Genesis - Chapters 46-50

In this transcription, the host discusses the final chapters of Genesis. She corrects a mistake she made in a previous lesson regarding Joseph's brothers deceiving their father about his fate. She explains that Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers and forgave them for their past actions. Jacob and his family move to Egypt to escape a famine, and Jacob blesses his sons before his death. Joseph also dies and requests to be buried in the promised land. The host emphasizes the themes of forgiveness, faith, and God's plan throughout the story. I'm Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at cab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are finishing up Genesis with chapters 46 through 50. I realized I said something wrong in yesterday's lesson. I said that after Joseph's brothers sold Joseph to the caravan heading to Egypt, they took Joseph's coat with blood on it and said a wild animal devoured him and tore him to pieces. I kept pondering, how could they now tell their father that he is alive and is reigning in Egypt? So I re-read chapter 37 verses 31 through 33, and it was sort of sneaky what those guys did. These verses read, Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, We found this, examine it to see whether it is your son's robe. He recognized it and said, It is my son's robe, some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces. It was Jacob who concluded that Joseph was torn to pieces by a wild animal. They didn't even claim that it was Joseph's robe. They let their dad draw his own conclusions. It is then interesting, when the ten brothers went to Egypt for food, that they told Joseph, whom they thought at the time was an Egyptian authority, Your servants are honest men, not spies, chapter 42 verse 10. In verse 19, Joseph said to them, If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain for your starving households. They were then to bring their younger brother back as proof of their honesty. In verse 21, they discussed among themselves that they were being punished because of what they did to their brother Joseph. Then Reuben said, Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy, but you wouldn't listen. Now we must give an accounting for his blood. When the ten were heading home, they realized that all the gold was also in their bags. They cried out, What is this that God has done to us? When they arrived at their father, they explained that when they returned, they must take Benjamin with them to show they are honest men. Judah especially guaranteed the safe return of Benjamin to his father. They went with Benjamin, got more food, ate at Joseph's home, and then when they left, Joseph had placed a silver cup in Benjamin's sack. They were stopped after they left and were accused of stealing. They all went back to Joseph and pleaded that they were innocent. Then in verse 16b, Judah cried out, God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my Lord's slaves. Judah pleaded with Joseph to take him instead of Benjamin for the sake of their father. That was when Joseph broke down and revealed who he was. This especially brought terror to his brothers. Joseph explained that it was God's plan to bring Joseph there first in order to save lives. The plans were made for them to go get Jacob and bring him to Egypt. Then in chapter 45 verse 24 it says, Then he, Joseph, sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving, he said to them, Don't quarrel on the way. When they arrived home, they told their dad that Joseph is alive and is ruler of Egypt. Jacob was stunned, but when they heard what his son said and saw the carts to bring everything back to Egypt, he believed and was revived. Chapter 46 Israel or Jacob set out, but he stopped at Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. It was at Beersheba that Abraham dug a well, made a treaty with the surrounding people, and planted a tamarisk tree. Chapter 21 verses 31-33. It was Ray Vandalon in his video series that the world may know that said when Abraham planted a tree it was showing that he was putting roots there. In chapter 26 it was at Beersheba that the Lord appeared to Isaac, and he built an altar and called on the name of the Lord, pitched a tent, and dug a well that produced water. In chapter 28 verse 10 it was from Beersheba that Jacob left home and sat out for Haran in order to find a wife. Now he came here one last time. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac, and here the Lord spoke, Jacob, Jacob, I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again, and Joseph's own hand will close your eyes. It seemed Jacob wanted permission from the Lord to leave this promised land, and the Lord gave it. Jacob, all his family, and possessions headed to Egypt. Chapter 46 verse 27 reads, With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. When Jacob saw Joseph, he said, Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive. Chapter 46 verse 30. In chapter 47 Joseph met with Pharaoh, and then had some of the brothers in order to share that they were shepherds, and they would be placed in the land of Goshen. In verses 7 through 10 Jacob met Pharaoh. Jacob blessed him. He shared with Pharaoh, The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers. Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. The famine became even more severe. It said in verse 13b, Both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph was on top of it though. First people brought money for food, but when that dried up, then livestock, but when that was all used up, people sold themselves and their land to Pharaoh in exchange for food. Verse 20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. Then Joseph would give the people seed, and with their crops they would give Pharaoh one fifth of them. The people cried out that Joseph had saved their lives. Verse 27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. It was now close for Jacob to die. He lived in Egypt seventeen years, and he was now 147 years old. He made Joseph swear that he would take him back to be buried with his fathers. Verse 31 Swear to me, he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Ladies worship is so much more than just going to church on Sunday. It is an acknowledgment of who God is and what he has done as we live our lives. In chapter 48 Jacob blessed Joseph's sons who were born in Egypt. Verse 5 Jacob said, Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt, before I came to you here, will be reckoned as mine, Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine. Then Jacob blessed Joseph. In chapter 49 Jacob blessed the rest of his sons. Verses 1 and 2 say, Then Jacob called for his sons and said, Gather around, so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to your father Israel. When each were given a blessing, then verse 28 reads, All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. Jacob gave them instructions that when he died they were to take him back to the cave where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah are buried. Verse 33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. Each of the three patriarchs of the Jewish nation, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were said to be gathered to his people at their deaths. Genesis chapter 25 verses 7-10, chapter 35 verses 28-29, and here in chapter 49 verse 33. The last chapter, 50, Joseph had his father embalmed. He got permission from Pharaoh to go and bury his father in Canaan. Verse 14 tells us, After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father. Then we find that Joseph's brothers were once again fearful of Joseph, now that their dad had died. They said, in verse 15, What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him? They sent word to Joseph, and said their father left instructions before he died. This is what you are to say to Joseph, I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father. When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Verse 17, The brothers threw themselves on the ground and said, We are your slaves. And Joseph replied, Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then don't be afraid, I will provide for you and your children. And he assured them and spoke kindly to them. Joseph lived 110 years, and then as he was about to die, he said to his brothers, in verse 24, I am about to die, but God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He made them swear to take his bones from Egypt to the promised land. When Joseph died, he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Ladies life is a journey, Jacob called it a pilgrimage. We have seen that none of them had an easy life. All of them had hard times and great sorrow, yet mixed with blessings, joy and laughter. We saw the patriarchs grow in their faith and how they had to encounter God themselves. We saw how sin can catch up with us and produce guilt. We also saw how that sin can hurt family relations. In Joseph, we saw how forgiveness comes when we understand that God is in control and that he has a plan for our lives. Sometimes they did not know what that plan was, like when Joseph was in prison. Yet on a few occasions, their eyes were opened like when Joseph's brothers knelt down before him and he remembered his dream. One thing that was constant is that God was with them and his word is true. A missionary, Adniram Judson said, the future is as bright as the promises of God. God is faithful through both life and death. Ladies, if you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your hearts. Instead, remember that God is with you and let's be women who forgive one another, who pray and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and obey whatever and wherever he calls us. Until next time, and thanks so very much for listening.