Genesis Post 61 - The Brothers Seek Bread (Chapter 42)

Chapter 42 now switches scenes back to Jacob and family in the land of Canaan.

The famine is severe and the family of Jacob is hungry.

When he mentions that Egypt has grain, the brothers look at each other uneasily.  Are they thinking of Joseph, whom they believe is a slave down there somewhere, if he is even still alive? For over twenty years they have kept the ugly secret of their dastardly deed.  Their consciences are still eating them alive.

Jacob summons the ten older boys and sends them off to Egypt, keeping Benjamin the favorite back at home.  So off they go, falling in line with others from the area who are also hungry and seeking bread.

Meanwhile, back in Egypt, Joseph the governor is selling copious amounts of grain to people from all over the place.

Suddenly, his ten brothers are before him, bowing down.  Of course he recognizes them, but they have no idea who he is.  Remember, Joseph is dressed like an Egyptian, which is very different from the look of a Hebrew.  And about 22 years have passed since they had last seen him.

Do his previous dreams come instantly to mind, or does it take a few moments to register?  He decides to test them.  He speaks harshly to them, searching their hearts and minds.  Three times Joseph accuses them of being spies.

The brothers assure him they are not spies, and they give him a family history lesson, probably what Joseph was hoping for.  The brothers admit to Joseph that one brother is no more, and that little bro is home with dad.

Joseph, wanting to see his little bro, first tells his brothers that they won't get to go home until the little brother comes to Egypt. Then he throws them all in prison and makes them stay there... three days.

After those three days, Joseph gives them an option for survival and lets them know that he too fears God.  He agrees to keep one of them, and insists that they go home and get the youngest brother.

A conversation ensues among the brothers, but they do not realize that Joseph understands every word.  He hears them confessing their guilt regarding him, and it moves him to tears.  He has to leave the room to regain his composure.  But then he comes back and speaks with them again, before seizing Simeon and having him bound and thrown in prison.

Why Simeon? Did they cast lots? Did he volunteer? We are not told. We do know from the Dinah incident in Shechem that he is hot-headed and cruel. It is quite possible that he had been the chief instigator in Joseph's demise.

It is interesting to note that Joseph has maintained his faith and integrity all along, both in poverty and in wealth and power.  It is easy for us to forget God when all is going well in life, and it is also easy to get bitter toward God if we are in the midst of pain or poverty.  They are the opposite sides of the same coin... both are based on self-centeredness.  Joseph does neither.

So anyway, the remaining nine guys head home, but they do not know that Joseph has returned their money in their sacks of grain.  While enroute, one of the brothers discovers the money is in a bag.  Is Joseph testing them further?  Or is it a gesture of goodwill toward them?

The brothers are terrified.  They question why God has put them in this position.  When you are governed by a guilty conscience, as the brothers have been for so many years, you tend to question every little conflict and perhaps see it as a potential punishment.

When they get home, boy do they have a tale for Jacob, who is not amused at all.  Then the rest of them look into their sacks, and they all find their money returned.

This is what Jacob says in verse 36:
And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”

Reuben the firstborn steps in and offers his two sons as collateral for returning Benjamin to their father (as if the death of two beloved grandsons would somehow make up for the loss of a son??)  

But the chapter ends with Jacob giving an andamant NO!  He will not risk Rachel's remaining child.

Joseph's disappearance twenty years earlier and Rachel's death has made Jacob bitter and pessimistic. Jacob is focusing on his circumstances and is missing God's bigger picture. Jacob is choosing not to forget his misfortunes, the way Joseph does.  And Jacob doesn't have the reminder of Romans 8:28 yet. But the story continues, and God will soon teach him an amazing lesson.

Several more parallels between Joseph and Yeshua show up in this chapter:

• Joseph's brothers are hungry for bread
• Joseph appears as a foreigner to his brothers
• Joseph knows his brothers, but they don't know him
• Joseph tests his brothers
• Joseph is moved by the repentant hearts of his brothers
• Joseph shows mercy to his brothers by sending nine of them home
• Joseph gives them free life-giving bread

Click here to continue on.

Genesis Post 60 - Pharaoh's Nightmares, Joseph's Promotion (Chapter 41)

May I just share a PS to my last post?

