Back to Basics - Genesis ch.37-50

Back to Basics

A Survey of Genesis Genesis ch. 37-50

Derrick Harrison 25/11/2020

An Outline of Genesis (ch.37-50) JOSEPH Joseph - the fourth patriarch? Joseph is naturally grouped with the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are continually linked together by Scripture (Gen.50:24; Ex.2:24 etc.), also they are linked together by Jesus (Mat.1:22; 22:32 etc.). God never calls Himself the “God of Joseph” as He does with each of the three Patriarchs.

However, the historical narrative links Joseph with the three patriarchal families. He has a similar number of chapters (12) devoted to his life (Isaac and Abraham each have 13 chapters). Joseph’s life begins and ends within the family of Jacob. What marks his life as different from the other patriarchs? The LORD does not appear to him like the other patriarchs but He does communicate to him in dreams, nor did the LORD reaffirm the covenant to Joseph because He is moving now through Jacob (an individual patriarch) to establish Israel as 12 families who multiply in Egypt to become 12 tribes. Despite Jacob’s behaviour and shortcomings, he is strategic in God’s timing and will. His personal name “Israel” will be translated into the context of the nation called after his name “Israel.”

Joseph is the LORD’S instrument in enabling Jacob, his sons and children to relocate in Egypt from Canaan. Firmly, rooted in the patriarchal narrative Joseph is carried by traders to Egypt to be sold as a slave. Joseph now embarked on a ministry in Egypt in a pagan context, serving a pagan king without compromising his faith, – he is a Hebrew (Gen.39:14, 17; etc.) and a man of God in a pivotal leadership role in Egypt. He exercised his ministry in a totally pagan society and culture, and thus one is reminded of Daniel whose ministry was

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exercised in pagan Babylon, whose life, like that of Joseph was irreproachable despite their individual challenges.

We must remind ourselves of the fact that Israel began as a nation in captivity, enslaved by Egypt and much later enslaved in Babylon. After the Jews returned from exile to Palestine they were still under the rule of foreign powers, except for brief periods. At the time of Jesus and through to the time of destruction of Jerusalem, the Israelites were an occupied nation under the authority of Rome. After the fall of Jerusalem; Israel ceased to exist as a nation and became a dispersed people.

Joseph’s historical narrative is detailed and continues the story from his childhood in the home of Jacob and ends with Israel (Jacob) blessing his twelve sons and the 2 grandsons of Joseph (ch.50). One of the features of these stories of the patriarchs is that they overlap and inter-lock one another’s biography, Abraham with Isaac, Isaac with Abraham and Jacob and Jacob with Joseph.

The covenant was not ratified to Joseph, but when God spoke later in covenant terms it was not to the patriarchs and their families but to the nation of Israel (Sinaitic covenant), so we see how the revelation of covenants is progressing through various stages before its full realization in Christ and its application to the family of God. Joseph is a link-man and through his personal narrative he provides a safe haven for his family. It was God’s purpose to settle Israel in Egypt, because once the family of Israel were settled they began to multiply, thus we see the movement from individuals, to families and then to the nation of Israel.

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Joseph’s life, like the life of Abraham and Jacob is strategic in the purposes of God to bring about His eternal purposes for the salvation of the families of the earth. Joseph in a unique way is a type of Christ.

Another feature of his life he shared in common with the Patriarchs was his faith in God. After Joseph, the Scriptures are silent for the 430 years of Israel’s captivity (Ex.12:40), until the advent of Moses. We know that despite this absence of God’s voice enslaved Jews chose names for their children which bore testimony to their faith in God (Ex.6; Num.1; 1Chron.1-2). The father of Moses was named Amram which means, the people is high, - Israel is an exalted people, Jochebed means, the LORD is glory, - the LORD/Jehovah is exalted above the gods of the heathen. It is also clear that when Moses initially approached Israel he met with a ready response, which, of course very quickly changed through to vindictive and harsh reprisals by Pharaoh resulting from God’s first plagues.

