEES
the glory of GOD
and JESUS at his right hand.
Finally, this is our introduction to Saul, later Paul, who becomes the first great missionary-evangelist-church-planter of the Christian church, and the first preacher to the Gentiles.
+++++
Acts 7 (New International Version 1984)
1 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?”
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our fathers could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.
17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 Then another king, who knew nothing about Joseph, became ruler of Egypt. 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.
20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord’s voice: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
35 “This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.
37 “This is that Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.
39 “But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
43 You have lifted up the shrine of Molech
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.
44 “Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built the house for him.
48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’
51 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”
54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
+++++
Wait a minute . . . where was that story in the Bible?
1. Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
2. Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
3. Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
4. Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
5. Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
6. Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
7. Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
8. Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27
9. Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Joseph Forgives his Brothers. And Cries a Lot. - Genesis 45
Click here to read Genesis 45
v7- God sent Joseph to Egypt to fulfill his promise and save the covenant community of Abraham.
v9 - God made Joseph ruler of Egypt.
Joseph weep #3
Joseph is moved by Judah's willingness to sacrifice himself for his brother.
Joseph sends all the Egyptians away.
With no interpreter present, Joseph would have been able to speak of his brother's sins toward him without anyone overhearing. It is an act of grace on his part that he kept their wrongdoing between them.
His brothers are still terrified as he reveals himself to them. This is understandable. There is no pinning down this unstable guy with authority to kill them as far as they know.
Joseph's revelation reminds me of Jesus resurrection and the difficult time people had believing it.
Joseph completely forgives his brothers.
Joseph gives credit to God for sending him to Egypt, not blame to his brothers. He is in Egypt with purpose, and according to God's plan.
Joseph does not even point to his good comfortable life as a reason he is not angry. He points only to God and his plan. God had a plan in his prosperity as well as his imprisonment.
Joseph invited his whole family to live in Goshen, where he will provide for them. This is where the Israelites live during Moses' time.
He hugs his brothers during weep#4.
Pharaoh sends Joseph's brothers with a personal message to get his family and bring them back so they can be cared for in Egypt.
Joseph gives Benjamin five new sets of clothing. A reminder of the preferential coat perhaps?
"Don't worry about your belongings. The best of Egypt will be yours." - and when they leave Egypt with Moses, they take the spoils with them.
Israel receives his son back, like the father of the prodigal.
v7- God sent Joseph to Egypt to fulfill his promise and save the covenant community of Abraham.
v9 - God made Joseph ruler of Egypt.
Joseph weep #3
Joseph is moved by Judah's willingness to sacrifice himself for his brother.
Joseph sends all the Egyptians away.
With no interpreter present, Joseph would have been able to speak of his brother's sins toward him without anyone overhearing. It is an act of grace on his part that he kept their wrongdoing between them.
His brothers are still terrified as he reveals himself to them. This is understandable. There is no pinning down this unstable guy with authority to kill them as far as they know.
Joseph's revelation reminds me of Jesus resurrection and the difficult time people had believing it.
Joseph completely forgives his brothers.
Joseph gives credit to God for sending him to Egypt, not blame to his brothers. He is in Egypt with purpose, and according to God's plan.
Joseph does not even point to his good comfortable life as a reason he is not angry. He points only to God and his plan. God had a plan in his prosperity as well as his imprisonment.
Joseph invited his whole family to live in Goshen, where he will provide for them. This is where the Israelites live during Moses' time.
He hugs his brothers during weep#4.
Pharaoh sends Joseph's brothers with a personal message to get his family and bring them back so they can be cared for in Egypt.
Joseph gives Benjamin five new sets of clothing. A reminder of the preferential coat perhaps?
"Don't worry about your belongings. The best of Egypt will be yours." - and when they leave Egypt with Moses, they take the spoils with them.
Israel receives his son back, like the father of the prodigal.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Joseph’s Brother’s Confession of Sin and Willingness to Sacrifice. - Genesis 44
Click here to read Genesis 44
We assume that Joseph returned the brother's silver the first time. This time the text states it explicitly.
Joseph puts his cup in Benjamin's sack, and then sends someone in pursuit of them to accuse them of stealing it.
The brother's unknowingly condemn their own brother, just as Jacob had condemned Rachel with his words before Laban when he didn't know she was in possession of Laban's stolen idols. Benjamin is Rachel's son.
Benjamin being condemned to slavery in Egypt is a reconstruction of what the brothers did to Joseph.
The brothers do not abandon their brother. They return to Egypt with Benjamin, in grief.
The brothers bow before Joseph again. His dreams are being fulfilled.
Judah speaks for the group. He has certainly become the leader and a humble and giving one at this point as well.
Judah, the older brother, is willing to trade his life in payment for the freedom of his younger brother. This is a shadow of our older brother Jesus and his sacrificial trade-payment of his life for ours.
Jesus is the great great great (etc.) grandson of Judah, from the line of King David.
We assume that Joseph returned the brother's silver the first time. This time the text states it explicitly.
Joseph puts his cup in Benjamin's sack, and then sends someone in pursuit of them to accuse them of stealing it.