It occurred to me that there is another similarity to Yeshua in chapter 40, in regard to the two prisoners.  One is set free, and one is condemned.  I am reminded of the two theives on the cross; one is condemned and the other promised paradise.

Ok, on to chapter 41.

Joseph is still languishing in prison, and we are told that it is now two years later. God’s timing is about to manifest itself.

Pharaoh has two bizarre dreams on the same night. They are eerily similar.

In the first dream, Pharoah is standing by the beloved and mighty Nile river, and seven big fat cows come up out of the water.

The fat cows are standing around, minding their own business, and seven skinny, ugly, starving cows come up out of the river and eat them.

Cows are not carnivores. This is weird.

So Pharaoh awakes. He must’ve shaken his head and then thought wow, crazy dream!

He falls back asleep and has a second dream, very similar to the first. Seven plump grains show up on one stalk. Suddenly, seven scrawny, skinny grains blighted by the East wind, show up on another stalk and devour the seven big ones.  (Remember how the idea of east is a picture cursing, biblically?)

What the heck?? Pharaoh must be really perplexed by this point.

Pharaoh sends for someone, anyone, who could possibly interpret the dreams for him.  None of his sorcerers or magicians has an answer for him.

Finally, the cupbearer sees a chance to make good on his promise to Joseph and gain favor with Pharaoh at the same time. Starting in verse nine, he says:

Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: "I remember my faults this day.
 "When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, "we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.  "Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.  "And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him."

Pharaoh is intrigued (or desperate) enough to send for Joseph after hearing his cupbearer's tale.

Joseph is cleaned up and brought before Pharaoh. He tells Pharaoh about his God who can interpret his dream.  What faith! What boldness! Pharaoh himself was considered a god in his culture, so to stand there and elevate your God above Pharaoh and all that he stood for was gutsy.

Pharaoh describes both of his dreams to Joseph.

Joseph instantly gives credit to God, assuring him that God will give him peace about it.  He interprets Pharaoh's dreams, saying they are in fact one dream.  He tells Pharaoh what God is about to do: He will bring seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine.

There is a biblical pattern of twos that has been established in Genesis.  Joseph himself had two dreams.  There were the two dream of the prisoners.  Pharaoh has two dreams.  And in the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar has two separate, prophetic dreams that tell a similar story.

The bible often speaks of two witnesses.  Is that what we are seeing through these double dreams?  The scriptures themselves testify of Yeshua with two witnesses:  the Tanach and the Brit Chadashah.  (Old and New Testaments). And the gospels give us four witnesses... which is even more than the lawful requirement.

Look what Joseph says in verse 32:
And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

By the word of two or three witnesses, a matter or a word is established.  This is clearly stated in Deuteronomy 19, Matthew 18, 1 Timothy 5, 2 Corinthians 13, and Revelation 11.

Have you been given a prophecy? Do not be afraid to seek confirmation.

Joseph does not stop at the interpretation of the dreams.  He then lays out an entire 14-year game plan for Pharaoh.  Look at Pharaoh's reaction:
So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.  You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

From prison to Prime Minister in one day.  Well, that escalated quickly.

Thirteen years waiting and then one day.  Just like Abraham had to wait a long time to see God's promise be fulfilled, Joseph waits a long time in Egypt for God's plan to move forward.  And when God moves His hand, He seems to move quickly.

Pharaoh seeks a man in whom is the Spirit of God, and he looks no further than the Hebrew man standing in front of him.

An Egyptian god acknowledging the true God?  This is huge.

Joseph is given a signet ring, which we learned from Judah is symbol of authority; something with which you signed your name.  Joseph is then decked out in finery and driven all over Egypt so that every knee could bow down to him. 

Joseph is then given a new name: Zaphnath-Paaneah.  There are several meanings to this name that scholars have discerned:  revealer of secrets, God speaks and he lives, and savior of the world.

Joseph is also given an Egyptian wife, a daughter of a pagan priest.  In fact, Genesis will tell us three times that she is the daughter of On, a pagan priest. Interesting.  Three times for emphasis.  On is also called Heliopolis, city of the sun.  Joseph marries the daughter of a priest of the sun god, Ra.

Joseph marries an Egyptian

Verse 46 tells us that Joseph is thirty years old when he begins his service to Pharaoh.  Ironically, thirty is the age at which a cohen, or priest, begins ministering in the tabernacle/temple.

