Genesis 49:20-33

r.      Genesis 49:20 – Out of Asher his bread [shall be] fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

§        Asher à happy

§        Jacob prophecies:

o       Bread shall be fat à Plentiful food

·        Deuteronomy 33:24 - And of Asher he said, [Let] Asher [be] blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.

                                                                                                                i.     Moses affirms this blessing and extends it to include Ashers children being blessed

                                                                                                               ii.     Oil here refers to olive oil, not petroleum oil as some have suggested     

o       Yield royal dainties

·        Will produce foods fit for kings

·        Does not mention if the kings are Israelite kings or other nations’ kings

s.      Genesis 49:21 – Naphtali [is] a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

§        Naphtali à wrestling

§        Jacob prophecies:

o       Hind let loose

o       Giveth goodly words

·        Mathew 4:12-15 - Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

t.      Genesis 49:22 – Joseph [is] a fruitful bough, [even] a fruitful bough by a well; [whose] branches run over the wall:

§        Jacob closes with the blessing of his favored 2 sons, Joseph and Benjamin, from his beloved wife Rachel.

§        There is more written of Joseph than any of the other sons of Jacob

§        Deuteronomy 33:13-17 - And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD [be] his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits [brought forth] by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and [for] the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let [the blessing] come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him [that was] separated from his brethren. His glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock, and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.

§        Ephraim - אפרים 'Ephrayim, "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"

§        Such a healthy, thriving, fullgrown, well-supported, fruit-bearing vine well portrays the fruitful sturdy tribe of Joseph or Ephraim and Manasseh. Perhaps a play on words is here intended. For the root parah appears in Ephraim —the fruitful one. Leupold

u.      Genesis 49:23 – The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot [at him], and hated him:

§        Joseph endured many “arrows” from his brothers to Potiphar’s wife they attacked him because of his righteousness.

v.      Genesis 49:24 – But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty [God] of Jacob; (from thence [is] the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

§        Joseph was armed with more than mere arrows, he was armed with the strength of his faith and his integrity, uprightness, faithfulness to God and most obvious his wisdom.

o       Ecclesiastes 9:18 - Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

§        The brunt of hostile opposition to Israel will have to be borne by Joseph, next to Judah. The three verbs indicate that he will have plenty of it. However "his bow stayed firm".  He, too, has a bow for defensive purposes when attacked. He uses it, and his hands do not weaken as they draw the tough bow again and again; it stayed "firm" —"as a strong one,”. The arms behind the bow are described thus, "the arms of his hands remained supple." Arms and hands are seen in quick movements, snatching the arrow from the quiver, placing it in position on the bowstring, bending the bow, steadying it for aim. Leupold

w.       Genesis 49:25 – [Even] by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

§        God the Father will help thee

§        Blessings from heaven above

o       Rain

o       Sun

o       Wind

§        Blessings of the deep

o       תהום tĕhowm - deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea, of subterranean waters

§        Blessings of the breasts and of the womb

o       Abundance of family offspring

o       Abundance in livestock offspring

x.      Genesis 49:26 – The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

§        Jacob acknowledges in humility that God has blessed him even more than He had blessed Abraham and Isaac

o       Progenitors - הרה harah, to conceive, become pregnant, bear, be with child, be conceived, progenitor NOT mountains

§        Isaac had but one blessing to give Jacob thus leaving Esau with a blessing considered inadequate for the firstborn, Jacob; however, had blessings for each of his son (though Judah and Joseph seemed to gain the lion’s share)

§        Jacob heaps blessing upon blessing on Joseph, if any of the sons deserved such honor, surely it was Joseph.

