Providence's Ultimate Blessing: God's Coming Salvation (Part Two): Genesis 48:1-49:27

In Genesis 48:1-49:27, Jacob blesses his sons on the eve of his death.  Israel’s blessing of his sons is described as a great act of faith and worship in Hebrews 11:21 because in these two chapters, Jacob’s blessings are flowing out of an anticipation of God’s great salvation to come in Christ.  For the Israelites, this will play out in both the near (in the Exodus, Conquest, & Monarchy) and distant future (the Messianic Kingdom).   

We as Christians are also called to hope in God’s coming salvation (Titus 2:11-14) and to so bless our families and all other peoples of the earth with that hope.  So what does a rich hope in God’s coming salvation look like in the life of God’s people?

I.              TOUR OF THE TEXT: Israel’s Blessing Upon All of His Sons (49:1-27)

 [49:1] Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come. [2] “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob, listen to Israel your father.

One thing that is important to keep in mind as we make our way through this blessing is that it is both poetic and prophetic.  It is a poem explaining the unique destinies of the tribes of Israel (not just these sons) within the common destiny of the nation of Israel.  These blessing do reflect their past, but they mostly point to their future.  The phrase “in the days to come” means in “the latter, or last days,” meaning that these blessings have eschatological implications.  Again, these will play out in the near and far future. 

a.     The Sons of Leah (49:1-15):

                                              i.     Rueben (49:3-4)

[3] “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. [4] 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!

Reuben here is stripped of his preeminence because of his affair with his father’s wife (Gen. 35:22).  This plays out in Israel’s history in that not one prophet, judge, king or priest comes from the tribes of Reuben.

                                            ii.     Simeon & Levi (49:5-7)

[5] “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. [6] 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. [7] 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.

This reference to the anger and violence of Simeon and Levi is about their slaughtering of the men of Shechem in Genesis 34.  Because of their uncontrolled anger and senseless brutality (“they hamstrung oxen”), their blessing becomes more of a curse as well.  This blessing is literally fulfilled in Israel’s history, as Simeon’s portion of the Promised Land is located within Judah’s tribal allotment (Joshua 19:1,9) and the tribe of Levi is not given their own portion of the land but is given 48 cities scattered throughout the other tribes (Joshua 14:1-5).  So with the “blessing” upon these first three sons, we see how sin, sexual sin in Reuben’s case and anger and violence in Simeon and Levi’s case, can robe us of blessings that would be ours. 

                                          iii.     Judah (49:8-12)

[8] “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. [9] 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? [10] 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. [11] 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. [12] His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.

In Judah’s blessing, the Davidic dynasty is foreseen, but it also foresees much more.  I think the blessing is primarily Messianic.  Not only is a kingly line spoken of here, but also a lion-like King who will come to whom tribute belongs (Num. 24:7,17-19, 1 Sam. 2:10, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Is. 9:6-7, 11:1-10, Ezk. 21:27, Zech. 6:9-13, Rev. 5:5).  This king will secure the obedience of the nations.  This means, according to Rom. 1:5 and Gal. 3:8, that the way the nations will experience the blessing of Abraham is by being incorporated into this King’s benevolent empire by faith.  Notice also that this King is not safe.  He is poised for attack like a crouched line whom no one would dare rouse.  His garments are soaked in wine (stained with the “blood of grapes”), a picture of both blessing and judgment. This King, Jesus Christ, will simultaneously bring salvation (blessing) to all peoples who place faith in Him, will fix this broken world and bring judgment to all those who reject Him (Is. 63:1-6, Rev. 14:14-20). 

                                           iv.     Zebulun (49:13)

[13] “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.

                                             v.     Issachar (49:14-15)

[14] “Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. [15] 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.

b.    The Sons of Zilpah & Bilhah (49:16-21):

                                              i.     Dan (49:16-17)

[16] “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. [17] 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.

