Bible Commentary: Genesis 42 - Exodus 12
Posted: Mon May 02, 2005 9:36 am
BIBLE COMMENTARY- GENESIS 42 - EXODUS 12
Genesis Chapter 42
Jacob learns that there is bread in Egypt. He sends his 10 older sons there to buy bread. When they meet Joseph they do not recognize him but he recognizes them. It has been 22 years since they sold him into slavery. They bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. Joseph then remembers his dream about them. He now understands that Jehovah is behind the events that have placed him in this position. He now needs to know if their attitudes have changed so he decides to test them. He accuses them of being spies. They then explain their family situation telling him that they have one other brother that is not with them and one who is "no more."
Joseph then tells them that they can prove that they are not spies by one of them going back to Canaan and bringing the youngest son while the rest remain in custody. Three days later, Joseph changes his mind and decides that he will only imprison one of the brothers so that the nine can take enough food back to their families. But he insists that they bring their youngest brother when they return for more food.
Joseph’s brothers now believe that punishment for their sin against Joseph is about to come upon them. Reuben makes this statement, recorded in verse 22, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must give an accounting for his blood.”
Joseph gives them provisions and sends them back to Canaan, but Simeon is kept in prison. One of the brothers discovers that his silver money has been put back in his sack. They are terrified and now say: “What is this God has done to us?” They now recognize that God has taken a hand in this affair.
After reaching home they tell their father, Jacob, what has transpired. They especially emphasize that they must take Benjamin back with them if they are to receive any further provisions. Jacob is devastated at this news. Rueben offers to allow two of his sons to be killed by Jacob if he does not bring Benjamin back. This does not pacify Jacob and he says that he will not allow Benjamin to go to Egypt with them.
We’ve learned here that Joseph is not vengeful against his brothers for what they did to him. He even weeps when he hears that they are now remorseful for what they did. But he must be absolutely certain that there is no animosity whatsoever on the part of Leah’s sons towards Rachel’s sons.
Genesis Chapter 43
After their provisions have been used up, Jacob wants them to go back to Egypt to replenish their supplies. Judah reminds him of what Joseph had said to them and he makes an offer to have the blame come upon him for anything that happens to Benjamin, which Jacob agrees to do. We remember that Judah is the one who suggested that the brothers sell Joseph to the passing caravan. (Genesis 37:26, 27) For some reason Jacob did not accept the conditions made by Reuben earlier. It is Judah who now is taking the lead among the brothers. Jacob tells them to take double the amount of silver with them and some of the best products of the land as a gift for Joseph. They are also to take Benjamin with them.
When they arrive in Egypt, Joseph tells his steward to take them to his house and prepare dinner for them all. When they learn that they are to be taken to Joseph’s house, they fear the worse. They explained to the steward what happened with the monies they had paid for the grain, and the steward assures them that nothing is wrong. He says: “Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.”
When Joseph came to his house, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought with them and they bowed before him with their faces to the ground, the second time. Joseph asks about their father and after replying, they again "bowed low to pay him homage" the third time. When Joseph sees Benjamin, he again is overcome and leaves the room where he weeps. When he returns, he orders the food to be served. The brothers are seated at the table in order of their ages and this astonishes them, but they have no clue why this is done. Benjamin is served five times as much food as the others. No one complains about this.
We notice that Joseph eats alone at one table, the Egyptians eat at a separate table and the brothers eat at still another table. Verse 32 tells the reason why. It reads: “Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.” The footnote for this verse in the NIV states this: “The taboo was probably based on ritual or religions reasons.” The New Oxford Annotated Bible states this in its footnote for this verse: “Laws of ritual purity required that Egyptians eat apart from foreigners.”
Genesis Chapter 44
Joseph now sets into motion his final test. He instructs his steward to put the brother’s monies back into their sacks and to put his personal silver cup into Benjamin’s sack, as well. The steward is to follow them when they leave. When he overtakes them he is to ask them why they have stolen his master’s cup. They are, of course, incredulous at doing such a thing and state unequivocally: “Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover, the rest will become my lord’s slaves.” To which the steward answered: “Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be; he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.” (Genesis 44:9, 10) The silver cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. The brothers become very agitated at this revelation and they return to Egypt.
When they come before Joseph, they fall to the ground before him. When Joseph asks why they’ve done this deed, Judah speaks. He cannot explain other than God is now bringing punishment upon them for their sin and they all are now slaves to Joseph. But Joseph is only interested in the one in whose bag the cup is found, Benjamin. Judah now explains the effect that Joseph’s taking Benjamin would have on his aged father. He tells Joseph that their not bringing Benjamin back with them will cause the death of their father. Judah now begs Joseph to allow him to become his slave in place of Benjamin.
Joseph is now convinced that the animosity his brothers felt for him no longer exists and they had not transferred this animosity to Benjamin. He can now reveal himself to them.
Genesis Chapter 45
Before he tells his brothers who he is, he dismisses everyone else from the room. He then begins to tell them why Jehovah has arranged matters the way He did. He says: “…for God has sent me before you to preserve life.” The famine is to continue another five years, so Joseph urges his brothers to tell his father about him and to arrange to bring him back to Egypt. Joseph will make arrangements for them to settle in Goshen where they will be fed for the remainder of the famine.
Pharaoh hears that Joseph’s brothers have come to Egypt and he is very pleased. Pharaoh suggests that Joseph make arrangements to bring the remainder of his family to Egypt and he will give them the best of the land. When Joseph’s brothers arrive back in Canaan, they report to Jacob everything that has occurred and that Joseph is still alive and is ruler in Egypt. Jacob is elated and states that he must go and see him before he dies.
Genesis Chapters 46
Jacob leaves Hebron and when he reached Beersheba, he offers sacrifices to God. God appears to him and reassures him that He will make a great nation of him while in Egypt and that He will bring them back to the land of Canaan as he has promised. (See Genesis 15:13-16) Jacob’s family consisted of seventy persons in all at this time. A genealogy of these descendants is given here. But only 65 of these descendants would accompany him to Egypt. Joseph and his two sons were already in Egypt and two of Judah's sons had died because of disobedience to Jehovah. Jacob now sends Judah ahead to lead the way. Judah has now become the leading spokesman for the family rather than Rueben.
When they arrive in Goshen, Jacob weeps upon seeing Joseph and declares that he is now ready to die as he knows that Joseph is alive. Joseph will now go to Pharaoh to justify why his family should live in Goshen. He tells his brothers, when they are brought before Pharaoh, to say that they are shepherds because the Egyptians despised shepherds so that Pharaoh would agree to let them live apart from the Egyptians in Goshen.
Genesis Chapter 47
When Joseph appears before Pharaoh and reports that his family has arrived safely, he first presents five of his brothers to him. Pharaoh then asks the five what their occupation is and they reply that they are shepherds and would like to settle in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh agrees to this proposal and wants to put them in charge of his livestock, also. Joseph now presents his father Jacob to Pharaoh. Jacob tells Pharaoh, when asked, that he is one hundred and thirty years of age. He then blesses Pharaoh and they departed for the land of Goshen.
Stephen summarized these events for us at Acts 7:9-15, (NWT) where he says:
“And the family heads became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. But God was with him, and he delivered him out of all his tribulations and gave him graciousness and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him to govern Egypt and his whole house. But a famine came upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan, even a great tribulation; and our forefathers were not finding any provisions. But Jacob heard there were foodstuffs in Egypt and he sent our forefathers out the first time. And during the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers; and the family stock of Joseph became manifest to Pharaoh. So Joseph sent out and called Jacob his father and all his relatives from that place, to the number of seventy-five souls. Jacob went down into Egypt. And he deceased; and so did our forefathers.”
There is a discrepancy between the number of Jacob’s descendants given in Genesis 46:27 and that given in Acts 7:14. The Genesis account gives the number as 70 people while the account in Acts gives the number as 75 people. The number that Stephen uses in his explanation is derived from the Septuagint. This discrepancy is explained this way in The Expository Bible Commentary, Volume II, page 263: “The LXX lists five more names at the end of verse 20 (that is, Genesis 46:20). The names are derived from Numbers 26:29-36. Since the LXX also gives the number as seventy-five in Exodus 1:5, the extra names appear to be intentional.” The New World Translation Large Print Reference Bible’s footnote for verse 20 adds this: “After “Ephraim” LXX adds five more names, as it reads: “But there were sons born to Manasseh, whom his Syrian concubine bore to him, namely, Machir. And Machir became father to Galaad. But the sons of Ephraim, Manasseh’s brother, were Sutalaam and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam were Edem.” This may explain why the LXX, at Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5, and Stephen, at Acts 7:14, count 75 souls instead of 70.”
