Gen. 45:9-47:31: “Jacob’s Family Is Relocated To Egypt”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1.                  INTRO:

 

1.1.         In our last study, we looked at Genesis 42-45:8.

 

1.1.1.  This was the story of how Joseph was reconciled to his brothers and family.  We will saw how that grace and forgiveness won out in the end, and also how that the heritage of the godly seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, was preserved through a dire seven year famine.

 

1.2.         In our study today, we are going to look at Genesis 45:9-47:31.

 

1.2.1.  We will see how that Joseph relocates his father and brothers and their families to the country of Egypt so that he might be able to be near them and provide for all of their needs during the five more years of famine that he knew were coming upon the land. 

 

1.2.2.  When Joseph tells Pharaoh about his brothers coming to him Pharaoh determines to relocate Joseph’s family to the choicest lands in Egypt and provide for all of their needs..

 

1.2.3.  At Pharaoh’s command, Joseph sends with his father and brothers wagons to transport their wives and young ones and all of their possessions. 

 

1.2.4.  When Jacob and his family get to the land of Egypt, Joseph will introduce his father Jacob to Pharaoh and Jacob will bless Pharaoh.

 

1.2.5.  Before we leave studying the life of Joseph, I want to discuss more of what this story teaches us about the trials that we go through as Christians.  A “trial” is any difficult or painful experience that a Christian has which is designed by the Lord to perform a work in his/her life.  Both the apostle John and apostle Peter wrote about the “trials” that Christians experience as being “manifold,” meaning that they can vary from each other greatly.  The New Bible Dictionary says the following about how trials in a Christian’s life perform the work of purifying him:  “The Heb. root ṣrp expresses the melting, testing, and refining of metals, especially precious metals such as gold and silver. This same terminology was also used of God testing men and of God’s tried and tested word. A less-common term for refining or purifying was zqq. In the ancient world crude metal was customarily remelted to remove impurities and to make metal castings (tools, weapons, images, etc.). The metal was heated in pottery crucibles (Pr. 17:3; 27:21) in ovens or hearths, bellows often being used to provide a draught to create greater heat… God, like a master-refiner seeking the pure metal, is often said to try or test (ṣrp) men’s hearts. Cf. Jdg. 7:4 (Gideon’s men); Pss. 17:3b; 26:2b; 66:10; 105:19; Is. 48:10; Je. 9:7; Zc. 13:9; Mal. 3:2–3. See also the graphic pictures in Ps. 12:6 and Pr. 30:5 of God’s Word.”

 

1.2.6.  Charles H. Spurgeon, the great English preacher of a century and a half ago, wrote in his Morning And Evening devotional book the following about trials:  “Trials are a part of our lot; they were predestinated for us in Christ’s last legacy. So surely as the stars are fashioned by his hands, and their orbits fixed by him, so surely are our trials allotted to us: he has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles; if they do, they will be disappointed, for none of their predecessors have been without them. Mark the patience of Job; remember Abraham, for he had his trials, and by his faith under them, he became the “Father of the faithful.” Note well the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and you shall discover none of those whom God made vessels of mercy, who were not made to pass through the fire of affliction. It is ordained of old that the cross of trouble should be engraved on every vessel of mercy, as the royal mark whereby the King’s vessels of honour are distinguished. But although tribulation is thus the path of God’s children, they have the comfort of knowing that their Master has traversed it before them; they have his presence and sympathy to cheer them, his grace to support them, and his example to teach them how to endure; and when they reach “the kingdom,” it will more than make amends for the “much tribulation” through which they passed to enter it.”

 

1.2.7.  Lets consider the trials that Joseph has gone through to this point:

 

1.2.7.1.His brothers sold him into slavery when he was perhaps just a young teen.

 

1.2.7.2.He was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife when he refused her seductive advances, and he was thrown into prison.

 

1.2.7.3.He had spent 13 years in an Egyptian prison for a crime that he had not committed.

 

1.2.8.  Joseph’s trials teach us:

 

1.2.8.1.There is much about human suffering that we do not understand.

 

1.2.8.1.1.There are some churches and church leaders who believe that they really do understand why everything happens in people’s lives, yet they just end up being judgmental of others.

 

1.2.8.1.2.There is much mystery about who suffers and why they suffer.

 

1.2.8.2.God plans our trials, they have a specific length and intensity, as well as the lessons that He wants to teach us through them.  There is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

1.2.8.3.God will never give us more than what He knows we can handle (1 Cor. 10:13 promises us this).  

