SERIES B --- A CHOSEN PEOPLE --- LESSON 23

ADOPTED

EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH

From Genesis 48

Word came to Joseph that his father was sick. Joseph realized that Jacob might be dying, so he took his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, with him to visit his father. [Your son Joseph is here to see you,] someone told Jacob. Jacob gathered what little strength he had and sat up in bed to welcome his son. Jacob said to Joseph, [At Bethel, in the land of Canaan, YHVH Almighty appeared to me and blessed me, saying, ‘I will give you many children and you will become a great nation. I will give this land to you and your descendants to be yours forever.’ Today your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born before I reached Egypt, become my own children, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. They will inherit from me as my own children. Any other children you have from this time on will get their inheritance through you. I am doing this in remembrance of your mother Rachel. To my sorrow she died a short distance from Bethlehem when I came from Padan-aram and I buried her beside the road that leads into Bethlehem.] Then Jacob turned his attention to Joseph’s two sons who had come with him. [Who are these boys?] he asked. [My sons, whom YHVH has given to me,] Joseph answered. [Bring them to me so that I may give them my blessing,] Jacob said. Jacob was so old that he could hardly see. As Joseph brought his sons near, Jacob kissed them and hugged them before giving them his blessing. [I thought that I would never see you alive again,] Jacob said to Joseph, [but YHVH has let me see your children, too.] Joseph took his two sons from between his knees and led them with his hand to their grandfather. He placed Manasseh, the older son, toward Jacob’s right hand and Ephraim, the younger son, toward Jacob’s left hand. But Jacob crossed his hands, putting his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh. Jacob first gave this blessing to his son Joseph. [May YHVH Elohiym of my father’s Abraham and Isaac, Who has led me through life to this day and the Angel of Adonai who has saved me from all evil, bless these boys and carry on, through them, my name and the name of my father’s Abraham and Isaac. May they become a great nation upon the earth.] Joseph was disturbed when he saw that Jacob had crossed his hands. He took Jacob’s hand in his to move it. [You have your hands placed wrongly,] Joseph told his father. [Manasseh is older, so you should have your right hand on him.] [I know that he is older, my son,] Jacob answered. [He shall be great but his younger brother will be greater.] Jacob gave this blessing to his grandsons. [By your names the people of Israel will bless each other, for they will say, ‘YHVH make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ Thus, Jacob again put Ephraim before Manasseh. Jacob spoke again to Joseph. I will die soon, but YHVH will go with you and bring you again to the land of your fathers. There I have reserved part of the hill country, the land of Shechem, for you instead of for your brothers. It is the land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.]

COMMENTARY

JOSEPH’S FAMILY

When Israel had settled in Egypt, Joseph brought his two young sons to his father. Ephraim and Manasseh were welcomed into the family. The old man rested his hands on their heads, and announced, [May the Angel of the Adonai… bless these boys and carry on through them my name and the name of my father’s Abraham and Isaac.] In our Old Testament we will not read about the tribe of Joseph. We will read about the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Egyptians did not marry Hebrews, and Hebrews did not marry Egyptians. Joseph’s marriage to Asenath was extremely unusual. It clearly reveals how highly he was esteemed by Pharaoh. In fact, Pharaoh gave Asenath to Joseph, and neither had a choice about the marriage. Although Asenath had grown up at the very centre of the worship of the Egyptian sun god, Joseph never lost faith in his one YHVH who remained invisible. Joseph had two sons by Asenath: Ephraim and Manasseh. Though raised by an Egyptian mother and surrounded by the Egyptian culture, they both continued in their father’s faith. Later on, they became the ancestors of two of the tribes of Israel.

JOSEPH
After twenty barren years, Rachel named her first child Joseph, which meant [He {YHVH} Will Add.] Since he was the first son of Jacob’s favourite wife, and also the child of his very old age, Joseph was the favoured child. Jacob protected him as much as he could, give him a special cloak, and made him his principal heir. Tricked into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, he prospered as a steward for one of Pharaoh’s officers. He finally became advisor to Pharaoh, who named him Zaphnath-paaneah which meant [YHVH Speaks, and He {Joseph} Lives.]

ASENATH
The name of Joseph’s Egyptian wife was Asenath, which meant [Belonging to Neith.] Neith had come to be the goddess of war or the chase in the time of Joseph, but centuries before in Egypt she was believed to be the daughter of Ra, the sun god. Asenath’s father, Potiphera, was a powerful priest of the sun god, and Asenath may have served in the temple as a priestess, possibly as a musician. Very little is known about Asenath. Jewish legends of later years say that she left her Egyptian religion and worshiped the YHVH Elohiym of Joseph.

EPHRAIM
Joseph named his younger son Ephraim, which meant [To Be Fruitful;] for Joseph said that YHVH had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction; the land of Egypt, where he lived because of his brothers’ trickery. Ephraim’s grandfather Jacob was also the younger of two sons. Before Jacob died, he gave Ephraim a greater blessing than his older brother, Manasseh, though he adopted both. Many years later, the tribe of Ephraim’s descendants gave Israel such leaders as Joshua and King Jeroboam I.

MANASSEH
Joseph’s older son was Manasseh, which meant [He Who Causes to Forget.] His birth helped Joseph forget the pain of being in Egypt away from his home. Although he received a lesser blessing than Ephraim, his tribe, like that of Ephraim, later became [a great people.] The tribe of Manasseh brought forth some of the greatest Israelite warriors and judges, among them Gideon and Jephthah.

