Hello readers! My family is still here spending their vacation with me, but no one else is awake yet so I'm good to go.
Shemot (Exodus) 2:1-4 "And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him."
First off, yes the mother and father were related. I'd guess they were more like distant cousins than anything particularly close, but that's not for me to know. Second, it looks like Pharaoh's law concerning the death of all newborn males is still in effect. Third, remember that ark means box. So she made him a box of bulrushes (which appear to be cattails when looked up in Google Images), covered it with asphalt and pitch (remember Noah's ark, how he covered it in pitch to make it waterproof), and put him in the ark and the ark in the reeds. It doesn't say she left, but since his sister is watching over him, it's implied that she's gone. Sounds like a fine example of bad parenting, yes? No. Mom knew that if he was found in her house, he would die for sure. Found in some reeds, possibly by an Egyptian, and he might just make it. A mother does what she needs to do.
Shemot 2:5-6 "Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, 'This is one of the Hebrew's children.'"
It says she has compassion for him, but is she the kind of daughter who would kill him to honor her father, or is she the kind of daughter who would save him to honor her heart?
Shemot 2:7 "Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?'"
Who can guess who the girl has in mind? Also, looks like we're about to find out what's going to happen to the baby.
Shemot 2:8-10 "And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Go.' So the maiden went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.' So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, 'Because I drew him out of the water.'"
Yay! Question: Why tell the story of a single baby of a particular family unless he is significant in some way? I'll admit I've read this story several times, so I know what's going to happen, but I'd like to know what you think of this. Comment box!!
Shemot 2:11-15 "Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, 'Why are you striking your companion?' Then he said, 'Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?' So Moses feared and said, 'Surely this thing is known!' When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well."
The question arises: Did Moses know he was Hebrew, or did he think he was Egyptian? It says he went out to his brethren but we know they were his family. He may or may not. Either way, it's apparent that he sympathizes with the Hebrews, and that makes him a threat to Pharaoh.
Shemot 2:16-17 "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock."
This passage is a little confusing, but Moses was helping the girls, not the shepherds, as we'll soon see.
Shemot 2:18-20 "When they came to Reuel their father, he said, 'How is it that you have come so soon today?' And they said, 'An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.' So he said to his daughters, 'And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.'"
The guy just did your job for you and you didn't even bring him by to feed him? Remember Genesis, when the two angels came to let Abraham and Sarah know they would have a child? Abraham made sure they angels were fed (he asked someone to kill a cow for them if I recall correctly and another person to make them cakes) before he even knew they were angels or what kind of news they had. As far as he knew, they were two wandering strangers. Where's that old testament hospitality, girls?
Shemot 2:21-25 "Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land.' Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to Elohim because of the bondage. So Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And Elohim looked upon the children of Israel, and Elohim acknowledged them."
Sounds like good things are coming up soon for the children of Israel, in spite of their current distress. It also sounds like the new Pharaoh is probably following in the footsteps of his father.
Homework: Listen to "The Orphan" by Newsboys, and check out the movie The Prince of Egypt.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
This Blog Has Been Temporarily Interrupted Due To Family, Tune in Next Week for Our Regularly Scheduled Program
Hey everybody,
I apologize for no post on the 24th, my family has come over to spend the week. Not for holidays, actually, just to hang out when everyone has a vacation.
To those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, Chanukah, or any of the other spellings, have an awesome week! Play some dreidel and enjoy latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts)!
To the rest of you, happy holidays and have a peaceful vacation!
-Kj
I apologize for no post on the 24th, my family has come over to spend the week. Not for holidays, actually, just to hang out when everyone has a vacation.
To those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, Chanukah, or any of the other spellings, have an awesome week! Play some dreidel and enjoy latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts)!
To the rest of you, happy holidays and have a peaceful vacation!
-Kj
Saturday, December 17, 2011
When the Darkness Closes In...
With a new book comes a new name. The book of Exodus is called Shemot. Shemot means names, but Exodus is Greek for departure. Shemot took its name from the second word of the book, while Exodus took its name from the general idea of the entire book, which we'll be studying in the coming weeks. Actually, if I can stick to one chapter per week, we'll be studying it for the coming year. Keep the suspense up with those chapter ending cliffhangers!
Shemot (Exodus) 1:1-7 "Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them."
Now this is all just fine, I mean, Abraham was promised a nation decades ago and it looks like they're finally growing big enough to start at least a city if not a country. Why then, are they still living in Egypt? I know they had the good life, but shouldn't they have moved out when the famine ended?
Shemot 1:8-14 "Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, 'Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.' Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. An they made their lives bitter with hard bondage - in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor."
Ok... I have some problems with this paragraph. First off, how in the world did the Pharaoh not know Joseph?? I totally understand if Joseph was old and/or dead when Pharaoh was born, but they wrote their history all over their walls. Walls upon walls are covered in hieroglyphs, telling their story. You would think some scribe would write about the man who saved the entire known world. And you would think that Pharaoh would have at least heard of the man who worked with his great grandfather to save the world, from family myths and tales to simply reading the stories on the walls, how could he have missed out on that huge piece of history?? Second. I totally understand he's uneasy about the huge population of people living in Egypt who are not, in fact, Egyptian. So the thing to do would be to get on their good side so they wouldn't even think of rebellion. Why rebel against someone who is treating you well? But no. He turned them into slaves. Not just any slaves, but slaves who were forced to do their work with pep in their step. No slowing down, no breaks, just work. That is not how you get on someone's good side.
Shemot 1:15-19 "Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, 'When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.' But the midwives feared Elohim, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, 'Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?' And the midwives said to Pharaoh, 'Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.'"
From a cold, calculating, hard-hearted, strictly political/scientific point of view, I can understand where the Pharaoh is coming from. Get rid of the boys and you end the Hebrew line as the girls grow up and marry the Egyptians. This by no means is me saying he was right in doing this. No. Not at all. I hate what he did. I can't imagine all the boys I know being stolen away and murdered because of their family lines. I understand that genocide has happened before and will sadly probably happen again, but that does NOT make it alright. On a separate note, kudos to the midwives! Let it be known that Egyptian and Hebrew women were likely about the same level on the liveliness scale while giving birth. The midwives were saving the boys that they helped birth. They were there, they helped the women give birth to their children, they knew whether the children were boys or girls, and they told a baldfaced lie to the Pharaoh because they knew that Yahuah is greater than he could ever be. That is so fantastic, it makes me smile in spite of what is coming. Also, you notice that you know their names; Shiphrah and Puah. As far as names go, a lot of times it is the men who are named, not the women. They are named in the Bible as recognition for their great act. How awesome is that?
Shemot 1:20-22 "Therefore Elohim dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared Elohim, that He provided households for them. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, 'Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.'"
See, Yahuah recognized the bravery of the midwives and provided for them! But can't you just see in your minds eye the Nile running red with the blood of every baby boy? Their little bodies being eaten by crocodiles and snakes? The screaming mothers as their children are stolen from them? The tears of the fathers knowing that they'll never see their boys again? While the Shiphrah and Puah did a fantastic service, it wasn't enough to keep the Pharaoh from committing genocide.
The world of Exodus is an ugly place. In many ways, it is much uglier than Genesis ever was. Our heroes have been stamped underfoot, reduced to slaves, and were having their children stolen from them and murdered. Also, you'll notice that our focus is much larger. Rather than one family, you now have twelve families all being trampled by the laws made specifically to bring them down. Pharaoh was right, they are a force to be reckoned with, but honestly, the bloodthirsty king did not have to resort to killing all the baby boys to get the people to submit to him. He could have been a kind and patient king, loving his subjects and admired by all. But no. He was feared and with good reason. Thankfully, the midwives were right, Yahuah is greater than any Pharaoh could ever be.
