Chapter 46 records Jacob’s trip to Beersheva, where his grandfather Abraham had lived for a time. His father Isaac also lived there, and dug a well there, and built an altar there, and called on the name of the Lord. While there, Jacob offered sacrifices, which enabled him to draw nearer to the Living God. And God did draw nearer to Jacob. God spoke to him in visions during the night, and revealed Himself to Jacob as El – The Strongest One, the Mightiest One. God assured Israel that it was right for him to leave the Promised Land and go to Egypt. The Jewish people would live in Egypt for a time, and during that time the Mightiest One would increase them from a small group into a great nation. As for Jacob, he would go down to Egypt, but he himself would also return to the Land of Israel. The word of the Lord is true. Jacob did go to Egypt, where he died, but he did return to the Promised Land, where he was buried.
Jacob and his entire family, including his sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters, went to Egypt. Counting only Jacob’s sons and grandsons, the number, including Joseph and his two sons, amounted to seventy.
They came to Goshen, which was in the northern part of Egypt. Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, went to meet his father. After being separated for many years, they had a tearful and joyous reunion. They were so overcome with emotion that they couldn’t speak for a while. Jacob felt so happy and so fulfilled, that he expressed the sentiment that he had nothing else left to live for.
Next, Joseph went to Pharaoh to make arrangements for his family. He counseled them to tell the King of Egypt that they raised livestock. Since the Egyptians despised shepherding, they would be allowed to remain in the rich land of Goshen – perhaps somewhat distant from the capital.
Joseph took five of his brothers, and with them came before Pharaoh. Rabbi Hertz observes that this was a crucial test of Joseph’s character. For the Prime Minister of Egypt to acknowledge as his own brothers these rude Canaanite shepherds, who had also given him every reason for repudiating them, called for the highest loyalty and devotion. Many people have started from humble beginnings, and then risen to positions of eminence, and then have failed to pay the debt which they owe to their own humble relatives who have helped them to succeed. But not Joseph. He showed a nobility of character rarely equaled (C.F. Kent, quoted in Hertz).
Because of Pharaoh’s love for Joseph, and the gratitude he felt to him, the king of Egypt treated Joseph’s family very well. He put the land of Egypt at their disposal, and offered to allow them to live in the very best part of the country. He also offered to appoint them as royal officials in charge of the king’s herds!
Joseph also introduce his father Jacob to Pharaoh. Aged Jacob must have been grateful to the king of Israel, for the goodness he had shown to Joseph, and the kindness he had just shown to Jacob’s family, and so Jacob blessed Pharaoh. He prayed that the God of Israel would do good things to the king.
Pharaoh asked Jacob his age, and he responded, “my journey through life has lasted 130 years,” replied Jacob. “The days of my life have been few and hard. I did not live as long as my fathers lived during their pilgrimage through life” (The Living Torah, Kaplan). “Jacob, who was 130 when he appeared before Pharaoh and 147 when he died, did not attain the longevity of Abraham (175) or of Isaac (180) [Ryrie].
Verse 13 tells us that the famine at this point was very severe through Egypt and Canaan. The people ran out of food, and had to spend all their money to buy the food they need to survive from Pharaoh. This enabled Joseph to collect virtually all of the money in Egypt and Canaan, making the king of Egypt exceedingly wealthy!
When the food that the money bought ran out, the Egyptians sold their livestock to Joseph for more food, so Pharaoh wound up owning all the livestock of Egypt, increasing his already great wealth. When that food was used up, the following year the people sold themselves and their land to Joseph, so Pharaoh owned all the land and the people of Egypt, except for the land of the priests. They didn’t need to sell their land for food because they had a food allowance from the king. Pharaoh had to be the wealthiest man on Earth, in part because he blessed Joseph, and Jacob and his family, and listened to God’s holy people!
Because the king of Egypt now owned virtually all of Egypt, and everyone and everything in it, the people of Egypt were more like tenants or sharecroppers than free men. As tenants, they were required to give the king 20 percent of the crops. That 20 percent requirement then became a law in Egypt which lasted hundreds of years.
Meanwhile, the Jewish people who were living in rich Goshen prospered and increased. Jacob lived in Egypt for another 17 years. When it came time for Jacob to die, he made Joseph swear that he would not be buried in Egypt, but in Canaan, in the burial place of Abraham and Isaac in Chevron. He knew that God would fulfill His promise to give Israel’s descendants the land of Canaan, and he wanted to participate in that promise, even if he was dead. He also wanted his children to understand that their visit to Egypt was a temporary one, and that eventually, the Almighty would bring them back to the Land that was promised to them.
