THE AGE OF THE PATRIACHS
Part IV: GOD'S COVENANT CONTINUES WITH JACOB AND HIS SONS
Biblical Period 2
Lesson # 7
God of our fathers,
You made a Covenant with the Patriarchs that
promised a three-fold blessing. You
promised them land, You promised them children to rule the land, and You
promised them a world-wide blessing. All
of these promised have been fulfilled in Your New Covenant Church. You have given us the Kingdom of heaven on
earth = the Universal Catholic Church, You have given Mother Church children to
fill the kingdom and You have give us a world-wide blessing through Jesus the
Savior of the world. How great is Your
goodness, Lord, that You have given these blessings to us as spiritual
descendants of the Patriarchs! By the
power of the Holy Spirit guide us now as we study Bible in the Living Tradition
of Your Holy Catholic Church. In the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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"They are Israelites; it was they who were adopted as children, the glory was theirs and the covenants; to them were given the Law and the worship of God and the promises. To them belong the fathers [patriarchs] out of them, so far as physical descent is concerned, came Christ who is above all, God, blessed for ever. Amen." Romans 9:4-5
Yahweh's three-fold covenant with Abraham is now extended to the third generation. It is the same covenant promising land, descendants, and a world-wide blessing given to Abraham. All three men, known as the Patriarchs, the fathers of the people of Israel, are imperfect men'but imperfect men called by a perfect God! In the crucible of life Yahweh moulds each of them to become the kind of man He needs to move Salvation History closer to its hinge point, the Incarnation of the Son of God. It will be the Incarnation of Jesus the Messiah, son of Abraham, son of Isaac, son of Jacob, upon which the hinge of history will turn!
Jacob's return to the Land of Canaan
Please read Genesis 32:1-33: Encounters with angels and a new name
The events around Jacob's return to the land of his fathers in this part of Jacob's story are placed between two rather curious accounts of Jacob's encounter with angels. In Genesis 32:2 he is met by the angels of God as he reenters the land of promise and in Genesis 32:24 Jacob wrestles with an "angel" until dawn.
Question: Can you remember another
passage that mentions divine beings guarding the border of a holy land? What does this suggest? Hint: see Genesis 3:26.
Answer: Eden was guarded at its border by angels = cherubim
[Genesis 3:26]. This "Promised Land" is guarded by angels at its borders like Eden.
Genesis 32:25-33 records a very unusual encounter. We are never told that Jacob's companion is an angel; only verses 29-31 indicate that this person is more than an ordinary man. As the wrestling match continues it becomes clear that this encounter is meant to epitomize the whole of Jacobs's story which has been characterized by struggle--his struggle with his brother, his struggle with his father, his struggle with his father-in-law, his struggle with his wives, and with his struggle to obtain the promises of God made to his father and grandfather.
Jacob and the "man" wrestle until daybreak when the "man" strikes Jacob and dislocates his hip.
Question: When the "man"
demands that Jacob let him go what does Jacob say to the "man" that
expresses the substance of his struggles?
Hint: see verse 27
Answer: He replies "I will not let you go unless you bless
me."
The "man" changes Jacob's name to Israel = "struggles with God" or "shows strength against God". The "man" blesses Jacob/Israel but refuses to tell him his name. In ancient cultures to know someone's name gives power over that person'the name symbolizes the essence of the person.
Scholars do not agree about the identity of this mysterious man: is this a manifestation of "the Angel of the Lord", simply a manifestation of God or is this a manifestation of the pre-Incarnate Christ?
Question: What does Jacob/Israel name
this place and why?
Answer: He calls the place
"Peniel", in Hebrew = "face of God". He believes he has seen the face of God in
the "man" who wrestled with him.
Jacob will always have his limp to remind him of this encounter. Remembering this event will become part of the eating restrictions for the Jews who do not eat the tendon attached to the hip socket of an animal, the sciatic muscle.
The Encounter with Esau
Genesis 33:1-17
No matter what precautions Jacob ties to take, he
and his family are soon at the mercy of Esau and his men.
Question: Will Esau seek revenge for
what he perceives as the wrongs done to him by his brother?
Answer: No, Esau will offer
reconciliation. God has softened Esau's
heart and He has protected the "promised seed."
