Reuben, You are My Firstborn,
Turbulent as the Waters,
You Will No Longer Excel
49: 3-4

Reuben, you are my firstborn, turbulent as the waters, you will no long excel DIG: How did Reuben disappoint his father Jacob? How was he like unstable water? What did Reuben give up? Who was his inheritance given to? Who was the priesthood given to? Who would be given the leadership of the tribes of Isra’el? What was the cause of Reuben’s curse? How did this show itself in his life and the life of the Reubenites after him? What hope did ADONAI give to Reuben?

REFLECT: There is a danger to instability, and we see this in Reuben. Morality and character go together. If we are morally unstable, we open ourselves up to sin. As believers, we are to be in control of our flesh and its appetites and desires. More importantly, we are to be steadfast in our faith and no longer be tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching (Ephesians 4:14). How is your stability or instability affecting you and your family? What is the remedy for our disease of sin? What hope do you have in Christ?

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, superior in vigor and power. Unstable as water, you will no longer excel. For you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it (49:3-4).

Reuben, the eldest, naturally took his place closest to his father on the side of the bed. The name Reuben means, I see a son. Ya’akov looked up to him and said: You are my firstborn, literally, my chosen one, my might, the first sign of my strength, superior in vigor and power (49:3). The firstborn is often called the first sign of his father’s strength in the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 21:7; Psalm 78:51). He was supposed to be the leader of the twelve tribes of Jacob. Always wanting his father’s favor, yet realizing he had forfeited his right to it, Reuben was a pathetic person and son. Originally, he had a claim to the natural birthright of the firstborn son, which meant a double portion of the inheritance, the claim to the priesthood, and the leadership of the nation. Unfortunately, Reuben did not live up to his promise, or his father’s hopes.

In the near historical future, Reuben would be as turbulent, or as unstable as water. The Hebrew word for unstable is pahaz. It is from the root that describes the lawless mob of Judges 9:4 and the defiant prophets of Zephaniah 3:4. It suggests wildness as much as weakness. It is this aspect of water, so quickly becoming an undisciplined torrent, as pictured in Proverbs 17:14, which is the point of the comparison.⁷⁶³ He was passionate, but lacked self-control. Unfortunately, Reuben turned out to be weak and lustful.

As a result, instead of a blessing, he received a curse: you will no longer excel (NKJ). Reuben proved to be unstable, and as a result, lost his birthright to Joseph. Reuben . . . was born the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Isra’el; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came through him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph even though he was a much younger brother (First Chronicles 5:1-2). And we know from the Torah that Joseph went on to play a preeminent role in the history of the Jewish people. There were three privileges that the firstbornson would receive.

First privilege was the double-share of the inheritance. The husband was forbidden to follow his feelings and disregard the Torah. If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, when he will his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).

The second privilege was the priesthood. In Exodus 12, the last terrible plague was the death of the firstborn (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Bt – At Midnight the LORD Struck Down all the Firstborn in Egypt). That’s because Pharaoh was taking all the sons of Isra’el (Exodus 1:15-16). And because of the redemption of Passover, ADONAI said in Exodus 13 that the firstborn of Isra’el are His priests. The firstborn was to be the priest of the family and this was to be Reuben. But in Numbers 8:5-26 we learn that because of rebellion of the other tribes in worshiping the golden calf, and Reuben’s sin with Bilhah, God set the Levites apart as the priestly tribe because they alone were faithful to Him.

The third privilege was being the leader of all the twelve tribes. He should have been superior in vigor and power. In other words, he would be the leader of all the tribes. They would all look up to him – the bekor (the first born). That was the plan, that was the promise, and that was the inheritance. Basically, Reuben should have had it made, but he failed. In fact, during the time of the Judges the tribe of Reuben did not come to the aide of Issachar (Judges 5:15-16). That exposed the basic problem of both Reuben himself, and eventually his descendants. His character flaws did not allow him to measure up to his lofty status as the firstborn son. Jacob’s sad prophecy for Reuben certainly came true. No judge, prophet, or king came from that tribe, nor any person of renown except Dathan and Abiram, who were infamous for their participation in Korah’s rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16:1-35).

As a result of his failure of character, Reuben’s leadership role would be given to the tribe of Judah. When Ya’akov got to Judah as he prophesied around his deathbed, Jacob would say to him,“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (49:10a). I am sure that prophesy was quite shocking to those sons gathered around their dying father, because that wasn’t the way it was originally supposed to be. To them Jacob was expected to say, “Reuben, you’ve got the scepter – you are leading the tribes.” But because of Reuben’s character flaws, he was implicitly told to step aside and hand that scepter to his brother Judah. You see, with Reuben, like unstable water, there was no telling where he was going to end up. It wasn’t merely the sin with Bilhah either, this was a pattern of behavior in his life.

And we can all relate to Reuben’s sin nature. Rabbi Sha’ul said it this way: For we know that the Torah is of the Spirit; but as for me, I am bound to the [sin] nature, sold to sin as a slave. I don’t understand my own behavior – I don’t do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate . . . for I know that there is nothing good housed inside me – that is, inside my [sin] nature. I can want what is good, but I can’t do it! For I don’t do the good I want; instead, the evil that I don’t want is what I do (Romans 7:14-19 CJB)! We all have a whole truck load of sin we would like to dump. It doesn’t take much effort to find sin in our own life (and way to often in the lives of others also). We sin – we confess it every day, every Shabbat, and every Yom Kippur (First John 1:8-10). We can’t put a band aide over the sin, we need to get at the root of the problem.

The good news for you and I is that God can fix our sin problem. But it is not easy to follow Yeshua. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. The TaNaKh teaches us not to despise ADONAI’s discipline or resent His reproof; for the LORD corrects those He loves like a father who delights in his child. For godly wisdom is a tree of life to those who grasp her and whoever holds fast to her will be made happy (Proverbs 3:11-18). We can’t go through our lives putting band aids over our sins. We don’t need self-help or self-realization – we need Yeshua-help and Meshiach-realization. Enough with us. The promise of the prophets was that we would have a new heart.

Like us, Reuben had his issues. Life isn’t easy. What does one do? We need to draw closer to Jesus who said: I AM the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Adonai ELOHIM says: For I will take you from among the Gentile nations, gather you from all the countries, and return you to your own soil. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit inside you and cause you to live by My laws, respect My rulings and obey them. You will live in the Land I gave to your ancestors. You will be My people and I will be your God (Ezeki’el 36:24-28; also see Jeremiah 31:31-34).

When the nation of Isra’el came out of her forty years of wilderness wanderings, the Reubenites were the first tribe to ask for a place to settle, impulsively not waiting to cross the Jordan River with the other tribes (Numbers 32). This was a further indication of the loss of godly influence that the tribe of Reuben had on the nation. Therefore, when ADONAI would bring judgment against the nation of Isra’el, the Reubenites would be the first ones hit because they lived east of the Jordan River. Also, during later wars with the Canaanites, in the days of Deborah and Barak, the Reubenites failed to answer the call to arms (Judges 5:15-16). They participated in the erection of an unauthorized place of worship (Joshua 22:10-34).⁷⁶⁴ And thus, the Reubenites were overshadowed by Gad and overrun by Mo’ab (Second Kings 10: 32-33; First Chronicles 26:31-32).

We see something of the future of the Reubenites in the book of Numbers. In the first census, the tribe of Reuben was numbered at 46,500. But in the second census, the tribe had decreased to 43,730. The prayer of Moses in Deuteronomy 33:6 said: Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few. Consequently, Moshe had to intercede on behalf of the tribe of Reuben, so that they would not disappear. Although Reuben was the firstborn, the kingdom was given to Judah and the priesthood to Levi, leaving Reuben’s tribe to be small and non-influential.