Verses 15-26 illustrate the effectiveness of Joseph’s administrative abilities. The Egyptians eventually have to sell all they have, even themselves, to Pharaoh in order to keep alive until the famine ends. When they are able to plant again, one-fifth of all that the land produces will belong to Pharaoh. This became a decree in the land of Egypt. The priests were the only ones exempt from this decree.
Jacob lived another seventeen years in Egypt. When he believes that he is near death, he has Joseph vow to take him back to Canaan to be buried.
Genesis Chapter 48
Later when Joseph is told that his father was becoming weak, he takes his two sons to see him. Jacob tells Joseph these two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, will become his just as Reuben and Simeon are his. He then desires to bless them. Jacob put his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh and he proceeds to bless them and say “let my name be called upon them and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and let them increase to a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Joseph attempts to move his father’s right hand to Manasseh’s head because Manasseh is the firstborn. But Jacob refuses to change his hand and he tells Joseph that Ephraim, the younger “will become greater than Manasseh and will become the full equivalent of nations.” So he put Ephraim first. Paul writes of Jacob at Hebrews 11:21 this: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.”
He then gave Joseph the right of firstborn among his sons by saying: “As for me I do give you one shoulder of land more than to your brothers which I took from the hand of the Amorites by my sword and by my bow.” Jacob is here speaking prophetically of the time when the land of Canaan is conquered and parceled out. Joseph would receive two portions through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2 says this: “For he (Reuben) was firstborn; but for his profaning the lounge of his father his right as firstborn was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he was not to be enrolled genealogically for the right of the firstborn. For Judah himself proved to be superior among his brothers and the one for leader was from him but the right as firstborn was Joseph’s.”
Genesis Chapter 49
Jacob now calls his sons to himself to tell them what their future would be.
(Verses 3, 4) Reuben because he defiled his father’s bed would not excel at anything. The right of firstborn was taken away from him. Reuben’s immoral act would typify the tribe’s moral weakness and instability. Reuben did not produce any leaders for the nation. Two of his offspring, Dathan and Abiram, along with Korah, a Levite, attempted to seize the priesthood during the 40-year trek in the wilderness. Reuben's tribal inheritance was east of the Jordan River. When called upon to help Barak and Deborah, they did not respond. (Judges 5:15, 16) They were among the first of the tribes of Israel to go into captivity to Assyria.
(Verses 5-7) Simeon and Levi, because they showed unprovoked and violent anger, would not be given separate tribal inheritances. Simeon received land among the tribe of Judah and were eventually absorbed into this tribe. Levi, whose tribe became responsible for the temple and the priestly duties (See Exodus 32:28, 29), were given cities within all the other tribes.
(Verses 8-12) Judah would become the pre-eminent tribe, a royal tribe. His brothers would bow down to him. He would be a victorious warrior. The scepter and the ruler’s staff would remain with this tribe until Shiloh, or the one to whom it belongs, comes. (Ezekiel 21:27) Most scholars believe "Shiloh" to be Jesus. But as we have learned, this one is a modern-day messiah. The statement “and the obedience of the peoples would be his” suggests that this one’s kingship would extend beyond the boundaries of Israel to include other nations or peoples. (Psalms 2:8; Daniel 7:13, 14) His garments being washed in wine can be liken to one who has trodden the winepresses (Isaiah 63:1-3, Revelation 14:19, 20; 19:20) "Tethering his donkey to the vine" indicated that there will be great prosperity during his reign. (Psalms 72:16) His "eyes being darker that wine, his teeth whiter than milk" are indicative of his strength and power.
(Verse 13) Zebulun’s tribal boundaries did not reach the sea. Nevertheless, it was traversed by a highway known as "the way by the sea" by which they would have easy access to the sea. It is noteworthy that the town of Nazareth was located in Zebulun’s territory. This tribe would be one of the first to benefit from the ministry of Jesus. - See Isaiah 9:1, 2; Matthew 4:13-17
(Verses 14, 15) Issachar is likened to a beast of burden whose land is a comfortable one and he will apply his back to the burden. In the Bible book of Judges, Issachar is called upon by judge Deborah to assist in helping to rout the enemy. - Judges 5:15
Verses 16-18) Dan will "judge his people." Samson, who fought the Philistines single-handedly, is probably one of the most well known of the judges in Israel. Dan, being likened to "a snake by the roadside" indicates his use of cunning to accomplish his aim. The tribe of Dan was unable to conquer their assigned territory. (Judges 1:34) They later attacked an unsuspecting town at the northern most part of Canaan, putting all of its inhabitants to death. They then settled this area and it became known as "Dan." (Judges Chapter 18) We also remember that Dan was one of the places that Jeroboam set up calf worship. -- 1 Kings12:25-30
(Verse 19) Gad’s territory was east of the Jordan River. The Ammonites later claimed this territory and Jephthah was called upon to defend it. Jacob’s words concerning Gad indicates that he would strike back confidently at those marauding him and violating his borders. 1 Chronicles 12:8 says of them: "And from the Gadites there came to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, and who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains."
(Verse 20) Asher would be famous for the rich food and delicacies it would provide for the king. Asher’s territory bordered the Mediterranean Sea and produced food abundantly. It also enjoyed a robust export trade.
(Verse 21) Naphtali is likened to a hind, an animal that is both swift and graceful in movement. This tribe produced men who were skillful in warfare and swift in pursuit of the enemy. Barak was from this tribe. Naphtali is spoken of also in Isaiah 9:1, 2 as benefiting from Jesus’ ministry. - Matthew 4:13-17
Verses 22-26) Joseph would not have a tribe named for him. He received two portions of the land through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob’s words to him involve bounteous blessing and help from the "hand of the mighty one, by the name of the shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father, by the Almighty.” Here Joseph is also described as the one "set apart from his brothers."
We know that Joseph’s rise as ruler of Egypt is pictorial of the rise of the Modern-day Servant, who has been "set apart from his brothers" for a special role. Isaiah tells us that he is to "raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back even the safeguarded ones of Israel; but I also have given you for a light of the nations, that my salvation may come to be to the ends of the earth.” -- Isaiah 49:6
(Verse 27) Benjamin is described here as a tribe violent in spirit, a ravenous wolf. An example is given in Judges chapter 20. Benjamin also produced the first king of Israel, Saul. They remained loyal to Saul even though Jehovah had chosen David as king until Abner, Saul’s army general, chose to support David. Later, Shemei and Sheba, both Benjamites also opposed David’s rulership. -2 Samuel 16:5; 19:16; 20:1
Although, it seems that none of the descendants of Jacob completely fulfilled the deathbed pronouncements given by him, yet we know that his words will be fulfilled in their entirety in our modern time upon Modern-day Israel, Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Before Jacob died, he again reminded his sons that they were to bury him in Canaan in the place that Abraham had purchased from the Hittites as a burial site. - Acts 7:15, 16
Genesis Chapter 50
After Jacob died, Joseph explains to Pharaoh that his father made him swear to take him back to Canaan to be buried which Pharaoh allows. Many people, including Egyptians, accompanied Joseph into Canaan. Jacob was 147 years old when he died.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers are now fearful that he still bears a grudge against them for what they did to him. They approached him and asked for forgiveness. Joseph reminds them that it is God’s will that he is in Egypt. He said to them: “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people as he is doing today.”
Joseph lived to be 110 years of age and sees the third generation of his children. When he is about to die, he made his brothers swear that when God fulfilled his promise to bring them back to the land he promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that they would take his bones back with them. Hebrews 11:22 records this: “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”
THE BOOK OF EXODUS
Exodus Chapter 1
Verse 6 tells us: “But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.” Further Psalms 105:25 says: “And the LORD made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes, whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.” (NRSV) We will now see Jehovah’s hand in this matter. A "new king, who did not know Joseph," came to power in Egypt. He made this statement: “Look! The people of the sons of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we are. Come on! Let us deal shrewdly with them.” (NWT) So he devised a plan to stop their growth. He thought oppression would work. No matter how ruthlessly the Egyptians treated the Israelites, they continued to multiply. Pharaoh then devised another plan that we now know as infanticide. He told the midwives to kill every baby boy that they delivered, but allow the baby girls to live. The midwives refused to do this because they feared Jehovah. Pharaoh then commanded the Egyptians to kill the baby boys. A situation is being created here to cause the Israelites to have to call on Jehovah to rescue them from Egypt. - See also Matthew 2:16
Exodus Chapter 2
Jehovah had fulfilled a part of His promise to Jacob when He said: “I will make you a great nation there.” Now it is time to carry out the remainder of this promise: “I myself will go down with you to Egypt and I will also bring you up again.” -- Genesis 46:3, 4
Moses is born to a family of the tribe of Levi. His mother is able to hide him in her home for three months. When it was no longer possible to keep him hidden, she takes a papyrus basket, insulates it with tar and pitch, puts Moses in it, and then places it among the reeds along the Nile riverbank and stations his sister nearby to see what would happen. Pharaoh’s daughter notices it and has it retrieved. Inside she finds a Hebrew baby. Jehovah arranges it such that the baby’s own mother becomes his nurse.
