What To Learn From Joseph A Bible Character (Part 13)

 

Jacob's burial

After Jacob's death, Joseph commanded the physicians to embalm his father. And it took them forty days to do so, after which, the Egyptians mourned him for seventy days. Then, Joseph went and asked for permission to go and bury his father in Canaan. This is because Jacob had made him swear that he would bury him in the burial place bought by Abraham. And Pharaoh granted him permission to go and return.

 

So, Joseph, his brothers, their families, servants of Pharaoh, and the elders of Egypt all went to the land of Canaan to bury Jacob. And when they got there, they mourned Jacob for seven days. So, Jacob's sons did for him just as he commanded them; for they buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah that Abraham bought for a burial place. And after they buried Jacob, Joseph and all who went with him returned to Egypt.

 

Joseph reassures his brothers

After their father's death, Joseph's brothers feared that Joseph will revenge for all the evils they did to him. So, they sent some people to Joseph to tell him that their father, Jacob, requested that he forgive his brothers for what they did to him. Then, later Joseph's brothers also came and bowed before him telling him that they were his servants. And Joseph told them not to be afraid, that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. This is because he was sent to save many people from dying. Then, he comforted them and assured them that he would provide for them. Read more...

 

 

 

 

What To Learn From Joseph A Bible Character (Part 12)

 

Jacob prophesies over his sons

Jacob called his children to gather so that he would tell them what will happen to them in the future. He started with his first son Reuben and ended with Benjamin. And he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

 

Summary of the blessings

• Reuben - He will not excel because he defiled his father's bed by sleeping with his concubine Bilhah.
• Simeon and Levi - They're to be scattered in the midst of Israel because their anger caused them to kill Shechem and the Schechemites
• Judah - He shall be great among his brothers and the scepter of royalty and the ruler's staff will not depart from him
• Zebulun - he will be a haven for ships.
• Issachar - he saw a resting place that was good and pleasant, and he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens. And he became a servant at forced labour.
• Dan - He shall be a serpent in the way that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward
• Gad - He shall raid at his enemies and assault them.
• Asher - He will have food in abundance.
• Naphtali - a swift warrior with beautiful words.
• Joseph - The blessings of his father up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills shall be on his head.
• Benjamin - He is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey and at night he divides the spoil.

Jacob's Death and burial

Jacob told his sons that he would soon die and that they should bury him in the family burial place in Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephron, the Hittite. Read more...

 

 

What To Learn From Joseph A Bible Character (Part 11)

 

Jacob tells of God's blessing on him

When Joseph heard that his father, Jacob, was sick he took his two sons to go and see him. And when he got there Jacob sat up to receive them. Then he told Joseph the blessing God gave him at Bethel, that He would multiply him greatly and give the land of Cannan to him and his descendants as their everlasting possession.

 

Joseph's sons to be Jacob's sons

Jacob told Joseph that his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, born to him before Jacob came to Egypt, would be numbered as Jacob's children. But other children he would have later will be his own. So, Manasseh and Ephraim will be on the same level as Reuben and Simeon, and they will receive their inheritance as they would.

 

Jacob blesses Manasseh and Ephraim

When Jacob saw Joseph's sons, he was happy to see them. And Jacob blessed God that he not only saw Joseph again but also saw his sons. Then he called on God according to how he knew Him to bless the boys. And he said

 

"...The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked [in faithful obedience], the God who has been my Shepherd [leading and caring for me] all my life to this day, the Angel [that is, the LORD Himself] who has redeemed me [continually] from all evil, bless the boys..."Genesis 48:15-16 (AMP). Read more...

What To Learn From Joseph A Bible Character (Part 10)

 

Jacob's Family stands before Pharaoh

Joseph took some of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. And he told him that they were shepherds and are presently in Goshen. Then Pharaoh asked the brothers what their occupation was, and they affirmed that they were shepherds from the time of their forefathers. Then, Pharaoh asked Joseph to put one of his brothers in charge of his own livestock. Also, Pharaoh asked Joseph to give his father and brothers the best land in Egypt, which happened to be Goshen. And Joseph did so.

 

Jacob stands before Pharaoh

Then Joseph brought his father before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was, and he said that the days of his pilgrimage were one hundred and thirty years, few and yet evil. Also, he told him that he hadn't attained the ages his fathers’ reached before dying. Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.

 

Joseph deals with the famine

The famine was too severe and got to the point that the people didn't have money again to pay for grains. So, they started buying food with their livestock. And when their livestock finished, the people asked Joseph to buy them and their land for food. So, Joseph bought them and all the land for Pharaoh, except the lands of the priests. And the people were okay with it because they said that Joseph had saved them, and they would be Pharaoh’s servants. Then, Joseph gave them seeds to plant and they were to give one-fifth to Pharaoh when they harvested the produce. So, four-fifth was theirs to do as they wished. Then Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh would have one-fifth of their harvests. This excluded the land of the priests, which did not become Pharaoh’s land. Read more...