-
†. Gen 47:7b . . and Jacob blessed Pharaoh
As a rule, the lesser is blessed of the better (Heb 7:7). However, it's possible
for the better to be blessed by the lesser too. (e.g. Ps 16:7, Ps 26:12, Ps
34:1, et al). It all depends on the nature of the blessing. There's nothing a
man can do to improve God's lot in life, but there's certainly a lot God can
do to improve a man's lot in life; however, either can say nice things about
the other.
Precisely what form Jacob's blessing took is difficult to know for certain; but
it could have been something like: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and
over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28) or maybe:
God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty
of corn and wine; let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be
lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee; cursed
be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee (Gen
27:28-29) or even as simple as: Let my lord the king live forever. (1Kgs
1:31)
†. Gen 47:8-9a . . And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: How old are you?
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh: The days of the years of my pilgrimage
are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the
years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the
years of the life of my fathers
The word "evil" isn't restricted to moral awfulness; but can indicate hard
times as well as just plain old bad luck (cf. Job 5:7, Isa 45:7). The days of
Jacob's life weren't totally disagreeable, though he makes it sound like that.
However, he did spend a good number of years in the outdoors, in all sorts
of weather, tending herds. That's not an easy life. Then there was the grief
visited upon him by the sons of his own flesh; Dinah was no help either. And
the peace in his home wrecked by the tension caused by the bitter sibling
rivalry between his wives Leah and Rachel; not to mention all the headaches
uncle Laban contributed.
Jacob also endured the latter years of his life with a handicap resulting from
his encounter with a divine being in chapter 32. It's odd how human nature
tends to dwell upon its misfortunes instead of spending more time reflecting
upon its blessings. For some, the glass is half empty, and for others it's half
full, and yet for others: the glass is too big.
At this point in his life Jacob is wore out: he's winding down, and ready to
retire. Aging folks tend to be a little on the negative side, and sometimes
dwell more on the bad memories rather than the good. It's wise to consider
that the aged weren't born that way. In reality; they're children who've been
alive for a long time. When I was a kid, I tended to think that senior citizens
were a species; not appreciating, till later in life, that I was actually looking
at my future.
†. Gen 47:9b . . in the days of their pilgrimage.
Jacob's use of the word "pilgrimage" reflects the cruel reality that none of us
comes into this world to stay. We're here for a while, but that's all: just a
while.
"Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets: do they live forever?"
(Zech 1:4-5)
"For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that's visible for a little time, and
then vanishes away." (Jas 4:14)
†. Gen 47:10 . . And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from
before Pharaoh.
Just how impressed Pharaoh was with Jacob is difficult to know, but the king
had to wonder to himself just how on earth a genius like Joseph could ever
arise from such humble root stock as this broken down, insignificant old man
who just walked out of his court. But one thing I know for sure: of the two
men; Jacob holds the higher rank in the grand scheme of things.
†. Gen 47:11-12 . . So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in
Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the
district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his
father and his brothers and all his father's household with food,
according to the number of their children.
Jacob's clan nourished themselves with seafood too.
"We remember the fish we ate in Egypt" (Num 11:5)
NOTE: My early childhood was cultured on John Wayne and cowboy
westerns in which the native Americans were usually either Apache or
Comanche, dwelling in arid regions nowhere near an ocean. Imagine my
surprise to learn of the Wampanoag people of Massachusetts baking clams
centuries before the first Europeans invaded their land.
Joseph's family lived in an area also known as Zoan (Ps 78:12) which was up
in the north, near the Mediterranean Sea in the East Nile delta. The area had
access to the sea, and there was lots of water and wetlands; so that seafood
and migratory fowl were never in short supply. Actually, all told, Jacob's
family fared quite well in Egypt in spite of the famine's overall severity.
Meanwhile, the famine wrecked everybody else.
†. Gen 47:13 . .There was no food, however, in the whole region
because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted
away because of the famine.
