Feb 20
23
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 46:5 – 7; 46:26 – 47:31
“Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt… [46:26] All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.
He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.’
Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. [47:1] So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, ‘My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.’ And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.’ They said to Pharaoh, ‘We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.’
Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many are the days of the years of your life?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my sojourning 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 sojourning.’ And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
Then Joseph settled 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. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.
Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, ‘Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.’ And Joseph answered, ‘Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.’ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, ‘We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.’ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, ‘Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.’ And they said, ‘You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.’ So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.
Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.’ He answered, ‘I will do as you have said.’ And he said, ‘Swear to me’; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.” (Genesis 46:5 – 7; 46:26 – 47:31, ESV)
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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.]
Introduction
As I said in the introduction to the previous sermon, Genesis chapters 46 – 47 belong together. They tell the story of the third and final journey of the family of Joseph down into Egypt. This time it was not only a portion of the family that went, but all of Israel. Jacob and every one of his offspring went down. And this time the family would not quickly return, but they and their descendents would remain in Egypt for centuries.
The narrative of Genesis has made it abundantly clear that this was the will of the LORD. It was the will of the LORD that the Hebrew people would grow into a great nation in Egypt.
Of course, it is correct to say that all things that come to pass are the will of the LORD. We come to know what the hidden will of God is by observing the outworking of his eternal decree in the unfolding of human history. But here I am saying that Israel’s going down into Egypt to grow into a great nation there was a part of God’s revealed will. To Abraham (when he was still Abram) God said, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age” (Genesis 15:13–15, ESV). And to Jacob God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 46:3, ESV). Genesis 46 and 47 describes to us the beginning of that period in the history of Israel — the Egyptian period.
The passage that is before us today is very long. I would like to consider it in seven parts.
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All Of Israel Went Down Into Egypt
First of all, let us recognize that when Jacob went down into Egypt, all of Israel went with him. They were the complete nation of Israel in miniature, ready to grow as God had ordained. This is the emphasis of verses 5 through 27.
I have said that Jacob took his family down into Egypt, which is true. He was the highly esteemed head the of his clan. The family went to Egypt only with his approval. But in reality his family carried him given his old age.
I refrained from reading “the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt” in verses 46:8 through 25. The thing to notice here is that the number which Moses gives to the clan is 70. 66 sons are listed, but if one counts Jacob’s daughter Dinah and also Joseph and his two sons who were already in Egypt, the number is 70. Verse 26: “All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy”.
As you can imagine, there are different ways to count this clan. The total number of people in Jacob’s house who went down into Egypt was probably much larger than 70 if all of the wives and servants of Jacob and his sons were listed. But 70 is the number of Jacob’s physical descendents who moved from Canaan to Egypt, including Joseph who went down much earlier and under different circumstances.
The number 70 is a number of completion. It communicates symbolically that all of Israel went down into Egypt. It is also significant that in Genesis 10 we find a list of the sons of Shem, Ham and Japheth, who were the sons of Noah. There were learn that 70 sons were born to them after the flood, and that from those 70 sons all of the nations of the earth descended. We call that list the table of nations. So, from Noah and his sons all of the nations of the earth descended — Genesis lists 70. The Hebrew people descended from Shem, Eber (H -eber-ew), Tarah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And when Jacob went down into Egypt 70 of his descendents are listed so that we might understand that a nation would come from them, and from this nation a new humanity would spring forth. From this 70 — the 70 of Jacob — God would provide a Savior for the 70 who descended from the sons of Noah. The 70 of Jacob correspond to the 70 of the sons of Noah. Not only do they correspond, but they would, in the fullness of time, bring forth the remedy for their sins — Jesus the Christ, who is the Savior of the world.
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Jacob Reunited With Joseph
Secondly, let us consider the reunion of Jacob and Joseph. The account of this is found in verses 28-30.
Notice these three things.
One, notice that Judah again takes the lead. Verse 28: Jacob “had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Judah’s checkered past should be remembered. Among other things, he was the one who suggested that Joseph be sold into slaver all those years ago. But we should not forget the transformation that we saw in him. He showed deep concern for his brother and his father when Joseph threatened to take Benjamin captive. He offered himself up as a substitute for the boy. And because of this we have said that Judah was a type of the Christ who would descend from him, the lion of the tribe of Judah. Here in this scene Judah continues in the lead. He went before the others to prepare the way into the land of Goshen. And in this respect he is also a type of the Christ who would descend from him.