The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Volume II, under the word #2492 shares some useful information concerning the word translated “basket” in verse 3. The Hebrew word used here is “teba” and is translated as “ark.”
“In Gen 6-9, the word is used twenty-six times to denote the huge, rectangular, box-shaped vessel which Noah, his family and the animals entered to escape the judgment of the flood. In Ex 2:3, 5, it denotes the tiny vessel in which Moses was hidden among the reeds in the Nile River to escape the wrath of the pharaoh. The Hebrew word ”teba” is found only in Gen 6-9 and Ex 2 and is to be distinguished from the much more common word for “ark,” “aron” used to refer, among other things, to the ark of the covenant.”
After Moses’ birth, his mother saw that he was "fine baby." That term could be applied to his physical appearance but Stephen said of him as recorded at Acts 7:20 (NIV) “he was no ordinary child;” the NWT uses the phrase “was divinely beautiful;” the NAS says “he was lovely in the sight of God.” Jehovah has now taken a hand in matters and has communicated to Moses’ mother that the child would be important to him. Hebrews 11:23 tells us this: “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”
It was not Jehovah’s purpose that Moses should grow up in his parent’s home. So he arranged matters such that Moses would grow up among Pharaoh’s household. But Moses knew who his people were. Acts 7:23 reads: “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites.” He believed that he had grown up in the house of Pharaoh for an important reason. The riches and freedom that living in Pharaoh’s house would give him did not impress him. Hebrews 11:24 says: “By faith Moses when grown up refused to be called the son of the daughter of Pharaoh, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.” Acts 7:25 reads: “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” They said to him “Who made you ruler over us?” (Verse 27) It would be another forty years before God would actually use Moses as their deliverer. It was not His time for the nation to be delivered from their oppressor’s hand.
Moses had to leave Egypt because Pharaoh had heard that he had killed an Egyptian. Hebrews 11:27 explains his actions this way: “By faith he left Egypt, but not fearing the anger of the king, for he continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible.” He went to the land of Midian where he meets the daughters of a priest at a well. He helps them to water their flocks and they invite him to their home. He agrees to stay with them and their father gives Moses his daughter, Zipporah, in marriage. Moses now becomes an alien in another land. -- Acts 7:29
The Israelites are now groaning under forced slavery to the Egyptians. They cry to Jehovah for help. He hears their groaning and as verse 25 says: “God looked down upon the Israelites and God took notice of them.” They are now ready for God to effect deliverance for them.
Exodus Chapter 3
It is now Jehovah’s appointed time to act. He appears to Moses as he is tending Jethro’s flock near Mount Horeb (Sinai). Moses sees a bush that is on fire but does not burn up. When Jehovah sees that he has gotten Moses’ attention, He tells him to ‘take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground.’ He then proceeds to identify Himself as the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ He tells Moses that He has heard the cry of his people and He has come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them to a ‘land flowing with milk and honey.’ (Acts 7:30-34) Moses, however, is reticent but God assures him that “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” (NRSV)
When Jehovah tells Moses his personal name in Exodus 3:14, 15, many Bible Scholars believe that this is the first time that humans were introduced to God’s name. But we know that in the days of Seth’s son Enosh, people began to proclaim God’s personal name. So humans have known that name since their beginning but have chosen not to use it.
Jehovah now tells Moses that he is to go to the elders of the nation first and explain to them what He is doing. He assures Moses that they will listen to him, but Pharaoh will need ‘a mighty hand to compel him’ to obey. Jehovah continues: “I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that he will let you go.” Not only that but the Israelites will not leave empty handed but they ‘will plunder the Egyptians.’
Exodus Chapter 4
Moses seeks to take care of any exigent circumstance that may arise. What if the Israelites don’t believe that Jehovah has sent him to deliver them? Moses remembers what they said to him before when he attempted to come to their aid. (See Acts 7:27) Jehovah then gives him three miraculous signs to perform before them. Moses then claims that he is not an eloquent speaker, he is "slow of speech and tongue." Since Jehovah is the maker of the tongue, that will be no problem for Him to deal with. Then Moses asks outright to be relieved of this assignment. Jehovah should send someone else. Moses was certainly a different person from the one who, forty years earlier, had believed himself to be the deliverer of Israel. Jehovah then calls Moses’ attention to his brother, Aaron, who is a good speaker. He, Aaron, can go with Moses and do the talking. Moses is to tell him what to say with Jehovah’s help but Moses is to perform the miraculous signs.
With the blessing of his father-in-law, Moses takes his family and begins the journey to Egypt. Jehovah reminds him upon his arrival in Egypt to be sure to do all that he has been commanded to do. But He also warns him that Pharaoh will not listen because He will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Moses meets his brother, Aaron, at Mount Horeb. There they greet each other and Moses reports to him all that Jehovah had commanded him to perform.
Aaron and Moses brings the elders together and Aaron tells them what Jehovah had said while Moses performs the signs before them. They fall on their knees before Jehovah when they learned that He is aware of and concerned for their sufferings. The stage is now set for their appearance before Pharaoh.
Exodus Chapter 5
In their first appearance before Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron state to him that he is to let Israel go into the wilderness to celebrate a festival to their God, Jehovah. Pharaoh declares that he does not know Jehovah so he will not let the people leave to go and worship this god. They again repeat what Jehovah told them to say but Pharaoh still refuses their request. He reasons that if they can take off three days from their work, then they do not have enough to do. He then proceeded to make their work even harder by saying that they would have to gather their own straw rather than having it provided for them.
When the Israelite foremen approached Pharaoh to protest this new ruling, they were told that they were being lazy hence they would have added work to do. These foremen knew that it was because of Moses and Aaron that their workload had been made more difficult. They said to them: “May Jehovah look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Moses approaches Jehovah to ask why had He brought more trouble on this people, but had not rescued them.
Exodus Chapter 6
Jehovah told Moses that He will now show Pharaoh His mighty hand and then he will be forced to let His people go. Moses is to remind the Israelites of Jehovah’s covenant promise to their forefathers to give them the land of Canaan and to assure them that God will carry out His promises. But the Israelites refuse to listen because of their even more harsh condition. In spite of this, Jehovah commands Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let Israel go. Moses has now become discouraged and he states that if he could not persuade the Israelites to listen to him, then neither would Pharaoh. The reason Moses gives is that he has faltering lips or is “uncircumcised of lips.”
The NIV Bible Commentary, page 70, explains what Moses meant this way:
“Thus Moses’ complaint was not in a defective articulation but in his inability to take command of Hebrew and Egyptian with a ready and copious supply of words and thoughts to beat back all objections from his brothers and Pharaoh.”
Moses did not believe that he was an eloquent speaker nor did he feel qualified to do what Jehovah wanted him to do. This was a very different attitude than the one he had displayed forty years earlier. ̶ Exodus 7:23-25
At this point, the genealogy of Moses and Aaron, who were descendants of Jacob’s third son, Levi, is given in verses 16-26. This served to identify the ones that Jehovah was using, His choice, to bring deliverance to His people.
Exodus Chapter 7
The Ten Plagues
“By this you will know that I am Jehovah.” (7:17)
“In order that you may know that there is no one else like Jehovah our God.” (8:10)
“In order that you may know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth.” (8:22)
“To the end that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.” (9:14)
“In order that you may know that the earth belongs to Jehovah.” (9:29)
The above verses illustrate an important fact: Pharaoh did not have any idea who Jehovah was and what is more, he did not care who He was. The statement he made to Moses and Aaron at their first meeting was true. He said: “Who is Jehovah that I should obey his voice to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all and, what is more, I am not going to send Israel away.” Pharaoh was himself looked upon by the Egyptians as a god. So why should he humble himself before a god that he does not know or recognize? Jehovah would, therefore, need to rectify that situation.
