The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/jyM6gbtGz_k
Reading
– Genesis 47:28-48:22
By
Dan and Brenda Cathcart
This
Torah portion is called Vayechi meaning “And he lived.” Jacob lived a total of
one hundred forty-seven years. As his death approached, Jacob imparted final
instructions to Joseph, blessed Joseph’s two sons, and blessed his twelve sons.
What do Jacob’s final words communicate about His faith in God and the
certainty that God would fulfill His promise that Jacob’s descendants would
receive the land of Canaan as their inheritance? How do his words indicate the
birth of the nation of Israel?
As
the time for Jacob’s death approached, Jacob called Joseph to his bedside and
made him promise to take his body back to the Promised Land.
Genesis 49:29-30 MKJV 29 And he
charged them and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with
my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the
cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of
Canaan, the field which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a
burying-place.
This
request demonstrates two main aspects of Jacob’s faith. These two aspects are
that Jacob had faith that God would carry out His promises and that Jacob
believed in the resurrection of the dead.
When
Jacob left Canaan to go to Joseph in Egypt, he hesitated to leave the Promised
Land. He sought God’s guidance about leaving during the time of famine. God
spoke to him in a vision telling him to go to Egypt.
Genesis 46:3-4 NKJV 3 So He said,
"I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I
will make of you a great nation there. 4 "I will go down with you to
Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand
on your eyes."
After
Jacob’s arrival in Egypt, the famine lasted another five years. However, Jacob
didn’t pack up his family and move back to Canaan at the end of the famine. He
stayed until his death seventeen years after going into Egypt. It could be that
the lives of Jacob’s family there in Egypt were so comfortable that they simply
chose not to leave. The land of Goshen where they lived in Egypt was on the
delta of the Nile River. The yearly flooding of the Nile watered the land and
replenished the soil. As a result, Goshen contained some of the best grazing
land in Egypt. In contrast, the land of Canaan was filled with rocky hills
which were dependent on the rain in order to grow grass and food crops.
However,
there may have been other reasons for staying in Egypt. God told Jacob that he
would die in Joseph’s presence when God stated in the vision that “Joseph would
put his hand on your eyes.” Joseph was still second in command to Pharaoh; he
couldn’t just leave the country. After Jacob’s death, Joseph had to get
permission from Pharaoh to go up to Canaan to bury Jacob.
Genesis 50:5-6 NKJV 5 'My father made
me swear, saying, "Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself
in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let
me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.'" 6 And Pharaoh said,
"Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."
Joseph
and his brothers along with many Egyptian officials went to Canaan. However, they
left their children and their livestock in Egypt. Not only did Joseph need to
return so did all of his brothers.
Genesis 50:14 NKJV 14 And after he had
buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who
went up with him to bury his father.
Although
Jacob’s return to the land was after his death, his return parallels his return
from Padan Aram and the return of the children of Israel to the land. Each
return was marked by a short stay outside the land before crossing the Jordan
and going into Canaan. When Joseph took Jacob’s body up to Canaan, they paused
outside the land for seven days. It seems that they concluded the official
seven days of mourning right before they buried Jacob instead of right after
the burial.
Genesis 50:10-11 NKJV 10 Then they
came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they
mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days
of mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the
Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said,
"This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." Therefore its name was
called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
Many
years earlier, when Jacob returned from Padan Aram, he camped for a period of
time at Mahanaim and, then, at Succoth. When the children of Israel entered the
Promised Land, they paused outside the Land on the plains of Moab for sixty
days. During the first thirty days, Moses gave instructions to the people,
after which Moses died. The children of Israel stayed on the plains of Moab
while they mourned Moses for another thirty days.
Deuteronomy 34:8 NKJV 8 And the
children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the
days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.
After
the mourning for Moses was over, God told Joshua to take the children of Israel
into the Promised Land.
Joshua 1:1-2 NKJV 1 After the death of
Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua
the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now
therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land
which I am giving to them-the children of Israel.
A
major difference in these events is who goes to the Promised Land. When Joseph
brought Jacob’s body to Canaan the children and livestock were left behind. When
Jacob returned from Padan Aram and when the children of Israel came out of
Egypt, they brought all of their children and livestock with them.
This
brings up a second reason that Jacob’s family did not leave Egypt after the
famine. God told Jacob that He would make Jacob into a great nation while in
Egypt. This had not yet happened. Seventeen years was not long enough to become
a nation. It seems that Jacob knew this part of the promise that God made to
him was not yet fulfilled. It wasn’t time to bring the children and the flocks
with them. Again, there are parallels with Jacob’s time in Padan Aram. God told
Jacob to leave after Jacob had acquired his wives, children and all the
livestock that he had earned working for Laban and to bring all of them with
him.
