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49 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: Chapter forty six. Genesis, Chapter forty six. Jacob is hero
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Speaker 1: moving to Egypt in his old age, forced thither by
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Speaker 1: a famine, and invited thither by a son. Here numeral one,
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Speaker 1: God sends him thither verse one through four, Numeral two.
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Speaker 1: All his family goes with him Verses five through twenty seven,
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Speaker 1: Numeral three. Joseph bids him welcome Verses twenty eight through
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Speaker 1: thirty four. Jacob sacrifices at Beersheba b. C. Seventeen O
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Speaker 1: seven Verse one. And Israel took his journey with all
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Speaker 1: that he had, and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices
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Speaker 1: unto the God of his father Isaac. Verse two. And
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Speaker 1: God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night,
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Speaker 1: and said Jacob Jacob, and he said, here I am
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Speaker 1: I Verse three. And he said, I am God, the
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Speaker 1: God of thy father. Fear not to go down into Egypt,
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Speaker 1: for I will there make of THEE a great nation.
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Speaker 1: Verse For I will go down with THEE into Egypt.
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Speaker 1: And I will also surely bring THEE up again. And
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Speaker 1: Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. The divine
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Speaker 1: precept is in all thy ways acknowledge God, and the
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Speaker 1: promise annexed to it is he shall direct thy paths.
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Speaker 1: Jacob has here a very great concern for him, not
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Speaker 1: only a journey, but a removal to settle in another country,
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Speaker 1: a change which was very surprising to him, for he
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Speaker 1: never had any other thoughts than to live and die
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Speaker 1: in Canaan, and which would be of great consequence to
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Speaker 1: his family for a long time to come. Now Here
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Speaker 1: we are told Numeral one, how he acknowledged God in
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Speaker 1: this way. He came to bearsheb from Hebron, where he
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Speaker 1: now dwelt, and there he offered sacrifices to the God
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Speaker 1: of his father Isaac. Verse one. He chose that place
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Speaker 1: in remembrance of the communion which his father and grandfather
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Speaker 1: had with God in that place Abraham called on God
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Speaker 1: there chapter twenty one, verse thirty three. So did Isaac
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Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six, verse twenty five. And therefore Jacob made
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Speaker 1: it the place of his devotion, the rather because it
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Speaker 1: lay in his way. In his devotion. Number one, he
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Speaker 1: had an eye to God as the God of his
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Speaker 1: father Isaac, that is, a God in covenant with him.
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Speaker 1: For by Isaac the covenant was entailed upon him. God
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Speaker 1: had forbidden Isaac to go down to Egypt when there
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Speaker 1: was a famine in Canaan, chapter twenty six, verse two,
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Speaker 1: which perhaps Jacob calls to mind when he consults God
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Speaker 1: as the god of his father Ijaha. With this thought, Lord,
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Speaker 1: though I am very desirous to see Joseph, Yet if
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Speaker 1: thou forbid me to go down to Egypt, as thou
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Speaker 1: didst my father Isaac, I will submit and very contentedly
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Speaker 1: stay where I am. Number two, he offered sacrifices, extraordinary
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Speaker 1: sacrifices besides those at his stated times. These sacrifices were
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Speaker 1: offered Number one by way of thanksgiving for the late
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Speaker 1: blessed change of the face of his family, for the
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Speaker 1: good news he had received concerning Joseph, and for the
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Speaker 1: hopes he had of seeing him again. Note we should
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Speaker 1: give God thanks for the beginnings of mercy, though they
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Speaker 1: are not yet perfected, and this is a decent way
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Speaker 1: of begging further mercy. Number two, by way of petition
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Speaker 1: for the presence of God with him in his intended journey.
