Ex 3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
6 Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8 "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
9 "Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
12 So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
13 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
16 "Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt;
17 "and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'
18 "Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'
19 "But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.
20 "So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.
21 "And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed.
22 "But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."
Moses here wants to teach and reiterate that the God who sent him to the Israelites was the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Moreover, God revealed Himself as Yahweh or "I AM WHO I AM."
The name carries the idea of self-existence. Being self-existent, He is, therefore, eternal, immutable and independent. This should encourage Israel in their plight. Their God is Someone who is all these; He is Someone who can surely deliver them and carry them through!
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Ex 3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
The bush represents Israel. As a bush is weak, so Israel was weak compared to the mighty tree of Egypt. That the bush is burning represents Israel's fiery affliction in Egypt. God described Israel's oppression in Egypt as being in a fiery furnace.
De 4:20 "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.
It was a common sight in the Sinai desert for bushes to spontaneously burst into flames but this one was unusual. It was not consumed. That the bush was burning and yet it was not consumed is an apt picture of Israel in Egypt; Egypt oppressed Israel yet Israel was never brought to annihilation. The secret of their preservation? God was in their midst. Just as God spoke from the midst of the bush so was God in the midst of Israel miraculously preserving her.
That God spoke from the midst of the bush, calling Moses, so God calls Moses to go back to where Israel was. Moses was to go back to Egypt. And just as Moses tended the flock of Jethro so Moses will now lead Israel out of Egypt as a shepherd.
2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
The bush represents Israel. As a bush is weak, so Israel was weak compared to the mighty tree of Egypt. That the bush is burning represents Israel's fiery affliction in Egypt. God described Israel's oppression in Egypt as being in a fiery furnace.
De 4:20 "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.
It was a common sight in the Sinai desert for bushes to spontaneously burst into flames but this one was unusual. It was not consumed. That the bush was burning and yet it was not consumed is an apt picture of Israel in Egypt; Egypt oppressed Israel yet Israel was never brought to annihilation. The secret of their preservation? God was in their midst. Just as God spoke from the midst of the bush so was God in the midst of Israel miraculously preserving her.
That God spoke from the midst of the bush, calling Moses, so God calls Moses to go back to where Israel was. Moses was to go back to Egypt. And just as Moses tended the flock of Jethro so Moses will now lead Israel out of Egypt as a shepherd.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Ex 2:23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
The point of this section is to show that God keeps His covenant. When Israel groaned because of their bondage in Egypt, when they called upon God, God heard them because of His covenant with their forefathers. God is a covenant-keeping God. Just as God kept His covenant with their forefathers so will He keep His covenant with the nation Israel.
24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
The point of this section is to show that God keeps His covenant. When Israel groaned because of their bondage in Egypt, when they called upon God, God heard them because of His covenant with their forefathers. God is a covenant-keeping God. Just as God kept His covenant with their forefathers so will He keep His covenant with the nation Israel.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Ex 2:11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, "Why are you striking your companion?"
14 Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!"
15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?"
19 And they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock."
20 So he said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."
21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land."
Moses is portrayed here as a man who has a heart for the oppressed. He delivered an Israelite from an Egyptian. His cause was right but his action was wrong and sinful.
He is also portrayed as a man who is concerned about the harmony among his brethren by reprimanding an Israelite who did wrong to his fellow Israelite.
He is also shown as a deliverer of the weak and helpless when he rescued the daughters of Reuel from those who were harsh against them.
He had the heart but he lacked the training to be Israel's deliverer and judge. And so, God, in His providence, sent him to the desert to be a shepherd. Sometime after this, God would later call him to deliver and shepherd His people Israel out of Egypt.
Friday, March 8, 2019
Ex 2:1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.
2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"
Ex 2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the maiden went and called the child's mother.
9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."
Here we are shown how Pharaoh's murderous plot was foiled providentially by God. Pharaoh ordered the mass murder of all the Hebrew male infants, and, yet, in his own "backyard," so to speak, was a Hebrew babe nourished and nursed by his own daughter with the infant's own mother as his personal nurse complete with wages.