Christ lived, died and rose again. The New Testament refers to him as “the first-fruits” in regard to the resurrection. He rose from the dead and has ascended into the heavenly places in glory, leading the way for his brethren. This is why he spoke to his disciples in this way before his death: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1–3, ESV).
Judah again functioned as a type of the Christ who would descend from him when he went ahead into Goshen to prepare a place for Israel and to mediate the reunion of Jacob and Joseph, who had been raised from the dead, figuratively speaking.
Two, see Joseph’s love for Jacob. Verse 29: “Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.” Underneath Joseph’s faithful, resolute and strong disposition was a tender heart. He loved his father and missed him very much, having been separated from him for all of those years.
Three, notice Jacob’s relief. Verse 30: “Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.’” Jacob would not die for many more years, but now he was at peace regarding his son Joseph. Before he said, “I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning” (Genesis 37:35). Now he says, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.’”
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Joseph And His Brothers Before Pharaoh
Thirdly, let us consider Joseph and his brothers as they stood before Pharaoh.
Joseph again proves himself to be very wise. His desire was that his family settle in Goshen (which Moses later calls “the land of Rameses”).
The reasons for this were probably threefold. One, the land was good for grazing sheep which was the occupation of the sons of Jacob. Two, the land was set off a bit from the population of Egypt. This would have protected Israel from racial discrimination. And three, the land was near the boarder of Canaan which would have allowed Israel to more easily return at the appointed time.
Joseph was wise to first settle his family there, then to go before Pharaoh saying, my family has come, they are shepherds, and they are currently in Goshen. Pharaoh simply recognized and approved of Joseph’s decision, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen…” And even better, Pharaoh said, “if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” The brothers were offered positions in the service of Pharaoh.
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Jacob Blesses Pharaoh
Fourthly, let us consider that Jacob blessed Pharaoh. This is very significant, for the greater blesses the lesser. Jacob blessed Pharaoh not once, but twice.
After the rather cold and formal interaction between the Pharaoh and the brothers of Joseph, the tone changes to one of warmth as Joseph presents his father to Pharaoh.
In 47:7 we learn that “Jacob blessed Pharaoh” the moment that he saw him. Certainly we are to remember the promise that God made to Abraham, saying, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3, ESV). Here we see a fulfillment to that promise. Pharaoh blessed Israel on account of Joseph, and Israel pronounced a blessing upon the Pharaoh.
[APPLICATION: We should never forget that this was Israel’s purpose from the start — to be a blessing to the nations. God set Abraham, Isaac and Jacob apart and promised to make a great nation of them so that they might be a blessing to the nations. This theme has permeated the Genesis narrative. And this theme will continue throughout the Old Testament scriptures. God set Israel apart, not for the sake of Israel only, but so that through Israel the nations might be blessed. Ultimately, the blessing is that through Israel the nations would also be reconciled to God through the Christ who would come into the world through them. When Jacob stood before Pharaoh and blessed him it is to remind us of this purpose for Israels existence — they were blessed to be a blessing.]
Notice the respect and the warmth in Pharaoh’s reply. Verse 8: “Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many are the days of the years of your life?’”
[APPLICATION: In the ancient world (and in many other cultures around the world to this day) age is honored. In our culture it is often considered to be rude to ask an elderly person about their age. But this only shows how foolishness and vain we are. In our culture we celebrate youthfulness and celebrity, but for what? Should we not honor those who possess true wisdom? Should we not honor those with life experience? Surely, the church in America is to be countercultural in this regard.
Young and old should pursue maturity and wisdom all the days of their life.
Those advanced in years should not neglect the responsibility they have to be an example to the young. Remember how Paul wrote to Titus saying, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:1–5, ESV). Those advanced in years should not look down upon their age but see that they have a particular responsibility to lead by example within the church and within the culture.
And those who are young should not fail to appreciate the wisdom of those who are older, who have gained it through life experience.]
Here in Genesis 47 we learn that Jacob blessed Pharaoh twice. Once at the beginning of their interaction and again at the end. This is one of those instanced where things are not as they appear. According to the appearance of things, Pharaoh was much greater than Jacob. Pharaoh was the supreme ruler of a great and mighty nation. This nation was used by the LORD to preserve many through this time of famine. Pharaoh’s wealth and power was tremendous. Undoubtably, he was arrayed in glory. Jacob must have appeared very humble, frail and poor by comparison. And yet Jacob was the more significant person. He wads chosen of the Lord. Though him and through his offspring the Christ would come into the world. Though him and through his offspring the kingdom of God would be established. And so it is with God’s kingdom as it advances in this world — it always seems to be weak and poor and frail when compared to the kingdoms of this world. But in fact, the kingdom of God is greater. Things are not always what they appear, brothers and sisters.