Chapter 48 continues with the final events of Jacob’s glorious life. “In this concluding Sedra of Genesis, we see the sunset of Jacob’s career. We behold this storm-tossed soul on his death-bed, blessing his children. He is not afraid to die: ‘I will sleep with my fathers,’ he says. He is at peace with God. ‘I wait for Your salvation O Lord,’ are among the last words he utters. He knows that he can never travel beyond God’s care. He is at peace with man. Esau, Dinah, Joseph – what a world of strife and suffering and anguish did each of these tragedies bring him – and yet he dies blessing” (Hertz).
Joseph was told that his father was sick, and he wanted to have his father bless his children before he died. So, he brought them to Israel. Jacob placed them between his knees, a symbol of birth and adoption, and claimed Ephraim and Menashe, adopting them as his own, thereby conferring the rights of full heirs to each of them. By doing this, Jacob was given Joseph a double portion of his inheritance, and conferring the right of the firstborn to him.
Not only would Reuben, the eldest, be bypassed, and not receive the rights of the firstborn, but likewise God chose Ephraim, the younger, ahead of Menashe, the elder, just as He chose Isaac over Ishmael, and Jacob over Esau. Jacob blessed them by placing his right hand on the head of Ephraim the younger, and his left hand on the head of Menashe the elder. By putting his hands on the heads of his grandchildren, he was praying that they would be blessed from head to foot, from top to bottom.
The blessing, which is recorded for us in verses 15-16, is beautiful. Israel asks Elohim – the God, the Mightiest One whom Abraham and Isaac believed in and lived for, the Strongest One who is not too great to be the Good Shepherd of Jacob the shepherd – watching over him, protecting him, guiding him, nurturing him; the God who is also in some mysterious way a Malach – an Angel, a Messenger, One Who Is Sent; or is in some mysterious way intimately connected and associated with this Messenger – but not just any Messenger, but an Angel who is a Goel – a Redeemer, a Helper, a Savior. Who is this Redeeming Angel that is so closely associated with God? I believe that it is none other than God the Son – Messiah Yeshua, the One sent by God the Father to be the Redeemer of Israel, and the Savior of mankind.
Jacob continues blessing Ephraim and Menashe, asking God that Israel’s name lives on in them – that they would be worthy of having their names associated with Israel, and with great Abraham and Isaac. Jacob prayed that they would become a multitude – and they did. Ephraim and Menashe combined became one of the most numerous tribes. Ephraim was especially blessed, becoming the dominant tribe in the north of Israel (see Isaiah 7:2, Hosea 4:17, 11:8, 12, 12:1, etc).
They would be so blessed, that even among the Blessed People, they would be used as an example of blessing. “By you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe!'” This blessing is still used today, almost 4,000 years later, particularly on Shabbat, when the father places his hand on the head of his sons, and blesses them.
Ephraim and Menashe were blessed with a prophetic blessing. In Chapter 49 Jacob, who was a prophet, tells his other children what will happen to them in the days to come.
Reuben who was born first, should have excelled in rank and power, but he was unstable like water – like water that turbulently boils, like water that becomes disturbed when the wind blows on it. He forfeited his place of preeminence because he committed adultery with Bilhah. The souls that is unstable commits sexual sins, which do have their consequences! Ryrie notes that no prophet, judge or hero ever came from the tribe of Reuben.
Simeon and Levi are rebuked for their violence toward men and cruelty toward animals. They unjustly massacred the people of Shechem, and also maimed bulls. This kind of anger and cruelty should not be concentrated in one spot, and so they will be scattered among the other tribes. Simeon was scattered among the tribe of Judah, and Levi’s descendants, who later redeemed themselves by opposing the idolatry connected with the golden calf, became the priestly tribe, but nevertheless were still scattered among the other tribes. So, with the tribe of Levi we see redemption, and yet they still experienced the consequences of their father’s sins.
Judah, whose name means “praise,” would be praised by the other tribes. He would be praised because the tribe of Judah would become the leading tribe of Israel. They would be strong like a lion, and lead in the victories over Israel’s enemies. Verse 10 tells us that to the tribe of Judah would come the scepter – a symbol of royal authority. This was fulfilled more than 500 years later, when the Lord chose David and his heirs to be the kings of Israel.