Pharaoh murderous decree was thwarted by God using Pharaoh's own daughter. In addition, God also used his own money to provide for the child.
2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"
Ex 2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the maiden went and called the child's mother.
9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."
Here we are shown how Pharaoh's murderous plot was foiled providentially by God. Pharaoh ordered the mass murder of all the Hebrew male infants, and, yet, in his own "backyard," so to speak, was a Hebrew babe nourished and nursed by his own daughter with the infant's own mother as his personal nurse complete with wages.
Pharaoh murderous decree was thwarted by God using Pharaoh's own daughter. In addition, God also used his own money to provide for the child.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Ex 1:8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
10 "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land."
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage-in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah;
16 and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?"
19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them."
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
.
Behind this anti-Israel campaign, was Satan trying to foil the coming Seed (the Lord Jesus Christ) from coming into this world. God told him that the Seed of the woman would crush his head. So, he mobilized the Pharaoh of Egypt to hinder it from becoming a reality. If all male children of the Israelites would be annihilated then the promise would practically be annulled.
The point of these verses is this --- God's plan and purpose can never be thwarted and sabotaged. He promised to multiply them, and look, they are multiplying even under adverse and severe opposition and circumstances. Not even the strongest and the most powerful nation on earth can cripple the onward march of the fulfillment of God's determination.
To be sure, the hardships and the persecutions that God allowed to happen to them were used by God for their good.
First of all, all these hardships sparked in them a desire to be liberated and freed from Egypt. In order for them to get out of Egypt and return back to the Promised Land, the desire to do so must spring up from their own hearts first. They must desire to go out.
Just like in the salvation of a sinner, before a sinner can be saved, God must first create the desire to be saved in the hearts of sinners, first of all.
Secondly, the persecution and the harshness of the Egyptians separated the children of Israel from paganism. By this time, if the Egyptians became friendly with them, they would have been absorbed and influenced by their ungodly practices.
Third, their suffering prepared them for what lay ahead of them. It made them physically strong for their journey to the Promised Land.
9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
10 "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land."
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage-in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah;
16 and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.
18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?"
19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them."
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
.
Behind this anti-Israel campaign, was Satan trying to foil the coming Seed (the Lord Jesus Christ) from coming into this world. God told him that the Seed of the woman would crush his head. So, he mobilized the Pharaoh of Egypt to hinder it from becoming a reality. If all male children of the Israelites would be annihilated then the promise would practically be annulled.
The point of these verses is this --- God's plan and purpose can never be thwarted and sabotaged. He promised to multiply them, and look, they are multiplying even under adverse and severe opposition and circumstances. Not even the strongest and the most powerful nation on earth can cripple the onward march of the fulfillment of God's determination.
To be sure, the hardships and the persecutions that God allowed to happen to them were used by God for their good.
First of all, all these hardships sparked in them a desire to be liberated and freed from Egypt. In order for them to get out of Egypt and return back to the Promised Land, the desire to do so must spring up from their own hearts first. They must desire to go out.
Just like in the salvation of a sinner, before a sinner can be saved, God must first create the desire to be saved in the hearts of sinners, first of all.
Secondly, the persecution and the harshness of the Egyptians separated the children of Israel from paganism. By this time, if the Egyptians became friendly with them, they would have been absorbed and influenced by their ungodly practices.
Third, their suffering prepared them for what lay ahead of them. It made them physically strong for their journey to the Promised Land.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Ex 1:1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already).
6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.
7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
The point here is to show the growth of the children of Israel numerically. Initially, they were a small group in Egypt but they grew prolifically and rapidly into a significant number in Egypt as the years rolled by. From "seventy persons" to being "fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them."
This is in fulfillment of the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that they would have numerous descendants.
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
5 All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already).
6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.