Song for the day: "Blessed be Your Name" by Newsboys. It's about how sometimes life is good, and sometimes it's bad (or downright horrible), but the faithful bless His Name either way.
Another note: Shiphrah and Puah mean Beautiful and Splendid, respectively. They truly were beautiful and splendid, and you don't even have to see them to know it.
Source for names: Dictionary.com
Shemot (Exodus) 1:1-7 "Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them."
Now this is all just fine, I mean, Abraham was promised a nation decades ago and it looks like they're finally growing big enough to start at least a city if not a country. Why then, are they still living in Egypt? I know they had the good life, but shouldn't they have moved out when the famine ended?
Shemot 1:8-14 "Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, 'Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.' Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. An they made their lives bitter with hard bondage - in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor."
Ok... I have some problems with this paragraph. First off, how in the world did the Pharaoh not know Joseph?? I totally understand if Joseph was old and/or dead when Pharaoh was born, but they wrote their history all over their walls. Walls upon walls are covered in hieroglyphs, telling their story. You would think some scribe would write about the man who saved the entire known world. And you would think that Pharaoh would have at least heard of the man who worked with his great grandfather to save the world, from family myths and tales to simply reading the stories on the walls, how could he have missed out on that huge piece of history?? Second. I totally understand he's uneasy about the huge population of people living in Egypt who are not, in fact, Egyptian. So the thing to do would be to get on their good side so they wouldn't even think of rebellion. Why rebel against someone who is treating you well? But no. He turned them into slaves. Not just any slaves, but slaves who were forced to do their work with pep in their step. No slowing down, no breaks, just work. That is not how you get on someone's good side.
Shemot 1:15-19 "Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, 'When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.' But the midwives feared Elohim, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, 'Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?' And the midwives said to Pharaoh, 'Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.'"
From a cold, calculating, hard-hearted, strictly political/scientific point of view, I can understand where the Pharaoh is coming from. Get rid of the boys and you end the Hebrew line as the girls grow up and marry the Egyptians. This by no means is me saying he was right in doing this. No. Not at all. I hate what he did. I can't imagine all the boys I know being stolen away and murdered because of their family lines. I understand that genocide has happened before and will sadly probably happen again, but that does NOT make it alright. On a separate note, kudos to the midwives! Let it be known that Egyptian and Hebrew women were likely about the same level on the liveliness scale while giving birth. The midwives were saving the boys that they helped birth. They were there, they helped the women give birth to their children, they knew whether the children were boys or girls, and they told a baldfaced lie to the Pharaoh because they knew that Yahuah is greater than he could ever be. That is so fantastic, it makes me smile in spite of what is coming. Also, you notice that you know their names; Shiphrah and Puah. As far as names go, a lot of times it is the men who are named, not the women. They are named in the Bible as recognition for their great act. How awesome is that?
Shemot 1:20-22 "Therefore Elohim dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared Elohim, that He provided households for them. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, 'Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.'"
See, Yahuah recognized the bravery of the midwives and provided for them! But can't you just see in your minds eye the Nile running red with the blood of every baby boy? Their little bodies being eaten by crocodiles and snakes? The screaming mothers as their children are stolen from them? The tears of the fathers knowing that they'll never see their boys again? While the Shiphrah and Puah did a fantastic service, it wasn't enough to keep the Pharaoh from committing genocide.
The world of Exodus is an ugly place. In many ways, it is much uglier than Genesis ever was. Our heroes have been stamped underfoot, reduced to slaves, and were having their children stolen from them and murdered. Also, you'll notice that our focus is much larger. Rather than one family, you now have twelve families all being trampled by the laws made specifically to bring them down. Pharaoh was right, they are a force to be reckoned with, but honestly, the bloodthirsty king did not have to resort to killing all the baby boys to get the people to submit to him. He could have been a kind and patient king, loving his subjects and admired by all. But no. He was feared and with good reason. Thankfully, the midwives were right, Yahuah is greater than any Pharaoh could ever be.
Song for the day: "Blessed be Your Name" by Newsboys. It's about how sometimes life is good, and sometimes it's bad (or downright horrible), but the faithful bless His Name either way.
Another note: Shiphrah and Puah mean Beautiful and Splendid, respectively. They truly were beautiful and splendid, and you don't even have to see them to know it.
Source for names: Dictionary.com
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Bittersweet Ending
Genesis 50. It's finally here. It feels really good to be finished with the first book, and I can only hope that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to keep to a schedule and work through Exodus in a timely manner.
Beresheet (Genesis) 50:1-3 "Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days."
Why do you suppose the Egyptians mourned too? He was just an old Hebrew shepherd in their eyes, right? Well... He was also the father of the man who saved the known world. That particular fact aside, he may very well have been liked in Egyptian society. Maybe they could appreciate his peculiar (to them) ways and maybe they made friends.
Beresheet 50:4-9 "Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, 'If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, "My father made me swear, saying, 'Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.' Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back."' And Pharaoh said, 'Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.' So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering."
I think Joseph probably found favor in Pharaoh's eyes several years back when he interpreted the dream for him... But it's always nice to ask your higher-ups before you go off on an extended vacation, even if it is to bury family.
Beresheet 50:10-11 "Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, 'This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.' Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan."
Interesting, isn't it? A few dozen chapters ago, Cain murdered his brother Abel, and now the word Abel means "mourning."
Beresheet 50:12-14 "So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father."
If anyone has respect for the dead, they are these men.
Beresheet 50:15-21 "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.' So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, 'Before your father died he commanded, saying, Thus you shall say to Joseph: 'I beg you, forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.'" Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the Elohim of your father.' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, 'Behold, we are your servants.' Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of Elohim? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but Elohim meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."
I'm not sure if I should retract my last statement or not. It would seem that the brothers put words in the mouth of their dead, mummified father in order to save their own skins. What? The expression that best sums this up is, I think, -_-; Really?? They've lived with Joseph for SEVENTEEN YEARS now and they've obviously not gotten into any major fights since moving in... Does Joseph really seem like the kind of guy who would hurt his brothers after greeting them with hugs and tears? Sure he played mind games with them, but that's all.
Beresheet 50:22-23 "So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees."
I sense more sadness coming very soon.
Beresheet 50:24-26 "And Joseph said to his brethren, 'I am dying; but Elohim will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, 'Elohim will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.' So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."
And thus, the end of Genesis is bittersweet. Bitter because we read about Israel and Joseph dying and we'll likely have an entirely new generation of people to learn about shortly. Sweet because it is indeed finished, and we have the whole rest of the Bible to go through, one chapter at a time.
You already got your homework from the chapter before, so go listen to MercyMe!
Thank you all so much for reading and I'll be back with Exodus next week =D
-Kj
Beresheet (Genesis) 50:1-3 "Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days."
Why do you suppose the Egyptians mourned too? He was just an old Hebrew shepherd in their eyes, right? Well... He was also the father of the man who saved the known world. That particular fact aside, he may very well have been liked in Egyptian society. Maybe they could appreciate his peculiar (to them) ways and maybe they made friends.
Beresheet 50:4-9 "Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, 'If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, "My father made me swear, saying, 'Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.' Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back."' And Pharaoh said, 'Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.' So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering."