The conflict between Cain and Abel, between Ham-Canaan and Shem, and between Esau and Jacob [and future conflicts between the sons of Jacob] is related to the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 when God cursed the serpent: "I shall put enmity between your offspring [seed] and her offspring [seed]." These rivalries illustrate the conflict between the faithful "promised seed" and the unfaithful. Out of each of these struggles, despite human efforts, God's will is accomplished and the promised seed is preserved. The prophecy here in Genesis 25:23 that "the older shall serve the younger" will be repeated many times in Genesis as "older sons" are rejected in favor of the younger son: Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, and now Esau and Jacob. The point is the recurring theme of God's sovereign plan of salvation. The blessing of God was not a natural right like the right of the re'shiyt [firstborn] but instead it was God's prerogative to extend His blessings to those who had no claim to it other than it was God's will to give it.
When he returns to Shechem in Canaan, Jacob [Genesis chapter 35] is still dwelling in the land of promise as a foreigner like his father and grandfather before him [Hebrews 11:13]. Jacob builds an altar [Genesis 35:7] to God, paying a hundred pieces of silver for the portion of the land. Most scholars presume that the purchase of the land and the building of the altar fulfills Jacob's vow to God that if he returned to the land of Canaan in peace that he would give God a tenth of all he had. It is difficult to say if this altar fulfilled that vow but this is the portion of land where the Israelites will bury the bones of Joseph in Joshua 24:32, representing the Children of Israel's hope in God's ultimate fulfillment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel.
The Story of Joseph
Please read Genesis chapter 37:1 - 47:31
Genesis chapter 37 begins the well-loved story of
Rachel's son Joseph. The question this
long narrative doesn't answer until the very end is which son of Jacob will be
the re'shiyt? Which son will inherit the
promises of the covenant made with Abraham?
The answer may not be as obvious as you think.
Jacob's special love for Rachel has carried over to her firstborn son, Joseph [Hebrew = "let him add" or "let him gather"]. See Genesis 29:30 and 37:3.
Question: Jacob shows his favoritism
for this son by elevating him to the status of the "firstborn" over
all his other sons and gives Joseph an item to indicate that he carries his
father's power and authority as the heir.
What is the item?
Answer: It is a richly decorated
coat with long sleeves, which indicates Joseph's status to his brothers and to
his father's retainers. The description
of this coat as one "of many colors" is a mistranslation.
Question: It is the custom for the
eldest son to be designated the heir.
What birth order son is Joseph and how does his father's favoritism affect
the other sons of Jacob?
Answer: He is Rachel's firstborn son
but Joseph is at this time the youngest if Jacob's sons and his brothers are
jealous.
Question: Jacob's preferential
treatment of Joseph is a central problem in the family but how does Joseph
contribute to the unrest in the family? Hint: see Genesis 37:2, 7, 10 and 14.
Answer: He tells his family about
his dreams in which his brothers bow down to him in recognition of his power
and authority, and in his duties as his father's heir he reports to his father
on the brother's bad behavior which only elevates his brother's intense dislike
for him.
Question: How do the brothers plan to
solve their problem? What is the reason
given for the plot?
Answer: They form a plan to kill
him. Their plot is motivated by Joseph's
two dreams.
It is ironic that their very plans were to lead to the fulfillment of those dreams. What they mean for evil will turn for good because God is with Joseph. This is another imperfect man who will be reformed in the crucible of suffering to become the kind of man God has created him to be.
Question: Which two brothers work to
prevent Joseph's death?
Answer: Reuben, the firstborn and
Judah the 4th son, both by Leah.
Question: To whom do the brothers sell
Joseph and for how much?
Answer: He is sold to Ishmaelites
traveling with a Midianite caravan for 20 shekels of silver.
Archaeologists have discovered numerous ancient texts from ancient Near Eastern sources which record the common price for a slave in some detail for a period lasting about 2000 years from 2400BC to 400BC. This data provides a solid body of evidence that can allow comparison with the figures in the Bible, in which the price of slaves is mentioned [i.e.Genesis 37:28; Exodus 20ff; Exodus 21:32; 2Kings 15:20]. In each case the Biblical narrative "slave price" fits the general period of the narrative account. The price of slaves prior to the 21st century BC sold for approximately 10-15 shekels, from the 21-18th centuries BC the price for a slave held steady at about 19-20 shekels of silver. By the 8th century BC the price had risen to 50-60 shekels and to 90-120 shekels in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. [see K.A. Kitchen "Ancient Orient and Old Testament pages 52-53].
