A brief introduction to the Book of Job

Job is a book that has been often quoted but not as frequently read. Why do many believers avoid reading this book? It’s probably because the theme is very abstract and the thoughts it present are deep. Besides, hardship and suffering don’t make for pleasant reading. Yet this book is undeniably helpful to understand our God in human suffering. It gives us tips on how to face life when we are besieged with great problems. It teaches us to be humble before God, to obey Him and to trust Him to work out all things for our good. So today we shall embark on a journey to learn from this book.  

A quick scan of the book tells us that it contains two types of genre. Job 1 and 2 contain the prologue and Job 42:7-17 the epilogue, are written in prose. Reading these passages is like reading a report. Hence, it makes reading and understanding them easy. The body of the book, found in Job 3:1-42:6, is written in poetical language. They are beautifully expressed but harder to understand. And like many books in the Bible, we do not know exactly who the author of this book is. Many students of the Bible believe that Job was a contemporary of the patriarch Abraham, and that he existed during that time in the land of Uz. In our English Bible, the book of Job is placed together with the poetical books of Psalms, Proverbs, Songs and Ecclesiastes, classified as wisdom literature.

The theme of Job is on human suffering. It explores the issue of the suffering of the just and righteous. As it covers this very enigmatic subject, we get to see God’s dealing with His children. The presentation of the content shows us God’s sovereignty. In it, we get to see the devil as God’s servant, though an unwilling one. And as we explore this book, we will realize that suffering is a subject that is hard to explain. 

Many today, like the friends of Job who came to comfort him, still see suffering as divine punishment. Many still believe that when one is good, he will receive blessings such as health, wealth and numerous posterity. And they still believe that punishment and suffering are experiences for the wicked. They will be deprived of the good things of life. This, however, is not true in actual experience. People, despite their wickedness, still receive much good things from life. And on the other hand, people who live righteously still do experience hardship. We will discover in this book that true faith in God can never be extinguished by suffering. Hence, it’ll help us to embrace the fact that God can be trusted even when what we experience in life may not seem congruent with a good God.  

Genesis 50:22-26 – Awaiting our blessed hope

Joseph lived up to 110 years old. Ninety-three of those years were spent in Egypt. And he spent most part of those years as Pharaoh’s second-in-command. His life was richly blessed. And his family multiplied after he and his family returned from burying his father. He was blessed to see Ephraim’s children to the third generation. Manasseh’s son, Machir also had children born before Joseph. In other words, his family in Egypt was a multi-generational one. Just like his father who had adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his own children, he also adopted the children of Machir, his grandson, as his own.  Joseph certainly had a deep conviction that his real home was not Egypt. So he left instruction for his brothers saying, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” He even made them swear saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.”

Unlike his father Jacob who had made Joseph promise to take his bones upon death back to Canaan, Joseph was content to have his people take his bones back to Canaan in the future when they all departed at the exodus. There was no description of a grand funeral procession when Joseph died, although he most probably had one. His father Jacob’s immediate committal in the family tomb in Canaan had identified himself with Abraham and Isaac and the sure hope in the land. But Joseph’s temporary burial in Egypt identified with the future generations in Egypt and their hope of returning to the land.

So Joseph, the savior of Egypt, died at age 110. He was placed in a coffin. There was no mention of a state funeral but we are sure he was given one. His last words “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” echoed deeply in the hearts of his children. It’s a reminder of the promise that God had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He anticipated an exodus of the children of Israel. And he wanted to be part of that exodus. His words and even his bones spoke of great hope. As we come to the close of our meditation in this book, we recall the pain, hurt and suffering Joseph endured in his early life. Though with the passing of time they had lessened considerably and much was replaced by blessings, they left something deep within us. His life is a reminder that no bad experience can ever thwart the plan of God. He can redirect all the bad happenings of our life and turn them for our good. The experience of Joseph points us to our Lord Jesus. He suffered far more than Joseph, and even died in the hands of cruel men. And the punishment that should be ours fell upon Him. His suffering, like Joseph’s, was God’s intention. Our heavenly Father engineered it, so that we who believe in Him would be kept alive.

The book of Genesis ends with Joseph in a coffin waiting for the exodus to Canaan, the Promised Land. It would only take place in the exodus led by Moses. However, the true exodus for us took place when Christ came at His first Advent. And Paul writing in Titus 2:11-14 tells us how we should conduct our life now. He said, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Let’s live for Jesus! Our Glorious King!

Genesis 50:15-21 – In all things God works for our good

Israel’s 12 sons were now back in Egypt. With their father dead and buried, their minds went back to how they had treated Joseph and were afraid that he would now seek his revenge. See what fear can do to a person. Fear is always the result of the negatives our mind dwells upon constantly. Know this: that our mind cannot differentiate between what is presently real and what is vividly imagined. Although this was totally unfounded and irrational, the thought plagued them. Anybody who recollects the way Joseph reconciled with them would not doubt that he had already genuinely forgiven them. Remember how he tearfully made up with them in that room when they returned the last time to get grains from Egypt. In Genesis 45:5 he told them not to be distressed or angry with themselves that they had sold him to Egypt. Joseph saw their act as an orchestration of God. He said, “God had sent me before you to preserve life.” Then in Genesis 45:15, it tells us that he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. For the last 17 years they had lived peacefully and even displayed great oneness as they buried their father as a family. So far we did not detect anything Joseph did to warrant that fear. It’s obviously their guilt playing itself out. They were apprehensive.