Why would Jehovah harden Pharaoh’s heart after each plague? Pharaoh already has a proud, haughty and arrogant heart. Only Jehovah could bring about a change in his heart condition. Jehovah is the one who grants wisdom, knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6) He chose not to do this for Pharaoh. Paul explains at Romans 9:18 this way: “Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and hardens those he wants to harden.” Pharaoh would learn the hard way. Jehovah would gain glory through Pharaoh no matter what Pharaoh did.
Jehovah would make Moses ‘God’ to Pharaoh and Aaron would be his prophet. This way Moses would approach Pharaoh from a position of power and authority granted by Jehovah. Exodus 11:3 tells this: “Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and in the sight of the people.
The first plague consisted of turning the waters of the Nile into blood. The Nile River was sacred to the Egyptians. It was believed to be the source of life and fertility. It was also vital to Egypt’s agriculture and economy. This would then be an attack on the gods of the Nile River, Hapi, Osiris, Khnum, etc. The magic-practicing priests of Egypt were able to duplicate this plague. Pharaoh’s heart was unresponsive.
Exodus Chapter 8
Seven days later, Jehovah brought a second plague which consisted of frogs coming out of the rivers, canals and pools. Frogs were also considered sacred to the Egyptians. The Egyptians worshipped Heqet, goddess of birth who had a frog head. The magic practicing priest duplicated this plague, also. But they were not able to stop the frogs from coming upon the land. Pharaoh heart was hardened again.
The third plague consisted of gnats that the priests were not able to duplicate. They said: “This is the finger of God!” But this had no effect on Pharaoh.
A fourth plague was announced to Pharaoh. This consisted of swarms of flies. But this time Jehovah said: “I will set apart the land of Goshen where my people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there.” Pharaoh makes a slight concession during this plague. The Israelites may worship in the land. Moses rejected this idea because, as he said, “the sacrifices that we offer to Jehovah are offensive to the Egyptians, and they might stone us.” Then Pharaoh said that they could go a short distance away to offer sacrifices. But again his heart was hardened after he obtained physical relief from this plague.
Exodus Chapter 9
The fifth plague announced to Pharaoh was that of a deadly pestilence on all the livestock in the field, the horses, camels, the herds and the flocks. Their god of pestilence, Sunu could not help them. Apis, the bull god and Hathor, the goddess depicted with the head of a cow, were powerless to help. The land of Goshen would not experience this plague. Even after learning that no animal of the Israelites had died, Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened.
Jehovah now tells Moses and Aaron to take soot from a kiln and throw it in the air before Pharaoh. The soot would become festering boils on humans and animals. This sixth plague was an attack on the Egyptian goddess of healing, Isis, and on Sekhmet, the goddess who had power over diseases. Neither were able to bring about a cure. Verse 11 says: “The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians.” Still Pharaoh would not listen. A footnote in the NIV tells us: "The "boils of Egypt" (Dt 28:27) seriously affected the knees and legs (see Dt 28:35)."
When Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh again, Jehovah instructs them to tell Pharaoh why he is still alive to continue resisting Him. Verses 15 and 16 reads: “For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But this is why I have let you live; to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.” (NRSV) The seventh plague is then announced. It will be the "heaviest hail to fall that has ever fallen on Egypt from the day it was founded until now.” The Egyptians are warned to bring into shelter every human and animal that is out in the open lest they all die. The Egyptians, who feared Jehovah obeyed, others did not. There was no hail in the land of Goshen.
Pharaoh now summons Moses and Aaron and confesses that he has sinned. He will now let them go so that they may offer sacrifices to Jehovah. But no sooner had the rain and hail ceased than Pharaoh’s heart was again hardened.
Exodus Chapter 10
Jehovah now tells Moses the two-fold benefits of His actions. Verses 1 and 2 says: “Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them – so that you may know that I am the LORD." (NRSV)
The eighth plague is announced. It will be locusts that will “cover the surface of the ground, so that nobody will be able to see the land. They will devour the last remnant left to you after the hail.” They will also fill the houses, “something that neither your parents nor your grandparents have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.”
Even Pharaoh’s officials now see the folly of Pharaoh continuing his stubborn resistance. They say to him: “Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” Pharaoh recalls Moses and Aaron and tells them that only the men can go and worship God. Moses rejects that idea. They are driven from before Pharaoh. Jehovah then tells Moses to stretch out his hand so that the locust may come. Nut, the goddess of the sky, could not control these locusts and Osiris, the god of crop fertility, could not stop them devouring the crops, trees and whatever green vegetation was left.
Pharaoh summoned Moses and said: “Do forgive my sin just this once more and pray to the LORD your God that at the least he remove this deadly thing from me." Moses did so, but Jehovah still hardened Pharaoh’s heart again.
Then Jehovah told Moses to “stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” This darkness lasted for three days. Only in the land of Goshen was there light. What will Re and Horus, the gods of the sun, or Nut, the goddess of the sky do? They would wait until Jehovah restored light.
Pharaoh is now agreeable to allow all the people to leave but without their flocks and herds. But Moses insisted that "not a hoof be left behind." These animals were needed for sacrificing and they would not know ahead of time which animals would be necessary for the offerings. Jehovah again hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he orders Moses not to try to see him again unless he should die.
Exodus Chapter 11
Jehovah instructs Moses that He will bring one more plague on Egypt that would be so devastating that Pharaoh would literally drive the Israelites out of his country. At that time, the Israelites were to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold and the Egyptians would respond favorably.
This tenth and last plague would be that of putting to death every firstborn of Egypt "from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of every female slave and all the firstborn of the livestock." There will be loud outcry throughout Egypt but not a sound would be heard in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh will know that Jehovah makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Although it is not stated when Moses gave Pharaoh warning about this last plague, it would seem logical that he did so before leaving him after the ninth plague in the light of Pharaoh’s declaration that Moses not attempt to see him again.
Exodus Chapter 12
Jehovah now gives specific instructions to the Israelites concerning the month, Abib, the month that he would bring them out of Egypt. From this time forward, it would mark the beginning of the their year. On the tenth day of this month, the Israelites were to set aside an unblemished year-old male lamb and keep it until the fourteenth day. At twilight of the fourteenth day, the lamb was to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which the lamb would be eaten. Several families could join together if the lamb was too much for one family to consume. The lamb was to be roasted whole and eaten along with unleavened bread and bitter greens. None was to be left until morning but if any was left, it was to be burned up. The instructions continue: “This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of Jehovah.”
Additional instructions concerning the celebrating of Passover are given in verses 43-49.
Jehovah will pass over Egypt and He will strike every firstborn in the houses where there is no blood sprinkled upon the doorpost. But all the houses where there is blood sprinkled, He will pass over these and the firstborn would not die. This would be the final judgement on "all the gods of Egypt." Jehovah further said: “And this day must serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a statute to time indefinite you should celebrate it.” (Verse 14, NWT)
The Festival of Unfermented Cakes, of which the Passover is celebrated on the first day, is now discussed. It is to be celebrated for seven days and nothing fermented is to be found in their houses. They would hold a sacred convention on the first and the seventh days when no work is to be done. The festival would start on the fourteenth day of the month and continue through the twenty-first day. This festival was mandatory upon alien residents as well as natives. Death was the penalty for not being obedient.
Moses now calls the elders and gives them Jehovah’s instructions that they immediately carry out. At midnight Jehovah strikes the firstborn of the land and He instructs Moses and Aaron to immediately get out of Egypt, taking everything that they own with them. The Egyptians were also urging them to leave and when the Israelites asked them for "jewelry of silver and gold and clothing," they complied eagerly. A "vast mixed company" also went up from Egypt with the Israelites. These would later be a problem to the Israelites.
The number of able-bodied men of Israel who went up out of Egypt is given as 600,000. It is estimated that with the women and children, the number could have reached two million individuals. There is no estimate given of the number of the Egyptians who followed them.
We learn in verses 40 and 41 that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years. There is much controversy concerning whether this amount of time is inclusive of their stay in Canaan and Egypt altogether. It is no easy matter to determine when to began the count of the years, whether with Abraham’s coming into Canaan or Jacob’s returning to Canaan from Paddam Aram. We do know that it was a specific time period to Jehovah because the account says "at the end of the four hundred thirty years, on the very day," Jehovah brought Israel out of Egypt.
