Bible: Beginning to End - Genesis 39-50: Joseph in Egypt & The Twelve Tribes of Israel

Episode Date: July 31, 2020

*For copyright reasons, I had to combine these episodes into one episode. Genesis 39-45 (Read) Genesis 46-50 (Read) Important Links for the Podcast  Click Here for our YouTube Channel Discuss each episode on Reddit Contact Us Visit our Website          On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend     On Twitter: @biblebeginning1      Via email: [e-mail] Supporting the Show Financial contribution is never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways: Be a listener and share the show with your friends! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible. 10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 1  1:23 - Ad Break 1:24 - Genesis 39   7:13 - Genesis 40   11:53 - Genesis 41   24:02 - Genesis 42   31:51 - Genesis 43   37:21 - Genesis 44   42:47 - Genesis 45   42:53 - Genesis 45  47:59 - Outro 1   49:03 - Intro 2  50:45 - Genesis 46  57:31 - Genesis 47  1:04:31 - Genesis 48  1:09:49 - Genesis 49  1:17:05 - Genesis 50  1:22:45  - Outro 2 Bible Verse Copyright Statement Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. To purchase an NLT, please visit https://amzn.to/3wUpUef

Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end. I'm glad you're here with me today, joining again as we continue to read through the scriptures together. As always, I'll be asking some questions along the way that are just designed to get your mind thinking on the scriptures, but the most important part is to let God speak through his word as it is presented. I'll be reading from the new living translation to do. we're going to read through Genesis 39 to 45 as we continue studying Joseph's story.

Let's remind ourselves where we were last time we met. Leading up to this, Joseph was favored above all his brothers by his father, Jacob. This made his brothers very jealous, and they decided to sell him into slavery. Joseph ended up in Egypt working for Potiphar, who was the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Last time I asked you guys to think about how this might turn out for Joseph. Make predictions about where you think Joseph's story will go, and if it is significant that he ends up so close to the king. So let's get started today. In Genesis 39, Joseph in Potiphar's house.

Verse 1. When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traitors, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potipher, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. So pause here and ask yourself, how did God bless Joseph? Joseph was forced into this situation. But how how is God going to use his situation for God's glory?

Verse 5. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property, the Lord began to bless Potipher's household for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing, except what kind of food to eat. So pause here and ask yourself, why is God showing Joseph such favor? What do you think it is about Joseph that God sees in him? Why has Joseph been chosen among his brothers to hold such favor with God?

The rest of verse 6. Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potipers' wife soon began to look at him lustfully. Come and sleep with me, she demanded. But Joseph refused. Look, he told her, my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife.

How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God. She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else would be. was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, come on, sleep with me. Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hands as he ran from the house. So let's pause here before we jump into Potipher's wife's reaction. How does Joseph handle

temptation? How do his actions give us a little insight into Joseph's character? And how do those actions show us why God might find favor with Joseph. But he left his cloak behind. So let's see how Potipers' wife manipulates this situation. Verse 13. When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. Look, she said, my husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us. He came into my room to rape me. but I screamed. When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.

She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. Then she told him her story. That Hebrew slave you've brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me, she said. But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me. So let's pause here. How is she manipulating the situation? And what do you think is motivating her desire to manipulate her husband and Joseph?

The next section is called Joseph put in prison. Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story about how Joseph had treated her. So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained. Okay, so let's pause and compare this situation to the one Joseph was in earlier with his brothers. Is it Joseph's fault that he was in prison? Was he wrongfully convicted of this crime? How do you think Joseph is going to react to this?

Do you think that the Lord will be with him in prison? Do you think that the Lord will deliver Joseph from this prison? Verse 21, But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love, and the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.

So pause here. Why did Joseph thrive in prison? What does this reveal? to us about how important it is to be filled with the spirit, to be listening to the spirit, and to be guided by the spirit. The next chapter is chapter 40. Joseph interprets two dreams. Before we jump into this chapter, just remember, have we seen Joseph interpret dreams before? How did that turn out for him? Let's make predictions about what we think is going to happen when he starts interpreting dreams in Egypt.

Verse one. Some time later, Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker offended their royal master. Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was in the palace of the captain of the guard. They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. While they were in prison, Pharaoh's cup bearer and Baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. Why do you look so worried today? he asked them, and they replied, we both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.

Interpreting dreams is God's business, Joseph replied, go ahead and tell me your dreams. So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream first. In my dream, he said, I saw a grapevine in front of me. The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes. I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.

This is what the dream means, Joseph said. The three branches represent three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup bearer. And please remember me, and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place, for I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it. When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, I had a dream too. In my dream, there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head.

