| Chapter 33 | |
| Summary: | Moses, "the man of God", gave the people of Israel a blessing before his death:"The Lord came from Mount Sinai, and rose up from Mount Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints - from his right hand went a fiery law for them.He then blessed the tribe of Judah, saying: "Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people - let his hands be sufficient for him, and help defend him from his enemies."Of the Levites, Moses said: "Let the Thummim and the Urim be with these holy ones, whom you tested at Massah, and with whom you strove against at the waters of Meribah. They spared not even their father, mother, siblings, nor their children; instead, they kept their word and your covenant. They shall teach Jacob your judgments, and your law to Israel. They shall place incense before you and burnt animal sacrifices upon your altar. Lord, bless them, their skills, and the work of their hands. Smite through the loins those who rise against them, and do not allow those who hate them to rise again."Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover them all day long, and they shall dwell between his shoulders."Of Joseph he said: "May the Lord bless their land, from the precious dew from the sky, to the deep waters beneath; for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon; for the choice materials of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills; for the precious things of the earth and its fulness; and for the good will of the Lord who dwelt in the burning bush - let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, the crown upon his head that separated him from his brothers. His glory is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns - with them he shall gore his enemies to the end of the earth - they are the tens of thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh."Of Zebulun and Issachar he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you Issachar, in your tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness - for they shall feast upon the abundance of the seas, and of the treasures hidden in the sand."Of Gad he said: Blessed be he that enlarges Gad's land - he dwells there like a lion, and tears the arm with the crown of his head. He chose the best land for himself, because he was seated as the lawgiver. He lead the people and executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel."Of Dan he said: "Dan is a lion's cub - he shall leap from Bashan."Of Naphtali he said: Naphtali is satisfied with his favor and blessing from the Lord. They will possess the land in the south west."Of Asher he said: Let Asher be blessed with many children and be favored by the other tribes, and let him dip his feet in oil. |
| Notes: | 1.)As noted in the previous chapter, "Jeshurun" is an alternate poetic equivalent for "Israel". It can mean the people of Israel (as it is used here), the land of Israel, or as an alternate name for Jacob/Israel. |
| Thoughts: | This chapter sort of reads out like a will for the twelve (or thirteen, depending on how you're counting) tribes of Israel, with Moses giving each of them a final blessing before he prepares to die. Some of the tribes, such as Reuben, who gets the first blessing, are short and to the point - he blesses the tribe of Reuben "to live, and not die" and for their numbers to not be few; and the blessing which follows that for the tribe of Judah goes similarly - to bless their handiwork and to help defend them from their enemies. Whereas Moses rambles on much longer with his blessing for other more important tribes like the tribe of Levi. When giving his blessing for the tribe of Levi, Moses again mentions the Thummim and the Urim - two stones that basically serve as a sort of Magic 8-ball to answer "yes" or "no" questions, that we first encountered in Leviticus: Chapter 8. I've discussed my numerous problems with these Magic 8-Ball stones in my commentary for both Leviticus: Chapter 8 and Numbers: Chapter 27, so I don't feel that I need to go into further detail here. Continuing on with his blessing for the Levites, he references God "testing them" at Massah (which the name is said to mean "tempting God to kill us all") when the Israelites were whining for water and almost stoned Moses to death until he drew water from a rock, and the second time that they complained about not having any water where Moses struck the rock like he had done before instead of "speaking to it". He then commends the Levites for not even sparing their own families - parents, siblings, and children - when they were ordered to slaughter them to prove their allegiance to God. He states that they are the ones chosen to teach the people God's laws and judgments, burn incense, and sacrifice animals upon the altar of the sanctuary. He asks God to bless them in their works and deeds, and to "smite through the loins" anyone who opposes the Levites, and to ensure that such people aren't allowed to "rise again". Although Moses states that the tribe of Benjamin is "beloved" to God, they only get a short blessing asking God to keep them safe. Next Moses blesses the "half tribes" of Ephraim and Manasseh under the blanket of the single tribe of Joseph. Because the Levites are included in these blessings, the half tribes must be counted as the single tribe of Joseph to preserve the bible's obsession with the significance of number twelve. When the tribe of Levi is omitted from a count or census, such as when they are prohibited from possessing land in Canaan, the "half tribes" are treated separately as if they were "full tribes". Moses asks God to bless the land of the two "half tribes", as well as everything contained and that grows within it. One odd thing Moses mentions in his list of things are "precious things put forth by the moon", which the only possible thing that I'm aware of that this might be would be mushrooms. This is interesting in light of the role that hallucinogenic mushrooms have played in many early religions - some have even theorized