The brother's unknowingly condemn their own brother, just as Jacob had condemned Rachel with his words before Laban when he didn't know she was in possession of Laban's stolen idols. Benjamin is Rachel's son.
Benjamin being condemned to slavery in Egypt is a reconstruction of what the brothers did to Joseph.
The brothers do not abandon their brother. They return to Egypt with Benjamin, in grief.
The brothers bow before Joseph again. His dreams are being fulfilled.
Judah speaks for the group. He has certainly become the leader and a humble and giving one at this point as well.
Judah, the older brother, is willing to trade his life in payment for the freedom of his younger brother. This is a shadow of our older brother Jesus and his sacrificial trade-payment of his life for ours.
Jesus is the great great great (etc.) grandson of Judah, from the line of King David.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Joseph gets his brothers Drunk - Genesis 43
Click here to read Genesis 43
Again, the willingness of the brothers to sacrifice themself on behalf of their younger brothers reminds me of the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus.
The brother's return, the grain runs out, and Jacob's family is still hungry. They need to buy more grain. This single incident in one family shows the situation all the families in the land find themself in. All are dependent on Egypt and must return, whether they like it or not.
Rueben was unable to convince his father in the previous chapter, but in this chapter Judah convinces him to send Benjamin. Rueben has probably lost the trust of his father. The text reminds us of the shift in the family's leadership to Judah.
Judah convinces Jacob to act when he is reluctant, as his mother did when he was young. Just as his mother said she would take the curse of Isaac on herself, so Judah says he will take the curse on himself if Benjamin is not returned.
(Ben by Michael Jackson)
Jacob is ingratiating himself to Joseph for fear for his son's life.
The brothers immediately tell Joseph about the silver, and show that they are returning twice the payment. They are terrified of him.
They interpreted the silver in the bags as God's punishment. Joseph's servant interprets the silver in their bag as God's provision.
Joseph seems very transparent as he asks about his father.
Joseph treats the brothers very well this time. If I were them, I'd suspect psychological warfare and still be terrified.
v30 - second weep. Just as Jacob lifted stones, Joseph does a lot of crying.
Joseph is showing preference to Benjamin, just as preference had been shown to him in childhood.
Joseph is setting his brothers up. Are they inclined to jealousy toward a brother treated with preference?
Joseph shared a brewski with his brothers, getting drunk together. They made merry. They were loaded.
Plastered.
Egyptians won't eat with Hebrews, even though a Hebrew is their Vice President. The beginnings of the racism that would lead to the enslavement of the Hebrews already exists.
Again, the willingness of the brothers to sacrifice themself on behalf of their younger brothers reminds me of the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus.
The brother's return, the grain runs out, and Jacob's family is still hungry. They need to buy more grain. This single incident in one family shows the situation all the families in the land find themself in. All are dependent on Egypt and must return, whether they like it or not.
Rueben was unable to convince his father in the previous chapter, but in this chapter Judah convinces him to send Benjamin. Rueben has probably lost the trust of his father. The text reminds us of the shift in the family's leadership to Judah.
Judah convinces Jacob to act when he is reluctant, as his mother did when he was young. Just as his mother said she would take the curse of Isaac on herself, so Judah says he will take the curse on himself if Benjamin is not returned.
(Ben by Michael Jackson)
Jacob is ingratiating himself to Joseph for fear for his son's life.
The brothers immediately tell Joseph about the silver, and show that they are returning twice the payment. They are terrified of him.
They interpreted the silver in the bags as God's punishment. Joseph's servant interprets the silver in their bag as God's provision.
Joseph seems very transparent as he asks about his father.
Joseph treats the brothers very well this time. If I were them, I'd suspect psychological warfare and still be terrified.
v30 - second weep. Just as Jacob lifted stones, Joseph does a lot of crying.
Joseph is showing preference to Benjamin, just as preference had been shown to him in childhood.
Joseph is setting his brothers up. Are they inclined to jealousy toward a brother treated with preference?
Joseph shared a brewski with his brothers, getting drunk together. They made merry. They were loaded.
Plastered.
Egyptians won't eat with Hebrews, even though a Hebrew is their Vice President. The beginnings of the racism that would lead to the enslavement of the Hebrews already exists.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Joseph's Starving Brothers Visit Egypt - Genesis 42
Click here to read Genesis 42
Jacob sends all his sons but Benjamin to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin remains because he is the youngest, and because he is all Jacob has left of Rachel in the world. This reminds me of Judah, who would not give his youngest son in marriage to Tamar a couple of chapters ago. This also illustrates how Judah's grief for his two sons was similar to his father's grief over Joseph, a grief he inflicted on him.
Joseph recognizes his brothers, but does not reveal himself.
Joseph speaks harshly to his brothers and accuses them of being spies. Had his brothers ever accused him of being a spy when he gave a bad report about them to their father (37:2)?
The text neither condemns nor approves of Joseph's action. Neither does it explicitly explain all his reasons.
He probably is testing them to see if they've reformed. Whether revenge is also part of his intention is not clear.
Joseph puts them in prison, very likely the same prison that he stayed in, since it was a prison for political prisoners accused of treason or rebellion. His brothers are accused of being spies.