I think Joseph probably found favor in Pharaoh's eyes several years back when he interpreted the dream for him... But it's always nice to ask your higher-ups before you go off on an extended vacation, even if it is to bury family.
Beresheet 50:10-11 "Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, 'This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.' Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan."
Interesting, isn't it? A few dozen chapters ago, Cain murdered his brother Abel, and now the word Abel means "mourning."
Beresheet 50:12-14 "So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father."
If anyone has respect for the dead, they are these men.
Beresheet 50:15-21 "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.' So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, 'Before your father died he commanded, saying, Thus you shall say to Joseph: 'I beg you, forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.'" Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the Elohim of your father.' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, 'Behold, we are your servants.' Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of Elohim? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but Elohim meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."
I'm not sure if I should retract my last statement or not. It would seem that the brothers put words in the mouth of their dead, mummified father in order to save their own skins. What? The expression that best sums this up is, I think, -_-; Really?? They've lived with Joseph for SEVENTEEN YEARS now and they've obviously not gotten into any major fights since moving in... Does Joseph really seem like the kind of guy who would hurt his brothers after greeting them with hugs and tears? Sure he played mind games with them, but that's all.
Beresheet 50:22-23 "So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph's knees."
I sense more sadness coming very soon.
Beresheet 50:24-26 "And Joseph said to his brethren, 'I am dying; but Elohim will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, 'Elohim will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.' So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."
And thus, the end of Genesis is bittersweet. Bitter because we read about Israel and Joseph dying and we'll likely have an entirely new generation of people to learn about shortly. Sweet because it is indeed finished, and we have the whole rest of the Bible to go through, one chapter at a time.
You already got your homework from the chapter before, so go listen to MercyMe!
Thank you all so much for reading and I'll be back with Exodus next week =D
-Kj
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Finally Home
This is the second-to-last chapter of the Book of Genesis. It is mostly a blessing, and it tells some interesting character traits Israel has observed in his sons over the years. Keep in mind, this is written more like a poem or a song than the rest of the book. You'll notice if you read it from your own Bible that it the words aren't center-justified any more, but left-justified, and the punctuation is peculiar.
Beresheet (Genesis) 49:1-2 "And Jacob called his sons and said, 'Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: 'Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, / And listen to Israel your father.'"
In other words... Pay attention, this is important.
Beresheet (Genesis) 49:3-4 "'Reuben, you are my firstborn, / My might and the beginning of my strength, / The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. / Unstable as water, you shall not excel, / Because you went up to your father's bed; / Then you defiled it - / He went up to my couch.'"
Yeah... Remember that whole thing with his step-mom / aunt / I-still-don't-know-what-to-call-her? Yeah. That one. His dad remembers it on his death bed. If anyone didn't know about it before, *coughcough Joseph cough* they sure do now.
Beresheet 49:5-7 "'Simeon and Levi are brothers; / Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. / Let not my soul enter their council; / Let not my honor be united to their assembly; / For in their anger they slew a man, / And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. / Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; / And their wrath, for it is cruel! / I will divide them in Jacob / And scatter them in Israel.'"
Remember the Dinah incident? Yeah... Simeon and Levi were behind the deaths of every single man in the entire city and they expressed no guilt or shame for it.
Beresheet 49:8-12 "'Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; / Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; / Your father's children shall bow down before you. / Judah is a lion's whelp; / From the prey, my son, you have gone up. / He bows down, he lies down as a lion; / And as a lion, who shall rouse him? / The scepter shall not depart from Judah, / Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, / Until Shiloh comes; / And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. / Binding his donkey to the vine, / And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, / He washed his garments in wine, / And his clothes in the blood of grapes. / His eyes are darker than wine, / And his teeth whiter than milk.'"
What, or who is Shiloh? None of my books could help me so if you know or have an idea, leave a comment!
Beresheet 49:13 "'Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; / He shall become a haven for ships, / And his border shall adjoin Sidon.'"
Sidon was (or maybe still is) a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Beresheet 49:14-15 "'Issachar is a strong donkey, / Lying down between two burdens; / He saw that rest was good, / And that the land was pleasant; / He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, / And became a band of slaves.'"
No idea what Issachar did to earn him that title, and I'll probably never know.
Beresheet 49:16-18 "'Dan shall judge his people / As one of the tribes of Israel. / Dan shall be a serpent by the way, / A viper by the path, / That bites the horse's heels / So that is rider shall fall backward. / I have waited for your salvation, / O Yahuah!'"
If you look up the name Dan, you'll find that it means "Judgement," while Daniel and Danielle both mean "God is my Judge."
Beresheet 49:19 "'Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, / But he shall triumph at last.'"
How does he know this? I have no idea. Maybe Elohim blessed him with the inspiration of these blessings, incorporating some of each man's family's future as he went.
Beresheet 49:20 "'Bread from Asher shall be rich, / And he shall yield royal dainties.'"
If Israel wasn't lying on his deathbed right now, do you think Asher would get some teasing for that? He is surrounded by brothers, dontcha know.
Beresheet 49:21 "'Naphtali is a deer let loose; / He uses beautiful words.'"
I wonder if today's modern writers (those who have obvious talent) are descended from Naphtali... Hey, it's not too big of a stretch; he did live a few thousand years ago, that bloodline is probably spread out a LOT by now.
Beresheet 49:22-26 "'Joseph is a fruitful bough, / A fruitful bough by a well; / His branches run over the wall. / The archers have bitterly grieved him, / Shot at him and hated him. / But his bow remained in strength, / And the arms of his hands were made strong / By the hands of the Mighty Elohim of Jacob / (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), / By the Elohim of your father who will help you, / And by the Almighty who will bless you / With blessings of heaven above, / Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, / Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. / The blessings of your father / Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, / Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. / They shall be on the head of Joseph, / And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.'"
He got a bigger blessing than several of his older brothers combined, but can you really blame Israel? He lived a long time believing that his son was dead, and now that he's back, the thankfulness is obvious in the blessing.
Beresheet 49:27 "'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; / In the morning he shall devour the prey, / And at night he shall divide the spoil.'"
Wow. I wonder what he did to earn that.
Beresheet 49:28 "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing."
Each man was unique. Even if we didn't get to know them all, their father sure did, and he treated them individually in the end, rather than as a group.
Beresheet 49:29-33 "Then he charged them and said to them: 'I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.' And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people."
Your song for the day: "Finally Home" by MercyMe.
Beresheet (Genesis) 49:1-2 "And Jacob called his sons and said, 'Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: 'Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, / And listen to Israel your father.'"
In other words... Pay attention, this is important.
Beresheet (Genesis) 49:3-4 "'Reuben, you are my firstborn, / My might and the beginning of my strength, / The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. / Unstable as water, you shall not excel, / Because you went up to your father's bed; / Then you defiled it - / He went up to my couch.'"
Yeah... Remember that whole thing with his step-mom / aunt / I-still-don't-know-what-to-call-her? Yeah. That one. His dad remembers it on his death bed. If anyone didn't know about it before, *coughcough Joseph cough* they sure do now.
Beresheet 49:5-7 "'Simeon and Levi are brothers; / Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. / Let not my soul enter their council; / Let not my honor be united to their assembly; / For in their anger they slew a man, / And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. / Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; / And their wrath, for it is cruel! / I will divide them in Jacob / And scatter them in Israel.'"
Remember the Dinah incident? Yeah... Simeon and Levi were behind the deaths of every single man in the entire city and they expressed no guilt or shame for it.
