The last four chapters of the book of Genesis are some of the most prophetically loaded scriptures in the entire Bible, and quite appropriately ends the book of
Bereshit (Genesis). The title itself
describes Elohim’s sovereign intentions regarding the fulfillment of His
covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thus, not only did they live, but also
became fruitful and multiplied: “and
they (Israel ) had
possessions there (in Egypt )
and were fruitful (from the same root as the name “Ephraim”) and multiplied
exceedingly” (Gen. 47:27). Many years later Moses, observing the multitude,
exclaimed: “YHVH your Elohim has multiplied you, and here you are today as
the stars of heaven in multitude. May YHWH Elohim of your fathers make you a
thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised
you!” (Deut. 1:10-11). One of the
interesting things to note about the fruitfulness of Elohim’s chosen nation was
that it always took place outside the land of Israel Haran . In Egypt he became as numerous as the
“stars of heaven”, and of course later, being dispersed into all the nations
and lands on the face of the earth, became “as the sand of the sea” or
the “fullness of the nations”. A
simple mathematical equation would be as follows: Israel
came out of Egypt
somewhere between 1.5 million and 3 million souls, multiplied by a thousand
yields the figure 1.5 to 3 billion souls. Who knows how many out of 7 billion people living on the earth today are
a fulfillment of that prophecy?! As we
know, “with Elohim everything is possible”, especially when it comes to
keeping the covenant that He swore to the patriarchs.
Elohim’s plan of fruitfulness or
multiplicity is laid out prophetically in this parasha. Right from its
beginning verses we see a Torah, or life, principle in action. Laying on his
deathbed Jacob calls for Joseph. The meaning of the root of the name Joseph is
“to add to,” in accordance with his mother’s prayer at his birth (to have
another son). Joseph’s presences
alongside of his dying father is a foreshadowing of the promise “to add to”, or
to multiply the life of the one dying (Jacob-Israel). Thus, even under these
natural conditions it may be said:
"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your
victory?" (Hos.13:14). Our Messiah
also said: “Truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the
ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain
(John 12:24). Wheat was one of the biblical symbols that described the House of
Joseph.
The years of Jacob’s troubles and
sorrows were over. Only the memory of a blood stained garment of his beloved
son would linger, as a prophetic picture of what price it would cost the
Heavenly Father to redeem these sons of promise (Israel ). In those few fleeting moments of
Jacob’s life he approached Joseph with reverence and honor as the government of
the entire world of Egypt
was upon Joseph’s shoulders (“shechem) but yet he was not the king.
Joseph was known as a dreamer and
an interpreter of dreams. But far
surpassing these attributes was Joseph’s understanding of the faithfulness of
the Elohim of his fathers through the very situations of his life. The Torah
was being written on Joseph’s heart through his
tribulations. The testing of his faith produced wisdom, humility and compassion
which then qualifying him to hold the position that he was now in. His life
exemplified the prophetic destiny of his entire household. For as a people they
were to pass under the rod of YHVH’s judgments, which afterwards would prepare
them for their irrevocable call to become a part of a nation of kings and priests.
When Jacob knew he was drawing
nigh to death, his first line of business was to strike up his final deal by
making Joseph swear to bury him with his fathers. The transaction was for
Joseph to put his hand under his (Jacob’s) thigh, just like Eliezer did to
Abraham when sealing the oath. This meant that the strength and power of life
represented by the thigh, will find expression through the hand of another, who
swore or promised to be faithful to the oath.
Israel
then bowed at the head of his bed, signifying, as it were, having completed the
work that Elohim had sent him to do. However, there was still one more thing
left for this chosen servant of Elohim, and that was to pass on, by the laying
on of his right hand, the most coveted of all blessings that are recorded in
the Scripture. This blessing was
reserved for a son, a son who has shown himself faithful and trustworthy in the eyes of his father. The son who
would now step into the role of his father, and take upon his shoulders
(shechem) the right to be the redeemer in the family. In order to have the
means to redeem, this son would receive a double portion of the inheritance.
However, that was not all that was to be passed on in that solemn moment in
history. Jacob, holding the positions of a prophet and a king-priest after the
order of Melchizedek in YHVH’s kingdom on the earth, was now obligated to pass
on this highest of all positions to his beloved; the right to govern, with the
dual role, or the authority of a king-priest. But is that what happened? To be continued.
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