Joseph demands they bring Benjamin, his younger brother. He probably missed him.
The brothers immediately believe that this treatment is punishment for their treatment of Joseph. They have been carrying this guilt for their whole lives. It is probably a dark secret they have all kept, and never forgotten.
Reuben speaks as though he is somehow morally superior or partially exempt, though he was complicit.
Joseph keeps Simeon in prison as collateral on their bringing Benjamin. This will test to see if they are willing to leave a brother behind to slavery again, as they did him.
Simeon may have been perceived as the most morally inferior of the group (a Judas?), because of the slaughter at Shechem. Perhaps he is the one perceived as the least likely of the brothers to be rescued.
Later, this unrighteous brother will be exchanged for the presence of the youngest and only innocent brother. Benjamin was not involved in the betrayal of Joseph. This is an image of Jesus.
Their silver, their payment for the grain, is returned without their knowledge.
Reuben promises his father that he will protect Benjamin as his own son.
Rueben is offering two sons for one, possibly a personal recognition of his guilt for Joseph as well. His father still will not let Benjamin go.
v1- funny
v9 - Joseph remembered his dream. It was almost fulfilled, but for his missing other brother and parents.
The brothers were still aware of their sin this many years later.
vv37-38- both Jacob's sorrow and Rueben's willingness to give his sons remind me of Abraham and Isaac - the son of promise that he was willing to sacrifice. It also reminds me of the prodigal son. The father said that his son was dead, but then was alive.
Jacob sends all his sons but Benjamin to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin remains because he is the youngest, and because he is all Jacob has left of Rachel in the world. This reminds me of Judah, who would not give his youngest son in marriage to Tamar a couple of chapters ago. This also illustrates how Judah's grief for his two sons was similar to his father's grief over Joseph, a grief he inflicted on him.
Joseph recognizes his brothers, but does not reveal himself.
Joseph speaks harshly to his brothers and accuses them of being spies. Had his brothers ever accused him of being a spy when he gave a bad report about them to their father (37:2)?
The text neither condemns nor approves of Joseph's action. Neither does it explicitly explain all his reasons.
He probably is testing them to see if they've reformed. Whether revenge is also part of his intention is not clear.
Joseph puts them in prison, very likely the same prison that he stayed in, since it was a prison for political prisoners accused of treason or rebellion. His brothers are accused of being spies.
Joseph demands they bring Benjamin, his younger brother. He probably missed him.
The brothers immediately believe that this treatment is punishment for their treatment of Joseph. They have been carrying this guilt for their whole lives. It is probably a dark secret they have all kept, and never forgotten.
Reuben speaks as though he is somehow morally superior or partially exempt, though he was complicit.
Joseph keeps Simeon in prison as collateral on their bringing Benjamin. This will test to see if they are willing to leave a brother behind to slavery again, as they did him.
Simeon may have been perceived as the most morally inferior of the group (a Judas?), because of the slaughter at Shechem. Perhaps he is the one perceived as the least likely of the brothers to be rescued.
Later, this unrighteous brother will be exchanged for the presence of the youngest and only innocent brother. Benjamin was not involved in the betrayal of Joseph. This is an image of Jesus.
Their silver, their payment for the grain, is returned without their knowledge.
Reuben promises his father that he will protect Benjamin as his own son.
Rueben is offering two sons for one, possibly a personal recognition of his guilt for Joseph as well. His father still will not let Benjamin go.
v1- funny
v9 - Joseph remembered his dream. It was almost fulfilled, but for his missing other brother and parents.
The brothers were still aware of their sin this many years later.
vv37-38- both Jacob's sorrow and Rueben's willingness to give his sons remind me of Abraham and Isaac - the son of promise that he was willing to sacrifice. It also reminds me of the prodigal son. The father said that his son was dead, but then was alive.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Joseph as Vice Regent after Pharaoh - Genesis 41
Click here to read Genesis 41
Two years later Pharaoh has a dream.
Joseph stops for a haircut as he leaves the jail. Nice detail.
1dream - seven skinny cows from the Nile eat seven fat cows from the Nile.
Pharaoh woke up.
2dream - seven thin and scorched heads of grain ate seven healthy heads of grain.
Pharaoh is troubled by his dreams.
Dream interpretation was an art and science done by certain magicians and other types at the time. They had books where dream symbols and their interpretations were written that they would consult.
Dreams were often seen as given by the gods.
When Joseph says God can interpret the dream, but he can't, this is different than the skill of most dream interpreters who would use these books and methods.
v16 – Joseph gives credit to God
Joseph is shown to be able to interpret Pharaoh's dream when the magicians could not. Another Pharaoh is given this exact same chance to see that Yahweh is authentic and the magicians phony when Moses is able to perform signs that Pharaoh's magicians could not.
The cupbearer remembers Joseph. He admits he should not have forgotten.
They keep referring to Joseph as "the Hebrew".
In Pharaoh's telling of the dream to Joseph, the ugly skinny vows were just as skinny after eating the fat cows as they were before.