Beresheet 49:8-12 "'Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; / Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; / Your father's children shall bow down before you. / Judah is a lion's whelp; / From the prey, my son, you have gone up. / He bows down, he lies down as a lion; / And as a lion, who shall rouse him? / The scepter shall not depart from Judah, / Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, / Until Shiloh comes; / And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. / Binding his donkey to the vine, / And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, / He washed his garments in wine, / And his clothes in the blood of grapes. / His eyes are darker than wine, / And his teeth whiter than milk.'"
What, or who is Shiloh? None of my books could help me so if you know or have an idea, leave a comment!
Beresheet 49:13 "'Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; / He shall become a haven for ships, / And his border shall adjoin Sidon.'"
Sidon was (or maybe still is) a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Beresheet 49:14-15 "'Issachar is a strong donkey, / Lying down between two burdens; / He saw that rest was good, / And that the land was pleasant; / He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, / And became a band of slaves.'"
No idea what Issachar did to earn him that title, and I'll probably never know.
Beresheet 49:16-18 "'Dan shall judge his people / As one of the tribes of Israel. / Dan shall be a serpent by the way, / A viper by the path, / That bites the horse's heels / So that is rider shall fall backward. / I have waited for your salvation, / O Yahuah!'"
If you look up the name Dan, you'll find that it means "Judgement," while Daniel and Danielle both mean "God is my Judge."
Beresheet 49:19 "'Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, / But he shall triumph at last.'"
How does he know this? I have no idea. Maybe Elohim blessed him with the inspiration of these blessings, incorporating some of each man's family's future as he went.
Beresheet 49:20 "'Bread from Asher shall be rich, / And he shall yield royal dainties.'"
If Israel wasn't lying on his deathbed right now, do you think Asher would get some teasing for that? He is surrounded by brothers, dontcha know.
Beresheet 49:21 "'Naphtali is a deer let loose; / He uses beautiful words.'"
I wonder if today's modern writers (those who have obvious talent) are descended from Naphtali... Hey, it's not too big of a stretch; he did live a few thousand years ago, that bloodline is probably spread out a LOT by now.
Beresheet 49:22-26 "'Joseph is a fruitful bough, / A fruitful bough by a well; / His branches run over the wall. / The archers have bitterly grieved him, / Shot at him and hated him. / But his bow remained in strength, / And the arms of his hands were made strong / By the hands of the Mighty Elohim of Jacob / (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), / By the Elohim of your father who will help you, / And by the Almighty who will bless you / With blessings of heaven above, / Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, / Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. / The blessings of your father / Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, / Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. / They shall be on the head of Joseph, / And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.'"
He got a bigger blessing than several of his older brothers combined, but can you really blame Israel? He lived a long time believing that his son was dead, and now that he's back, the thankfulness is obvious in the blessing.
Beresheet 49:27 "'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; / In the morning he shall devour the prey, / And at night he shall divide the spoil.'"
Wow. I wonder what he did to earn that.
Beresheet 49:28 "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing."
Each man was unique. Even if we didn't get to know them all, their father sure did, and he treated them individually in the end, rather than as a group.
Beresheet 49:29-33 "Then he charged them and said to them: 'I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.' And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people."
Your song for the day: "Finally Home" by MercyMe.
The Younger Before the Elder
Not sure if I can make it to my goal tonight, but I think you'll be able to tell from my time stamp that these posts are all one after the other. If not, I'll fiddle with it a bit and work it out so you can.
Beresheet (Genesis) 48:1-8 "Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, 'Indeed your father is sick'; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, 'Look, your son Joseph is coming to you'; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph: 'Elohim Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, "Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession." And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. But as for me, when I cam from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).' Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, 'Who are these?'"
Yes, Israel did just call Joseph's sons by name and claim them as his own. No, he apparently had no idea what they looked like. Maybe he was going blind. Maybe he had Alzheimer's. I have no explanation for what happens to the human body when it passes the age of one-hundred and thirty. I don't really think anyone else does either, considering no one's been that old in a LONG time.
Beresheet 48:9-11 "Joseph said to his father, 'They are my sons, whom Elohim has given me in this place.' And he said, 'Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.' Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, 'I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, Elohim has also shown me your off-spring!'"
Maybe Israel thought the boys were a lot younger than they actually were. He obviously knew they existed, but maybe his vision was just too blurry to know what they looked like.
Beresheet 48:12-16 "So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'Elohim, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, / The Elohim who has fed me all my life long to this day, / The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, / Bless the lads, / Let my name be named upon them, / And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; / And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'"
Why do you suppose he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the younger brother's head when he blessed them? It's not traditionally done, but Jacob was the youngest, and Joseph was the second-youngest. Maybe he wanted to mix things up? Make a little mischief? I suppose we might find out.
Beresheet 48:17-22 "Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, 'Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.' So he blessed them that day, saying, 'By you Israel will bless, saying, "May Elohim make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!"' And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Behold, I am dying, but Elohim will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.'"
Even today, when blessing male family members or friends, we say "May Elohim make you like Ephraim and Manasseh." We also have a blessing for the girls, and it goes "May Elohim make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah."
Beresheet (Genesis) 48:1-8 "Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, 'Indeed your father is sick'; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, 'Look, your son Joseph is coming to you'; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph: 'Elohim Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, "Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession." And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. But as for me, when I cam from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).' Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, 'Who are these?'"
Yes, Israel did just call Joseph's sons by name and claim them as his own. No, he apparently had no idea what they looked like. Maybe he was going blind. Maybe he had Alzheimer's. I have no explanation for what happens to the human body when it passes the age of one-hundred and thirty. I don't really think anyone else does either, considering no one's been that old in a LONG time.
Beresheet 48:9-11 "Joseph said to his father, 'They are my sons, whom Elohim has given me in this place.' And he said, 'Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.' Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, 'I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, Elohim has also shown me your off-spring!'"
Maybe Israel thought the boys were a lot younger than they actually were. He obviously knew they existed, but maybe his vision was just too blurry to know what they looked like.
Beresheet 48:12-16 "So Joseph brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'Elohim, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, / The Elohim who has fed me all my life long to this day, / The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, / Bless the lads, / Let my name be named upon them, / And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; / And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'"
Why do you suppose he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the younger brother's head when he blessed them? It's not traditionally done, but Jacob was the youngest, and Joseph was the second-youngest. Maybe he wanted to mix things up? Make a little mischief? I suppose we might find out.
Beresheet 48:17-22 "Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. And Joseph said to his father, 'Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.' So he blessed them that day, saying, 'By you Israel will bless, saying, "May Elohim make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!"' And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, 'Behold, I am dying, but Elohim will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.'"
Even today, when blessing male family members or friends, we say "May Elohim make you like Ephraim and Manasseh." We also have a blessing for the girls, and it goes "May Elohim make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah."
The End is Near for Jacob
Three chapters left of Genesis!
Beresheet (Genesis) 47:1-4 "Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, 'My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.' And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, 'What is your occupation?' And they said to Pharaoh, 'Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.' And they said to Pharaoh, 'We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.'"
I don't quite get this, wouldn't Joseph be able to tell him just as well as they would have been able to tell them? I suppose it would be an honor to speak with the Pharaoh, but I guess I don't quite get why it's necessary. Maybe it's tradition for newcomers.
Beresheet 47:5-6 "Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, 'Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.'"
Pharaoh is hiring! I guess because shepherds were considered an abomination, there likely weren't any competent shepherds in Egypt, but who's going to tell the Pharaoh that he can't have a leg of lamb for supper if he wants?
Beresheet 47:7-12 "Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, 'How old are you?' And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.' So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the number in their families."
