Hugh Stephenson

GM EMMA! Love your focus on “But God…”. One of my all-time favorite two words in all of scripture. Q1. To me, Genesis has reinforced the call in Genesis 12:1-3 to be a channel of blessing to others. VERY convicting. It has caused me to re-focus my prayer time to my True North. As an Image Bearer of God, (Genesis 1:26-28), I am called to bless others as I proclaim, witness and teach, (Isaiah 61:1, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20). Q2. 1-Patience, (2 Peter 3:9). 2-Promises, (Philippians 4:6-7, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 41:10) Q3. Pre-salvation, (2015), I wanted the gift. Having received much from Him I found peace, joy, and rest to be lacking. --------------------------------------------- I’m taught Joseph is a type of Christ. Constable details the case- “Though the Bible never identifies Joseph as a type of Christ, many analogies are apparent and significant.”

Hugh Stephenson

“Both had unusual births in answer to prayer. Both were special objects of their father's love. Both were set apart from their brethren. Both were sent by their fathers to their brethren. Both obeyed their fathers. In both cases their brethren ridiculed and hated them without just cause, and sold them for a few pieces of silver (Joseph for 20 and Jesus for 30). Their brethren rejected their superior claims, sought to prevent their exaltation, conspired to kill them, and turned them over to Gentiles. Both disappeared from their brethren for a time (Joseph in Egypt and Jesus in heaven). Both were tempted and overcame their temptations. Both began their saving work at or near the age of 30. Both were unjustly condemned by Gentile rulers (Potiphar and Pilate). “

Hugh Stephenson

“Both found favor with Gentile overseers (Joseph's jailer and the centurion at Jesus' crucifixion). Both suffered with two malefactors, one of which received life and the other death. Joseph asked the blessed prisoner to remember him, and Jesus told the blessed thief that He would remember Him. Both became a savior and a blessing to their brethren, to strangers, to the Gentiles, and to the whole world—in spite of their brethren's hatred and rejection. Both received a bride (Asenath and the church). The brethren of both received judgment for their treachery. Both forgave their persecutors. Joseph reconciled with his brethren and exalted them, and so will Christ. Jacob rejoiced over the fact that Joseph, whom he long regarded as dead, was alive, and returned to him. Likewise, the Israelites will rejoice and return to Jesus when He finally appears at His Second Coming.”

Michael Scaman

Quite a blessing 'may the angel of he Lord who redeemed my from all evil bless these boys" I wonder if the criss-crossing of hands was like a prophesy of what would happen to Ephraim and m A first Manasseh was larger in number and in judges was reduced to the smallest tribe Like a criss-crossing of blessings? Then although small, Manasseh would be the tribe of the first king Saul and although that didn't go well for Saul, the people of Manasseh largely stayed with the southern kingdom of Judah not falling into the idolatry of Ephraim. Ephraim larger but fell away mostly. Another criss-crossing of blessings?

Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 47:13-19 Gen 47:13 (KJV) And there was no >>>bread<<< in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. All the people of Canaan and Egypt look to Joseph to save them from famine. Most modern translations say there was no “food” in all the land. More literal translations, like the KJV, more accurately use the translation “bread.” With that in mind, it’s interesting the Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah son of Joseph (i.e. the Suffering Servant Messiah), was born in Bethlehem (“House of Bread”) and spoke of Himself as the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35), while promising those who come to Him, “will not hunger.” Re: Gen 47:31 Gen 47:31 (NASB) He said, >>>“Swear to me.” So he swore to him. <<< Then >>>Israel bowed<<< in worship at the head of the bed. Joseph swears to Jacob that he will not allow Egypt to be Jacob’s final resting place. “Israel bowed” — a literal fulfillment of Joseph’s second dream. (Gen 37:10) Re: Gen 48:5 Gen 48:5 (NASB) “Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; >>>Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.<<< Thus, we see why Ephraim and Manasseh are numbered among the twelve tribes of Israel. Re: Gen 48:7 Gen 48:7 (NASB) “Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there >>>on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”<<< See Jer 31:15; Mt 2:16-18. Re: Gen 48:10 Gen 48:10 (NASB) Now >>>the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see.<<< Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. See Gen 27:1. Re: Gen 48:17 Gen 48:17 (NASB) When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, >>>it displeased him;<<< and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. Even Joseph’s first instinct was to reject G-d’s choice of Ephraim through Jacob’s laying on of hands. Thus, we encounter yet another link in a chain of examples throughout scripture of the far off, approaching Messiah (Num 24:17a), His progenitors, and His people being unrecognized, rejected, and despised. While the Messiah would not literally come through Ephraim, in Jewish literature “Ephraim” can allude to Jewish expectations of the “Messiah son of Joseph” (i.e. Suffering Servant Messiah) role Yeshua fulfilled. Moses’ successor, Joshua, was an Ephraimite and a type of the Messiah in that he led the Hebrews into the Promised Land. He also shared the Messiah’s name. “Notice that the name Yehoshua (i.e., Joshua) and Yeshua (i.e., Jesus) come from the same root (i.e., yasha: ישׁע) meaning ‘salvation’ or deliverance (in the Greek LXX, Joshua is spelled Ιησους, the same spelling for Jesus in the New Testament). Indeed, in the Book of Nehemiah, Yehoshua is explicitly called Yeshua(יֵשׁוּעַ), the name often transliterated as ‘Jesus’ (Neh. 8:17).” — Hebrew For Christians https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Shelach_Lekha/Joshua/joshua.html Re: Gen 48:19 Gen 48:19 (NASB) But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and >>>his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”<<< See Rev 7:9-10.

Shawn Foster

Thank you Emma. Simple yet profound truths!!! Blessed are those who know they need God. “God’s presence is his present, and the greatest.” Certainly Watermark music stokes my affections for the One who has been faithful many, many times- even when I am not. May it be our burning desire to know God and make him known, even as we enjoy the Peace that passes understanding. Grace and Peace to you and you all.

Michael Scaman

After Jacob 'adopted' Joseph's two son's effectively giving him a double portion for inheritance above his brothers, Jacob then gave Joseph a mountain slope he took 'with his own bow' . This is by Jacob's well in Samaria in Sychar from John 4. Joseph's bones were buried there according to Joshua 24:32 Ephraim did indeed eventually outnumber Manassah... but not for the first centuries until the tradedy at the end of Judges.... and eventually Ephraim would be another name for the northern kingdom of Israel, it was so large.

Amy Lowther

1. I bless people around me by saying please and thank you. 2. God shows me his faithfulness everyday by being consistent in his values and in his practices no matter anything I do. 3. God is a gift and what he offers is one of kind and truly special.