Joseph says the dreams are the same, but the repetition shows that God has decided what he will do. The flood appeared to be the same way in Noah's time. God said he would destroy the earth, not that Noah had time to prepare people for it so God could change his mind.
Much of the Joseph narrative shows God doing what God will do. He is directing these events. He is giving Joseph favour. He is helping Joseph find his brothers in Dotham through directions from a stranger. He gives Joseph success in all he does. God will do what God will do.
Joseph tells Pharaoh that there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He counsels him to put a wise man I'm charge of Egypt who can administrate the use of resources, storing it for the later years. There will be a heavy flat income tax on everyone of 20%, and in the famine years, everyone will receive government social assistance. The wise man will see to distribution to those in need in the seven famine years.
Note – The government social assistance was actually carried out by selling back to the starving people the grain they had been taxed without payment.
Pharaoh recognizes God's Spirit in Joseph, because of his wisdom and discernment.
Egyptians trusted in a god of the Nile to flood the river and water their land every year. Any god that could inflict a famine would have been seen as very powerful, and more powerful than the most powerful gods that the Egyptians relied on.
Joseph is chosen as the wise man to rule Egypt. He is put in charge of everything under Pharaoh. This is the same position he had with his dad, with Potiphar, and in prison.
Joseph gets another fancy coat.
He gets to ride in a fancy chariot.
Joseph is given an Egyptian wife and a new name. Giving a name shows that you hold authority over someone, so Pharaoh is seen as having authority over Joseph in this case.
This description of Joseph's rise to power matches exactly the historical data recorded about the politics of ancient Egypt. The role Joseph has is most closely described by the known name "Overseer of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt".
There were many second in command positions in ancient Egypt, all of them equal to one another. This is similar to Pharaoh as CEO with several vice-presidents over different departments.
Joseph did as he said, collecting so much grain he lost track in the first seven years.
Joseph has two sons by his Egyptian wife. This is comparable to his older brother Judah, having two sons during the same period.
The priests of On were some of the most powerful and influential in all of Egypt.
Though Joseph is given an Egyptian name, wife, and position, he gives his children God honouring Hebrew names.
The famine is all over the world. Joseph distributes grain by selling it back to the starving Egyptian people. This is hardly a compassionate or benevolent socialist society.
(More on this next week)
All nations buy grain from Joseph. Genesis 12 - all nations will be blessed by you.
God fed the Israelites with manna under Moses.
Jesus is the bread of life.
Two years later Pharaoh has a dream.
Joseph stops for a haircut as he leaves the jail. Nice detail.
1dream - seven skinny cows from the Nile eat seven fat cows from the Nile.
Pharaoh woke up.
2dream - seven thin and scorched heads of grain ate seven healthy heads of grain.
Pharaoh is troubled by his dreams.
Dream interpretation was an art and science done by certain magicians and other types at the time. They had books where dream symbols and their interpretations were written that they would consult.
Dreams were often seen as given by the gods.
When Joseph says God can interpret the dream, but he can't, this is different than the skill of most dream interpreters who would use these books and methods.
v16 – Joseph gives credit to God
Joseph is shown to be able to interpret Pharaoh's dream when the magicians could not. Another Pharaoh is given this exact same chance to see that Yahweh is authentic and the magicians phony when Moses is able to perform signs that Pharaoh's magicians could not.
The cupbearer remembers Joseph. He admits he should not have forgotten.
They keep referring to Joseph as "the Hebrew".
In Pharaoh's telling of the dream to Joseph, the ugly skinny vows were just as skinny after eating the fat cows as they were before.
Joseph says the dreams are the same, but the repetition shows that God has decided what he will do. The flood appeared to be the same way in Noah's time. God said he would destroy the earth, not that Noah had time to prepare people for it so God could change his mind.
Much of the Joseph narrative shows God doing what God will do. He is directing these events. He is giving Joseph favour. He is helping Joseph find his brothers in Dotham through directions from a stranger. He gives Joseph success in all he does. God will do what God will do.
Joseph tells Pharaoh that there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He counsels him to put a wise man I'm charge of Egypt who can administrate the use of resources, storing it for the later years. There will be a heavy flat income tax on everyone of 20%, and in the famine years, everyone will receive government social assistance. The wise man will see to distribution to those in need in the seven famine years.
Note – The government social assistance was actually carried out by selling back to the starving people the grain they had been taxed without payment.
Pharaoh recognizes God's Spirit in Joseph, because of his wisdom and discernment.
Egyptians trusted in a god of the Nile to flood the river and water their land every year. Any god that could inflict a famine would have been seen as very powerful, and more powerful than the most powerful gods that the Egyptians relied on.
Joseph is chosen as the wise man to rule Egypt. He is put in charge of everything under Pharaoh. This is the same position he had with his dad, with Potiphar, and in prison.
Joseph gets another fancy coat.
He gets to ride in a fancy chariot.
Joseph is given an Egyptian wife and a new name. Giving a name shows that you hold authority over someone, so Pharaoh is seen as having authority over Joseph in this case.
This description of Joseph's rise to power matches exactly the historical data recorded about the politics of ancient Egypt. The role Joseph has is most closely described by the known name "Overseer of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt".