Sheeloh will come – which can be understood to mean “peace” (from shalom) or “the one to whom” the obedience of the peoples belongs. So, Judah will become the ruling tribe. Victory, leadership, the obedience of the other nations of the world, and great prosperity are connected to Judah. When the tribe of Judah comes to its fullness, conditions will be so prosperous that donkeys will either be tied to grapevines, because there is so much fruit on them that they can eat as much as they want and there will still be enough grapes; or there will be so much of a grape harvest that the donkeys will be loaded down with the fruit! There will be so much wine that it will be as plentiful as water! People could wash their clothes in it! The people will be healthy and vigorous.
There were periods of prosperity under King David and his family, but this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled in its entirety. It awaits the Second Coming of the Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah, who will rule over the tribes of Israel, and receive the obedience of the nations. He will usher in the golden age of human history, when He rules from the throne of David, from Jerusalem, bringing peace, prosperity and salvation to the world. May He come speedily and soon, and let us say, “amayn.”
Zebulun will dwell in the northen part of Israel, and benefit from the shipping activity on the Mediterranean and the Kinneret – the Lake of Galilee.
Issachar is like a strong donkey. His land will be good and pleasant, and the people of Issachar will be hard workers.
Dan “ya-deen” will judge his people. Sampson came from Dan, and judged his people for 20 years. Dan is also compared to a poisonous snake that bites the heels of a horse, so that the rider of the horse falls backward. That means that they will be crafty and experience victory over their enemies – which they did (see Judges 18). The tribe moved to the north, where they were exposed to Israel’s enemies. Or, perhaps this comparison to a snake means that they would introduce evil into Israel – which they did when early in our history they embraced idolatry (also see Judges 18). Interestingly, at this point Jacob prays for the Lord’s Yeshua – the Lord’s salvation – for the tribe of Dan, and perhaps for the other tribes of Israel as well. The fact that the tribe of Dan helped establish idolatry into Israel may be the reason why the tribe of Dan is not mentioned in the list of tribes recorded in the Book of Revelation.
Gad means success, but it can also mean “raider” and “g’dood v’goo-de-noo” – raiders will raid Gad. The tribe of Gad, which settled east of the Jordan River, would be vulnerable to attack, but would be enabled to fight back. “Gad succeeded in repelling the Ammonites, Moabites and Arameans, who were constantly raiding his borders.” (Hertz).
Asher would be happy and prosperous, and produce delicious foods. The tribe of Asher settled along the rich seacoast toward the north along the Mediterranean coast. They may have had access to unusual imports and exports, including delicacies.
Naphtali is compared to a deer that runs free. They will bring forth beautiful words. Kimchi applies this to “the great victory of Barak, who was from Naphtali, which was followed by the glorious Song of Deborah” (Hertz).
Some of the most beautiful blessings come to Joseph. Joseph is a successful son, like a beautiful and well-watered vine that bears much fruit. He was attacked, but he remained strong, because Aveer Ya’akov – the Mighty One of Jacob, Israel’s Shepherd who protects and guides and provides, Israel’s Stone which defends and protects and gives strength and stability, aided him.
This Mighty One who was the God of Jacob, who gave him life and existence, and sustained him, Shaddai – the Almighty One who abundantly gives out of His vast resources, will give Joseph blessings – good things from Heaven above, and good things that come from the waters lying beneath, good things like many children. Joseph’s blessings will be great and last as long as the hills. As high as the hills are above the plains, so may the blessings that come to Joseph be great.
The territory of Ephraim and Menashe was indeed large. They played a large and influential role in the history of Israel. Great leaders like Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah came from Joseph.
Benjamin is compared to a hungry wolf. This refers to the aggressive and warlike nature of this tribe, which they were. This one tribe were vastly outnumbered, but fought the rest of the tribes, and initially won the first two battles (see Judges 20). Israel’s first king, Saul, was from Benjamin, as was Rabbi Paul.
After Jacob blessed his sons, he commanded them to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah, where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah were buried. Again, he knew that God would fulfill His promise to give Israel’s descendants the land of Canaan, and he wanted to participate in that promise, even if he were dead. He also wanted his descendants to understand that their visit to Egypt was a temporary one, and that eventually, the Almighty would bring them back to the Land that was promised to them. They should not try to be permanent residents in Egypt. They should look forward to their return to the Promised Land, where they would fulfill the Almighty’s purposes for them there – to be a light to the nations, and bring the knowledge of God, His Word, and salvation to the other nations of the world.