 

1.2.8.4.Our trials are designed for a greater good for our lives than we might know about or sometimes even understand. 

 

1.2.8.5.When a trial is over we will have either passed or failed the test the Lord has prepared for us.

 

1.2.8.5.1.Joseph appears to have passed all of the tests that the Lord put him through.  We saw in our last study that when Joseph tested his brothers to see how much they had learned that they too passed every one of his tests. 

 

1.2.8.5.2.But, many times we fail those tests we go through. 

 

1.2.8.6.When our trial is over God will have accomplished what He desired through that trial in our life (if we have failed the test we will most likely have to repeat it later).

 

1.2.8.7.God works all things in our life together for our good (Rom. 8:28).

 

2.                 VS 45:9-13  - “9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 “You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 “There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.” ’ 12 “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13 “Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.”” -  Joseph tells his brothers to hurry back to Canaan to his father and tell him to come down to Egypt with all of his children, grandchildren, and flocks and herds

 

2.1.         Upon revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph tells them to ‘hurry and go” and tell his father that he (Joseph) is “the man” that they have been telling him about and that they need to ‘not delay’ in relocating their families to Egypt.  The reason Joseph is so adamant about his brothers moving quickly upon this is because he knows from the Lord that there ‘are still five years of famine’ to come and he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to his family.

 

2.2.         To their amazement, Joseph tells his brothers, ‘God has made me lord of all Egypt..’  He wants them to communicate this to his father.

 

2.3.         Joseph is speaking to them in their own Hebrew dialect and this itself ought to be enough proof that he is who he says he is, but he knows that his brothers still find this news incredulous, so he tells them, ‘Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.’

 

2.4.         Knowing that it will still be difficult to convince their father he is alive and that they must move their families and come to him, he tells them to ‘tell my father of all of my splendor in Egypt and all that you have seen.’

 

3.                 VS 45:14-15  - “14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.” -  Joseph fell his brother Benjamin’s neck and they wept, then he kissed each of his brothers and wept on their necks and talked with each one

 

3.1.         Benjamin, the only brother whom Joseph shared with the same mother, had been a mere lad of perhaps five years old when Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers.  Joseph shows a special love and care for this brother he hasn’t seen in so many years. 

 

3.2.         It is beautiful to see the tenderness expressed between brothers who are now reconciled after having been at odds and separated for so many years.

 

3.3.         It may have taken thirteen years in prison to change Joseph’s attitude towards his brothers, but we see through this tender scene that he genuinely holds no bitterness or grudges against his brothers. 

 

4.                 VS 45:16-21 – “16 Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19 “Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20 ‘Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ” 21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.” -  Pharaoh heard that Joseph’s brothers had come and he commanded Joseph to go back to Canaan and bring his father and the family’s households, and come and relocate to Egypt and live in the best land, and then he told Joseph to take wagons from the land of Egypt to load and transport all of the family and their stuff

 

4.1.         News traveled fast in Pharaoh’s house and Pharaoh, as well as his servants, were very pleased to hear that Joseph’s brothers and come to him.  Joseph was every man’s hero in Egypt because everyone knew that he had spared the nation from absolute desolation and destruction by interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams correctly and then successfully administrating his grain storage program for seven years.  Everyone was overjoyed for Joseph that he had finally be reunited and reconciled with his brothers and family.

 

4.2.         Pharaoh is so elated for Joseph and concerned that Joseph’s family not starve to death or become impoverished, he actually orders Joseph to ‘take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives and bring your father and come.’

 

4.3.         Joseph gave his brothers not only the wagons to haul their family and possessions back to Egypt, he also ‘gave them provisions for the journey.’

 

4.4.         Pharaoh even tells Joseph to tell his family not to ‘concern yourselves with your goods’ for they will be given ‘the best of all the land of Egypt.’

 

5.                 VS 45:22-24 – “22 To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the journey.”” -  Joseph gave a change of clothes to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and three hundred pieces of silver, then he loaded up ten donkeys with gifts for his father and told his brothers not to quarrel on the way home

 

5.1.         The ‘changes of garments’ that Joseph gave to his brothers were probably some clothes that they could wear that would help them to fit in and be more accepted by the Egyptians. 

 

5.2.         Benjamin held that special place in Joseph’s heart because he was born from his mother, and because he hadn’t seen him since he was just a little tike.  Therefore, Joseph gave to Benjamin ‘three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.’

