Genesis 46.28-30-Joseph's Reunion With His Father

Sunday March 25, 2007

Genesis: Genesis 46:28-30-Joseph’s Reunion with His Father

Lesson # 302

Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 46:28.

This morning we will complete our study of Genesis 46.

By way of review of the chapter, we have noted the following:

In Genesis 46:1-4, we read where Israel worshiped God at Beersheba and received a theophany, reassurance from God that his move to Egypt was according to His will as well as promises to make his descendants a great nation in Egypt.

Then, in Genesis 46:5-7, we saw Israel and his family migrating to Egypt and in Genesis 46:8-27, we studied the genealogy of the Israelites who migrated to Egypt from Canaan.

This morning we will study Genesis 46:28-30, which presents to us the record of Joseph finally reuniting with his father.

The genealogy contained in Genesis 46:8-27 is parenthetical and thus Genesis 46:28 resumes the record of Israel’s migration from Canaan to Egypt.

This move to Egypt would not only deliver Joseph’s family from the famine but also from the corrupt Canaanite influence, which had already begun to trouble his family (See Genesis 34 and 38).

The embryonic nation could develop into a great nation while in Egypt since the Egyptians unlike the Canaanites, would not seek to intermarry with Israel’s family since they despised Hebrews because of their occupation as shepherds.

Moses refers to the development of Israel’s family into a great nation while in Egypt.

Deuteronomy 26:5, “You shall answer and say before the LORD your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; but there he became a great, mighty and populous nation.’”

Genesis 46:28, “Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.”

Jacob sends Judah to Joseph since Judah has gained his father’s confidence by delivering on his promise to bring Benjamin back to him from Egypt.

The fact that Judah is chosen to inform Joseph that his father is arriving in Egypt indicates that Jacob considered Judah his heir apparent to lead the family when he has died.

Judah has demonstrated his leadership skill by taking personal responsibility for Benjamin and by his willingness to become a slave in Egypt in place of his brother Benjamin so as to not bring more sorrow upon his aged father.

It is also fitting that Judah takes the lead in reuniting Joseph with his father since it was Judah who came up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery in the first place.

That Judah is instrumental in reuniting Joseph with his father is a manifestation of the providence of God meaning that it was no accident that Judah is given the lead in reuniting Joseph with his father since it was ordained by God from eternity past.

This reunion recalls Jacob's former meeting with Esau (32:3) and in both situations after a long period of separation Jacob sent a party ahead to meet the relative.

The difference between the two reunions was that Jacob knew that his encounter with Joseph would be joyous whereas he did not know what would take place between himself and Esau.

“Sent” is the verb shalach (jl^v*) (shaw-lakh), which refers to “persons who are sent by other persons such as the action of sending messengers” and so this verb indicates that Jacob sent Judah as a messenger to Joseph.

“To point out the way” is the verb yarah (hry) (yaw-raw), which is in the hiphil (causative) stem indicating that Jacob sent Judah ahead to Joseph to inform Joseph (hiphil: cause Joseph to be informed) of his impending arrival in Egypt before arriving in Goshen.

“Goshen” is the proper noun Goshen (/v#G) (go-shen), which was located in the eastern part of the Nile Delta, northeast of the Egyptian capital, Memphis and approximately 900 hundred square miles, well suited for grazing and for certain types of agriculture and sparsely occupied allowing room for Hebrew expansion.

Genesis 46:29, “Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time.”

“Prepared” is the verb `asar (rs^a*) (aw-sar), which means, “to hitch” a horse to a chariot.

“Chariot” is the noun merkavah (hbKr+m#) (mer-kaw-vaw), which denotes a two-wheeled chariot that was used for warfare, hunting and ceremonial purposes.

In our passage, we see Joseph’s chariot used in a ceremonial context since he is welcoming his father to Egypt.

According to Egyptian artwork, the principle distinction between ceremonial chariots and those used in warfare was that in the former the party drove himself whereas in war, the chariot usually contained a second person to drive it.

Therefore, Joseph would be riding in his chariot alone.

Joseph’s action in hitching up his chariot and setting out to meet his father indicates that he was anxious to see his father and could not wait any longer.

Despite his position as the prime minister of Egypt, Joseph does not wait for his father to come to him.

The fact that this menial task is mentioned in the passage indicates the importance of this journey and its significance.

The statement “Joseph…went up to Goshen” expresses a geographical movement from the Nile Valley to the Goshen plateau.

“Appeared” is the verb ra’ah (har), which is in the causative-reflexive niphal form meaning that Joseph “caused himself to appear” before his father.

This form of the verb with a personal subject is always used in Genesis of a theophany (See Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1; 22:14; 26:3, 24; 35:6, 9; 48:3).

Its use here indicates that when Joseph appeared before Jacob, to Jacob it was like the Lord appearing to him.

The fact that Joseph appeared before Jacob was in fact a manifestation of the providence of God or in other words, it was having the hand of the Lord manifested in his life.

Joseph falls on his father’s neck and wept on his neck a long time and understandably so since the last time they saw each other was when Joseph was seventeen, thus they hadn’t seen each in twenty years.

This indicated by the following:

Genesis 37:2 records Joseph as 17 years old when he was sold into slavery and Genesis 41:46 records Joseph as 30 years old when he became prime minister of Egypt.

Also, at the end of the seven years of prosperity in Egypt, Joseph must have been 37 years of age since he became prime minister at 30 years of age when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream.

In Genesis 45:6, after reuniting with his brothers, Joseph mentions to his brothers that two years of famine had already transpired and that five more remained.

Right after this conversation that Joseph had with his brothers, Jacob moved to Egypt and reunited with Joseph according to Genesis 46.

Therefore, the fact that Joseph was 37 after the seven years of prosperity and that he met his father after two years of famine indicates that Joseph was 39 years of age (or 40 if we count his 17th year) when he was reunited with his father Jacob and his brothers during the seven years of famine.

So if Joseph was 39 years of age when he was reunited with his father Jacob and became prime minister at 30 and was sold into slavery at 17, then Joseph was in Egypt for 22 years, (23 if 40 years of age) when he was reunited with his father Jacob.

“Wept” is the verb bakhah (hkB) (baw-kaw), which refers to audible weeping.

Joseph’s emotional response expressed his relief that his father was indeed still alive.

This is the fifth time that we have seen Joseph weep in Genesis 42-46 (See Genesis 42:24; 43:30; 45:1-2; 14-15; 46:29).

Joseph’s weeping was not only an expression of his love and affection for his father but also an expression of gratitude towards the Lord for reuniting him with his father.

Psalm 86:12, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever.”

Psalm 106:1, “Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Notice that the Scripture does not record that Joseph said anything to his father but simply cried for a long time since no words could express how Joseph felt at this point.

Even though Joseph was the most powerful man on planet earth at this time, second only to Pharaoh, here he was once again a little boy in his father’s arms.

Israel was once again holding the son he had given up for dead.

Genesis 46:30, “Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.’”

The name “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 (See Genesis 32:24-32).

The name “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 “Israel” reflects strength and character produced by appropriating the power of the Word of God by claiming the promises of God in prayer.

Thus, the use of this name signifies that Jacob is not walking in his flesh at this point in the narrative but is walking by faith.

Jacob’s statement “Now let me die, since I have seen your (Joseph’s) face that you are still alive” indicates that in Israel’s opinion this experience of being reuniting with Joseph could never be surpassed on earth.

Anything else that would happen after this would pale in the light of this embrace since Israel feels that in receiving his son back from the dead he has reached the fulfillment of his life and it is this taste of resurrection from the dead that makes him long for death.