***©2005 by YORWW Congregation
Genesis Chapter 42
Jacob learns that there is bread in Egypt. He sends his 10 older sons there to buy bread. When they meet Joseph they do not recognize him but he recognizes them. It has been 22 years since they sold him into slavery. They bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. Joseph then remembers his dream about them. He now understands that Jehovah is behind the events that have placed him in this position. He now needs to know if their attitudes have changed so he decides to test them. He accuses them of being spies. They then explain their family situation telling him that they have one other brother that is not with them and one who is "no more."
Joseph then tells them that they can prove that they are not spies by one of them going back to Canaan and bringing the youngest son while the rest remain in custody. Three days later, Joseph changes his mind and decides that he will only imprison one of the brothers so that the nine can take enough food back to their families. But he insists that they bring their youngest brother when they return for more food.
Joseph’s brothers now believe that punishment for their sin against Joseph is about to come upon them. Reuben makes this statement, recorded in verse 22, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must give an accounting for his blood.”
Joseph gives them provisions and sends them back to Canaan, but Simeon is kept in prison. One of the brothers discovers that his silver money has been put back in his sack. They are terrified and now say: “What is this God has done to us?” They now recognize that God has taken a hand in this affair.
After reaching home they tell their father, Jacob, what has transpired. They especially emphasize that they must take Benjamin back with them if they are to receive any further provisions. Jacob is devastated at this news. Rueben offers to allow two of his sons to be killed by Jacob if he does not bring Benjamin back. This does not pacify Jacob and he says that he will not allow Benjamin to go to Egypt with them.
We’ve learned here that Joseph is not vengeful against his brothers for what they did to him. He even weeps when he hears that they are now remorseful for what they did. But he must be absolutely certain that there is no animosity whatsoever on the part of Leah’s sons towards Rachel’s sons.
Genesis Chapter 43
After their provisions have been used up, Jacob wants them to go back to Egypt to replenish their supplies. Judah reminds him of what Joseph had said to them and he makes an offer to have the blame come upon him for anything that happens to Benjamin, which Jacob agrees to do. We remember that Judah is the one who suggested that the brothers sell Joseph to the passing caravan. (Genesis 37:26, 27) For some reason Jacob did not accept the conditions made by Reuben earlier. It is Judah who now is taking the lead among the brothers. Jacob tells them to take double the amount of silver with them and some of the best products of the land as a gift for Joseph. They are also to take Benjamin with them.
When they arrive in Egypt, Joseph tells his steward to take them to his house and prepare dinner for them all. When they learn that they are to be taken to Joseph’s house, they fear the worse. They explained to the steward what happened with the monies they had paid for the grain, and the steward assures them that nothing is wrong. He says: “Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.”
When Joseph came to his house, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought with them and they bowed before him with their faces to the ground, the second time. Joseph asks about their father and after replying, they again "bowed low to pay him homage" the third time. When Joseph sees Benjamin, he again is overcome and leaves the room where he weeps. When he returns, he orders the food to be served. The brothers are seated at the table in order of their ages and this astonishes them, but they have no clue why this is done. Benjamin is served five times as much food as the others. No one complains about this.
We notice that Joseph eats alone at one table, the Egyptians eat at a separate table and the brothers eat at still another table. Verse 32 tells the reason why. It reads: “Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.” The footnote for this verse in the NIV states this: “The taboo was probably based on ritual or religions reasons.” The New Oxford Annotated Bible states this in its footnote for this verse: “Laws of ritual purity required that Egyptians eat apart from foreigners.”
Genesis Chapter 44
Joseph now sets into motion his final test. He instructs his steward to put the brother’s monies back into their sacks and to put his personal silver cup into Benjamin’s sack, as well. The steward is to follow them when they leave. When he overtakes them he is to ask them why they have stolen his master’s cup. They are, of course, incredulous at doing such a thing and state unequivocally: “Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover, the rest will become my lord’s slaves.” To which the steward answered: “Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be; he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.” (Genesis 44:9, 10) The silver cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. The brothers become very agitated at this revelation and they return to Egypt.
When they come before Joseph, they fall to the ground before him. When Joseph asks why they’ve done this deed, Judah speaks. He cannot explain other than God is now bringing punishment upon them for their sin and they all are now slaves to Joseph. But Joseph is only interested in the one in whose bag the cup is found, Benjamin. Judah now explains the effect that Joseph’s taking Benjamin would have on his aged father. He tells Joseph that their not bringing Benjamin back with them will cause the death of their father. Judah now begs Joseph to allow him to become his slave in place of Benjamin.
Joseph is now convinced that the animosity his brothers felt for him no longer exists and they had not transferred this animosity to Benjamin. He can now reveal himself to them.
Genesis Chapter 45
Before he tells his brothers who he is, he dismisses everyone else from the room. He then begins to tell them why Jehovah has arranged matters the way He did. He says: “…for God has sent me before you to preserve life.” The famine is to continue another five years, so Joseph urges his brothers to tell his father about him and to arrange to bring him back to Egypt. Joseph will make arrangements for them to settle in Goshen where they will be fed for the remainder of the famine.
Pharaoh hears that Joseph’s brothers have come to Egypt and he is very pleased. Pharaoh suggests that Joseph make arrangements to bring the remainder of his family to Egypt and he will give them the best of the land. When Joseph’s brothers arrive back in Canaan, they report to Jacob everything that has occurred and that Joseph is still alive and is ruler in Egypt. Jacob is elated and states that he must go and see him before he dies.
Genesis Chapters 46
Jacob leaves Hebron and when he reached Beersheba, he offers sacrifices to God. God appears to him and reassures him that He will make a great nation of him while in Egypt and that He will bring them back to the land of Canaan as he has promised. (See Genesis 15:13-16) Jacob’s family consisted of seventy persons in all at this time. A genealogy of these descendants is given here. But only 65 of these descendants would accompany him to Egypt. Joseph and his two sons were already in Egypt and two of Judah's sons had died because of disobedience to Jehovah. Jacob now sends Judah ahead to lead the way. Judah has now become the leading spokesman for the family rather than Rueben.
When they arrive in Goshen, Jacob weeps upon seeing Joseph and declares that he is now ready to die as he knows that Joseph is alive. Joseph will now go to Pharaoh to justify why his family should live in Goshen. He tells his brothers, when they are brought before Pharaoh, to say that they are shepherds because the Egyptians despised shepherds so that Pharaoh would agree to let them live apart from the Egyptians in Goshen.
Genesis Chapter 47
When Joseph appears before Pharaoh and reports that his family has arrived safely, he first presents five of his brothers to him. Pharaoh then asks the five what their occupation is and they reply that they are shepherds and would like to settle in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh agrees to this proposal and wants to put them in charge of his livestock, also. Joseph now presents his father Jacob to Pharaoh. Jacob tells Pharaoh, when asked, that he is one hundred and thirty years of age. He then blesses Pharaoh and they departed for the land of Goshen.
Stephen summarized these events for us at Acts 7:9-15, (NWT) where he says:
“And the family heads became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. But God was with him, and he delivered him out of all his tribulations and gave him graciousness and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him to govern Egypt and his whole house. But a famine came upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan, even a great tribulation; and our forefathers were not finding any provisions. But Jacob heard there were foodstuffs in Egypt and he sent our forefathers out the first time. And during the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers; and the family stock of Joseph became manifest to Pharaoh. So Joseph sent out and called Jacob his father and all his relatives from that place, to the number of seventy-five souls. Jacob went down into Egypt. And he deceased; and so did our forefathers.”
There is a discrepancy between the number of Jacob’s descendants given in Genesis 46:27 and that given in Acts 7:14. The Genesis account gives the number as 70 people while the account in Acts gives the number as 75 people. The number that Stephen uses in his explanation is derived from the Septuagint. This discrepancy is explained this way in The Expository Bible Commentary, Volume II, page 263: “The LXX lists five more names at the end of verse 20 (that is, Genesis 46:20). The names are derived from Numbers 26:29-36. Since the LXX also gives the number as seventy-five in Exodus 1:5, the extra names appear to be intentional.” The New World Translation Large Print Reference Bible’s footnote for verse 20 adds this: “After “Ephraim” LXX adds five more names, as it reads: “But there were sons born to Manasseh, whom his Syrian concubine bore to him, namely, Machir. And Machir became father to Galaad. But the sons of Ephraim, Manasseh’s brother, were Sutalaam and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam were Edem.” This may explain why the LXX, at Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5, and Stephen, at Acts 7:14, count 75 souls instead of 70.”