Reuben’s sin was the reason for his curse: For you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it (49:4). This whole verse is pretty emphatic (see Ik – Reuben Went In and Slept with His Father’s Concubine Bilhah). For instance, the last line switches to the third person as a point of emphasis. Jacob simply cannot believe what his eldest son did. Though Ya’akov had never said anything about it at the time, he never forgot it either. In 35:22, Reuben’s sin is explained as possibly challenging his father’s authority. It was a well-known and widely adopted practice in the ancient Near East that the eldest son should inherit the concubines of his father (Second Samuel 16:22). Reuben may have been asserting himself as the true heir of Jacob, but it backfired and his sexual violation became his lasting legacy.⁷⁶⁵ Here, Jacob was making it perfectly clear why Reuben lost his three privileges associated with the firstborn.

But it wasn’t all bad news for Reuben. Moses prophecies of a later promise for him and his descendants. The firstborn who forfeited so much, who should have been leading the charge, but was forfeited because of his sinful acts would still have hope. Moses prophesied one simple verse in Hebrew: Let Reuben live and not die, nor his people be few (Deuteronomy 33:6). The descendants of Reuben would still be around even though their forefather had issues. In fact, they would be walking with God in faith. What a blessing. The promise and the fulfillment.

Jacob’s prophecy of Reuben continued to be fulfilled, and because of their instability, the Reubenites faded without making any significant impact on the history of the nation of Isra’el. However, his far eschatological future would be much brighter. Because of the grace of the Lord, the tribe of Reuben is included in the division of the land in the messianic Kingdom. Reuben will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west (Ezeki’el 48:6). The division of the Land during the messianic Kingdom will differ from that in Joshua’s time in these ways.

First, all the tribal portions of Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah will extend across the breadth of the Land from the eastern boundary to the Mediterranean making parallel tracts of land. Those seven tribes will inherit areas in the northern part of the Land, running from east to west.

Second, all seven of these tribes will be west of the Jordan, whereas only two and a half tribes were west of the Jordan in Joshua’s day.

Third, there is a central tract of land that is separated from the whole for God’s holy purposes. The Temple (and the living quarters for the sons of Zadok), the land for the tribe of Levi, land for growing food, and the millennial Jerusalem will occupy that holy area. On either side of it will be the portion of land belonging to the Prince, or the resurrected king David (see my commentary on Revelation Fi – The Government of the Messianic Kingdom), continuing on one side to the eastern boundary, and to the other side to the Mediterranean Sea (see my commentary on Isaiah Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King and His Beauty).

The distribution is to be by lot (Ezeki’el 47:22), but we know that the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD (Proverbs 16:33). Notice that the tribes who are descendants of Leah (Judah) and Rachel (Benjamin) are nearest the Temple, but the tribes who are descendants of Bilhah (Dan) and Zilpah (Gad), the farthest. Because the territory is designated as an offering, each of the twelve tribes will receive a portion of land that will be somewhat less than two-thirds of that originally allocated by Joshua.

We also learn from Reuben that those that dabble in sin must not expect to save their reputation or maintain a positive influence upon others. Although intellectually we know our sins were nailed to the cross, and that we are forever forgiven for past sins, we still have to suffer the consequences of those sins, which include remorse and a loss of reputation and influence. And Reuben’s sin left an indelible mark upon him and his family. As believers, we must understand that dishonor is a wound that will not be healed without a scar.⁷⁶⁶

The kingdom of God, however,will be filled with many “Reuben’s.” There is a sense in which we can all relate to him by failing to live up to our godly calling in some way. Those of us in Yeshua are called the children of God (John 1:12). Please remember that the LORD never disowned Reuben – he was still His child. The question was what kind of child was he? This question is also our question. Amen? What kind of child have you been? There are a lot of “Reuben’s” out there – disappointments, sinful choices, and regret. Yet God never gave up on him, and He will never give up on you if you are truly His child. You may have fallen – fallen badly. But ADONAI is a God of restoration. The book of Revelation tells us that there will be 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Reuben who will be part of the messianic revival during the Great Tribulation (see my commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of  Those Who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Israel). Therefore, we can say with confidence that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here (Second Corinthians 5:17)!

Standing together beside Reuben were the inseparable brothers, Simeon and Levi.

The Blessing and Cursing of Jacob’s Sons
49: 3-27

The future histories of the tribes are viewed as an outgrowth of the present character of each son as Jacob prophesies. And the character of the son, to some degree, becomes the character of the tribe. In some ways this is like the prophecy of Noah concerning his three sons (9:24-27), stemming from the actual behavior and character of his sons, and also outlining the three streams of nations that would come out of them.⁷⁶¹ We can see a deliberate two-part organization of the chapter: negative oracles about Reuben, Simeon and Levi in verses 3-7, followed by a series of positive oracles about Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali and Joseph and Benjamin in verses 8-27. This was, in effect, Jacob’s last will and testament. Each of the blessings was fulfilled.  The blessing and cursing of the twelve sons reiterates the book’s major theme. Mankind lost the blessing of ADONAI through sin and rebellion in the garden of Eden, but the LORD will restore His blessings through the Seed of Abraham.⁷⁶² There will be a near historical and a far eschatological prophecy given for each tribe.

Assemble and Listen, Sons of Jacob,
Listen to Your Father Isra’el
49: 2

Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Isra’el. Ya’akov speaks in the third person (He switches to first person in the next verse when he addresses an individual son). He refers to himself as Ya’akov and as your father Isra’el, and appears like the wise father of Proverbs who counsels his children to hear his instruction. Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and gain understanding, and do not turn aside from what I say because those who keep my ways are blessed (Proverbs 4:1, 5:7b and 8:32b).

Before Jacob was reunited with Joseph, he had been in a constant state of bereavement. If he had died then, it would have been in emotional misery. However, ADONAI allowed him to see Joseph once more. A loose end in a relationship had been tied up. Again, here in Chapter 49, we see the same thing in regard to all of his sons. There were things in all of their relationships which needed to be said before Jacob could leave them.

This is a very important part of the preparations necessary for dying. Not only is it important for the one who is dying, but it is just as important for the survivors, the ones left to mourn and hurt in the deceased person’s absence. Often times, wounded mourners expresses in their grief the regret, and sometimes guilt, for not tying up the loose ends in their relationship. Here in Genesis, Jacob and his sons undoubtedly had that opportunity in Jacob’s quarters when he called them in to stand around his deathbed.

The order of the sons as he prophesies to them is not the same as found in 29:31 to 30:25, 35:16-18 except for the first four. He begins with the sons of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun and Issachar. Then he deals with Bilhah’s son Dan, and then with Zilpah’s two sons Gad and Asher, then back to Bilhah’s other son Naphtali. He then deals with the sons of Rachel, Yosef and Benjamin. Ephraim and Manasseh were also standing by Jacob’s deathbed. Just as the blessing of the sons became the blessing of the father, the prophecy of the father became the prophecy of the sons. Therefore, Ephraim and Manasseh were prophesied to, as you might say, through Joseph.