§        “Him that was separate” - נזיר naziyr, consecrated or devoted one, root of Nazarite

o       The one standing apart

o       The choice

o       The prince

§        The blessings and prosperity of the birthright remained with the tribes of Joseph, what nation(s) can clearly be seen as representatives of those tribes today?

o       What nations are the most prosperous over the past few hundred years?

y.      Genesis 49:27 – Benjamin shall ravin [as] a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

§        Benjamin à Son of my right hand

§        Jacob prophecies:

o      Ravin as a wolf

·        No criticism involved in the use of this comparison; it is complimentary

·        Benjamin was favored by Jacob yet this blessing does not appear to share a father’s tenderness for a favored son.  We can conclude that these blessings did not originate with Jacob, but were  of the Spirit speaking through Jacob to the twelve tribes of Israel.

o       In the morning shall devour prey

o       Night divide the spoil

·        Ehud (Judges 3:15)

·        Saul (1 Samuel 9:1)

·        Jonathan (1 Samuel 13:3)

·        Esther and Mordecai (Esther 2:5-7)

·        Paul  (Romans 11:1)

z.       Genesis 49:28 – All these [are] the twelve tribes of Israel: and this [is it] that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

§        Before receiving blessing à sons of Jacob

§        After receiving blessings à tribes of Israel

§        Though Reuben, Levi & Simeon seemed to get more correction than blessing they are considered blessed with the other brothers here.

§        Whether we are rebuked or blessed by God’s Word as long as we remain His, we should count it all as blessing.

II.            Jacob Repeats Instructions for His Burial and His Death

a.      Genesis 49:29 – And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that [is] in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

§        Though death separates us from those we love in this world, we are reunited with those who have passed on before us

§        Jacob is not necessarily concerned with the physical aspects of being buried next to his fathers and their wives as much as it is the promise of God, that Canaan should be a possession to his children so he wishes to be buried in the “promised land”.

b.      Genesis 49:30 – In the cave that [is] in the field of Machpelah, which [is] before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place.

c.      Genesis 49:31 – There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

§        Note 1:The five individuals listed below were buried in this cave, followed by Israel (Jacob)

§        Note2: Hebrew is read from right to left

§        ישראל Yisra'el

ישראל  

                                     יצחק     Yitschaq – Isaac

                                      שרה   Sarah – Sarah

                                     רבקה   Ribqah - Rebekah

      אברהם   'Abraham – Abraham

            לאה   Le'ah – Leah

 

d.      Genesis 49:32 – The purchase of the field and of the cave that [is] therein [was] from the children of Heth.

§        Even so near death Jacob is very cognizant of the intricate details of the location and the details of the purchase by Abraham. 

e.      Genesis 49:33 – And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

§        Jacob completed both the blessing and the charge to his sons and willingly yielded his spirit back to the Father

§        “Gathered unto his people” - Apparently, the expression is then equivalent to the one used Ge 15:15, "to go to one’s fathers." Those who have gone on before in death are regarded as a people still existing. This is a clear testimony to the belief in a life after death on the part of the earliest patriarch. Though no specific revelation on the subject seems to have been given to these patriarchs, faith in the Almighty God drew its own proper conclusions as to whether God would ultimately let his children perish, and its conclusion was correct: He cannot. This passage confirms that conclusion. If Scripture is to be explained by Scripture, then Heb 11:13-16 offers the fullest confirmation of our interpretation. Therefore the prevalent expositions which aim to deny the possibility of faith in a life after death on the part of the patriarchs will all have to be discarded. Leupold

Genesis 44

I.                 The Set-up (Genesis 44:1-12)

a.      Genesis 44:1 – And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks [with] food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

§        Here again like the unnamed servant to Abraham who traveled to Abraham’s homeland to take a bride for his son, here we have an unnamed servant who is carrying out the will of his master. Could this be another “type” of the Holy Spirit?

§        In the midst of the 2^nd year of famine, drought, foreshadowing the drought of God’s Word in the end times that we are now living

b.      Genesis 44:2 – And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

§        Here we are seeing the final act of Joseph’s ruse, what is the purpose of this ruse, why are we being told this story, what was it executed in this particular way?  Is there a dual meaning?

