Seder 41: Gen 46-47---A Joyful Reunion

 After 22 years apart, Jacob and Joseph were finally reunited in Egypt.  Gen 46:29 describes their joyful reunion:  "He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while."  

It's not clear in verse 29 which one wept on which one's neck, which may imply that each did so to the other.  

Jacob told Joseph that he could now die in peace, having seen his son again (v 30).  We see here a foreshadowing of  a later event, when the elderly Simeon had the opportunity to hold the baby Jesus (Luke 2:25-32).  

Jacob also had the opportunity to meet Pharaoh (Gen 47:7-12).  Jacob was not overly intimidated by the monarch, as indicated by the fact that he blessed Pharaoh twice.  Jacob knew who he was, one through home the nations would be blessed.  And Pharaoh accepted the blessings from Jacob, showing both his respect for Joseph and his respect for the wisdom of the aged. 

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 23. 2021, Kyle Kettering reflected on arrivals and departures, times that cause much anxiety and also hold great potential.  The way to make the most of that potential is to walk in love, Kyle emphasized.    

A further example of the mission of Abraham's descendants to bless the nations is seen in Joseph's administration of the grain supply during the 7 years of famine (Gen 47:13-26).  Joseph's policies saved many lives and also enriched Pharaoh.  

There are some ironies here.  Joseph, who arrived in Egypt as a slave, ended up seeing many people in Egypt become sharecroppers, while his own family fared better.  It has been argued that his policies helped lay the groundwork for the eventual enslavement of the family of Israel.         

Joseph's treatment of the poor was not harsh, especially considering the context of the times.  (Ancient tax rates tended to be pretty high.)  Those who became sharecroppers were still grateful to Jacob for helping them through the famine (v 25).  

We can see Joseph as an example of the "faithful and wise servant" described by Jesus in Matt 24:45-47.

In Egypt the children of Israel "were fruitful and multiplied greatly" (Gen 47:27).  They were carrying out the mandate of Gen 1:28.  A return to Eden had not yet occurred, but God's plan to restore blessing to the world was well underway.