Day 13 -14: Genesis 47 to 50

Day 13 and 14 out of 312, from the Blended Bible Experience reading plan: page 64 to 71 of the Books of the Bible.

Today the story of Joseph comes to an end, closing out the book of Genesis. I'm quite sorry to say goodbye to Genesis, I love this book so much! There is so much in it! Take the story of Joseph for instance. If you would try to pitch the story of Joseph for a novel or a movie you'd be told to tone it down a little. No wonder, look what happens to Joseph in the space of a mere 20 pages! A kidnapping, slavery, a sexual assault, a stay in prison, revenge, and of course getting to be the second most powerful man in the country. He certainly had an eventful life!

Anyway, what I like here is how a couple of motivs from the Jacob story come back again at the time of Jacob's death.

First of all there is the blessing Jacob gives to the children of Joseph. Jacob himself took the wrong blessing by deceit, but now he gives the wrong blessing intentionally (the younger grandchild gets the blessing reserved for the older grandchild), much to the chagrin of Joseph. I guess Jacob didn't get around to telling his children what he got up to when he was a young man.

After Jacob has died, the brothers of Joseph fear that without the calming influence of their father the powerful Joseph will exact his revenge on them. Deceitful to the end (they certainly are his their father's sons) they send him a bogus message from their father, begging Joseph to spare his other sons. It's all quite unnecessary because Joseph is no longer interested in revenge.

Of course, Jacob himself feared the wrath of his brother Esau after the death of his father which he believed was imminent. Well, he was certainly wrong about that! Isaac lived for more than 20 years after Jacob fled from his brother in fear of his life, in fact Isaac lived so long that Jacob and Esay had more or less made up by the time he breathed his last. And so they buried him together. Again just as with Ishmael and Isaac this seems highly unlikely; but it is a nice touch. It's as if the author tells us: family feuds have a beginning but they should have an end as well.

On to the equally wonderful story of the Exodus. Can't wait!