 

5.3.         Joseph was fulfilling a type of Christ by giving his brothers a change of clothes after forgiving them.  The Lord clothes us with His righteousness after He forgives us.  Joseph’s admonition to his brothers to not quarrel on the way, after he had clothed them, might be in type similar to what Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery after telling her that He did not condemn her, “Go thy way and sin no more.”

 

5.4.         Joseph’s father had sent to him a generous gift when he thought that that Joseph was just “the man” in charge in Egypt, and now Joseph decides to send back to his father a much greater and more generous gift of ‘the best things of Egypt,’ and this gift was so large it took ten donkeys to be able to carry it back to Canaan.

 

5.5.         Knowing his brothers propensity to argue and guessing that on the trip back to Canaan that they might begin to blame each other for what they had done to him, he tells them, ‘Do not quarrel on the journey.’

 

6.                 VS 45:25-28  - “25 Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27 When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”” -  Joseph’s brothers traveled from Egypt to Canaan and told their father that their brother Joseph is alive and is ruler over all the land of Egypt, but at first Jacob did not believe it, but then he was finally convinced and determined to go to Egypt and see Joseph before he died

 

6.1.         When Joseph’s brothers arrive back in Canaan and tell their father that “the man” with whom they had been dealing with in Egypt was actually their brother Joseph, Jacob ‘was stunned,’ and ‘he did not believe them.’  Jacob had grieved for so many years for his son, that now to consider that his son was alive and not only alive but second in charge over all of Egypt, was a bit too much for Jacob to grasp.

 

6.2.         Certainly, Jacob had to take time to marvel at how the Lord would fulfill His word and make of his sons twelve nations.  God’s ways must have seemed marvelous to Jacob.

 

6.3.         Finally, when Jacob ‘saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him´ and their families and possessions back to Egypt, he realized that his sons must be correct.  Joseph his son whom he thought he had lost was alive indeed.  Speaking of how this knowledge had revitalized their father, it says, ‘the spirit of their father Jacob revived.’  Jacob says he now has seen enough proof:  ‘It is enough, my son Joseph is still alive.’

 

6.4.         Jacob decides that he is up for the journey now and ready to move to Egypt and see Joseph for he longs to, ‘go and see him before I die.’

 

7.                 VS 46:1-4  - “1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4 “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.”” -  Israel set out towards Egypt and came to Beersheba and there offered up sacrifices to God, then God appeared to him and told him not to be afraid to go to Egypt for the Lord will go down with him to Egypt and also bring him back, and Joseph shall close his eyes

 

7.1.         Note in this chapter that as Jacob takes a step of faith in the Lord in heading out to Egypt, that he is called here by his God-given name, ‘Israel.’  Jacob is stepping out in faith in God by moving his family from the land of Canaan to Egypt, and thus he is referred as, “Israel.”

 

7.2.         Each time that Jacob moved he sought the Lord and the Lord spoke to him.  Now, as Jacob begins to set out towards the land of Egypt he decides to go to Beersheba, the place where both his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, had worshipped and sought the Lord, and where God had spoken to his father.  Abraham had also lived there for a time. 

 

7.3.         Beersheba was on the way down to Egpyt for Jacob and his sons.

 

7.4.         The Lord tells Jacob not to ‘be afraid to got to Egypt.’  Then He promises that he will make of Jacob a great nation there.

 

7.5.         The Lord tells Jacob in verse four that He will ‘go down with you to Egypt,’ which indicates that the Lord will meet them there and provide for them and accomplish through them the things He wants to do through them.

 

7.5.1.  Isn’t it wonderful to know as a Christian that the Lord always goes with us, even when the path is difficult and the future is uncertain for us?  He travels all of our paths with us and is there to help, protect, and guide us.

 

7.6.         Next, the Lord tells Jacob that He will also bring him up and out of Egypt and that when he passes away that Joseph will perform that most sacred act of closing his eyes.

 

8.                 VS 46:5-7  - “5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: 7 his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.” -  Jacob went from Beersheba and his sons carried Jacob and all of the little ones and their wives in the wagons that Joseph provided, bringing with them all of their livestock and property

 

9.                 VS 46:8-15  - “8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu and Hezron and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola and Puvvah and Iob and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.” -  The sons born to Jacob through Leah are listed:  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun

 

9.1.         The author to the book of Genesis now begins to recall for us each of the sons and grandsons of Jacob.  The point of telling this story is to indicate how that the nation of Israel was formed as a result of 70 individuals who went down to Egypt.  This according to the mind of God is very important. 