Genesis 31:17-18 NKJV 17 Then Jacob
rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 And he carried away all his
livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock
which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of
Canaan.
Notice
that the account emphasizes that Jacob brought all of his possessions with him.
He left nothing behind.
When
Jacob asked Joseph to take his body to the Promised Land for burial even though
his family would be staying in Egypt, Jacob demonstrated his faith that God
would bring all of them up. With his body buried in Canaan, it is as if Jacob
is there ahead of the family waiting for them to arrive. This leads us to the
second aspect of Jacob’s faith that is revealed here. Jacob believed in the
resurrection of the dead. Jacob didn’t tell Joseph he was about to die, he said
that he was about to be gathered to his people. If there was not life after or
death or no resurrection, there would be no “gathering with his people.” First
Fruits of Zion in Unrolling the Scroll state:
That is what he means when he told his
sons, “I am about to be gathered to my people” (Genesis 49:29). Jacob
anticipated being reunited with his forefathers.[i]
In
addition, God had told Jacob that he would bring him back to the land, if there
was not resurrection of the dead, then God broke his promise to Jacob, and
there would be no reason to take Jacob’s body to the Promised Land for burial.
Before
Jacob died, he blessed his twelve sons, but he also, singled out Joseph’s two
sons for blessing. These are not Jacob’s only grandsons! Counting Jacob, the
scripture says that there were seventy members of Jacob’s family that went into
Egypt. So, why did Jacob single out Joseph’s two sons? The answer is, as usual
multi-layered.
Before
singling out Joseph’s sons, Jacob refers to the promise God had made to him
before he left Canaan the first time when he went to Padan Aram.
Genesis 48:3-4 NKJV 3 Then Jacob said
to Joseph: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and
blessed me, 4 "and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and
multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land
to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.'
Jacob,
then, proceeded to explain that he was adopting Joseph’s sons Ephraim and
Manasseh.
Genesis 48:5-6 MKJV 5 And now your two
sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are born to you in the land of Egypt before I
came to you into Egypt, are mine; like Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6
And your issue, which you father after them, shall be yours, and shall be
called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
By
adopting Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob ensured that Joseph would receive the
double portion of the inheritance that goes to the firstborn. This double
portion should have gone to Reuben his firstborn son. However, Reuben, along
with Simeon and Levi the next sons in birth order, were disqualified in Jacob’s
eyes from receiving the double portion because of their actions. Technically,
the double portion should then have gone to Judah as the next son in line.
However, Jacob desired that it would go to Joseph, the firstborn son of his
wife Rachel. By claiming Ephraim and Manasseh as sons along with Reuben and
Simeon, Jacob was able to pass on to them the double portion.
But
what was the double portion? Jacob did not possess the Promised Land. Was the
inheritance merely an extra share of the flocks and herds that Jacob possessed?
No, the double portion would not be realized until all the children of Israel
possessed the Promised Land!
Genesis 48:21-22 NKJV 21 Then Israel
said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring
you back to the land of your fathers. 22 "Moreover I have given to you one
portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my
sword and my bow."
Jacob
indicated that the extra portion for Joseph was in the land of the Amorites.
Now,
let’s go to the actual blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh. It began with Jacob
asking Joseph to present his two sons.
Genesis 48:8-9 NKJV 8 Then Israel saw
Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?" 9 And Joseph said to his
father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place." And
he said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them."
As
Jacob lays his hands on the sons, he crosses his arms so that his right hand is
on the hand of Ephraim, the younger son.
Genesis 48:13-14 NKJV 13 And Joseph
took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and
Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near
him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head,
who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands
knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Ephraim,
although the second born is blessed with Jacob’s right hand. Keep in mind that
Jacob began this adoption process by stating God’s promise the He would make
Jacob fruitful and multiply him. Ephraim’s name, number 669 in Strong’s
Concordance, means doubly fruitful. When Joseph tried to correct the placement
of Jacob’s hands, Jacob explained that Ephraim would be greater than his older
brother. Ephraim would be “doubly fruitful.”
Genesis 48:19 NKJV 19 But his father
refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He (Manasseh) also shall
become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother
shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of
nations."
After
the placement of his hands on Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob formally adopted
them.
Genesis 48:15-16 NKJV 15 And he
blessed Joseph, and said: "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac
walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 The Angel who
has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a
multitude in the midst of the earth."