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Speaker 1: He desired, by these sacrifices to make peace with God,
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Speaker 1: to obtain the forgiveness of sin, that he might take
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Speaker 1: no guilt along with him in his journey, for that
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Speaker 1: is a bad companion. By Christ the great sacrifice, we
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Speaker 1: must reconcile ourselves to God and offer up our requests
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Speaker 1: to him. Number three, by way of consultation. That Heathen
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Speaker 1: consulted their oracles by sacrifice, Jacob would not go till
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Speaker 1: he had asked God's leave. Shall I go down to
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Speaker 1: Egypt or back to Hebron. Such must be our inquiries
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Speaker 1: in doubtful cases. And though we cannot expect immediate answers
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Speaker 1: from Heaven, yet if we diligently attend to the directions
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Speaker 1: of the word, conscience and providence, we shall find it
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Speaker 1: is not in vain to ask counsel of God Numeral
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Speaker 1: two how God directed his paths If the visions of
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Speaker 1: the night, probably the very next night, after he had
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Speaker 1: offered him sacrifices. As Second Chronicles, Chapter one, verse seven,
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Speaker 1: God spoken to him Verse two. Note, those who desire
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Speaker 1: to keep up communion with God shall find that it
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Speaker 1: never fails on his side. If we speak to him
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Speaker 1: as we ought, he will not fail to speak to us.
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Speaker 1: God called him by name, by his old name Jacob,
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Speaker 1: Jacob to remind him of his low estate, his present
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Speaker 1: fears did scarcely become an Israel. Jacob, like one well
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Speaker 1: acquainted with the visions of the Almighty and ready to
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Speaker 1: obey them, answers here, I am ready to receive orders.
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Speaker 1: And what has God to say to him? Number one,
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Speaker 1: He renews the covenant with him. I am God, the
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Speaker 1: God of thy Father. Verse three. That is, I am
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Speaker 1: what thou ownest me to be. Thou shalt find me
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Speaker 1: a god, a divine wid wisdom and power. Engage for
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Speaker 1: thee Thou shalt find me, the God of thy Father,
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Speaker 1: true to the covenant made with him. Number two He
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Speaker 1: encourages him to make his removal of his family. Fear
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Speaker 1: not to go down into Egypt. It seems though Jacob,
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Speaker 1: upon the first intelligence of Joseph's life and glory in Egypt,
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Speaker 1: resolved without any hesitation. I will go and see him.
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Speaker 1: Yet upon second thoughts he saw some difficulties in it
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Speaker 1: which he knew not well how to get over. Note
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Speaker 1: even those changes that seem to have in them the
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Speaker 1: greatest joys and hopes yet have an alloy of cares
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Speaker 1: and fears. Noah est sinceera voluptus, there is no unmingled pleasure,
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Speaker 1: we must always rejoice with trembling. Jacob had many careful
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Speaker 1: thoughts about this journey, which God took notice of. Number One,
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Speaker 1: He was old, one hundred thirty years old, and it
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Speaker 1: is mentioned as one of the infirmities of old people
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Speaker 1: that they are afraid of that which is high, and
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Speaker 1: fears are in the way Ecclesiastes, Chapter twelve, verse five.
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Speaker 1: It was a long journey, and Jacob was unfit for travel,
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Speaker 1: and perhaps remembered that his beloved Rachel died in a journey.
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Speaker 1: Number two. He feared lest his son should be tainted
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Speaker 1: with the idolatry of Egypt and forget the God of
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Speaker 1: their fathers, or enamored with the pleasures of Egypt and
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Speaker 1: forget the land of promise. Number three. Probably he thought
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Speaker 1: of what God had said to Abraham concerning the bondage
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Speaker 1: and affliction of his seed chapter fifteen, verse thirteen, and
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Speaker 1: was apprehensive that his removal to Egypt would issue in
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Speaker 1: that present satisfaction should not take us off from the
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Speaker 1: consideration and prospect of future inconveniences which possibly may arise
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Speaker 1: from what now appears most promising. Number four, He could
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Speaker 1: not think of laying his bones in Egypt. But whatever
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Speaker 1: his discouragements were, this was enough to answer them all
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Speaker 1: fear not to go down into Egypt. Number three, he
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Speaker 1: promises him comfort in their removal. One, that he should
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Speaker 1: multiply in Egypt. I will there where thou fearest that
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Speaker 1: thy family will sink and be lost, make it a
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Speaker 1: great nation. That is the place infinite wisdom has chosen
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Speaker 1: for the accomplishment of that promise. Two, that he should
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Speaker 1: have God's presence with him. I will go down with
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Speaker 1: thee into Egypt. Note, those that go whither God sends
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Speaker 1: them shall certainly have God with them, And that is
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Speaker 1: enough to secure them wherever they are, and to silence
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Speaker 1: their fears. We may safely venture even into Egypt if
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Speaker 1: God go down with us. Number three, that neither he
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Speaker 1: nor his should be lost in Egypt. I will surely
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Speaker 1: bring thee up again. Though Jacob died in Egypt, yet
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Speaker 1: this promise was fulfilled Number one in the bringing up
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Speaker 1: of his body to be buried in Canaan, about which
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Speaker 1: it appears he was very solicitous Chapter forty nine, verse
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Speaker 1: twenty nine and verse thirty two. Two in the bringing
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Speaker 1: up of his sea to be settled in Canaan, Whatever
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Speaker 1: low or darksome valley we are called into at any time,
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Speaker 1: we may be confident if God go down with us
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Speaker 1: into it, that he will surely bring us up again.
