Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Brothers Are Blessed? (Genesis 48-50)

I'm reading this book right now. 

I can't begin to guess the baggage Leman would have to sort through with Joseph and company, but whatever issues they had were likely magnified after Jacob's deathbed blessings. (Blessings! Bible's word, not mine!)  Joseph was given the biggest blessings, obviously of all his brothers. Most of the brothers made out okay, but how would you like some of the last words your father tells you to be, "....you will no longer excel" (that's Reuben- 49:4) or "Issachar is a rawboned donkey..." (poor Issachar wants to interrupt here, "um Dad? Are you suuuuure that's the word you're looking for? A donkey?!  Maybe you mean 'darn king!'"). Gad is going to be making himself crazy from now on waiting to be "attacked by a band of raiders." And poor Benjamin has to follow Joseph! Not a coveted position, I'm sure.

I don't feel I can neglect to mention Joseph's death.  The man with the fancy robe and jealous brother remains such a godly man, right up to the end when he reassures his brothers (attackers!), while hinting it isn't him they should be making amends to, but God: "But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid.  Am I in place of God?'"

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