There were many second in command positions in ancient Egypt, all of them equal to one another. This is similar to Pharaoh as CEO with several vice-presidents over different departments.
Joseph did as he said, collecting so much grain he lost track in the first seven years.
Joseph has two sons by his Egyptian wife. This is comparable to his older brother Judah, having two sons during the same period.
The priests of On were some of the most powerful and influential in all of Egypt.
Though Joseph is given an Egyptian name, wife, and position, he gives his children God honouring Hebrew names.
The famine is all over the world. Joseph distributes grain by selling it back to the starving Egyptian people. This is hardly a compassionate or benevolent socialist society.
(More on this next week)
All nations buy grain from Joseph. Genesis 12 - all nations will be blessed by you.
God fed the Israelites with manna under Moses.
Jesus is the bread of life.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Joseph the Political Prisoner - Genesis 40
Click here to read Genesis 40
God's gift of dream interpretation in Joseph's life was used in jail to show his mercy, judgment, and power to two unbelievers.
Cupbearer and Baker were both important and highly trusted servants of the king. Since both attended to the king very personally, they had to be trusted with the king's personal health and safety.
Joseph is empathetic.
Before attempting interpretation of their dreams, Joseph gives honour and credit to God.
Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him.
He "lifted their heads". A clever description.
"Hanging" did not describe the method of execution, but the dishonouring of a body after execution. He was likely beheaded and then displayed for a while on a pole.
Amnesties were often offered on Pharaoh's birthday or other anniversaries.
As soon as the cupbearer was comfortable again, he forgot Joseph.
Consider – Joseph’s story is often shown as a man who was extremely patient no matter the circumstance, always trusting God. He is shown as a man of high moral character, who never once reconsidered his refusal of Potiphar’s wife. However, the text does not tell us a lot about Joseph’s mental and emotional state. We needn’t place on him a heroic interpretation. Nothing in the rest of Genesis assumes that the characters must always be morally upright and filled with faith.
Therefore, it is just as likely that this time in jail, or his time in slavery before it, was a time of great darkness and despair. For all we know, he may have had moments, or long moments, of lost faith, confusion, and fear. He may have been badly damaged by his time in prison. We do not know.
However we consider this, whether Joseph is perfectly faithful, badly damaged, or somewhere between, it may affect how we interpret Joseph’s actions later, both as ruler of Egypt and in relationship to his brothers.
It is not important to the story that we create a perfect and heroic image of Joseph. What is important is God’s faithfulness.
God's gift of dream interpretation in Joseph's life was used in jail to show his mercy, judgment, and power to two unbelievers.
Cupbearer and Baker were both important and highly trusted servants of the king. Since both attended to the king very personally, they had to be trusted with the king's personal health and safety.
Joseph is empathetic.
Before attempting interpretation of their dreams, Joseph gives honour and credit to God.
Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him.
He "lifted their heads". A clever description.
"Hanging" did not describe the method of execution, but the dishonouring of a body after execution. He was likely beheaded and then displayed for a while on a pole.
Amnesties were often offered on Pharaoh's birthday or other anniversaries.
As soon as the cupbearer was comfortable again, he forgot Joseph.
Consider – Joseph’s story is often shown as a man who was extremely patient no matter the circumstance, always trusting God. He is shown as a man of high moral character, who never once reconsidered his refusal of Potiphar’s wife. However, the text does not tell us a lot about Joseph’s mental and emotional state. We needn’t place on him a heroic interpretation. Nothing in the rest of Genesis assumes that the characters must always be morally upright and filled with faith.
Therefore, it is just as likely that this time in jail, or his time in slavery before it, was a time of great darkness and despair. For all we know, he may have had moments, or long moments, of lost faith, confusion, and fear. He may have been badly damaged by his time in prison. We do not know.
However we consider this, whether Joseph is perfectly faithful, badly damaged, or somewhere between, it may affect how we interpret Joseph’s actions later, both as ruler of Egypt and in relationship to his brothers.
It is not important to the story that we create a perfect and heroic image of Joseph. What is important is God’s faithfulness.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Joseph in slavery to Potiphar in Egypt, and wrongfully accused of rape - Genesis 39
Click here to read Genesis 39
The LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Wherever he was, god made a way for him. Because of the success God gave him, he had favour.
Isaiah 45:9-10
Joseph prospered, just as God promised Abraham. The LORD gave him success.
v5 - God prospered Potiphar because of Joseph. This is more fulfillment of God's covenant in chapter 12.
Potiphar recognized God's blessing and prosperity on Joseph like Laban did on Jacob.
v10 - Joseph's conviction and integrity are in direct contrast to Judah's dealings with Tamar one chapter earlier.
In fact, so far Genesis has described to us straight rape, attempted gay gang rape, father/daughter incest, coitus interruptus with a dead brother's wife, selling sex with your husband for mandrakes, sex with a prostitute who is also a daughter in law, and illicit sex with dad's concubine (just to name a few). This book is filled with sex, and is filled with stories of people having or taking sex whenever, however, and with whoever it is offered. This is the first incident in the entire book, and therefore the entire Bible, of someone saying no to sex, legitimate or not. This is the first incident of anyone ever suggesting that any kind of sexual relationship would be considered a sin before God. In any circumstance, Joseph would be showing a lot of character in this story. In the context if the rest of Genesis, this guy is Superman.