that manna may actually have been describing psilocybe mushrooms. The use of hallucinogenic mushrooms by the Israelites could certainly better explain some of the more bizarre occurrences such as God's appearance as a burning bush (which is also coincidentally mentioned in this blessing) or the intense fear of the Israelites due to God's appearance as a smoking, lightning encrusted, mountain top. Moses asks that the tribes of Joseph are blessed due to the "crown" that separates them from the other eleven tribes, reasoning that the glory of Joseph is like a firstborn bull, and that his "horns are like those of a unicorn(!)" that will gore the enemies of Israel to the ends of the earth, for there are tens of thousands of people belonging to the tribe of Ephraim (32,500 according to the census taken in Numbers: 26), and thousands of people belonging to the tribe of Manasseh (52,700 according to the census taken in Numbers: 26). Even though the tribe of Manasseh outnumbers the tribe of Ephraim in the previous census, Moses seems to imply the opposite here. The tribes of Zebulun and Issachar get a combined blessing, where Moses asks God to bless them in their outdoor activities of camping and hunting. For the tribe of Gad, Moses asks God to enlarge their land, and states that they had picked out the best land for themselves since they were "seated as the lawgiver", meaning that they had been selected to enforce criminal punishments. The tribe of Dan gets the briefest blessing with Moses simply stating that they are "a lion's cub - and [they] shall leap from Bashan". The tribe of Naphtali gets the most boring blessing stating that they're basically happy with what they've got and will inhabit the south west portion of the "promised land". Finally, Moses blesses the tribe of Asher by asking God for them to be blessed with fertility, to be favored by the other tribes, and for them to wash their feet in oil. Moses then states that the defense of the Israelites shall be strong, and that their strength will last through their lifetimes. He adds that God will help them in battle, bringing their enemies before them to destroy. Moses states that they will be safe and unbothered in their dwellings, and will prosper in crops. He finishes off stating that the enemies of Israel will be proven wrong, and that the Israelites will dominate over them. |
Showing posts with label Joseph. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph. Show all posts
Saturday, May 15, 2010
DEUTERONOMY: Chapter 33
Friday, July 31, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 1
| Chapter 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary: | God speaks to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month*, in the second year after leaving their slavery in Egypt. He tells Moses, that along with his brother Aaron, he is to take a census of all of the men twenty years old and up who are fit to go to war, and to make note of their tribes and families, as well as the leaders of each tribe. The following table shows the tribes of Israel, their leaders, and the number of men twenty years and older fit for war counted in the census:
God, however, exempts the Levites from the military draft and tells Moses that their numbers are not to be counted in the census. God explains to Moses that the Levites are appointed to work in the tabernacle, everything it contains, and to care for its transportation. The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle, and wherever it is moved, the Levites are to tear it down and set it back up again. Anyone else touching the tabernacle is to be put to death. Every tribe of Israel is to have its own camp, but the Levite camp surrounding the tabernacle shall serve as a barrier separating the tabernacle - and God's wrath - from the people of Israel. The people of Israel did as God had commanded to Moses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes: | 1.) Approximately April 15th by our modern calendar. 2.) This total number of eligible men is exactly the same number as taken in a previous census, as stated in Exodus: Chapter 38, which took place prior to the building of the tabernacle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thoughts: | The first chapter of the book of Numbers takes place approximately two years after the Exodus from Egypt in the middle of April. God tells Moses that him and Aaron are to take a census of all the tribes of Israel to prepare for a military draft of all men over the age of twenty. The first strange thing we notice is that the Levites are curiously absent from the list, yet the tribe of Joseph is split into two (by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh) in order to preserve the number of tribes to twelve. Much like the number seven (which is peppered throughout the book of Leviticus), the number twelve also holds mystical significance throughout the bible (most notably as the number of apostles that Jesus takes). A common theory as to the significance of the number twelve (as well as the superstition as to why the number thirteen is considered unlucky) is that it correlates to how people began to count. It is thought that man initially counted on his fingers (totaling ten digits) and then adding their two feet thereby "running out of numbers". Also, many biblical myths also seem to be borrow heavily from astrology, which separated the astrological signs into twelve signs - which also contributed to our modern calendar. Regardless of what the truth may be, the number twelve tends to be mystically revered much in the same way as the number seven. The chapter continues on to list the twelve tribes, their leaders (as well as the names of their fathers), and conveniently round numbers. It begs the question as to what real purpose the census has if its accuracy isn't a concern and that it's simply an estimate. Surely we're not meant to believe that twelve tribes of people somehow managed to have completely round and even numbers of draftable men? However, even more puzzling is