7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
The point here is to show the growth of the children of Israel numerically. Initially, they were a small group in Egypt but they grew prolifically and rapidly into a significant number in Egypt as the years rolled by. From "seventy persons" to being "fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them."
This is in fulfillment of the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that they would have numerous descendants.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Ge 50:22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23 Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees.
24 And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here."
26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
.
Joseph grew old in Egypt. There he saw his great-great-grandchildren. And yet Joseph did not feel at home in Egypt. Home was in the Land of Promise. And so, he instructed brethren and the children of Israel to bring him back to Canaan sometime in the future when God would finally visit them to bring them home.
Again, this should encourage Moses' original Israelite readers that home is back in Canaan. They should not stay or return to Egypt.
23 Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees.
24 And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here."
26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
.
Joseph grew old in Egypt. There he saw his great-great-grandchildren. And yet Joseph did not feel at home in Egypt. Home was in the Land of Promise. And so, he instructed brethren and the children of Israel to bring him back to Canaan sometime in the future when God would finally visit them to bring them home.
Again, this should encourage Moses' original Israelite readers that home is back in Canaan. They should not stay or return to Egypt.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Ge 50:15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."
16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying,
17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."
19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Moses wants his original Israelite readers to learn at least three things here:
First, brethren should live peaceably and be forgiving to one another. This will be expedient when they will come to live in the land of Promise. Offenses will come but forgiveness should be administered when a brother becomes repentant.
Second, they should realize that God is a sovereign God who overrules even the evil done by others against them. That He is a God who can use evil and bring good out of it. That their slavery in Egypt was allowed but overruled by God to bring about good.
Third, they must realize that they are each others keeper. I will provide for you and your little ones. Cain asked: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Joseph's says "Yes!"
16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying,
17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."
19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Moses wants his original Israelite readers to learn at least three things here:
First, brethren should live peaceably and be forgiving to one another. This will be expedient when they will come to live in the land of Promise. Offenses will come but forgiveness should be administered when a brother becomes repentant.
Second, they should realize that God is a sovereign God who overrules even the evil done by others against them. That He is a God who can use evil and bring good out of it. That their slavery in Egypt was allowed but overruled by God to bring about good.
Third, they must realize that they are each others keeper. I will provide for you and your little ones. Cain asked: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Joseph's says "Yes!"
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Ge 50:1 Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him, and kissed him.
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,
5 'My father made me swear, saying, "Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.'"
6 And Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.
9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.
10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father.
11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them.
13 For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place.
14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.
Jacob became a great and respected man in Egypt. His funeral says it all. His was no ordinary wake and burial. It was a grand state funeral. He was mourned for like a king.
Moses wants to show his original Israelite readers here the fact that God's Word was fulfilled. God promised to bring him back to Canaan and He did it in a grand fashion.
Ge 46:4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."
Moses also wants to show here that even the Egyptians acknowledged in a way that Canaan was their homeland. They accompanied Jacob there in his burial.
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,
5 'My father made me swear, saying, "Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.'"
6 And Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.
9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.
10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father.
11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them.
13 For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place.
14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.
Jacob became a great and respected man in Egypt. His funeral says it all. His was no ordinary wake and burial. It was a grand state funeral. He was mourned for like a king.
Moses wants to show his original Israelite readers here the fact that God's Word was fulfilled. God promised to bring him back to Canaan and He did it in a grand fashion.
Ge 46:4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."
Moses also wants to show here that even the Egyptians acknowledged in a way that Canaan was their homeland. They accompanied Jacob there in his burial.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Ge 49:29 Then he charged them and said to them: "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 "in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.
31 "There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.
32 "The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth."
33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Although Jacob could have chosen to be buried in Egypt since there were a lot of magnificent tombs there for such a respected man as him, he chose to be buried in the land of promise. He did not consider Egypt his homeland. Rather, he looked to the promise of God that the land of Canaan was his home. Generally, people want to be buried in the place they consider as their homeland.