Question: Who are the Ishmaelites and
the Midianites? Hint: see: Genesis 17:20
and Genesis 25:1-3, and 18].
Answer: The Ishmaelites and
Midianites are kinsmen. Both are
descendants of Abraham: the Ishmaelites are descendants of Hagar's son Ishmael
and the Midianites from Keturah's son Midian. [Abraham married Keturah after
Sarah's death and she bore him 6 sons].
Question: What do the brothers do with
Joseph's long-sleeved coat? Considering
Jacob's character what is the irony in what his sons tell him? See Genesis 37:31-35
Answer: The brothers smear the coat
with blood and present it to their father with the lie that a wild animal has
killed his beloved Joseph. The irony is
that Jacob, who deceived his own father, is now cruelly deceived by his own
sons.
Joseph's adventures in Egypt are one of the most entertaining of the Biblical narratives with everything from treachery and betrayal, to sex and power, to revenge and reconciliation. Joseph goes from a 17-year-old slave-prisoner to the 30 year old Vizier, the royal Prime Minister/governor, of Egypt. In Genesis 41:39-49 the Pharaoh elevates Joseph to this position of power saying "only this throne shall set me above you." Joseph is dressed in Egyptian finery, is given the Egyptian name, Zaphenat-paneah [in Egyptian = "God says he is living"], and is given a wife of noble rank, Asenath, daughter of the high priest of On. Joseph's father-in-law is the high priest at On [later known as Heliopolis], the center of one of Egypt's principal gods, the sun god Ra. Joseph, the former slave has now married into Egypt's most exclusive nobility!
Please note the repetition of 7s in the narrative of Joseph. There are 27 sevens in the Pharaoh's dream section alone: 41:2, 3, 4,5,6, 7, 7, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 26,27, 27, 27, 27, 29, 30, 34, 36, 47, 48, 53, 54,
Judah and Tamar
In Genesis chapter 38 the story of Joseph is interrupted by the story of Tamar and her sons. This story seems jarringly out of place, however, such seemingly misplaced events are meant to grab our attention. Once again Jacob's narratives, which include those of his children, offer another account of the struggle of twin sons, as Jacob's narrative began in Genesis 25:22. These twins, however, are the sons of Jacob's #4th son, Judah.
Question: What are the similarities in
the struggle between these twins and the struggle between Esau and Jacob?
Answer: In both cases the struggle
results in a reversal of the right of the firstborn and of the right of the
blessing. The result of both struggles
is that the younger gained the advantage over the elder. As Jacob struggled with Esau and overcame him
so will Perez overcome Zerah, the elder twin, and gain the right of the
firstborn. This is another of a long
series of reversals in Genesis in which the younger son gains the upper
hand. The reason this story was included
in Genesis becomes clear in the toledoth of Jesus of Nazareth in Matthew
chapter 1 as well as in the eschatological interpretation of Jesus' Parable of
the Prodigal Son [Luke 15].
Genesis chapter 42 recounts the dramatic first meeting between Joseph and his brothers. The sons of Jacob-Israel do not recognize the Prime Minister of Egypt as their brother when they come to purchase food from the wealthy store-houses of Egypt.
Joseph was now 38 years old. Twenty-one years have passed since his brothers sold him into slavery when he was seventeen years old. Joseph was a Hebrew slave for thirteen years before he became the Vizier of Egypt. He has spent the past seven years collecting a surplus of grain in preparation for the famine that he prophesized. It is now the first year of the famine, and in Canaan Jacob has sent ten of his sons into Egypt for supplies. Notice that Joseph's fourth eldest brother, Judah, is no longer living with the Canaanites; he has returned to his family. Judah turned a corner in his life in his repentance of his sin against Tamar. His change of heart in the acceptance of his family responsibilities has resulted in his restoration to the covenant family. He will play an important role in the restoration of Jacob's family. The theme of this part of the narrative is "life" versus "death": 'there there are supplies in Egypt. Go down and procure some for us there, so that we may survive (live*) and not die... "Live" is repeated five times (42:2, 18-20; 43:8; 47:19); "live and not die" is repeated three times (42:2; 43:8; 47:19), spoken by Jacob, Judah, and finally by the people of Egypt.
Question: How are Jacob's sons divided in the
narrative?