In their apprehension they assumed that Joseph only put up with them in deference to their father who was now dead and gone. Though Joseph had already forgiven them, they was no record of them ever confessing their wrong to him nor asked for his forgiveness. There was really no closure in their minds, so their guilt conscience plagued them. They couldn’t believe that Joseph would forgive them for how they had treated him. With a guilt ridden conscience, it was hard for them to recognize grace. So they did something that was totally unnecessary. They made up a message and sent it to Joseph. They said to him, “Your father charged before he died, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”  Of course what they had concocted was a lie. There was nothing Joseph had done that would cause the father to think that way.

Though their desire to ask for forgiveness was good and right, the way they went about it was totally unnecessary. Good intention need not be dealt with deceptively. Though they had cloaked their confession with a lie, they were nonetheless very genuine. They were desperately seeking Joseph’s forgiveness. They used words such as transgression and sin and wrong to allude to their deplorable acts. At no time did they try to gross over their sins by calling it a mistake. In other words, they called a spade a spade. And Joseph saw their genuineness and that broke his heart. So he responded to them in tears for Joseph had longed forgiven them. He could not bear to see his brothers’ pathetic show of self-abasement. His words to them was, “Do not be afraid.” And he said it twice.

In his words to his brothers in verses 19-21, he provided three reasons why they should not fear. Firstly, he had no desire to take the place of God by asking a rhetorical question, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?” Secondly, whatever had happened, he insisted, was God’s sovereign and providence will being played out through their evil intention. God had used what they had done to preserve them as well as many in the world. Thirdly, Joseph assured them that he would not abandon them. He would provide for them and their little ones. And there was not a harsh word. Everything was kindly spoken and delivered. What magnanimity!

The things Joseph said to his brothers remind us of how good a God we worship and serve. He does have a good plan for each of us. It is always with welfare and not calamity. Though we may encounter hardship and unpleasant moments, He uses them to work out for the best outcome for our life ultimately. We are all in God’s refining process and He is working out all things, good or bad, for our ultimate good. And it’s because He loves us and has called us to Himself, so that we might fulfill His purpose

Genesis 50:4-14 – Finishing strong

The mourning of Israel’s death was long drawn. In that duration, hair would have grown on Joseph’s usually shone head. Moustaches and beard would have appeared on the areas above his upper lip and his usually cleanly shaven chin. And in his disheveled state of mourning, he must have thought it unwise to go and see Pharaoh directly. So he sent carefully worded message to the monarch through messengers. He did not want to offend Pharaoh by giving him the impression that Egypt was unsuitable for his father’s bones. So he made known to him that it was his father’s desire to be buried in Canaan. And it was the patriarch who had made him promise to bring his body back to Canaan to be buried there. It was important to fulfill the wish of a dying man, so Pharaoh consented. And Joseph set out bringing his father’s body back to Canaan

Verses 7-11 describe the cortege of a grand state funeral. After all, this is the funeral of the father of a man whom Egypt owed much. It was this mastermind who, through his God-given wisdom, had saved them from starvation and consolidated Egypt. And he had brought them immeasurable wealth from all over the then known world. Nothing would be withheld from him to ensure that his father was given a grand sent off. The procession to Canaan was elaborate. Three groups accompanied Israel’s body to Canaan. First group comprised of the elites of Egypt: the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of the household and the elders of the land of Egypt. The second group made up of Israel’s own family. Verse 8 tells us that “all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household” went up except for their little ones and their herds and flocks. Then came the third group encompassing military personnel and charioteers.  This was to provide protection. What a grand procession!

The funeral procession also took an unusual circuitous route coming to the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan. It was a rather round-about way to get to Canaan. This was perhaps a rehearsal of the route they would eventually take 400 years later in the grand exodus under Moses. In Atad, the procession paused and lamented for seven days with loud weeping and wailing. That was the way they mourned the loss of Israel. So amazed were the whole proceeding that the Canaanites observing what went on named the place “Abel-mizraim”, meaning the mourning of the Egypt. Here the Egyptians remained beyond the Jordan while Joseph and the rest of his brothers carried his body to be buried in Canaan.  

Verses 12-13 said, “Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.” The land they buried Israel rightly belonged to them. Abraham bought it. So the bones of Israel laid to rest in Machpelah. After Israel’s burial, Joseph and his brothers and all their families returned to Egypt.

Like Israel, every one of us will have to face this inevitability of death. For since the fall of man, death has been and will continue to be everyone’s ultimate experience. This was God’s warning. No one escapes it. Hence the legacy we leave behind becomes very important. Our legacy can continue to impact others long after we leave this earth. Hence it behooves us to run and finish well in this race of life. What are we leaving behind? Though there were hiccups in Israel’s journey, overall we must conclude that he finished strong. What about us? Remember, while it is important to start well, it is equally important that we finish well.    

Genesis 50:1-3 – Responsible stewardship

Israel, like his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac, believed that Canaan was God’s Promised Land to them. Through him, God raised the 12 tribes of Israel namely: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and Benjamin. Just as providence would have it, the failures of Joseph’s three oldest brothers, Reuben, Simeon and Levi, propelled him into leadership for the moment. Ultimately it would be the tribe of Judah who would provide the leadership to the rest of the other tribes.