§        Here we see Benjamin is a key component of Joseph’s plan to bring about repentance and salvation to the rest of the brothers, and eventually reunite all of the brothers (including Joseph) with their father. 

§        Benjamin is the youngest, innocent of the deeds of his brothers. 

§        Benjamin could represent another “type” of the “body of Christ” in this particular instance.

§        Cup – גביע gĕbiya`, masculine noun, A larger cup from which wine is poured distinguished from smaller cups from which it was drunk

o       “The silver cup was a sacred divining vessel, then commonly used in Egypt for predicting the future.  Water was pouredin the cup, then oil, and the future was “divined” by interpreting the suggestive shapes the oil made in the water” Great People of the Bible and How They Lived, p. 66

§        What was the cup made of? What did the brothers sell Joseph for?  Silver, to this point Benjamin received none of the silver that the brothers split between themselves for the sale of Joseph.  Benjamin has now innocently and unknowingly received his share of the price.

§        This was Joseph’s personal cup, from his cup the wine is poured into all of the other cups.  Joseph has a special position of authority in Egypt, no one can drink from his cup unless Joseph gives it to them to drink.

o       Silver is also symbolic of testing/trials/purification:

·        Psalm 12:6 – The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

·        Psalm 66:10 – For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

·        Proverbs 17:3 – The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

·        Proverbs 27:21 – [As] the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so [is] a man to his praise.

·        Isaiah 48:10 – Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction

·        Zechariah 13:9 - And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.

§        So what is the parallel we can draw between the cup of Joseph and the cup of Jesus?

o       John 18:11 - Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

o       Matthew 20:22-23 - But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared of my Father.

·        In both of these instances it appears Jesus equates the cup that he has been given with martyrdom, both of He Himself as the first to die, but also the followers of Christ who are martyrs and make up the body of Christ.

o       Joseph gives Benjamin his cup (under the pretense that Benjamin stole it).  Benjamin is unjustly blamed for doing something he did not do.  Benjamin will “symbolically” be judged by Joseph.  The other brothers will be forgiven.

c.      Genesis 44:3 – As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

§        Why are we told this?  Details like this are omitted all the time but here we are told when they left and it was in the morning when it was light.

§        I Thessalonians 5:4-5 - But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

§        What day is Paul referring to in this passage? He is speaking of the Day of the Lord and that it comes as a thief

§        This day was to be a “type” of the Day of the Lord for the brothers.

o       Did Benjamin know?

o       Jasher 54:21-22 – “…and Joseph said unto him (Benjamin), I am Joseph thy brother, reveal not this thing unto thy brethren; behold I will send thee with them when they go away, and I will command them to be brought back into the city, and I will take thee away from them.”

o       We see here from Jasher that it is possible that Joseph did reveal himself to Benjamin and told him of his plan n part.

o       If this be an accurate representation then the day did not overtake Benjamin as a thief because he was made aware of the plan.

o       Likewise, we are made aware of the God’s plan through His Word, and it is revealed in part to those who seek it.

d.      Genesis 44:4 – [And] when they were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

§        A question that he knew would draw blank stares, for they knew nothing of his plan.

§        People who are not living for Jesus think that they are good people, but are walking blind with no redemption.  What will their response be when asked this question?

e.      Genesis 44:5 – [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

§        Indicates that the cup was used for divination (not that Joseph himself practiced this)

§        1 Corinthians 11:27 - Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

o       Permission was not given for them to take the cup therefore they “took” it unworthily

f.       Genesis 44:6 – And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

§        The good servant always does as he is instructed

g.      Genesis 44:7 – And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

§        They rightly state the law in that God does forbid stealing even though the law has not yet been given.

h.      Genesis 44:8 – Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

§        Basically they are saying…”What you are saying doesn’t make any sense, we brought back to you the money we found in our sacks in case it was an oversight on your part, why would we steal a cup?  We’ve proven ourselves to be honest mem.”

i.       Genesis 44:9 – With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

§        Shows the confidence that they had in each other that they were so sure that this could not be true they pledged themselves

§        Penalty for stealing from the palace was death according to the code of Khammurabi

§        Here the cup is aligned with death, to take the Lord’s cup is to die!

o       By taking part in the Lord’s communion we die to our flesh and blood and take on His flesh and blood

§        Benjamin, the only one who is innocent among them, is the one who unknowingly is in possession of the cup.