Joseph gets right to work, storing up massive quantities of grain in those first seven years.  It was the custom of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt to collect 10% of the crops for tax purposes.  Did Joseph collect more than that?  We are not told.

During these seven years of plenty, Joseph's wife Asenath has two sons; Manasseh, meaning forgetfulness, and Ephraim, meaning fruitfulness.

The context of Manasseh's name is Joseph forgetting about all of his trials, but also forgetting about his father's house.  And Ephraim's name is a reminder of the fruitfulness that Joseph is now experiencing in the land of his affliction.

It makes me think of the forgetfulness of God when it comes to our sin, and the fruitfulness of our lives in Messiah. when we are forgiven.  Joseph doesn't forget about his father's house in a bad way; he forgets about any bitterness he may have harbored toward them.

In verse 53, the fruitfulness of the land ends, and thus begins the great famine.

The famine is far-reaching, affecting all the surrounding nations. Joseph opens the storehouses and sells grain.

This famine was engineered for one big purpose! To bring Jacob, his 11 sons, and their families to Egypt, so that God, the ultimate history writer, could give us an amazing picture of His plan for mankind!

The Egyptians begin to run low on food, as do all the surrounding countries that are affected by the famine.

Pharaoh points to Joseph as the one to go see.  Soon, people from all around come to see Joseph, the provider of bread.

Any parallels here?  Let's see.

• Joseph shows divine wisdom
• After suffering, Joseph is elevated to a place of high authority 
• Every knee bowed down to Joseph
• Joseph marries a daughter of a pagan (Hint:  Constantine and pagan Rome)
• Joseph began his ministry at age 30
• Joseph is the source of the bread of life for starving people
• Joseph feeds all the known world with this bread

Click here to see what happens next.

Genesis Post 59 - The Dreamer Deciphers Dreams (Chapter 40)

Joseph, aka that dreamer by his brothers, is about to encounter dreams again.  This time, the dreams are not his own.

Two important men in Egypt have offended Pharaoh.  We don't know what they have done, but it is enough to land them in jail.  Perhaps they served a less-than-stellar meal to the Pharaoh.  Who knows?  They were probably being held in jail, awaiting their trial and sentencing.

Each of these gentlemen has a dream in prison.

It is no coincidence that they each have their dream on the same night, and that the dreams are similar to one another in theme.  Both dreams include the number three.  And it is no coincidence that Joseph is in charge of the prisoners and he notices their countenance the morning after their dreams.

Look at verse 8
And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”
So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”

Joseph is acknowledging here that he will be able to interpret the dream because he follows the One True God.  No one else around him serves YHVH.

This story reminds me of Daniel.  Both are innocent, both are in exile a foreign land, both are trusted by head honchos, and both interpret dreams.

Here is the cupbearer's dream:

Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”

Here is Joseph's answer:
And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler.

The next thing we see is the first time that Joseph pleads for himself:
But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”

The baker sees the good report that Joseph gives to the cupbearer, so he shares his own dream:
 “I also was in my dream, and there were three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

Joseph's reply was:
So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

Gulp.  I'm guessing that this is not what the baker wanted to hear.  There was a form of capital punishment used at this time in Egypt which involved beheading, and the headless body was left hanging on a tree for birds to peck at until it was devoured.

Did you notice that the term three days shows up in both instances?  This is a theme that shows up frequently in scripture, and someday I will study them all.  For example, Abraham and Isaac make a three day journey to the near-sacrifice, Jonah is in the belly of the fish three days, and of course our Messiah lay in the grave three days.

And now, we see in verse 20 that three days later, it is Pharaoh's birthday, and he decides to have a party.  An ancient custom of the Egyptian Pharaohs was to release a prisoner during his birthday celebration.

Did you ever notice that nothing good ever came out of a biblical birthday celebration? Pharaoh, Herod, Job’s children? 

I digress.

So Pharaoh restores the cupbearer and hangs the baker, just as Joseph has predicted.  And then the cupbearer immediately forgets Joseph. It is likely that he does not forget about Joseph, but that he chooses to remain silent about him - not wanting to call Pharaoh’s attention to his time in prison.

There is a purpose to this willful forgetfulness, however.  God's unfolding plan requires Pharaoh to have need of Joseph's interpretive abilities when he has disturbing dreams of his own.  God's timing will come into play in the next chapter.