Moses is showing his original Israelite readers that their forefathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) viewed the Promised Land as their homeland, and they (the Israelites) should too.
30 "in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.
31 "There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.
32 "The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth."
33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Although Jacob could have chosen to be buried in Egypt since there were a lot of magnificent tombs there for such a respected man as him, he chose to be buried in the land of promise. He did not consider Egypt his homeland. Rather, he looked to the promise of God that the land of Canaan was his home. Generally, people want to be buried in the place they consider as their homeland.
Moses is showing his original Israelite readers that their forefathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) viewed the Promised Land as their homeland, and they (the Israelites) should too.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Ge 49:1 And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:
2 "Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.
3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it -He went up to my couch.
5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.
8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
13 "Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.
14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.
16 "Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
19 "Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.
20 "Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
21 "Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.
22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil."
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.
Moses is showing his original Israelite readers here that God (in this case through the prophecies of Jacob) planned the future. They are to realize and learn that their future, as prophesied here by Jacob, is not in Egypt. They will dwell in the land of promise. Again, this should encourage them to go on to the land of Canaan.
They should learn too that God will determine their destinies and their enjoyment of the blessings in the land according to their faithfulness as revealed by their personal characters. That God hitches their courses according to their character and conduct as shown here in this chapter. This should encourage them to be faithful to God in obeying Him.
Even though there are curses and retribution mentioned in the prophecies of Jacob, over all, the recipients of the curses and the retribution still received a blessing by the fact that they will still inherit the land of promise and that they are still included in the chosen family. And being in the chosen family carries a lot of privileges with it. That's why verse 28 still says: "he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing."
2 "Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.
3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it -He went up to my couch.
5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.
8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
13 "Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.
14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens;
15 He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.
16 "Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse's heels So that its rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
19 "Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.
20 "Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
21 "Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.
22 "Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil."
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.
Moses is showing his original Israelite readers here that God (in this case through the prophecies of Jacob) planned the future. They are to realize and learn that their future, as prophesied here by Jacob, is not in Egypt. They will dwell in the land of promise. Again, this should encourage them to go on to the land of Canaan.
They should learn too that God will determine their destinies and their enjoyment of the blessings in the land according to their faithfulness as revealed by their personal characters. That God hitches their courses according to their character and conduct as shown here in this chapter. This should encourage them to be faithful to God in obeying Him.
Even though there are curses and retribution mentioned in the prophecies of Jacob, over all, the recipients of the curses and the retribution still received a blessing by the fact that they will still inherit the land of promise and that they are still included in the chosen family. And being in the chosen family carries a lot of privileges with it. That's why verse 28 still says: "he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing."
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Ge 48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
22 "Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."
Again, this is to encourage Moses' original readers that the land they are about to possess is the land of their fathers (Abraham and Isaac). And so, they must not be tempted to go back to Egypt.
It is also a guide in dividing the land later on. That Shechem is to be given to Joseph and his descendants. Shechem is the territory which Jacob took from the hand of the Amorite. In Israel's history, Manasseh, later on, took possession of the land.
22 "Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."
Again, this is to encourage Moses' original readers that the land they are about to possess is the land of their fathers (Abraham and Isaac). And so, they must not be tempted to go back to Egypt.
It is also a guide in dividing the land later on. That Shechem is to be given to Joseph and his descendants. Shechem is the territory which Jacob took from the hand of the Amorite. In Israel's history, Manasseh, later on, took possession of the land.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Ge 48:12 So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him.
14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."
19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!'" And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Jacob chose Ephraim to receive the primary blessing over Manasseh. The right hand was the hand that bestows the primary blessing. In verse 20, Jacob mentioned Ephraim first then Manasseh, thus indicating that the former will be greater than the latter. 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!'" And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
.
Here Moses is showing his original Israelite readers that God's blessing (at this instance given through the hand of Jacob) is not bestowed on the basis of rights. Rather, God bestows it on the basis of grace. Although Manasseh, as the firstborn, had the right to the primary blessing yet it was given to Ephraim.