We know that Israel had spent the last 17 years of his life in Egypt with Joseph, whom he thought had died but was preserved by God to fulfil His purpose. Joseph, as we know, ascended in Egypt and became Pharaoh’s second-in-command. On top of that, he also married an Egyptian wife and had children born in Egypt. But though he lived in Egypt for a greater part of his life yet Egypt had not influenced him. He was still truly Jacob’s son, and sat listening absorbingly to his father’s every word. Genesis 46:4 tells us that Joseph would eventually close the eyes of Jacob in death. And when his father drew his last breath, Joseph did exactly that while his brothers were looking on.

Coming to Genesis 50:1 we are told that Jacob died and Joseph fell on his face and wept over him and kissed him. His heart was virtually torn as he bathed his father’s face with his tears. Then he took control of all the funeral arrangement. He ordered his physicians to have the father’s body embalmed. In Egypt, how a body was prepared for burial depended on how wealthy a person was. A poor person’s dead body would be simply washed and then buried. Whereas a rich person’s body would receive an elaborate embalming at death. In their belief, rich Egyptians would have an elaborate preparation of a dead body so that the deceased could enjoy the afterlife. This in fact bothers on superstition. Verse 2 tells us that the embalming of Israel’s body by the Egyptian physicians was elaborate. They took 40 days to embalm him. But  Joseph did not do this for his father because of any superstition. He probably did it because he wanted his father to have the best. Then we are told that the Egyptians wept for him for 70 days. This is an indication that there was a national mourning. It was probably ordered by Pharaoh who had great respect for Jacob. The 70 days mourning were actually two days short of the period the nation would usually mourn over a Pharaoh’s death. 

The lesson we take away would be this: how we want our body to be prepared at death is not as important as how we live our life now, in preparation for life after death. The Bible tells us that ultimately, we will all have to give an account for how we conduct our life here on earth. We will need to account for how we steward our God given resources - our time, money and talent. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 4:2 that “…it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” So, while we live now, let’s be sure to steward our resources, our time, money and talent wisely. Responsibility demands it! 

Genesis 49:28-33 – The ultimate blessing

Jacob took the time to speak over his twelve sons and engaged them. By the time he finished speaking over Benjamin, his youngest son, he was totally exhausted. Yet he harnessed his last ounce of strength and gave his final instruction, recorded for us in verses 29-32. He said, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah - the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 

Before Jacob breathed his last we see several things about him. Firstly he was still clear and very lucid in mind and knew what he wanted. He probably had time to think about how he encountered God in all those 147 years. Secondly, he was very determined to be buried in the Promised Land. His desire was to be buried with his grandparents, Abraham and Sarah, and parents, Isaac and Rebekah. In this grave his wife, Leah was also buried. Rachel, the wife he loved most was not buried there because she died on the way while giving birth to Benjamin. Finally, Jacob held fast to the belief that his sons and their descendants would exit from Egypt to settle in the Promised Land. All these of course came to pass. So Joseph took his bones to the family tomb in Canaan. We will see that when it came to Joseph’s time to die, he also made his sons promise to carry his bones back to the Promised Land. And his bones were taken out of Egypt in the Exodus of the children of Israel.   

The blessings of Jacob find its finest expression when out of the tribe of Judah came King David, and from his line came Jesus Christ, our Messiah. He came to grace this earth some two thousand years later. And through Him, the Covenant that God made with Abraham finds it ultimate fulfilment. Truly through him all the families of the earth can be blessed. And it is through Him that we receive grace upon grace. Paul, in Colossians 1:13-14, summed up the most important and best blessing to us. He said, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Praise the Lord!  

Genesis 49:22-26 – Steadfastness and fruitfulness are linked

Jacob saved his best words for Joseph, who stood head and shoulder over the rest of his brothers. Earlier on hearing that his father was sick, Joseph visited him with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. During that visit, Jacob formerly adopted Joseph’s two sons and blessed them. In his blessing he gave pre-eminence to the younger son, Ephraim over Manasseh, the older. Then he summoned for the rest of his brothers so that he could say his lasts words over each one of them. We have dealt with his words to all his sons except for Joseph. So here in verse 22, Jacob began pronouncing his blessing over Joseph.

He began by announcing that Joseph was a fruitful and well-watered tree, which had branches full of fruit hanging over the walls. Verses 22-24 view Joseph’s life retrospectively. In talking about the attack of the archer, Jacob was making reference to the vicious attack he experienced at the hands of his brothers, and that of Mrs Potiphar. However, the vicious attacks did not weaken him. He remained strong and firm and true to God and self instead. Everything he did, he honoured and glorified God. The key reason for Joseph’s success was God. His ability came from the power of “The Mighty God of Jacob,” who had also been his shepherd. God has been referenced to as the Mighty God, the Shepherd, the Stone and the Almighty or El Shaddai in these verses. The significance cannot be missed. Joseph’s experience from the pit, to the prison and then to the palace was accompanied by God and His mighty deliverance. 

In verses 24-26, the blessing of Jacob on Joseph looked ahead. He talked about the prospect of his future. Joseph would experience blessings from every which way by God the Almighty, who had guided him thus far. The blessing from above would refer to rain that will fall abundantly on his lot. Joseph would also experience blessings from beneath, these would be springs and water for his land. The blessings of the breasts and of the womb certainly referred to his off-springs. Joseph would have many descendants. The blessing pronounced over Joseph could be summed up in one word – fruitfulness. Incidentally, Ephraim means fruitfulness.