Dan’s “blessing” has both positive and negative connotations.  Samson, one of Israel’s most famous judges, came from the tribe of Dan.  The imagery of a serpent brings Genesis 3:1 to mind and we do see this tribe leading Israel into idolatry in Judges 18. 

INTERLUDE: [18] I wait for YOUR SALVATION, O LORD. (Genesis 49:18)

This verse is an interlude in this poem where Jacob prays to God, seemingly in response to all that God is revealing to him at the time.  He says, “I will wait for your salvation, O Lord!”  Perhaps as He speaks this prophetic blessing, it becomes clear to Him that ultimate salvation won’t come at the hands of these tribes to come.  Without divine intervention, none of Jacob’s descendants will survive.  Their people will fail.  Their priests will fail.  Their judges will fail.  Their kings will fail. Their prophets will fail.  Their only hope will be the coming salvation of God Himself in His Messiah and that is where Jacob declares His hope to be.  Jesus is the hope of Genesis!

                                            ii.     Gad (49:19)

[19] “Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels.

                                          iii.     Asher (49:20)

[20] “Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies.

                                           iv.     Naphtali (49:21)

[21] “Naphtali is a doe let loose that bears beautiful fawns.

c.     The Sons of Rachel (49:22-27):

                                              i.     Joseph (49:22-26)

[22] “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall. [23] The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, [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), [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. [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.

Joseph, like Judah, is given a lengthy blessing.  He is called a fruitful vine and a soldier who suffers greatly, yet cannot be overcome.  The reason that he is fruitful and cannot be overcome is due to the help of God, “the Mighty One of Jacob…the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel…the God of your father who will help you…the Almighty who will bless you.”  True to God’s Word, it is the tribes of Judah and Joseph who play most prominently in Israel’s history.  It is Caleb and Joshua (from the tribes of Judah and Ephraim) who stand faithful to God when the spies return from the Promised Land and give their report.  In the divided monarchy, Judah becomes a title for the southern kingdom and Ephraim a title for the northern kingdom, with the first king of the northern kingdom being an Ephraimite (Jeroboam). 

It is also noteworthy that while Judah directly points to Jesus Christ, Joseph does (and has done so) indirectly.  His blessing reminds us of a Greater Joseph who suffered greatly and yet could not be overcome, not even by death.  He is the True Vine.  He is the Mighty One of Jacob, the Good Shepherd, and the Stone of God’s People who was Joseph’s help. 

                                            ii.     Benjamin (49:27)

[27] “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”

II.            THOUGHTS FROM THE TEXT:

a.     People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation Have a Deep Trust in the Sovereignty of God:

Jacob twice blesses a younger son instead of the oldest son in Gen. 48, and here again we see Jacob blessing according to God’s sovereign choice.  It is interesting that although Joseph is granted the rights of firstborn and a significant blessing, Judah is the one through whom the man of promise is prophesied to come.  While Joseph may be Jacob’s choice, Jacob recognizes God’s sovereign choice to bless whom He will and choose whom He will.  Psalm 78:67-72 reads, [67] He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, [68] but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. [69] He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. [70] He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; [71] from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. [72] With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.

Many people stumble over this sovereign prerogative of God’s, what about you?  How deep is your trust in the sovereign plan and choice of God? 

b.    People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation are Ultimately Hoping in God Himself:

Jacob’s hope in this coming salvation of God is ultimately a hope in the God of that coming salvation.  When we display confidence in God’s promises, it is because we ultimately are persuaded about something in the character of God: He is always faithful to keep His promises.  When we display a deep trust in God’s sovereign plan, it is because we again are ultimately persuaded about something in the character of God: He is always faithful to do what is ultimately best for His people and most glorifying to Himself.  When we walk with the Lord closely, it is because we are persuaded concerning the worth of God: that He is more valuable, satisfying, etc. than anyone or anything in the world.  This is what is means to hope in God’s coming salvation: to hope in God the Savior Himself and the salvation that He has won in His death and resurrection and that He will bring to completion in the future.  May we bless our children, our grandchildren, and all other peoples of the world with the hope of this great salvation found in Jesus Christ and may we hold it up as our deepest hope in life.  