The book of Genesis was pre-Moses and yet was written by him under the direct guidance of God’s Spirit. You may recall that I gave one simple reason why I believed that this book of Genesis was written by Moses. I referred to the second visitation of God to Moses, when God revealed His name as LORD, “And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them” (Ex.6:2-3).

Moses wrote down in writing all that God spoke to him regarding creation and he wrote God’s name LORD which God had revealed to him. No other person who had received that revelation except Moses and therefore no one else could have written that name into the text of Scripture.

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The biographical narrative of Joseph (Gen.37-50) Joseph is the fourth-generation child, the great-grandson of Abraham.

He is not the first-born in the family, nor was Isaac or Jacob and yet they were God’s chosen heirs to receive the promises of the covenant which is not based on first birth but second birth. Jesus said to Nicodemus that, “you must be born again.” In new birth we become part of the “generation of Jesus Christ” (Mat.1:1).

The family migration to Egypt resulted from the dire need for food to sustain them in famine. Similarly, Elimelech at the time of the Judges moved his family from Bethlehem to Moab and their younger son married Ruth the Moabitess who later became the bride of Boaz. Not only is God the one who orders history for salvation purposes but also the God who orders our personal providences to fulfil His will in our lives. This was true for Joseph who was caught up in the big picture of God’s purposes for Israel and so for the world, but Joseph has to work through personally the challenge of God’s will by faith and obedience.

His life is exemplary in the challenge of cruel rejection by his brothers, of sexual temptation and in his harrowing experience of 3 years imprisonment.

Joseph’s early years in his dysfunctional family (37-38) His father Jacob had grown up in a divided family, even his great grandfather Abraham had born 2 sons – Ishmael and Isaac of different women. Look at the sons of Jacob and then read Jacob’s final summing up of his offspring! (Gen.50) and yet, God is able to impact sinful men and women and bring forth righteousness, integrity and trust which results in strong faith and unconditional obedience. Joseph was Rachel’s son and she was Jacob’s favoured wife and because he loved

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her above Leah, he loved Joseph above his other sons, and despite the fact that he was the youngest he was placed above them. Adding insult to offense Joseph shared two dreams which conveyed his position of headship in the family. He would certainly prove his dream was true in the days ahead when he pioneered a way and provided for the needs of his family.

The two visions of Joseph resulted in bitterness and jealousy, which ultimately resulted in his rejection and his sale to Midianite traders on their way to Egypt – he was trafficked by his own brothers! One cannot imagine the trauma of emotion which would have enveloped Joseph as he was dragged, chained and cruelly treated as he was hauled to Egypt and then put up for auction in the slave market, he was stripped of everything.

Joseph’s early years in Egypt (39-40) As a servant in the household of Potiphar he was quickly recognised for his service. The same gifts of management which had become apparent in his own family setting, hence his distinctive coat, which was so offensive to his angry brothers, now came to the fore in the household of Potiphar. We notice in Scripture that there is compatibility between natural gift and anointing. One would expect this – Bezaleel and Daniel were perfect example of this. Perhaps we should also add maturity of personality alongside natural gifting and skills. Joseph had each of these things and the activity of the Holy Spirit operated in conjunction with his life. We read that the Lord prospered him; we also read that David, in his life encountered a dimension of success that we attribute to the Holy Spirit’s powerful influence. These godly servants of the Lord model spirituality to us who also experience the Spirit’s anointing.

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Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph and when she failed, she framed him, resulting in Joseph’s three years imprisonment. We get a glimpse into the agony of Joseph’s soul from a verse in the Psalms, “They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him” (Ps.105:8-9).

The following verses in Psalm 105 give a cameo picture about Joseph’s journey and it begins with sovereign LORD initiating a famine in Egypt.

“Moreover He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread.

He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave.

They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons.

Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free.

He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his possessions, To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom.” (Ps.105:16-22).