In the blessings Jacob pronounced over his sons, Reuben, Judah and Joseph’s blessings stood out. Reuben was condemned for his unrestrained lust, Judah was blessed after his transformed life and Joseph was blessed for his godliness. How did Joseph get to the place where he was so richly blessed? It could be traced to his steadfastness. From the pit, to the prison and to the palace, Joseph’s steadfastness stood out. And his relationship with God never wavered. He did not allow the low moments or the high moments to alter his allegiance to God. Joseph remained steadfast to the end. We must learn from him. Regardless of the circumstances we encounter in life, our focus must be firmly riveted in God. Learn to be faithful and steadfast, till fruitfulness overtakes us. This is abundant life!          

Genesis 49:27– The value of being gritty

In Genesis 49:1-21, Jacob’s words for his first ten sons were spoken and recorded. They tell us how needful it is to live right so that we will end right. What’s telling is that when we live right, we leave a good model and a rich legacy for our posterity. Having dealt with the first ten sons, Jacob still had two more sons, Joseph and Benjamin whom he had to bless. He of course had reserved his best for Joseph from verses 22-26. Before we look at his blessing for Joseph’s life, let’s look at his pronouncement over Benjamin in verse 27. Here’s what Jacob had said of him. 

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;

In the morning he devours the prey,

And in the evening he divides the spoil.”

Jacob depicted Benjamin as a ravenous wolf, an animal noted not only for being swift but also its viciousness and ferocity. The Bible records for us some of the people from the tribe of Benjamin who were true to the description, and had shown the characteristic of their swiftness and ferocity. Ehud the judge was from this tribe, his exploit could be gleaned in Judges 3:15-22. King Saul was from this tribe. First Samuel 22:17-20 showed how he had viciously commanded the priests of the Lord to be killed. Then in 2 Samuel 4:1-6, we see some of the descendants of Benjamin, Rechab and Baanah, who came stealthily to the crippled son of Saul, Ish-boseth and treacherously and viciously murdered him. Then in the New Testament, we read of Saul of Tarsus who later became Apostle Paul. Before his conversion by Christ, he acted like a ravenous and ferocious wolf, persecuting the church and relentlessly seizing Christians and killing them viciously. However, we see in the closing remarks of Jacob for Benjamin was that he would be successful in battle and would be a conquering warrior, dividing the spoils of war. How true were Jacob’s words concerning the tribe of Benjamin!

What we can emulate from Benjamin would be these: the swiftness, the warlike tenacity, determination and persevering grit. These are traits we sorely need when we are battling the evil of life. Our one constant concern in our spiritual journey must surely be to conquer the evil temptations that often come luring. To experience the life transforming work of Christ in our life, we need the grit like that of Jacob’s words for Benjamin, so that we can place ourselves at the disposal of God’s grace. Let’s be gritty as we give room for God’s grace to work its best in our life.  

Genesis 49:13-21 – Leaving a legacy behind

Genesis 49 contains Jacob’s final words to his sons. So far we have covered words he had pronounced over his first four sons, namely: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. The words he had for the first three sons were not at all positive. Reuben as we have discovered forfeited his inheritance as the firstborn because he attempted to usurp his father’s power by committing incest with his father’s concubine. His indiscretion had caused his tribe to lose their leadership. Simeon and Levi received their negative assessment because of a lack of self-control. They committed mass murder and killed all the men of Shechem. Hence, Simeon’s inheritance will be absorbed into the tribe of Judah, while Levi would not have any inheritance at all. The tribe of Levi ended up assigned to play the priestly roles and was not given any land to own. They ended up taking care of refuge cities scattered all over Canaan. Of the first four, Judah had the best. His tribe was given the kingly role. It was through this tribe that the Messiah came. 

In verses 13-21, Jacob continued to pronounced suitable words on six other of his sons, namely: Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali. Jacob only declared over each briefly in the order of their birth. In verse 13, he spoke about Zebulun being a commercial and seafaring tribe. Sidon, in the coastal Phoenicia, would be its border. It would be an excellent place for ship and commerce. Zebulun encompassed Galilee, a place of refuge, where Jesus often sought refuge in His day.

Of Issachar, Jacob declared that while they were tugged in fertile ground, they chose the path of servitude. They would rather not work in less fertile areas. They chose the humiliating path of servants rather than their liberty. The words Jacob gave to Dan are found in verses 16 and 17. Jacob said that they would be a sly and crafty people. In battle, the descendants of Dan would do well because they were sly and crafty. This was attested to in the life of Samson who hailed from the tribe of Dan. In verses 19-21, Jacob pronounced what the next three tribes, Gad, Asher and Naphtali would experience. He gave them a message of hope. These three tribes would experience more victories and prosperity.  

Jacob saw the future of his children’s descendants through the character of each of his sons. It reminds us that our posterity will take on what we have imparted to them. They become what we are. Like it or not, what we do now will impact our subsequent generation. Hence, we must choose what we should do so as to leave behind a rich legacy. So let’s live in such a way that we will leave behind a generation of effective followers of Christ, and not a bunch of wishy-washy believers without firm conviction. We must live our best, learn our most, love as much as we can, and leave behind a rich legacy.       