Unjust accusation of a righteous man - just like Jesus.
This is the second time that Joseph's clothes have been used to identify him falsely. Also, compare this to the previous chapter where Judah's things are used as evidence against him in his sexual indiscretions.
Since Potiphar does not have Joseph executed, but puts him in a nearby and cozy prison (cozy for a prison), he likely does not believe why his wife is saying. Joseph has probed he is trustworthy, but if he sides with Joseph, he will humiliate his wife and bring dishonour to his family.
In prison, the blessing of the covenant continues. Joseph is blessed in everything he does because of God.
No matter the circumstance, God's covenant continues.
The LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Wherever he was, god made a way for him. Because of the success God gave him, he had favour.
Isaiah 45:9-10
Joseph prospered, just as God promised Abraham. The LORD gave him success.
v5 - God prospered Potiphar because of Joseph. This is more fulfillment of God's covenant in chapter 12.
Potiphar recognized God's blessing and prosperity on Joseph like Laban did on Jacob.
v10 - Joseph's conviction and integrity are in direct contrast to Judah's dealings with Tamar one chapter earlier.
In fact, so far Genesis has described to us straight rape, attempted gay gang rape, father/daughter incest, coitus interruptus with a dead brother's wife, selling sex with your husband for mandrakes, sex with a prostitute who is also a daughter in law, and illicit sex with dad's concubine (just to name a few). This book is filled with sex, and is filled with stories of people having or taking sex whenever, however, and with whoever it is offered. This is the first incident in the entire book, and therefore the entire Bible, of someone saying no to sex, legitimate or not. This is the first incident of anyone ever suggesting that any kind of sexual relationship would be considered a sin before God. In any circumstance, Joseph would be showing a lot of character in this story. In the context if the rest of Genesis, this guy is Superman.
Unjust accusation of a righteous man - just like Jesus.
This is the second time that Joseph's clothes have been used to identify him falsely. Also, compare this to the previous chapter where Judah's things are used as evidence against him in his sexual indiscretions.
Since Potiphar does not have Joseph executed, but puts him in a nearby and cozy prison (cozy for a prison), he likely does not believe why his wife is saying. Joseph has probed he is trustworthy, but if he sides with Joseph, he will humiliate his wife and bring dishonour to his family.
In prison, the blessing of the covenant continues. Joseph is blessed in everything he does because of God.
No matter the circumstance, God's covenant continues.
Judah and Tamar - Yet Another Awkward and Questionable Story from Jesus' Family Tree - Genesis 38
Click here to read Genesis 38
RUEBEN IS DISQUALIFIED FROM THE BIRTHRIGHT.- This chapter now shows us clearly that the short story of Rueben and his father's concubine has disqualified him from the birthright, because the narrative is now following Judah, who is in possession of the family staff and seal. The staff represented the birthright, and the seal the authority of the family.
The other two brothers fell out of father's favour because of the incident at Shechem. Joseph may have been considered by his father for the birthright, but is now presumed dead.
From notes on Genesis 35, posted October 27:
Israel's oldest son sleeps with his concubine. This is a huge slight culturally, and also really, really weird on several levels. Yup. It just gets more disturbing the more you think about it. Try not to.
As the firstborn, Rueben would have inherited his father's concubines. By sleeping with his concubine before death, it was like saying, "I'm top dog now". It was a grab at the authority at the head of the family. In a family with this many sons, a rivalry for who is next in line is probably to be expected. This is exactly what we see in the coming chapters, with Joseph. Jesus' 12 disciples acted the exact same way during his ministry.
There are twelve sons, but four are firstborn to four different mothers. Rueben is oldest, but Joseph is oldest of Rachel’s sons, the favourite wife. These twelve sons would have known the story of Grandpa Abraham and his firstborn son Ishmael, who was sent away. They would know that their own father, the younger son, tried to deceive his way into an inheritance. The birthright may not be entirely certain among them. At least four of them may expect to be the one special son who gets to carry on the family name. Rueben’s actions show a similar initiative to his father’s. He wants the birthright for himself. He’s trying to muscle his way in to top position.
The first born son of Israel dishonours his father with his concubine. The next two sons were the ones behind the pillaging of Shechem's family. The next oldest, Judah, is the father of Jesus.
This chapter needs to be understood in the larger Genesis context of birthright and covenant. Will the covenant continue? Who will inherit the covenant? All of the sons are included in the covenant of Abraham. Judah is the father of King David and of Jesus.
The text of the next generation follows Judah and Joseph the most. Jesus descends from Judah's line. Judah is now the heir of the birthright, since Joseph is presumed dead.
Judah married a Canaanite. Up until now, this has been avoided to keep the covenant. It may be that this is no longer prohibited, since the family line is now well established. The "nation" of Israel is large enough and rooted enough not to be lost into another family. But the text does not say.
Both of Judah's sons do evil before God and are put to death by God.
Judah's first son has a wife. She is widowed by him, and then by his brother.