The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh. But the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head. This is what the dream means, Joseph told him. The three baskets also represent three days, Three days from now, Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh. I want to pause here and backtrack just a second. When the prisoners initially came to Joseph about these dreams they were having, and they said, no one can interpret these for us. What was Joseph's initial reply?

Interpreting dreams is God's business, he said. What does this tell us about Joseph? Who is he giving the authority and the spotlight to in this moment? And why do you think Joseph is able to interpret these dreams? Do you think Joseph's interpretations will come true? Verse 20. Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup bearer and chief baker to join the other officials.

He then restored the chief cup bearer to his former position so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. Pharaoh's chief cup bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. So let's pause here. First of all, did Joseph's interpretations come true? And then remember Joseph asked the cup bearer to remember him. when he was restored to his position with Pharaoh. But it says here that the chief cup bearer forgot all about Joseph.

Do we think this is the end of Joseph's story? Or is God with Joseph? Do you think God will still bless Joseph and deliver him from this prison? Chapter 41. Pharaoh's dreams. Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. So I want to pause here because we have a time jump. Two full years later. What does that mean? For two years, where has Joseph still been? What does this show us about

God's timing and persistence and waiting on God? Verse 2. In his dream, he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile. But these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy fat cows. At this point in the dream Pharaoh woke up. But he fell asleep again and had a second dream.

This time, he saw seven heads of grain plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. Then seven more heads of grain about. appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads. Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. So pause here. We have more dreams coming up.

Who do we know that is really good at interpreting dreams? Verse 8. The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. so he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt when Pharaoh told them his dream, not one of them could tell him what they meant. Pause and ask yourself, why do you think these magicians and wise men of Egypt

couldn't tell Pharaoh what the dreams meant? Remind yourself of what Joseph said earlier. Whose business is it to interpret dreams? Verse 9. Finally, the king's chief cup bearer spoke up. Today I have been reminded of my failure, he told Pharaoh. Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. One night, the chief baker and I each had a dream,

and each dream had its own meaning. There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison, who was a slave of the captain of the guard, We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup bear, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole. Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison.

After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream, you can interpret it. So let's pause here because how long has it been since Joseph interpreted the cupbearer's dream and asked him to remember him? How many years have passed? And now Joseph is finally in the presence of Pharaoh.

Did God remember Joseph? when Hagar said, you're the one who sees me early, early on in Genesis. I almost see that as a theme throughout this book of God seeing and remembering his people and remaining faithful. Verse 16, it is beyond my power to do this, Joseph replied, but God can tell you what it means and set you at ease. So let's pause again, because immediately, Who is Joseph giving the authority to?

Who is he saying can actually interpret dreams? Is Joseph saying, yes, I can tell you exactly what this dream means in my own power? Or is he saying, through God and only through God, can I tell you what this dream means? Verse 17, so Pharaoh told Joseph his dream, in my dream, he said, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. But then I saw seven sick-looking cows,

scrawny and thin, come up after them. I've never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt. These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows. But afterward, you wouldn't have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before. Then I woke up. In my dream, I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.

Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shrivelled, and withered by the east wind. And the shrivelled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean. Joseph responded, both of Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. The seven thin scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represents seven years of famine.

this will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. But afterward, there will be seven years of famine, so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. This famine will be so severe

that even the memory of the good years will be erased. As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen. Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead,

and bring it to Pharaoh's storehouse. Store it away and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way, there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise, this famine will destroy the land. So let's pause and ask ourselves, is it now becoming clear why God wanted Joseph in Egypt? Was his road to Egypt smooth or was it rocky and difficult? But ultimately, why was he needed there? The next section is called Joseph made ruler of Egypt.

Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. So Pharaoh asked his officials, Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God? Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second in command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, Kneel down, so Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. And Pharaoh said to him, I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.

Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zephanath Paniah. He also gave him a wife whose name was awesome. She was the daughter of Potifera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt. He was 30 years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt. As predicted, for seven years, the land produced bumper crops. During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt.

and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities. He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure. During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asanath, the daughter of Petifera, the priest of Ahan. Joseph named his older son Manasa, for he said, God has made him. me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family.

Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief. So pause here and think about the symbolism of Joseph's son's names. We are finally seeing why Joseph was brought to Egypt, and we are finally seeing how God blessed Joseph and pulled him out of his suffering. Verse 53. At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end.

Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food. Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you. So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses

and distributed grain to the Egyptians for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world. That's the end of chapter 41, and before we jump into chapter 42,

let's reminisce. How did Joseph get to Egypt in the first place? Who sold him into slavery? What do we think his brothers have been doing all this time? We haven't really heard from him yet, but we're about to. How do you think Joseph feels toward his brother? Do you think he harbors bitterness, or do you think he has forgiven his brothers for selling him into slavery?

How do you think Joseph will react when he comes face to face with his brothers? Chapter 42 Joseph's brothers go to Egypt When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt He said to his sons Why are you standing around looking at one another I have heard there is grain in Egypt Go down there and buy enough grain to keep us alive

Otherwise we'll die So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain But Jacob wouldn't let Joseph's younger brother Benjamin go with them for fear some harm might come to him. So Jacob's sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came.

When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. Where are you from? he demanded. Before we jump into their response, let's pause here because remember Joseph's dream that he had when he was still living with Jacob and his brothers. Go back and read the descriptions of those dreams and then ask yourself, how is that dream partially fulfilled when his brothers visit him in Egypt? Also ask yourself, do his brothers even recognize Joseph? Verse 7. Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.

Where are you from? he demanded. From the land of Canaan, they replied, we have come to buy food. Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him. And he remembered the dreams he'd had about them many years before. He said to them, you are spies. You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become. No, my lord, they exclaimed. Your servants have simply come to buy food.

We are all brothers, members of the same family. We are honest men, sir. We are not spies. Yes, you are, Joseph insisted. You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become. Sir, they said. There are actually 12 of us. We, your servants, are all brothers, sons of a man,

living in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back there with our father right now, and one of our brothers is no longer with us. But Joseph insisted, as I said, you are spies. This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will never leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here. One of you must go and get your brother. I'll keep the rest of you here in prison. Then we'll find out whether or not your story is true. By the life of Pharaoh, if it turns out that you don't have a younger brother, then I'll know you are spies. So Joseph put them all in prison for three days. On the third day, Joseph said to them, I am a god-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live. If you really are honest men, choose one of your

brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families, but you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die. To this, they agreed. Speaking among themselves, they said, clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn't listen. That's why we're in this trouble.

Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy, Rubin asked? But you wouldn't listen. And now we have to answer for his blood. Of course, they didn't know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. Now he turned away from them and began to weep. When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. Then he chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.

So let's pause here and ask ourselves why Joseph might be putting his brothers through these tests. He accuses them of being spies. And if we remember what happened when they sold him into slavery, Joseph came to check on his brothers. and they accused him of being a spy for their father and then sold him into slavery where he eventually went to prison. We see this coming a little full circle and some similar things happening to his brothers.

And then what do you think the significance is of Joseph turning around and weeping as he hears his brothers talking about what happened to Joseph? What does that reveal about his feelings and his heart? verse 25 Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men's sacks with grain but he also gave secret instructions

to return each brother's payment at the top of his sack he also gave them supplies for their journey home so the brothers loaded their donkeys with grain and headed for home but when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey he found his money in the top of his sack

look he exclaimed to his brothers my money has been returned it's here in my sack. Then their hearts sank, trembling, they said to each other, what has God done to us? So pause and ask yourself, why do you think they're so worried about finding their money returned to them? Verse 29. When the brothers came to their father, Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told them everything that had happened to them. The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us, they told him. He accused us of being spies, scouting the land.

But we said we are honest men, not spies. We are 12 brothers, sons of one father. One brother is no longer with us, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan. Then the man who is governor of the land told us, this is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families and go on home.

But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know, are honest men and not spies. Then I will give you back your brother, and you may trade freely in the land. As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man's sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain. The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money. Jacob exclaimed, You are robbing me of my children. Joseph is gone.

Simeon is gone. And now you want to take Benjamin, too? Everything is going against me. then Rubin said to his father, You may kill my two sons if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. I'll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back. So pause there. Why do you think Ruben is so adamant that he's going to be the one to bring Benjamin back?

Do you think he still feels guilt over what happened with Joseph? Verse 38, but Jacob replied, My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is. all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. So that's the end of chapter 42. Do you think that they will return with Benjamin, and do you think that they will ever find out that the man who is orchestrating all of this is actually Joseph? Let's find out in chapter 43, the brothers returned to Egypt.

But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, Go back and buy us a little more food. But Judah said, the man was serious when he warned us. You won't see my face again unless your brother is with you. If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. But if you don't let Benjamin go, we won't go either. Remember, the man said, you won't see my face again unless your brother is with you.

Why were you so cruel to me? Jacob moaned. Why did you tell him you had a... Another brother. The man kept asking questions about our family, they replied. He asked, is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? So we answered his questions.