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Speaker 1: If he go with us down to death, he will
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Speaker 1: surely bring us up again to glory. For that living
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Speaker 1: and dying his beloved Joseph should be a comfort to him.
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Speaker 1: Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. This is
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Speaker 1: a promise that Joseph should live as long as he lived,
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Speaker 1: that he should be with him at his death and
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Speaker 1: close his eyes with all possible tenderness and respect, as
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Speaker 1: the dearest relations used to do. Probably Jacob, in the
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Speaker 1: multitude of his thoughts with him, had been wishing that
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Speaker 1: Joseph might do this last office of love for him.
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Speaker 1: Ili NEOs oclos compramont let him close my eyes. And
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Speaker 1: God thus answered him in the letter of his desire.
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Speaker 1: Thus God sometimes gratifies the innocent wishes of his people,
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Speaker 1: and makes not only their death happy, but the very
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Speaker 1: circumstances of it agreeable. Jacob's removal to Egypt b. C.
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Speaker 1: Seventeen O six, verse five, and Jacob rose up at
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Speaker 1: Vrsheba and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father,
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Speaker 1: and their little ones and their wives in the wagons
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Speaker 1: which Pharaoh had sent to carry him verse six. And
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Speaker 1: they took their cattle and their goods which they had
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Speaker 1: gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt.
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Speaker 1: Jacob and all his seed with him verse seven. His
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Speaker 1: sons and his son's sons with him, his daughters and
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Speaker 1: his son's daughters, and all his seed brought he with
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Speaker 1: him into Egypt verse eight. And these are the names
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Speaker 1: of the children of Israel which came into Egypt. Jacob
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Speaker 1: and his sons Ruben, Jacob's first born verse nine. And
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Speaker 1: the sons of Reuben, Hannok and Feliu and Hezron and
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Speaker 1: Karmai verse ten. And the sons of Simeon, Jamiel and
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Speaker 1: Jamon and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaw, the
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Speaker 1: son of a Canaanitish woman verse eleven. And the sons
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Speaker 1: of Levi, Gershon, Cohath and Mary verse twelve. And the
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Speaker 1: sons of Judah Heir and Onan and Sheilah and Pharrees
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Speaker 1: and Zarah but Ere and Onan died in the land
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Speaker 1: of Canaan, and the sons of Peres were Hesron and
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Speaker 1: Hamuel verse thirteen. And the sons of Ishakar, Tolah and
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Speaker 1: Pouvah and Job and Shimron verse fourteen. And the sons
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Speaker 1: of Zebulun Sared and Alon and Jaleel verse fifteen. These
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Speaker 1: be the sons of Leah, which she baron to Jacob
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Speaker 1: in padan Aram with his daughter Dinah. All the souls
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Speaker 1: of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three
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Speaker 1: verse sixteen. And the sons of Gad zeph Zion and Hagai,
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Speaker 1: Shooni and esbon Eri and Erodi and Ereli verse e eighteen.