[APPLICATION: It was right that Jacob blessed Pharaoh, for this was the will of the Lord for the Hebrews, that through them the nations of the earth would be blessed. And are we not to do the same as the Israel of God in this New Covenant era? Are we not also to pray for and bless those who rule over us, even if they be ungodly and unbelieving. Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1–2, ESV). Israel came under the authority of Egypt when he brought his family to sojourn in that land. And what did do except bless the Pharaoh? Brothers and sisters, let us be faithful to pray for those who rule over us.]
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Israel Settled In Egypt
Fifthly, let us consider that Israel settled in Egypt in the land of Goshen (or Rameses). This is reported in 47:11-12: “Then Joseph settled 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. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents” (Genesis 47:11–12, ESV).
Although Israel was hard pressed on every side by the severe famine, the LORD provided for them. He gave Israel “the best of the land” of Egypt and provided them with their daily bread.
[APPLICATION: The people of God should take encouragement from this, for here we see the faithfulness of the LORD shown to his people. He promised to go with Jacob down into Egypt to preserve him, and to bring him back again. We should not be surprised that LORD also richly provided for Israel while in Egypt. He gave them the best of the land and a regular provision of food. Christ taught his disciples to pray, “give us this day our daily bread” knowing that the Father would be faithful to answer that prayer to provide for them. And the writer to Hebrews exhorts us saying, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5–6, ESV).]
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Egypt Endures Famine
Sixthly, let us consider that Egypt (and Canaan) endured years of famine. In verses 13 we read, “Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine” (Genesis 47:13, ESV).
You and I do not know what it is like to endure famine. I doubt that many even consider it a possibility in our modern, globalized and technologically advanced society. The grocery stores were well stocked throughout the years of drought that we endured he in Southern California. Though we longed to be refreshed by rain, no one suffered a lack of food or water con account of the drought.
But Egypt and Canaan languished during these years. Were it not for God revealing to Joseph that the famine was coming and giving him the wisdom to prepare for it, many would have perished. Here we see God’s common grace displayed. Though they languished, mercy was shown to the people of the land through Joseph’s relief plan.
Verses 14 — 26 describe to us the progression of things in Egypt. First, the Egyptians purchased grain from Pharaoh with money. After the money was gone, they sold their livestock to Pharaoh. And after their livestock was gone, they sold their land, and even themselves into the service of Pharaoh.
Those of us who are in favor of limited government and low taxation recoil a bit when we hear about this economic policy. But it is difficult to see what else could have been done given the dire circumstances. Evidently Joseph refused to simply hand out grain. The grain had to be purchased at every stage, which is certainly right. But the end result was that all of the people of Egypt (with the exception of the priests) were made servants of Pharaoh. From the days of Joseph to the days of Moses the people of Egypt gave the Pharaoh a fifth. In general the people of Egypt were grateful saying,
“You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.”
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Israel Blessed In Egypt
Seventhly, and lastly, let us consider that Israel was blessed in Egypt.
In verse 27 we read, “Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly” (Genesis 47:27, ESV). While the people of Egypt and Canaan languished, Israel flourished. They were fruitful and multiplied greatly, for the LORD was with them to bless them even as they sojourned in Egypt while enduring the famine.
Though Israel was blessed in Egypt, Jacob’s heart was in the land of promise. Verse 28: “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.’ He answered, ‘I will do as you have said.’ And he said, ‘Swear to me’; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed” (Genesis 47:28–31, ESV).
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Conclusion
If there is one big picture piece of application to draw from this story it must be that God is faithful to bless his people while they sojourn in a foreign lands. This is particularly important for the people of God living in the New Covenant era to know, for we are all sojourners living in foreign lands, spiritually speaking. There is no particular piece of land that belongs to the people of God under the New Covenant. We are all sojourns who long to see the new heavens and earth.
This is what Peter said: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV). And it was also Peter who said, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV).
Many find their security in their nation, their land and their home. But the Christian sojourner runs to God and to the Christ he has sent for security. Our refuge is in him. He is our comfort and our peace.
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20–21, ESV).