This was no ordinary conversation. Anything a man says on his deathbed is important because generally, if he ever tells the truth, he tells it on his deathbed. Ya’akov spoke poetically and with great imagery. His very tone suggests that he was speaking in the Spirit. He was in full possession of his faculties, even though he was close to death. Because he was speaking in poetical language, the sons could hardly fail to recognize the importance of their father’s words. Almost instinctively, as they entered the room, they gathered by their own subfamily groupings, in a circular position around the bed. The net result was that fourteen sons gathered around the deathbed of their father Isra’el. As Jacob’s dim eyes gradually recognized them, he proceeded to speak to each one in turn, around the circle.⁷⁶⁰

Then Jacob Called for His Sons to Gather Around Him
49: 1

Then Jacob called for his sons and said: Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in the acharit-hayamim, literally the end of the days. The rabbis teach that this referrers to the days of the Meshiach. Ya’akov will give much more than that standard patriarchal blessing. It will be a prophecy that will foreshadow the development of the twelve tribes of Isra’el and the environments in which they will live when they settle in the land of Canaan. It is similar to the prophetic history given by Moshe as he enumerates the future of the twelve tribes in Deuteronomy Chapter 33.

Now we come to an important expression. We find that there are certain expressions that the Bible uses over and over again. One of those expressions is the last days. The last days of Isra’el on earth (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ) will be different from the last days of the Church on earth (see my commentary on Revelation By – The Rapture of the Church). A very sharp dispensational distinction needs to be made between these. Jacob is talking about the last days of the nation of Isra’el and what will happen to his twelve sons and the twelve tribes that will come from them.

Many talk about the fact that certain prophecies concerning the nation of Isra’el have been fulfilled. That is true. But we can narrow it down even further by dividing Isra’el into twelve parts and recognizing that God has had something to say concerning each son and tribe. Not only have His prophecies concerning the nation been fulfilled, but also prophecies concerning each tribe have been fulfilled. That is what makes them all the more amazing. In the chapter before us we will see the prophecies of what will befall each tribe in the last days. While some of them have already been fulfilled, most of them await final far eschatological fulfillment.⁷⁵⁹

The Prophecy of Jacob’s Sons
49: 1-28

This is the last of the deathbed oracles of Genesis, and is the first sustained piece of Hebrew poetry in the TaNaKh. The use of an extended section of poetry at the conclusion of a long narrative unit is characteristic of the Torah in general. This passage reiterates the book’s major theme. Mankind lost the blessing of ADONAI through sin and rebellion in the garden of Eden. But God will restore His blessing through the Messiah, who will come through the line of Judah (49:10).⁷⁵⁸ The rabbis teach that Jacob gathered his sons around him because he wanted to tell them when the Messiah would come. But suddenly the Sh’khinah glory left him, therefore, he had to merely speak of what would happen to his sons in the future.

Then Isra’el said to Joseph:
I am About to Die, but God Will Be With You
48: 21-22

Then Isra’el said to Joseph: I am about to die, but God will be with you DIG: Where was the land of your fathers that Ya’akov was talking about? When Joseph replaced Reuben as the firstborn, how did he receive a double portion? What two word plays are seen here and what was Jacob saying to Yosef?

REFLECT:  Do you have a light touch on the things of this world? Or are you building your mansion in the here and now? In what sense are you an alien or a stranger?

This chapter ends with a prophecy of the future exodus out of Egypt and a return to the Promised Land. Then Isra’el said to Joseph, “I am about to die in Egypt, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. The old patriarch believed that ADONAI would restore his family to the land of your fathers. To have referred to this land as the land of Canaan would arouse much less emotion than the land of your fathers.⁷⁵³ Nevertheless, convinced that the LORD would take them back to the land of promise, Isra’el said that a double portion belonged to Yosef.

Through his sons, Joseph had replaced Reuben as the firstborn of Isra’el (First Chronicles 5:1-2) and as a result, not only received a double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh, he also received a double portion of land. There are two wordplays here. First, Isra’el said: And I give you one portion more than your brothers (NASB). The Hebrew word for portion is shechem, which is a wordplay on the name of the city of Shechem.⁷⁵⁴

In the second wordplay ADONAI said that this portion was a ridge of land that Isra’el took from the Amorites with his sword and his bow. The Hebrew word for ridge of land is skm, which is another wordplay on the city and district of Shechem. This phrase is in the Hebrew perfect tense, which, when used prophetically means an event in the future that is viewed as an accomplished fact today. Isra’el wasn’t looking back, he was looking forward. There were no Amorites at Shechem when Jacob’s sons slaughtered the men there (to see link click Ie – The Slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi). But there would be when Joshua conquered Canaan after the exodus from Egypt and forty years of wilderness wanderings (Joshua 2:10, 3:10, 7:7, 9:1, 9:10, 10:5, 10:12, 11:3, 12:2, 12:8, 13:4, 13:10, 13:21, 24:8, 24:11, 24:15 and 24:18). Therefore, Ya’akov regarded that ridge of land as a pledge of the future possession of the whole land of promise. In the piece of land purchased there, the bones of Joseph were eventually buried (Joshua 24:32).⁷⁵⁵

Yosef did inherit the city of Shechem, which sat near the border of the tribe of Ephraim and the tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 17:7-9). This is also confirmed in the Gospels where we read that Yeshua had to go through Samaria. So He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, which is a suburb of Shechem, near the plot of ground Jacob had given his son Joseph (John 4:5-6). This area has been an area of controversy up to the present time. It is here that modern Isra’el wants to build, on the West Bank.⁷⁵⁶

The promise that the Hebrews would one day return to the land of their fathers, and that it would be an eternal possession for them, is a central and significant one in the present story (and the whole book of Genesis for that matter). Yes, the Hebrews were able to take possession of some property and land in Egypt, but that was not the Promised Land. They were not to settle down there and think that it was! The Hebrews were to understand that they were aliens and travelers in a foreign land (Acts 7:6 and Hebrews 11:13).

The Scriptures teach that the Church today, made up of both Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11-22), is in a similar situation. Believers are merely aliens and strangers in the world (First Peter 2:11). This world is not our true inheritance or home. Something greater awaits us! As Kefa so wonderfully announces: Praised be God, Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah, who, in keeping with His great mercy, has caused us, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah from the dead, to be born again to a living hope, to an inheritance that cannot decay, spoil or fade, kept safe for you in heaven (First Peter 1:3-4 CJB). So let us not build mansions on the earth as if this were our permanent residence. Let us live in tents until we are called to the great mansion that God has prepared for His people for eternity.⁷⁵⁷

When Joseph had originally been called to his father’s deathbed (48:1), the other brothers were probably called as well. They came as quickly as they could and when Isra’el had finished speaking to Yosef, his other sons were present. On his deathbed, then, he had something to prophesy to each one of them.

Isra’el Reached Out His Right Hand
and Put It On Ephraim’s Head,
Though He Was the Younger
48: 8-20

Isra’el reached out his right hand and put it over Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger DIG: Do you find anything ironic about the way that Jacob changes things up when he blesses Manasseh and Ephraim? What is different about the way in which Joseph and his sons accept this reversal, from the way Ya’akov and Esau acted?

REFLECT: Of all the events in Jacob’s one hundred and forty seven years, why do you think this one act of blessing is singled out by the writer of Hebrews as an example of outstanding faith (see the commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Cr – The Faith of Jacob)? If Hebrews Chapter 11 were to include you in its “Hall of Faith,” what event in your life would stand out as evidence of great faith? Do you submit to your heavenly Father even when you don’t understand? Have there been times when you think you know better than God what to do in your life? What changed?

At this point, Ya’akov realized that Joseph had not come alone. Ephraim and Manasseh were probably standing behind, or off to the side of their father. When Isra’el saw the sons of Joseph, he asked: Who are these? His sight was good enough to distinguish people but not to specifically identify them. Yosef replied: They are the sons God has given me here. Then Isra’el, realizing that his time was short, said: Bring them to me so I may bless them (48:8-9). The motif of a blind patriarch giving a blessing to his descendants is reminiscent of when Jacob’s own father Isaac was in this condition (27:1-5). Here, once again the firstborn will not receive the blessing. But this time it is the patriarch himself who causes the unexpected to occur.⁷⁴⁷

Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see as man sees. But he could see something that Joseph couldn’t see. So Yosef brought his sons close to him, and still sitting, his father brought his sons close to him, and as they leaned over to him as he was sitting on the bed, his father kissed them and embraced them (48:10).