There is great prophetic significance to the two professions represented by the baker and the cupbearer.  The baker represents bread, and the cupbearer represents wine.

Bread and wine is a common biblical theme.   In a general sense, bread represents food and wine represents drink.  Sustenance. 

But they are also highly symbolic of our ultimate sustenance - Messiah Himself.   Remember Melchizedek from chapter 14?  He and Abraham share bread and wine together.  When Yeshua eats his Passover meal with His disciples, he links the two elements to Himself and what He is about to do.

And Yeshua's body is broken and killed (just like the baker is hung on a tree), and it is through His blood that we have redemption (as we see in the restoration of the cupbearer).

Click here for the next post.

Genesis Post 58 - The LORD is With Him (Chapter 39)

Genesis 39 now picks back up with the story of Joseph.

Chapter 37 ended with the mention of Potiphar, and now chapter 39 mentions him again.  He is quite an Egyptian bigwig, and he acquires Joseph as a slave.

Joseph thrives and prospers in Potiphar's service because the LORD is with him, and he gets noticed.

And promoted.

Joseph is put in charge of the household.  And boy, does the household thrive.  Potiphar trusts him completely.

Potiphar elevates Joseph

Enter Mrs. Potiphar.  She shows up in the story right after we are told that Joseph is very handsome (verse 6).

In chapter 37, we were told that Potiphar is actually a eunuch in the service of Pharaoh.  So it is no wonder that Mrs. Potiphar is bored, wants some manly attention, and casts her sights on attractive Joey.

Lie with me, she says in verse 7.

He resists her, giving her a lengthy rebuttal in verses 8 and 9, telling her that not only would that be a sin against his earthly master, but against his heavenly God as well.

She is relentless.

By verse 13, she is frustrated and angry enough to frame Joseph for his resistance of her.  She makes a vicious and false accusation against him.  Interesting that she uses Joseph's garment as an instrument of identification his demise, just like his brothers did.

Well, who is Potiphar going to believe?  (Personally, I think that deep down Potiphar believes Joseph but since the event was so loud and public, he has to take action).

Joseph is sent off to prison, where we see that the LORD grants him favor with the warden.  And just like in Potiphar's house, we see that Joseph is trusted and elevated to first in command under the prison boss man.

Joseph promoted

I wonder if Potiphar's house ceases thriving at this point.

Thus the chapter ends the same way it begins:  The LORD is with Joseph.  Through all of his trials, Joseph does not resist, protest, or fight back as far as we can see.  He simply walks with God and trusts him.

Here is a Bible truth:  Success does not depend on our circumstances, but on our relationship with the One True God.

Do we have any more parallels between Joseph and the Messiah in this chapter?  Indeed we do:

• The LORD is with Joseph
• Everything is put under Joseph's authority
• Joseph acts with complete integrity
• Joseph resists temptation
• Joseph is falsely accused
• Joseph remains silent in the face of his accusers
• Joseph is thrown into prison
• Joseph suffers even though he is innocent

Stay tuned as the story of Joseph continues to unfold!

Click here for the next post.

Genesis Post 57 - Breaking Forth! (Chapter 38)

Just when the Joseph story is getting good, we now get a word from our sponsor, so to speak.

Chapter 38 seems to be a random change of subject.  But of course, nothing is in scripture by random; everything means something.

The story of Joseph is important because of God's bigger picture.  We see the nation of Israel take form and grow while enslaved in Egypt, and we see their ultimate deliverance from Egypt, which is a metaphor from sin.  We need to know how they got there.  So while Joseph's life is in many ways a foreshadow of the Messiah, he is not in the line of the Messiah.

The lineage of the Seed who would deliver Israel (and the world) is a key biblical doctrine; so God inserts this account of the Messianic line right into the middle of the Joseph story.

And oddly enough, there is a bit of a parallel to the Joseph story, in which God took an evil situation and used it for good.

The story of Judah and Tamar is completely countercultural to us.  Some strange stuff is about to go down.

The first thing I want to note is that Tamar is the first of five women listed in the genealogy of Yeshua in Matthew chapter 1.  Each of these five women mentioned there - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary - have a unique and unusual role to play in the Messiah's lineage.

The Women of Matthew 1

Chapter 38 opens with Judah departing from his brothers.  We read that he goes to hang out with his pagan friend Hirah the Adullamite.  A total pagan.

