GENESIS 50

Verse 1 Alter: “Joseph is at once the intellectual, dispassionate interpreter of dreams and central economic planner, and the man of powerful spontaneous feeling.” He combined intellect, emotion and will.

Verse 2 Compare modern superstitions regarding the treatment of corpses so that they will experience the resurrection, as if we could help God out in that regard (buried face up, buried in holy ground, no cremation, etc.)

Verse 3 The Egyptian practice of mourning for 72 days is turned into a symbolically significant number for the Jews.

Verse 4 Joseph did not need to resort to intermediates in approaching the king. But this is an extraordinary request, and so Joseph shows proper deference.

Verse 5 “Let me go” is like Moses' later request to another pharaoh.

Verse 7 Pharaoh shows respect for Jacob by his actions, gives protection to the party, and coincidentally ensures that Joseph and the party will return to Egypt.

Verse 8 Hostages to ensure that they will return?

Verses 15-21 This is a sad story where the brothers feel they need to make up a lie to protect themselves from Joseph. Again he weeps

Verse 16 It may be translated that “they sent a message to Joseph” by another party, afraid to face him themselves (like Jacob on his reunion with Esau.)

Verses 16-17 “Servants of your father's God = a double bind statement.

Verse 20 This can be taken as one of the main points of the whole story.

Verse 23 indicates a rite of adoption or indication of legitimatization.

Verse 24-25 prepare us for Book of Exodus. This is the incident highlighted in Hebrews 11:22.

Verse 26 110 years was considered the ideal Egyptian lifespan, compared to 120 years for the Israelites.

Now that you are familiar with the whole story, consider than nowhere in the New Testament is Joseph specifically said to be a type of Jesus, but a surprising number of parallels do exist between the two. How many can you think of (without peeking ahead at the partial list below)?

1. Both had special garments that were stripped off of them.

2. Both were betrayed for money by people close to them.

3. Both were the favorite son of their father.

4. Both were resurrected from the pit.

5. Neither was understood by their immediate family. Both were felt to have pretentions of high status.

6. Both were taken to Egypt.

7. The Lord was with both of them.

8. Both withstood temptation.

9. Both had someone (cupbearer and John the Baptist) prepared the way by going before them.

10. Both were filled with the spirit of God.

11. Each was about 30 years old when they began serving the king.

12. Both fed the multitudes.

13. Both were blessings to the Gentiles.

14. Neither was recognized by his brothers.

15. Both were elevated to the position of second-in-charge.

16. Both were falsely accused and punished.

17. There are parallels to the Last Supper (feet washed, 12 present).

18. Their brothers eventually recognized fully who they were.

19. They wept.

20. They were both thought to be dead.

21. All knees bowed before him.

22. Reuben was like Pilate in washing his hands of all responsibility.