Gad, Asher and Naphtali
Gen 49:19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
The tribe of Gad furnished many fine troops for David (1 Chronicles 12:14) Among other times, in the days of Jeremiah, Gad was oppressed by foreign armies (Jeremiah 49:1) They chose to settle in the land before the Jordan, not the land promised to Israel by God.
Num 32:2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,
Num 32:3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
Num 32:4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
Num 32:5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
Num 32:6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
Num 32:7 And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
Num 32:10 And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
Num 32:11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
Num 32:12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
Num 32:13 And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
Num 32:29 And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
Num 32:30 But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
Num 32:31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.
Num 32:32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.
Num 32:33 And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
Gen 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
This prophecy regarding Asher is taken up again by Moses in Deuteronomy 33:24 - Deu 33:24 And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
Deu 33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Gen 49:21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
Gen 30:7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
Gen 30:8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali
Deu 33:23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south. Naphtali's land was in a key portion near the Sea of Galilee, the region where Jesus did much of His teaching and ministry; it is fitting that it is said of him that he gives goodly words
Psa 18:31 For who [is] God save the LORD? or who [is] a rock save our God?
Psa 18:32 [It is] God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psa 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places.
Psa 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Psa 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Psa 18:36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
From Gad we learn that the LORD is not pleased with disobedience. Gad was satisfied with his own lesser desires and did not go into the inheritance provided by the LORD. Apart from the others he was a target for the enemy. We as we follow God must seek his perfect will. Gods word gives us Gods will, we follow him in the Spirit for His plan for our life.
From Asher we learn that we too are blessed in the LORD. Through Jesus we have all good things and by His Spirit we are annointed with oil, both for healing and for annointed service.
From Naphtali we learn that our feet are used to spred the good words of the gospel message.
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Joseph and Benjamin
For those of you who were not given blessings by your father, I give you abundant blessings. Receive them through the blessings of Jesus Christ. Lets find out what Father Israel (Jacob) has to say as blessings to Joseph and Benjamin, the beloved children of his dear Rachel.
Gen 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Gen 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
Gen 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Jacob speaks in the present, and the past when he describes Joseph as being fruitful and abundant in Gods blessings. Though his brothers tried to do him evil, though he was accused falsely and sent to prison, he always trusted God and because of this God was his strength. This is the one true God, the God of his fathers from whom would come the Shepherd and stone of Israel Jesus the rock, the chief cornerstone of our faith, the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep and takes it up again.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
(Joseph Continued)
Gen 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
Gen 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Seeing his favorite son alive gives Jacob much joy and he passes it along to Joseph knowing that Joseph loves the LORD with all his heart. Do you love the Lord Jesus? Then you are promised the blessings that only a forgiven child of God can receive. All spiritual blessings.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Gen 49:27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
This was the tribe with a reputation for fierceness and cruelty. Even so Saul , who rounded up and killed Christians, was from the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 8:11) when converted became the great apostle Paul. Jesus changes lives. See what he did to Paul? God was patient with him.
1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
You think you were a worse sinner then Saul who killed believers? God forgave him and will forgive anyone who seeks a change in heart, by believing in Jesus Christ. Paul says it:
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Come to Jesus in faith. Gods POWER will make you a new creation. Thank you Jesus for leading us to you. This concludes the blessings on Jacobs children. Jacob would take his place with his fathers. When we die in Christ? We will be with him forever, in love and blessings. We are in Gods family!
Jacobs Death
Gen 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
Israel had finished blessing his children and prophesying of their future. Now he is to sleep with his fathers, actually the soul is awake in paradise until Messiah Jesus comes. (Luke 16:23-25)
Gen 49:29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
Gen 49:30 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 for a possession of a buryingplace.
Gen 49:31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
Though Jacob is now in Egypt, he knows that he is not an Egyptian - he is a son of the promise, an heir of God's covenant with Abraham, and he will be buried in the land promised to Abraham by that covenant . I find it interesting that he is to be buried with Leah. He always had a divided heart preferring Rachel. Yet most of his sons were born of Leah. Jacob had buried Rachel in Betlehem where her pillar was placed. The place of Rachels burial was to be the place of the Messiahs birth and the place where Herod tried to destroy him. A prophecy would mention Rachel weeping for her children, those Hebrew children killed by Herod,and yet God protected the baby Jesus, until the fullness of time when he would die on the cross, removing our sins.
Mat 2:18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Gen 49:32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
Gen 49:33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
This ends the life of the last of the great patriarches of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But God can and will raise up other great men to use after them, also women, are you willing to be used of God for his purposes?
Gen 50:1 And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.