Judah is probably fleeing from his father's great sorrow over Joseph's disappearance.  Can you say guilty conscience?  His life seems to be taking a downward spiral as he leaves his family behind and takes up residence with the Canaanites.

Hirah the Adullamite isn't a great influence on Judah.  Through that friendship, Judah marries a Canaanite woman, whose name we are not told.  This woman produces three sons for Judah - Er, Onan, and Shelah.

In verse 7, we are told,
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him.

Dang.  Sobering.

The next couple verses highlight an ancient practice - levirate marriage - that even predates the Sinai covenant, although the practice was later codified under Mosaic Law.

The next born, in this case Onan, is told by Judah to marry the widow and give her a child that would give an heir to Er.  Onan does not want to do produce an heir for his brother that would receive his father's double portion, so he redirects his seed to the ground.

Then this, in verse 10:
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

Dang again.

Biblically, one of the worst thing that could happen to you is that your name be blotted out of God's book of life.  The concept is foundational to the way Jewish people celebrate the fall holy days today.  They believe they have ten days to make amends with people, so that their name is written in the Book of Life for another year.

Here are three samples of God's book of life from the Tanach:

Psalm 69:28 says, May they be blotted out of the book of life and may they not be recorded with the righteous.

And in Exodus 32:32-22, after the golden calf episode, we read, But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

And in Daniel 12:  Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

The term book of life also appears in the New Testament - once in Philippians and seven times in Revelation.

God has placed this desire for eternal things into us, as Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us.  We humans have an innate desire for significance, to be remembered, to make a name for ourselves.  It is why we name hospital wings after donors, and why we build towers to the heavens (Genesis 11:4), and why we cheer for the hometown sports teams.  And I confess:  I made a donation to a certain museum once so that I could have my name written in Jerusalem.

In the Bible, a person's name and lineage is important.  Perhaps Tamar acts as she does because she knows this.  Perhaps Tamar also knows about God's promise of a Redeemer that was to come from the family of Jacob.

Well, Judah's two older boys are dead, and he is probably thinking that Tamar is some kind of black widow spider.  Judah sends Tamar back to her father's house in humiliation, promising his younger son to her when he gets old enough.

But alas, the son gets old enough, Judah's wife dies, and Judah does not make good on his promise to Tamar.

Once again, he teams up with his Adullamite friend and goes off to Timnah to shear sheep.  And Tamar hears about it.  She takes action that to us seems bizarre.

More deception in the family of the deceiver.

Tamar dresses like a temple prostitute and lures Judah into an encounter.  He names a price - a goat - which he doesn't happen to have on him.  Somehow she convinces him to give her some very important items as a deposit - his signet which hung by a cord, and his staff.  The signet is something by which Judah would have left his signature on something.  The staff is a symbol of Judah's authority and would have been carved specifically for him.  It would be the equivalent of giving Tamar his driver's license and social security card.

How strange that Judah is so easily talked out of these important items.

Tamar takes action

They part ways after the encounter.  Tamar goes back to her father's home, dressed once again in her widowhood garments.  Judah goes home to procure the goat and get his belongings back.  But alas, he cannot find her, even after searching and asking around.

Three months later, he hears through the grapevine that his daughter-in-law is pregnant by harlotry.  

Judah is furious and calls for her to be burned.  Of course, she produces Judah's possessions and he is immediately convicted, as we see in verse 26:
So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.

The chapter concludes with an unusual birth:

Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”  Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

Tamar is a hero here, because not only does she produce twins for Judah to replace the two sons that he lost, but she also rescues Jacob from his downward spiritual spiral amongst the Canaanites.

And of course, one of her babies - Perez - gets to carry on the seed of Messiah.

I love the name Perez (pronounced Peretz).  It means to breach, break forth, or to break out.  

It is a word used in Micah 2:13, in a near/far prophecy that describes the two comings of the Messiah:

The one who breaks open will come up before them;
They will break out,
Pass through the gate,
And go out by it;
Their king will pass before them,
With the LORD at their head.”

Matthew 11:12 is referring to this passage in Micah, describing Messiah's first arrival, although most translations word it poorly:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Sadly, this verse has been misunderstood and has often been used to justify violence throughout church history.  But it means that the kingdom of God is perez-ing!  Breaking out!  John the Baptist is the one that breaks open the gate, and the King the King will pass before them.