 

9.2.         These are the sons and grandsons of Jacob through Leah, the sister of Rachel, who was given to Jacob as a ruse when Jacob thought that he was working for seven years for Rachel to be his wife. 

 

9.3.         Born to Leah were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.  Plus, a daughter in Dinah was born to Leah.

 

9.4.         The sons born to Leah are:

 

 

The sons born to Leah

 

Reuben

Simeon

Levi

Judah

Issachar

Zebulun

Haonch

Phallu

Hezron

Carmi

Jemuel

Jamin

Ohad

Jachin

Zohar

Shaul

Gershon

Kohath

Merari

Er

Onan

Shelah

Pharez

Zareh

Tolah

Phuvah

Job

Shimron

Sered

Elon

Jahleel

.

 

9.5.         The text here says that it was ‘thirty-three’ persons total that came through Leah.  There were thirty-one boys, ‘Dinah,’ and it says here that there were ‘daughters’ born to her, so to arrive at a total of 70 there must have been one other daughter that she bore to Jacob though her name is not listed.  ‘Dinah’ must have had her name listed because of what is recorded about her in regard to Hamor and the men of Schechem.  She was raped by Hamor and then the sons of Jacob deceived the Schechemites to be circumcised, then when they were in their pain Simeon and Levi went house to house and slew all of the men in the city.

 

10.            VS 46:16-18  - “16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah and their sister Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons.” -  The sons born to Jacob through Zilpah are listed:  Gad, Asher

 

10.1.    Next, the sons born to Leah’s maid Zilpah are listed.  When Leah saw her sister Rachel producing sons for Jacob through her maid Bilhah, Leah gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob and sons were born to Jacob through her maid.

 

10.2.    The sons born to Zilpah are:

 

 

The sons born to Zilpah

 

Gad

Asher

Ziphion

Haggai

Shuni

Ezbon

Eri

Arodi

Areli

Jimnah

Ishuah

Isui

Beriah

 

 

10.3.    The total of all of the sons born to Zilpah was ‘sixteen’ persons in total.

 

11.            VS 46:19-22  - “19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; there were fourteen persons in all.” -  The sons of Jacob through Rachel are listed:  Joseph and Benjamin

 

11.1.    Rachel couldn’t conceive children for many years but finally and in answer to her many prayers she gave birth to Joseph followed by Benjamin almost ten years later.

 

11.2.    The sons born to Rachel are:

 

 

The sons born to Rachel

 

Joseph

Benjamin

Manasseh

Ephraim

Belah

Becher

Ashbel

Gera

Naaman

Ehi

Rosh

Muppim

Huppim

Ard

 

 

11.3.    The total of all of the boys born to Rachel was ‘fourteen’ persons in all.

 

12.            VS 46:23-25  - “23 The sons of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni and Jezer and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; there were seven persons in all.” -  The sons of Jacob born through Bilhah are listed:  Dan, Naphtali

 

12.1.    When Rachel saw her sister Leah giving birth to sons and yet she was unable to conceive, she decided to give her maid to Jacob to be a wife, and through Bilhah Jacob received sons in Dan and Naphtali.

 

12.2.    The sons born to Bilhah are:

 

 

The sons born to Bilhah

                                                                                              

Dan

Naphtali

Husim

Jahzeel

Guni

Jezer

Sillem

 

 

12.3.    The total number of persons born to Bilhah were ‘seven’ persons.

 

13.            VS 46:26-27  - “26 All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all, 27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.” -  The total number of Israel that came to Egypt was seventy

 

13.1.    It is curious to me that the author thought it significant to indicate that the number of persons who went down with Jacob to Egypt was ‘seventy.’  Henry Morris has written the following about this number being used here:  “The number seventy seems to have been associated in a particular way with the nation of Israel ever since the time when these seventy apparently became its official founders.  (Note Deuteronomy 32:8, which suggests that this number was tied to the seventy other nations of the world first established by God, as listed in Genesis 10.  Also, see the discussion in Chapter on the Table of Nations.)  There were seventy “elders” (Numbers 11:16), seventy years of captivity (II Chronicles 36:21), seventy “weeks” determined on the people of Israel to finish the transgression (Daniel 9:24), seventy translators of the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament into Greek, seventy members of the Sanhedrin in the days of Christ, and seventy “witnesses” to Israel sent by Christ (Luke 10:1).”