So Jacob breathed his last breath, at peace with God, blessing his children, looking forward to the promises of God in the future. A righteous soul like his was immediately “gathered to his people.” His soul was still alive, and was reunited to Abraham and Isaac, and the souls of other righteous relatives.
Chapter 50 records the burial of Jacob. He was embalmed by the Egyptians, which lasted 40 days. The Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days, which is a very long time for mourning, indicating that they recognized that Jacob, a Hebrew shepherd, was indeed a very great man. What a testimony the life of Jacob was to the Egyptians! The honors did not end there: a great entourage comprised of the leaders of Egypt, and Jacob’s family, along with part of the Egyptian army, accompanied the body of Jacob to Chevron, to the Cave of Machpelah.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers were afraid that Joseph might harm them. They must have thought that what held Joseph back from taking revenge against them was the restraining influence of their father – that Joseph would not dare to harm them while Jacob was alive, because that would upset their father, And so they concocted a story that before he died, Jacob had commanded them to ask Joseph to forgive them.
But godly Joseph didn’t have hatred in his heart, or thoughts of revenge toward his brothers. He also knew that taking revenge was not his right, but was the prerogative of God. When people hurt us, we try to do them good. When they curse, we bless. Very few of us have been hurt as much as Joseph was by his brothers. If he could forgive those who harmed him, can’t we?
Then Joseph makes one of the most profound statements in the Word of God, and one of my very favorite: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. He made it come out as it actually did, to keep many people alive.”
The Almighty is so powerful, the All-Knowing One is so wise, the Righteous One is so good, that He is capable of taking the evil things that human beings may do to harm us, and turn them around and make them into something that will not only benefit us, but benefit many others as well! Knowing this should transform our attitude toward everything that happens to us, and the people that treat us in a bad way. Be gracious, like Joseph was to his brothers, who comforted them and spoke kindly to them, and provided for them.
So, when someone does something hurtful to you, try not to hate them, or wish them destroyed. Have confidence in God, that He will take what was meant to harm, and transform the situation, and bring something good out of it. Have faith that God is at work, transforming and redeeming this bad situation. Be patient and long-suffering, knowing that eventually He will bring something good, something wonderful, out of this trial. This should be your attitude toward everything that happens to you in life. This will make you a different person. This will radically change the way that you look at reality and your circumstances.
The book of Genesis concludes, telling us that the Lord made up for the earlier trials in Joseph’s life. Joseph lived until he was 110, living to see the third generation of Ephraim’s sons. He lived a long and honored and glorious life. And even though he was among the greatest of Egyptian society, he never assimilated into Egyptian society. He never lost sight of his Jewish identity, or his heritage or his special calling. He made his brothers promise that when God brought the Jewish people back to the Land of the Covenant, they would bring his bones with them. He would be buried in the Land of Israel. Egypt was very good to him, but Israel was his home because the God of Israel was his God, and he was a member of the Covenant. And the Jewish people kept this promise. At the Exodus from Egypt, Moses took the bones of Joseph with him (see Exodus 13:19), and Joseph was eventually buried in Shechem (see Joshua 24:32).
Thus ends the life of one of the greatest men who ever lived. May each one of be enabled to become more like Joseph, who was the ideal son, the ideal brother, the ideal servant, the ideal administrator (Hertz). He was righteous, godly, humble, capable in his tasks, always faithful to God, even in his suffering, he was gracious and forgiving to his brothers, loyal to his family, true to his heritage, faithful to the Covenant, hoping in the future!
Some have seen in Joseph’s character and story the character and story of the Jewish people. Like Joseph, the Jewish people have been a kind of dreamer – dreaming the dream of universal justice and peace and brotherhood and salvation. Like Joseph, the Jewish people have often been the helpless victim of the hatred of his step-brothers, hatred that drove him from home and doomed him to Exile” (Hertz). Israel is God’s firstborn son, and God’s other sons, the other nations, have so often resented us, and mistreated us. Like Joseph, the Jewish people will ultimately be redeemed and rescued, saved and exalted and greatly successful, helping to save many people alive! And, what the nations meant for evil, the Lord will transform it into something good!
That brings us to the end of the book of Beresheet – Genesis. And so we say, “Chazak, chazak v’nit-chazek! Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened as we continue our study of the divinely inspired Word of God!”
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