How could we know he would say, bring your brother down here? Judah said to his father, send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise, we will all die of starvation. And not only we, but you and our little ones. I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don't bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. If we hadn't wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.

So their father Jacob finally said to them, If it can't be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts. Balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Also take double the money that was put back in. your sacks, as it was probably someone's mistake. Then take your brother and go back to the man. May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let

Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it. So the men packed Jacob's gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace, then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast. So the man did as Joseph told him, and took them into Joseph's palace. The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph's house. It's because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here, they said. plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.

So pause and ask yourself, what do you think's going on here? Do you think that Joseph is still scheming, or do you think he's ready to reveal who he is to his brothers? And how do his brothers feel right now? Why are they nervous? The next section is a feast at Joseph's Palace. The brothers approached the manager of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance of the palace, sir, they said. We came to Egypt once before to buy food. But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man's money, the exact amount paid, was in the top of his sack. Here it is. We have brought it back with us. We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put the money in our sacks. Relax, don't be afraid,

the household manager told them, Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment. Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them. The manager then led the men into Joseph's palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys.

They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon. When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him. After greeting them, he asked, How was your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive? Yes, they replied.

Our father, your servant, is alive and well. And they bowed low again. Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. Is this your youngest brother? The one you told me about, Joseph asked. May God be gracious to you, my son. Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room where he brought.

broke down and wept. After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, bring out the food. The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refused to eat with them. Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement he seated them, according to age, from oldest to youngest, and Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

So pause and just reflect on what's going on here. Has Joseph revealed himself to his brothers yet? How is he treating them? How is seeing his brothers affecting Joseph emotionally? Genesis 44. Joseph Silver Cup. When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager, fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man's money back into his sack.

Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother's sack, along with the money for his grain. So the manager did as Joseph instructed him. The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys. But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely, out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, why have you repaid my kindness with such evil? Why have you stolen my master's silver cup? Which he uses to predict the future. What a wicked thing you have done.

When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed. What are you talking about? The brothers responded. We are your servants and would never do such a thing. Didn't we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die, and all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves. That's fair, the man replied, but only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free. They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. The palace manager searched the brothers' sacks, from the oldest to the youngest, and the cup was found in

Benjamin's sack. When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothes in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city. Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. What have you done? Joseph demanded. Don't you know that a man like me can predict the future? Judah answered, Oh my Lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us. God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves, all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack. No, Joseph said, I would never do such a thing. Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.

The next section is Judah speaks for his brothers. Then Judah stepped forward and said, please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please do not be angry with me. even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself. My lord, previously you asked us your servants, do you have a father or a brother? And we responded, yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man and whose youngest son is a child of his old age.

His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children. And his father loves him very much. And you said to us, bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes. But we said to you, my lord, the boy cannot leave his father for his father would die.

But you told us, unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again. So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. Later, when he said, Go back again and buy us more food, we replied, we can't go, unless you let our youngest brother go with us.

We'll never get to see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us. Then my father said to us, as you know, my wife had two sons. and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. Now, if you take his brother away from me and any harm comes to him,

you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father's life is bound up in the boy's life. If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed, be responsible for sending that grieving white-haired man to his grave. My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him if I don't bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever. So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. For how can I

return to my father if the boy is not with me. I couldn't bear to see the anguish this would cause my father. So pause. That's the end of chapter 44. Just think about the irony going on in this section. We as the audience know exactly what's going on. We know who Joseph is. Joseph knows who his brothers are, but his brothers do not know that this man is Joseph. They think that Joseph, is dead. Do you think that Joseph is finally done testing his brothers? Do you think he is ready to reveal his identity to his brothers? When Judah speaks up for Benjamin, how is he showing that he's changed? How is he showing that he does not want to repeat the same mistakes they made with Joseph? All right, let's hop into our last chapter of today.

Chapter 45. Joseph reveals his identity. Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room and he said to his attendance, out, all of you. So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him

and the word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh's palace. I am Joseph, he said to his brothers. Is my father still alive? But his brothers were speechless. They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. Please come closer, he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again,

I am Joseph, your brother. whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don't be upset and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you. And he is the one who made me an advisor to

Pharaoh, the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. So pause and ask yourself how Joseph is reacting. He's looking back on his life and seeing God's plan that was there all along. Is Joseph bitter or is he hopeful? Verse 9. Now hurry back to my father and tell him, this is what your son Joseph says. God has made me master over all the land of Egypt, so come down to me immediately. You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds and everything you own. I will take care of you there. for there are still five years of famine ahead of us.

