All Powerful But Gracious – Genesis 47-48

“Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, ‘My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed, they are in the land of Goshen.’ And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then, Pharaoh said to his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.’” Genesis 47:1-4

1 John 2:1-2 says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

Joseph’s brothers sinned against him. They sold him to human traffickers. Those traffickers in turn sold him to an Egyptian. That Egyptian’s wife got him thrown in a dungeon. If it were not for the Lord, Joseph would have rotted until death in that prison, but the Lord, in a sense, resurrected Joseph from that tomb, and placed him on high. Now, he stands by the side of the mightiest earthly king, and advocates for the “brothers” who once betrayed and nearly destroyed him. He had advised his brothers how to present themselves to Pharoah in the previous chapter. He told them not to say that they were shepherds because the Egyptians despised shepherds. What did they do? They told the Pharoah that they were needy shepherds. It was good that Joseph was not ashamed to call them brothers.

Praise God that we have an Advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. The word “propitiation” in the original Greek text is the same word that is translated in other verses as “Mercy Seat.” The Mercy Seat was located between the two angels on the Ark of the Covenant’s lid. It was the place where the blood of atonement for sin was poured. Underneath that lid, inside the Ark, was the Ten Commandments. The Mercy Seat being above the commandments illustrates what James 2:13 says, namely, mercy triumphs over judgment. That Mercy Seat represents Christ. He is the One who brought forth God’s mercy to sinners. Hebrews 2:11 says, “Both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers.” Christ became one with us so we could become one with God.

“Then, Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.’ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are 130 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. 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. Then, Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.” Genesis 47:5-12

How wonderful, how marvelous that Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families! Jacob’s clan was 70 people strong when they arrived in Egypt. That was a lot of people to feed three times per day. But imagine this! God keeps every soul in heaven well-nourished for all eternity.

Jesus Christ assures food forevermore for those who believe in Him. In Luke 22:30, Jesus assured His disciples that someday they would “eat and drink at My table in My kingdom.” In Luke 13:29, Jesus said, “People will come … and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Revelation 2:7 and 22:2 speak of eating from the Tree of Life and Revelation 19:9 speaks of the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” So, there is eating in heaven. Revelation 7:16-17 says, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Since God shall us feed for all eternity, we should trust and thank Him now for our daily bread while we live in this world. God kept His servant Elijah alive during a famine by commanding birds to bring him food. And he didn’t eat like a bird. They brought him man-food. I have many testimonies from my family’s time in China. He provided for us in miraculous ways at times.

“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. 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. 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.’ Then Joseph said, ‘Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.’ 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.” Genesis 47:13-17

He who controlled the world’s food supply emptied the pockets of people and made them dependent on him. This was fine as long as he managed resources fairly and ensured that no one was neglected. But what would happen if a “beast” controlled the world’s food supply?

Revelation 13 speaks of an end-times antichrist who coerces people to receive a “666” mark on their right hand and on their forehead for the purpose of buying and selling. He will require the recipient of his mark to blaspheme God. Thus, loyalists to Christ must trust in His mighty power to supply all their needs according to His riches and glory in those days.

“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. 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.’ 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. And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 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.” Genesis 47:18-22

Once, the people lacked possessions that they could sell for food, they sold themselves. Joseph brought them into the city. Thus, the politicians and the clergy owned them and determined their work schedules and living situations. This arrangement worked for the time being, but what would happen to them after Joseph was gone?

“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. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give 1/5 to Pharaoh. 4/5’s 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.’ 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.’ And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have 1/5, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.” Genesis 47:23-26

Thankfully, Joseph allowed the farmers to keep 80% of their profits. Their administration fee for maintaining the nation’s military, international relations, internal security, courts, prisons, roads, religious institutions and national managers was 20% of their profits.

“So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years. So, the length of Jacob’s life was 147 years. 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 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.’ Then, he said, ‘Swear to me.’ And he swore to him. So, Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.” Genesis 47:27-31

Jacob was 147 years old. He survived the conflict between his brother and himself. He survived living far from family for 20 years. He survived the maltreatment from his father-in-law Laban. He survived a household with four women in it by which he had children from each of them. He survived his sons Simeon and Levi massacring the men of Shechem. He survived the sorrow of losing Rachel and afterwards Joseph. He survived a famine. He survived a late-in-life move from his country to a foreign land. He saw the birth of many descendants. He had one request of Joseph, “bury me with my fathers.”

“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. And Jacob was told, ‘Look, your son Joseph is coming to you;’ and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. Then, Jacob said to Joseph: ‘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.’ 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. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 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).’” Genesis 48:1-7

Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, became heirs in the Promised Land along with Joseph’s eleven brothers. The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim came to be known as the half tribes of Israel but were sometimes referred to as the “house of Joseph.” Each descendant of Joseph inherited a half-allotment of land. They were counted as one tribe. Later, in the Old Testament, the ten northern tribes are sometimes referred to as Ephraim. This was because Samaria, the capital of the northern tribes, was located in Ephraim’s territory.

“Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, ‘Who are these?’ 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.’ 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. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!’ So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. 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. 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. 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, 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.’” Genesis 48:8-16

Joseph saw his sons as gifts from God. That’s how every father should view his children. Jacob loved his grandsons. He hugged and kissed them. Loving affection is good. 2 Timothy 3:3 lists the lack of natural affection as one of the signs of perilous times. Jacob gave God the glory for this moment. Jacob blessed his grandsons with a blessing to become many people. His right hand was on Ephraim, the younger of the two. Ephraim did become the dominant and most influential tribe in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

“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. And Joseph said to his father, ‘Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’ 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.’ 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.” Genesis 48:17-20

I see the blessing on the second son of Joseph as a prophecy about Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:45 says, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” The first Adam refers to the first created man of the human race. The last Adam refers to Christ. Christ is the God-man. He is the second Adam that never sinned. The blessing of God is on the second Adam because in Him there is redemption for all who believe in Him. He is the One who makes many descendants for God.

“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. 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.’” Genesis 48:21-22

Jacob knew his time on earth was short. He assured Joseph that God was with him. God brought Joseph back to the land of his fathers even though it was posthumously. When the children of Isreal left Egypt, they carried Joseph’s bones with them. So, the remains of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are buried in Israel today. Their descendants continue to live there despite many attempts to remove and eliminate them from the land. God watches over His promises to assure that they are kept. Praise the Lord!