Israel should learn that God did not chose them over other people in the world because they had the just claim to His blessings. No, rather, they were chosen solely by the grace of God.
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him.
14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."
19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
20 So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!'" And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Jacob chose Ephraim to receive the primary blessing over Manasseh. The right hand was the hand that bestows the primary blessing. In verse 20, Jacob mentioned Ephraim first then Manasseh, thus indicating that the former will be greater than the latter. 'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!'" And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
.
Here Moses is showing his original Israelite readers that God's blessing (at this instance given through the hand of Jacob) is not bestowed on the basis of rights. Rather, God bestows it on the basis of grace. Although Manasseh, as the firstborn, had the right to the primary blessing yet it was given to Ephraim.
Israel should learn that God did not chose them over other people in the world because they had the just claim to His blessings. No, rather, they were chosen solely by the grace of God.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Ge 48:1 Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, "Indeed your father is sick"; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.
3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
4 "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.'
5 "And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 "Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 "But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
8 Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?"
9 And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place." And he said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!"
Here, Moses is showing his original Israelite readers as to why the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh came to inherit a portion of the land of Promise --- Jacob adopted them as his own: "... now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine...."
Since the two were adopted by Jacob as his own sons, they, therefore, received an equal standing with the children of Israel. Being adopted, they are not to be viewed as minor sons or lesser sons. No, they are sons "as Reuben and Simeon." Reuben and Simeon were the eldest son and the second son of Jacob respectively. As sons of equal standing with the rest, they (Ephraim and Manasseh) too would inherit the land that God promised to Jacob as an eternal possession.
Reuben lost the privileges of being the firstborn. As the firstborn, he should have been the head of the family and an inheritor of a double blessing. Reuben had sexual relations with Jacob's concubine.
Ge 35:22 And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard about it.
Reuben lost the right and the privilege to be the head of the family, it went instead to Judah. From Judah, the Ruler or the great King, the Messiah, would come. Because of the violence of Simeon and Levi (Ge 49:34:25) which caused great shame and distress to their father they too were bypassed in the right and privilege to be head. Instead, it went to the fourth son, Judah.
Reuben instead of receiving a double portion of the land inheritance received only a single portion. One of his portions was given to Joseph which made Joseph an inheritor of two portions. It was then given to Ephraim and Manasseh.
Levi also lost the blessing of receiving a land inheritance. Thus, the tribe of Levi inherited no land later on. As for Simeon, you can read Jacob's curse on him along with Levi in Gen. 49:6-7.
2 And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.
3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
4 "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.'
5 "And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6 "Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
7 "But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
8 Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?"
9 And Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place." And he said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."
10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!"
Here, Moses is showing his original Israelite readers as to why the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh came to inherit a portion of the land of Promise --- Jacob adopted them as his own: "... now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine...."
Since the two were adopted by Jacob as his own sons, they, therefore, received an equal standing with the children of Israel. Being adopted, they are not to be viewed as minor sons or lesser sons. No, they are sons "as Reuben and Simeon." Reuben and Simeon were the eldest son and the second son of Jacob respectively. As sons of equal standing with the rest, they (Ephraim and Manasseh) too would inherit the land that God promised to Jacob as an eternal possession.
Reuben lost the privileges of being the firstborn. As the firstborn, he should have been the head of the family and an inheritor of a double blessing. Reuben had sexual relations with Jacob's concubine.
Ge 35:22 And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard about it.
Reuben lost the right and the privilege to be the head of the family, it went instead to Judah. From Judah, the Ruler or the great King, the Messiah, would come. Because of the violence of Simeon and Levi (Ge 49:34:25) which caused great shame and distress to their father they too were bypassed in the right and privilege to be head. Instead, it went to the fourth son, Judah.
Reuben instead of receiving a double portion of the land inheritance received only a single portion. One of his portions was given to Joseph which made Joseph an inheritor of two portions. It was then given to Ephraim and Manasseh.