Jacob's saying he hasn't lived as long as his father and grandfather etc., and he probably won't. Also, his life wasn't all happy and rosy. Another note, the Israelites were given land "in the land of Rameses." This is the first time I've heard the name of any Pharaoh; perhaps the Pharaoh that Joseph was working alongside was Rameses I?
Beresheet 47:13-17 "Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, 'Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.' Then Joseph said, 'Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.' So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year."
I imagine you're wondering: "Why in the world would they sell good livestock for bread? They can slaughter their livestock if they're really hungry, can't they?" The answer: Yes, they could. Why didn't they? I have no idea. It doesn't make sense to me either. Maybe they just needed the fiber in their diet. Maybe bread was a major staple. Maybe they didn't like eating their pet cows. Maybe they didn't like feeding their pet cows. Maybe all of the above. If you can come up with a better answer (even if it isn't necessarily historically accurate), then please do.
Beresheet 47:18-22 "When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, 'We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? But us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.' Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands."
How bad was the famine? Well, here you have an entire nation selling themselves into slavery just to survive. It was, in a word, horrible.
Beresheet 47:23-26 "Then Joseph said to the people, 'Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.' So they said, 'You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.' And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh's."
Anybody know when "to this day" was, and if it is currently in effect? I'm aware that there are no longer Pharaohs in Egypt, but there is a ruler there. Does he still own all the land except for where the priests used to live?
Beresheet 47:27-31 "So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, 'Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.' And he said, 'I will do as you have said.' Then he said, 'Swear to me.' And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed."
Why put his hand under his thigh? I have no idea. I'll be getting in touch with some biblical scholars and professors in the very near future though, maybe I'll ask them and see what they think. Also, why does it matter where he is buried? Well, would you want to be buried in a foreign land that considers you an abomination because of your job, or would you rather be buried with family?
Almost done with Genesis!
Beresheet (Genesis) 47:1-4 "Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, 'My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.' And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, 'What is your occupation?' And they said to Pharaoh, 'Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.' And they said to Pharaoh, 'We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.'"
I don't quite get this, wouldn't Joseph be able to tell him just as well as they would have been able to tell them? I suppose it would be an honor to speak with the Pharaoh, but I guess I don't quite get why it's necessary. Maybe it's tradition for newcomers.
Beresheet 47:5-6 "Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, 'Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.'"
Pharaoh is hiring! I guess because shepherds were considered an abomination, there likely weren't any competent shepherds in Egypt, but who's going to tell the Pharaoh that he can't have a leg of lamb for supper if he wants?
Beresheet 47:7-12 "Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, 'How old are you?' And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.' So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with bread, according to the number in their families."
Jacob's saying he hasn't lived as long as his father and grandfather etc., and he probably won't. Also, his life wasn't all happy and rosy. Another note, the Israelites were given land "in the land of Rameses." This is the first time I've heard the name of any Pharaoh; perhaps the Pharaoh that Joseph was working alongside was Rameses I?
Beresheet 47:13-17 "Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, 'Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.' Then Joseph said, 'Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.' So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year."
I imagine you're wondering: "Why in the world would they sell good livestock for bread? They can slaughter their livestock if they're really hungry, can't they?" The answer: Yes, they could. Why didn't they? I have no idea. It doesn't make sense to me either. Maybe they just needed the fiber in their diet. Maybe bread was a major staple. Maybe they didn't like eating their pet cows. Maybe they didn't like feeding their pet cows. Maybe all of the above. If you can come up with a better answer (even if it isn't necessarily historically accurate), then please do.
Beresheet 47:18-22 "When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, 'We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? But us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.' Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands."
How bad was the famine? Well, here you have an entire nation selling themselves into slavery just to survive. It was, in a word, horrible.
Beresheet 47:23-26 "Then Joseph said to the people, 'Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.' So they said, 'You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.' And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh's."
Anybody know when "to this day" was, and if it is currently in effect? I'm aware that there are no longer Pharaohs in Egypt, but there is a ruler there. Does he still own all the land except for where the priests used to live?
Beresheet 47:27-31 "So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, 'Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.' And he said, 'I will do as you have said.' Then he said, 'Swear to me.' And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed."
Why put his hand under his thigh? I have no idea. I'll be getting in touch with some biblical scholars and professors in the very near future though, maybe I'll ask them and see what they think. Also, why does it matter where he is buried? Well, would you want to be buried in a foreign land that considers you an abomination because of your job, or would you rather be buried with family?
Almost done with Genesis!
The Israelite Family Reunion in Egypt
Only four chapters to go!! ...Let it be known that I will not be ending this blog when I end Genesis. On the contrary, I plan on beginning writing Exodus the week following the end of Genesis.
Beresheet (Genesis) 46:1-4 "So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the Elohim of his father Isaac. Then Elohim spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, 'Jacob, Jacob!' And he said, 'Here I am.' So He said, 'I am Elohim, the Elohim of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.'"
It seems as though a great nation is already being built from Jacob, but they'll have a better chance in Egypt where there's food. Also, isn't it sort of strange that Yahuah is calling him by his original name, rather than the one He gave him? The whole change-names-in-the-middle-of-your-life-and-then-don't-worry-about-being-consistant thing is kind of annoying, but what can you do? Another thing; "Joseph will put his hand on your eyes." Is that a standard greeting, or the traditional gesture to do for the dead; close their eyes? Maybe we'll find out soon.
Beresheet 46:5-7 "Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. His sons and his sons' sons, his daughters and his sons' daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt."
Considering he had eleven sons (that didn't disappear) and one daughter (that we know of)... If all of the above got married, that's twelve couples. We'll suppose for the sake of argument that each family had between three and five children. How about we guess on the upper end of the scale, and go with five. We'll also suppose that at least a few of these children also had children. We're up past sixty people moving to Egypt. Verses 8-25 confirm this, and include a short genealogy. We'll pick up again at 26.
Beresheet 46:26-27 "All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy."
They're not counting the wives... If you count the women, you're likely up around ninety or maybe one-hundred.
Beresheet 46:28-30 "Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph, 'Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive."
Remember the hugging thing, he's not literally jumping on an old man's neck and crying, but instead giving his dad, whom he hasn't seen in YEARS a hug. Also, Jacob isn't depressed anymore. Saying "let me die" isn't literally saying, "kill me." The best way to put it that I can think of is referencing a TV show I was watching with my family a week or two ago. In it, there are a girl and a guy who are in some serious danger and they're not entirely sure they'll make it through the night. The guy promises her that he'll get her back to her dad safe and sound, but she expresses her doubts, mentioning that if she knew for sure that they wouldn't make it, she'd have to kiss him just because they were dating and hadn't done that yet. So, like a gentleman, he obliged. "Now, I can die," she said. Not because she knew for certain that death was right around the corner, but because she had found happiness and was content in spite of the dangerous situation. Also, just so you don't worry about them, they made it home okay, and the dad didn't kill her boyfriend for keeping her overnight and smooching her. In a tree. In the wilderness. Surrounded by hungry dinosaurs.
Beresheet 46:31-34 "Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh, sand say to him, "My brothers and those of my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have." So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, "What is your occupation?" that you shall say, "Your servants' occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers," that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.'"
...What? Shepherds are an abomination? Did they worship sheep or something? ...Probably. But whatever, they'll be getting their own plot of land in Egypt, and all should go just fine.