Otherwise, you, your household, and all your animals will starve. Then Joseph said, look, you can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph. Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt, describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly. Weeping with joy. He embraced Benjamin. And Benjamin did the same.

Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them. And after that, they began talking freely with him. So pause here and reflect on the many times Joseph weeps during what we've read today. What does that show about his character and who he is? What does it show about his emotions? What does it show about his love for his family? The final section is Pharaoh invites Jacob to Egypt. The news soon reached Pharaoh's palace.

Joseph's brothers have arrived. Pharaoh and his officials were all delighted to hear this. Pharaoh said to Joseph, tell your brothers, this is what you must do. Load your pack animals and hurry back to the land of Canaan. Then get your father and all of your families and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt and you will eat from the very best that the land produces. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, tell your brothers, take wagons from the land of Egypt to carry

your little children and your wives and bring your father here. Don't worry about your personal belongings for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. So the sons of Jacob did as they were told. Joseph provided them with wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. And he gave each of them new clothes. But to Benjamin, he gave five changes of clothes and three hundred pieces of silver. Pause and ask yourself why Joseph favors Benjamin so much. He is always giving Benjamin a little something extra. Verse 23, he also sent his father 10 male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and 10 female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies he would need on his journey. So Joseph sent his brothers off, and as they left, he called after them,

don't quarrel about all this along the way. And they left Egypt and returned. turned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. Joseph is still alive, they told him, and he is governor of all the land of Egypt. Jacob was stunned at the news. He couldn't believe it. But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father's spirits revived. Then Jacob exclaimed, it must be true. My son Joseph is alive. I must go and see him before I die. So will Jacob make it to Egypt in time? Will Joseph finally be reunited with his father?

That's where we'll pick up next week as we finish up Genesis. As we end today, let's reflect on what was revealed about God through Joseph's story. Do we always know God's plan for our life? Do we always understand what God is doing in the moment? But what do we know about God? We know that He will always provide. Maybe not in the ways that we expect or the ways that we want, but in the ways that are best and most fulfilling.

So I hope you enjoyed this section today about Joseph. And I look forward to talking to you guys next week as we continue his story. in Egypt. Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end, where we are reading through the scriptures together from Genesis to Revelation. I'm glad you're back with me today, or if you're joining us for the first time, I'm glad that you are here. Today we are going to hit a milestone. It has been a long journey so far, but we are finishing Genesis today. We will be reading through Genesis 46 to 50. But before we get started, as always, let's go back a little bit and remember what we've just read. It's always important when you're reading through the Bible to know what came before

and what we're leading up to. So before Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he arrives in Egypt, he's put into prison, he rises through the ranks, and now he is basically leader over Egypt right under Pharaoh. He finally reveals himself to his brothers and invites his family to move to Egypt with him, where he could protect them from this famine. So that is what we're picking up today. And as we read through today's scriptures, just be thinking in the back of your mind, where is this leading? Where are we going to end up? Think about where we've come from and where we are going to. As always, I'll be reading from the new living translation,

so if you'd like to read along, you can pull out your own Bible, or click the link in the description, which will take you to the online versions of today's scriptures. So let's begin today with Genesis 46, Jacob's Journey to Egypt. So Jacob set out for Egypt with all his possessions. and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

During the night, God spoke to him in a vision. Jacob, he called. Here I am, Jacob replied. I am God, the God of your father, the voice said. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation. I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes.

So let's pause here because it's always important when we actually hear the words of God. God is making a promise to Jacob. Have we ever seen God fail to fulfill a promise? Reflect on the promises we've seen God fulfill throughout Genesis so far. Do we think that God will also fulfill this promise? Verse 5. So Jacob left Beersheba and his sons took him to Egypt. They carried him and their little ones and their wives

and the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them. They also took all their livestock and all the personal belongings they had acquired in the land of Canaan. So Jacob and his entire family went to Egypt, sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters, all his descendants. Okay, let's pause real quick because we're about to jump into another genealogy.

I know these can be a little exhausting, but what have we been emphasizing these past couple of verses? Every single one of Jacob's descendants is going to Egypt. Would the Bible mention this if it wasn't significant? As we read through these names, try and think about why it might be significant

that all of Jacob's descendants will be in Egypt. If you know anything about Exodus, think ahead to what is going to happen with Jacob's descendants in Egypt. And if you don't know anything about Exodus, that's okay too. You can always read ahead, but we will get to it starting next week. Verse 8.