His brother married her to keep the family line, since she had not had a son. This was normal tradition in this situation. At this time, it was a Hittite law, not Jewish, since there was no Jewish law at this time. At the time of Jesus, the tradition continued as codified in Mosaic Law and was used as a "gotcha question" premise by the Pharisees to trap Jesus. I wonder if they knew that his great great great grandma had actually experienced this very tradition.
The tradition flowed from brother to brother, and finally to the father in law, who in this case would be Judah.
The second son would be next in line for the family birthright if Tamar does not have a son. If she has a son, the birthright of Judah would go to him. By not allowing Tamar to become pregnant, the brother Onan is trying to steal the birthright.
This follows the family pattern, of course. It is also a condemnation of Judah. His treatment of Joseph is no different than his son's treatments of each other here.
Judah is afraid of losing his third son, so he sends his widowed daughter in law away before she marries him. He may think that the problem is with her somehow. Women who lose their husbands were suspected of witchcraft.
Judah is left without his wife or first two sons, but still with his youngest son.
He does not give his youngest son to his widowed daughter in law, though law requires it so that the family line continues and she is taken care of.
"After a long time" - the events of this story have to take as long as Joseph's entire story. By the time this story of Judah is wrapping up, they are moving to Egypt to live with Joseph.
Tamar tricks Judah into sleeping with her by pretending to be a prostitute, and becomes pregnant. Through her act comes the family line of Jesus. Through her act she takes from Judah's family what he kept back from her unjustly.
Judah calls her a temple prostitute, so sleeping with her may have also included idol worship. He visits her during sheep shearing season, which was the time of year that men would visit the temple of El or Baal and have sex with a prostitute in order to ensure a good crop. But the text doesn't say this for sure.
The seal and cord would have been his identification, like holding onto his driver's licence. The staff was Abraham's. It is the family genealogical staff, representing the birthright of the family. IF Tamar conceives a boy, these items would belong to that boy as his birthright. From Tamar’s perspective, she is not taking payment. She's taking what Judah has been trying to take from her.
Ironically, from Judah's perspective, he is leaving with a prostitute what he has been unwilling to give to his own daughter in law.
Judah giving up the sign of the birthright for a night with a prostitute reminds us of Esau and lentil soup.
When Judah finds out Tamar has prostituted herself, he immediately demands that she be burned to death.
Perhaps this confirms his suspicions that she is a witch.
Perhaps he was eager to be rid of her.
Perhaps her presence reminds him of his first two sons.
Perhaps he is a violent, hypocritical and judgmental jerk.
Clearly, he knows that prostitution is culturally shameful or wrong. He tried to hide the fact that he himself had done it. He immediately demanded punishment for Tamar when she was accused.
The last chapter ends with Judah and his brothers showing a sign of identity, Joseph's coat, to their father. At the end of this chapter, Judah is presented with a sign of his own identification and guilt.
When confronted with what he had done, he confessed that he had been wrong to hold his son back from Tamar. We presume that he took her into his home, but he did not marry her.
Tamar had twin boys, like Jacob and Esau two generations before.
In the story of Jacob and Esau, the older and redder twin, Esau, loses to the younger twin. In this story, the older and "red" twin (thread) loses to the younger again. This detail is foreshadowing the story of these two brothers - Judah and Joseph. Judah is older and currently at the top of the heap. By the end of this chapter he is being reunited with his brother, but in the narrative, Joseph is all but dead. He is a slave, and soon to be sent to jail. Yet, once again, the covenant promise will be revealed through the younger brother. Though Judah carries on the family name, it is Joseph who receives the blessing of Abraham. It is through Joseph that all the families of the earth are blessed, because of his wisdom as ruler of Egypt. And it is through Joseph that God brings his people into Egypt, as he told Abraham he would.
These two boys may have been considered the heirs of Judah's first two sons. The text doesn't say. In Jesus' genealogy, Judah is recognized as the father.
RUEBEN IS DISQUALIFIED FROM THE BIRTHRIGHT.- This chapter now shows us clearly that the short story of Rueben and his father's concubine has disqualified him from the birthright, because the narrative is now following Judah, who is in possession of the family staff and seal. The staff represented the birthright, and the seal the authority of the family.
The other two brothers fell out of father's favour because of the incident at Shechem. Joseph may have been considered by his father for the birthright, but is now presumed dead.
From notes on Genesis 35, posted October 27:
Israel's oldest son sleeps with his concubine. This is a huge slight culturally, and also really, really weird on several levels. Yup. It just gets more disturbing the more you think about it. Try not to.
As the firstborn, Rueben would have inherited his father's concubines. By sleeping with his concubine before death, it was like saying, "I'm top dog now". It was a grab at the authority at the head of the family. In a family with this many sons, a rivalry for who is next in line is probably to be expected. This is exactly what we see in the coming chapters, with Joseph. Jesus' 12 disciples acted the exact same way during his ministry.
