Session 13
Genesis 50:15-26
Memory Verse: Genesis 50:20
If you’re honest, you’ve probably said (or thought) something like this: “I won’t get mad; I’ll get even.” After all, when someone offends us or hurts us, settling the score just seems natural. In contrast, Jesus replaced this concept of revenge with His principle of turning the other cheek (Matt. 5:38-42). What’s more, He practiced what He preached. Jesus dealt with unjust treatment not by retaliating, but by forgiving those who wronged Him.
Centuries prior to Jesus’s crucifixion, Joseph dealt with injustice by forgiving his brothers. He could do that only because he focused on God’s greater plan for his life. He recognized how God used his brothers’ evil deeds for good.
As you prepare to teach this Bible study, ask God to reveal what’s holding you back from forgiving people in your life. Pray that instead of being consumed by hurt, you can find a way to forgive them by focusing on God’s plans and purposes. Pray the same for the adults in your group.
Making plans and following schedules are a part of everyday life for most people. Some people are locked into their plans and become distressed when those plans don’t work out as they expected. Others can just roll with the flow. The Bible reveals that God has plans and purposes for all things; therefore, we need to trust His plans and purposes. Genesis 50:15-26 indicates that Joseph finished life well because he trusted God’s plans for him and for His people. (PSG, p. 118)
With the arrival of Joseph’s family in Egypt, Pharaoh assigned them the land of Goshen (Gen. 47:11). As the severe famine continued, Joseph collected silver from the Egyptians in exchange for the grain he had stored. Then he provided food in return for their livestock. Finally, the people offered to sell their land and themselves as slaves to Pharaoh in order to survive. Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce from the land belonged to Pharaoh. He permitted the people to keep the remaining four-fifths as seed and as food for themselves (47:24-26).
Joseph’s father, Jacob, lived the final seventeen years of his life in Egypt. Before he died at 147, he asked Joseph to bury him with his ancestors in Canaan. Prior to his death, Jacob also blessed Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Although Manasseh had been born first, Jacob deliberately bestowed the blessing of the firstborn on Ephraim. Jacob also told Joseph that one day God would bring the family back to Canaan (48:21).
Genesis 49 records Jacob’s final blessings on his twelve sons. He based most of these prophecies on the characteristics of each son’s behavior. Of the various blessings, the one on Judah is perhaps the most significant. Judah is portrayed as a young lion, symbolizing sovereignty, strength, and courage. Although Judah had sinned, he had repented and demonstrated leadership. His tribe was declared the royal tribe through whom King David and the Messiah would come.
When Jacob died, he was embalmed according to Egyptian custom. His family carried his body to Canaan and buried him in the ancestral tomb at Machpelah (49:29-32). Abraham had purchased that burial site located near Hebron from Ephron the Hethite.
With the death of their father, Joseph’s brothers began to fear that Joseph would seek revenge for the way they had treated him. Joseph wept when he learned of their fears. He may have wept because of their failure to understand his forgiveness or because he realized he should have reassured them long before their father’s death.
In any case, Joseph reminded them of his earlier words when he had first revealed his identity (see 45:5-8). Joseph held the deep conviction that although the brothers had plotted evil, God had orchestrated events to bring about the survival of His people (50:19-20).
Before he died, Joseph expressed confident faith that God would eventually come to His people’s aid in Egypt and lead them back to Canaan. He insisted they swear that when that happened, they would carry his bones back to the promised land for burial. Thus Joseph’s coffin in Egypt served as a visible reminder to Jacob’s descendants that one day God would bring them back home (Heb. 11:22).
As you read Genesis 50:15-26, look for ways that remembering God’s plans and purposes impacted how Joseph thought and lived. (PSG, p. 119)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.” 16 So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command: 17 ‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin - the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when their message came to him. 18 His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
(v. 15) Holding a grudge: The Hebrew wording conveys feelings of animosity and indicates the tragic results of living with an unforgiving heart. The brothers mistakenly felt unsure of Joseph’s loyalty to them. They feared that following Jacob’s death, Joseph would seek revenge, even though he had already assured them of his forgiveness (45:5-7). The same verb appears in Genesis 27:41 to identify the deep-seated anger and hatred that Esau bore against Jacob after Jacob stole his father’s blessing.
(v. 15) Repay us: The brothers feared that Joseph would retaliate for the way they had treated him. The common Hebrew verb rendered repay basically means “turn” or “return.” Interestingly, it is often used of repentance. However, in the context of Genesis 50:15 it means “to cause to return.”
The brothers’ guilty consciences led them to think that Joseph, who had ascended to a dominant position in Egypt, would use his power to get revenge for the way they had treated him. The construction of the phrase in the original language emphasizes the dread of the consequences they knew they deserved.