Like Abraham and each of the Patriarchs, his life was characterised by a walk of faith in the word of the LORD. The iron fetters which clasped his ankles dug into his flesh relentlessly and the word of the LORD also tested him – and he proved true! Glory to Jesus. In the prison he met two servants of Pharaoh, the butler and the baker. Both had supernatural dreams which Joseph correctly interpreted.

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Joseph’s rapid rise to authority and power in Egypt (41) He was raised from the deepest prison cell to the highest seat of power next to Pharaoh on his throne. Joseph had a gift to interpret dreams (Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of the 2 royal servants in prison). Now he was faced with a similar challenge. As a young man he had received 2 dreams and correctly interpreted them to his amazed family. Each dream had an immediate outworking in people’s lives. The Spirit’s illumination was accompanied by the Spirit’s implementation. One is reminded of Paul’s instruction regarding the speaking of a “tongue” in the church, he says to the person who has spoken in an unknown tongue, “Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret” (1Cor.14:13; see also 1Cor.12:10.

30; 14:26, 27, 28; Dan.2:16; 4:6). Paul says that interpretation is a specific gift of the Holy Spirit. Following Pharaoh’s dreams and his request for Joseph to interpret them, Joseph acknowledged that he did not have a gift to interpret dreams, but he said that God would give the interpretation, “So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Gen.41:16). He then spoke the interpretation, followed by his own personal advice about appointing a wise administrator/governor to implement Joseph’s strategy for the famine, “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt” (v31) Pharaoh realized that the man was standing before him! Jesus spoke several “End Time” parables about wise stewardship and He said to His disciples, “you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Mat.19:28). Rulership of God’s creation was part of the Adamic covenant (Gen.1:26, 28). All types and figures are fulfilled in Christ; Adam’s rulership of the earth is a type of

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Christ’s rulership in the kingdom of God. The Hebrews writer has both in mind when he wrote, “

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?

You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands.

You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Heb.2:5-9).

Under Joseph, Egypt became the breadbasket of the world; he became the world’s saviour. We read that, “the famine, was over all the face of the earth and that Joseph opened all the store-houses … So, all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands” (41:56-57).

What a picture of Jesus, the Bread of Life and here He is seen as the bread of the world. See Jesus feeding thousands of hungry disciples – His resources are inexhaustible. Joseph nourished the entire world from his grain stores, but he also provided bread for his own family,

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thus fulfilling his first dream. Without doubt, the significance of his first dream would have been recalled by him and it would have assured him that the LORD was with him.

Joseph and his brothers (42-45) The narrative now becomes totally absorbed with Joseph and his brothers. The story also reveals another side to Joseph’s character as he managed his brother’s request for grain, at the same time gathering information about his betrayal by them, managing their repentance and processing his own inward traumas. I never fail to be deeply moved by the way in which Joseph participates in the process of facing up his brothers with their sinfulness, not only towards Joseph but also to their aged father – they were brutally cruel as their father Jacob had been to his aged father Isaac, they were also liars. I am moved by Joseph’s deep love for his brothers despite their rejection. It reminds me of Jesus’ love for those who despised and mercilessly crucified Him. Joseph is not only a type of Christ in his calling and his circumstances but also in his heart (43:30). The family scenario came to a head when the brothers brought Joseph’s younger brother Benjamin to Egypt.

Joseph was so overcome with emotion that he hastily left them and in the privacy of his own room he wept loudly. We read in Hebrews that, “Jesus, who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Heb.5:17).

This was a description of Jesus’ Gethsemane experience, followed by His cross and then, after His resurrection He hastened to His disciples to reveal Himself to them.

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Joseph revealed Himself to his startled brothers whose guilt accosted them and now they were uncomfortable in his presence. In sharp contrast, Joseph is overcome, not with vindictiveness and revenge but with overflowing love, particularly for his own brother Benjamin. He met their guilt with assuring words to them, words of God that had assured him of God’s will in his personal journey, “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life” (45:5. He then he said, “God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt” (vv7-8).

