Jacob, aka Israel, calls all of his sons together to bless each of them before breathing his last. He dies at the age of 147, after living 17 years in Egypt.
Genesis 49
Jacob called his sons, and said “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.
Continue readingEven after saying “Behold, I die” at the end of this chapter this is still not the end of Jacob. Most of chapter 49 will be blessings and prophecies as he recognizes each son by name. And I don’t know what it means – probably nothing at all – but we will finish the book of Genesis on Easter morning. We’re planning Good Friday worship services and thinking about the resurrection and at The Master’s Table I’m talking about Jacob’s sons and the 12 tribes of Israel. Not totally unrelated… this is the family through whom all the world will be blessed, after all.
Genesis 48
After this someone told Joseph “Your father is sick.” And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Continue readingWe’ve seen people coming from all over Egypt and Canaan to buy grain from Joseph. What happens when the money runs out? They start trading livestock for grain. What happens when that runs out? By the end of the famine the nation of Egypt will own everything in the country, including the Egyptians.
Genesis 47
Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh “My father and brothers, and their flocks, and herds, and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan and they are in the land of Goshen.”
Continue readingThis chapter gives us a review of Jacob’s family, repeating which son was born by which wife and then taking that forward another generation or two. The total number of the House of Israel going down into Egypt was 70. Jacob is reunited with Joseph and they prepare to settle in the land of Goshen.
Genesis 46
Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Continue readingIt must be sweeps week because here is the big dramatic reunion scene you’ve been waiting for. Overcome with emotion, Joseph drives everyone out except his brothers then tells them everything. He also tells them not to worry about selling him into Egypt because that was God’s doing.
Genesis 45
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all of them and he cried out “Make everyone go out from me!” And no man stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
Continue readingA few chapters back, I mentioned it would be a good time to talk about theater as a a metaphor for life. I wrote that copy before recording the scripture reading and the discussion. I then immediately forgot that I had even said that. The analogy will work anywhere between Genesis 40 and 50, and really the first chapter of Exodus. So let’s read Genesis 44 then I will explain what I mean about the theater.
Genesis 44
Joseph commanded the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
Continue readingThey waited as long as they could but eventually the grain runs out and it becomes necessary to return to Egypt. Jacob does not want to let Benjamin go with them but they really have no choice as Joseph was quite clear. They are apprehensive about facing him again because of the money being found in each sack after their first visit. There is a lot that can go wrong on this second trip but by the end of this chapter it looks like everything will turn out great.
Genesis 43
The famine was severe in the land.
Continue readingOne of the things that got Joseph in trouble was his dreams, the ones that indicated his brothers and even his parents would bow to him. As the famine spreads across the region and drags on for what Joseph knew would be years, his family was bound to show up sooner or later.
Note: if you read a translation that says corn, or ears of corn in chapter 41, that is not necessarily wrong. Corn used to be a general term for all grain. Maize was indigenous to North America, the Egyptians did not grow what we call corn today.
Continue readingWe know that Joseph can interpret dreams. The chief butler knows that Joseph can interpret dreams, he just forgot about helping him out after being restored to his position in Pharaoh’s house. Then after Pharaoh has troubling dreams, that his wise men and magicians are no help with, the chief Butler is like “Oh yeah, now I remember…”
Genesis 41
At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream: and, behold, he stood by the river.
Continue readingThe events of Joseph’s life have brought him to a prison in Egypt for a reason. It may not seem like it, but this is the right time and right place for him to do God’s will. This seems like a good time to talk about theater as a metaphor for life.
Genesis 40 After these things, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
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The Master's Table 