Genesis 45.25-28-Jacob's Sons Inform Him That Joseph Is Alive
Thursday March 15, 2007
Genesis: Genesis 45:25-28-Jacob’s Sons Inform Him That Joseph Is Alive
Tape # 297
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 45:1.
This evening we will complete our study of Genesis 45.
In Genesis 45:1-4, we saw Joseph revealing his true identity to his brothers after hearing Judah offer himself as a substitute for Benjamin so that his father would not have to suffer the loss of another child.
Then, in Genesis 4:5-8, we noted the “magnanimity” of Joseph towards his brothers and saw Joseph reassuring his brothers that he will not exact revenge upon them.
Instead he reveals to them that their cruel treatment of him twenty two years before was a part of God’s plan to deliver their family from starvation.
This was followed by Genesis 45:9-11 where we saw Joseph sending a message to his father Israel through his brothers to find refuge from the famine in Egypt.
In Genesis 45:12-15, we saw Joseph embracing and talking to his brothers before their departure for Canaan.
On Tuesday we studied Genesis 45:16-20 and read that Joseph’s brothers receive an invitation from Pharaoh to live in Egypt.
Last evening we noted Genesis 45:21-24 and read of Joseph giving provisions, gifts and a warning to his brothers before they depart Egypt for Canaan.
This evening we will study Genesis 45:25-28, which records Jacob’s sons informing him that Joseph is alive.
Genesis 45:1, “Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, ‘Have everyone go out from me.’ So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.”
Genesis 45:2, “He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.”
Genesis 45:3, “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.”
Genesis 45:4, “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come closer to me.’ And they came closer. And he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.’”
Genesis 45:5, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
Genesis 45:6, “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.”
Genesis 45:7, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.”
Genesis 45:8, “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 45:9, “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, ‘God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.’”
Genesis 45:10, “You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have.”
Genesis 45:11, “There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”
Genesis 45:12, “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.”
Genesis 45:13, “Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.”
Genesis 45:14, “Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.”
Genesis 45:15, “He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.”
Genesis 45:16, “Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh's house that Joseph's brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.”
Genesis 45:17-18, “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’”
Genesis 45:19, “Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come.’”
Genesis 45:20, “Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
Genesis 45:21, “Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.”
Genesis 45:22, “To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.”
Genesis 45:23, “To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey.”
Genesis 45:24, “So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, ‘Do not quarrel on the journey.’”
Genesis 45:25, “Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob.”
The fact that nothing significant was recorded on the journey home implies that Joseph’s brothers obeyed his prohibition to not quarrel with each other on the way home.
The journey back home covered a distance of approximately 250-300 miles since Jacob was living in Hebron and Joseph’s headquarters would have been near the city of Memphis, which is about 10 miles south of the present city of Cairo, thus, the journey back home would have taken approximately 3 weeks.
Genesis 45:26, “They told him, saying, ‘Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ But he was stunned, for he did not believe them.”
“They told” is the verb naghadh (dg^n*) (naw-gad), which is in the hiphil form and means, “to inform” and refers to revealing previously unknown information to someone, thus Jacob’s sons provided him information regarding Joseph that was of course unknown to him since he presumed Joseph dead.
The expression “he is ruler over all the land of Egypt” is a reference to Pharaoh’s statement “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt” in Genesis 41:40, which means that Pharaoh conferred upon Joseph total authority in the task of administrating the nation of Egypt and would only be under Pharaoh’s authority.
In obedience to Joseph’s request, his brothers present their eyewitness testimony concerning the fact that Joseph is ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph knew that the message that his brothers will convey to their father will seem incredible to their father since he believes that Joseph is dead.
Therefore, in Genesis 45:12, we read where Joseph emphasized to his half-brothers and lone full brother that they are eyewitnesses to the fact that he is now the lord of all Egypt.
In Genesis 45:12, the statement “Behold your eyes see…that it is my mouth, which is speaking to you” emphasizes the personal eyewitness testimony of Joseph’s half-brothers, the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah who were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
In case, Israel does not believe the testimony of the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah because of their past conduct, Joseph also offers Benjamin as an eyewitness whose testimony would be beyond reproach in the eyes of his father since Benjamin was his favorite.