Genesis 49:8-12 – The Lion of the tribe of Judah

The words Jacob declared over Reuben, Simeon and Levi were not pleasant words. He had his reasons. Reuben went out of control when he committed incest with his father’s concubine. And Simeon and Levi could not control their anger and committed mass genocide at Shechem. Now we come to Jacob’s fourth son, Judah. He did not start off too well. He impregnated his daughter-in-law Tamar, who disguised herself as a prostitute. The reason she did it was to make Jacob fulfil a promise made to her. The detail of the account of this shameful act was recorded in Genesis 38. Despite a bad start, Judah changed as he progressed. He was quick to acknowledge his wrong regarding his daughter-in-law Tamar when he realized it. Notice his words in Genesis 38:26. He said concerning her, “She is more righteous than I….” Not only did he change at this point but stepped up and put his life on the line for Benjamin. In Genesis 44:18-34, he pleaded with Joseph for Benjamin and offered to be his brother’s substitute. In all these, Judah had shown his growth in maturity and godliness as a person. For his humility and character, he did not go un-noticed. Jacob prophesied over him an honorable role. The tribe of Judah would play a kingly role until the coming of the ultimate King, the Messiah, who would hail from the tribe f Judah.    

Jacob first declared that the descendants of Judah’s brothers would bow down to his descendants. Not only would the tribe of Judah seize the enemies by the neck, but would also become a ferocious lion. In the Bible, the picture of Judah as a lion would become a common expression. One of the terms used for the Messiah is the Lion of Judah. In Revelation 5:5, the Lord Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Here Jacob was declaring the messianic age. How should we see verse 10? In this verse we see both the scepter and the ruler’s staff remaining with Judah until Shiloh comes. This was literary fulfilled: in that the Southern Kingdom of Judah remained in the land until Jesus, the Messiah, came.  

Verses 11-12 have a double fulfilment. It is first seen in the tribe itself, when they were apportioned the land in the south, where vine growing was the feature. Secondly, we see a picture of the Lord Jesus as narrated by Isaiah 63:1-3:

Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colours from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,

Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press

 “I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me.
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.

Praise God that Jesus, our Messiah, has poured out His blood for us. The wine He supplies is still in abundance. It’s no longer just the cup of sorrow but also the cup of joy. And we, who honour Him as our Messiah and Lord, can freely come to Him and drink freely of the cup in repentance and joy. Hallelujah! 

Genesis 49:1-7 – The need to develop self-control

At age 147, Jacob had considerably weakened. He had lived 17 more years since coming to Egypt. Sensing that the end of his earthly life was near, he called for Joseph his son. After he had adopted his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he made him swore to carry his bones and have them buried with his fathers. He then summoned for his other sons so that he could impart his blessings. Gathering round Jacob that day were all his sons, eagerly awaiting his blessings. Surrounding him were Leah’s six sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, and Issachar. Then there were Dan and Naphtali, the two sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. With them were Gad and Asher the two sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid. And finally we have Joseph and Benjamin the two sons bore to him by Rachel whom he had loved dearly. We can imagine each one, with eager expectation, was hoping to hear something positive to take into their future. Although all of them expected to receive words of blessing but some words Jacob pronounced over some of his children appeared more like curses. The emphasis of Jacob’s blessing was on Judah and Joseph. Out of this poem of twenty five verses, ten of them were pronouncement over Judah and Joseph. 

Jacob started with Reuben, his firstborn. By right he should have had the preeminence, but he did something offensive. In terms of his birth position he should have been greatly blessed. He should have possessed the leadership with might and strength and had pre-eminency in position and power. But he forfeited them all because of his sin. He lusted after his father’s concubine. Jacob pronounced that he would not excel and his tribe will be unstable like running water. In usurping his father’s power by committing incest with his father’s concubine, he had forfeited the blessing of the first born. History verified that no leader, nor king, nor prophet ever came from this tribe. Here we learn that sin has its attending consequences. Although he was forgiven, what should have been rightly his was taken away. Don’t trifle with sin or one will live to regret it.   

In verses 5-7, Jacob had some very harsh words for Simeon and Levi. They both must have anticipated to receive Reuben’s lot since their father had renounced his right to leadership. To their disappointment, they were also disqualified. Their violence were cited. In their anger they hatched the murderous plan and killed all the males in Shechem. They deceptively had them agreed to undergo circumcision and then killed them when they were rendered helpless by the surgery. Here Simeon and Levi were condemned for their anger and violence. Jacob pronounced that they would be scattered and divided. This literally came to pass. Joshua 19:9-10 tell us that the tribe of Simeon was allotted a plot within the allotment of another tribe. They were scattered among the tribe of Judah. The Levites were also scattered throughout the land. They were given the role of priesthood and were scattered all over and never given any territory in the Promised Land to own.

The first three sons of Jacob show us how needful it is for us to develop self-control. When we give vent to lust or anger, it’s often because of the lack of self-control. We need to cultivate self-control. And being led and controlled by the Spirit of God will help us to develop this discipline. Let’s develop self-control so that we will be able to cultivate a God-pleasing life.     

  

Genesis 48:21-22 – Take heart, God is with us!

The two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, adopted by Jacob were now considered Jacob’s sons. They were given to Jacob to perpetuate Rachel’s line, since she died young and had only given birth to Joseph and Benjamin. All this Joseph staying by his father, observing the adoption ceremony, consented to it. It was remarkable that he should do so. Why? In giving his two sons over to Jacob was literally consenting for them to forfeit their right to any position in Egypt. He had shifted their allegiance to Jacob and his shepherding children. In so doing, they would virtually no longer have any prospect for any high position in Egypt. While Joseph lived out his position as Pharaoh’s second in command in Egypt, his children would no longer be able to attain that position. Joseph was fully aware that his children’s lot would not be in Egypt but among the people of God. This is an act of faith on Joseph’s part. Like Joseph we must learn to see beyond our present. Even if we forfeit what seems lucrative now, with God we will never lose out.