Answer: The sons of Jacob are divided into two
groups: the 10 sons of the other wives who make the first journey to Egypt and the two sons of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin).
Please read Genesis 42:5-17: Joseph's First Audience with
His Brothers
42:5Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to get supplies, there being a famine in Canaan.
6It was Joseph, as the man in authority over the country, who allocated the rations to the entire population. So Joseph's brothers went and bowed down before him, their faces touching the ground.
7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them. But he did not make himself known to them, and he spoke harshly to them. 'Where have you come from?' he asked. 'From Canaan to get food,' they replied.
8Now when Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him,
9Joseph remembered the dreams he had had about them, and said to them, 'You are spies. You have come to discover the country's weak points.'
10'No, my lord,' they said, 'your servants have come to get food.
11We are all sons of the same man. We are honest men, your servants are not spies.'
12'Oh no,' he replied, 'you have come to discover the country's weak points.'
13'Your servants were twelve brothers,' they said, 'sons of the same man in Canaan, but the youngest is at present with our father, and the other one is no more.'
14To which Joseph retorted, 'It is as I said, you are spies.
15This is the test you are to undergo: as sure as Pharaoh lives you shall no leave unless your youngest brother comes here.
16Send one of your number to fetch your brother; you others will remain under arrest, so that your statements can be tested to see whether or not you are honest. If not, then as sure as Pharaoh lives you are spies.'
17Whereupon, he put them all into custody for three days.
The word "spies" is a significant word in this part of the narrative; it will be used seven times, as an accusation and as a denial of the accusation in Genesis 42:9, 11, 14, 16, 30, 31, and 34:
Genesis 42:5: Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to get supplies, there being a famine in Canaan. This is the beginning of the journey that was prefigured in Abram going down to Egypt in the time of famine in Genesis 12:10-20 that was played out with the same five elements repeated three times (Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-13 and 26:1-14; see Genesis Lesson 8: handout #1).
Question: What earlier prophecy was fulfilled when
the ten Israelite brothers bowed down before Egypt's Vizier? Was the prophecy
literally fulfilled? See Genesis 37:5-8.
Answer: Joseph's dream of his brother's the sheaves
bowing down to his sheaf is not literally fulfilled in the audience chamber as
his brothers prostrated themselves before him. The dream is not completely
fulfilled because one "sheaf" is missing. In the dream there were eleven
sheaves, not ten'Benjamin is missing
Genesis 42:7: As soon as Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them. But he did not make himself known to them, and he spoke harshly to them. The word "recognize" is repeated in verses 7 and 8. Joseph may have spoken harshly to his brother in an attempt to control his emotions. As we will see later, Joseph was an emotional man and Scripture records that he broke down three different times when his emotions overcome him (Gen 42:24; 43:30-31; 46:29).
Question: Joseph recognized his brothers immediately,
but why didn't his brothers recognize him? Also see Genesis 43:23.
Answer: More than 20 years have passed. Joseph is
not only older but he is dressed as an Egyptian minister, clean shaven with the
characteristic black cosmetic eye paint and the customary black wig that would make
him difficult to recognize. Joseph was also speaking Egyptian, with an
interpreter translating for him.
Genesis 42:9: Joseph remembered the dreams he had had about them, and said to them, 'You are spies. You have come to discover the country's weak points.'
Question: What was significant about Joseph remembering
his dreams? See Genesis 37:5-11 and 45:5-8.
Answer: When Joseph recognized his brothers he
"remembered" the dreams and recognized that the first prophetic dream about the
sheaves was in the process of being fulfilled at that moment as ten of his
brothers were bowing down in submission to him. At that moment he understood
that everything that had happened to him had been part of God's plan for his
life and for his family, but the dreams were not yet fulfilled.
The interpretation of the story of Joseph and his brothers rests upon Joseph's realization that it is God's plan that his two dreams reach fulfillment. Everything Joseph does from this point forward is motivated by his desire to bring God's plan to completion.
Question: Why did Joseph accuse his brothers of being
spies? How many times did he accuse them?