Thought for Today: Wednesday December 21:

Let us trust in Adonai and let us not be afraid! In these unsure days, many things may feel out of control. Our routines are not smooth any more. We as humans will always feel more secure when our lives are predictable. But, let us allow YHVH to lead us to the rock that is higher than us and our circumstances. Let us take refuge in the shelter of His Wings, where we are absolutely secure. Remember, when we are shaken out of our comfortable routines, take hold of YHVH’s hand and let us look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning the loss of our comforts, let us accept the challenge of something new. YHVH leads us from Glory to Glory, making us fit for His Kingdom. Say yes to the ways He work in our lives. Let us trust in Him and not be afraid.

Good morning
Look at these words of our Teacher ?

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Are you of the few? Or are you of the many?

Shalom

Good morning
Look at these words of our Teacher ?

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Are you of the few? Or are you of the many?

Shalom

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SERIES B --- A CHOSEN PEOPLE --- LESSON 22

ALL FOR LIFE

A TIME OF GREAT FAMINE

From Genesis 47

When Jacob and his family arrived in Egypt, Joseph told Pharaoh. [My father and brothers have arrived in Goshen from the land of Canaan,] he said. [They have come with their flocks and herds and all that they have and wish to live permanently in Goshen.] Joseph brought five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. [What work do you do?] Pharaoh asked. [We are shepherds,] they answered, [as our ancestors were also. We wish to live here in Egypt, for the famine has destroyed our pastures. It is our desire to live in Goshen.] [You may put your father and brothers wherever you wish,] Pharaoh told Joseph. [They may settle in the best of our land. If you wish Goshen for them, let it be so. And if someone in your family is capable, let him tend my flocks also.] Joseph also presented his father to Pharaoh and Jacob blessed the king. [How long have you lived?] Pharaoh asked Jacob. [The years of my life on earth are a hundred and thirty,] Jacob answered. [But my ancestors lived longer than that.] Jacob blessed Pharaoh again and left. Then Joseph helped his brothers and his father settle in Goshen, in the Raamses section, which was the choicest land. He gave them the land as their own, as well as the food for all of the family, assigned according to the number of children in each family. Over all the land of Egypt, as well as the land of Canaan, the famine was severe, so there was no food for the people. As Joseph sold grain to the people of Egypt and Canaan, he gathered all of their money and placed it in Pharaoh’s palace. When their money was gone, the people still cried out for food. [Let us have food!] they cried. [Why should we starve because we have no money?] [If you have no money, give me your cattle in exchange for food,] Joseph replied. So that year the people exchanged their cattle for food. They brought their horses, flocks, herds and donkeys and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their animals. But the next year came and the people were out of food again. [Our money is gone and our animals are gone,] they said to Joseph. [What do we have except ourselves and our land? But why should we die before you and let our land become desolate? We will sell ourselves and our land to you for food and then we will serve Pharaoh. Do not let us starve. Give us seed to plant so that the land will not lie desolate.] Joseph bought the land throughout Egypt for Pharaoh, for the people exchanged it for food to eat during the famine. The people also sold themselves into Pharaoh’s service, so throughout the land the people moved into the cities. The priests were the only ones exempt from this land sale. Since their food was given to them by Pharaoh, they did not need to sell their land. [I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh,] Joseph told the people. [But I am giving you seed to plant. When you harvest your grain, you may keep four-fifths for yourselves and you will give one-fifth to Pharaoh. You will use your share to feed your families and plant your fields again.] [You have saved our lives,] the people said to Joseph. [If it pleases you, we will serve Pharaoh.] Joseph made it a law of the land that a fifth of the harvest should belong to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become his. During these years, the people of Israel lived in the land of Goshen and prospered and multiplied greatly. Jacob lived for seventeen years after he arrived in Goshen, so he was a hundred and forty-seven when he died. When Jacob realized that he was about to die, he called for Joseph. [If you honour me, place your hand under my thigh and swear that you will not bury me in Egypt, but with my ancestors. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me there.] [I will do as you ask,] said Joseph. [Swear this to me!] Jacob insisted. Joseph swore that he would do as his father had asked. Then Jacob bowed his head there on his bed.

COMMENTARY

SCRIBES IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Genesis traces great economic changes in Egypt to the time of Joseph. During the years of famine, the people of Egypt gave their wealth, their lands and themselves to Pharaoh in exchange for grain. In famine, grain meant life. The Egyptians gave their all for life. [Red tape] and [paper shuffling] are not recent problems of modern government. Centuries ago, the government of ancient Egypt kept many scribes busy recording the smallest event or amount. Any boy, even one of humble birth, could become a scribe if he was brought to the attention of the right officials and went to school. Study, which might begin when the boy was quite young, was long. Discipline was severe with frequent beatings. Depending on which school he attended, the young scribe began in one of many government departments, such as the [house of silver] or with the local governor. Some worked with mathematics, astronomy, or with the Egyptian religious literature; pyramid and coffin texts. A few of the most charming and talented scribes managed to become pharaoh’s secretaries.

In #genesis 43-45, Joseph was alternately generous and vindictive towards his brothers. This doesn't seem to fit with Joseph's character, so what's really going on?
#mikeitz

https://www.americantorah.com/....2016/12/30/josephs-p