Things have finally looked up. Joseph's brothers aren't jealous or guilty anymore, Joseph isn't playing mind games anymore, Jacob isn't depressed anymore, Benjamin has a full brother again, and the whole family is back together again. Yay! Onward to 47!
Beresheet (Genesis) 46:1-4 "So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the Elohim of his father Isaac. Then Elohim spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, 'Jacob, Jacob!' And he said, 'Here I am.' So He said, 'I am Elohim, the Elohim of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.'"
It seems as though a great nation is already being built from Jacob, but they'll have a better chance in Egypt where there's food. Also, isn't it sort of strange that Yahuah is calling him by his original name, rather than the one He gave him? The whole change-names-in-the-middle-of-your-life-and-then-don't-worry-about-being-consistant thing is kind of annoying, but what can you do? Another thing; "Joseph will put his hand on your eyes." Is that a standard greeting, or the traditional gesture to do for the dead; close their eyes? Maybe we'll find out soon.
Beresheet 46:5-7 "Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. His sons and his sons' sons, his daughters and his sons' daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt."
Considering he had eleven sons (that didn't disappear) and one daughter (that we know of)... If all of the above got married, that's twelve couples. We'll suppose for the sake of argument that each family had between three and five children. How about we guess on the upper end of the scale, and go with five. We'll also suppose that at least a few of these children also had children. We're up past sixty people moving to Egypt. Verses 8-25 confirm this, and include a short genealogy. We'll pick up again at 26.
Beresheet 46:26-27 "All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy."
They're not counting the wives... If you count the women, you're likely up around ninety or maybe one-hundred.
Beresheet 46:28-30 "Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph, 'Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive."
Remember the hugging thing, he's not literally jumping on an old man's neck and crying, but instead giving his dad, whom he hasn't seen in YEARS a hug. Also, Jacob isn't depressed anymore. Saying "let me die" isn't literally saying, "kill me." The best way to put it that I can think of is referencing a TV show I was watching with my family a week or two ago. In it, there are a girl and a guy who are in some serious danger and they're not entirely sure they'll make it through the night. The guy promises her that he'll get her back to her dad safe and sound, but she expresses her doubts, mentioning that if she knew for sure that they wouldn't make it, she'd have to kiss him just because they were dating and hadn't done that yet. So, like a gentleman, he obliged. "Now, I can die," she said. Not because she knew for certain that death was right around the corner, but because she had found happiness and was content in spite of the dangerous situation. Also, just so you don't worry about them, they made it home okay, and the dad didn't kill her boyfriend for keeping her overnight and smooching her. In a tree. In the wilderness. Surrounded by hungry dinosaurs.
Beresheet 46:31-34 "Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh, sand say to him, "My brothers and those of my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have." So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, "What is your occupation?" that you shall say, "Your servants' occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers," that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.'"
...What? Shepherds are an abomination? Did they worship sheep or something? ...Probably. But whatever, they'll be getting their own plot of land in Egypt, and all should go just fine.
Things have finally looked up. Joseph's brothers aren't jealous or guilty anymore, Joseph isn't playing mind games anymore, Jacob isn't depressed anymore, Benjamin has a full brother again, and the whole family is back together again. Yay! Onward to 47!
An Old Man's Depression is Cured and Hope Revived
There are 50 chapters in the Book of Genesis. We're at 45. Think we can make it to Exodus today?
Beresheet (Genesis) 45:1-2 "Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, 'Make everyone go out from me!' So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it."
I knew he wouldn't be willing to put his father in danger, even if it meant giving up his games. Do you suppose he's forgiven his brothers?
Beresheet 45:3-8 "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph; does my father still live?' But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come near to me.' so they came near. Then he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And Elohim sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but Elohim; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.'"
Can you imagine? Here you've been, living with guilt for YEARS because you made your brother vanish and broke your father's heart, sending him spiraling into a depression from which he could not come out. You remember your little brother every day when you see your father's face, but you can't tell him the truth, because the very thought that you caused your own brother's disappearance would be enough to kill him. Imagine living with that for a couple decades, then finding out your brother is not only just fine, but is ruler over all of Egypt, working to save your family from starvation. What would you do?
Beresheet 45:9-11 "'Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, "Thus says your son Joseph: 'Elohim has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.'"'
Now imagine the brother you made disappear is now offering to give you everything you and your family needs for the rest of your life? How's that guilty feeling doing?
Beresheet 45:12-13 "'And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.'"
You notice he's kind of running a monologue right now? I'm thinking his brothers may have been struck speechless.
Beresheet 45:14-15 "Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with them."
Yep, speechless. Also, it isn't too peculiar to fall on someone's neck and weep on it. Methinks it's probably another way to say he gave them all a bear hug and cried on their shoulders because it's just so good to see them again, despite the circumstances.
Beresheet 45:16-20 "Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, 'Joseph's brothers have come.' So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Say to your brothers, "Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded - do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for you little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours."'"
Family reunion is on the way! Everybody's going to leave their land and come live with Joseph in Egypt. Considering there is currently a country on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea called Israel, I think it's safe to say that they didn't stay there forever. We'll find out how that goes later.
Beresheet 45:21-24 "Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, 'See that you do not become troubled along the way.'"
In other words... Have a safe trip. Do you think Jacob will believe his sons? If he does, do you think he'll manage to not suffer a heart attack?
Beresheet 45:25-28 "Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, 'Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.' And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. Then Israel said, 'It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'"
How about that! Things are finally looking up (YAY!), we'll take a look at the next chapters pretty soon.
Beresheet (Genesis) 45:1-2 "Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, 'Make everyone go out from me!' So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it."
I knew he wouldn't be willing to put his father in danger, even if it meant giving up his games. Do you suppose he's forgiven his brothers?
Beresheet 45:3-8 "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph; does my father still live?' But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come near to me.' so they came near. Then he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for Elohim sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And Elohim sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but Elohim; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.'"
Can you imagine? Here you've been, living with guilt for YEARS because you made your brother vanish and broke your father's heart, sending him spiraling into a depression from which he could not come out. You remember your little brother every day when you see your father's face, but you can't tell him the truth, because the very thought that you caused your own brother's disappearance would be enough to kill him. Imagine living with that for a couple decades, then finding out your brother is not only just fine, but is ruler over all of Egypt, working to save your family from starvation. What would you do?
Beresheet 45:9-11 "'Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, "Thus says your son Joseph: 'Elohim has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.'"'
Now imagine the brother you made disappear is now offering to give you everything you and your family needs for the rest of your life? How's that guilty feeling doing?
Beresheet 45:12-13 "'And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.'"
You notice he's kind of running a monologue right now? I'm thinking his brothers may have been struck speechless.
Beresheet 45:14-15 "Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with them."
Yep, speechless. Also, it isn't too peculiar to fall on someone's neck and weep on it. Methinks it's probably another way to say he gave them all a bear hug and cried on their shoulders because it's just so good to see them again, despite the circumstances.
Beresheet 45:16-20 "Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, 'Joseph's brothers have come.' So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Say to your brothers, "Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded - do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for you little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours."'"
Family reunion is on the way! Everybody's going to leave their land and come live with Joseph in Egypt. Considering there is currently a country on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea called Israel, I think it's safe to say that they didn't stay there forever. We'll find out how that goes later.
Beresheet 45:21-24 "Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, 'See that you do not become troubled along the way.'"
In other words... Have a safe trip. Do you think Jacob will believe his sons? If he does, do you think he'll manage to not suffer a heart attack?