As mentioned earlier back in chapter 41, famines are usually the natural
result of insufficient rainfall.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 47:7b . . and Jacob blessed Pharaoh
As a rule, the lesser is blessed of the better (Heb 7:7). However, it's possible
for the better to be blessed by the lesser too. (e.g. Ps 16:7, Ps 26:12, Ps
34:1, et al). It all depends on the nature of the blessing. There's nothing a
man can do to improve God's lot in life, but there's certainly a lot God can
do to improve a man's lot in life; however, either can say nice things about
the other.
Precisely what form Jacob's blessing took is difficult to know for certain; but
it could have been something like: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and
over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28) or maybe:
God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty
of corn and wine; let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be
lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee; cursed
be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee (Gen
27:28-29) or even as simple as: Let my lord the king live forever. (1Kgs
1:31)
†. Gen 47:8-9a . . And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: How old are you?
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh: The days of the years of my pilgrimage
are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the
years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the
years of the life of my fathers
The word "evil" isn't restricted to moral awfulness; but can indicate hard
times as well as just plain old bad luck (cf. Job 5:7, Isa 45:7). The days of
Jacob's life weren't totally disagreeable, though he makes it sound like that.
However, he did spend a good number of years in the outdoors, in all sorts
of weather, tending herds. That's not an easy life. Then there was the grief
visited upon him by the sons of his own flesh; Dinah was no help either. And
the peace in his home wrecked by the tension caused by the bitter sibling
rivalry between his wives Leah and Rachel; not to mention all the headaches
uncle Laban contributed.
Jacob also endured the latter years of his life with a handicap resulting from
his encounter with a divine being in chapter 32. It's odd how human nature
tends to dwell upon its misfortunes instead of spending more time reflecting
upon its blessings. For some, the glass is half empty, and for others it's half
full, and yet for others: the glass is too big.
At this point in his life Jacob is wore out: he's winding down, and ready to
retire. Aging folks tend to be a little on the negative side, and sometimes
dwell more on the bad memories rather than the good. It's wise to consider
that the aged weren't born that way. In reality; they're children who've been
alive for a long time. When I was a kid, I tended to think that senior citizens
were a species; not appreciating, till later in life, that I was actually looking
at my future.
†. Gen 47:9b . . in the days of their pilgrimage.
Jacob's use of the word "pilgrimage" reflects the cruel reality that none of us
comes into this world to stay. We're here for a while, but that's all: just a
while.
"Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets: do they live forever?"
(Zech 1:4-5)
"For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that's visible for a little time, and
then vanishes away." (Jas 4:14)
†. Gen 47:10 . . And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from
before Pharaoh.
Just how impressed Pharaoh was with Jacob is difficult to know, but the king
had to wonder to himself just how on earth a genius like Joseph could ever
arise from such humble root stock as this broken down, insignificant old man
who just walked out of his court. But one thing I know for sure: of the two
men; Jacob holds the higher rank in the grand scheme of things.
†. Gen 47:11-12 . . So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in
Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the
district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his
father and his brothers and all his father's household with food,
according to the number of their children.
Jacob's clan nourished themselves with seafood too.
"We remember the fish we ate in Egypt" (Num 11:5)
NOTE: My early childhood was cultured on John Wayne and cowboy
westerns in which the native Americans were usually either Apache or
Comanche, dwelling in arid regions nowhere near an ocean. Imagine my
surprise to learn of the Wampanoag people of Massachusetts baking clams
centuries before the first Europeans invaded their land.
Joseph's family lived in an area also known as Zoan (Ps 78:12) which was up
in the north, near the Mediterranean Sea in the East Nile delta. The area had
access to the sea, and there was lots of water and wetlands; so that seafood
and migratory fowl were never in short supply. Actually, all told, Jacob's
family fared quite well in Egypt in spite of the famine's overall severity.
Meanwhile, the famine wrecked everybody else.
†. Gen 47:13 . .There was no food, however, in the whole region
because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted
away because of the famine.
As mentioned earlier back in chapter 41, famines are usually the natural
result of insufficient rainfall.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=