How great was Josephs love for his father, and great was Jacobs love for Joseph. Joseph died at 148 years of age. I am sure Joseph looked back to his reunion with his father 17 years earlier.
Gen 46:29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
Gen 46:30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
Israel's soul had left his body, and as the custom of the Egyptians he was to be embalmed to preserve the body for a time of mourning. When I die, or sleep? It is a time of rejoicing, for I will be with Jesus. Also all who trust in him, this will be so. Thank you Jesus, your death gave eternal life to Jacob and to each of us who trust in Messiah Jesus.
Jacobs Burial
Gen 50:2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.
Embalming was the preservation of the body after death by artificial chemical means. It was highly developed in dynastic Egypt, where immersion in a soda solution and filling of body cavities with resins and spices were common. The remains of Kings were found many centuries years later fully intact.
Gen 50:3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.
The length of time for mourning a king was 72 days. Jacob was highly honored to be mourned for 70 days. Really though, this is outward ceremony. I do not think this is of the LORD. Why grieve? Jacob would be missed, but not by false mourning, but of a loving heart. God looks on the heart, not outward ceremonies. Jacob would rise again when his salvation Messiah Jesus would come.
1 Pet 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Gen 50:4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
Gen 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
Gen 50:6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
Gen 50:7 And 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,
Gen 50:8 And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
Gen 50:9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.
Gen 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
Gen 50:11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.
Gen 50:12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:
Gen 50:13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
Gen 50:14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
What an honour all of Jacobs grown family attended the funeral and also with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. I remember my mothers funeral , all the family and friends and my dear father who had lost touch with the present due to senility. I wondered if he knew what was happening. He knew, tears were streaming down his face. Another time we took him to church not knowing if he would be able to understand. During the worship music tears again were streaming down his face. He had Gods Spirit in him. The spirit of truth gave him awareness . The Spirit never leaves us, we are forever connected by Gods Spirit. The Holy Spirit will bring our souls to Jesus on Angels wings. There we will meet Jacob and Abraham. There will be my mom and dad, and other departed saints. We have the victory in Messiah Jesus!
Guilty Brothers
Gen 50:15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
Joseph was a powerful leader, his father was gone, now the brothers who sold him into slavery are frightened. Will he take vengence on them? We in the natural seek to make our own justice. Has someone treated you badly? Should they fear you?
Gen 50:16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Gen 50:17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
The brothers make up a false letter to protect themselves from their brother. Yet they had sinned against Joseph, the favorite of the father. They had shown no mercy, so now they are fearful.
Perhaps Joseph wept for love of his father. Joseph wept, as he sees the desperate efforts of the brothers to hide behind their departed fathers name.
When Messiah Jesus was come, John the Baptist preached repentance, turning to God confessing sins to the Jewish leaders. They would be the ones to kill the Messiah, the only begotten of God the father. His words were strong to them.
Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Mat 3:10 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Refusing the saviour Jesus meant destruction. Do not refuse Gods way of forgiveness and a new life.
Gen 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
They were repenting out of fear . We should fear God.
Gen 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Joseph wisely gives them to God. Oh how much we allow satan to torment us when we do not give our tormenters to God. God is the avenger.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently [unto Jesus] lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Gen 50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Joseph was full of grace and forgiveness for those who treated him badly.We are to forgive those who sin against us and who repent.
Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
Luke 17:4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
If someone is controlled of Satan, pray for them and give them to God. God is the avenger. It is important to not carry hatred and anger in our hearts, this can bring darkness in to us. Trust Jesus and be free. Joseph did not let circumstances remove him from trust in God. God is the provider and the avenger. God made good from evil. He will do this for all who trust him and are not consumed with anger.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Joseph Dies
Gen 50:22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.
Gen 50:23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.
Gen 50:24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Gen 50:25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.
Joseph, like his father before him, wanted his bones buried in Canaan, with his fathers.
Heb 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Gen 50:26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Joseph was never buried. His coffin laid aboveground for the 400 or so years until it was taken back to Canaan. It was a silent witness for all those years that Israel was going back to the Promised Land, just as God had said.(Guzik)
Joseph Pages
Joseph Page 1 (Genesis 37:3 - 41:15)
Joseph Page 2 (Genesis 41:15 - 42:17)
Joseph Page 3 (Genesis 42:18 - 43:14)
Joseph Page 4 (Genesis 43:15 - 44:34)
Joseph Page 5 (Genesis 45:1 - 47:12)
Joseph Page 6 (Genesis 47:13 - 49:18)
Joseph Page 7 (Genesis 49:19 - 50:21)
Eaglewings Index (Bible Studies)