Read: Genesis 42 – 45
With Genesis 42 the story returns from Joseph in Egypt to Jacob’s family in the land of Canaan. The old father Jacob takes on leadership for his extended family by calling his sons into action. The family is in need of food while “Egypt” appears to have plenty. God is in control of supply and demand, and he uses it to lead Abraham’s seed into ‘exile’ in Egypt. While Jacob’s favorite son is kept at home, his ten brothers journey to Egypt to purchase food for the family. When they arrive at the place of distribution, they are greeted by their brother Joseph. As they bow down before the Egyptian governor, they do not realize that Joseph’s childhood dream is being fulfilled: ten bundles of wheat bowing before Joseph’s! (Genesis 37: 7)
Joseph uses the encounter to discipline and test his brothers. He calls them spies in order to make them tell about his father and (full brother) Benjamin. He tests their integrity by detaining Simeon; will they abandon him or return to another fearful encounter with the harsh governor of Egypt? Interestingly, Joseph tells them the purpose of his action: to see if they are honorable men. While they do not know that the governor is Joseph, somehow they see their “bad luck” and trouble as a divine punishment for their sins of the past, especially how they have treated Joseph.
So, although they return with plenty of food, acquired at no cost, the family is deeply troubled. Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go, in fear of losing yet another son. He rather risks leaving Simeon in Egypt then losing his only remaining son of Rachel, his most beloved wife. Only when they are out of food and Jacob is in danger of losing children due to the famine is the situation reconsidered. After Judah pledges full responsibility and when no alternatives are left, father Jacob finally gives his permission to return to Egypt- with their younger brother.
The brothers prove their trustworthiness by returning the money and by presenting Benjamin. Joseph has Simeon released and invites his brothers for a formal dinner. Although the meeting becomes more personal and emotional, Joseph decides to continue the testing. He wants to know at what cost they would protect the wellbeing of a spoiled young brother. So, he has his valuable silver cup, reportedly used to contact spirits, planted into Benjamin’s sack. He then pursues them and charges them with theft. They vehemently deny this and agree that the thief deserves to die. So, when the cup is found in Benjamin’s possession, they are even more troubled than before.
But, once again the brothers pass the test; especially Judah. He has a passionate speech in which he offers himself as substitute for the one condemned for the crime. After this honest and heartfelt appeal of his brothers, Joseph can no longer control himself. No longer does he need to hide his true identity, for his brothers have clearly demonstrated that they have changed. So, Joseph bursts out in his confession. His brothers are shocked. They need time to process this news, for it turns their whole world upside down!
In a wonderful testimony to the sovereign control of God, Joseph explains that –behind their actions-, God himself had been at work. God had arranged Joseph to go to Egypt to prepare a home for his whole family. He used the ‘murder’ of the beloved son to secure the lives of his people. In this way God would fulfill his promises to Abraham to make him into a great nation!
Read: Genesis 46, 47
The brothers return to Canaan, to father Jacob. They share the amazing news that Joseph lives, and that he is ruler over Egypt. Only after Israel hears the whole story and sees the Egyptian chariots that came along to help the family move, can he believe their report. The Lord God appears to him once more in a dream and confirms that the move to Egypt is in accordance with God’s plans. So, the whole extended family packs up and moves to Egypt. Joseph has already decided that the land of Goshen would be most suitable. This was on the outskirts of the nation, and it probably had land unsuitable for growing crops but good for grazing sheep and goats. The Egyptians looked down on shepherds, so the more isolated location would ensure that Abraham’s seed would remain separated from the Egyptians. There they prospered and increased greatly in number so that they would grow into the nation that God had promised to their father Abraham.
Meanwhile, Joseph’s advice increased Pharaoh’s wealth and power. To prevent starvation the citizens first spent their money, then their animals, and finally their land. Yet, Joseph let them continue to farm the land while he increased their taxes. Pharaoh smiled; life had never been better!
Read: Genesis 48 – 50
Jacob had said, “I will go to see my son Joseph before I die.” He knew he was an old man who would not live many more years. To Pharaoh he said, “My pilgrimage has been 130 years.” Yet, he realized that as a pilgrim he would not reach the promised land. So, when Jacob’s health began to deteriorate, Joseph came to visit him, together with his sons Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob shared with his son how God had appeared to him at Bethel. As a lonely young man he had traveled to a distant land where God had nevertheless blessed him with a large family. Similarly, Joseph had made his lonely journey to another distant land where God had blessed and prospered him. Yet, God had been there in both their journeys, and He had used them to build Abraham’s seed into a great nation.