Answer: Joseph accused them of being spies three
times (Gen 42:9, 14, and 16). There are three possible reasons:
According to the biblical text, it is unlikely that Joseph was seeking retribution. Joseph has already forgiven his brothers, and he has come to understand that everything that happened to him was the will of God for his life (Gen 41:51; 45:5-8). But he also understood that his brothers' salvation and the restoration of the covenant family unity depended on their repentance. Unless they came face to face with their crime against him, and unless they acknowledged their sin and repented it, the family would never be reunited. Salvation is linked to repentance of sins and turning away from sin that causes division and brings disunity. Joseph's dreams depicted a united family under his leadership. For the family to be united under his leadership there must be forgiveness' and Benjamin and Jacob must come to Egypt!
Question: In trying to convince the Vizier of their
innocence what did the ten brothers acknowledge about their family and the two
other brothers who were not present? What is significant about the mention of
the youngest brother?
Answer: They acknowledged that they were 12 sons of
the same father, that the youngest brother was in Canaan with their father, but
the other brother was "no more." The youngest brother is Joseph's full
brother, Benjamin; both are the sons of Rachel.
Question: On the third day Joseph
makes an offer to the sons of Israel. What is it?
See Genesis 42:17-20
Answer: They can only take supplies
back to Canaan if they leave one brother in custody and if they return for more
food they must leave their youngest brother behind in Egypt.
Question: The brothers
distraught. What do they believe is the
cause of their present suffering? See
Genesis 47:21
Answer: The brothers believe they
are being punished by God for the sin against the brother they sold into
slavery.
Question: Who is chosen to stay
behind?
Answer: Simeon is chosen to stay
behind in Egypt as a hostage
while the brothers return to Canaan with the
food.
In Genesis chapter 43 the famine grows worse and it is necessary for the sons of Jacob to make another trip to Egypt but this time, according to the agreement with the Royal Governor [Joseph], they must bring Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother.
Question: What promise does Judah make to his distraught father as the
brothers prepare to leave for Egypt
with young Benjamin? See Genesis 43:6-10
Answer: He promises his father that
he will personally take responsibility for his brother's safety.
Question: What plan does Joseph
formulate to keep Benjamin with him in Egypt? See Genesis 44:1-5
Answer: He instructs his servants to
plant an expensive silver cup in Benjamin's saddle bag and then to catch up
with the caravan and to find the cup and arrest the brothers for theft.
Question: When the Egyptian Prime
Minister [Joseph] announces that Benjamin must stay behind and be his slave but
that the others may return to their homeland what is Judah's response? See Genesis 44:18-34
Answer: Judah offers to sacrifice his life to live as a
slave for the freedom of his younger brother.
Question: How does Joseph react to
this act of self-sacrificial love? See
Genesis 45:1-15
Answer: Unable to contain his
emotions any longer Joseph begins so sob uncontrollably and reveals his true
identity to his brothers and they are reconciled.
Question: When the Pharaoh hears about
the events that have transpired what offer does he make to Joseph's
kinsmen? See Genesis 45:16-20
Answer: He offers Joseph's kinsmen
the best land in Egypt.
In chapter 46 Jacob/Israel and his sons and their families leave for Egypt.
Question: What prophecy made to
Abraham in Genesis chapter 15 is partially fulfilled in this exodus into Egypt? What are the other parts of the prophecy that
will have a future fulfillment?
Answer: "Know this for certain, that your descendants will be exiles in a
land not their own, and be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But I shall bring judgment on the nation that
enslaves them and after this they will leave, with many possessions. For your
part, you will join your ancestors in peace; you will be buried at a happy old
age. In the fourth generation they will
come back here...." Genesis 15:13-15
Question: How many members of Jacob's
family [sons] enter Egypt? See Genesis 46:27
Answer: The male descendants of
Jacob that entered into Egypt
with him numbered 66. Adding Jacob
himself and Joseph and his 2 sons, who were already in Egypt, the male family members of Jacob/Israel
in Egypt
totaled seventy. It is significant that Scripture makes
this division in numbering the male members of God's covenant family.
Joseph's family is given possession of the most lush and fertile region of Egypt: the Nile Delta. It is perfect land for herdsmen like the Israelites.
Question: Genesis 47:13-26 records
the results of Joseph's agrarian policy.
What happened to private ownership of the land in Egypt?
Answer: The land
of Egypt will now become crown
property with the exception of Goshen
where the Israelites live, and the land controlled by the Egyptian
priesthood.