This position Joseph adopted helps us to clarify verses 21-22. Jacob told him that “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.” He was literally telling Joseph that he was given to him one more portion than his other brothers. Jacob was here referring to Shechem. It was the plot of land that he had purchased from Hamor the king of Shechem. According to Genesis 33:19, he paid 100 pieces of silver for it. Also in this place his sons had violently murdered many of the Shechemites. Apparently Joseph accepted it, and his bones, according to Joshua 24:32, were eventually buried there.

The remarkable part of the whole life of Jacob, which Joseph also experienced, was the reality of God’s presence with him. In this closing moment of his life, he again reminded Joseph that God would be with him and would bring him back to the land. The presence of God is a crucial part of the spiritual journey that we cannot do without. Whether we are aware of it or not, God is ever present in our life, even in death. That’s what David said in Psalm 23:4, he said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me….” More importantly, Jesus is with us in our journey now. This is His promise. He said to us in Matthew 28:20, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Genesis 48:8-19 – God’s blessing has no regard for age or position

Jacob’s eyes were dim and he was not able to see as clearly. When he saw Ephraim and Manasseh, he asked, “Who are these?” Joseph quickly introduced them saying, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So Jacob asked that they be brought closer to him so he could bless them. The grandfather than embraced the grandsons and kissed them signifying that they were formally adopted by him. Jacob never expected to see this day. For many years, he lived with the thought that Joseph was dead and he didn’t think that he would ever see him again. But things had changed so amazingly now, he not only saw Joseph but also his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.  So in joy and awe, he marveled. After that Joseph removed his sons from Jacob’s knees and the patriarch bowed with his face to the ground, to finalize the adoption. 

In verse 14, we see Joseph took his sons close to his father. Ephraim was on his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. He positioned his sons this way so that it would be easy for Israel to lay his left hand on Ephraim and right hand on Manasseh. Joseph wanted Israel to lay his right hand on Manasseh who was his firstborn, since right hand was a symbol of power. But Israel apparently crossed his hand and laid his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh and declared his blessing. So in verses 15-16, Jacob called on God who had walked, shepherded and redeemed him throughout his journey, to bless Ephraim and Manasseh. His pronouncement was for them too to continue his line and grow in number. So Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob’s new sons were mightily blessed.

By right, Manasseh should have been blessed with Jacob’s right hand since he was the eldest son. But Jacob apparently deliberately crossed his hand and placed his right hand on Ephraim instead of Manasseh. He insisted on this arrangement despite Joseph’s protest. Joseph tried unsuccessfully to get Jacob to place his right hand on Manasseh. Jacob assured Joseph that he knew what he was doing. Why did Jacob cross his hand and bless Ephraim with his right hand instead? Was it because his sight was dim and he could not recognize the eldest from the youngest? Was it because he was recalling the fact that though he was younger than Esau, he was given the first born blessing by his father Isaac? Was he setting off a tradition?

We do not know the answer but one thing is sure from this incidence. The blessings of God are irreversible and they have no regard for a person’s age, status or position. Remember ultimately, God makes the choice. It is God’s sovereign right and He will bless whoever He chooses to bless. The only pre-requisite to His blessing is our allegiance and obedience to Him. To be recipients of God’s blessing, we must stay connected, be faithful and obedient to His word. Jesus’ promise to us in John 14:23 is this: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” What better blessing can we have than this?!  

Genesis 48:1-7 – Adopted as God’s children to inherit His blessing.

Amazingly when Jacob drew closer to his death, his perspective concerning the future of his descendants became clearer. He knew within his heart that his people would one day return to Canaan and claim that land. That was why he made Joseph pledged to take his bones back to Canaan. We surmise that by faith he foresaw his people returning to Canaan one day. In verse 1 we learn that when Joseph heard that Jacob, his father was sick, he quickly brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim to visit their grandfather. They came in expectation to receive a blessing from the old patriarch. And when Jacob heard that Joseph had come to visit him he mustered some strength and sat up in bed.

Remember, the two sons of Joseph were half-Egyptians. In coming to Jacob with his two sons, Joseph was identifying them with the people of God. Their association with Israel would eventually cut them from their Egyptian inheritance. In reality, they had made a stand to identify with shepherds whom the Egyptian loathed. As Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim stood before Jacob, the patriarch then began to recall the promise God made to him. The promise was first made to him at Luz, the old name for Bethel. There the Lord said to him, “Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.”

God had actually appeared to Jacob twice at Luz. The first time, recorded in Genesis 28:12-14, was when he was running away from Esau. God appeared to him in a dream where he saw a ladder reaching up from earth to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending. And standing on top of the ladder was the Lord. It was at this first encounter, God also promised that his descendants will be as numerous as dusts of the earth and that He would be with him in his journey. The second time God appeared to him at Luz recorded in Genesis 35:11-15 was twenty-years later. In this second encounter at Bethel his name was changed from Jacob to Israel. And God reiterated the promise saying:

“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.
“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

The whole purpose of Jacob recalling this promise was to indicate that as heir to that promise, he had the right to decide who to perpetuate that blessing. He was establishing his authority to bestow the blessing. With that in mind, Israel then made known his intention in verse 5.  He said to Joseph, “Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.” What did he mean? He was literally making Ephraim and Manasseh, his grandsons, his very own sons. And in mentioning Reuben and Simeon, he was literally displacing them as son number one and son number two in preference to Ephraim and Manasseh. The reasons were briefly explained in 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birth-right. Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birth-right belonged to Joseph).”  Verse 6 then suggests that Jacob anticipated what Joseph would ask, so he made known that his other children will be apportioned their inheritance with Ephraim and Manasseh. So he said, “But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.” In other words, Joseph’s other children would be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

Joseph as we know was the son of Rachel, the wife whom Jacob loved most. In some way Joseph was very much like his mother, and this caused Jacob to recount a painful memory in verse 7. He recalled the death of Rachel, saying, “Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” Rachel was deeply loved by Jacob and to marry her, he had worked 14 years for Laban. Her death was untimely and was not buried in the family tomb. So Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn, could extend her line by giving his sons to Jacob as direct heirs.