So, Jacob gives Joseph a double share in the inheritance: Joseph’s sons will count as if they were Jacob’s own sons. Therefore we do not (later) read about a tribe of Joseph, but we find reference to the two tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Technically there were to be thirteen tribes to settle the Promised Land. Yet, when Jacob turns to bless Joseph’s sons he switches his hands to give the younger boy the greater blessing. A century earlier Jacob used deceit to get his father’s greater blessing, and now God continues to work in his surprising ways: Joseph was the second youngest of the twelve, and –again- his younger son would be greater than his brother.
Also when Jacob blesses his other sons, it is clear that the older ones do not get the greater blessings:
- Reuben had slept with his father’s concubine (35: 22).
Simeon and Levi had murdered the Shechemites (34: 26).
Judah, however, is called a lion. An amazing prophecy is pronounced: “The scepter (symbol of royalty) will always belong to Judah, until the One come to whom this authority belongs. All the nations will
worship Him!” If you have come to know the Lord Jesus through the Gospels, you will recognize this blessing from Israel as another prophecy of the coming of Christ. He is “the Lion of Judah!” (Rev. 5: 5)
When Christians in Europe bury their dead, they see the buried body as a seed put into the soil. So, as they stand at the grave site they mourn a loss, but they also look forward to the Last Day when “a new plant will rise from the seed”. For when Jesus returns as Judge of the world, then all shall rise to be judged by Him. Those who belong to the Master shall be given new, glorified bodies with which they can glorify their God forever.
At the end of Genesis we also stand at the grave. We read about the graves of Jacob and of Joseph; two pilgrims who received the double blessing of God. Here are two sons of Abraham who trusted in God’s promises. There is reason to mourn. At the surface the situation is not good; Abraham’s sons hardly know their God. In many ways they have become like the nations around them. Now they have had to leave the land promised to their fathers. What will become of God’s promises to father Abraham?
But Jacob and Joseph continue to trust in God. And as a testimony to their family, the people of Israel, they insist that their dead bodies be taken to the Promised Land. Israel’s body was accompanied by chariots and horsemen. It would become Israel’s hope: one day his offspring would follow him. Joseph’s body would remain, but when the time would come for “Israel” to leave Egypt, his children would take his body and bring it with them, all the way to the land that was promised to their fathers.
Conclusion
The first five books of the Bible are commonly called “the Books of Moses”. Yet, the book of Genesis records the history before Moses. After that the record stops for about four hundred years until Moses appears on the scene. At that time God remembers His covenant with Abraham and He will create the nation of Israel. Apparently, people have been writing since Abraham’s days. Somehow, God made sure the ancient history was recorded. Perhaps most of Israel’s shepherds did not read or write, but Joseph and his sons must have had a good education. If the common man was illiterate it is quite likely that a written record of Genesis survived in the archives of Egypt. After four centuries there was another descendant of Israel who had received a good education. This man, Moses, also had access to the national archives and he had a real interest in learning about the Hebrews (the descendants of Abraham). The Bible does not tell us how the record survived or how it was passed on. Yet, we know that Joseph had a real interest to ensure that his people knew their heritage, and that they knew God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God made sure that the Genesis record would be kept and preserved. He arranged it that once more a simple son of Abraham would get a privileged position at the Egyptian court. He would use this again to ensure that Abraham’s seed would grow into a large people and that one day these people would return to the Promised Land.
Food for Thought
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1 Joseph can be seen as a picture of Jesus. What parallels can you discover?
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2 The Hebrew word for “ark”, the boat that saved Noah and his family from drowning is also used in Moses’ basket. Read Exodus 2: 1-10. As with Noah, God saves Moses from the threatening water to make a new beginning in the building of His Kingdom.
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3 Read: Exodus 13:19: Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear, “God will surely attend to you, and you will carry my bones up from this place with you.”
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4 Read Hebrews 11: 22. Why is Joseph an example for us?
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