At about the time Jacob's family would have entered Egypt, the Hyksos an Asiatic people, had conquered the native Egyptians. Egyptologists estimate the Hyksos began to infiltrate the Nile Valley around 1900BC and overwhelmed the native Egyptian rulers about 1780-30BC. For a Hyksos Pharaoh to offer sanctuary to another foreign people who would be valuable allies is entirely feasible. Scriptural evidence that supports this theory is found in the change in private ownership of land in Egypt as reported in Genesis 47:13-26. Private land ownership suddenly ended in Egypt circa the 18th century BC, or about the time Joseph would have been governing Egypt. The Hyksos were also the first to introduce horses and chariots into Egypt and Genesis 47:17 is the first instance where horses are mentioned in the Bible. Furthermore, the description of Joseph's official gifts when he was appointed Prime Minister/governor of Egypt: a ring, a gold collar and a robe, are all normal procedure for Egyptian office promotions. [see Howard Vos, Genesis and Archaeology pages 102-106]. Egyptian documents report many Semitics who rose to positions of power and influence in the Egyptian court including Aperel, the Vizier [Prime Minister] of Amenhotep IV, who was also the tutor to the future Pharaoh Tutankamun.
The prophecy of Genesis 15:15 is fulfilled.
Question: When Jacob/Israel time to
die drew near what did he make Joseph swear to him?
Answer: He made him swear to bury
him in Canaan.
Please read Genesis 48:1-50:26
Question: What does Jacob/Israel do
for Joseph's half Egyptian sons to ensure their inheritance? What mistake occurs and what is its
significance? See Genesis 48:5-6, 20
Answer: He officially adopts the
boys but in blessing them he crosses his hands and his right hand rests on the
head of the younger son. Once again the
younger will have supremacy over the older son [see the overhead chart of the
dispossessed sons of Genesis].
In Genesis 48:22 there is a play on the word "Shechem". Jacob/Israel promises Joseph a "shechem" more than his brothers. The Hebrew word "shekem" means "shoulder" but it is also the name of the town and district of Shechem in Canaan which would become the property of the sons of Joseph [Ephraim] and where Joseph himself would be buried. In a banquet the choicest meat was the "shoulder" and this choicest land is what Jacob/Israel is giving Joseph.
Chapter 49 is Jacob/Israel's last will and testament. He prophesies for each of his 12 sons beginning with the firstborn Ruben, who Jacob/Israel disinherits for sleeping with his father's concubine. Simeon and Levi are not blessed and are also eliminated as the re'shiyt because of their disgraceful conduct in the murder of the men of Shechem in Genesis 34:25-2.
Please read Judah's blessing in Genesis 49:8-12
It may be Jacob/Israel's desire that Joseph becomes
the re'shiyt but Judah
is God's choice.
Question: What prophecy will be
fulfilled in Genesis 49:10? The literal
translation is "The scepter shall
not pass from Judah
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until shiloh come."
Answer: David the descendant of Judah will be
the first in a long line of Kings.
Question: What is the significance of
verses Genesis 49:11-12? Read the
prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 and then read Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; and Luke 19:28-38?
Answer: This
passage is a prophecy of Palm [Passion] Sunday.
Question: The
word "shiloh" is translated in the Greek of the New Testament as siloam. It a pool in south Jerusalem that is filled by the Gihon
stream. In the Gospel of St. John 9:7,
we are told the meaning of the Greek word "siloam" or in Hebrew
"shiloh". What does it mean?
Answer: "the one who has been sent"
Now read Genesis 49:10 with John's translation of the word "Shiloh": "The scepter shall not pass from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until the one who is sent comes." The Fathers of the Church saw this as a prophecy only partially fulfilled in King David. They saw it as a prophecy completely fulfilled in the Son of David, Jesus the Messiah; He who would "wash his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of the grape." The Fathers of the Church saw this passage in Genesis 49:11 as a prophecy of Christ's passion and the Eucharist.
Question: From which of the 12 tribes
of Israel
was Jesus descended? Please see Matthew 1:1; 1:3; 1:6 and 1:16.
Answer: The tribe of Judah.
Question: In Jacob/Israel's blessing
to his sons he assigns each son a symbolic animal. What is Judah's animal? See 49:9
Answer: A lion.
Question: In Revelation, the last book
of the New Testament, St. John the Apostle is taken up into the heavenly court
and is told by an "elder" in Revelation 5:5 to "Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
triumphed, and so he will open the scroll and its seven seals." When John turns to look what does he see
in verse 6?
