Title: Jacob's Last Years/Genesis 43:1-2
Chapter 14 Jacob's Last Years
When we look back at Jacob's life, his half-life, up to his maturity, was very
He was a secular, scheming person. At the Jabbok River he wrestled with the angel of God.
There is something that preachers often interpret as Jacob's earnest prayer.
Jima said that he prayed earnestly before God after he broke his hip bone.
What happened before that was an evil act against God, said the prophet Hosea.
According to Hosea 12:2,3, "The Lord... will punish Jacob according to what he has done, and
will repay you accordingly. Jacob grabbed his brother's heel in the womb, and in his old age
He competed with me for strength.” He said that he would grab his brother’s heel in his mother’s womb.
It was said that wrestling with angels as if they were evil was an evil act against God.
Just as the feet of those who kick the thorns are bound to be injured, so are those who oppose the will of God
can't be at peace
He had a broken hip bone. In this way, from the womb to a mature age,
It is true that his personality and beliefs were very fleshly and worldly.
All the chastisement of the saints, tribulation, rather, make their character and faith shine like gold.
This fact can be easily found in the history of Jacob.
Now, how pious his personality had become in his last days is described in the next few things in Genesis 43.
Try to find it in the text below.
First, in Genesis 43:1-2, we read, "The famine was severe in that land, and they brought it out of Egypt.
When they ate all the grain, their father said to them, "Go again and feed us sheep.
There is a saying "Buy some food". Here, the word "buy some food" means a little.
there is this A little means to buy a little as needed.
That means don't buy too much. Here is the horse in his last years of great famine.
This is what his sons said when they went to Egypt to buy food. In Egypt, there was no food at that time.
It is a time when all the warehouse doors are open and they are selling as many as they can. But Jacob
The family of now is on the verge of dying of famine. But Jacob's family
He was on the verge of death from a gold famine. However, Jacob's family is at that time in Genesis 46:6.
not so poor There is only food, cattle and sheep and all the riches.
this was plentiful They had enough money to buy food.
Also, in Genesis 46:27, it is said that there were 70 children and descendants of Jacob at that time. In addition
There were many species. Since it is such a large family, they must have needed a lot of food.
But Jacob was content with a little food. This doesn't seem like a small thing
Even in these one word, we can see how much his outlook on life has changed.
can How greedy was he originally, coveting his brother's inheritance,
A man who coveted his maternal uncle's property and deceived them and took it away. but now
The condition of his old age shows that he has lost all such greed.
All.
In the original text of Genesis 43:1-2, “there was a severe famine in the land” and “go
The Hebrew text of "buy for us some bread" is
C. Literally translated, that is, there is a [great famine] and you should buy [little food].
became A [great famine] necessarily requires [a lot of food], but [a little food]
The emphasis is to make the reader feel the changed heart of Jacob naturally.
I know it's for He felt that all his covetousness had gone away from Jacob in his later years.
can This is also known as a personal change that he obtained through many tribulations.
Second, according to Genesis 43:14, “God Almighty grant you grace in the sight of that man.
May this man bring back your other brothers and Benjamin.
There is a saying, "If I lose my children, I will lose them."
His motive was to let his sons go to Egypt to buy food and remain there as hostages.
Again, when he received a stern command to bring his last son, Benjamin, Jacob
he said to his sons.
When he first received the strict order, he was deeply saddened. In the Bible, "You
make me lose my children Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, Benjamin
I want to take it away again, because it is all to my harm.” He lamented.
Soon after that, he entrusted everything to God.
“If I lose my children, I will lose them.”
This shows his religious attitude to completely entrust his everything to God.
That is.
Once upon a time, when his grandfather Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, he gave his life
It was entrusted to God. Jacob finally followed the great faith of Abraham.
I know what happened. Every time he surrenders everything to God in this way, he
was able to see God's amazing response. "If I lose, I will lose"
Not only did he not lose his son, but he also found his lost son.
Simeon returned, and Joseph found him again. to hear that Joseph is alive.
Not only did he hear how he made money with great honor in Egypt.
It wasn't just a time of sorrow and sorrow that he heard such great good news.
All. When you put all things in the providence of God by faith and endure their sorrows and sorrows,
God comforted him greatly. He greatly pleased him. this one fact
You can also see how pious his faith has grown in his later years.
Third, Jacob in his old age first became a God-centered patriarch who built an altar devoutly.
you can see In Genesis 45:28 and below, Jacob only believes that his son Joseph is dead.
I knew that he was alive and I heard that he was also a great prime minister of Egypt.
When he did, he wasn't just happy. When he was called by his son Joseph, he
They didn't run to Egypt because they were happy. He first built an altar of thanksgiving before God.
it was
In Genesis 45:28-46:1, "Israel (Jacob) said, It is enough. My son Joseph
I have lived to gold, so I will go see it before I die. Israel leads all possessions
arose and came to Beersheba, and sacrificed to the God of his father Isaac..."
did. This was something we had never seen with the young Jacob of the past. he is a long time
Through the sad training of faith within, we must first serve God in all things,
I realized that I should worship in front of you. Not only that.
Fourth, his faith finally cherishes the hope of heaven more than the hope of the world.
I knew I was thinking more deeply about the future than about the present. he sees
This made me yearn for the invisible spiritual things more than the invisible ones.
In Genesis 49:1, "Jacob called his sons and said, Gather ye together.
I will tell you what will happen to you.” He looked to the distant future.
The eyes of divine faith were opened. To my beloved children, do not only look at reality, do not see
was foretelling a world to come in the distant future.
Also, in Genesis 49:18, it says, "I await your salvation, O LORD." he is
As the father of the great physically great Prime Minister of Egypt, he gave the greatest respect to all
was in the receiving position. But he does not punish such a person who is intoxicated with worldly riches.
it wasn't written He quietly summoned his sons and looked up to heaven and prayed.
“I am waiting for your salvation, O LORD.” What a pious believer
end! In his youth, he understood God's will simply by human means and methods.
A person who tried to achieve But now he looks to the distant future,
He became the patriarch of godly faith waiting for salvation.
In 48:21, "Israel said to Joseph, "I am dying, but God is with you.
He will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.” Joseph
left a will to Consider what a gracious will this is. Joseph is
He is the second greatest ruler after the king of gold in Egypt. But in Joseph's eyes
did not think so greatly of the power or delight in it. God must
Tell Joseph to go with you to Canaan, the land that God has given you for your inheritance.
I left it as a will, and even when it is ripe, Jacob in his last years was more than the army of Egypt and its treasures.
It can be seen that he longed for Canaan, the kingdom of God's covenant. Indeed, Jacob
Through all the afflictions he suffered, his faith reached such a place of piety.
it has become
Not only that, but how bright the eyes of their faith were also revealed in Genesis 48:17 and below.
is appearing There, Jacob congratulated Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Blessing scenes are recorded. At that time Jacob's eyes were on his father Isaac in his last years.
darkened like the eyes of
He laid his left hand on the eldest grandson Manasseh, and his right hand on his younger grandson Ephraim.
I tried to bless you. Then Joseph was astonished and said, "Father, not so."
He tried to change his hand. Then "Jacob did not allow it, and said, I
also know My son, I know." He laid his right hand on the younger son and blessed him.
No matter how dark his eyes were, he did not make the same mistake as Isaac of old. his belief
Yin's eyes became so bright that he knew God's will.
Hebrews 11:21 says, "By faith Jacob, at his death, blessed each son of Joseph,
Truly, this patriarch named Jacob, through many afflictions, finally became so devout.
and came to such a holy place.