TODAY’S READING: GENESIS 46-50
OVERVIEW:
Jacob’s vision atBeersheba; the journey toEgypt; Joseph and the famine; the best land given to Jacob; Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons; Jacob’s prophecies upon his sons; the deaths of Jacob and Joseph.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
In today’s reading, Jacob begins the journey towardEgyptto be reunited with his beloved son, Joseph. AtBeersheba, God spoke to Jacob in a vision of the night, assuring him that it was his will that he go toEgypt, and that though he would die there, God would eventually return His people to the Promised Land. As has been already noted, God is consistently hammering the point thatEgyptis a downward move, and one must be brought up out ofEgypt(Gen. 46:4). Egyptis a picture sin and the world.
When Jacob is reunited with Joseph, it has been 22 long years, with an incredible amount of “water that has passed under the bridge.” Joseph is now 39, and Jacob is 130.
Joseph introduces his father to the Pharoah and he grants Jacob the best part ofEgyptfor his family to settle in, an area calledGoshen.
After 17 years inEgypt, Jacob realizes that he was close to death. He has one major thing that he makes Joseph promise him: “Bury me not, I pray thee, inEgypt.” (47:29-31).
Chapter 48 records Jacob’s (Israel’s) last blessing. Joseph brings his two sons before his father, and he adopts them as his own sons and assures them of an equal inheritance. A strange thing happens asIsraelbestows the blessing upon his sons. As Joseph brings his two sons before his father, Manasseh is brought toward Jacob’s right hand, and Ephraim is brought toward his left hand. As Jacob reaches out to impart the blessing, he crosses his hands, giving the firstborn blessing of his right hand to Ephraim, the younger son. Though Joseph objected,Israelexplained that God was once again going to bestow the firstborn blessing upon the younger son.
What is the meaning of this bizarre story? It is all an incredible picture! The Bible refers to Christ as the “firstborn among many brethren,” who is “seated at the Father’s right hand.” When we came before the Father, and asked Him to bestow the blessing of eternal life upon us, God the Father crossed His hands. Since He only has one gift of eternal life, and that life is in His Son (I John 5:11-12), God took His right hand and placed it on us, and took His left hand and placed it on His Son. He gets our sin; we get His righteousness (II Cor.5:20). He dies our death; we get His life (Rom.5:10). He gets our curse; we get the firstborn blessing (Gal.3:13-14).
The scene in chapter 50 as the dying Jacob calls his sons into his bedroom is not only incredibly prophetic (Gen. 49:1 – “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days”), it is also an incredible picture! It is an extremely graphic and detailed picture of the Judgment Seat of Christ! (II Cor. 5:10-11) If you would like to know more about this passages in reference to the Judgment Seat, please get a copy the cd called “The Preview” that I preached 3-4-07 in the series of the “Judgment Seat of Christ”
As Joseph comes to the end of his life in Genesis 50, he has the same passion as did his father before him, manifest through one major request. He wanted to be certain that his bones did not remain inEgypt! Like his father, he wanted to be buried inCanaan. Why? BecauseCanaanwas thelandofPromise. Jacob and Joseph both realized, that though they were inEgypt(the world), they were not ofEgypt(the world)! (John 17:11-16) Joseph’s request was not forgotten; 400 years they were not ofEgypt(the world)! (John 17:11-16) Joseph’s request was not forgotten; 400 years later, as the children ofIsraelset out forCanaan, Exodus13:19says that they took Joseph’s bones with them. We also have the promise of God that He will not allow our bones to remain inEgypt(I Thess4:11-17)!
Genesis begins with a man in a Garden and ends with a man in a coffin. It begins with life and ends with death. God says, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom.6:23) and “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James1:15).
As we conclude the Book of Genesis today, here is a simple way to remember the content of this vitally important Book. The Book of Genesis is comprised of:
FOUR KEY EVENTS (Genesis 1-11)
- Creation (1-2)
- The Fall (3-5)
- The Flood (6-9)
- TheTowerofBabel(10-11)
FOUR KEY MEN (Genesis 12-50)
- Abraham (12:1-25:8)
- Isaac (21:1-35:29)
- Jacob (25:21-50:14)
- Joseph (30:22-50:26)
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
Through JOSEPH, WHO SUSTAINED LIFE AND OFFERED PROVISION FROM HIS POSITION ON THE THRONE – Gen. 47:15-17 (John6:33)
AsSHILOH, THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE SCEPTRE FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH – Gen. 49:10 (Luke3:23-33)