Verses 15-26 illustrate the effectiveness of Joseph’s administrative abilities. The Egyptians eventually have to sell all they have, even themselves, to Pharaoh in order to keep alive until the famine ends. When they are able to plant again, one-fifth of all that the land produces will belong to Pharaoh. This became a decree in the land of Egypt. The priests were the only ones exempt from this decree.
Jacob lived another seventeen years in Egypt. When he believes that he is near death, he has Joseph vow to take him back to Canaan to be buried.
Genesis Chapter 48
Later when Joseph is told that his father was becoming weak, he takes his two sons to see him. Jacob tells Joseph these two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, will become his just as Reuben and Simeon are his. He then desires to bless them. Jacob put his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh and he proceeds to bless them and say “let my name be called upon them and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and let them increase to a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Joseph attempts to move his father’s right hand to Manasseh’s head because Manasseh is the firstborn. But Jacob refuses to change his hand and he tells Joseph that Ephraim, the younger “will become greater than Manasseh and will become the full equivalent of nations.” So he put Ephraim first. Paul writes of Jacob at Hebrews 11:21 this: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.”
He then gave Joseph the right of firstborn among his sons by saying: “As for me I do give you one shoulder of land more than to your brothers which I took from the hand of the Amorites by my sword and by my bow.” Jacob is here speaking prophetically of the time when the land of Canaan is conquered and parceled out. Joseph would receive two portions through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2 says this: “For he (Reuben) was firstborn; but for his profaning the lounge of his father his right as firstborn was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he was not to be enrolled genealogically for the right of the firstborn. For Judah himself proved to be superior among his brothers and the one for leader was from him but the right as firstborn was Joseph’s.”
Genesis Chapter 49
Jacob now calls his sons to himself to tell them what their future would be.
(Verses 3, 4) Reuben because he defiled his father’s bed would not excel at anything. The right of firstborn was taken away from him. Reuben’s immoral act would typify the tribe’s moral weakness and instability. Reuben did not produce any leaders for the nation. Two of his offspring, Dathan and Abiram, along with Korah, a Levite, attempted to seize the priesthood during the 40-year trek in the wilderness. Reuben's tribal inheritance was east of the Jordan River. When called upon to help Barak and Deborah, they did not respond. (Judges 5:15, 16) They were among the first of the tribes of Israel to go into captivity to Assyria.
(Verses 5-7) Simeon and Levi, because they showed unprovoked and violent anger, would not be given separate tribal inheritances. Simeon received land among the tribe of Judah and were eventually absorbed into this tribe. Levi, whose tribe became responsible for the temple and the priestly duties (See Exodus 32:28, 29), were given cities within all the other tribes.
(Verses 8-12) Judah would become the pre-eminent tribe, a royal tribe. His brothers would bow down to him. He would be a victorious warrior. The scepter and the ruler’s staff would remain with this tribe until Shiloh, or the one to whom it belongs, comes. (Ezekiel 21:27) Most scholars believe "Shiloh" to be Jesus. But as we have learned, this one is a modern-day messiah. The statement “and the obedience of the peoples would be his” suggests that this one’s kingship would extend beyond the boundaries of Israel to include other nations or peoples. (Psalms 2:8; Daniel 7:13, 14) His garments being washed in wine can be liken to one who has trodden the winepresses (Isaiah 63:1-3, Revelation 14:19, 20; 19:20) "Tethering his donkey to the vine" indicated that there will be great prosperity during his reign. (Psalms 72:16) His "eyes being darker that wine, his teeth whiter than milk" are indicative of his strength and power.
(Verse 13) Zebulun’s tribal boundaries did not reach the sea. Nevertheless, it was traversed by a highway known as "the way by the sea" by which they would have easy access to the sea. It is noteworthy that the town of Nazareth was located in Zebulun’s territory. This tribe would be one of the first to benefit from the ministry of Jesus. - See Isaiah 9:1, 2; Matthew 4:13-17
(Verses 14, 15) Issachar is likened to a beast of burden whose land is a comfortable one and he will apply his back to the burden. In the Bible book of Judges, Issachar is called upon by judge Deborah to assist in helping to rout the enemy. - Judges 5:15
Verses 16-18) Dan will "judge his people." Samson, who fought the Philistines single-handedly, is probably one of the most well known of the judges in Israel. Dan, being likened to "a snake by the roadside" indicates his use of cunning to accomplish his aim. The tribe of Dan was unable to conquer their assigned territory. (Judges 1:34) They later attacked an unsuspecting town at the northern most part of Canaan, putting all of its inhabitants to death. They then settled this area and it became known as "Dan." (Judges Chapter 18) We also remember that Dan was one of the places that Jeroboam set up calf worship. -- 1 Kings12:25-30
(Verse 19) Gad’s territory was east of the Jordan River. The Ammonites later claimed this territory and Jephthah was called upon to defend it. Jacob’s words concerning Gad indicates that he would strike back confidently at those marauding him and violating his borders. 1 Chronicles 12:8 says of them: "And from the Gadites there came to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, and who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains."
(Verse 20) Asher would be famous for the rich food and delicacies it would provide for the king. Asher’s territory bordered the Mediterranean Sea and produced food abundantly. It also enjoyed a robust export trade.
(Verse 21) Naphtali is likened to a hind, an animal that is both swift and graceful in movement. This tribe produced men who were skillful in warfare and swift in pursuit of the enemy. Barak was from this tribe. Naphtali is spoken of also in Isaiah 9:1, 2 as benefiting from Jesus’ ministry. - Matthew 4:13-17
Verses 22-26) Joseph would not have a tribe named for him. He received two portions of the land through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob’s words to him involve bounteous blessing and help from the "hand of the mighty one, by the name of the shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father, by the Almighty.” Here Joseph is also described as the one "set apart from his brothers."
We know that Joseph’s rise as ruler of Egypt is pictorial of the rise of the Modern-day Servant, who has been "set apart from his brothers" for a special role. Isaiah tells us that he is to "raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back even the safeguarded ones of Israel; but I also have given you for a light of the nations, that my salvation may come to be to the ends of the earth.” -- Isaiah 49:6
(Verse 27) Benjamin is described here as a tribe violent in spirit, a ravenous wolf. An example is given in Judges chapter 20. Benjamin also produced the first king of Israel, Saul. They remained loyal to Saul even though Jehovah had chosen David as king until Abner, Saul’s army general, chose to support David. Later, Shemei and Sheba, both Benjamites also opposed David’s rulership. -2 Samuel 16:5; 19:16; 20:1
Although, it seems that none of the descendants of Jacob completely fulfilled the deathbed pronouncements given by him, yet we know that his words will be fulfilled in their entirety in our modern time upon Modern-day Israel, Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Before Jacob died, he again reminded his sons that they were to bury him in Canaan in the place that Abraham had purchased from the Hittites as a burial site. - Acts 7:15, 16
Genesis Chapter 50
After Jacob died, Joseph explains to Pharaoh that his father made him swear to take him back to Canaan to be buried which Pharaoh allows. Many people, including Egyptians, accompanied Joseph into Canaan. Jacob was 147 years old when he died.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers are now fearful that he still bears a grudge against them for what they did to him. They approached him and asked for forgiveness. Joseph reminds them that it is God’s will that he is in Egypt. He said to them: “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people as he is doing today.”
Joseph lived to be 110 years of age and sees the third generation of his children. When he is about to die, he made his brothers swear that when God fulfilled his promise to bring them back to the land he promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that they would take his bones back with them. Hebrews 11:22 records this: “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”
THE BOOK OF EXODUS
Exodus Chapter 1
Verse 6 tells us: “But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.” Further Psalms 105:25 says: “And the LORD made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes, whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.” (NRSV) We will now see Jehovah’s hand in this matter. A "new king, who did not know Joseph," came to power in Egypt. He made this statement: “Look! The people of the sons of Israel are more numerous and mightier than we are. Come on! Let us deal shrewdly with them.” (NWT) So he devised a plan to stop their growth. He thought oppression would work. No matter how ruthlessly the Egyptians treated the Israelites, they continued to multiply. Pharaoh then devised another plan that we now know as infanticide. He told the midwives to kill every baby boy that they delivered, but allow the baby girls to live. The midwives refused to do this because they feared Jehovah. Pharaoh then commanded the Egyptians to kill the baby boys. A situation is being created here to cause the Israelites to have to call on Jehovah to rescue them from Egypt. - See also Matthew 2:16
Exodus Chapter 2
Jehovah had fulfilled a part of His promise to Jacob when He said: “I will make you a great nation there.” Now it is time to carry out the remainder of this promise: “I myself will go down with you to Egypt and I will also bring you up again.” -- Genesis 46:3, 4
Moses is born to a family of the tribe of Levi. His mother is able to hide him in her home for three months. When it was no longer possible to keep him hidden, she takes a papyrus basket, insulates it with tar and pitch, puts Moses in it, and then places it among the reeds along the Nile riverbank and stations his sister nearby to see what would happen. Pharaoh’s daughter notices it and has it retrieved. Inside she finds a Hebrew baby. Jehovah arranges it such that the baby’s own mother becomes his nurse.