Isra’el said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children, too.” As his mature sons stood by their grandfather’s bed near his knees, Yosef moved them back a little so he could bow down with his face to the ground in prayer and submission to his father (48:11-12). Even though he was the prime minister of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, Joseph found it appropriate to bow down before his father. Long ago he had a dream where his father, mother and brothers were all bowing down to him (37:9-10). His brothers did bow down to him (42:6,44:14,50:18), but his parents did not as far as we know from Scripture. Perhaps that part of his dream was influenced by his youthful opinion of himself.

After praying, Yosef rose and took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Isra’el’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and had them kneel close to Jacob as he sat on his bed. Joseph, thinking that his father couldn’t see that well, positioned his sons the way he thought they should be blessed. In his mind, Israel’s left hand would be on Ephraim’s head because he was the younger son, and his right hand would be on Manasseh’s head because he was the older son (the right hand being the more favored position of the firstborn). But once they were close to his face, Isra’el could see them clearly. Then, to the surprise of everyone but himself, Isra’el reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and deliberately crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn (48:13-14).

The blessing of the sons became the blessing of the father. As his hands were on the heads of Ephraim and Manasseh, he blessed Joseph through them and said: May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all harm – may he bless these boys. This is the first time in the Bible that the Hebrew word goel, or redeemed is used, and it is significant that it occurs as a description of the Angel of the Lord, none other than the preincarnate Messiah.⁷⁴⁸ May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they evangelize (The Hebrew is vague: The root is dag, meaning fish), and fish among the nations of the earth (48:15-16). This is the source of Yeshua’s statement to His apostles when He sends them out to fish for people (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Cj – Come, Follow Me, and I Will Show You How to Fish for People). To fish like who? To fish for people like Abraham did in Haran (see Ec – When Abram Heard Lot Had Been Taken Captive, He Went in Pursuit as far as Dan).⁷⁴⁹

When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased because Manasseh was the firstborn. When Jacob and Yosef had previously discussed the blessing and adoption of his sons, Joseph had been silent. But when he realized that Jacob was going to bless Ephraim first, Yosef tried to correct what was in his mind a mistake. So he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head (48:17). The rabbis teach that Jacob was confused because he couldn’t see, so Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head” (48:18). Yosef assumed that his father must have thought that Joseph would naturally have Manasseh at his right hand, which would have been Jacob’s left, and that he had therefore crossed his hands.

Joseph, like so many others, expected ADONAI to work in a certain way, but found that He is often pleased to work differently and sometimes even unconventionally. But faith recognizes that God’s ways are not always man’s ways. It took Ya’akov a lifetime of discipline to learn that lesson. But learn it he did, and then he blessed the younger over the firstborn. For five consecutive generations this reversal continued: Abraham over Haran, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over Reuben, and now, Ephraim over Manasseh.⁷⁵⁰

But his father refused to uncross his hands and said:I know (Hebrew: yadati, in the perfect tense, meaning I have always known), my son, I know (yadati). Jacob believed that he was guided by the LORD’s grace to bestow spiritual and material possessions, all of which were irrevocable. Rather than a prayer, the final blessing was more like a prophecy, the fulfillment of which was ensured by ADONAI Himself. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways (Isaiah 55:8).

Joseph thought his father was blind, but in reality, Jacob saw into the future with great clarity when he prophesied: He too will become a great people, and he too will become great. No mistake was made. He was blessing according to the will of God, not according to human custom. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater then he, and his descendants will become a group of nations (48:19). We can see the fulfillment of this in subsequent Scripture because Ephraim eventually became the dominant tribe in, and a synonym for, the entire northern kingdom of Isra’el (Isaiah 7:2, 5, 9 and 17; Hosea 9:3-16).

Jacob’s prophetic view is seen in the benediction he gives. He blessed them that day and said: In your name will Isra’el pronounce this blessing, “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” He saw Isra’el as a nation pronouncing a blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh. The content reminds us of Ruth 4:11-12, in which it is said: May your family be like that of Perez. It was a great honor to receive such praise. Significantly, the name of Ephraim appears before his brother. So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh (48:20). And that fact sealed their places in this history of the tribes of Isra’el.⁷⁵¹  Thus the patriarch had his way, and Yosef promptly and fully accepted the situation.⁷⁵²

The writer to the Hebrews tells us that the blessing of Joseph through his sons was an act of faith on Jacob’s part. And of all the things the Holy Spirit could have picked to be an example of faith in Ya’akov’s entire life, He picked the blessing of Yosef through his two sons. By faith Jacob, when he was dying blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he bowed himself on the head of his bed (Hebrews 11:21 and Genesis 47:31 NKJ). Ya’akov would die a man of faith.

Jacob Adopted Joseph’s Two Sons
Ephraim and Manasseh
48: 1-7

Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh DIG: Why did Jacob choose to adopt Manasseh and Ephraim? What, if anything, does Rachel have to do with this adoption?

REFLECT: Do you know for sure that you are adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:4-5; John 1:12; Galatians 3:26-29)?

Jacob blatantly favored Joseph because of his love for his mother Rachel. Therefore, when the time came for Jacob to die and for him to pronounce his “will,” Jacob formally adopted Joseph’s two sons. Manasseh and Ephraim. This adoption was a formal legal procedure done according to the established customs of the day.

Joseph knew that his bedridden father was old and ready to die when he was compelled to agree to bury him in the Promised Land (47:28-31); when news came that his father was ill and close to death, this came as no surprise. So Yosef responded by taking his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him as Jacob’s life drew to a close (48:1). Jacob would now adopt his two grandsons as his own children. This was such an important occasion that Joseph’s silence, and the fact that he only brought his two sons and not his brothers seems to indicate that Ya’akov, after much prayer, had discussed his adoption of Manasseh and Ephraim previously with Joseph. They were about eighteen to twenty years old at that time, having been born before Jacob had returned to Egypt. Yosef had married when he was about thirty years old, and he would have been about fifty-six at this time.

When Ya’akov was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Isra’el rallied his strength and sat up on the bed with his feet upon the ground. When his son arrived, Jacob reminded him of perhaps the most important event of his entire life, the appearance of El Shaddai, the strong and powerful God, who appeared to him in a dream at Bethel (28:10-22).⁷⁴³ Ya’akov said to Yosef, “El Shaddai appeared to me at Bethel, in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me. And He said to me, “I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you the head of twelve tribes, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you” (48:2-4). Egypt was only his temporary home because his true inheritance would be Canaan.

Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine (48:5). Ya’akov replaced Reuben and Simeon, who were the first sons born by Leah, with Ephraim and Manasseh. It is obvious that Joseph had brought up his sons to fear God. For although they were highly favored because of their father’s position, when Jacob adopted them, they made the same decision as Moses did, to give up the riches of Egypt for the people of God.

There are only two spiritual families in the world. There is the family of God and the family of Satan. No one is born into the family of God; the only way you can get into His family is to be adopted. When did this adoption take place? On God’s part it took place in all eternity past: For God the Father chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, God predestined us to be adopted as His sons and daughters through Yeshua the Messiah (Ephesians 1:4-5a). However, on our part, it took place at the moment of faith in Christ: Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:12-13).