These are the names of the descendants of Israel, the sons of Jacob, who went to Egypt. Rubin was Jacob's oldest son. The sons of Rubin were Hanak, Palu, Hezran, and Karmi. The sons of Simeon were Jimuel, Jaman, Ohad, Jokin, Zohar, and Shal. Shaw's mother was a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi were Gershan, Kahath, and Marari.

The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Sheila, Perez, and Zara, though Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezran and Hamul. The sons of Isakar were Tala, Pua, Jashab and Shemran. The sons of Zebulin were Surred, Elon, and Jal. These were the sons of Leah and Jacob, who were born in Padinarum, in addition to their daughter Dinah. The number of Jacob's descendants, male and female, through Leah was 33. The sons of Gad were Zephen, Hagi, Shanai, Esbin, Ery, O'Reilly, the sons of Asher were Imna, Ishva, Ishvi, and Berea. Their sister was Surah. Beria's sons were Heber and Marquiel. These were the sons of Zilpa, the servant given to Leah by her father Laban.

The number of Jacob's descendants through Zilpa was 16. The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph's sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephra. Their mother was Asanath, daughter of Petifera, the priest of On. Benjamin's sons were Bella, Becker, Ashbel, Gara, Naaman, Ahai, Rosh, Muppem, Huppum, and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel and Jacob. The number of Jacob's descendants through Rachel was 14. The son of Dan was Husham.

The sons of Naftali were Jazeal, Gunny, Jezer, and Shillam. These were the sons of Bilha, the servant given to Rachel by her father Laban. The number of Jacob's descendants through Bilha was seven. The total number of Jacob's direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his son's wives, was 66. In addition, Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt, so altogether there were 70 members of Jacob's family in the land of Egypt. The next section is Jacob's family arrives in Goshen. As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived there, Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob.

When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time. Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, now I am ready to die since I have seen your face and know you are still alive. So let's pause there because which of his sons did Jacob favor the most? How important is this reunion? Verse 31, and Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's entire family, I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, my brothers and my father's entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan. These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock.

They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own. Then he said, when Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, you must tell him, we, your servants, have raised livestock all our lives as our ancestors have always done. When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise shepherds. Chapter 47. Jacob blesses Pharaoh. Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, my father and brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region

of Goshen. Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh asked his brothers, what is your occupation? They replied, we, your servants, are shepherds just like our ancestors. We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, but there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there, so please we request permission to live in the region of Goshen. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt.

Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock too. So pause here and ask yourself, why do you think Pharaoh treats Joseph's family so favorably? What do we know about the relationship between Joseph and Pharaoh? What has Joseph done for Pharaoh to win his favor? Verse 7.

Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pause here and ask yourself, why do you think Jacob blesses Pharaoh? Pharaoh is the king over Egypt. Jacob has come into Pharaoh's land, but Jacob is the one presenting the blessing. Why do you think that is?

What do you think the significance of that is? Verse 8. How old are you? Pharaoh asked him. Jacob replied, I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors. Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court. So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt, the region of Ramses.

to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded, and Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their descendants, including the smallest children. The next section is Joseph's leadership in the famine. Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan, By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh's treasury.

When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. Our money is gone, they cried, but please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes. Joseph replied, since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock. So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for my life stock. food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep, and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year. But that year ended. And the next year, they came again and said, We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone,

and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us in our land in exchange for food. We offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die. And so the land does not become empty and desolate. So let's pause here. How desperate are the people of Egypt right now?

We knew that a famine was coming, but what do their actions show about how terrible the situation actually was. What are they willing to do just for a grain of food? Verse 20. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh.

As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other. The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn't need to sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh.

I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. Then when you harvest it, one fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remains. remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones. You have saved our lives, they exclaimed, May it please you, my Lord, to let us be Pharaoh's servants. Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land.

Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to faith. Pharaoh. Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly. Jacob lived for 17 years after his arrival in Egypt, so he lived 147 years in all. So let's pause there and ask yourself, do you agree with how Joseph is handling this situation? In the verse we just read, verse 27 says that the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen and they were fruitful and prosperous. So how is God remaining faithful to his people? Verse 29, as the time of his death drew near,

Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request. do not bury me in Egypt. When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors. So Joseph promised I will do as you ask. Swear that you will do it, Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.

Chapter 48. Jacob blesses Manasseh and Ephraim. One day, not long after this, word came to Joseph, your father is failing rapidly, so Joseph went to visit his father, and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When Joseph arrived, Jacob was told, your son Joseph has come to see you, so Jacob gathered his strength and sat up in his bed. Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said to me, I will make you fruitful, and I will multiply your descendants. I will make you a multitude of nations.

and I will give this land of Canaan to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession. Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Rubin and Simeon are. But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manassah. Long ago, as I was returning from Padinaram, Rachel died in the land of Canaan. We were still on the way some distance from Ephrath, that is Bethlehem.

