Dei Time

Jacob’s Family Stays in Egypt

Dei Break

Genesis 50

At his death, Egypt honored Jacob (Israel) (vs.1-14). He was even embalmed according to Egyptian custom, a very effective means of preserving one's body. That brings up an interesting question—might his body still be in existence, waiting for discovery?

The caravan that carried Jacob back to Canaan must have been fantastic. The Canaanites saw it and wondered what great man of Egypt had died who they would bring back to Canaan for burial. Jacob was buried in the Promised Land, but the family's flocks and children had remained behind in Goshen. It had already been decided that the people of Israel would continue to live in Egypt. Joseph had already been in Egypt 39 years, making him 56 years old at this time.

Joseph's brothers just couldn't get used to his forgiving nature (vs.15-21). They still feared that this powerful man would seek revenge. His assurance to them that God had already taken their evil deed and turned it into good can be a reminder to us to seek the good that God can bring out of our own times of trial. It's not what we deserve, but it's what His love for us provides.

Joseph lived on another 54 years, being an integral part of events that we can only imagine, and wonder, "What if someone found a journal describing the rest of his life?" After his death he also was honored and embalmed by his adopted country. His last request of his brothers' families was that they would one day carry his body back to Canaan to be buried in the family plot purchased by his grandfather, Abraham (vs.22-26).

Genesis ends with Joseph's death. Exodus continues the story of Jacob's descendants. As we begin to explore Exodus, keep in mind that though Genesis ends on one page and Exodus begins on the next, there was a span of 430 years between the entry of God's people into Egypt and their departure from the land.

Next Time: No Longer Honored

A Future Described

Dei Break

Genesis 49

Jacob knew the history of his sons' descendants because God revealed it to him. Though this section was written as poetry, it is an accurate account of the future of Israel as it came to pass in Old Testament times. The prophecies included all the brothers, but the following concern some of the more well-known sons and the fate of their descendants.

1.    Reuben (49:3) – His lust for his father's concubine (35:22) caused him to lose his portion as first-born. No well-known Israelite ever came from this tribe.

2.    Simeon (vs.6) - He was guilty of the murder of the men of Shechem (chapter 34). His descendants were absorbed by the tribe of Judah.

3.    Levi (vs.7) – His descendants became the priests of Israel. They had no land for inheritance, but were given cities scattered through the nation.

4.    Judah (vs.10) – Jesus was among his descendants. His was the "Messianic line." The "scepter" refers to the line of kings that would begin with David. "Shiloh" translates as "whose it is [the scepter] and refers to Messiah.

5.    Dan (vs.17) - The tribe of Dan settled in the smallest area but was known for its strong warriors, like Samson, but the tribe also introduced pagan idolatry to Israel. (Verse 18 is the first record in Genesis of the word for "salvation".)

6.    Gad (vs.19) - Gad's descendants settled East of the Jordan instead of entering the more protected Promised Land, which resulted in constant raids against the tribe.

7.    Joseph (vs.21-26) - Some of his descendants included Joshua, Deborah, and Samuel from the tribe of Ephraim; Gideon and Jephthah were descendants of Manasseh.

8.    Benjamin - Ehud and Saul were descended from Benjamin. In the book of Judges, we'll read of their cruelty in warfare.

When Jacob shared his prophecies, his sons were still just members of his household and workers of his flocks and herds. It was not until many years later that their descendants fulfilled Jacob's words.

What of Joseph? Even after the famine ended, it appears that he remained an official in Pharaoh's court.

Next time: Jacob's Family Stays in Egypt

   

Two Leaders Meet

Dei Break

Genesis 46:28 - 48:22

Upon meeting Pharaoh Jacob blessed the ruler/god of Egypt (47:10). Jacob was offering the blessing of God, declaring by his action that he was in a superior position to Pharaoh in this matter. Pharaoh apparently accepted this claim out of respect for Joseph. (And perhaps Joseph's God?)

Joseph coached his family to emphasize their herds of cattle (vs.34), since the Egyptians grazed cattle themselves, but hated sheepherders (shepherds). Pharaoh offered them the best land of Egypt, and the family settled in Goshen (northeast area of Egypt). More importantly than the good land, they would be separated from the pagan practices of the more "sophisticated" Egyptians and be less tempted to adopt the religion of this impressive people.

Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, became equal heirs with Joseph's brothers, and their descendants became two of the twelve tribes of Israel. When Joseph brought his sons to Jacob (Israel) to receive their blessings, God declared through Jacob that the younger would be more blessed than the older (48:19). Again God reversed custom, reminding people that His wisdom always takes precedence. Later in our reading we will see this prophecy fulfilled during an upheaval in Israel's history.

Verse 22 refers to a military conquest by Jacob that is unknown except in this passage—another example of the stories that are not included in the Bible's account of Israel. To the writers of Scripture, the most important stories were those that concerned God's actions among His people.

God is first called Shepherd in 48:15. Through all his long life of errors and successes God had kept Jacob safe and blessed him. What a great message for the rest of us sheep—to know that even though we are never what we want to be, or even what we could be, God still fills our lives with His love and still assures us that He has redeemed us from sin.

Considering our American culture of gaining property and wealth, and our desire to help the underprivileged, what do you think of Joseph's actions as Pharaoh's administrator in Chapter 47?

Next time: A Future Described

Benjamin is Accused

Dei Break

Genesis 44:1 - 46:27

The last step in Joseph's plan was to drag an innocent Benjamin back to the city, accused of theft. In threatening Benjamin's life, Joseph placed his brothers in a familiar position—their brother's life was in their hands. What choice would they make? An overjoyed Joseph saw Judah, who had sold him into slavery, plead to be allowed to take Benjamin's place as Joseph's slave (vs.19).

(Chapter 45) Recognizing that his brothers had changed, Joseph could no longer deceive them. He broke into sobs of joy at being with them at last. They, however, were quite frightened. Joseph held their lives in his hands. Would he exact his revenge?

From the beginning of his story, Joseph proved to be "different" from most people. He rejected Potiphar's wife not only out of loyalty to her husband, but also because he would not "sin against God". He gave God the glory for interpreting the dreams of the baker and cup holder, and that of Pharaoh, saying "It is not in me; God will give…." Joseph said of his slavery, "God sent me…." Trying to reassure his brothers, he told them three times that it was God who sent him to Egypt. Then he said, "God has made me lord of all Egypt." Joseph truly recognized God's power in his life, and because he trusted his life to God, he could honestly forgive his brothers. He was so focused on God, and the mission and blessings that he received from God, that he didn't have time for retribution. Joseph did not have an easy life, but the blessings and mission had overpowered anger and discouragement.

As God spoke to him in a dream, Jacob learned that he would not return to the land of the covenant promise, but that his descendants ("you" in 46:4) would. Apparently Jacob had finally learned not to argue with God.

No daughters-in-law or sons-in-law were counted in listing the family members moving to Egypt. If everyone had been counted the number would have been much higher than seventy (vs.27).

Next time: Two Leaders Meet

   

“We’re Not Spies!”

Dei Break

Genesis 42:9 - 43:34

Being accused of spying (vs.9), a capital offense, terrified the brothers. All of their fears and guilt surfaced after over twenty years of silence—they had sinned (Verse 21 is the only confession of sin in Genesis), and God's punishment had at last come.

Joseph, understanding his brothers' argument without their knowledge, turned from them to cry (vs.23-24). If his plan was revenge, there would have been no tears. He would have smiled in satisfaction at their suffering. He needed to have them all together for something, but not vengeance.

Verse 27 records the brothers' terror at discovering that the money for the grain was still in their possession—not only were they charged as spies, now there would be the charge of theft! The journey back to Canaan without Simeon was about 250 miles (about two weeks). Arriving home, the brothers learned Jacob wasn't about to let his youngest travel to Egypt. His words reveal that the old man still greatly favored his two youngest sons over the others.

The brothers returned to Joseph with gifts not found in Egypt (43:11), and therefore of great value, along with Benjamin. Their fear, fret, and stress must have grown in the month of roundtrip travel, plus the time involved in consuming the purchased grain. What other charges might the "Egyptian" have come up with while they were gone?

However, things seemed to go better this time. They were invited to eat with Joseph, and saw him seat them in order of age—one of those "statistically impossible to do accidentally" events (vs.33). Joseph honored Benjamin with five times as much food as the others. Though it was customary to honor a special guest in most cultures, to give five times over was almost unheard of. Meanwhile, the Egyptians at the dinner ate separately, abhorring the idea of eating with the Hebrew foreigners.

As the story continues, it appears that Joseph wanted to see if his brothers were the same hate-filled men that he had known years before. Was Benjamin safe? Had the brothers changed? How would they react as he maneuvered them into a dangerous situation?