Providence's Ultimate Blessing: God's Coming Salvation (Part One): Genesis 48:1-49:27

In Genesis 48:1-49:27, Jacob blesses his sons on the eve of his death (see outline).  Israel’s blessing of his sons is described as a great act of faith and worship in Hebrews 11:21.  I believe that it is described as such because in these two chapters, Jacob’s blessings are in anticipation of God’s great salvation to come.  For the Israelites, this will play out in both the near (in the Exodus, Conquest, & Monarchy) and distant future (the Messianic Kingdom).   

The reason that distinction is important is because we as Christians are also called to hope in God’s coming salvation and to so bless our families and all other peoples of the earth with that hope.  So what does a rich hope in God’s coming salvation look like in the life of God’s people?

I.              TOUR OF THE TEXT:

a.     ISRAEL ADOPTS THE SONS OF JOSEPH (48:1-12)

[48:1] After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. [2] And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. [3] And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, [4] and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ [5] And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

In this chapter, Jacob first adopts Joseph’s Sons (48:1-12) and then blesses Joseph and his sons (48:13-22).  This adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh solidifies their identity with the family of Israel rather than with the nation of Egypt and also solidifies Joseph as the one who will receive the double portion of the “firstborn.”

[6] And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. [7] As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

[8] When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, “Who are these?” [9] Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” [10] Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. [11] And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” [12] Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. (Genesis 48:1-12 ESV)

b.    ISRAEL’S BLESSES JOSEPH AND HIS SONS (48:13-22)

[13] And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. [14] And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). [15] And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, [16] the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

[17] When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. [18] And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” [19] But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” [20] So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. [21] Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. [22] Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.” (Genesis 48:13-22 ESV)

In Jacob’s blessing upon Joseph and his sons, we see God’s unconventional, sovereign choice of the younger sibling over the older sibling.  This has happened throughout Genesis and it teaches us that God is sovereign and often unconventional in whom He chooses for His purposes.  And He gets to be because He is God!  This blessing is also prophetic: the Northern Kingdom will often be called simply “Ephraim” at times during the divided monarchy.

A final thing that I would like to point out to you before we move into some application is what frames this adoption and blessing.  It begins and ends with Jacob’s affirmation of the Abrahamic covenant (48:3-4,21).  Jacob is persuaded of God’s faithfulness to keep these promises.

Now here is one reason that I think these two chapters are ultimately rooted in God’s coming salvation: because God’s coming salvation is the ultimate outcome of the Abrahamic covenant.  When I say “God’s coming salvation,” I do not only mean the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, I also mean the coming of the Messiah, who will be the ultimate salvation for God’s people.  God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not only have to do with the Israelites becoming a nation and occupying some land, it also had to do with a coming offspring (12:7), the same offspring that is promised in Genesis 3:15.  This coming offspring would mediate God’s salvation to all the peoples of the earth (compare Gen.12:1-3 with Gal. 3:8), not just the Israelites.  He would also lift the curse inflicted upon creation in Genesis 3.  So God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was ultimately about the Messiah who would come and bring His everlasting kingdom.  The Patriarchs were all looking forward to more than a simple return to the Promised Land; they were looking to an even better country: God’s eternal kingdom come to earth (Hebrews 11:8-16).