(v. 15) Suffering: This Hebrew term basically means “evil” (see v. 20). It also can be translated “misery,” “distress,” “injury,” or “wickedness.” God’s own character defines something or someone as good or evil. Thus, the word deals primarily with moral qualities from God’s perspective. However, human beings tend to evaluate things as good or evil in terms of the pain they are experiencing. From that perspective, the brothers clearly understood their guilt.
(vv. 16-17) Your father: Why did Joseph’s brothers refer to Jacob as your father when he was also their father? This expression draws attention to Joseph’s responsibility as a son rather than as a brother. We have no way of knowing whether the brothers fabricated their message. Joseph apparently accepted it.
(v. 17) Transgression . . . sin: These two terms identify two of the three main Hebrew words for sin. The term rendered transgression can also be translated “rebellion.” It expresses deliberate revolt. While often designating rejection of God’s authority, in Genesis 50:17, the word denotes violation of others’ personal and property rights. However, as the Old Testament makes clear, violation of others’ rights is rebellion against God. (For example, see the Ten Commandments in Ex. 20:1-17).
The word for sin means “missing the mark.” While people could sin unintentionally (see Lev. 4:2; Num. 15:27), far too often they missed the right mark or goal by choosing to aim at the wrong target.
Forgive
This Hebrew verb has three basic categories of meaning. The first category (“lift up”) occurs both literally and figuratively in the Old Testament. The second category (“carry”) is used especially of bearing the guilt or punishment for sin. The third category (“take away”) stresses the pardon or forgiveness of sin. This latter action of taking away sin appears as one of God’s attributes in Exodus 34:6-7 and Micah 7:18.
God’s gracious nature in forgiving sin is graphically pictured in the Day of Atonement. In that ceremony, Aaron placed his hands on the head of a live goat and confessed all the Israelites’ sins. This “scapegoat” symbolically carried the people’s sins into the wilderness (Lev. 16:20-22). Joseph’s brothers wanted him to demonstrate such grace toward them.
(v. 18) Bowed down: This emphasis on the brothers’ bowing before Joseph signals the final fulfillment of the dream (Gen. 42:6; 43:26; 50:18; see 37:7).
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result - the survival of many people. 21 Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
(v. 19) Don’t be afraid: Joseph repeated this gentle prohibition twice within verses 19-21. He expressed these words as a comforting phrase. Joseph’s brothers had good reason to be afraid after their father died. They anticipated that Joseph would then seek revenge. Instead Joseph assured them that Jacob’s death would not change his benevolence toward them.
(v. 19) Am I in the place of God?: This question echoes that of a frustrated Jacob responding to Rachel’s complaint (30:2). However, Joseph employed the question to reassure his brothers. Even if he wanted to, Joseph knew it was God’s role, not his, to exact vengeance (Deut. 32:35; see Rom. 12:19).
God’s Control
In verse 20, Joseph wisely acknowledged that God had reversed his brothers’ plot for calamity. The basic idea of the Hebrew wording involves the use of the mind in the thinking process. The concept is not so much that of understanding as it is the creating of new ideas. The brothers concocted their plans in their own minds, but God sovereignly overcame their mischief to fulfill the plans of His own mind.
The two parts of Joseph’s statement parallel one another, which heightens the contrast between humans’ evil intentions and God’s good purposes. This theme of the contrast between good and evil appears throughout Genesis and makes its final appearance in Joseph’s interpretation of his experiences.
(v. 20) Survival of many people: The Hebrew word translated survival is actually a verb meaning “to preserve.” Throughout the Old Testament the possession of physical life is a basic or innate good (Job 2:4; Eccl. 9:4). Joseph recognized a correlation between God’s plan to preserve many lives and his own work of providing for his family (Gen. 45:11; 47:12).
Joseph’s faith led him both to believe that God had a plan and to accept his responsibility in carrying out that plan. His faith in action resulted in the survival of the descendants of Jacob/Israel. Through this group of immigrants, God eventually sent His Son as Messiah and Savior. The expression many people also appears to include Egyptians, as well as anyone from other nations who had sought refuge in Egypt.
(v. 21) I will take care of you: Rather than seeking revenge, Joseph offered care and comfort to his brothers and their families, from the youngest to the oldest. He could do this because he recognized God at work for good through his own adverse circumstances.
(v. 21) Comforted: The verb can also mean “to repent.” The basic idea seems to be that of breathing deeply, which is associated with the physical display of one’s emotions-especially sorrow, compassion, or comfort. The term was well-known to the Jews in exile who remembered the prophet’s words of comfort in Isaiah 40:1.