Next time: Benjamin is Accused

Famine and Family

Dei Break

Genesis 41:41 – 42:8

Joseph was catapulted from prison into a position second only to Pharaoh. He received an Egyptian name which some experts interpret as "sustainer of life". His Egyptian wife's name meant "she belongs to Neith" (a goddess of the Egyptians).

On, or Heliopolis, was not a god, but a city near modern Cairo in which Asenath's father, Potiphera, served. It is a city well known to archaeologists. There is a 69 foot obelisk in New York City's Central Park described as "Cleopatra's Needle". It is one of two found in Heliopolis, and the King Tut treasures include a fan with an inscription saying that he hunted near the city.

If Joseph was so faithful to God, why did he marry a pagan woman (41:45)? The answer probably lies in Joseph's unique situation. Pharaoh, who had the power to honor or execute, chose Asenath for Joseph. For Joseph to refuse her might have been a great insult.

Asenath must have been an outstanding woman to have been chosen for Joseph. She bore two sons with Joseph. It is not recorded that Joseph ever married a wife from his own people. For once, one of God's faithful leaders apparently remained monogamous. We are not told anything negative about Asenath, a worshipper of foreign gods. Who knows what influence Joseph's stories about God may have had on her? Might she have become a believer?

How much grain was stored in the seven years of plenty? Enough to supply all of the peoples in the known trading world during the seven famine years—years when the granaries would not have been refilled (41:57).

And who should show up from Canaan to buy grain? Joseph's brothers, still arguing with each other and their father (42:1). They stood before this powerful "Egyptian" who controlled the food supply for the entire region. He was dressed in Egyptian garb and make up, waited on by servants and courtiers, looking nothing like an Israelite—and certainly not recognizable to the brothers who thought he had died years before.

Next time: We're Not Spies!

Pharaoh’s Cows

Dei Break

Genesis 41:1 – 41:40

Isis, the Egyptian goddess thought to keep the crops and herds thriving, was often pictured wearing cow horns. In his dream Pharaoh saw cows acting strangely. He saw the holy Nile River that kept the land fertile. The presence of both of these may have left the ruler determined to discover the meaning of his dreams, but the Egyptian wise men and magicians couldn't provide it (vs.8). God would only reveal their meaning through Joseph.

The cupbearer finally remembered to tell Pharaoh about Joseph (vs.12). After thirteen years in Egypt, he was about to be brought to the ruler of the land.

If this were a Bruce Willis "Die Hard" movie, Joseph would have sneered at Pharaoh, done a quick turn-around on the palace guards and conquered the whole country in a sixty minute fight scene. After the battle he would have claimed his true love and ruled happily ever after, but God's victories are often quieter and even more amazing. Think of it—Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers; made house master for the captain of Pharaoh's bodyguard; accused of attempted rape (for which the prescribed punishment was 1,000 lashes); tossed into prison; again entrusted with many responsibilities; and finally met two court officials whose dreams he interpreted. Oh…and then was forgotten again for two more years.

Cleaned up, freshly shaved, looking a little more like a wise dream interpreter (vs.14), Joseph came to Pharaoh not in fear, but in confidence, knowing that God had brought him to this place. Now a man thirty years old, Joseph knew that all of the things that had happened to him were quietly being controlled by God. He didn't know that God's plan for him was soon to climax in a great famine.

After hearing Joseph's plan for the survival of Egypt, who else could Pharaoh choose to organize the effort (vs.39)? In all of Egypt only Pharaoh would be more powerful than Joseph (vs.40), and God had done it all without a fight scene. Why? What did God have in mind? Who was He about to surprise?

Next time: Famine and Family

   

Dreams Come True

Dei Break

Genesis 40:1 – 23

"God, please teach me patience and be quick about it." How would we react to years of slavery and imprisonment? How would our faith stand the test? We live in a culture of fast fixes, fast riches, fast travel, fast decisions, etc. The idea of waiting for God is foreign to us. We even have a hard time with St. Paul's statement that he had learned to be "content". We forget that to St. Paul, and to Joseph, "content" didn't mean silent, lazy, or satisfied.

Joseph was content—not in his situation, but in his confidence that God was in control. He was never satisfied to just sit, even when he really didn't know what might happen next. Because he knew Who was in control of his life, Joseph just got on with his daily tasks. He could grow in experience and knowledge and focus on other people instead of himself. His faith in God enabled him to thrive in situations that most certainly could have killed others, and his faith meant that he could look beyond himself to see the troubled expressions of the baker and the cupbearer, and ask if he could help.