the grand total of men listed - 603,550. If that number sounds familiar, it's because it's the exact same number we were given in Exodus: Chapter 38 when a census was taken prior to the building of the tabernacle. This earlier census was taken to impose a tax upon the men of Israel in order to raise money to build the tabernacle. It is believed by biblical scholars that the tabernacle was built about a year prior to the events here in the first chapter of Numbers, so it should be expected that a census taken the following year would report a similar number, but there are many problems as to why this number shouldn't be exactly the same. It doesn't make sense that the earlier census figures would only include men twenty years of age and up that were fit to serve in the military when the sole purpose of that census was simply to raise money - I'm sure that the money of disabled, crippled, or old men would probably have been collected for the tabernacle construction. Even if the prior census was only counting the number of military fit men, what would be the purpose of having another census a year later unless there were either many nineteen year olds running around or many deaths of military age men? Did Moses accidentally throw out the results of last year's census? Honestly, it seems far more plausible that this number was just thrown into "Exodus: Chapter 38" either after it was arrived upon here (to show some sort of connection) or it is simply a made up number that has some other sort of significance. I could find this more acceptable if we were just given a vague number like we were given in Exodus: Chapter 12 of "over 600,000 men", but when we're making a point to just throw random numbers around for each of the "twelve tribes" in order to reach the specific "grand total" number of 603,550, the accuracy and credibility of the bible comes into serious question - if you weren't already tipped off by 900+ year old people running around and talking snakes. Absent from our list of tribes of course is the Levites - Aaron and Moses' tribe - who are apparently exempt from military duty as they'll be too busy moving the tabernacle around and slaughtering animals to be bothered with helping to invade other civilizations - and apparently in our earlier census, also couldn't be bothered to help pay for the building of the tabernacle either. God obviously favors the Levites and entrusts them with caring for and moving the tabernacle as the camp moves along in the desert towards the "promised land". He tells Moses that only the Levites are to move and care for the tabernacle, and that anybody else who comes near it is to be put to death. If there was ever a good reason for stoning someone to death, I fail to see how touching or helping to move a "church in a tent" would qualify. To further the point of his favoritism, God explains that the Levites will also have to camp outside and around the tabernacle - effectively forming a barrier of sorts to protect the rest of the common folk from "God's wrath". This is basically God saying that the Levites are protecting the people from God having to come down and slaughter them all. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday, March 20, 2009
EXODUS: Chapters 13 & 14
| Chapter 13 | |
| Summary: | God instructs Moses to dedicate to him all of the first born sons of Israel, as well as every first born male animal claiming to him that "they are mine". Moses then addresses the people of Israel (all 600,000+ of them?) telling them that this is a day for them to remember forever. He then reminds them, by recounting, the rules laid down for the annual celebration of the holiday. He tells them that during the celebration days each year that they must explain to their children why they celebrate. He tells them that this memorial week brands them as unique people, as if God had branded his ownership upon them like cattle. He explains to the people that all the first born sons and first born male animals now belong to God, and that when they reach the "promised land" that they must be given (meaning by ritual sacrifice) to God. He further explains that they can "buy back" (or substitute), for example, a donkey with a lamb, but that something has to be killed. Moses adds that for human sons, they must "buy back" (or exchange them) with another animal to be sacrificed. God did not lead the people of Israel through the land of the Philistines, although that was the most direct route from Egypt to the "promised land". God's reasoning being that he felt the people could become discouraged if they had to fight their way through, and perhaps some might return to Egypt out of frustration. Instead God leads them along a route through the Red Sea wilderness. Moses had taken the bones of Joseph with him, as Joseph had made the sons of Israel promise that they would take his bones with them as they were led by God out of Egypt. Leaving Succoth, they camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God guided them by a pillar of cloud during the daytime, and by a pillar of fire at night. Neither pillar was ever out of sight from them. |
