The Whole Story of Joseph: Genesis 37—50
Chapter 48 Jacob Blesses Joseph’s sons
Chapter 49 Jacob Blesses His sons
Jacob is not afraid to castigate some of the tribes, in particular, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. The tribes suffered the fate they did, and thus explains the small territory of Reuben, the firstborn, compared to Judah, as being due to Reuben’s incest (mentioned at Genesis 35:22 and 49:3-4). As Simeon’s territory was located completely within that of Judah, and Levi only had a few scattered cities, their fates were attributed to their wickedness. Other tribes have an ascribed characteristic, whether it be seafaring or beautiful princesses.
The Heart of God
Genesis 50:15-21 NIV 15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:
17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
The King’s Heart
When it comes to the perfect righteousness God gives us in Jesus, our hearts echo the cries of Joseph’s brothers, who said, in essence: “Our debts are too great. We deserve to die — surely he hasn’t completely forgiven us. There must be something we can do to pay him back. Maybe we can serve him as slaves.”
- So like Joseph’s brothers, we offer our service.
- We’ll work for righteousness. We’ll live rightly, not from a forgiven heart filled with gratitude, but from a distant and skeptical one.
- Our right living gives us a false sense of self-assurance, as if we can bring anything to God.
- But it does something much more tragic: It keeps us from free-falling into the endless depths of God’s love and goodness.
- People who wrongly believe they’re earning God’s acceptance keep one foot on shore, unable to swim in the endless ocean of God’s complete love.
Note:
Joseph’s complete forgiveness of his brothers mirrors the heart of God. “My child, you don’t understand. You’re forgiven. You’re righteous. And I want friends, not slaves. Come close. I will take care of you.”