We don't know why these two were in prison, but Pharaoh would not simply forget the offences of high court officials, which is what the cupbearer and the baker were. Perhaps the end of the story indicates not only Pharaoh's birthday celebration, but that he had been determining which was the real culprit.

The dreams of the two prisoners were not like our dreams, which are generally caused by too much pizza or too much stress. God sent these dreams as part of His plan for Joseph's life.

Nor was Joseph's dream interpretation an example of fortunetelling. He was given interpretations by God for God's reasons. He was not a magician nor did he consult the dead, or spirits, or his own imagination. He plainly told his hearers that only God could interpret dreams—an important message for a people who had often consulted seers and magicians for dream interpretation, and would do so again.

Next time: Pharaoh's Cows

    

   

Honored Servant

Dei Break

Genesis 38:1 - 39:23

Judah first sins in chapter 38 by marrying a Canaanite. The two sons that resulted were evil (vs.7 & 10)—probably due to their Canaanite religious leanings. By refusing to father offspring to be raised by his brother's widow as his brother's sons (the obligation of a brother at that time) Onan was apparently trying to guarantee himself the firstborn brother's double inheritance. If he had given Tamar a son (37:9), that son would have received his father's inheritance. Judah failed to obey the same law when he would not give his third son to Tamar (vs.14). Judah again erred when he consorted with what he thought was a Canaanite temple prostitute (vs.15). It would seem that Judah was significantly influenced by the surrounding pagan customs. Do you think that Christians today are influenced by their worldly surroundings? Why doesn't God keep us from this?

What about Tamar? She had been misused, but pretending to be a Canaanite temple prostitute was surely not God's direction. But, she proved to Judah that he had wronged her and she bore two sons as a result of her encounter with her father-in-law. Can God use the sinful situations we get ourselves into? (BTW: Perez was an ancestor of Jesus, as was the sinful Judah.)

Chapter 39 gets back Joseph. Things started to look up after the powerful and wealthy captain of the Pharaoh's body guard purchased him as a house slave. Potiphar (37:36) grew to respect Joseph and left him charge of the household. But Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph and then force him into an affair (39:12). Though he was innocent, Joseph was a slave denying the charges of an official's wife. Potiphar could have had him executed, but did not. Was Potiphar an unhappily married man who chose not to execute a young servant he knew to be innocent?

Finding himself in prison, Joseph's ability brought him to a respected position of leadership there too. What is with this guy? He has been abused and cheated, yet wherever he ends up, he rises to prominence rather than sinking into despair. How would you define Joseph? Where does he get his perseverance and attitude? How is your perseverance when the job place is unfair or friends fail?

Next time: Dreams Come True

A Boy and His Marvelous Coat

Dei Break

Genesis 36:1 - 37:36

It will be interesting to watch for the Edomites as we read through the Old Testament. These descendants of Esau were often in conflict with Jacob's descendants, God's chosen covenant people. Isaac told his son Esau God's word that someday the Edomites would break from under Israel's domination. Hundreds of years later the Edomite, Herod the Great, through his friendship with Rome, would rule Israel. If you have seen the movie, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" you may have noticed that the final scenes of the story were filmed at Petra, desert cliffs capital city of later Edomites.

Chapter 37 introduces Joseph. It is apparent from the story that Jacob (Israel) was not a relationship-building father. His other sons were much older, yet we see in them an immature and sinful animosity toward Joseph (vs.4). What a sad comment on the family. Being a patriarch of God's people did not guarantee happiness nor force a man to stay close to his God. Jacob was far closer to God than he had been before the great struggle with his Lord, but still he did not turn easily to God in times of need.

At age seventeen, Joseph was either naïve or arrogant, or a little of both. He shared his dream of dominance with his brothers in spite of their animosity toward him for his position in Jacob's affection (vs.3). As the youngest son he would not ordinarily have an honored place in the family, but his mother had been Rachel, the wife whom Jacob had loved so much more than her sister Leah.

At his brothers' hands Joseph tumbled from a place of prominence in the heart and house of a wealthy father into the fear of being murdered (vs.24) and then finding himself sold as a slave in Egypt (vs.36). His brothers, unbelievably, returned to their father with Joseph's tunic soaked in goat's blood—to convince him of his favored son's "death" (vs.33). They were willing to live that lie. Only God's intervention could bring this family back together, but it would take many years.

Next time: Honored Servant