Studies in Genesis

1. Studies in Genesis Presentation 67

2. Jacob and Pharaoh Gen 47v1-12 Presentation 67

3. Introduction Have you ever watched celebrities, whose names have been included in the New Years Honours list being interviewed either before or after their investiture at Buckingham Palace. Interestingly, people who are famous in their own right can often be nervous about receiving their award from the Queen. In contrast with that note the poise and dignity of Jacob in the presence of Pharaoh the mightiest potentate in the ancient world. Before examining this remarkable interview, we need to see the way in which the ground was prepared for it. Presentation 67

4. Joseph’s Preparation Joseph’s wisdom had made him a very astute politician. Politics is the art of forming, directing and administering the state. Joseph now directs a situation to serve both his family and the purposes of God. His family were temporary residents in Goshen, the most fertile part of Egypt. He wanted them to remain there, where they could preserve their ethnic and religious distinctiveness – a Hebrew Ghetto! Joseph knew that Pharaoh might want to offer them high office at court. An offer which could not easily be refused and which could have dissipated the Hebrew people throughout the land. The situation had to be handled delicately. Goshen Egypt Presentation 67

5. Joseph’s Preparation Joseph informed his family that Pharaoh would be told that their principal occupation was shepherding. This would have a twofold effect. It would shatter any plans that Pharaoh may have had for their integration into the Egyptian Court - the Egyptians considered shepherds to be detestable. Secondly, Pharaoh would be more disposed to grant their request to stay in Goshen a rich area of land noted for sustaining livestock. There is nothing devious or underhand in all of this. Joseph anticipated difficulties that might arise for his family and for God’s work and acted wisely in the light of that knowledge.. Presentation 67

6. Joseph’s Preparation “Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose the best and the highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.” Jim Packer Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. Now Joseph was familiar with two worlds; the Egyptian court and that of the most High. He wisely understood and handled the one in order to serve the other. We're often not very good at looking ahead and acting wisely/shrewdly in order to make provision for the future, be it our own future, that of our families or of the work of God. Presentation 67

7. Joseph’s Preparation The importance of forward spiritual planning was the point of the parable Jesus told of the shrewd manager which concludes as follows: “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world than are the people of the light”. Luke 16:8 If a dishonest man could be commended for his shrewdness, how much more an honest man. Although the immediate application of the parable concerns the use of worldly wealth in the context of service. The general principle on which it is built causes us to ask, how we make use of the resources at our disposal in this world in order to advance the kingdom of God. Presentation 67

8. Pharaoh’s Kindness Joseph presents five of his brothers to Pharaoh in v2-6. As custom dictated, Pharaoh spoke first. Joseph had already told him his brothers were shepherds and that helped prepare for the public conversation that now takes place at court. Pharaoh’s first question sets down a marker for the whole interview. 'What is your occupation?' From here comes Pharaoh's formal approval of their residence in Goshen and an offer of employment. He puts them in charge of his livestock. Pharaoh’s kingdom had benefited under Joseph's hand, might not his livestock prosper under their experienced animal husbandry? Pharaoh doubtless derived a great deal of pleasure from being able to help this immigrant family for dear Joseph's sake. A picture we have to keep in our mind in order to appreciate the totally contrasting one recorded in v7-12 Presentation 67

9. Jacob’s Blessing Joseph presents his aged father to Pharaoh. We are immediately stuck by the fact that Jacob takes the initiative. In a role reversal Jacob blesses Pharaoh not once but twice. The N.I.V. translators have marginal readings for the word 'blessed‘ in v7 and v10 weakening the meaning of the original word to 'greeted' and said 'farewell'. But the Hebrew word used here is the word 'baw rak' which means 'to bless'. Jacob's blessing was intended to bestow upon Pharaoh nothing less than - the blessing of Almighty God. Presentation 67

10. Jacob’s Blessing Picture the scene! An aged wandering Hebrew cripple leaning on his staff entered Pharaoh's presence not as a grovelling supplicant but with the regal dignity of a child of God. To date his experience of comfort had been a Bedouin tent made of goatskins but he is not overawed by the splendour of the palace with its riches and ornamentation. He was not intimidated by Pharaoh's position. The Egyptians viewed the reigning Pharaoh, not as a mere mortal, but as the earthly embodiment of he great sun god Ra. Pharaoh and his court must have been mesmerised as this aged patriarch raised his hand and blessed Pharaoh. Presentation 67

11. Jacob’s Blessing Scripture teaches that the one who bestows the blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. Heb. 7.7 describes Melchizedek blessing Abraham. The writer comments, 'and without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater`. Melchizedek who blessed, was greater than Abraham, who received the blessing. When we apply this principle, then despite all appearances to the contrary Jacob in blessing Pharaoh showed himself to be the greater of the two individuals. How foolish are the world’s standards of assessment cf. Jas . 2.13. Many Christians are dazzled by the world and awe struck in the presence of those whom the world deems important. Christians need to learn that they have much more to offer the world than the world has to offer them. Presentation 67

12. Jacob’s Blessing What do Christians have to offer? For a start there are the unsearchable riches of the gospel. This gospel makes the treasure of Tutankhamen, and the combined treasures of all the Pharaoh's and all the kings of all the ages pale into insignificance. It is the pearl of great price in Jesus’ parable, worth sacrificing all we have to attain. We affirm this when we sing: Saviour if of Zion's city, I through grace a member am, Let the world deride or pity, I will glory in thy name, Fading is the worldling’s pleasure, All his boasted pomp and show, Solid joys and lasting treasure, None but Zion's children know. We can do others no greater good than to offer to them the lasting treasure of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Presentation 67

