In all those years of Jacob’s travels, Esau had grown to a man of vast fortunes. The customs of his family had also changed. Esau did not marry women from Abraham’s heritage. His marriages to Canaanite women deeply connected his life and children to the Canaanite nations around him.
Read MoreJoseph, the beloved son of Rachel and Jacob, grew up quite alone in the household of his father. The sons of Leah and the maidservants were very jealous of this boy who was so clearly the favorite of their father. He wore the lavish coat that their father had made just for him, and he told them of dreams where they would bow down at his feet.
Read MoreThe family of Jacob became more distant and broken. Judah moved away from the clan and married a Canaanite woman. Their first two sons were so wicked that God shortened their lives so they could sin no more. Tamar was the wife of Judah’s oldest son, and now she was left alone and vulnerable.
Read MoreJoseph was living in Egypt as a slave in the house of Potiphar. The Bible says that God was with Joseph, which means he was present with him to bless him. Even though he was a slave and far from the Land of Promise, God’s protection and care had not changed.
Read MoreJoseph spent year after year in the prison dungeon, humbled to one of the lowest positions in life. Yet he continued to faithfully and loyally serve God. His God was with him in the middle of his suffering, and he trusted that his Lord had a purpose in it.
Read MoreJoseph worked away as a faithful servant in the prison of the Egyptian king. At one point, he even interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh’s cupbearer and chief baker. His interpretations came true with stunning accuracy!
Read MoreThe Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the entire land of Egypt. He took off his own signet ring and put it on Joseph’s finger. The ring was a seal that would be pressed into melted wax. Any letter or scroll that had an impression from that ring had the same authority as a command from the Pharaoh himself! Joseph was the most powerful decision maker in the land!
Read MoreThe last time Joseph saw his brothers, they were angry and cruel. Though he pleaded with them for his life, they viciously sold him to slave traders. Now as they stood before him in Egypt, they were dusty and weary from their week long journey from Canaan.
Read MoreJoseph’s brothers left for the long trek home. When they arrived at the place where they would stop for the night, one of them opened a bag of grain. He saw a bunch of silver coins resting there on the top. It was the money they were supposed to pay to the Egyptians! Suddenly, he felt very, very afraid.
Read MoreAs soon as they arrived at Joseph’s house, they saw his steward, the main servant of the household. He was standing at the entrance of Joseph’s beautiful and elegant home, a palace fit for the most powerful ruler serving the king.
Read MoreAfter years of separation, Joseph’s brothers were sitting in his own home in Egypt. How strange and wonderful it must have seemed. When he saw Benjamin, he was filled with great sobs of tears. He had to leave the room to pull himself together again.
Read MoreWhen Joseph told his brother who he really was, they were too terrified to say a thing. So many years before, when he was defenseless and alone, they had thrown him in a cistern and sold him to be a slave.
Read MoreAs Jacob and his household journeyed towards Egypt, he sent Judah on ahead to Joseph. The family needed someone to get directions to Goshen and prepare for the grand reunion.
Read MoreIsrael’s strength continued to fail. Joseph heard that he was becoming dangerously ill. He brought his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to Goshen to see their grandfather. When Jacob learned that Joseph had come, he pulled himself up in his bed with all his strength so he could bless him.
Read MoreOnce Jacob had put these wide and powerful blessings on the sons of Joseph, he called all of his sons together. He said, “‘Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.’”
Read MoreGod’s blessing for the next son was totally different from the ones given to Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. This son was Judah. We will read as he is given broad and wide blessings that would transform the nation of Israel and the world. These remarkable blessings will continue into eternity!
Read MoreIt is interesting that the book of Genesis started with the creation of the world. God created the entire universe out of nothing by his powerful Word. Now, at the end of Genesis, Jacob is speaking blessings on his sons.
Read MoreThe next blessing Jacob gave was for his son, Joseph. Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh had already been blessed, and each of them would be considered equal to the rest of Jacob’s sons and their tribes. Joseph would be counted as two, receiving the double portion of inheritance from his father.
Read MoreJacob blessed each of his sons with words of prophecy about the tribes that would come from each of them to make God’s holy nation. These were words of breathtaking faith. Jacob trusted that God would do what he had promised even though he could not see it. Jacob knew that he was growing old.
Read MoreLet’s remember together the big picture of what we learned from Genesis. God has an amazing plan for the human race. The Lord created a universe of beauty and light for them, and brought the first two humans to life in a perfect Garden.
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