Joseph has come to a position of headship among his brothers and he now encourages them, telling them that he has made provision for them and that he will nourish them (v11). I am reminded of Paul’s words to the young believer’s at Thessalonica, he described how he had conducted himself when he won them to Jesus, “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children” (1Thes.2:7). A few verses on he spoke about being a father to them, “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1Thes.2:10-12).

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Joseph described his relationship to Pharaoh in the role of fatherhood – “God has made me a father to Pharaoh.” The Abrahamic covenant has found an unexpected and immediate fulfilment in Joseph; the LORD had said to Abraham, “you shall be father of many nations” (Gen.14:4). Fatherhood was one of the key promises of the covenant, but was not an aloof fatherhood but a compassionate outpouring of intense emotion which set his agitated brothers at rest - when they saw his genuine and emotional love for them; they began to talk with him (v15).

When Joseph revealed of his identity is very similar to when Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples after the resurrection, “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord” (Jn.20:19-20).

Joseph then instructed his brothers to return home, “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry.” (Gen.45:9).

Can you imagine Joseph’s brothers telling the news of Joseph to their father? Have you ever wished you could go back to those who loved you in your childhood and share with them the wonderful things God has done for you in your life and how amazed they would be! Truly, “the Lord has done great things for us and we are glad” (Ps.126:3).

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The narrator has captured the drama and the momentous significance of their departure and their return to their father in Canaan (45:25-28).

The occasion captured the hearts of the Egyptians as they anticipated the arrival of Joseph’s father (Gen.45:16-24) - the father’s long journey from Canaan to Egypt and his lost son eagerly awaiting his arrival. The aged patriarch and his prestigious son robed in the finery of an Egyptian ruler. The coat of many colours truly anticipated the royal coat Joseph now wore as he waited in anticipation for the homecoming of his father who would have been dressed in the robes of a rich farmer, herdsman and tent-dweller - imagine their meeting!

Father and son were reunited after so many years, but of course it was much more than that – I recall the word of the father of the prodigal, “for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” (Lk.15:24).

Joseph was his son back from the dead! What joy – let’s have a family party!

The first night of his journey to Egypt, the LORD spoke to Israel (do you remember Bethel?) in a night vision, God reaffirmed His covenant and He assured Israel of His will and His continued presence. The last strategic visitation had been when he left the house of Laban to return home). Now God spoke again on his departure from home, “Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

So, He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you New Life Radio – Talk No 7

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up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes” (Gen.46:24).

Joseph had pioneered a way for his entire family, to preserve their lives and to ensure their future, thus Joseph speaks of the Saviour, who pioneered a way for us to return to Father through the cross. The writer to the Hebrews described Jesus as the pioneer of our salvation, “looking unto Jesus, the pioneer and finisher/completer/perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus pioneered a way for us through death, resurrection and ascension, even to the throne of God where we are now seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Just prior to the cross Jesus said to his disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn.14:1-3).

Israel’s arrival in Egypt (47) Significantly, their arrival was not met with a public fanfare; Joseph moved his family and their livestock to Goshen which was the richest pastureland in Egypt and Pharaoh also gave them responsibility to care for his livestock. Some of Joseph’s brothers were presented to Pharaoh and then Jacob was presented. Pharaoh asked Jacob his age, to which he replied,

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“The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

So, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh” (Gen.47:9-10).

What is Jacob really saying to Pharaoh? When you think of all God’s ways with him and the miraculous providence of God, yet he appears to have been overwhelmed with melancholia as he looked back over such a long and eventful life. Is there some deep meaning here, hidden by cultural undertones? It is certainly a speech of understatement. We British are renowned for our gift of understatement, perhaps we got it from the Bible. Perhaps by understating things, he was actually saying something very positive - I don’t know. These words stand in stark contrast to Joseph’s words to his brothers when he revealed his identity to them. Perhaps Jacob had been a man of sorrows for so many years that his thinking was fixed on his tragic loss of Joseph and now as he recalled those miserable days and nights he is overwhelmed by the recollection of it all as he stood before Pharaoh. How very different are these words in comparison to the words he spoke to Joseph later.

