Genesis: Jacob reunites with Joseph

Jacob reunites with Joseph

text: Genesis 46 – 50

Outline:

A. 46, Joseph unites with the family

 B. 47:1-12, Jacob comes to pharaoh's palace

  C. 47:13-26, Joseph commands the people.

   D. 47:27-31, pledge to bury Jacob in the land

    E. 48, Jacob blesses and adopts two of the sons of Joseph

    E'. 49:1-27, Jacob blesses his sons

   D'. 49:28-32, request to be buried in the land

  C'. 50:1-3, Joseph commands servants

 B'. 50:4-14, Joseph get assistance from pharaoh

A'. 50:15-26, Joseph unites with brothers

Comments: We are almost at the happy end phase of the story. Joseph reunite with his father. Jacob blesses pharaoh. Two sons of Joseph adopted into the family with a higher status. And even death of the patriarch is followed by fulfillment of the promise. Everything looks great... but, there is a fly in the honey barrel (cp. Eccl. 10:1). Relationship between the brothers are not as simple as they could've been.

Return of the father. Back there in Genesis 25 I said: it is the story about Jacob: he is there, even if he is not. Here he finally emerges at the full strength – reunion with his favorite son, Joseph. But, what is interesting, the chapter begins with Jacob inquiring the God's opinion on this “travel.” And God approved it, Go, and I will go with you, and I will bring you up again” (Genesis 46:1-4). So, Jacob goes down to Egypt, but he doesn't go alone – he brings the whole family. And we have a list of the brothers with their sons (Genesis 46:5-27).

What is beautiful to see, is the picture of Jacob and Joseph's reunion – it is reversed by Jesus in the Parable of the Prodigal son (cp. Genesis 46:28-30 and Luke 15:11-31). Joseph is the one who approached his father, and he fells on the neck of Jacob. Then he teaches his brothers how to respond to pharaoh to get the land good for shepherding (Genesis 46:31-34).

Jacob blesses pharaoh. After the family settled in Goshen, Jacob was invited to the palace. We could've expect a word of thanksgiving from pharaoh to Jacob for raising such a great son, who saved the day. We could've expected a signs of grace and mercy from the pharaoh to Jacob, but what we see is Jacob blessing pharaoh, twice (Genesis 47:7, 10). This tells us that the spiritual authority belongs to the people of the covenant. The patriarch extends the Lord's dominion to the other nations. This is a good resolution of relationship with the “others,” unlike the examples we saw in Genesis 6 (sons of God and the daughters of men) or 34 (situation at Shechem).

The rest of chapter 47 tells two stories: first, on of how the people of Egypt became slaves to the pharaoh, but not to Joseph [this part sometimes becomes a reason for antisemitic interpretation] (Genesis 47:13-26). The second one is a fast track of life of Jacob in Egypt – total days are numbered and the promise of Canaan burial is given (Genesis 47:27-31). But we will see at least three important events before the end of his life.

Adoption of Joseph's sons. This is the first one of the important events, when we zoom into Jacob's last 17 years. He takes two sons of Joseph and adopts them into the tribes of Israel. And even more that that – he reverses the placement of the sons. The younger gets a right-hand blessing, while the older is blessed by the left hand (Genesis 48:14-18). In the rite of Shabbat (Sabbath meal at home a Jewish father supposed to say the lines from Genesis 48:20).

The second event is the Blessing of the tribes. He blesses all twelve of them, but in an unique way. First of all, Jacob sets Judah as THE heir (not Reuben, and not Joseph or one of his sons). Thus showing the respect to the birth order and Leah's devotion to God and the family (cp. Genesis 29:35). Second, what is interesting is his usage of the animal and/or “greenery” imagery. Just one example, Benjamin is portrayed as a wolf (Genesis 49:27). On one hand, this is unclean animal, fierce predator and carnivore (Matthew 7:15). On the other hand, a successful family-oriented animal – I think, Jacob meant it this way. Note that the very first king of Israel was Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin. Family oriented man who raised obedient children.

The third and the final event is Jacob's death. After finishing the blessings, Jacob says that he is going to be where his father and mother are buried, and where Abraham and Sarah are buried, but also Leah is buried there. Note that the beloved Rachel was buried by the side of a road (Genesis 35:19-20), and – again, Leah's child is placed in charge (Genesis 49:8-12). Joseph cries for the sixth time... Then he orders to balm the father, and there are on their way to Canaan. Interestingly enough – the locals think that they are Egyptians (Genesis 50:11).

But the death of Jacob is not the last story in the book – Last tears of Joseph is. Looks like brothers didn't believe the forgiveness of Joseph. They came up with a story about their father vouching on their behalf (to them, and not to Joseph directly... really?). People have different takes on this incident. Some believe, that the mentioning of his father so soon after the burial made him cry. I think it is an understanding that they don't trust him, and don't believe in his forgiveness made him cry. He had to calm them down (Genesis 50:21), talking (literally) to their hearts (decision making organ in a human).