The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Volume II, under the word #2492 shares some useful information concerning the word translated “basket” in verse 3. The Hebrew word used here is “teba” and is translated as “ark.”
“In Gen 6-9, the word is used twenty-six times to denote the huge, rectangular, box-shaped vessel which Noah, his family and the animals entered to escape the judgment of the flood. In Ex 2:3, 5, it denotes the tiny vessel in which Moses was hidden among the reeds in the Nile River to escape the wrath of the pharaoh. The Hebrew word ”teba” is found only in Gen 6-9 and Ex 2 and is to be distinguished from the much more common word for “ark,” “aron” used to refer, among other things, to the ark of the covenant.”
After Moses’ birth, his mother saw that he was "fine baby." That term could be applied to his physical appearance but Stephen said of him as recorded at Acts 7:20 (NIV) “he was no ordinary child;” the NWT uses the phrase “was divinely beautiful;” the NAS says “he was lovely in the sight of God.” Jehovah has now taken a hand in matters and has communicated to Moses’ mother that the child would be important to him. Hebrews 11:23 tells us this: “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”
It was not Jehovah’s purpose that Moses should grow up in his parent’s home. So he arranged matters such that Moses would grow up among Pharaoh’s household. But Moses knew who his people were. Acts 7:23 reads: “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites.” He believed that he had grown up in the house of Pharaoh for an important reason. The riches and freedom that living in Pharaoh’s house would give him did not impress him. Hebrews 11:24 says: “By faith Moses when grown up refused to be called the son of the daughter of Pharaoh, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.” Acts 7:25 reads: “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” They said to him “Who made you ruler over us?” (Verse 27) It would be another forty years before God would actually use Moses as their deliverer. It was not His time for the nation to be delivered from their oppressor’s hand.
Moses had to leave Egypt because Pharaoh had heard that he had killed an Egyptian. Hebrews 11:27 explains his actions this way: “By faith he left Egypt, but not fearing the anger of the king, for he continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible.” He went to the land of Midian where he meets the daughters of a priest at a well. He helps them to water their flocks and they invite him to their home. He agrees to stay with them and their father gives Moses his daughter, Zipporah, in marriage. Moses now becomes an alien in another land. -- Acts 7:29
The Israelites are now groaning under forced slavery to the Egyptians. They cry to Jehovah for help. He hears their groaning and as verse 25 says: “God looked down upon the Israelites and God took notice of them.” They are now ready for God to effect deliverance for them.
Exodus Chapter 3
It is now Jehovah’s appointed time to act. He appears to Moses as he is tending Jethro’s flock near Mount Horeb (Sinai). Moses sees a bush that is on fire but does not burn up. When Jehovah sees that he has gotten Moses’ attention, He tells him to ‘take off his sandals because he is standing on holy ground.’ He then proceeds to identify Himself as the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ He tells Moses that He has heard the cry of his people and He has come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them to a ‘land flowing with milk and honey.’ (Acts 7:30-34) Moses, however, is reticent but God assures him that “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” (NRSV)
When Jehovah tells Moses his personal name in Exodus 3:14, 15, many Bible Scholars believe that this is the first time that humans were introduced to God’s name. But we know that in the days of Seth’s son Enosh, people began to proclaim God’s personal name. So humans have known that name since their beginning but have chosen not to use it.
Jehovah now tells Moses that he is to go to the elders of the nation first and explain to them what He is doing. He assures Moses that they will listen to him, but Pharaoh will need ‘a mighty hand to compel him’ to obey. Jehovah continues: “I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that he will let you go.” Not only that but the Israelites will not leave empty handed but they ‘will plunder the Egyptians.’
Exodus Chapter 4
Moses seeks to take care of any exigent circumstance that may arise. What if the Israelites don’t believe that Jehovah has sent him to deliver them? Moses remembers what they said to him before when he attempted to come to their aid. (See Acts 7:27) Jehovah then gives him three miraculous signs to perform before them. Moses then claims that he is not an eloquent speaker, he is "slow of speech and tongue." Since Jehovah is the maker of the tongue, that will be no problem for Him to deal with. Then Moses asks outright to be relieved of this assignment. Jehovah should send someone else. Moses was certainly a different person from the one who, forty years earlier, had believed himself to be the deliverer of Israel. Jehovah then calls Moses’ attention to his brother, Aaron, who is a good speaker. He, Aaron, can go with Moses and do the talking. Moses is to tell him what to say with Jehovah’s help but Moses is to perform the miraculous signs.
With the blessing of his father-in-law, Moses takes his family and begins the journey to Egypt. Jehovah reminds him upon his arrival in Egypt to be sure to do all that he has been commanded to do. But He also warns him that Pharaoh will not listen because He will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Moses meets his brother, Aaron, at Mount Horeb. There they greet each other and Moses reports to him all that Jehovah had commanded him to perform.
Aaron and Moses brings the elders together and Aaron tells them what Jehovah had said while Moses performs the signs before them. They fall on their knees before Jehovah when they learned that He is aware of and concerned for their sufferings. The stage is now set for their appearance before Pharaoh.
Exodus Chapter 5
In their first appearance before Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron state to him that he is to let Israel go into the wilderness to celebrate a festival to their God, Jehovah. Pharaoh declares that he does not know Jehovah so he will not let the people leave to go and worship this god. They again repeat what Jehovah told them to say but Pharaoh still refuses their request. He reasons that if they can take off three days from their work, then they do not have enough to do. He then proceeded to make their work even harder by saying that they would have to gather their own straw rather than having it provided for them.
When the Israelite foremen approached Pharaoh to protest this new ruling, they were told that they were being lazy hence they would have added work to do. These foremen knew that it was because of Moses and Aaron that their workload had been made more difficult. They said to them: “May Jehovah look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Moses approaches Jehovah to ask why had He brought more trouble on this people, but had not rescued them.
Exodus Chapter 6
Jehovah told Moses that He will now show Pharaoh His mighty hand and then he will be forced to let His people go. Moses is to remind the Israelites of Jehovah’s covenant promise to their forefathers to give them the land of Canaan and to assure them that God will carry out His promises. But the Israelites refuse to listen because of their even more harsh condition. In spite of this, Jehovah commands Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let Israel go. Moses has now become discouraged and he states that if he could not persuade the Israelites to listen to him, then neither would Pharaoh. The reason Moses gives is that he has faltering lips or is “uncircumcised of lips.”
The NIV Bible Commentary, page 70, explains what Moses meant this way:
“Thus Moses’ complaint was not in a defective articulation but in his inability to take command of Hebrew and Egyptian with a ready and copious supply of words and thoughts to beat back all objections from his brothers and Pharaoh.”
Moses did not believe that he was an eloquent speaker nor did he feel qualified to do what Jehovah wanted him to do. This was a very different attitude than the one he had displayed forty years earlier. ̶ Exodus 7:23-25
At this point, the genealogy of Moses and Aaron, who were descendants of Jacob’s third son, Levi, is given in verses 16-26. This served to identify the ones that Jehovah was using, His choice, to bring deliverance to His people.
Exodus Chapter 7
The Ten Plagues
“By this you will know that I am Jehovah.” (7:17)
“In order that you may know that there is no one else like Jehovah our God.” (8:10)
“In order that you may know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth.” (8:22)
“To the end that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.” (9:14)
“In order that you may know that the earth belongs to Jehovah.” (9:29)
The above verses illustrate an important fact: Pharaoh did not have any idea who Jehovah was and what is more, he did not care who He was. The statement he made to Moses and Aaron at their first meeting was true. He said: “Who is Jehovah that I should obey his voice to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all and, what is more, I am not going to send Israel away.” Pharaoh was himself looked upon by the Egyptians as a god. So why should he humble himself before a god that he does not know or recognize? Jehovah would, therefore, need to rectify that situation.