When parents adopt a child today, they choose a boy or a girl that they want to adopt into their family. It takes a great deal of planning and preparation. This child, apart from his or her adoption, may have an extremely bleak future. The child might spend most of his or her life without siblings or parents. But when adopted, everything that is true of the parents is true of the adopted child. In other words, the adopted child has all the rights and privileges of the family. And although the parents might be disappointed or even angry with the child for a time, he or she is still their child. No one is unadopted. This is also true of God’s family. When we are adopted, we are transformed from slavery to children of the King, from being completely cursed, to utter consolation.

As we saw in the case of Esau and Jacob, it was customary that the oldest son receive a double portion of the inheritance, but the father, as head of the family, could alter this arrangement if the situation, in his opinion, needed to be changed. Jacob, therefore, was perfectly within his rights to transfer the birthright from Reuben to Joseph. Reuben was the first born, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed with Bilhah, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Isra’el (First Chronicles 5:1). Ya’akov decided that the easiest way to do this was to give the double inheritance directly to Joseph’s two sons, rather than to Yosef himself. This he would do by adopting them as his own children, so that each would have equal status to Reuben and Simeon.⁷⁴⁴

Jacob explained to Yosef, “Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers” (48:6). Legally, at that point, Ephraim and Manasseh were Jacob’s sons. If Joseph had any more sons, their inheritance would be from him, not Ya’akov. These other sons of Yosef are not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, but their descendants are included in the families of Ephraim and Manasseh in Numbers 26:28-37 and First Chronicles 7:14-29).⁷⁴⁵

In receiving the double portion and the birthright, Joseph was silent. There is no sense of appreciation here because he had probably already expressed his gratitude to his father earlier. More than likely, they had discussed this many times before. Whether Manasseh and Ephraim were also told, we do not know. But unlike Ya’akov, who had to go to such great lengths to get his blessing, Yosef had left the future with ADONAI.⁷⁴⁶

As Jacob was reminiscing on his deathbed, he remembered his first love Rachel and the place where he buried her. He said: As I was returning from Paddan Aram, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance form Ephrath at Ramah (to see link click Ij – The Birth of Benjamin ad the Death of Rachel). So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath (48:7). Rachel died too soon, so there would be no more sons by her. But Ya’akov wanted to honor Rachel’s memory by placing Manasseh and Ephraim before Leah’s Reuben and Simeon. She would always be the love of his life, and he always knew that if it weren’t for the scheming of Laban, she would have been his only wife.

The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh
48: 1-22

After receiving the oath from Joseph that he would be carried out of Egypt and buried with Abraham and Isaac, Jacob continued to be bedridden with a lot of time on his hands. Alone on his bed, he must have frequently reminisced, recalling the amazing events of his long walk with the LORD. One day, when Yosef came to visit him with his two Egyptian sons, God inspired Ya’akov to prophesy over them. This resulted in Jacob adopting Ephraim and Manasseh and elevating them to the status of full Israelite tribes along with Joseph’s other brothers. Therefore, there were fourteen tribes of Isra’el, although no more than twelve are listed at any one time in the Bible. As we shall see, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh has a specific reason for choosing some and omitting others, but many times Ephraim and Manasseh are included in the place of Joseph.

The passing over of the firstborn is one of the most striking features of Genesis. Seven times this happened: (1) with Seth being chosen over Cain, (2) Shem being chosen over Japheth, (3) Abraham being chosen over Haran, (4) Isaac being chosen over Ishmael, (5) Jacob being chosen over Esau, (6) Joseph being chosen over Reuben, and now (7) Ephraim over Manasseh. Ya’akov gave the birthright to Yosef by changing the status of Ephraim and Manasseh from grandsons to sons.⁷⁴² In this way, Joseph inherited a double portion of the inheritance because his sons would then be included as equals among the brothers.

Carry Me Out of Egypt
47: 27-31

Carry Me Out of Egypt DIG: What was the significance of Joseph putting his hand under the thigh of Jacob? When was this done before? Why did Jacob make Yosef swear an oath? In what way did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: What preparations have you made to ease the burden on your family at the time of your death? Does it make any difference where you are buried? Why was this an act of faith on Ya’akov’s part? What was his hope? What is your hope?

78. Both Joseph and Yeshua settle the children of Isra’el in a land of their own. Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number (47:27). Goshen was the best of the land of Egypt (45:18b, 47:6). Pharaoh had told Yosef and his sons not to worry about their belongings because the best of Egypt would be theirs (45:20). The result was that the Israelites would live in peace and multiply (Exodus 1:8). So Palestine will be the best part of the earth during the messianic Kingdom where the wilderness will rejoice and blossom (Isaiah 35:1-2), where the riches of the nations will be brought to the Israelites (Isaiah 60:1-16) and where they will live in peace (Ezeki’el 34:25-29).

After the remaining five years of famine, the Nile River began to overflow its banks once again. The land began to flourish once more. With hundreds of Israelites having entered Egypt (to see link click Km – Jacob’s Genealogy), they would leave with over two million (Num 1:46 counted over six hundred thousand men older than twenty years of age). So ADONAI blessed His people according to the promises He made to Abraham. They were becoming a great nation, as God worked behind the scenes. He blessed Pharaoh because he had blessed the descendants of Avraham with the best land that Egypt had to offer. But later, during the time of Moses, when another Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites, God dealt harshly with him, thus fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse (12:3a).

Haftarah vaYigash: Yechezk’el (Ezeki’el) 37:15-28
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

Reunion in Egypt highlights the activity of the Torah portion and forms the context for the Haftarah. In this reading Judah has matured into the nation that gives spiritual direction, but it has been exiled for seven years from the Temple. The tribes have matured, but they lead disconnected lives. Brotherly hatred had replaced brotherly love. Now the prophet Ezeki’el, in exile with his people, promises complete restoration between the tribes led by the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Isra’el led by Joseph’s son Ephraim. Indeed, the two kingdoms will be united under a king from Judah (Ezeki’el 37:22-24). God promised to purify His people into a holy Kingdom (Ezeki’el 37:23). He promised a covenant of peace, and a Sanctuary in which He would dwell among His people. Only then, would the nation find its place among the nations of the world.

B’rit Chadashah suggested reading for Parashah vaYigash:
Luke 6:12-16; Acts 7:9-16 (specifically verses 13-15)

Yeshua, a descendant of David, a descendant of Judah, begins to redeem the prophecy of Ezeki’el. When Messiah came to Rome, it was the world super-power, with king Herod, an Edomite, in charge. In this reading, Yeshua devotes all night to prayer for the purpose of selecting from His disciples twelve apostles as foundation stones (Lk 6:13; Eph 2:20). The Hebrew equivalent of apostle, or shaliach, describes on who is sent forth with a message and authority of the one who sent him. Yeshua represents Himself as a shaliach of God the Father (John 5:19, 24, 30). Here, Yeshua selects the twelve to represent corporate Isra’el. It is interesting that Judas Isacriot comes from a town in the heart of Judah (Joshua 15:25). How ironic that Judah’s own nation must be purified of men who sin against the Father by selling a Brother for thirty pieces of sliver.

Parashah 12: vaY’chi (He lived) 47:28-50:26

The Key People include Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh, all the sons, and Pharaoh.

The Scenes include Egypt, Canaan, Shechem, the cave of Machpelah, Goshen, and Abel-mizraim.

The Main Events include Jacob’s seventeen years in Egypt, his request for burial with his fathers, the adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh by Joseph, the younger son getting the blessing, Jacob’s final words for each tribe, Judah’s position of praise, Jacob’s death, his burial in Canaan, Joseph’s brothers fearing him after Jacob’s death, Joseph’s reassurance, and Joseph’s death at 110 – declaring that YHVH would deliver the Israelites out of Egypt and they must carry his bones back to rest in the Land.