Levi also lost the blessing of receiving a land inheritance. Thus, the tribe of Levi inherited no land later on. As for Simeon, you can read Jacob's curse on him along with Levi in Gen. 49:6-7.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Ge 47:28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt,
30 "but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said."
31 Then he said, "Swear to me." And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.
God promised Jacob that He would return Jacob back to the promise land.
Ge 46:3 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.
4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."
Here, Jacob is manifesting his faith in the promises of God. He believed in God that his future inheritance is not the land of Egypt but the land promised to him and his fathers by God, the Promised Land of Canaan. He made sure by making Joseph promise that he would be buried in Canaan not in Egypt. And so, in the custom of the day in making a promise, Jacob made Joseph place his hand under his thigh.
Moses is encouraging his original Israelites readers that their future inheritance is not Egypt but Canaan.
29 When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt,
30 "but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said."
31 Then he said, "Swear to me." And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.
God promised Jacob that He would return Jacob back to the promise land.
Ge 46:3 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.
4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."
Here, Jacob is manifesting his faith in the promises of God. He believed in God that his future inheritance is not the land of Egypt but the land promised to him and his fathers by God, the Promised Land of Canaan. He made sure by making Joseph promise that he would be buried in Canaan not in Egypt. And so, in the custom of the day in making a promise, Jacob made Joseph place his hand under his thigh.
Moses is encouraging his original Israelites readers that their future inheritance is not Egypt but Canaan.
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Ge 47:27 So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly.
Despite adverse conditions, Israel thrived in Egypt. The rest in Egypt were languishing but Israel was flourishing. This was to show that God's promises to Jacob were in the process of being fulfilled.
Ge 35:11 Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.
Ge 46:3 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.
Despite adverse conditions, Israel thrived in Egypt. The rest in Egypt were languishing but Israel was flourishing. This was to show that God's promises to Jacob were in the process of being fulfilled.
Ge 35:11 Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.
Ge 46:3 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.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Ge 47:13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed."
16 Then Joseph said, "Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone."
17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands.
19 "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate."
20 Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end.
22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 "And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones."
25 So they said, "You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh's.
.
Because Pharaoh gave the forefathers of Israel a land to live (in fact the best of the land) so God through the wise management and administration of Joseph gave Pharaoh lands in return. Because Pharaoh gave them provisions so God through Joseph gave him increased wealth and affluence.
You remember that in verse 7 "Jacob blessed Pharaoh." The event here portrays the fulfillment of Jacob's blessing on Pharaoh.
Moses is showing his original Israelite readers here the fulfillment of what God promised to Abraham:
Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed."
16 Then Joseph said, "Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone."
17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands.
19 "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate."
20 Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end.
22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 "And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones."
25 So they said, "You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh's.
.
Because Pharaoh gave the forefathers of Israel a land to live (in fact the best of the land) so God through the wise management and administration of Joseph gave Pharaoh lands in return. Because Pharaoh gave them provisions so God through Joseph gave him increased wealth and affluence.
You remember that in verse 7 "Jacob blessed Pharaoh." The event here portrays the fulfillment of Jacob's blessing on Pharaoh.
Moses is showing his original Israelite readers here the fulfillment of what God promised to Abraham:
Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Ge 47:11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the number in their families.
The Israelites, Moses' original readers, must realize that just as God used a Joseph to settle their forefathers in the best of the land of Egypt and provide for them, God is now using Moses to do the same as they journey towards the land of promise.
12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the number in their families.
The Israelites, Moses' original readers, must realize that just as God used a Joseph to settle their forefathers in the best of the land of Egypt and provide for them, God is now using Moses to do the same as they journey towards the land of promise.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Ge 47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How old are you?"
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "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."
10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh..
Moses' main point here is to show his original Israelite readers that Jacob, their forefather, blessed Pharaoh. Moses was reminding them of their privileged position that they were to be a blessing to the nations, that anyone or any nation that blesses Jacob or Israel will be blessed as well.
Ge 12:2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)