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Speaker 1: And the sons of Asher, Jimnah and Ishua and Izzie
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Speaker 1: and Berea and Sarah their sister, and the sons of Berea,
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Speaker 1: Heber and Malcho verse eighteen. These are the sons of Zilpah,
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Speaker 1: whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she
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Speaker 1: bear unto Jacob even sixteen souls verse nineteen. The sons
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Speaker 1: of Rachel, Jacob's wife, Joseph and Benjamin verse twenty. And
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Speaker 1: unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manassa
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Speaker 1: and Ephrium, which Ascenneth, the daughter of Podapera priest of Onen,
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Speaker 1: bear unto him verse twenty one. And the sons of
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Speaker 1: Benjamin were Bella and Bekir and ash bel Gara and
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Speaker 1: nayman Ehai and rash Mupim and Houpim and Ard verse
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Speaker 1: twenty two. These are the sons of Rachel which were
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Speaker 1: born to Jacob. All the souls were fourteen verse twenty three.
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Speaker 1: And the sons of Dan Hushim verse twenty four. And
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Speaker 1: the sons of Neptali Jazil and Guni and Jazi and
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Speaker 1: Shilem verse twenty five. These are the sons of Bilha,
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Speaker 1: which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare
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Speaker 1: these unto Jacob. All the souls were seven verse twenty six.
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Speaker 1: All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which
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Speaker 1: came out of his loins, besides Jacob's son's wives, all
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Speaker 1: those souls were threescore and six verse twenty seven. And
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Speaker 1: the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt,
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Speaker 1: were two souls. All the souls of the house of
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Speaker 1: Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten. Old
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Speaker 1: Jacob is here flitting little did he think of ever
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Speaker 1: leaving Canaan. He expected, no doubt to die in his
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Speaker 1: nest and to leave his seed in actual possession of
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Speaker 1: the promised land. But Providence orders it otherwise. Note those
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Speaker 1: that think themselves well settled may yet be unsettled in
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Speaker 1: a little time. Even old people who think of no
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Speaker 1: other removal than that to the grave, which Jacob had
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Speaker 1: much upon his heart Chapter thirty seven, verse thirty five,
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Speaker 1: and chapter forty two, verse thirty eight, sometimes live to
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Speaker 1: see great changes in their family. It is good to
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Speaker 1: be ready, but not only for the grave, but for
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Speaker 1: whatever may happen betwixt us and the grave. Observe one
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Speaker 1: how Jacob was conveyed not in a chariot, though chariots
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Speaker 1: were they used, but in a wagon verse five. Jacob
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Speaker 1: had the character of a plain man who did not
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Speaker 1: affect anything stately or magnificent. His son rode in a
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Speaker 1: chariot Chapter forty one, verse forty three, but a wagon
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Speaker 1: would serve him. Number two the removal of what he
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Speaker 1: had with him one his effects verse six. Cattle and goods.
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Speaker 1: These he took with him, that he might not wholly
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Speaker 1: be beholden to Pharaoh for a livelihood, and that it
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Speaker 1: might not afterwards be said of them that they came
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Speaker 1: beggars to Egypt. Two his family, all his seed verse seven.
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Speaker 1: It is probable that they had continued to live together
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Speaker 1: in common with their father, and therefore when he went,
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Speaker 1: they all went, which perhaps they were the more willing
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Speaker 1: to do, because though they had heard that the land
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Speaker 1: of Canaan was promised them, yet to this day they
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Speaker 1: had none of it in possession. We have here a
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Speaker 1: particular account of the names of Jacob's family, his son's sons,
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Speaker 1: most of whom are afterwards mentioned as heads of houses
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Speaker 1: in the several tribes see Numbers, Chapter twenty six, verse five, etc.
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Speaker 1: Bishop Patrick observes that Ishikar called his eldest son toa,
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Speaker 1: which signifies a worm, probably because when he was born
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Speaker 1: he was a very little, weak child, a worm, and
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Speaker 1: no man likely to live, and yet there sprang from
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Speaker 1: him a very numerous offspring. First Chronicles, Chapter seven, verse two,
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Speaker 1: note living and dying do not go by probability. The
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Speaker 1: whole number that went down into Egypt was sixty six
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Speaker 1: verse twenty six, to which add Joseph and his two
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Speaker 1: sons who were there before, and Jacob himself the head
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Speaker 1: of the family, and you have the number of seventy
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Speaker 1: verse twenty seven. The l x X makes them seventy five,
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Speaker 1: and Stephen follows them acts chapter seven, verse fourteen, the
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Speaker 1: reason of which we leave to the conjecture of the critics.