Beresheet 45:25-28 "Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, 'Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.' And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. Then Israel said, 'It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'"
How about that! Things are finally looking up (YAY!), we'll take a look at the next chapters pretty soon.
Uh-Oh Feeling is Back Again
It's official, we're on the home stretch. Think we can finish Genesis today? Maybe. Let's find out!
Beresheet (Genesis) 44:1-5 "And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.' So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, 'Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, "Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing."'"
One thing: Can you imagine what the servant is thinking? Probably something like... "You sir, have gone off your rocker, but if I don't obey, I'll be punished, so alrighty then!" Or "This is what happens when you put a Hebrew in charge; they're all crazy." Or "Are you friggen kidding me?" Or "Why are you playing chess with innocent men's lives?" Or "MWAHAHAHA*cough*HA!" The latter being if he himself were a bit nuts.
Beresheet 44:6-9 "So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. And they said to him, 'Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.'"
The boys are making quite the assumption; that no one has it in their bags. True, no one stole the money or cup, but there is more than grain in their bags. Allow me to share something with you which my mom has shared with me. Take a look at the word "Assume." What are the first three letters? Yeah. The fourth is U, and the fifth and sixth are Me. What happens when you assume? You make an @$$ out of U and ME. How about them apples?
Beresheet 44:10-13 "And he said, 'Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.' Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city."
Remember that feeling we discovered a couple weeks ago? The terrible one with the stomach falling in a pit? Yeah... It's happening again. Also, tearing one's clothes was not because they liked watching Superman cartoons when they were younger, but instead it was an outward sign of mourning. They promised they would bring Benjamin back safe and sound, and now look what's happening.
Beresheet 44:14-15 "So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, 'What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?'"
Yeah... Right. This is more of Joseph's trying to blend in. He believes in Yahuah as his Elohim, and as such, he would know that He does not condone men practicing divination. This is a disguise, a ruse, to throw the brothers off his scent.
Beresheet 44:16-17 "Then Judah said, 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? Elohim has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.' But he said, 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.'"
When do you suppose Joseph will quit playing games with his brothers' lives? Will he? When will it end? How will the brothers face their father without Benjamin? Joseph certainly has the power to detain him.
Beresheet 44:18-23 "then Judah came near to him and said: 'O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, "Have you a father or a brother?" And we said to my lord, "We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him." Then you said you your servants, "Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him." And we said to my lord, "The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die." But you said to your servants, "Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more."'"
Yes, Judah is basically summing up all that's happened thus far.
Beresheet 44:24-29 "'So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, "Go back and buy us a little food." But we said, "We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us." Then your servant my father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, 'Surely he is torn to pieces'; and I have not seen him since. But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave."'"
Oh. I see where he's going with this. He's appealing to Joseph's humanity. He wouldn't allow an old man to die of grief, would he?
Beresheet 44:30-34 "'Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, "If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever." Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?'"
Well, we won't find out until the next entry. On the upside, I am planning on writing it today, so no cliffhanger for you!
So... How many of you have seen Joseph: King of Dreams?
Beresheet (Genesis) 44:1-5 "And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.' So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, 'Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, "Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing."'"
One thing: Can you imagine what the servant is thinking? Probably something like... "You sir, have gone off your rocker, but if I don't obey, I'll be punished, so alrighty then!" Or "This is what happens when you put a Hebrew in charge; they're all crazy." Or "Are you friggen kidding me?" Or "Why are you playing chess with innocent men's lives?" Or "MWAHAHAHA*cough*HA!" The latter being if he himself were a bit nuts.
Beresheet 44:6-9 "So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. And they said to him, 'Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.'"
The boys are making quite the assumption; that no one has it in their bags. True, no one stole the money or cup, but there is more than grain in their bags. Allow me to share something with you which my mom has shared with me. Take a look at the word "Assume." What are the first three letters? Yeah. The fourth is U, and the fifth and sixth are Me. What happens when you assume? You make an @$$ out of U and ME. How about them apples?
Beresheet 44:10-13 "And he said, 'Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.' Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city."
Remember that feeling we discovered a couple weeks ago? The terrible one with the stomach falling in a pit? Yeah... It's happening again. Also, tearing one's clothes was not because they liked watching Superman cartoons when they were younger, but instead it was an outward sign of mourning. They promised they would bring Benjamin back safe and sound, and now look what's happening.
Beresheet 44:14-15 "So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, 'What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?'"
Yeah... Right. This is more of Joseph's trying to blend in. He believes in Yahuah as his Elohim, and as such, he would know that He does not condone men practicing divination. This is a disguise, a ruse, to throw the brothers off his scent.
Beresheet 44:16-17 "Then Judah said, 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? Elohim has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.' But he said, 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.'"
When do you suppose Joseph will quit playing games with his brothers' lives? Will he? When will it end? How will the brothers face their father without Benjamin? Joseph certainly has the power to detain him.
Beresheet 44:18-23 "then Judah came near to him and said: 'O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, "Have you a father or a brother?" And we said to my lord, "We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him." Then you said you your servants, "Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him." And we said to my lord, "The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die." But you said to your servants, "Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more."'"
Yes, Judah is basically summing up all that's happened thus far.
Beresheet 44:24-29 "'So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, "Go back and buy us a little food." But we said, "We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us." Then your servant my father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, 'Surely he is torn to pieces'; and I have not seen him since. But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave."'"
Oh. I see where he's going with this. He's appealing to Joseph's humanity. He wouldn't allow an old man to die of grief, would he?
Beresheet 44:30-34 "'Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, "If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever." Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?'"
Well, we won't find out until the next entry. On the upside, I am planning on writing it today, so no cliffhanger for you!
So... How many of you have seen Joseph: King of Dreams?
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Back to Egypt
Genesis is almost done! Amazing what happens when I actually hold myself to a schedule, isn't it?
Beresheet (Genesis) 43:1-2 "Now the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, 'Go back, buy us a little food.'"
Um... Israel? Remember the whole your-sons-are-fugitives thing? They will probably be held accountable for the money that somehow made it back in their bags. Also, there's no way they can show their faces without Benjamin.
Beresheet 43:3-5 "But Judah spoke to him, saying, 'The man solemnly warned us, saying, "You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you." If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, "You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you".'"
Thank you Judah for reminding us all of the major issue at hand. Rachel is gone, one of her sons is gone, Benjamin is all Israel has left. And he says...?
Beresheet 43:6 "And Israel said, 'Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?'"
Well... Usually when someone asks if you have any brothers or sisters, it isn't that big of a deal to say yay or nay. How were they supposed to know that they'd have to bring baby brother on a field trip if they were ever going to get food from Egypt again?
Beresheet 43:7 "But they said, 'The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, "Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?" And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, "Bring your brother down"?'"
Wow. I promise I'm making my points of the sections previous before I read the next sections, I'm not reading ahead and trying to predict what's happening. Yes, I've read this story a few dozen times before, but this is starting to look a bit redundant. I'll look into thinking up more creative points.
Beresheet 43:8-10 "Then Judah said to Israel his father, 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.'"
Again, thank you Judah. Reuben's already promised to allow Israel to kill his sons if he doesn't bring Benjamin back, and now Judah's thinking along the same general lines. Has guilt taught them to be accountable for their actions these past thirteen years?
Beresheet 43:11-14 "And their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man - a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may Elohim Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!'"
Smart man, that Israel. I mean, aside from the whole choosing favorites among your sons in the first place thing. Among other things *cough cough Esau's birthright cough*.
Beresheet 43:15-17 "So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, 'Take these men to my home, and slaughter and animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.' Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house."