For Ephraim and Manasseh to fully inherit the blessings, they had to identify with God and His people. Jacob knew that. So he formally adopted them so that they could share in the full inheritance as his sons. Similarly, God knew that for us to inherit His blessing, we need to become his sons and daughters. And He adopted us as His children through the works of Christ the Lord. We are told in Ephesians 1:5 that “In love He (God) predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” And this adoption places us with rights and privileges to obtain God’s glorious inheritance.  As children of God we need not entertain fear any more. We can be brave and live boldly for God daily!  

Genesis 47:29-31 – Developing faithfulness in life

Jacob had drawn near to the end of his life. For a good part of his years he lived sorrowfully because he thought Joseph had died. But when he was 130 years old, news that Joseph was still alive brought a new lease of life. Revived, Jacob lived another 17 years and was frail and about to die. So he called for Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” His desire was to be buried in Canaan together with Abraham and Isaac, in the cave of Machpelah. So he pleaded with Joseph to personally take his bones to Canaan. Notice he made Joseph put a hand underneath his thigh as he took the oath to take his bones back and be buried in Canaan after he had died. This was exactly the same way Abraham made Eleazer swore to him in Genesis 21:1-4. In that incidence, Abraham made his servant swore to only get Isaac a wife from among his relatives in Mesopotamia and not from the Canaanites. This way of making an oath was to ensure words given would be carried out. When Joseph promised to do as told, Jacob bowed his head to worship God.

  

In making this demand, Jacob was making a declaration of faith that Canaan was a land promised to Abraham and his descendants forever. It was in Canaan that Abraham and Isaac had been buried. Here Jacob was also looking forward to be laid among them, signaling that Canaan was where God had promised to give to Abraham and his descendants. So it was a declaration of faith in God’s word.

The whole purpose of Jacob in making Joseph took that oath was to ensure faithfulness. And we all know that faithfulness is an important commodity in the life of faith. Faithfulness had to do with integrity and trustworthiness. It’s about keeping promise. By being faithful, we reflect God’s character. We can never earn the trust of others if we do not keep our words. So we must make it a point to keep our word. This is one commodity that we Christians cannot do without. Our life of faith demands it. So be sure to be faithful to God, to self and to others!       

Genesis 47:27-28 – In God’s incubation time

Despite the severe and prolonged famine, Pharaoh’s prosperity was unequalled. It was all because of Joseph’s God-given insight and administrative skills. Meanwhile, tugged in Goshen in Egypt, Israel was also prospered by God. Not only did they become rich but they also grew in numbers considerably. Verse 27 tells us so. It says, “Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous.” When Jacob came to Egypt he was 130 years old. That was what he told the Pharaoh. Notice how quickly time had passed. In seventeen years they gained possession, were fruitful and had multiplied greatly in the Land of Goshen. Jacob was now 147 years in age and frail, but his family had accumulated much wealth. Imagine all these happened while the world was suffering famine.

Amazingly and unconsciously, Jacob had already spent 17 years with Joseph in Egypt. This was exactly the number of years he also spent with this beloved son in Canaan before his brothers treacherously sold him to Egypt. Though nothing much was said about what transpired in the 17 years, we surmise that there were deep bonding between the father and son. There were plenty to catch up. Joseph, meanwhile must have thought much about the God-given dreams for his life, and had further insight into his role in God’s plan. Know it or not what he went through were engineered by the Almighty. Israel, as God’s Chosen people, was going through a period of incubation in Egypt. They would be in incubation for 400 years. Soon, as God’s vessel, that nation which began with 66 in Egypt would become a great nation. This is just the promise of God to Abraham. In Genesis 15:13-14 God said to Abraham while the patriarch had fallen asleep, saying, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.”

It is good to know that as God blessed Israel and his family, we His people today are also candidates for His blessing. And like what He did to Israel and his family, God often brings us through a time of incubation to prepare us for His blessing. The ultimate prosperity God wants to give to us will not always be presented in a silver platter. Many a times, they will come through rigorous and often rough and tough circumstances of life. God takes all the pleasant as well as the unpleasant experiences of our life and through them mould and prepare us to handle His ultimate blessings for our life. Let’s not abort what God wants to accomplish in our lives. So hold on regardless, God is not through with us yet.

Here’s a little insight from Psalm 105. Talking about the tough time Joseph went through, the Psalmist said this in verses 16-19:

And He called for a famine upon the land;
He broke the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
They afflicted his feet with fetters,

He himself was laid in irons;
Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the Lord tested him.

Yes, we all know until the time comes for the promise of God to us to come into fruition, the words of His promise will test and try us. In the tough and rough time of life, we must be steadfast and immovable. Why? God will never renege on His Word. The promise will come to pass. Be sure of it. 