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Speaker 1: But let us observe one. Masters of families ought to
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Speaker 1: take care of all under their charge, and to provide
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Speaker 1: for those of their own house food convenient for both
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Speaker 1: body and soul. When Jacob himself removed to a land
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Speaker 1: of plenty, he would not leave any of his children
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Speaker 1: behind him to starve in a barren land. Two. Though
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Speaker 1: the accomplishment of promises is always sure, yet it is
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Speaker 1: often slow. It was now two hundred fifteen years since
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Speaker 1: God had promised Abraham to make of him a great
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Speaker 1: nation chapter twelve, verse two, And yet that branch of
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Speaker 1: his seed on which the promise was entailed had increased
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Speaker 1: only to seventy, of which this particular account is kept.
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Speaker 1: That the power of God in multiplying these seventy to
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Speaker 1: so vast a multitude, even in Egypt, may appear the
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Speaker 1: more illustrious. When God pleases a little one shall become
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Speaker 1: a thousand. Isaiah chapter sixty verse twenty two. Meeting between
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Speaker 1: Jacob and Joseph VC. Seventeen O six Verse twenty eight,
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Speaker 1: and he sent Judah before him unto Joseph to direct
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Speaker 1: his face unto Goshen. And they came into the land
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Speaker 1: of Goshen verse twenty nine. And Joseph made ready his
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Speaker 1: chariot and went out to meet Israel, his father to Goshen,
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Speaker 1: and presented himself unto him. And he fell on his
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Speaker 1: neck and wept on his neck a good while verse
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Speaker 1: thirty and Israel said, unto Joseph, now let me die,
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Speaker 1: since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet
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Speaker 1: alive Verse thirty one. And Joseph said, unto his brethren
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Speaker 1: and unto his father's house, I will go up and
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Speaker 1: show Faraoh and say unto him, my brethren and my
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Speaker 1: father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are
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Speaker 1: common to me Verse thirty two. And the men are shepherds.
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Speaker 1: For their trade hath been to feed cattle, and they
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Speaker 1: have brought their flocks and their herds and all that
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Speaker 1: they have verse thirty three. And it shall come to
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Speaker 1: pass that Pharaoh shall call you and shall say what
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Speaker 1: is your occupation? Verse thirty four, that ye shall say
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Speaker 1: thy servant's trade hath then two hundred and fifty about
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Speaker 1: cattle from our youth, even until now both we and
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Speaker 1: also are fathers, that ye may dwell in the land
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Speaker 1: of Goshen, For every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
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Speaker 1: We have here Numeral one the joyful meeting between Jacob
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Speaker 1: and his sons Joseph, in which we observe Number one
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Speaker 1: Jacob's prudence in sending Judah before him to Joseph to
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Speaker 1: give him notice of his arrival in Goshen. This was
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Speaker 1: a piece of respect owing to the government under the
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Speaker 1: protection of which these strangers had come to put themselves.
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Speaker 1: Verse twenty eight. We should be very careful not to
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Speaker 1: give offense to any especially not to the higher powers.
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Speaker 1: Number two Joseph's filial respect to him. He went in
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Speaker 1: his chariot to meet him, and in the interview showed
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Speaker 1: one how much he honored him. He presented himself unto him.
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Speaker 1: Note it is the duty of children to reverence their parents. YEA,
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Speaker 1: though providence, as to outward condition, has advanced them above
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Speaker 1: their parents. Two, how much he loved him. Time did
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Speaker 1: not wear out the sense of his obligations. But his tears,
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Speaker 1: which he shed abound upon his father's neck for to
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Speaker 1: joy to see him, were real indications of the sincere
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Speaker 1: and strong affection he had for him. See how near
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Speaker 1: sorrow and joy are to each other in this world,
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Speaker 1: when tears serve for the expression of both. In the
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Speaker 1: other world, weeping will be restrained to sorrow. Only in
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Speaker 1: heaven there is perfect joy, but no tears of joy.
