Jacob will see his son, but he is nervous to go to Egypt. Remember that Canaan is the Promised Land. Jacob offers sacrifices in Beersheba (history here already....the well that was dug as the oath....and where God appeared to Issac to reaffirm the covenant) and in a vision, God appears and tells Jacob not to be afraid...God will make Jacob a great Nation there...highly significant because this is a reaffirming of the covenant to Jacob. Jacob will not return to the Promised Land, but he will be buried there. Jacob won't be lonley ever again, because he is promised that Joseph himself will close Jacob's eyes. The family goes to Egypt.
Joseph reunites with Jacob at last. Joseph helps his family into Pharoah's care/protection. By telling Pharoah that they are shepherds, which are detestible to Egyptians, Jacob's tribe is separate from the influences of Egypt, in Goshen. Egypt is quite "cultured" at this time; however, they worship multiple gods. They have figured out how to use irrigation systems to control the Nile's flood; the spoked wheel has been invented and they have moved to horses pulling vehicles. Pyramids are around for the Pharoahs...then, take note of how slavery is beginning to insert itself due to the famine. Food runs out, money us gone, land is gone, so Joseph has a hand in bringing in slavery. (ironic since he was a slave himself). Joseph starts a new law that a fifth of all produce belongs to Pharoah, and only land of the priests that doesn't become Pharoah's. Note that in 47: 27 the people are now called Isrealites.....Genesis had been going back and forth calling Jacob his new name Isreal, and going back to Jacob...but here...the are Isreal's people. This the "Patriarch" designation of Jacob/Isreal. Note again (oooh, I know, lot's of "noting" today, but this stuff is so cool!) that the Irealites acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.....big clue or "road sign" as to how Egyptians were going to feel about the Isrealites in the future.
Tomorrow is our last read in Genesis.....we've got almost two books of the Bible down!
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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zI read yesterday and today's reading at once.Joseph seems to be a OK kinda guy. After all his brothers did to him, and he finally is reunited with them....he really could have been horrible to them....but instead tested them to see how they would deal with Benjamin....would they leave him like they did him years before? Judah seems to be a good guy because he steps up and tries to save Benjamin from being a slave. That's a good big brother......I like how Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and wanted to them to go get his father and bring him back.............
ReplyDeleteI hope I have this right, Joseph sets up a way to take care of all the people through the famine and year after year...people give all their money for food, sell livestock, become servants or slaves......even though Joseph had a hand in the slavery, it still is a good thing....right....because he helped save these people from starving to death.....
One thing I am confused about is when Jacob met the Pharaoh and blessed him.....why would he be able to do that and why not Joseph....and why would the Pharaoh let him......was Pharaoh following the same God as Jacob and Joseph ?
In my Bible.......Life's Questions..... to go along with this section....
Why doesn't God answer prayers sooner?
Many reasons........
disobedience
doubt
manipulation
wrong motivation
lack of responsibility
wrong need
rejecting God's method
redirection
God's desire to teach us
God's desire to bring us to repentance
I guess I should be thinking and connecting that Jacob wanted to be connected to Joseph sooner and had prayed for him and thought he was dead. Also, the people had prayed for the famine to end, but it took five years.....And Joseph had prayed to get out of prison, but remained in it for I think 2 years.......
God had a plan. Joseph continued to pray and follow the commands of his God.....and Jacob, even though he has not been the most role model of a person......God waited to answer his prayers for his own manipulation of his brother ( that is the right person, right??), his disobedience, and God had to teach him .
Could you answer those couple of questions here to make sure I am on the right track?
And remember Sunday, 10:30...my baptism.....
I shall be at your Baptism, for sure!!! That is a big big day...Yes, Joseph worked the slavery as a way for people to get food.....you'll note that the people actually offered themselves, so it was their idea. Joseph was second in command and worked it for the good of Pharoah and Egypt. The issue will be in Exodus under a new Pharoah, because this is one big huge plan that reveals itself all the way to Revelation.
ReplyDeleteJacob blessed Pharoah is also translated as "greeted" Pharoah. It was all rather political so that Jacob's family could be under the protection of Pharoah. It wasn't a blessing like what Jacob would deliver on his deathbed to his children.
Now this is my opinion on why God doesn't answer prayers sooner. God is always on time....his time is just different than ours. He answers, and sometimes the answer can be "no" or "not yet"...and yes, I think you are totally right in that sometimes God is teaching and there are things we have to learn to develop ourselves.....does that make sense?