Joseph’s statement “the eyes of my brother Benjamin see…that it is my mouth, which is speaking to you” emphasizes that his lone full brother, Benjamin is a personal eyewitness to the fact that he is now the lord of all Egypt and will lend credibility to the eyewitness testimony of the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah.
The expression “he is ruler over all the land of Egypt” is in obedience to Joseph’s request that he made of his brothers in Genesis 45:13, “Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen” which emphasizes to his brothers that their knowledge of his situation is not derived from rumor but from firsthand knowledge.
“Splendor” is the noun kavodh (dw)dK*) (kaw-vode), which refers to Joseph’s position of authority, the honor given to him, his reputation and respect paid to him by the people of Egypt and his prestige in Egypt.
Therefore, Joseph stressed with his brothers the importance that they give testimony to their father as to his position, authority, and prestige in Egypt in order to convince their father to believe Joseph’s message to their father to relocate to Egypt and that he truly has the means to support their family in Egypt.
The purpose of communicating this information about Joseph to their father is not to be self-glorification on Joseph’s part but to convince their father that Joseph possesses sufficient resources and power to execute that which he has planned for the family.
Joseph wanted his brothers to communicate to their father that he has a position of power and authority, which enables him to provide for his family and to accomplish his plan.
Therefore, we see Joseph’s brothers obeying his request to communicate to their father his glory in Egypt.
Genesis 45:26, “They told him, saying, ‘Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ But he was stunned, for he did not believe them.”
“He was stunned” is composed of the verb pugh (gWP) (poog), which means, “to become weak, numb” and the noun lev (bl@) (lave), “heart” and the 3rd person masculine singular pronominal suffix, which means, “his.”
The verb pugh denotes the state of physical responses to emotional exhaustion.
Therefore, this expression in the Hebrew text literally means that Jacob’s heart became numb upon hearing the news that Joseph was still alive and was in fact the prime minister of Egypt and the very man that they had feared.
After twenty-two years of mourning over the death of Joseph it was hard to believe that he was still alive.
Genesis 45:27, “When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.”
The statement “when they told him (Jacob) all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them (Joseph’s brothers)” is a reference to Joseph’s conversation with his brothers where he requested that his brothers convey to their father their personal eyewitness testimony to the fact that he is the lord over all of Egypt.
The appearance of the wagons, which were unique to Egypt at that time convinced Jacob that his sons were telling him the truth that Joseph was indeed still alive and ruler over the entire land of Egypt.
Henry M. Morris commenting on the wagons, writes, “The ‘wagons’ were essentially carts, usually on two wooden wheels, drawn by oxen or horses. This is the first mention of wagons in the Bible and suggests that they were essentially unique to Egypt at that time” (The Genesis Record, page 624, Baker Book House).
“Spirit” is the noun ruach (jWr) (roo-akh), which refers to the human spirit of Jacob/Israel, which is received along with eternal life at the moment of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone.
Eternal life and a human spirit are received at the moment of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone.
Eternal life resides in the human spirit and is the very life of God, having no beginning and no end so therefore unbelievers do not have a human spirit since they do not possess eternal life due to their rejection of Christ as Savior (See John 3:1-18; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16).
The believer receives a human spirit at the moment of salvation through regeneration, thus making him “trichotomous” in the sense that he has a body, soul and human spirit.
Jacob’s human spirit was revived in the sense that he began to once again live in the eternal life that God had given him, which is indicated in Genesis 45:28 by the narrator’s use of the name “Israel” rather than “Jacob.”
Jacob’s short prayer recorded in Genesis 43:13-14 has been answered.
In Genesis 43:13-14, Jacob prayed “Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.’”
Not only did Jacob get Simeon and Benjamin back but also Joseph, which is an illustration of a spiritual principle taught by the apostle Paul to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Genesis 45:28, “Then Israel said, ‘It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.’”