Why would Jehovah harden Pharaoh’s heart after each plague? Pharaoh already has a proud, haughty and arrogant heart. Only Jehovah could bring about a change in his heart condition. Jehovah is the one who grants wisdom, knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6) He chose not to do this for Pharaoh. Paul explains at Romans 9:18 this way: “Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and hardens those he wants to harden.” Pharaoh would learn the hard way. Jehovah would gain glory through Pharaoh no matter what Pharaoh did.
Jehovah would make Moses ‘God’ to Pharaoh and Aaron would be his prophet. This way Moses would approach Pharaoh from a position of power and authority granted by Jehovah. Exodus 11:3 tells this: “Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and in the sight of the people.
The first plague consisted of turning the waters of the Nile into blood. The Nile River was sacred to the Egyptians. It was believed to be the source of life and fertility. It was also vital to Egypt’s agriculture and economy. This would then be an attack on the gods of the Nile River, Hapi, Osiris, Khnum, etc. The magic-practicing priests of Egypt were able to duplicate this plague. Pharaoh’s heart was unresponsive.
Exodus Chapter 8
Seven days later, Jehovah brought a second plague which consisted of frogs coming out of the rivers, canals and pools. Frogs were also considered sacred to the Egyptians. The Egyptians worshipped Heqet, goddess of birth who had a frog head. The magic practicing priest duplicated this plague, also. But they were not able to stop the frogs from coming upon the land. Pharaoh heart was hardened again.
The third plague consisted of gnats that the priests were not able to duplicate. They said: “This is the finger of God!” But this had no effect on Pharaoh.
A fourth plague was announced to Pharaoh. This consisted of swarms of flies. But this time Jehovah said: “I will set apart the land of Goshen where my people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there.” Pharaoh makes a slight concession during this plague. The Israelites may worship in the land. Moses rejected this idea because, as he said, “the sacrifices that we offer to Jehovah are offensive to the Egyptians, and they might stone us.” Then Pharaoh said that they could go a short distance away to offer sacrifices. But again his heart was hardened after he obtained physical relief from this plague.
Exodus Chapter 9
The fifth plague announced to Pharaoh was that of a deadly pestilence on all the livestock in the field, the horses, camels, the herds and the flocks. Their god of pestilence, Sunu could not help them. Apis, the bull god and Hathor, the goddess depicted with the head of a cow, were powerless to help. The land of Goshen would not experience this plague. Even after learning that no animal of the Israelites had died, Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened.
Jehovah now tells Moses and Aaron to take soot from a kiln and throw it in the air before Pharaoh. The soot would become festering boils on humans and animals. This sixth plague was an attack on the Egyptian goddess of healing, Isis, and on Sekhmet, the goddess who had power over diseases. Neither were able to bring about a cure. Verse 11 says: “The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians.” Still Pharaoh would not listen. A footnote in the NIV tells us: "The "boils of Egypt" (Dt 28:27) seriously affected the knees and legs (see Dt 28:35)."
When Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh again, Jehovah instructs them to tell Pharaoh why he is still alive to continue resisting Him. Verses 15 and 16 reads: “For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But this is why I have let you live; to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.” (NRSV) The seventh plague is then announced. It will be the "heaviest hail to fall that has ever fallen on Egypt from the day it was founded until now.” The Egyptians are warned to bring into shelter every human and animal that is out in the open lest they all die. The Egyptians, who feared Jehovah obeyed, others did not. There was no hail in the land of Goshen.
Pharaoh now summons Moses and Aaron and confesses that he has sinned. He will now let them go so that they may offer sacrifices to Jehovah. But no sooner had the rain and hail ceased than Pharaoh’s heart was again hardened.
Exodus Chapter 10
Jehovah now tells Moses the two-fold benefits of His actions. Verses 1 and 2 says: “Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them – so that you may know that I am the LORD." (NRSV)
The eighth plague is announced. It will be locusts that will “cover the surface of the ground, so that nobody will be able to see the land. They will devour the last remnant left to you after the hail.” They will also fill the houses, “something that neither your parents nor your grandparents have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.”
Even Pharaoh’s officials now see the folly of Pharaoh continuing his stubborn resistance. They say to him: “Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” Pharaoh recalls Moses and Aaron and tells them that only the men can go and worship God. Moses rejects that idea. They are driven from before Pharaoh. Jehovah then tells Moses to stretch out his hand so that the locust may come. Nut, the goddess of the sky, could not control these locusts and Osiris, the god of crop fertility, could not stop them devouring the crops, trees and whatever green vegetation was left.
Pharaoh summoned Moses and said: “Do forgive my sin just this once more and pray to the LORD your God that at the least he remove this deadly thing from me." Moses did so, but Jehovah still hardened Pharaoh’s heart again.
Then Jehovah told Moses to “stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” This darkness lasted for three days. Only in the land of Goshen was there light. What will Re and Horus, the gods of the sun, or Nut, the goddess of the sky do? They would wait until Jehovah restored light.
Pharaoh is now agreeable to allow all the people to leave but without their flocks and herds. But Moses insisted that "not a hoof be left behind." These animals were needed for sacrificing and they would not know ahead of time which animals would be necessary for the offerings. Jehovah again hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he orders Moses not to try to see him again unless he should die.
Exodus Chapter 11
Jehovah instructs Moses that He will bring one more plague on Egypt that would be so devastating that Pharaoh would literally drive the Israelites out of his country. At that time, the Israelites were to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold and the Egyptians would respond favorably.
This tenth and last plague would be that of putting to death every firstborn of Egypt "from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of every female slave and all the firstborn of the livestock." There will be loud outcry throughout Egypt but not a sound would be heard in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh will know that Jehovah makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Although it is not stated when Moses gave Pharaoh warning about this last plague, it would seem logical that he did so before leaving him after the ninth plague in the light of Pharaoh’s declaration that Moses not attempt to see him again.
Exodus Chapter 12
Jehovah now gives specific instructions to the Israelites concerning the month, Abib, the month that he would bring them out of Egypt. From this time forward, it would mark the beginning of the their year. On the tenth day of this month, the Israelites were to set aside an unblemished year-old male lamb and keep it until the fourteenth day. At twilight of the fourteenth day, the lamb was to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which the lamb would be eaten. Several families could join together if the lamb was too much for one family to consume. The lamb was to be roasted whole and eaten along with unleavened bread and bitter greens. None was to be left until morning but if any was left, it was to be burned up. The instructions continue: “This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of Jehovah.”
Additional instructions concerning the celebrating of Passover are given in verses 43-49.
Jehovah will pass over Egypt and He will strike every firstborn in the houses where there is no blood sprinkled upon the doorpost. But all the houses where there is blood sprinkled, He will pass over these and the firstborn would not die. This would be the final judgement on "all the gods of Egypt." Jehovah further said: “And this day must serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a statute to time indefinite you should celebrate it.” (Verse 14, NWT)
The Festival of Unfermented Cakes, of which the Passover is celebrated on the first day, is now discussed. It is to be celebrated for seven days and nothing fermented is to be found in their houses. They would hold a sacred convention on the first and the seventh days when no work is to be done. The festival would start on the fourteenth day of the month and continue through the twenty-first day. This festival was mandatory upon alien residents as well as natives. Death was the penalty for not being obedient.
Moses now calls the elders and gives them Jehovah’s instructions that they immediately carry out. At midnight Jehovah strikes the firstborn of the land and He instructs Moses and Aaron to immediately get out of Egypt, taking everything that they own with them. The Egyptians were also urging them to leave and when the Israelites asked them for "jewelry of silver and gold and clothing," they complied eagerly. A "vast mixed company" also went up from Egypt with the Israelites. These would later be a problem to the Israelites.
The number of able-bodied men of Israel who went up out of Egypt is given as 600,000. It is estimated that with the women and children, the number could have reached two million individuals. There is no estimate given of the number of the Egyptians who followed them.
We learn in verses 40 and 41 that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years. There is much controversy concerning whether this amount of time is inclusive of their stay in Canaan and Egypt altogether. It is no easy matter to determine when to began the count of the years, whether with Abraham’s coming into Canaan or Jacob’s returning to Canaan from Paddam Aram. We do know that it was a specific time period to Jehovah because the account says "at the end of the four hundred thirty years, on the very day," Jehovah brought Israel out of Egypt.
***©2005 by YORWW Congregation