Jacob’s
concluding words of the adoption ceremony once again refer back to God’s
promise to Jacob at Luz. This time, Jacob refers to the promise that he would
be a multitude of peoples. Further, Jacob declared that his name along with the
names of Abraham and Isaac be conferred on Ephraim and Manasseh. It seems like
the promise of Abraham is being passed on to Ephraim and Manasseh. Wait a
minute! The Messiah is prophesied to come through the line of Judah who is now
the legitimate firstborn of Jacob. How can the promise be given to Ephraim and
Manasseh? Here is where we see the birth of the nation of Israel!
After
the adoption ceremony, Jacob declares that Israel will bless by the names of
Ephraim and Manasseh.
Genesis 48:20 NKJV 20 So he blessed
them that day, saying, "By you Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make
you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!'" And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Jacob,
whose name is also Israel states that Israel will bless by the names of Ephraim
and Manasseh. At this point, Israel is not a nation, Israel is the name Jacob
received after wrestling with the angel. Jacob is seeing into the future to a
time when all of his children will become a nation called Israel. The promise
given to Abraham will not be passed on to one son or even to two sons, Ephraim
and Manasseh, but to all the descendants of Jacob. The words of the blessing
are that all the sons of Israel would be like Ephraim and Manasseh. In the
adoption ceremony, Jacob referred to the God who shepherded him and the Angel
who redeemed him. So, the blessing to be like Ephraim and Manasseh is that God
would shepherd the children of Israel and send the Angel who would redeem them.
This is exactly what happened when Moses brought the children of Israel out of
Egypt. God sent Moses, his shepherd, to guide them and the angel of the LORD
went with them.
Exodus 14:19 NKJV 19 And the Angel of
God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the
pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
The
meaning of the names of Ephraim and Manasseh add to the understanding of this
blessing. The name Manasseh, number 4519 means “causing to forget.” Joseph
explained that he chose the name because God had caused him to forget all his
affliction and all his father’s house. Isaiah said that through all the
affliction of the children of Israel, God was also afflicted; and He sent the
Angel of His presence to redeem them.
Isaiah 63:9 NKJV 9 In all their
affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His
love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All
the days of old.
Right
now, the children of Israel are once again in exile among the nations. God will
send the redeemer and they will forget the days of their affliction.
Isaiah 25:8-9 NKJV 8 He will swallow
up death forever, And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The
rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has
spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We
have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for
Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
This
even ties into the days of Adam and Eve when God first exiled them from the
Garden of Eden. He declared that they would labor to bring forth the fruit from
the ground. There will be a time coming when the toil of Adam would be
forgotten, and the earth would be fruitful and give forth of her bounty!
Ephraim
and Manasseh are the sons of Joseph whom Jacob will bless using five names or
titles of God. Jacob blesses Joseph with the blessings of the heaven above, the
deep below, and of the fruit of the earth.
Genesis 49:25-26 NKJV 25 By the God of
your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With
blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings
of the breasts and of the womb. 26 The blessings of your father Have excelled
the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who
was separate from his brothers.
These
blessing will be upon the one who was separated from his brother. Literally,
Joseph is the one who was separated from his brothers. At a deeper level,
Yeshua is the one separated from his brothers. When Yeshua returns, He will
come as the Redeemer of Israel and judge of the entire world. All those who
have been redeemed through Him will experience the fruit of righteousness and
all their afflictions will be forgotten.
Revelation 21:4 NKJV 4 "And God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away."
Through
these blessings, Jacob communicated his faith that God would do what He had
promised. He believed that he would return to the Promised Land and be restored
to life in that land. He believed that his descendants would become the nation
of Israel. He believed that they would be doubly fruitful like Ephraim and
forgetful of their afflictions like Manasseh. He believed that a day was coming
that the toil of Adam would be forgotten, and the land would once more be
fruitful. May you be fruitful like Ephraim and forgetful of all your
afflictions like Manasseh!
Study
Questions:
2.
How is Jacob asking Joseph to vow that he
will take his body to Canaan to be buried alongside his fathers a declaration
of his faith that God would give the Promised Land to his descendants and that
he believes in the resurrection of the dead?
3.
Jacob stated that “Israel will bless
saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In what way or ways is
this a blessing? How does it connect with the original promise God gave to
Abraham? How does it apply to us?
General
Portion Questions
4.
Abraham and Isaac passed on the promise
to only one of their sons. How does Jacob communicate that the promise will go
to all of his sons not just one? How is this related to his name Israel?
5.
Jacob promised Joseph that he would
receive one portion above his brothers (Gen 48:22). How was that realized?
6.
What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in
this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?
©
2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You must include your name, city and state at the end of your comment. I do not accept comments from any one who identifies themselves as anonymous. All comments are moderated prior to appearing on this blog.