Victor Hamilton commenting on Genesis 45:25-28, makes the following insightful comment, he writes, “Only one item is recorded in vv. 25-28 about the brothers’ return to Jacob: Joseph is still living! Once he hears that, Jacob has little concern about the new clothes, Benjamin’s purse, or even the grain carried by the animals. In chapter 37 Jacob did believe his sons when they were lying to him. In chapter 45 Jacob disbelieves his sons when they are being truthful with him. Bad news he accepts; good news he rejects. Jacob’s response on hearing that Joseph is alive is parallel to the response of the disciples when they were told that Jesus was alive-shock, unbelief, which eventually turns to uncontrollable joy. The sons’ lengthy conversation with Jacob about Joseph (v. 27a) and the sighting of the wagons (v. 27b) provide prima facie evidence for Jacob that Joseph was indeed alive. No longer did he need to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming (v. 27c). The sons might have been making up the story about Joseph, but the wagons supply irrefutable confirmation of the authenticity of their story, more so than the clothing or the three hundred shekels. Now convinced that Joseph is alive, Jacob resolves to go down to Egypt immediately” (The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18-50, ed. R. K. Harrison, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Erdmann’s Publishing Co., 1995, page 587).
Notice that in Genesis 45:25 and 27, the name “Jacob” is used by the narrator but in Genesis 45:28, the name “Israel” is employed, which is significant.
The name “Jacob” means, “heel catcher” (yah-ak-ove) (bq{u&y^) implying someone who is a “deceiver” and a “supplanter,” which is a person who takes the place of another by force, scheming or strategy.
“Israel” is the proper noun yisra’el (la@r*c+y!) (yis-raw-ale), which means, “one who fights and overcomes with the power of God” since the Lord states the reason for the name is that Jacob has fought with both God and men and has prevailed.
The name yisra’el, “Israel” memorializes the historical event of Jacob wrestling the preincarnate Christ, and which wrestling match symbolized Jacob’s struggles in life with men, which in reality were with God.
The name “Jacob” reflects character produced by the function of the power of the old sin nature and walking in unbelief in the promises of God whereas the name “Israel” reflects character produced by appropriating the power of the Word of God by claiming the promises of God in prayer and walking by means of faith.
When Israel/Jacob agrees to migrate to Egypt, he was fulfilling yet another step toward the fulfillment of the prophecy the Lord gave Abraham in a dream that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for over four hundred years, and which prophecy is recorded in Genesis 15:12-16.
Henry M. Morris commenting on the story of Joseph and his brothers, makes the following excellent comment, he writes, “There is no greater example in the Bible of God’s gracious watch and care over His own. A multiplicity of seemingly accidental and unrelated events-events which seemed to be ugly and difficult at the time-is gradually woven together by an unseen divine hand into a glorious tapestry in which every portion is ideally situated in its proper and unique place. To believers going through sufferings and reverses, undeserved and unexplained, the story of Joseph has always given assurance of ultimate understanding with the believer discovering a greater good and God receiving a greater glory that could ever have been possible without them” (The Genesis Record, page 626, Baker Book House).
All the events that took place in the story of Joseph and his brothers, which are recorded in Genesis 37-45, were figured by God into the divine decree so as to fulfill His sovereign will and thus to bring glory to Himself.
The divine decree is the eternal plan by which God has rendered certain all the events of the universe, including both angelic and human history-past, present and future and so therefore, God rendered certain to take place all the events in the lives of Joseph and his brothers that are recorded in Genesis 37-45.
The divine decree took place in eternity past before anything was ever created and is God’s eternal and immutable will.
Therefore, all the events in the lives of Joseph and his brothers, which are recorded in Genesis 37-45 were a part of God’s plan from eternity past.
The “providence” of God is the divine outworking of the divine decree, the object being the final manifestation of God’s glory and expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God.
Therefore, all the events that took place in the lives of Joseph and his brothers, which are recorded in Genesis 37-45 did not happen by chance or fate but because God ordained for them to take place in order to fulfill His plan for Jacob’s family and to bring glory to Himself.