Now in our daily reading (Genesis46-48) we see Joseph reunited w/his dad & Israel blesses Joseph’s sons.
Genesis 46:1-7 On his way down to Egypt, Israel stopped in Beersheba to worship God. Beersheba was the place where Isaac had lived & where Israel was at when he was escaping the anger of Esau (Ge28.10). Here Israel was given a vision from the LORD that told him that the LORD was w/Israel going down to Egypt & that He will bring them back to Canaan & that Joseph will be there when he dies.
Genesis 46:8-27 We see the list of people who went down to Egypt.
Ge46.15 Leah’s children & grandchildren (including Dinah) 34 people
Ge46.18 Zilpah’s (Servant of Leah) children & grandchildren 16 people
Ge46.22 Rachel’s children & grandchildren 14 people
Ge46.25 Bilhah’s (Servant of Rachel) children & grandchildren 07 people
This equals 70 people
But, if you remember, Er & Onan died in Canaan (Ge38; Ge46.12) & Joseph & his 02 sons were already in Egypt so that means 66 people.
So if you were to include Joseph, his 02 sons & Jacob, we get 70 people (Ge46.27).
Genesis 46:28-34 So after 22 years, Joseph & Israel are reunited!
Genesis 47:1-12 Pharaoh gave Joseph’s family the best part of the land, Goshen. Pharaoh also had some of Joseph’s brothers to oversee his own personal flocks.Jacob tells us that he is 130 years old.
Genesis 47:13-16 Joseph here shows that he is a wise administrator. He not only saved the people from starvation, but also at the same time, he helped to make Pharaoh prosperous.
Genesis 47:17-26 Again we see Joseph’s wisdom. Once the people ran out of money, he exchanged food for animals. After that he bought their land, gave them the seed needed but they had to pay 20% back to Pharaoh.
Genesis 47:27-31 So Israel lived to the age of 147, & as he was dying, he made Joseph promise to bury him in Canaan. So Israel got another 17 years w/Joseph. He had the first 17 years of Joseph’s life, & not the last 17 years of Israel’s life he was able to spend w/Joseph.
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Genesis 48:1-4 So some time after Joseph swore to his father Israel about burying him in the promised land, Canaan, Joseph is sent a message stating that his father is sick.So Joseph brings his 02 sons, Manasseh (forget) & Ephraim (fruitful), & when they approach, Israel, though very sick, sits up in his bed.
Israel recounts how El Shaddai (God Almighty) appeared to him at Luz (almond tree), which he renamed Bethel (House of God) (Ge28.10-22).
He tells how God promised him that he will be fruitful & numerous & make him a great nation.
Genesis 48:5-7 Israel gives the birthright to Joseph’s 02 sons that were born to him while he was in Egypt. (Ge41.50-52)
Giving of the birthright was a huge significant right at this time.
-Given to the oldest son
-It meant that he was now the physical & spiritual head of the family.
Firstborn stands for that which is most excellent.
That’s why you will see that Jesus Christ is referred to as the firstborn…
Colossians 1:15 “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
Colossians 1:18 “18 He is also head of the body, the church; & He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
Revelation 1:5 “5 & from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, & the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us & released us from our sins by His blood--”
Remember the birth account of Joseph’s sons in…
Genesis 41:50-52 “50 Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble & all my father’s household.” 52 He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.””
Notice that Manasseh is the firstborn, while Ephraim is the second born.
Yet if you look again in…
Genesis 48:5 “5 “Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim & Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben & Simeon are.”
Israel mentions the younger Ephraim first before Manasseh who was the oldest! Plus he is including the sons of Joseph as his own!
He then tells Joseph that any other kids born to Joseph will be Joseph’s.
Now Reuben was Israel’s firstborn
Genesis 29:32 “32 Leah conceived & bore a son & named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.””
But now we see that Ephraim is going to take the place of Reuben because of what Reuben did in…
Genesis 35:22 “22 It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went & lay w/Bilhah his father’s concubine, & Israel heard of it. Now there were twelve sons of Jacob--”
In fact, look at what Ezra tells us in…
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 “1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. 2 Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, & from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph),”
By choosing the 02 sons of Joseph had a future impact as well. For when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, the 02 tribes, Ephraim & Manasseh received property.
You can read the account of Rachel dying in childbirth in Ge35.16-20.
Genesis 48:8-14 “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.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, & he kissed them & embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, & behold, God has let me see your children as well.” 12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, & bowed w/his face to the ground. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim w/his right hand toward Israel’s left, & Manasseh w/his left hand toward Israel’s right, & brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand & laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, & his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.”
So Joseph brings his sons close enough so that Israel can lay hands on their heads & bless them.
But notice that because of his poor eyesight, Joseph lines up Manasseh to be on Israel’s right hand, because that was the hand that you would use to bless the oldest son.
What this shows us is that God isn’t concerned w/what man thinks ought to be done, or how. God can overcome all of man’s greatest attempts & prejudices.
Proverbs 21:1 “1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
Genesis 48:15-20 “15 He blessed Joseph, & said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham & Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham & Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” 17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; & he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused & said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people & he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, & his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim & Manasseh!’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.”
Israel mentions the faithfulness of God to his ancestors, & how God has protected him like a shepherd.
This blessing was given usually to the firstborn & it was giving him a double portion of the inheritance, thus giving him the authority as well as the means to be the head of the family.
When Joseph sees that his dad crossed his arms to bless the younger, he tries to correct his dad, but his dad rebukes him & says that this is part of God’s plan.
So now we see something interesting, because this is now the 4th straight generation where the younger son was to receive the blessing of the birthright.
Isaac over Ishmael
Jacob over Esau
Joseph over Reuben
Ephraim over Manasseh
Years later, Ephraim became a leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom, & was superior to the tribe of Manasseh, just as Israel had predicted!
Genesis 48:21-22 “21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be w/you, & bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 “I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite w/my sword & my bow.””
So Israel again tells Joseph that he has been given the birthright & the blessing, a double portion, or one more than all of his brothers.
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