 

13.2.    The author notes here that the number of  ‘seventy’ did not include the ‘wives of Jacob’s sons.’  This number also did not include any of Jacob’s wives, if any were still alive at this time.   Rachel had passed away long before this.

 

14.            VS 46:28-30  - “28 Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. 30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”” -  Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph to point out the way to go to Goshen, and the sons of Israel came to Goshen, then when Jacob arrived Joseph appeared before him and fell on his neck and wept for a long time, after which Jacob said he was ready to die

 

14.1.    Here we see again that Judah is the leader of the sons of Jacob.  Jacob sent Judah ahead of the group to get directions so that he could guide the group to the land of Goshen once they got to Egypt.

 

14.2.    When Jacob and his family arrived in Goshen, Joseph ‘prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet to meet his father.’

 

14.3.    What an incredible reunion it must have been that day when this father met up with the son that he had for twenty-two years thought was dead.  Here we see that Joseph ‘fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time.’ 

 

14.4.    Jacob repeats the words he spoke in Canaan that when he saw his son Joseph that he would now be ready to die.  Jacob will actually live another seventeen years. 

 

15.            VS 46:31-34  - “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,’ that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.”” -  Joseph tells his brothers and father that he was planning to go and tell Pharaoh that his family had arrived in Egypt, and Joseph prepares his brothers to talk with Pharaoh telling them to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds

 

15.1.    Joseph finally leaves his brothers and goes back to tell Pharaoh that his brothers and his father have now come to him.

 

15.2.    Joseph was concerned that the sons of Israel would intermarry with the Egyptians and assimilate into Egyptian culture, thus not fulfilling their calling to be a nation separated to and under God.  Therefore, he prepped his brothers to tell Pharaoh when they met him that they were ‘keepers of livestock.’  The Egyptians despised shepherds so they would distance themselves now from the sons of Israel when they found out their vocation, and the land of Goshen would now belong to the Israelites.

 

16.            VS 47:1-6 – “1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” 2 He took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” 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. Now, therefore, please let your servants live 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 at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”” -  Joseph told Pharaoh that his family had now arrived, and he took with him five of his brothers to meet Pharaoh, and these told Pharaoh that they were shepherds and wanted to live in the land of Goshen, and Pharaoh consented

 

16.1.    Joseph went and told Pharaoh that his brothers and father had arrived, and he took ‘five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.’ 

 

16.2.    When Pharaoh asked the men their vocation, they told him they were ‘shepherds,’ as Joseph had primed them to answer.

 

16.3.    Joseph’s brothers ask permission for them to live in the land of Goshen.  Pharaoh tells them that they can live wherever they want, and then he gives them permission to live in the land of Goshen.

 

16.4.    Pharaoh also tells Joseph that if any of his brothers are capable then he is to put them in charge of his livestock.

 

17.            VS 47:7-10  - “7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?” 9 So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from his presence.” -  Joseph brings his father Jacob to Pharaoh and he talked with and then blesses Pharaoh

 

17.1.    Jacob brings his father to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh asks Jacob how many years he has lived.  Jacob replies that he has lived ‘one hundred and thirty’ years.

 

17.2.    Jacob mentions that he has not lived nearly as long as his ‘fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.’  He recognized that mankind’s longevity had been shortened by the Lord.

 

17.3.    It is interesting to me that Jacob tells Pharaoh about his life saying ‘few and unpleasant have been the years of my life.’  Evidently, Jacob looked at his life from a sort of fatalistic and gloomy point of view.  Where is his faith in God knowing what is best for us and planning out all things and keeping his every word to us?  What kind of a testimony did Jacob have with the people of this world being so depressive and gloomy? 

 

17.3.1.Many Christians become spiritually depressed as Jacob was.  The use of anti-depressants is just as high in the church as outside of it, and there can be physical causes for depression.  But, we Christians need to learn to look at our blessings instead of being like Jacob and look and focus just upon our difficulties and trials.  God has blessed each of us greatly and His promises cover every single thing we might need.  Therefore, we need to look and focus upon our blessings and always be thankful.  We need to exercise faith in God’s word and trust that He always knows what He is doing in our lives and that He will be with us to the end and provide all that we need.   

 

17.4.    We can see here the fact that Pharaoh looked at Jacob as being his superior from a spiritual point of view, for it says that ‘Jacob blessed Pharaoh.’  Hebrews 7:7 tells us that Melchizedek could bless Abraham because “the lesser is blessed by the greater.”