Answer: He sees "..a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed.."
Question: Who is the Lamb? Read John 1:29-30 and Revelation 5:6-13
Answer: The Lamb of God who
sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world.
John the Apostle sees Jesus the Messiah, the last of the Davidic kings
of Judah.
Did you notice that in John 1:30 John the Baptist acknowledges that Jesus existed before he was born [John is 6 months older than Jesus; see Lk 1:36] and in the Revelation 5:5 passage the Lamb is the "root" of David" = having existed before David. The Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity united in the Godhead as One True and Holy God existed before the world was made [see 1Peter 1:20]. For more information on this passage from Revelation see chapter 5 of the Revelation Bible Study.
In Genesis 50:25-26 we are told that Joseph died at the age of 110 and was embalmed, as was the Egyptian custom, and was laid in a grave in Egypt, but before he died he made his kinsmen swear not to leave his bones in Egypt when they returned to the Promised Land [50:25].
There is a wealth of archaeological evidence that supports the Biblical account of this age. Here are just a few examples of discoveries that support the Biblical record:
Archaeological evidence that supports the Biblical account of the Age of the Patriarchs:
Questions for group discussion:
Question: The Fathers of the Church
saw Joseph as a "type" of Christ.
What similarities can you see between the lives of Joseph and Jesus?
Answer:
| JOSPEH | JESUS |
| 1. Joseph escapes death by going into Egypt. | 1. Jesus escapes death by going into Egypt |
| 2. He is betrayed by his brothers, the sons of Jacob/Israel. | 2. Jesus is betrayed by his brothers, the sons of Israel--the Jews. |
| 3. Joseph's brothers believed he was dead but he was found to be alive. | 3. Jesus was believed to be dead but He was Resurrected from the dead. |
| 4. Joseph is the beloved son of Jacob | 4. Jesus is the beloved Son of God |
Question: Of all the stories that
could be related to us from the Age of the Patriarchs why did God choose these
particular stories to be included in Holy Scripture?
Answer: These stories identify the preservation of the
"holy seed" promised in Genesis 3:15 and illustrate God's
faithfulness to His promise, but they are also instructive in that they provide
lessons to us in obedience and faithfulness as well as illustrations of the
suffering brought about by sin and by willful disobedience to God. The sins reflected in these stories will be
basis of the Laws of holiness given to the Children of Israel in the 10
Commandments.
Question: Compare Abraham's travels
and adventures especially in Egypt
to what will be the travels and adventures of the 12 sons of Israel and
their children. How does the physical
and spiritual father of the Covenant people symbolically pave the way for Israel's
encounter with God?
Answer: 1. famine sends Abraham and
the sons of Israel/Jacob into Egypt.
2. Both are initially treated with kindness. 3. Both Abraham and his
descendants face persecution in Egypt
followed by plagues sent by God on their oppressors. 4. the plagues compel the
Pharaoh to release Sarah and later to release enslaved Israel. 5. Abraham witnesses God's judgment on Sodom while the people of Israel
witness God's judgment on Egypt. The adventures of Abraham and Sarah recorded
in the Bible have meaning beyond their lives. Their actions prefigure their descendants,
people of Israel's
later experiences!
Readings for the next Biblical period:
THE TWELVE TRIBES IN EGYPT/ THE SINAI COVENANT
| Enslavement of Israel | Exodus 1:1-22 |
| Infant Narrative of Moses | Exodus 2:1-10 |
| Moses Flees Egypt | Exodus 2:11-25 |
| The Call of Moses | Exodus 3:1-6:30 |
| The Return of Moses/ The Ten Plagues | Exodus 7:1-11:10 |
| The First Passover | Exodus 12:1-51 |
| The Exodus/ Manna, Quails, and The Rock | Exodus 12:33 - 14:31; 16:1-17:7 |
|
The
Sinai Covenant/ The Establishment of Liturgical Worship |
Exodus 19:1-28:42 |
| The Aaronic Priesthood/ The Daily Sacrifice | Exodus 29:1-34 |
| The Sin of the Golden Calf | Exodus 32:1-35 |
| The Building of the Tabernacle | Exodus 36:8 - 40:38 |
|
The Laws of the Covenant/ The Seven Sacred Feasts |
Leviticus 23:1-44 |
Resources and recommended reading:
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2008 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.