II.            THOUGHTS FROM THE TEXT:

a.     People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation Have a Deep Confidence in the Promises of God

Jacob has a deep confidence in these promises that God has made to him and his ancestors.  It is his faith in those promises that drives these blessings he is giving to his family.  Here is the question for us today: Do you have such a deep confidence in the promises that God has given to us in His Word?  As the people of God, we are to be a people who possess a rock solid confidence in God’s promises to us concerning both our present and our future.  How do we cultivate such a robust confidence in God’s promises?  First, we must become acquainted with those promises.  Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  As we become acquainted with the promises of God, those very promises begin to build our faith and cause us to then be persuaded by them. 

b.    People Who Hope in God’s Coming Salvation Have a Deep Walk with God Himself

Notice how “God” flavors so much of the conversation between Jacob and Joseph in Gen. 48: God Almighty appeared to me and blessed me (3), God gave me these sons (9), God has let me see your offspring (11), God…bless these boys, the God who my father and grandfather walked with, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life long, the God who is the Angel that has redeemed me (15-16), God will be with you and bring you back to the land again (21).  This is the kind of talk that flows out of the heart in which God is seen as supreme treasure, center, and source of all.  Let’s consider some of these statements about God that we see here as questions to evaluate our own relationship with God. 

First, Is the God of the Bible the God that you can honestly say that you walk with?  I wonder, would my children say what Jacob said of his father and grandfather: that they walked with God?  Second, Do you know the God of the Bible as the Good Shepherd that He is?  The imagery of a shepherd is that of a close, intimate relationship with God.  Jesus would describe this relationship in John 10, calling Himself the “Good Shepherd” and saying that He knows His sheep and that His sheep know Him, hear His voice, and follow Him.  Is that a description of the relationship that you have with God today?  Third, Do you know God as Redeemer?  Have you experienced His rescue?  Finally, is God your greatest hope in this life?  Have you staked your life upon His coming salvation?  If I could summarize these four questions, I would say this passage is calling us to know God as our dearest Friend, our Good Shepherd, our Glorious Redeemer, and our Greatest Hope.  This is eternal life: knowing God through Christ Jesus His Son.      

Two Products of Providence: Genesis 46:31-47:31

In Genesis 46:31-47:31, God’s providence causes His people to be both set apart from the world and a blessing to the world at the same time.  God’s working in our lives is also intended to bring us to the place where we are both set apart from the world and a blessing to the world at the same time.  My desire is that we would resolve to cooperate by faith with God towards our own sanctification and mission.  Let’s consider three ways from this text that this can happen. 

[31] Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. [32] And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ [33] When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ [34] you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

[47:1] So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” [2] And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh.

[3] Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” [4] They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” [5] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. [6] The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” (Genesis 46:31-47:6 ESV)

     

I.     We are to Take Measures to Ensure Our Separation from the World (46:31-47:6)

Here Joseph takes measures to bless His family and to preserve their identity during their stay in Egypt.  This is part God’s wisdom in them becoming a nation in Egypt instead of Canaan: as shepherds, they will be an abomination to the Egyptians and Goshen was a place outside the mainstream of Egyptian society.  These measures ensure that there will be no syncretism between Egyptian society and God’s people.  In the land of Canaan, they may have incorporated the worship of other Canaanite gods.

This is a beautiful picture of what Jesus prayed in John 17:15-18, that His people would be “in” the world but not “of” the world.  As believers, we are to take seriously the command to “not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15-17).  James 4:4 warns us that whoever makes themselves a friend of this world makes themselves an enemy of God.  These are strong words.  But while shake our heads in agreement with this charge, we still remain far more in love with this world than we would dare admit.  Here is the question that this passage lays before us: what measures have you taken to sever the roots that your heart wants to plant in this world?  What or who have you distanced yourself from?  What truths of scripture have you hid in your heart?  Know this: you will not naturally or accidentally fall out of love with this world.  You must take measures to do so. 