13. Jacob’s Blessing In what way did Jacob’s blessing affect Pharaoh’s life? We're not told. In addition to receiving the twofold blessing of Jacob he had also been exposed to the faith of Joseph. History tells us that some time later Egypt turned for a while from her traditional polytheism to the worship of one God. We know that Akhenaton was influenced by this 'heresy'. Is it fanciful to think that the influence of Joseph and the blessing of Jacob made some impact, albeit for a limited time, upon the long established religious practices of Egypt? Presentation 67

14. Jacob’s Blessing Secondly, on two occasions in v9 during his witness to Pharaoh, Jacob describes his life as a 'pilgrimage'. Now a pilgrim is a traveller with no permanent resting place. This was literally true of Jacob but clearly he was referring to more than his geographical wanderings. He was a pilgrim en route to his true home in heaven cf. Heb 11. 13-16.... At the end of each day the Christian should be able to say, 'I'm a days march nearer home'. Since this was Jacob's understanding of his pilgrimage, according to Hebrews, is it reasonable to conclude that he used this occasion to give a word of testimony concerning God? Did he convey to Pharaoh surrounded by worldly splendour that preparing for the world to come was much more important than sinking all of One’s energies into this one? Presentation 67

15. Jacob’s Blessing The world needs to see this conviction burned into our lives. All it has is what it can see, fast cars, luxury homes, foreign holidays, high yield investment accounts. It will not begin to think about letting go of these things without first being confronted by some authentic pilgrims. When the Roman Emperor Valens [324-378 A.D.] threatened Eusabius, an early church leader and historian, with the confiscation of his goods, torture, banishment and death, he replied, ‘he need not fear confiscation, he had nothing to loose, nor banishment for whom heaven was his only country, nor torments when his body would be dashed with one blow, nor death which only set him at liberty from sin and sorrow.’ Emperor Valens, like Pharaoh, before him had met an authentic pilgrim. Presentation 67

16. Effective Testimony There is only one recorded meeting of Jacob with Pharaoh and Jacob took that opportunity to speak to Pharaoh about God. We need to commend him for that. The apostle Paul also regularly seized every opportunity for witness, whether in personal danger, in prison, or on trial for his life. Many of us have a limited understanding of witnessing opportunities. When we hear the wolves howling we think we have to run for cover lest we get hurt. Jesus saw things differently. He said to his disciples, “I send you out as sheep into the midst of wolves.” Matt 10.16 Presentation 67

17. Effective Testimony We are not justified in arguing a door of opportunity for witness is closed because danger is threatening. The door is seldom more widely open! For the man or women, who can speak of and for God in the midst of personal danger speaks with a clarity and a conviction, which the world seldom hears. Jacob may not have been in great danger but he certainly took a risk in behaving as he did in the presence of Pharaoh. He made the most of his opportunity. Do we? Presentation 67

18. Effective Testimony Jacob’s witness could have been even more effective than it was. He was given to feeling sorry for himself cf v9, 'my years have been few and difficult'. Jacob was subject to a rollercoaster of emotions which coloured his outlook on life. It seems Jacob was in an emotional trough at this time! Gen. 45.27 told us that the spirit of Jacob had 'revived'. This great surge of emotion was followed by a long journey to Egypt in which he would have found it difficult to keep his impatience in check. This was followed by the emotional meeting with Joseph when he said he could now die a happy man. But now as he is introduced to Pharaoh that euphoria has subsided and he is wrestling with what must have appeared to him as the awful irony of his situation. Presentation 67

19. Effective Testimony Life had dealt him a severe blow! After years of sorrow and loss, he was now reunited with his son Joseph and surrounded by his family whose lives had radically changed. Their remarkable selflessness must have overwhelmed him. And as they settled down in the best part of Egypt Jacob felt, “ I won’t be around to enjoy it”. He was 130 years of age and believed death was about to claim him just when he might have been able to enjoy family life. Did this emotional outlook discolour his testimony? [In fact he had another 17 years to live]. Jacob thinks of God as one who invites us to a banquet, provides the transport, leads us into room with tables stacked high with magnificent food but then orders the tables cleared before we lift our knives and forks. Presentation 67

20. Effective Testimony How much more positive Jacob is about God years later in Gen. 48: 15-16 ‘Then he blessed Joseph and said, ‘May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm may he bless these boys’. Is that not a better testimony to give and does it not serve as a better pattern for our own? Of course there had been hard and difficult times as there are in all of our lives. But the Good Shepherd God had been with him in every difficulty, delivering him from all harm. It is sad if we have to wait until the end of our lives to give such a clear testimony to the grace of God. Presentation 67

21. Conclusion Of course, the believer cannot effectively witness to blessings that he is not enjoying. During his encounter with Pharaoh, Jacob had 'hung his harp on the willows' [Ps.137.2] and could not sing the Lords song. When his perspective on life altered and his tune changed. Sadly, Pharaoh was not there to hear it. Do not wait until the end of your days to speak of this Shepherd God, who brings you safely through every dark valley and into the bright sunshine of his grace. Lay hold of the opportunities God gives you to speak for him. Do not allow circumstances to dilute your testimony. Far better to recognise that our God is, "The Lord has done great things for us” Ps.126.2. Presentation 67