So with great sorrow, I buried her there beside the road to Ephraith. Then Jacob looked over at the two boys. Are these your sons? he asked. Yes, Joseph told him. These are the sons God has given me here in Egypt. and Jacob said, Bring them closer to me, so I can bless them. Jacob was half blind because of his age and could hardly see,

so Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Jacob kissed and embraced them. Then Jacob said to Joseph, I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children too. Joseph moved to the boys who were at their grandfather's knees, and he bowed with his face to the ground. Then he positioned the boys in front of Jacob,

With his right hand, he directed Ephraim toward Jacob's left hand. And with his left hand, he put Manasseh at Jacob's right hand. But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boy's heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn. So let's pause here real quick and ask yourself, how is this blessing different from other blessings we've seen? Why is it significant that Jacob here is blessing his grandsons

as co-airs with Joseph and his brothers? Verse 15, then he blessed Joseph and said, May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this very day the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, may he bless these boys. May they preserve my name, and the names of Abraham and Isaac. And may their descendants multiply greatly throughout the earth. But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim's head,

so Joseph lifted it and moved it from Ephraim's head to Manasse's head. No, my father. he said. This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head. But his father refused. I know, my son. I know. He replied,

Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater and his descendants will become a multitude of nations. So let's pause here and reflect on the dynamic. How do you think Jacob knows

that Ephraim will rise to an even greater position than his older brother? Jacob is close with God. He hears from God. So do you think God has told Jacob who to bless and how to bless Joseph's sons? Does Joseph trust initially? We can look at our own lives and think about times when we feel like we've heard from God and do we trust immediately? Does God always work in the ways we think he's going to? Verse 20. So Jacob blessed the boys that.

day with this blessing, the people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, may God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manassah. In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. Then Jacob said to Joseph, look, I'm about to die. But God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors. and beyond what I have given your brothers, I am giving you an extra portion of the land that I took from the Amarites with my sword and bow. Chapter 49 Jacob's last words to his sons.

Then Jacob called all his sons and said, Gather around me and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come. Come and listen, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. Rubin, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power, but you are as unruly as a flood, and you will be first no longer. For you went to bed with my wife. You defiled my marriage couch. Simeon and Levi are two of a kind. Their weapons are instruments of violence.

May I never join in their meetings. May I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport. A curse on their anger, for it is fierce. A curse on their wrath. For it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob.

I will disperse them throughout Israel. Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you. Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion, he crouches and lies down. Like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants,

until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor. He ties his foal to a grapevine, the cult of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth are whiter than milk. Let's pause at Jacob's prediction for Judah. I want you to note how it's different from his other brothers. Read through it and see how it might be predicting the coming of a future Messiah who will rule over the entire world, not just Egypt.

Verse 13, Zebulon will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships. His borders will extend to Sidon. Isakar is a sturdy donkey resting between two saddle packs. When he sees how good the countryside is and how pleasant the land, he will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labor. Dan will govern his people like any other tribe in Israel. Dan will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse's hooves

so its rider is thrown off. I trust in you for salvation, O Lord. Gad will be attacked by marauding bands, but he will attack them. when they retreat. Asher will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings. Naftali is a dove set free that bears beautiful fawns. Joseph is the foal of a wild donkey. The foal of a wild donkey at a spring, one of the wild donkeys on the ridge.

Archers attacked him savagely. They shot at him and harassed him, but his bow remained taut. and his arms were strengthened. By the hands of the mighty one of Jacob, by the shepherd, the rock of Israel, may the God of your father help you. May the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and the blessings of the watery depths below,

and blessings of the breasts and womb. May my fatherly blessing on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills, May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph who is a prince among his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening. These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he told his sons goodbye. He blessed each one with an appropriate message. I want to pause here because

sometimes I think it's easy to, at least for me, disassociate myself from the characters in the Bible, from the people we meet in the Bible. It's easy to forget that they were real people who lived, who felt connected with their families. So when you reflect on this section, I mean, it's not just some historical figure 2,000 years ago, predicting the future for his sons.

also think about it as a father on his deathbed surrounded by his sons and these are his final words. Does that change how you read this scripture? Does it change the emotions involved? Does having this background and history and knowing what's gone on among this family and among the brothers and their father? Does knowing all of that change how you read these sections? The next section is Jacob's death and burial. Then Jacob instructed them, Soon I will die and join my ancestors.