The closing days of Jacob in Egypt (48-50) It is surprising that the narrative of Jacob takes over from that of Joseph. Obviously, the life of Jacob is coming to an end – he is the last patriarch and he has completed his long journey. The Patriarchal journey began with Abram who was called to go to a land which the LORD would show him and that he was to walk up and down in the land for the remainder of his life. The journey has now ended in Egypt New Life Radio – Talk No 7

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where the family of Israel will live in slavery for 430 years. Egypt was not mentioned in Abram’s original instructions, only Canaan was mentioned. Nevertheless, the LORD was leading unerringly His three patriarchs and He will fulfil His covenant promises which He has made to each one of them. Israel has come alive, out of his melancholia as he tells Joseph about his personal visitation from the LORD, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession” (Gen.48:3-4).

Going down to Egypt would have seemed a contrary move as Israel was removing from Canaan which is the opposite of possessing it! But I don’t trace any negative tone in these words, rather, they are spoken in affirming faith because later he prophecies that God will bring them again into the land of their fathers (48:21). Joseph had not heard the covenant promises spoken before this time. Israel then blessed Joseph’s two sons, passing over the first-born he placed his right hand of blessing on the second son (purposefully), just as it had happened to him and also to Isaac. The blessings of the covenant are according to grace and not birth or hereditary, that is where Isaac and his mother had got it all wrong. Joseph bestows on Joseph and his two sons his patriarchal blessing (48:14-16). On this occasion he bears glad testimony to the providential care of God – why did he not bear testimony before Pharaoh?

Jacob’s patriarchal blessings over his sons (ch.49)

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There is no parallel to this in the history of the patriarchs but there is no other patriarch who had 12 sons! This is certainly a mixed bag of blessings and judgements on past behaviour, with cases where judgements should have been made at the time but were now faced at the end of his life. This is not dissimilar to David’s instructions to Solomon – David likewise failed to act in judgement on several occasions and requested his son to execute judgement after his death.

To some of his sons he has nothing good to say or promise, I can only imagine their bitter disappointment – the last word of my father was to judge me! Tragically, this dis-functional family was only too evident, even to the end of Israel’s life. Despite these negative insights, the prophetic word of the LORD was spoken to Joseph (vv22-26) but surprisingly, Judah is singled out (vv9-12) for rulership and we know that Jesus came from the line of Judah and this prophecy of Israel is a highly significant Messianic prophecy, the lion of the tribe of Judah will come from the tribe of Judah! It is a testimony to Israel that he spoke the prophetic word here without knowledge or prejudice. It remained there in Scripture until the time of its fulfilment. Incredibly, having bravely faced his sons with the word of the LORD and completed his last task as a patriarch he dies right there in the presence of his sons.

This is amazing timing, even to the precise moment of his death!

Jacob’s death (ch.50) His death is mourned by his family, by Pharaoh’s house, his servants and his elders and the elders of the land of Egypt – followed by a state funeral. This is a testimony to Joseph’s favour among the people and their universal love for him. United in his death, his sons carry him to the only place in Canaan owned by Abraham. He had purchased the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah and that was the only piece of land New Life Radio – Talk No 7

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they owned (50:13), so when they spoke of owning the land of Canaan it was purely by faith in the promises of God. Following the burial of Israel, the brothers of Joseph prostrate themselves before him to beg his forgiveness, demonstrating that their repentance is thoroughly genuine, and Joseph’s forgiveness was freely extended to them. What a beautiful picture of brothers being reconciled together in love, ending generations of conflict, anger and bitterness. Joseph had not only pioneered a pathway for them to Egypt, but he had pioneered a pathway for forgiveness and reconciliation. Joseph prophesied to his brothers the future exodus of Israel from Egypt and asked for his bones to be carried back with them to Canaan.

The book of Genesis began with God and ended with a coffin in Egypt (50:26; Rom.1:28).

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