For the brothers who feared they had permanently alienated themselves from Joseph, his expression of comfort served as an exile-ending pronouncement. He had taken the initiative to restore the broken relationship. Human beings can comfort one another (Isa. 66:13). Even more wonderfully, God comforts His people (49:13; 52:9).
(v. 21) Spoke kindly to them: These words translate the literal Hebrew expression “spoke to their heart.” Few usages of the term heart in the Old Testament designate the physical organ. Most refer to people’s inner or immaterial nature in general or to one of three personality functions: emotion, thought, or will. The idiom “spoke to their heart” conveys comfort.
22 Joseph and his father’s family remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation; the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by Joseph. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.” 26 Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.
(v. 22) Remained in Egypt: Jacob’s extended family who journeyed to Egypt during the famine would remain in Egypt. Eventually, his descendants would become enslaved (Ex. 1:1-14). Exodus 12:40-41 identifies the Israelites’ length of stay in Egypt as 430 years.
Ephraim and Manasseh
These were Joseph’s sons who were born in Egypt. Each produced one of the tribes of Israel, giving Joseph’s family a double portion in the land. The name Ephraim, who was the younger son, means “two pasture lands” or “two fruit land.” He received precedence over his older brother when Jacob blessed them. Later, Ephraim’s descendants became the leading tribe of the Northern Kingdom. Beginning in the eighth century BC, Ephraim often served as an alternate name for the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel.
The name Manasseh, who was Joseph’s older son, means “God has caused me to forget.” Although Manasseh was the older son, he did not receive the blessing typically belonging to the firstborn son. In fact, Jacob resisted when Joseph tried to correct his father during the blessing (Gen. 48:13-20).
(v. 24) God will certainly come to your aid: Joseph uttered these words of faith prior to his death. In the original Hebrew language this statement more literally reads: “God will certainly visit you.” The Old Testament records that God came to His people with both blessings and judgments. Joseph referred to a future visitation of God’s blessing. That particular blessing occurred when He called Moses to bring His people out of Egyptian bondage and lead them to the promised land.
(v. 24) The land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: This expression calls to mind the Lord’s promises to the patriarchs, beginning with Abraham (Abram) in Genesis 12:1-3. The Lord renewed that promise with Abraham’s son Isaac and again with Isaac’s son Jacob (see Ex. 6:8; 33:1; Num. 32:11; Deut. 6:10; 9:5; 30:20; 34:4). This land is variously identified in the Old Testament as Canaan and Israel.
(v. 25) Take an oath: This verb basically means “to swear.” It is identified in the unpointed (without vowels) Hebrew text with the number seven. A relationship between the number seven and oath taking also appears in Genesis 21:22-34. There, Abraham required Abimelech to swear that a certain well belonged to Abraham. Abraham sealed the agreement by presenting seven ewe lambs to Abimelech. The well was called Beer-sheba, meaning “Well of the Seven Oaths.” To take an oath in the Old Testament meant to give your sacred word that you would faithfully keep your promise.
(v. 25) Carry my bones: Joseph required the Israelites to give their sacred word that they would return his bones to Canaan. The writer to the Hebrews celebrated Joseph’s act of faith in requiring this oath (Heb. 11:22). When Moses led the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt, they fulfilled Joseph’s instructions by taking his bones with them (Ex. 13:19).
(v. 26) Embalmed: This process of preserving bodies from decay originated in Egypt. The Hebrews seldom practiced embalming. The embalming of Jacob’s and Joseph’s bodies (Gen. 50:1-3,26) highlights their importance to the community and to the plans to return their remains to Canaan for burial.
(v. 26) Coffin: The Hebrew word for coffin basically means “chest” or “ark.” Although it differs from the term used to describe Noah’s ark, it designates a box used for various purposes. For example, the word identified the chest used to collect money for the temple’s repair (2 Kings 12:10). It most commonly appears in the expression the “ark of the covenant.”
The Scriptures
All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. (See Luke 24:27; John 5:39.)
Look for ways the Old Testament points to Jesus.
Bible students have observed similarities between Joseph’s life and Jesus’s life. The practice of recognizing such similarities or parallels is called typology. A type is a character, event, or institution that has a place or purpose in history but by God’s plan corresponds to a later character, event, or institution. Typology helps us see God at work in all of history. Although Joseph was not the unique Son of God, he demonstrated some Christlike characteristics, and some events in his life parallel those of Christ. Joseph’s willingness to forgive his brothers instead of exacting revenge is one parallel (see Luke 23:34). Another is that both were stripped of their robes (Gen. 37:23; Luke 23:34). Although their suffering had different purposes, both knew God was at work in it (Gen. 50:20; Matt. 16:21-23). What other parallels can you suggest?