The Old Testament begins with the sentence, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Then it goes on to tell the magnificent story of how God created the entire universe, just by speaking it into place.
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Abraham was getting older, and he had lost his beloved wife. Yet he had been greatly blessed by God in every way. His mind turned to thoughts of Isaac, his son, and the future that lay ahead of him. Isaac would inherit all of the vast wealth that Abraham had received from God’s hand over the years.
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The LORD looked on Leah and saw that she was not loved by her husband. To make things even worse, she had to watch his tender ways with her sister. How his eyes lit up whenever Rachel came near! How he treated her with the deference of masculine passion!
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The children of Abraham had earned a new kind of reputation. Abraham was a man of peace, venturing into war only to protect and defend. His military might had restored his neighbors from slavery and abject poverty.
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Joseph, 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.
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The 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.
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Joseph 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.
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Joseph 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.
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Joseph 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!
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The 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!
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The 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.
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As 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.
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As 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.
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Israel’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.
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God’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!
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It 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.
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The 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.
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Jacob 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.
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Let’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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