Genesis 47:14-26 – Be an instrument of blessing

Joseph’s plan helped Pharaoh to prosper greatly. Egypt was the only place food could be found in such a sever famine. So from Egypt to Canaan people came to buy grains from Pharaoh. Joseph’s strategy of storing grains for the seven years of famine had indeed brought in great wealth to Pharaoh. Money came endlessly into his treasury during this time. When the money of the people were exhausted, they came with their livestock in exchange for food. Soon all the money and all the livestock became Pharaoh’s assets. Finally without money and livestock, the people came next bringing themselves and their land, and said to Joseph, “There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” So the land became Pharaoh’s possession and the people became his employees to work in his field. Previously they were land owners and were their own bosses. Now their lands belonged to Pharaoh and to survive they became his workers.

Everyone became Pharaoh’s slave. For they had given their livestock, their lands and themselves to Pharaoh. Joseph bought up everything as we can see in verses 20-21.  “So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s. As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.” The only group of people that did not suffer such an end were the priests. For Joseph did not buy their land. They didn’t need to sell them because Pharaoh had allotted a portion of grains for their sustenance.  

Since all the land now belonged to Pharaoh, Joseph hatched a plan that had everyone working for the monarch. He gave to them seed to cultivate the lands that they had sold to Pharaoh. And from the harvest the people could keep 80 percent of the produce and surrender the other 2o percent to Pharaoh. Though they had become slaves to Pharaoh, no one complained about it. They instead praised Joseph and hailed him as their savior. They said to him, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”    

At a causal glance, we get the idea that Pharaoh became very wealthy and he truly was. He possessed not only his people’s livestock but also their lands. Besides, each one would gladly serve him. But how did he get to where he was? How did he become so blessed? Firstly, we can attribute his prosperity to the blessing pronounced over him by Jacob. Remember, the patriarch blessed him twice when they met. Now the blessing pronounced over him was taking effect. Words spoken do have an impact on the people we speak over. Let us bless and not curse. Secondly, God was keeping His promise to bless those who would bless Abraham and his people. Because Pharaoh blessed Jacob and his family by providing the rich land of Goshen and all that they needed, he now received God’s blessing in return. The blessing Pharaoh received was truly over and beyond his expectation. Thirdly, it’s because of Joseph’s wise stewardship. Pharaoh got the right person for the job and the yield was way beyond his imagination. As Christians, like Jacob, we are called to be a blessing. This must be our mandate. And like Joseph, we can have God’s wisdom and become His instrument to someone else’s blessing. Let’s do it!       

Genesis 47:1-13 – God is working the perfect outcome for each of us

Joseph had mustered the substantial skills in inter-personal relation. He was an astute reader of situations. He had foresight and could anticipate what was coming, a skillful leader. All these were borne out as he took five of his brothers with him to Pharaoh to inform him of the arrival of his father and family. He even knew what the king would ask. So he prepared them to answer in such a way that Pharaoh would grant them the land of Goshen. This part of Egypt was not only a rich pastureland but because of its location would keep them away from the Egyptians. Knowing that the Egyptians loathed shepherds, he counselled his family to let Pharaoh know that they were shepherds. His strategy worked perfectly, so the king granted them the land of Goshen.

In fact, Joseph had already settled them in Goshen before he went to see Pharaoh. Then when he went to see the monarch, he just mentioned it to him in passing. It was a subtle conditioning for the king to place them there. So in verse 1 we read, ^“Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.” He took only five of his brothers to see Pharaoh and true to his anticipation, the king asked, “What is your occupation?” So in one united voice, they answered, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” And “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. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”  Amazingly, the king agreed and even opened up opportunities for some of them to work for him to tend to his own flock.

Having successfully introduced his brothers to Pharaoh, the next thing Joseph did was to introduce his father to the king. The first thing Jacob did was to bless Pharaoh who then politely inquired of the patriarch’s age. Jacob response was, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.” In a moment, Jacob must have in mind all that he went through thus far. His life had been hard. He was thinking of the years of hardship he had endured. Remember, he had to flee from the threat of his brother Esau, only to suffer at the hand of Laban, his uncle, who cheated him on his wages many times. That same old uncle also duped him into marrying Leah, before he was given Rachel, the woman he truly loved. Then two of his sons, Simeon and Levi schemed to kill the people of Shechem in retaliation. They did it to avenge the shame Shechem had brought upon Dinah, their sister, in raping her. He also had to endure the shameful act of his eldest son, Reuben, who committed incest with his concubine. What about the sorrow he had endured for 20 plus years thinking that Joseph, his favorite son had died. Besides, the length of life in comparison with his father, Isaac and his grandfather, Abraham, his 130 years was pale in significance. His father lived till 180 years old and his grandfather 175 years old. Jacob ended his meeting by blessing Pharaoh a second time. This was the right thing to do considering how Pharaoh had blessed him and his family and allowed them to settle in Goshen. Here Joseph was able to provide for his father and family, both big and small. So amidst worldwide famine God preserved His chosen people and prospered them.

Like Jacob, our life is also a pilgrimage. Regardless of the circumstances, both pleasant and unpleasant, God is in the midst of it all, leading us in the journey. Enjoy the pleasant time gladly but also endure the unpleasant resolutely. In good time praise the Lord, in bad time trust the Lord. Why? Paul tells us in Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Notice, the first three words, “And we know….” It is not “And we guess” or “And we think” or “And we suppose,” it is “And we know.” Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. So trust God to work out the glorious outcome of your life for your good and for His glory!