The subject of death dominates this week’s portion, which records the passing away of two of the most important people in the history of redemption: Jacob and Joseph. Obviously, we cannot always determine the time of our own death, but sometimes ADONAI gives us sufficient time to make the necessary preparations. This is the case with Jacob in parashah vaY’chi. He was not taken by surprise; he had more than adequately prepared for his death.

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years. That was the same length of time that Joseph had lived with his father in Canaan before he was sold into slavery. Consequently, the time period of seventeen years serves as bookends to the Joseph story. The first seventeen years of his life was spent with his father, and the last seventeen years of his father’s life was spent with him. When Ya’akov was a hundred and forty-seven years old, he was ready to die (47:28).

He called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness” (47:29a). As seen earlier in 24:2b, this is a euphemism for the holding of the genitals, which are the source of life. It was a symbolic gesture that if the oath were not carried out, then Israel’s other descendants would avenge Yosef’s unfaithfulness. He had one final request, and who better to make sure that his wishes were carried out than Joseph? He asked Yosef to swear to him that he would not be buried in Egypt (47:29b). He continued: When I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where Abraham and Isaac are buried in the cave at Machpelah (23:3-18). Joseph said: I will do as you say (47:30).

But Ya’akov needed more assurance, and insisted that Joseph’s word be cemented with an oath. Jacob pleaded: swear to me. Why was this necessary? Yosef had just promised to do as his father had said! However, Jacob knew that if Joseph took an oath, it would reinforce in Joseph’s memory his promise to his father. Not only that, the oath would make Yosef directly accountable to God and His wrath if he were to go back on his promise. Then Joseph swore to him.

Did Jacob not trust his favorite son? This was not the issue at all. Jacob wisely knew that Pharaoh might take it as an insult or question Isra’el’s allegiance, if Joseph asked to bury his father outside of Egypt. By requesting that Joseph make a legal oath; Jacob made it possible to request permission from Pharaoh from an entirely different standpoint  – the legal agreement between him and his father Jacob. Indeed, that is exactly the reason why Pharaoh did give him permission, saying: Go up and bury your father as he made you swear (50:6). Thus, Jacob took the matter our of Joseph’s hands and made a legal issue out of it that Pharaoh would honor. This is but one example of a legal matter which Jacob had the foresight to take care of out of love and consideration for his family. It would be wise for all of us to follow the patriarch’s example and ease the burden of decision-making upon our loved ones at the time of our deaths.

Isra’el had talked to Joseph while sitting upon his bed. When Yosef swore to bury him in Canaan, Isra’el turned and bowed himself on the head of his bed worshiping ADONAI, thanking Him for granting his last wish (47:31 NKJ), just as David also worshiped upon his bed (First Kings 1:47-48).⁷³⁸ According to the writer of Hebrews, this was an act of faith because Isra’el knew that his descendants would not be in Egypt forever and would one day return to the Promised Land (Hebrews 11:21b). Egypt was to Isra’el and his family what the ark was to Noah, a temporary shelter from the disaster on the outside.⁷³⁹ The hope of the TaNaKh was an earthly hope. Abraham believed that he would be raised from the dead in Canaan and he wanted to be buried there. Isaac believed the same. Now Ya’akov is expressing the same faith. You see, the hope of the TaNaKh was not to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and enter the city of the New Jerusalem, which is the final destination of the Church. The hope of the righteous of the TaNaKh was in God’s Kingdom that will be set up on this earth (Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:6-9, 65:18-23; Jeremiah 31:12-14, 31-37; Ezeki’el 34:25-29, 37:1-6 and Chapter 40-48). That is why Jacob had faith in the resurrection from the Promised Land. If Jacob had no faith or hope in ADONAI’s promise to him, why would it matter where he was buried? The promise of the messianic Kingdom was why he did not want to be buried in Egypt.

It took all of his remaining strength for Jacob to raise himself and utter the prophetic words of Chapters 48 and 49. But he received both his strength and his inspiration by faith, still trusting in the absolute certainty that, though he himself would not live to see it, God would give his seed the land of Canaan and that, someday, all peoples on earth would be blessed through him (12:3b).⁷⁴⁰

For those who believe in, and follow Messiah today, it makes no difference where we are buried. At the time of the Rapture (see my commentary on Revelation By – The Rapture of the Church), wherever we are, we shall be raised either from death or from life. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will be raised first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (First Thessalonians 4:16-18). So it won’t make any difference if we are buried in Egypt, in Canaan or in Timbuktu. The living in Christ and the dead in Christ all over the world will be caught up to be with Him. We don’t need a launching pad to take off from. No, our hope is a heavenly hope.⁷⁴¹ We wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Yeshua Messiah (Titus 2:13). As Rabbi Sha’ul said to the believers at Thessalonica: Therefore, encourage each other with these words.

The People Became Tenant Farmers on the Land
that Belonged to Pharaoh
47: 23-26

The people became tenant farmers on the land that belonged to Pharaoh DIG: When the seven years of famine was coming to an end, what was Joseph’s plan for the people sustaining themselves thereafter? Was it fair for Pharaoh? Was it fair to the people? What was their response?

REFLECT: Are you a grateful person? Are you grateful for the eighty percent the Lord gives you in your life, or do you resent the twenty percent you have to give up? In what ways has ADONAI spared your life? How can you continue to find favor in the eyes of the LORD?

Yosef said to the people of Egypt, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground” (47:23). After the seven years of famine were over, Joseph allowed the people to return to the land. They did not return as owners, however, but as tenant farmers working the land for Pharaoh.

In the fourth stage (to see link click Kq – Joseph and the Famine), the people were taxed. But when the crop comes in at the harvest, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children (47:24). Now that Pharaoh owned most of the land, the plan was that when the crop was reaped, the people would give twenty percent of it to Pharaoh. The other eighty percent they could keep as seed and as food for themselves. Their rent for the land, twenty percent of the produce, was lower than normal in the ancient world. This was a progressive tax in that it was proportioned according to income. In all likelihood, a similar arrangement was made for those who had occupations other than farming, like Joseph’s brothers.

The people did not complain about these terms. They said: You have saved our lives. They recognized that they were being treated fairly and generously and that there could really be no other plan which would work as well under the circumstances. They would work the same land as before and live in the same house. They would have no overhead expenses, their lives were spared, and they kept eighty percent of what they harvested. Their only desire was to continue to find favor in the eyes of Yosef. Despite the personal hardship, they were grateful for their lives and willing to be Pharaoh’s servants.⁷³⁷ So Joseph established it as a law concerning the land in Egypt – still in force during the time of Moses – that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s (47:25-26).

All the Land in Egypt Became Pharaoh’s for Grain
47: 18-22

All the land in Egypt became Pharaoh’s for grain DIG: In reality, all the land of Egypt belonged to the king of Egypt anyway (except the land allocated to the priests). Who asked that the land be taken in exchange for grain? And who suggested tenant farming as a way to obtain food to live?

REFLECT: Of the three things the people of Egypt gave up to Pharaoh, money, property and independence, which would be the easiest for you to give up? Which would be the hardest? Which one are you struggling with the most today?

When that year was over, the people came to him the following year and said: We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land (47:18). When the people reached this desperate state, they sent a representative to Joseph with a plan of their own.

First they asked a rhetorical question. Why should we perish before your eyes – we and our land as well? Then they came up with the answer. Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate (47:19). The people wanted to become tenant farmers and dedicate themselves and their land for service to Pharaoh in return for food on a regular basis. It was their proposal, not Yosef’s. It is true that it created what amounted to a feudalistic economy, but giving grain away for free would have bankrupted the government, and probably culminated in social anarchy. The storehouses would have been depleted and mass starvation would have followed.