There are twelve sons, but four are firstborn to four different mothers. Rueben is oldest, but Joseph is oldest of Rachel’s sons, the favourite wife. These twelve sons would have known the story of Grandpa Abraham and his firstborn son Ishmael, who was sent away. They would know that their own father, the younger son, tried to deceive his way into an inheritance. The birthright may not be entirely certain among them. At least four of them may expect to be the one special son who gets to carry on the family name. Rueben’s actions show a similar initiative to his father’s. He wants the birthright for himself. He’s trying to muscle his way in to top position.
The first born son of Israel dishonours his father with his concubine. The next two sons were the ones behind the pillaging of Shechem's family. The next oldest, Judah, is the father of Jesus.
This chapter needs to be understood in the larger Genesis context of birthright and covenant. Will the covenant continue? Who will inherit the covenant? All of the sons are included in the covenant of Abraham. Judah is the father of King David and of Jesus.
The text of the next generation follows Judah and Joseph the most. Jesus descends from Judah's line. Judah is now the heir of the birthright, since Joseph is presumed dead.
Judah married a Canaanite. Up until now, this has been avoided to keep the covenant. It may be that this is no longer prohibited, since the family line is now well established. The "nation" of Israel is large enough and rooted enough not to be lost into another family. But the text does not say.
Both of Judah's sons do evil before God and are put to death by God.
Judah's first son has a wife. She is widowed by him, and then by his brother.
His brother married her to keep the family line, since she had not had a son. This was normal tradition in this situation. At this time, it was a Hittite law, not Jewish, since there was no Jewish law at this time. At the time of Jesus, the tradition continued as codified in Mosaic Law and was used as a "gotcha question" premise by the Pharisees to trap Jesus. I wonder if they knew that his great great great grandma had actually experienced this very tradition.
The tradition flowed from brother to brother, and finally to the father in law, who in this case would be Judah.
The second son would be next in line for the family birthright if Tamar does not have a son. If she has a son, the birthright of Judah would go to him. By not allowing Tamar to become pregnant, the brother Onan is trying to steal the birthright.
This follows the family pattern, of course. It is also a condemnation of Judah. His treatment of Joseph is no different than his son's treatments of each other here.
Judah is afraid of losing his third son, so he sends his widowed daughter in law away before she marries him. He may think that the problem is with her somehow. Women who lose their husbands were suspected of witchcraft.
Judah is left without his wife or first two sons, but still with his youngest son.
He does not give his youngest son to his widowed daughter in law, though law requires it so that the family line continues and she is taken care of.
"After a long time" - the events of this story have to take as long as Joseph's entire story. By the time this story of Judah is wrapping up, they are moving to Egypt to live with Joseph.
Tamar tricks Judah into sleeping with her by pretending to be a prostitute, and becomes pregnant. Through her act comes the family line of Jesus. Through her act she takes from Judah's family what he kept back from her unjustly.
Judah calls her a temple prostitute, so sleeping with her may have also included idol worship. He visits her during sheep shearing season, which was the time of year that men would visit the temple of El or Baal and have sex with a prostitute in order to ensure a good crop. But the text doesn't say this for sure.
The seal and cord would have been his identification, like holding onto his driver's licence. The staff was Abraham's. It is the family genealogical staff, representing the birthright of the family. IF Tamar conceives a boy, these items would belong to that boy as his birthright. From Tamar’s perspective, she is not taking payment. She's taking what Judah has been trying to take from her.
Ironically, from Judah's perspective, he is leaving with a prostitute what he has been unwilling to give to his own daughter in law.
Judah giving up the sign of the birthright for a night with a prostitute reminds us of Esau and lentil soup.
When Judah finds out Tamar has prostituted herself, he immediately demands that she be burned to death.
Perhaps this confirms his suspicions that she is a witch.
Perhaps he was eager to be rid of her.
Perhaps her presence reminds him of his first two sons.
Perhaps he is a violent, hypocritical and judgmental jerk.
Clearly, he knows that prostitution is culturally shameful or wrong. He tried to hide the fact that he himself had done it. He immediately demanded punishment for Tamar when she was accused.
The last chapter ends with Judah and his brothers showing a sign of identity, Joseph's coat, to their father. At the end of this chapter, Judah is presented with a sign of his own identification and guilt.
When confronted with what he had done, he confessed that he had been wrong to hold his son back from Tamar. We presume that he took her into his home, but he did not marry her.
Tamar had twin boys, like Jacob and Esau two generations before.
In the story of Jacob and Esau, the older and redder twin, Esau, loses to the younger twin. In this story, the older and "red" twin (thread) loses to the younger again. This detail is foreshadowing the story of these two brothers - Judah and Joseph. Judah is older and currently at the top of the heap. By the end of this chapter he is being reunited with his brother, but in the narrative, Joseph is all but dead. He is a slave, and soon to be sent to jail. Yet, once again, the covenant promise will be revealed through the younger brother. Though Judah carries on the family name, it is Joseph who receives the blessing of Abraham. It is through Joseph that all the families of the earth are blessed, because of his wisdom as ruler of Egypt. And it is through Joseph that God brings his people into Egypt, as he told Abraham he would.
These two boys may have been considered the heirs of Judah's first two sons. The text doesn't say. In Jesus' genealogy, Judah is recognized as the father.
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