Burry me with my father and grandfather in the cave in the field of Ephraim, the Hittite. This is the cave in the field of Macpela, near Mamry and Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron, the Hittite, as a permanent burial site. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife Rebecca are buried, and there I buried Leah.

It is the plot of land and the cave that my grandfather Abraham bought from the Hittites. When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death. So let's pause here. We have another,

member of Abraham's descendants passing away. Reflect on the covenant that God made with Abraham. He has continued that covenant down the line through Jacob, and now that covenant will continue through Jacob's descendants. But reflect on Jacob's life and where he was and where he came from and the events that led to where he was in his final days. Chapter 50. Chapter 50 picks right up where Chapter 49 left off. Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph told the physicians who served him to embalm his father's

body, so Jacob was embalmed. The embalming process took the usual 40 days, and the Egyptians mourned his death for 70 days. When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh's advisors and said, please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf. Tell him that my father made me swear an oath. He said to me, listen, I'm about to die. Take my body back to the land of Canaan and bury me in the tomb I prepared for myself. So please allow me to go and bury my father. After his burial, I will return without delay. Pharaoh agreed to Joseph's request, Go and bury your father as he made you promise, he said.

So Joseph went up to bury his father. He was accompanied by all of Pharaoh's officials, all the senior members of Pharaoh's household, and all the senior officers of Egypt. Joseph also took his entire household and his brothers and their households. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. A great number of chariots and charioteers accompanied Joseph. When they arrived at the threshing floor of Adid, near the Jordan River,

they held a very great and solemn memorial service with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph's father. The local residents, the Canaanites, watched them mourning at the threshing floor of Audit. Then they renamed that place, which is near the Jordan, Abel Mizram, for they said, this is a place of deep mourning for these Egyptians. So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them. They carried his body to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Macpela near Mamary.

This is the cave that Abraham had bought as a permanent burial site from Ephraim the Hittite. So pause and ask yourself, how did Joseph and his brothers show their father respect? Why do you think it was so important for Jacob that he'd be buried with his family? back in the land of Canaan. The next section is Joseph reassures his brothers.

After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father's burial. But now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became fearful. Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him, they said. Let's pause here and ask ourselves, why do you think his brothers are paranoid about how Joseph will be? will react. Do they have any reason to fear Joseph anymore? Has Joseph done anything to imply that he might seek revenge? In our own lives, how does our fear get in the way of our rationality?

Verse 16, so they sent this message to Joseph. Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you, please, forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you, for their sin in treating you so cruelly. so we the servants of the God of your father beg you to forgive our sin. When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. Pause here because we have Joseph weeping again. Where have we seen him weep before? What does this tell us about how connected he feels to his family? Verse 18.

Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. Look, we are your slaves, they said. But Joseph replied, don't be afraid of me. Am I God that I can punish him? you, you intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don't be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children, so he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. Pause and reflect on Joseph's outlook. How is he giving God the glory? And then how is he remaining positive, despite all the names?

things that have happened in his life. What does this teach us about perspective? Our final section of Genesis is the death of Joseph. So Joseph and his brothers and their families continue to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son, Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manassas' son, Macer, whom he claimed as his own.

Soon I will die, Joseph told his brothers, but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you. So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt. And that concludes the first book of the Bible, Genesis. God has brought his people to Egypt.

This is part of God's plan. Reflect on some of Joseph's final words. He says, God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to April. to Isaac and to Jacob. Do we have any reason to doubt God? As we transition into Exodus, we now know how God's people got to Egypt.

Exodus will be about getting them out of Egypt. As we conclude Genesis, think about where we started, all the way at the beginning, the creation of the world itself. Then we saw the destruction of the world with Noah. And then we saw God repopulate and revitalize the earth and make a covenant with Abraham and Abraham's descendants. And that brought us all the way to Joseph.

And Joseph transported us to Egypt. And each series of events is part of God's plan, part of God's promise to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob. When we start in Exodus next week, we will see how God continues to fulfill those promises. Thank you so much for listening today. As always, I am so thankful for each and every one of you who listen. This process of reading through the scriptures is really helpful for me to connect and grow in the Word of God. But if it's helping even one person out there grow closer, that means something to me as well. And if you ever feel like you would like to reach out or have suggestions for the show, feel free.

I have an email address. You can email Bible Beginning to End at gmail.com. That email is in the show notes or in the description of this video. I'd always love to hear from you guys. And I just thank you for listening and I will talk to you in the next one.