The people had learned to trust Joseph. He had always charged them a fair price and, even though they had used up all their own money and marketable possessions, they still had their dignity and self-respect.⁷³³

So in the third stage (to see link click Kq – Joseph and the Famine), Yosef agreed to their plan and he bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s (47:20). Joseph’s economic policy simply made Egypt, in fact, what it always was in theory; the land became Pharaoh’s property and its inhabitants his tenants.⁷³⁴ In order to speed up the distribution of the grain, Yosef moved the people from the country into the cities, from one end of Egypt to the other where the storehouses were located (47:21). This system did limit their freedom, but it saved their lives. However, the priests were a noteworthy exception to those arrangements. They had their own extensive holdings and they didn’t want to turn them over to the king. However, he did not buy the land of the priests, the very ones who would later turn their staffs into snakes (Exodus 7:8-12), because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land (47:22).

Once again the sovereignty of God was at work behind the scenes. The net effect of Pharaoh owning almost all of the land of Egypt was that the power of the old aristocracy was broken and power was centralized into the hands of Pharaoh. With that being so, it was easy for the Pharaoh of Joseph’s day to protect Jacob and his family, but it also made it easier for the new king, who did not know about Joseph (Exodus 1:8), to enslave the Israelites when Yosef and his work were forgotten.⁷³⁵

Why did the Ruach ha-Kodesh inspire Moshe to preserve this story for us today? What is the significance of Joseph’s agrarian policy? In 15:13-14, ADONAI spoke to Abraham and said: Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. Yosef was a tool of Ha’Shem in the fulfillment of that promise. The Seed of the woman (3:15) would be protected and allowed to thrive.⁷³⁶

The People of Egypt Brought Their Livestock to Joseph
and He Gave Them Food
47: 15-17

The people of Egypt brought their livestock to Joseph and he gave them food DIG: What was significant about the Egyptians giving up their livestock?

REFLECT: When have you had to give up something that you worshiped to survive? Something that you had to give up to live spiritually, not physically. Something that was not giving you life, but was killing you? Have you had to give up a relationship you knew was wrong? Drugs? Alcohol? Television? How is your life better now?

When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said: Give us food. Why should we die of hunger before your eyes? Our money is all spent buying grain. What would he do? Then Joseph said: Bring your livestock, since your money is gone (47:15-16).

So in the second stage (to see link click Kq – Joseph and the Famine), they brought their livestock to Yosef, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys (47:17a). It must have been terribly difficult for the people to give up their livestock for religious reasons. When a new king, who did not know about Joseph refused to let the Israelites go to worship the LORD, God told Moses that He would bring a terrible plague on the livestock in the field, on the horses and donkeys and camels and on the cattle and sheep and goats. But ADONAI made a distinction between the livestock of Isra’el and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites would die (see my commentary on Exodus Bo – The LORD Will Bring a Terrible Plague on Your Livestock in the Field). Every plague of Egypt attacked something that they worshiped, and they worshiped their livestock.

Eventually all Egyptian livestock became Pharaoh’s possession. This kept the people going for another year, but ultimately all their animals were also gone. Both the money and the animals became the property of Pharaoh, or, in effect, were owned by the central government. This arrangement actually benefited both the people and the animals, since they would have been unable to keep the animals alive during the famine.⁷³¹

And Joseph brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock (47:17b). Here Yosef is pictured as a shepherd who was guiding his people through a dangerous and difficult period. Perhaps the phrase brought them through reflects the fact that Joseph’s actions were not harsh or greedy, but he had the people’s best interests in mind.⁷³²  Every time the people gave Yosef something of value, he gave them grain to live.

Joseph and the Famine
47: 13-26

The famine was relentless. No food grew in Egypt or Canaan. The citizens paid for the grain that had been stored, but finally their money ran out. Joseph told them that if they would bring their livestock instead of money, he would exchange their livestock for grain. They followed that plan until Pharaoh owned all the livestock. To help the hungry people, Yosef proposed that they let the king of Egypt buy their land in exchange for grain. And just like before, Pharaoh ended up owning all the land in Egypt, and in this way the people of Egypt were reduced to slavery. Now that Pharaoh owned all of the land (except for the land of the priests), Joseph distributed seed to be planted as the famine finally subsided. The plan was that when a crop was reaped, the people would give one fifth of it as tax to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths they would keep for themselves. The people did not object and were grateful to Yosef for saving their lives.⁷²⁵

This process is something for which Yosef has been criticized. People say that he took advantage of poverty, closed on the mortgages and bought the land, but this is an unfair criticism of Joseph. To begin with, he was the agent of Pharaoh. None of this was for himself. He was not dishonest in any sense of the word and did not personally gain because of the famine. An illustration of this is the scarcity of, and demand for, uranium during World War II in America. When some men found that they had uranium on their properties (especially in Arizona), they were paid a lot of money for their land. Were they taking advantage of their government? I don’t think so. The law of supply and demand was at work. It seems to me that this same principle was at work in the land of Egypt. Yosef bought the land for the king of Egypt, and he enabled the people to live by providing grain to them. He couldn’t just give the grain away. If he did that, the whole world would have been at his doorstep. The result would have been chaos. It is reasonable to conclude that Joseph stayed within the law of supply and demand.⁷²⁶

Yosef has also been criticized for favoring his own family by providing them grain while everyone else had to pay for it. But it should be pointed out that the Israelites were guests of Pharaoh, and as such, were on completely different footing than the rest of the Egyptians. Besides, there was no possibility of their purchasing food because they had left their possessions behind them. They had been told by the Hyksos king not to be anxious about what they possessed in Canaan, and he promised that all the good of Egypt should be theirs. Pharaoh’s care of them was a matter of philanthropy, while a free gift of corn to the people would probably have resulted in chaos and anarchy.⁷²⁷

But the result of this four stage process was that everyone in Egypt became the economic slaves of Pharaoh. As long as the Hyksos and Joseph remained in power, the children of Isra’el prospered. But here would come a day when the Egyptians would overthrow the Hyksos and a new dynasty would come to power in Egypt (see my commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ag – Then a New King Who Did Not Know About Joseph Came to Power).

Joseph Collected All the Money in Egypt
in Payment for the Grain
47: 13-14

Joseph collected all the money in Egypt in payment for the grain DIG: How severe were the next years of famine? To what do the people finally resort? What would have happened if Joseph just gave the grain away? Why was it important that the people of Egypt and the world buy it?

REFLECT: What happens to young adults who are given everything and not asked to work and buy things for themselves? Have you ever been out of work for an extended period of time? How did it make you feel? What does it do to your self-esteem?

There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan were exhausted with hunger and they wasted away because of the famine (47:13). The reason that only Egypt and Canaan are mentioned is because they are the two geographical locations that are involved in our story. If Jacob had remained in Canaan with his family, they would have died. Grain had been stored in the land of Egypt, but the land was not producing grain anymore. Evidently the famine had spread all over Africa, because the Nile was not overflowing, which was necessary for Egypt’s crop production.⁷²⁸ As the days wore on, the famine continued. With no relief in sight, the people continued to buy their grain from Joseph’s storehouses. Though Yosef presumably asked a fair price for the grain, it was just a matter of time before they had spent all their savings on food.⁷²⁹

In the first stage (to see link click Kq – Joseph and the Famine), Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying (47:14a). The people bought their grain from the storehouses of Egypt. This was, and is to this day, an important principle. When any government merely gives its people food without working for it, that society eventually collapses. It destroys the spirit of its people and makes them dependent upon the state. Most of all, it robs them of their dignity. There is a spiritual principle built into the fabric of the world: If a man will not work, he shall not eat (Second Thessalonians 3:10b).