Today, we are waiting for the Kingdom to break out in all its fullness when the Messiah returns in glory.

Waiting for Messiah's glorious kingdom!

One more thought...

That scarlet thread.  It shows up here for the first time when it is placed on Zerah's wrist.  It is a theme that runs throughout scripture, and represents redemption through the blood of Messiah.

Click here to continue.

Genesis Post 56 - Joseph Introduced (Chapter 37)

The main thrust of the book of Genesis now switches focus to the story of Joseph, beloved son of Rachel and Jacob.  His story will greatly impact the destiny of the house of Israel.

Why Joseph? Will the covenant go through him? The twelve sons have not yet been shown who will carry on the promised seed. Joseph is being set up here as a type... a picture of the suffering Messiah who is to come. And indeed, he will be the one to physically save the line of Israel in what comes next. Without the story of Joseph, Israel perishes.

At age 17, we see that little Joe is out in the fields with his half brothers, the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah.  It seems that Leah's sons were somewhere else at this point.

So Joseph is hanging out with Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali.  The Hebrew term suggests that Joseph is the senior shepherd.  We don't know exactly what those older brothers were doing, but Joey brings a bad report to his father about them.

I'm sure they did not appreciate the little tattletale.

Not only that, but verse 3 tells us that Israel loves Joseph more than the others because he is the child of his old age.  (Notice that Jacob is called by the covenant name Israel here. And hey!  What about Benjamin?)

Joseph is also given a fancy schmancy tunic by his dad.  This tunic is highly symbolic - it is a sign of a father's great favor.  (The favoritism is getting thick in here!)

In Joseph’s day, everyone had a coat. These coats or cloaks were used to keep warm, carry belongings and even to serve as security for a loan. Most are reported to have been very plain, about knee length, and with shorter sleeves - they were merely functional. In contrast, the coat Jacob gave his son was colorful, ankle length, long-sleeved, and probably more in keeping with what royalty wore - it was beautiful.

By verse 4, we see how much his brothers already despise him.  So you can imagine their reaction to what follows next.

Beginning in verse 5,
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

Dang.  Put yourselves in the shoes of those brothers, who already think he is a spoiled brat.  (Is Joseph purposely being a brat here?  Given the integrity of his later life, I think he is just being honest with them).

Interesting that sheaves of wheat are the main feature of his first dream.  It connects Joseph's story to food and famine.

Guys, I just had the weirdest dream!

In verse 8, their hatred grows:
And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

It gets worse, at least from the brothers' perspective:
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Whoa.  Now even dad is in the fray, expressing his surprise at Joseph's dream an he rebukes him.  I find it interesting that Jacob mentions Joseph's mother at this point, who has already died.  Clearly Jacob believes in the world to come.

The sun, moon, and stars are mentioned together numerous times in scripture.  In Genesis they show up on day four of creation, and one of their purposes is to signal God's appointed times.

And speaking of the world to come, they also show up in the last book of scripture, when Revelation 12:1 says,

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

Something much bigger than spoiled little Joseph is in the works here.  We are talking an entire destiny of a people group; a destiny that ultimately affects the entire world.

The chapter continues in verse 12, when the brothers go up to Shechem to feed their flocks.  Shechem is about 48 miles north of Hebron, where Jacob, Joseph, and probably Benjamin currently are.

And for some reason, Jacob sends his favorite boy on a three-day journey to check on his brothers, to see if they are well.  Joseph responds with hineini- I will go.

So Joseph heads north, and not finding them in Shechem (maybe the Shechemites remember the slaughter?), heads to Dothan based on a tip from a local tour guide.  Note:  Dothan means two wells.  Dothan is about another twelve miles north of Shechem.

As Joseph approaches, the brothers see him coming.  Here comes that master of dreams, they sneer, which indicates their main beef with their brother.  Immediately, they plot to get rid of the little twerp.  Their evil plot includes murder.

However, Reuben the firstborn steps in and saves his life.  In verse 22, he uses the ruse, let's put him in a pit, fully intending to return Joseph to their father.

Bravo, Reuben!  His actions are not enough to earn back his standing as the firstborn, however, especially because his plan is foiled.  For some unbeknownst reason, he departs from the scene of the intended crime.