§        The brothers make the same proclamation about Benjamin as Jacob made against Rachel when she stole her father’s images; however, in this instance Benjamin is innocent.

§        Jesus also innocent and given a cup:

o       Matthew 26:39 - And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].

§        The guilty brothers’ words condemned Benjamin to death, but he was innocent.  They transferred their guilt to him (though it was unknowingly).  Similarly humanity transferred all of their guilt to Jesus who was innocent.

j.       Genesis 44:10 – And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.

§        Again the transference of sin upon Benjamin, the one who is in possession of the cup.  What does the cup represent?

k.      Genesis 44:11 – Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

§        Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

§        Matthew 6:20 - But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

§        Every man will have to “open their sack” and be judged by the Lord, what do we have in our “sacks”?

II.               Passing the Test (Genesis 44:12-34)

a.      Genesis 44:12 – And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

§        With every search of every sack the brothers were likely gloating in their own righteousness, then it was found with Benjamin, the worst case scenario.

b.      Genesis 44:13 – Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

§        They rent their clothes and returned to Egypt

§        They all went down to Egypt and did not try to abandon their brother.  All for one and one for all.

§        Not only do they show their concern for their brother, but also their father realizing how much Jacob loves him.

c.      Genesis 44:14 – And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

§        Another instance of fulfilling Joseph’s original dream

d.      Genesis 44:15 – And Joseph said unto them, What deed [is] this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

§        Of course he could divine it, he set it up

e.      Genesis 44:16 – And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we [are] my lord's servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.

§        “God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants” – Judah equates their misfortunes to God finding out their iniquity.

o       Judah’s speech indicates that he still does not believe Benjamin took the cup, but that this was justice being exacted by God.

o       This is the confession of sin Joseph that Joseph was awaiting

§        Judah’s genuine confession of guilt and the assignment of undeserved guilt upon Benjamin

f.       Genesis 44:17 – And he said, God forbid that I should do so: [but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

§        Joseph says he finds no fault in them, they are innocent

g.      Genesis 44:18 – Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou [art] even as Pharaoh.

§        Judah, who has pledged himself as a surety to his father for the safety of Benjamin, takes the lead.

h.      Genesis 44:19 – My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

i.       Genesis 44:20 – And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

j.       Genesis 44:21– And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

k.      Genesis 44:22 – And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for [if] he should leave his father, [his father] would die.

l.       Genesis 44:23 – And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

m.    Genesis 44:24 – And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

n.      Genesis 44:25 – And our father said, Go again, [and] buy us a little food.

o.      Genesis 44:26 – And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother [be] with us.

p.      Genesis 44:27 – And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two [sons]:

q.      Genesis 44:28 – And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

§        Joseph learning of what transpired with Jacob after his brothers sold him

§        Now he understands what they told to Jacob in order to satisfy his desire to know what happened to his son.

r.       Genesis 44:29 – And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

s.      Genesis 44:30 – Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad [be] not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

§        What does this mean, his life is bound up in the lad’s life?

§        Sometimes people love someone so much that if that person dies, it brings so much sorrow that the other dies.  We see people who have been married for 50 years or more one spouse dies and the other dies shortly thereafter. 

t.       Genesis 44:31 – It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad [is] not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

u.      Genesis 44:32 – For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

v.      Genesis 44:33 – Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

§        Judah has had quite a transformation from when he was a youth full of rage and jealousy toward Joseph to a man with compassion and love for his father.

§        “We cannot judge what men are by what they have formerly, nor what they will do by what they have done…” Matthew Henry Commentary

w.    Genesis 44:34 – For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.