Though it may appear to some today that Joseph’s policies were repressive, it was clear in the ancient world that one paid one’s way so long as one had anything to part with – including, in the last resort one’s own freedom. Israelite law accepted this principle, while modifying it with the right to buy it back at a later time (Leviticus 25:25-55).⁷³⁰ Therefore, Yosef did not profit from the sale of grain. He was very ethical, and he brought the money to Pharaoh’s palace (47:14b).

Jacob Settled in Goshen
47: 11-12

Jacob settled in Goshen DIG: Why was it a good thing that the Israelites were isolated in Goshen? How did they remember that time? Compared to what? How different was Jacob’s time in Egypt compared to his grandfathers?

REFLECT: Joseph wanted his family to live in Egypt, but not be of Egypt (which is symbolic of the world). Likewise, we are to live in the world, but not be of the world (Second Corinthians 10:3-6). We are to live separated, holy lives and point people to the Messiah. This is a delicate balance. We cannot shut ourselves off from the world and have no influence on it, but neither can we fall in love with the world and be stained by it (First John 2:15-17). How can we know the difference as we travel as pilgrims in this world?

So Yosef settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, Goshen, or the district of Ramses, as Pharaoh directed (47:11). This section is known in modern Egypt as Wadi Tumilat. It is a valley that is thirty-five miles long, extending from the eastern Nile to Lake Timsah. The Ramses of the nineteenth dynasty, who ruled Egypt much later than the fifteenth dynasty of the Hyksos, may very well have been named after this particular valley. Much later, in their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites would remember Goshen fondly and say: We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic (Numbers 11:5). It was a very fertile land, also called the region of Zoan, because it was one of the outlet channels of the Nile to the sea (Psalm 78:12). In general it was close to Egypt’s northeast corner, more or less isolated from the bulk of the Egyptian population, which tended to concentrate more to the south and west.⁷²²  The famine was still under way, so Joseph also liberally provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children (47:12).

How different is Jacob’s descent to Egypt from his grandfather’s (12:10-20)! Both sought out the safety of Egypt because of famine. To save his family, Jacob engages in blessing. The Pharaoh at Abraham’s visit was only too happy to see Abraham return to his own country. The Pharaoh at Jacob’s visit insists that Jacob would stay and settle on some choice land. Abraham retreated from Egypt, but for Ya’akov, Egypt was his new home. Abraham left Egypt lucky to be alive; however, Jacob would leave Egypt dead.⁷²³

Joseph took great pains to ensure that his family settled in Goshen. Matthew Henry comments: He would have them to live by themselves, separate from the Egyptians, in the land of Goshen, which lay nearest to Canaan, and which perhaps was more thinly peopled by the Egyptians, and well furnished with pastures for cattle. He desired that they might live separately, that they might be in less danger both of being infected by the vices of the Egyptians and of being insulted by their malice. Thus Yosef did not want the Hebrews to be assimilated into Egyptian culture (as he himself had been), so that intermarrying with the Egyptians might not endanger their national and religious identity as the people of God.

Ending up in bed with the world is as much of a problem for believers today as it was for the Israelites of old. Often one can see no difference between the way people behave and think, within the Church or messianic synagogue, from those outside it. Recent studies, for example, indicate that sexual promiscuity and adultery occur as often among believers as unbelievers. The holy ones (Deuteronomy 33:2-3), however, are called to be holy or set apart. God says: Be holy, because I am holy (First Peter 1:16). J. Wilbur Chapman, who wrote the hymn “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners,” once said, “Anything that dims my vision of the Lord or takes away my taste for Bible study or cramps my prayer life or makes godly work difficult is wrong for me, and I must, as a believer, turn away from it.” This simple rule may help you find a safe path for your feet along life’s road.⁷²⁴

Then Jacob Blessed Pharaoh
and Went Out from His Presence
47: 1-10

Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence DIG: How do Jacob and his sons conduct themselves before the king of Egypt? How does Ya’akov portray himself?

REFLECT: Jacob could have acted like a big shot in front of Pharaoh. But he chose to be humble and give the glory to God. How do you react when you have something to brag about? Is there a difference between good self-esteem and conceit? How do you know where to draw the line?

Although Joseph was only accountable to Pharaoh in all of Egypt, he could not make the decision to allow his family to settle in the best part of the land, namely, Goshen (45:10) without approval from the king. But because they were in the midst of famine, in reality, no land was particularly valuable at that time. So having temporally settled his family in Goshen, Joseph went to Pharaoh and said: My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen awaiting your pleasure (47:1). This was where Joseph wanted them to settle all along (45:10. 46:28).

He chose five of his eleven brothers and presented them before Pharaoh (47:2). The text says that Joseph chose from all his brothers. But in Hebrew it literally reads that he chose from the edge, end or extremity. This suggests that Josephselected the most outstanding ones, or the brothers who would make the best impression. The same term is used in First Kings 12:31, where Jeroboam purposefully chose non-Levites for the priesthood of Isra’el. It was not a random selection by Joseph. Like everything else he did, it was planned very carefully.⁷¹⁶ However, the rabbis take the opposite position. They teach that Joseph took five of the most inferior brothers, fearing that Pharaoh would make soldiers out of the stronger brothers if Joseph had taken them. According to rabbinic tradition, Joseph took Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Benjamin and Issachar with him.

As Joseph had anticipated, Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” And according to Joseph’s instructions (46:34), they replied: Your servants are herdsmen, just as our fathers were (47:3).⁷¹⁷ They threw themselves upon the mercy and good grace of the king of Egypt.

They also said, “We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is so severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.” They had no intention of permanently living in Egypt. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen. Pharaoh responded directly to Joseph and said: Your father and your brothers have come to you and the land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock (47:4-6). Again, this shows that Pharaoh was a Semitic Hyksos ruler, because that simply would not have been the case if he were Egyptian. But the meeting was a success in gaining permission for Jacob’s family to live in Goshen. But it reached its climax in the conversation between Pharaoh and Ya’akov.⁷¹⁸

Then Yosef brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. This must have been quite a meeting, the earth’s greatest king encountering the man chosen by God to lead His people of that day. The aged and feeble patriarch stood before Pharaoh. Though the king was more powerful, Jacob was clearly superior, for it was he who blessed Pharaoh (47:7). Melchizedek had blessed Abraham (14:19), thus showing His superiority to Abraham, for the lesser person is blessed by the greater (Hebrews 7:7). When you read between the lines, you get the feeling that the king of Egypt also sensed this. He seemed subconsciously to recognize that he was speaking to a man of unusual spiritual depth and understanding, a man who had walked with ADONAI for many years.⁷¹⁹

Therefore, Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.” Then, because of his many years of conflict with Esau and Laban, Rachel’s death and Joseph’s supposed death, he added: My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers (47:8-9). Indeed his grandfather Abraham had died at a hundred and seventy-five years of age (25:7), and his father Isaac had died at a hundred and eighty years of age (35:28). Although he lived another seventeen years in Egypt (47:28), he knew he could not hope to live as long as they had. The longevity of mankind had begun to gradually decline from what it had been before the Flood. But the point here is that Ya’akov had the opportunity to brag about himself and act like a big shot in front of the most powerful man in the world; however, he chose to be humble and give God the glory for his life.⁷²⁰

Scripture doesn’t record their entire conversation, but before concluding, Jacob once again blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence (47:10). There is finality to this statement and Pharaoh never saw him again. At any rate, in addition to the continuing witness of Yosef, this pagan king had been the recipient of the testimony, and the object of the prayers of the greatest man of his generation.⁷²¹