 

18.            VS 47:11-12  - “11 So 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 ordered. 12 Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to their little ones.” -  Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Rameses and Joseph provided all that they needed

 

18.1.    So, we read that Joseph settled his family in the best part of the land of Egypt, ‘in the land of Rameses.’

 

18.2.    Joseph also provided everything that was needed for his brothers and fathers and their households and little ones.

 

19.            VS 47:13-30  - “13 Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 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, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone.” 16 Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19 “Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So 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 every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s.” -  The famine continued and for payment for grain Joseph gathered up all of the money that was in the entire country of Egypt, then all of the livestock, then all of the property

 

19.1.    We see here that finally the only food in the entire country of Egypt came from Joseph, and he finally had ‘gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt.’  No one had any more money with which to buy grain from Joseph.

 

19.2.    After gathering all of the money in the country, Joseph had the people bring to him their livestock as payment for food.  The people were more than happy to do this since the alternative was poverty and starving to death.

 

19.3.    After all of the money and cattle were owned by Pharaoh, the people next sold their very land to him in order to buy food and survive the famine, ‘because the famine was severe upon them.’

 

19.4.    Finally, Pharaoh owned all of the land in the entire country of Egypt.

 

20.            VS 47:21-22  - “21 As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land.” -  Joseph moved the people in Egypt from one end of the land to the other, but the only people that didn’t sell off their land to Pharaoh was the priests owned, for Pharaoh provided for them

 

20.1.    Finally, it appears that many of the people simply became indentured servants to Pharaoh in order to buy food, and they were moved by Joseph ‘from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.’  They surely worked in Joseph’s food distribution program or wherever work was needed in order that they might continue to buy bread.  This was similar to what our country did during the Great Depression.  The government created public works projects to benefit the nation and provide income, and if people were willing to move to the job sites they could work.  This was how Hover Dam was built for instance.  Actually, this program is believed to be what brought our country out of that depression.  Joseph refused to make everyone a slave, even though he could have done so and had every right to do this. 

 

20.2.    The author mentions here that Pharaoh did not require the priests to sell their land in order to buy food.  He valued them so much that he provided for their food.  These were pagan priests.

 

21.            VS 47:23-26  - “23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24 “At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” 25 So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.” -  Joseph told the people that now that he had all of their land they could continue to live on the land and sow and cultivate it, however Pharaoh would have to receive for an ongoing income tax 1/5th of all that they harvested

 

21.1.    After having obtained everyone’s money, livestock, and land, Joseph gives them seed to sow the land and requires them to continue to give the 20% income tax that they have been giving since the beginning of the seven years of abundance that preceded the seven years of famine.

 

21.2.    Notice here that the people are appreciative of Joseph recognizing that he had saved their lives.  In fact, they even offered to be slaves to Pharaoh so that they could continue to buy food.  But, Joseph only requires that they pay 20% back of any grain they harvested using the seed he provided to them.

 

22.            VS 47:27-31  - “27 Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous. 28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31 He said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.” -  Israel lived in the land of Goshen and acquired property in it, and they were very fruitful and grew to be numerous, and Jacob lived 147 years

 

22.1.    Here we see that Joseph’s brothers, Israel, lived in Goshen, and they even ‘acquired property in it.’

 

22.2.    Notice that for the first time in the scriptures that the name “Israel” refers to a nation, not just to Jacob.  It says that ‘Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they…”  What we see here is the birth of the nation of Israel.  They went down into Egypt as 70 persons, and Egypt became sort of like an incubator for them, for over time they became a nation.  After the 400 years of slavery that is coming upon them they will emerge from Egypt under Moses with over 650,000 men, which means that there are likely well over 2,000,000 total who come out.

 

22.3.    Finally, after living seventeen years in the land of Egypt Jacob’s life began to come to an end.  Knowing that he was soon to die Jacob called for Jacob and asked him to promise to not bury him in Egypt but carry his body back to the land of Canaan and bury it in the cave of Macpelah.

 

22.4.    Joseph swore to his father that he would grant this burial wish, and then Jacob worshipped the Lord at the head of his bed.

 

23.            CONCLUSIONS:

 

23.1.    Remember the lessons learned from Joseph about trials when you are next tested and tried.  They will last just a specific period of time, they are doing a good work in your life, and God is working all things together for good in your life.

 

23.2.    Remember to look upon your blessings not just your difficulties and what you are lacking.

 

 

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