II.   We are to Seize Opportunities to be a Blessing to the World (47:7-26)

[7] Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. [8] And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” [9] And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” [10] And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. [11] Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. [12] And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

[13] Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. [14] And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. [15] And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” [16] And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” [17] So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. [18] And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. [19] Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

[20] So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. [21] As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. [22] Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

[23] Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. [24] And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” [25] And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” [26] So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's. (Genesis 47:7-26 ESV)

We see at least two blessings in this passage: Jacob blesses Pharaoh and Joseph blesses the Egyptians.  Jacob’s blessing on Pharaoh is much more than a simple “God bless you.” Jacob is blessing Pharaoh in the name of the one true God!  Also, when we take into account that Hebrews 7:7 says an inferior is blessed by a superior, this means that Pharaoh is recognizing Jacob as his superior and the God of Jacob as superior to the gods of Egypt!  That is incredible!  Genesis 12:1-3 is being fulfilled right before our eyes as Abraham’s line mediates God’s blessing to the Gentile nations! 

We also see the blessing of Abraham upon the Egyptians here as Joseph ensures that they are fed during this famine.  Some people are very critical of Joseph’s leadership in securing all this wealth and property for Pharaoh.  But that is a terrible view of what’s taking place in this chapter.  The Egyptians do not see Joseph as someone who is exploiting their need, but as someone who is graciously saving their lives (47:25).  And isn’t it a novel idea that the needy are seen given help but not handouts!  They get government assistance, but are required to work for it.  Notice also two things here in passing: the fulfillment of Jacob’s blessing upon Pharaoh (Joseph acquires for him all the money, livestock, land, and people of Egypt), and the contrast of the Israelites’ abundance and the Egyptians’ poverty during the remainder of the famine. 

There is a rich application in this passage.  First, God desires to be known among the nations.  He desires to be known by Pharaohs and Egyptians and Israelites and Americans and Arabs and Africans and Asians and every other people in the world.  Second, God’s people (the church) are still called to take the blessing of Abraham to the nations, because Jesus is ultimately the blessing of Abraham to the nations.  “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’” (Galatians 3:8) God desires to be known and to be made known.  This leads us to ask, “Who are you making Jesus known to?”  So this is the tightrope that we are called to walk: to be separate from the wickedness of this world and at the same time bless the world by making Jesus Christ known. 

III.We are to Rest Our Faith in the God of a Better World to Come (47:27-31)

[27] Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. [28] And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

[29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” [31] And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed. (Genesis 47:27-31 ESV)

For all of his shortcomings, Jacob finishes his race with exemplary faith in the God Whose promises he will not even live to see.  In this passage, Jacob makes Joseph swear to bury him in in the Promised Land with Abraham and Isaac.  In doing so, he is displaying radical covenant faithfulness.  He is more concerned about being buried in the place God has for His people than being buried with the woman who was the love of his life, Rachel.  Why?  Because God has now become the love of his life and he is persuaded that God is going to bring His people back to the Promised Land.  This is a major note that Genesis ends on: Patriarchs who die in faith that God will keep His promises, even though they will not live to see it. 

Consider the commentary the author of Hebrews gives upon the Patriarchs’ “sojournings”: “[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

[10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. [11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15] If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”  (Hebrews 11:8-16) 

This passage is saying is that the Patriarchs all died before the fulfillment of God’s promise of the Promised Land because they were looking forward to an even better country than the Promised Land.  What they were ultimately looking forward to was a “better country, that is, a heavenly one.”  Jacob is not just wanting to be buried in Canaan because he believes God will take the Israelites back there, but also because he realizes that he is simply a stranger in this world and has rested his faith in the God of a better world to come: where God’s people will get to know and enjoy God forever. 

Have you rested your hope and faith in God who will bring about a better world, even if He doesn’t bring it in our lifetime?  People who have long for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  People who have echo the heart of John in Revelation 22:20: “Amen.  Come Lord Jesus!”  And people who have see the empty promises of this world for what they are and lose their life for what ultimately matters: knowing God through His Son Jesus Christ and making Him known to everyone they can with everything they have.  Have you met Him today?  You can right now.  God sent His Son to this world live and die and rise again to earn a right standing for you before Himself and to wake you up from the eternally deadly love of this world and give you eternal life in Him.