Genesis 42-50

READING NEXT WEEK

Exodus 1-6

INTERPRETATION OF THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS

to enact vengeance upon his brothers 

to fulfill his earlier dreams

to test his brothers

Rabbi Annie Tucker, Widstoe Foundation Podcast

JUDAH

“He doesn't say, "Oh, the little kleptomaniac, let him stay. Good riddance, we finally got rid of Rachel's other son." He really pleads for him, and I think Judah in that plea has echoes of the Savior pleading for all of us, because he knows the distress of his father if we don't return. And so, ‘Take me, I will take the consequences and let them go free.’

I love that principle of, ‘How shall I go up to the father and the lad not be with me? How can I return without him?’

We might not say that Judah’s a similitude of Christ here or a foreshadowing or a type of Him. But we would say Judah had an understanding of the heart of Christ. I can hear the Savior say, ‘Do you understand me now, Judah? Do you understand my heart? Because your heart is with my heart in this thing. Concern for a father who loves his children and the willingness to pay whatever price is necessary in order that the lad be with me.’”

Michael Wilcox, Follow Him Podcast

JUDAH

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you.

You are a lion’s cub, Judah, you return from the prey, my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares rouse him?

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch, and he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.”

NIV Genesis 49:9-12

EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH

Joshua, Moses’ successor as leader of the Jewish people, is from the tribe of Ephraim. It is Joshua, a brave and resolute warrior, who leads Israel to successfully conquer and settle Canaan. Another military leader, Gideon, whose story is recorded in the Book of Judges, hails from the Tribe of Manasseh. Gideon proves to be a man of faith as he destroys the symbols of Midianite worship to foreign gods and then declines the popular call to lead the people as their king, reminding them that only God is their ruler. Ephraim and Manasseh produce two of Israel’s greatest leaders. When we use their names to bless our children, we express our hope that our children, too, will demonstrate leadership among the Jewish people.

As you can see, there’s more to Ephraim and Manasseh than first meets the eye. Their names have come to be associated not only with a formative period of our history, but also with core Jewish values. It is my hope that when Jewish parents bless their sons for 'God to make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,’ they will do so mindful of the values we have associated with these two otherwise common Israelites. Most of us, after all, are more like Ephraim and Manasseh than, say, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Moses. We are simply Jews. If nothing else, though, Ephraim and Manasseh remind us that even ordinary Jews stand for things that are quite extraordinary.

https://rabbiaronson.com/2015/01/02/why-bless-our-sons-as-ephraim-and-manasseh/

GENESIS

“Genesis speaks of beginnings—of the heavens and the earth, of light and darkness, of seas and skies, of land and vegetation, of sun and moon and stars, of sea and air and land animals, of human beings (made in God’s own image, the climax of his creative activity), of marriage and family, of society and civilization, of sin and redemption. The list could go on and on.

The book of Genesis is foundational to the understanding of the rest of the Bible. Its message is rich and complex. It is supremely a book that speaks about relationships, highlighting those between God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings. It is thoroughly monotheistic, taking for granted that there is only one God worthy of the name and opposing the ideas that there are many gods (polytheism), that there is no god at all (atheism) and that everything is divine (pantheism). It clearly teaches that the one true God is sovereign over all that exists (i.e., his entire creation), and that he often exercises his unlimited freedom to overturn human customs, traditions and plans. It introduces us to the way in which God initiates and makes covenants with his chosen people, pledging his love and faithfulness to them and calling them to promise theirs to him. It establishes sacrifice as the substitution of life for life. It gives us the first hint of God’s provision for redemption from the forces of evil and contains the oldest and most profound statement concerning the significance of faith (15:6).”

Various Authors. Zondervan NIV Study Bible: Updated Edition (Kindle Locations 2191-2203). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.