The actions of the remaining brothers continue, as they strip the hated tunic from Joseph and throw him into an empty cistern - perhaps one of the two wells of Dothan?

Then they sit down to dinner.  Could they hear Joseph's shouts from the well as they calmly eat their meal?

As they eat their meal, they see a caravan of Ishmaelite traders from Midian (Arabia) in the near distance.  One of the little details here is that the Arab traders are carrying spices, balm, and myrrh - products used for embalming.  Death spices.

Judah, not wishing to have his brother's blood on his hands, convinces the brothers to sell him to those traders of death spices.  So they do - for twenty shekels of silver.  According to one online estimate that I found, that is about $400 in today's money.

The sale of Joseph by his brothers

Thirty shekels of silver was the going rate for a slave.  Joseph becomes a slave to Egypt at a reduced price.  How little the brothers valued Joseph's life!

At this point, Reuben returns, and finding Joseph gone, rips his clothing.  This is a traditional action of great mourning, usually done when someone dies.  Jews still do this symbolically today when a loved one dies.  Another symbol of death.

The tunic - that symbol of his father's great favor - is dipped in blood.  The sons of the deceiver set out to deceive Jacob.  When Jacob sees the bloody tunic, he goes into deep, deep mourning.  His beloved son is dead, or so he thinks.

Can you say dysfunctional family?

The story of Joseph is one of the great prophetic pictures of our Messiah.  This chapter just scratches the surface of that picture.  Look at this list so far:

• Joseph is highly favored of his father
• Joseph is given a special mantle, or tunic, by his father
• Joseph is envied and then hated by his brothers
• The brothers didn't like what Joseph has to say
• Joseph is sent by his father, for a special purpose, to his brothers
• Joseph is willing to be his father's servant
• Joseph traipses all over the country seeking his brothers
• Joseph is rejected by his brothers
• The brothers plot to kill him
• His brothers strip him of his tunic
• Joseph's brothers argue over what to do with him
• Joseph is placed into the ground by his brothers
• Joseph is sold for silver, arranged by Judah (Judas)
• The brothers turn him over to foreigners
• Joseph's demise is filled with deception
• The account is peppered with symbols of death
• Substitutionary blood is shed
• Joseph's father mourns in deep agony
• Joseph is sent to the country of Egypt, a biblical metaphor for sin
• Joseph goes to Egypt to escape death (Ironically, Yeshua's father brought his family to Egypt because of a dream)

Chapter 37 ends with an introduction to the next part of Joseph's story:

Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for officer is actually means eunuch.  It was a great honor to serve the ruler of Egypt, but a person had to be willing to give up a great deal. 

Before the story of Joseph continues, it is first time for a little history lesson in chapter 38. 

Click here to see what I mean.

Genesis Post 55 - A Birth, A Death, and Some Genealogy (Chapters 35 - 36)

Picking up in verse 16 of chapter 35, it is time for the company to head out.  Jacob and his clan head south, toward Ephrath (Efrat).

It isn't a very long trip... only about 10-11 kilometers.  But somewhere en route, Rachel's water breaks.  She goes into labor.  Hard labor, the scripture tells us.

I've heard of children being born in taxi cabs and such in our modern day, but on a dusty camel train?  Ugh.

The caravan probably grinds to a halt.  And we don't know exactly what goes wrong, but Rachel has a very difficult time of it and she dies.  Knowing she is dying, she sorrowfully names her child Ben-Oni, or son of my sorrow. 

But Jacob, although he must be devastated over the loss of his beloved Rachel, overrules the name and calls the boy Benjamin, meaning son of the right hand.

(Small rabbit trail:  there are 700 Benjamites in Joshua 20 who are noted to be left-handed.  Coincidence? I think not.)

Rachel is buried in Bethlehem, and Jacob sets a stone pillar as a memorial on her grave.  Jews continue this tradition of stones on graves to this day.  I love the idea of stones on graves instead of cut flowers.  They are a symbol of eternity.  Maybe this is why I like rocks so much, and often haul them home from travels to various places.

Early photo of Rachel's tomb in Bethlehem.

The company of Jacob then picked up and traveled a little further onward, to Migdal Eder, or the tower of the flock.  The only other place this term is used is in Micah 4, in the midst of a prophecy regarding the coming Messiah in Micah 4 and 5, a Ruler of Israel who would someday be born on this very spot.

