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 48:1-16

I.                Jacob Blesses  

The last three chapters of Genesis set the stage and launch us into the rest of the Bible.  Here the background has been fully established as to the origination of Israel, the next three chapters provide the blessings given to the sons of Israel as patriarchs of the 12 Tribes of Israel and the central characters as God’s chosen people throughout the remainder of the Old Testament.  We see Jacob and Israel used almost interchangeably in this chapter to refer to the son of Isaac, almost cryptic as to the purpose of the alternating application of the names. The twelve tribes wrestle with their purpose in a constant struggle with the temptations of worshipping false gods.  Eventually, the 12 tribes form 2 kingdoms, the Northern House of Israel and the Southern House of Judah and reject YHVH as their God King opting instead for a man king.  The action, suspense and drama is riveting throughout culminating with the birth of Messiah. 

a.      Genesis 48:1 – And it came to pass after these things, that [one] told Joseph, Behold, thy father [is] sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

§        Joseph was 56 years old when Jacob died, this appears to be just before Jacob’s death.  Joseph was 30 years old when he became governor of Egypt and had both Ephraim and Manasseh before he was 37 years old.

o       Genesis 41:50 – And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of the famine came…

§        If Jacob is in his last year (age 147) then Manasseh and Ephraim are between 19 and 25 years old.

b.      Genesis 48:2 - And [one] told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

§        One told Jacob

§        Israel strengthened himself

o       Prepared himself to be worthy of the name Israel

c.      Genesis 48:3 - And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

§        Jacob said…relaying the story of how God blessed him, He is still Jacob in at this point in the story

d.      Genesis 48:4 - And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [for] an everlasting possession.

§        The birthright of fruitfulness and the scepter of dominion is passed down from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, Isaac had previously given it to Jacob, but here God honors it and officially declares it.

o       Genesis 1:28 - And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

o       Genesis 9:1 - And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

o       Genesis 17:5-6 - Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

o       Genesis 26:24 - And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I [am] the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I [am] with thee (Isaac), and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

o       Genesis 28:1-3 - And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.  Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.  And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

o       Genesis 35:10-11 - And God said unto him, Thy name [is] Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.  And God said unto him, I [am] God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

§        Up until this point the birthright and the scepter have always transitioned to one person (not necessarily at the same time though).

e.      Genesis 48:5 - And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, [are] mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

§        Jacob adopts Manasseh and Ephraim as his own sons

o       Reuben and Simeon the 1^st and 2^nd sons of Jacob who lost favor with Jacob, that definitely cost Reuben and likely cost Simeon the birthright

§        This is how Joseph was given the double portion of the birthright

o       1 Chronicles 5:1-2 - Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he [was] the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.  For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him [came] the chief ruler; but the birthright [was] Joseph's:)

f.       Genesis 48:6 - And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, [and] shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

§        Any future children of Joseph will be Joseph’s and will be reckoned to these two sons of Joseph for their inheritance

§        Unknown if Joseph had any other children besides these two, no others mentioned

g.      Genesis 48:7 - And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same [is] Bethlehem.

§        Rachel buried in Bethlehem

§        Matthew 2:18 - In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

o       Rama - "a hill"

o       Because Rachel was buried near Bethlehem?

h.      Genesis 48:8 - And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who [are] these?

§        Israel beheld…, readies himself as an agent of the Almighty passing his blessing to his grandsons/sons

i.       Genesis 48:9 - And Joseph said unto his father, They [are] my sons, whom God hath given me in this [place]. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

j.       Genesis 48:10 - Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, [so that] he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

§        Proverbs 17:6 - Children's children [are] the crown of old men; and the glory of children [are] their fathers.

§        Israel’s eyes were dim, just like Isaac’s, blind servants

o       Isaiah 42:19 - Who [is] blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger [that] I sent? who [is] blind as [he that is] perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

o       1 Corinthians 13:12 - For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

o       2 Corinthians 5:7 - (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

·        When the eyes of the body are compromised, the eyes of faith may be very clear

k.      Genesis 48:11 - And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

§        How often God, in his merciful providences, outdoes our expectations, and thus greatly magnifies his favours. He not only prevents our fears, but exceeds our hopes.  ~Matthew Henry Commentary on Genesis

l.       Genesis 48:12 - And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

§        Seems odd that Joseph would have 19-25 year old sons that are “between his knees”

§        Moffet Translation: “…then, removing them from his father’s knees, Joseph bowed to the ground.”

§        Could they have perhaps in v. 10 that the boys had been kneeling with their hands and heads upon Jacob’s knees?

m.    Genesis 48:13 - And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought [them] near unto him.

n.      Genesis 48:14 - And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] upon Ephraim's head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn.

§        Israel knowingly blessed the younger ahead of the elder

§        Isaiah 55:9 - For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

§        Continuing the pattern of elevating a younger sibling above the firstborn, we see this also in:

o       Abel above Cain

o       Shem above Japheth

o       Abraham above Nahor

o       Isaac above Ishmael

o       Jacob above Esau

o       David above all his older brothers

o       Solomon above his older brothers

§        1 Samual 16:7 - the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

o.      Genesis 48:15 - And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

§        2 Timothy 4:18 - And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.

§        Jacob acknowledges that it was God who provided for him all his life, passing on this legacy of faith to his children

p.      Genesis 48:16 - The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

§        Hebrews 11:21 - By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.

o       Why is the blessing that Jacob passed to Joseph’s sons mentioned here in Hebrews and not the blessings given to the other sons of Jacob? 

o       Because this is the fruitfulness birthright, the promise of the Kingdom.  Jacob believed this promise and in faith passed it to Joseph’s sons.

§        Referring to the “angel” that he had wrestled and had given him the name Israel

§        Let my name be named on them…the name of Israel officially passed to Ephraim and Manasseh the birthright of the kingdom, the right to the name Israel is given specifically to them

o       “Grow into a multitude”…fruitfulness mandate

o       The calling to bring forth the manifested sons of God

·        Romans 8:19 – For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

·         1 Chronicles 5:1-2 - Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he [was] the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.  For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him [came] the chief ruler; but the birthright [was] Joseph’s :)

o       The other brothers were not given this entitlement; other tribes can only use the name Israel when associated with Ephraim or Manasseh.  If those tribes would break off on their own their tribal name would be used.

§        This birthright gave to Joseph and his descendents through Manasseh and Ephraim primary importance, and leaders of the nation of Israel.

§        These are the final two tribes of Israel; Joseph was not a tribe and Levi was not included among the 12 tribes that inherited land for their inheritance was God

o       Joshua 13:33 - But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not [any] inheritance: the LORD God of Israel [was] their inheritance, as he said unto them.