What else has Joseph planned for his brothers? Can you imagine his face when he saw his baby brother?
Beresheet 43:18 "Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, 'It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.'"
Only the Bible can get away with a run-on sentence like that. Actually, apparently so can James Joyce's novel Ulysses, which apparently ends with a thirty-page run-on sentence. Or so I've been told. Grammatical issues aside, this is some serious stuff these guys are worried about. They could be made into slaves, imprisoned, killed, made into slaves in prison and then killed, or be made to take any number of terrible punishments for stealing food during a famine. I heard that some cultures will cut the hand off a thief, and that's not during a famine.
Beresheet 43:19-22 "When they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said, 'O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; to we brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.'"
Confessing exactly what went wrong: smart. All talking in unison: ...maybe not so smart, but as long as it was understandable, then it's fine. They seem to do that a lot, have you noticed?
Beresheet 43:23 "But he said, 'Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your Elohim and the Elohim of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' Then he brought Simeon out to them."
Well how about that! By the way, I'm guessing everyone here is speaking Hebrew, and thus, I can offer a tidbit of the language. "Peace be with you" is directly translated from the Hebrew "Shalom alechem." Note that the "ch" in "alechem" has a weird guttural, kind of clearing-your-throat type sound to it, it does not sound like a standard English "ch" like "sandwich". It's best to hear someone say it... so if you know anyone who knows how to speak even a little bit of Hebrew, they can help you out. If not... then try Youtube or using a k sound is acceptable too.
Beresheet 43:24-25 "So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there."
Washing one's feet was pretty much standard operating procedure then and there. It was hot outside, so one would wear sandals; but it was also dirty and dusty, so the feet would get pretty nasty. This is a good way to keep guests comfortable, and to keep from having to sweep up dirty footprints.
Beresheet 43:26-28 "And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, 'Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?' And they answered, 'Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.' And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves."
It was probably a relief every time Joseph heard that, he knew his dad wasn't as young as he used to be, so it's good that he checked up on him when he got the chance.
Beresheet 43:29-31 "Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, 'Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?' and he said, 'Elohim be gracious to you, my son.' Now his heart yearned for his brother, so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, 'Serve the bread.'"
Joseph was an incredibly important man in Egypt at the time; wanna bet that bread isn't all they'll be eating?
Beresheet 43:32-34 "So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him."
Do you think the brothers have reformed? Benjamin's getting way more to eat than any of them, and yet it doesn't sound as if anyone is complaining. Also, do you suppose they noticed that they were seated by age? On a separate thought, do you think the Egyptians would think it an abomination to eat with Joseph? He's a Hebrew, but he's also second-in-command. He outranks them, but would they be weird about it?
That's all I have for today; we'll be done with Genesis in just a few more weeks, and then it's onward to Exodus!
Your homework? No music today... Instead, make a prediction on what you think will happen (or if you've read it already) what you would done if you were Joseph.
Beresheet (Genesis) 43:1-2 "Now the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, 'Go back, buy us a little food.'"
Um... Israel? Remember the whole your-sons-are-fugitives thing? They will probably be held accountable for the money that somehow made it back in their bags. Also, there's no way they can show their faces without Benjamin.
Beresheet 43:3-5 "But Judah spoke to him, saying, 'The man solemnly warned us, saying, "You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you." If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, "You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you".'"
Thank you Judah for reminding us all of the major issue at hand. Rachel is gone, one of her sons is gone, Benjamin is all Israel has left. And he says...?
Beresheet 43:6 "And Israel said, 'Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?'"
Well... Usually when someone asks if you have any brothers or sisters, it isn't that big of a deal to say yay or nay. How were they supposed to know that they'd have to bring baby brother on a field trip if they were ever going to get food from Egypt again?
Beresheet 43:7 "But they said, 'The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, "Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?" And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, "Bring your brother down"?'"
Wow. I promise I'm making my points of the sections previous before I read the next sections, I'm not reading ahead and trying to predict what's happening. Yes, I've read this story a few dozen times before, but this is starting to look a bit redundant. I'll look into thinking up more creative points.
Beresheet 43:8-10 "Then Judah said to Israel his father, 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.'"
Again, thank you Judah. Reuben's already promised to allow Israel to kill his sons if he doesn't bring Benjamin back, and now Judah's thinking along the same general lines. Has guilt taught them to be accountable for their actions these past thirteen years?
Beresheet 43:11-14 "And their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man - a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may Elohim Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!'"
Smart man, that Israel. I mean, aside from the whole choosing favorites among your sons in the first place thing. Among other things *cough cough Esau's birthright cough*.
Beresheet 43:15-17 "So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, 'Take these men to my home, and slaughter and animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.' Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house."
What else has Joseph planned for his brothers? Can you imagine his face when he saw his baby brother?
Beresheet 43:18 "Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, 'It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.'"
Only the Bible can get away with a run-on sentence like that. Actually, apparently so can James Joyce's novel Ulysses, which apparently ends with a thirty-page run-on sentence. Or so I've been told. Grammatical issues aside, this is some serious stuff these guys are worried about. They could be made into slaves, imprisoned, killed, made into slaves in prison and then killed, or be made to take any number of terrible punishments for stealing food during a famine. I heard that some cultures will cut the hand off a thief, and that's not during a famine.
Beresheet 43:19-22 "When they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said, 'O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; to we brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.'"
Confessing exactly what went wrong: smart. All talking in unison: ...maybe not so smart, but as long as it was understandable, then it's fine. They seem to do that a lot, have you noticed?
Beresheet 43:23 "But he said, 'Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your Elohim and the Elohim of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' Then he brought Simeon out to them."
Well how about that! By the way, I'm guessing everyone here is speaking Hebrew, and thus, I can offer a tidbit of the language. "Peace be with you" is directly translated from the Hebrew "Shalom alechem." Note that the "ch" in "alechem" has a weird guttural, kind of clearing-your-throat type sound to it, it does not sound like a standard English "ch" like "sandwich". It's best to hear someone say it... so if you know anyone who knows how to speak even a little bit of Hebrew, they can help you out. If not... then try Youtube or using a k sound is acceptable too.
Beresheet 43:24-25 "So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there."
Washing one's feet was pretty much standard operating procedure then and there. It was hot outside, so one would wear sandals; but it was also dirty and dusty, so the feet would get pretty nasty. This is a good way to keep guests comfortable, and to keep from having to sweep up dirty footprints.
Beresheet 43:26-28 "And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, 'Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?' And they answered, 'Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.' And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves."
It was probably a relief every time Joseph heard that, he knew his dad wasn't as young as he used to be, so it's good that he checked up on him when he got the chance.
Beresheet 43:29-31 "Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, 'Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?' and he said, 'Elohim be gracious to you, my son.' Now his heart yearned for his brother, so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, 'Serve the bread.'"
Joseph was an incredibly important man in Egypt at the time; wanna bet that bread isn't all they'll be eating?
Beresheet 43:32-34 "So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him."
Do you think the brothers have reformed? Benjamin's getting way more to eat than any of them, and yet it doesn't sound as if anyone is complaining. Also, do you suppose they noticed that they were seated by age? On a separate thought, do you think the Egyptians would think it an abomination to eat with Joseph? He's a Hebrew, but he's also second-in-command. He outranks them, but would they be weird about it?
That's all I have for today; we'll be done with Genesis in just a few more weeks, and then it's onward to Exodus!
Your homework? No music today... Instead, make a prediction on what you think will happen (or if you've read it already) what you would done if you were Joseph.
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