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Speaker 1: All tears, even those, shall there be wiped away, because
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Speaker 1: the joys there are as no joys are here without
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Speaker 1: any alloy. When Joseph embraced Benjamin, he wept upon his neck,
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Speaker 1: But when he embraced his father, he wept upon his
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Speaker 1: neck a good while his brother Benjamin was dear that
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Speaker 1: his father, Jacob must be dearer. Number three Jacob's great
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Speaker 1: satisfaction in this meeting, Now let me die Verse thirty,
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Speaker 1: not but that it was further desirable to live with
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Speaker 1: Joseph and to see his honor and usefulness. But he
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Speaker 1: had so much pleasure and satisfaction in this first meeting
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Speaker 1: that he thought it too much to desire or expect
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Speaker 1: any more in this world, where our comforts must always
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Speaker 1: be imperfect. Jacob wished to die immediately and lived seventeen
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Speaker 1: years longer, which, as our lives go, is a considerable
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Speaker 1: part of a man's age. Note death will not always
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Speaker 1: come just when we call for it, whether in a
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Speaker 1: passion or sorrow or in a passion of joy. Our
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Speaker 1: times are in God's hands and not in our own.
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Speaker 1: We must die just when God pleases, and not either
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Speaker 1: just when we are surfeited with the pleasures of life
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Speaker 1: or just when we are overwhelmed with its griefs Numeral two.
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Speaker 1: Joseph's prudent care concerning his brethren settlement. It was justice
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Speaker 1: to Pharaoh to let him know that such a colony
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Speaker 1: had come to settle in his dominions. Note if others
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Speaker 1: repose a confidence in us, we must not be so
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Speaker 1: base and disingenuous as to abuse it by imposing upon them.
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Speaker 1: If Jacob and his family should come to be a
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Speaker 1: charge to the Egyptians, yet it should never be said
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Speaker 1: that they came among them clandenndestinely and by stealth. Thus
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Speaker 1: Joseph took care to pay his respect to Pharaoh Verse
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Speaker 1: thirty one. But how shall we dispose of his brethren?
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Speaker 1: Time was when they were contrived to get rid of him.
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Speaker 1: Now he is contriving to settle them to their satisfaction
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Speaker 1: and advantage. This is rendering good for evil. Now one
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Speaker 1: he would have them to live by themselves, separate, as
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Speaker 1: much as might be from the Egyptians, in the land
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Speaker 1: of which lay nearest to Canaan, and which perhaps was
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Speaker 1: more thinly peopled by the Egyptians, and well furnished with
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Speaker 1: pastures for cattle. He desired that they lived separately, that
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Speaker 1: they might be in the less danger both of being
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Speaker 1: infected by the vices of the Egyptians and of being
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Speaker 1: insulted by the malice of the Egyptians. Shepherds, it seems,
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Speaker 1: were an abomination to the Egyptians, that is, they looked
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Speaker 1: upon them with contempt and scorned to converse with them.
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Speaker 1: And he would not send for his brethren to Egypt
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Speaker 1: to be trampled upon. And yet too, he would have
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Speaker 1: them to continue shepherds, and not to be ashamed to
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Speaker 1: own that as their occupation. Before Pharaoh, he could have
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Speaker 1: employed them under himself in the corn trade, or perhaps
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Speaker 1: by his interest in the king might have procured places
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Speaker 1: for them at court or in the army, and some
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Speaker 1: of them at least were deserving enough. But such preferments
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Speaker 1: would have exposed them to the envy of the Egyptians,
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Speaker 1: and would have tempted them to forget Canaan and the
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Speaker 1: promises made unto their fathers. Therefore, he contrives to continue
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Speaker 1: them in their old employment. Note one, an honest calling
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Speaker 1: is no disparagement, nor ought we to account it so,
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Speaker 1: either in ourselves or in our relations, but rather reckon
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Speaker 1: it as a shame to be idle or to have
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Speaker 1: nothing to do. Two. It is generally best for people
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Speaker 1: to abide in the callings that they have been bred
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Speaker 1: to and used to. Verse Corinthians, Chapter seven, verse twenty four.
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Speaker 1: Whatever employment or condition God in his providence has allotted
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Speaker 1: for us, let us accommodate ourselves to it, and satisfy
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Speaker 1: ourselves with it, and not mind high things. It is
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Speaker 1: better to be the credit of the mean poet than
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Speaker 1: the shame of a highland and of Chapter forty six.