Now we come to another verse that seems out of context, and, well, frankly - awkward:
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.

There appears to be no immediate reaction by Jacob, but we will see it mentioned at the end of Genesis when Jacob blesses (prophesies over) his sons.  The event also gets a mention in 1 Chronicles 5. 

Chapter 35 then goes straight into the genealogy of Jacob's sons, Reuben being noted as the firstborn.  I believe that Reuben's treachery was mentioned so that we can understand why it is Judah, the fourth-born, who receives the blessing that should have gone to a firstborn.  We already know why it does not pass to Simeon and Levi because of the bloodshed at Shechem.  Reuben's actions cause him to be passed over as well.

Plus Dinah, daughter of Leah. 

Chapter 35 ends with the reunion of Jacob and Isaac at Hebron.  We don't know how long Jacob dwells with Isaac, but when Isaac is 180 years old, he breathes his last.  Esau shows up from Seir (another reunion) and the brothers bury their father at the same place as Abraham and Sarah - the cave of Machpelah.

Esau probably sticks around with the fam for at least a little while and then he heads home to Seir.  And the next chapter of Genesis is then devoted to him and his progeny.

Why?  Because he is a child of Abraham.  Genesis 25 had given us a brief overview of the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Keturah for the same reason.  Esau's family tree is also given a shout-out in 1 Chronicles chapter 1.  But the biblical narrative switches radically and almost exclusively to the children of Jacob, from whence will come the Seed of the Woman and the Redeemer of the World.

So. just for fun I tried to draw out Esau's lineage based on Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1.

It wasn't easy.  It was so mixed with the sons of Seir.  I think that perhaps that is part of the point of this chapter... contrasting the mixed family of Esau with the set-apart children of Israel.  I finally gave up trying to create an accurate family tree of Esau.  One of the Hebrew word for mixed is Arab.  It is the same word as erev, or sunset, which also carries the meaning of chaos.  Not light and not dark.  Twilight.

Some of these names  of Edom's family show up later in scripture.  For instance, Eliphaz the Temanite shows up in the book of Job.  The Amalekites certainly show up later on when the LORD tells Saul to destroy them all in 1 Samuel 15.  Saul disobeys and spares King Agag.  Eventually the prophet Samuel steps in and hacks Agag to pieces (oh, how colorful is the word of God), but not before Agag somehow has a chance to procreate.  One of Agag's descendants - Haman - shows up in the book of Esther, and we know how that went!

I must pause for a moment, and address my struggle with verse 6.
Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob.

Wait!  Jacob flees from his brother right after finagling the blessing of Isaac away from Esau.  And when they are reunited in Genesis 33, Esau is already a bigwig in Seir.  So how does he somehow depart from the presence of Jacob?

I could not reconcile this.  The various commentaries left me more confused.  So I gave up and went to get ready for my day. (I often blog while in pajamas).  As the hot water was pummeling my head, I sent up a prayer for clarity.  And just like the situation in my last post with Deborah the honeybee, insight came in an instant.  

This is what came to me.

When Rebekah sends Jacob away, she anticipates that it will only be for a few days, till Esau's anger has abated.  Jacob probably flees with not much more than the tunic on his back, leaving the bulk of his possessions behind.

Meanwhile, Esau's shepherds and Jacob's shepherds (much like Lot's and Abraham's shepherds back in Genesis 13) are trying to manage their respective flocks in an arid land.  Jacob's flock would be double the size of Esau's due to the double portion allotted to the son with the birthright.  Esau, partly due to his anger at what just happened with Jacob, and also due to being a hunter by nature, decides to head to the wilds of Seir, thinking, to heck with the hometown!  Departing from the presence of Jacob simply means leaving behind all those irritating reminders of his brother.

And Esau's departure is God-ordained, as we see in Deuteronomy 2:5, Joshua 24:4, and other places.  It was God's intent all along to remove Esau from the Promised Land and also to give Seir to Esau.  And Esau becomes a bigwig himself - head honcho of the land of Edom.

Eventually, the Edomites become enemies of Israel, and the entire book of Obadiah is a prophecy against them because of how they treat the children of Israel - both in their trek from Egypt and in their eventual exile.  Rivkah's prophecy of the warring twins in her womb is fulfilled.

The story continues to unfold!  Click here to continue.