| Thoughts: | Perhaps it's just me, but I've never been able to understand animal (or human) sacrifices, especially in the name of all-powerful "gods". God has the power to kill, and to kill the first born as he had apparently done in Egypt - yet now, he wants the people of Israel to gruesomely slaughter a bunch of animals for him - once every year. I fail to see how the ghastly and gruesome slaughtering of animals is supposed to please God, and how or why he enjoys the suffering and terror that human beings are putting upon innocent living beings. While a controversial subject to some, like myself, who have adopted a life of vegetarianism (I'm a pescitarian, more precisely - meaning I still consume fish and seafood) we can at least justify the needs for killing animals for food, pelts, skins, or for other uses when we show respect and compassion for the life we have to take. Modern hunters are (usually) a fine example of how mankind strives to minimize the amount of pain and suffering involved towards their prey. They attempt to make death as quick and painless as possible, and with a wounded animal they finish the job off as quickly as possible. In ritualistic sacrifice, minimizing pain and suffering is not a concern, and it seems bizarre and contradictory to me that a God who is described as "merciful", "loving", and "compassionate" not only condones, allows, commands, and encourages this kind of suffering and trauma - he likes it as well, the bible describes it "pleasing" to him. Anyways, God allows the people to make substitutions - so if you really don't want to kill your first born male donkey, you might be able to slip God a lamb in its place. Human first born males however, require a substitute proxy animal, establishing that God doesn't care for human sacrifices unless he himself is doing the killing. However, whatever the case may be, God wants you to kill something for him. I'm also having trouble imagining Moses without the aid of a public address system being able to address over half a million people with his decrees unless he's either got some sort of newsletter to pass around, or if he's just holding a bunch of seminars for a couple hundred people at a time. Perhaps he's given these messages to some of the elders and had them address groups of people, but the way in which the bible is written makes it appear that Moses somehow manages to make himself heard to all 600,000+ people at once - which would be a pretty amazing feat, even with a modern public address system. Meanwhile, we are told that God had decided to lead his people to their "promised land" by taking the long route, as he didn't want to discourage the Israelis by making them fight their way through a more direct route through Philistine country. He notes that possibly some of the Israelis might have given up and simply headed back to Egypt, so he opts for the longer journey for them. Moses upholds the Israeli promise to Joseph - of not being left behind or buried in Egypt - and carries along Joseph's bones on the journey to the promised land, 400 years or so after his death. God now leads the people by taking the forms of giant clouds during the day, and blazing fireballs at night, allowing the people to travel both night and day. |
| Chapter 14 | |
| Summary: | God now instructs Moses to tell the people to turn towards Piha-hiroth and to camp there along the shore, explaining that the Pharaoh (who is apparently about to pursue them) will think that he has trapped the Israelis between the desert and the sea. He tells Moses that he will harden the Pharaoh again, and in turn that he will chase after the people of Israel. When word reached the Pharaoh that the Israelis were not planning on returning to Egypt after their supposed three day excursion, the Pharaoh became angered at the fact that he was losing his slaves. The Pharaoh led a chase in his chariot, along with his army totaling 600 chariots in all. The Pharaoh's entire cavalry of horses, chariots, and charioteers overtook the people of Israel at the shore of Piha-hiroth. As the Egyptian army approached the people of Israel became frightened and begged for God's help. They complained to Moses for getting them into this whole mess, feeling that they would have been better off not having listened to him in the first place. They told him that they wished that they had remained slaves in Egypt as opposed to dying out here in the desert. Moses, however, tells the people to not be afraid, and to prepare to marvel in the miraculous way that God will rescue them. God then tells Moses to cut out the chit-chat and to get the people moving. He tells Moses to hold his rod out over the water and that the sea will open up a path for the people of Israel to cross on dry land. God then moved a cloud around behind them to stand between the Israelis and the Egyptians, and at night became a pillar of fire, giving darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelis. The Egyptians were now having a tough time finding the Israelis.  Meanwhile Moses stretched his rod over the sea, and God opened up a path with walls of water on each side. He caused a strong east wind to blow that night, drying the bottom of the sea. The people of Israel then crossed the sea on dry ground.As the Egyptians went in after them, God started making their chariot wheels come off. The soldiers then shouted to each other to retreat, as God was clearly fighting for the Israelis and against themselves. When all the people of Israel made it across the sea, God tells Moses to again stretch his hand across the sea to close the waters. Moses did as he was commanded, and the sea returned to normal under the morning light. The Egyptians tried to flee, but it was too late and God drowned them all at sea. Not a single member of the Egyptian army that had pursued them across the sea survived. The people of Israel saw the dead Egyptians washed up on the shore, and realized that had witnessed a mighty miracle. They became afraid of God, yet now believed in him and his servant Moses. |
| Thoughts: | The Pharaoh somehow gets wind that the people of Israel have no intentions of returning back to Egypt after the "three day pilgrimage" they'd been requesting for all along. Incensed by the thought of losing all those Hebrew slaves for good, he decides to gather his army of 600 chariots in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, God has his own plan to once again strike another blow to the Egyptians. He has Moses lead the people towards the Red Sea, explaining to him that the Egyptians will think they have cornered them. However, God tells Moses that when he lifts his magic staff over the water, that will cause the Red Sea to part, granting them a pathway to cross the river on dry land. When the Egyptians approach, the people of Israel start getting all huffy with Moses again angry that he had seemed to have led them into another bad situation - this time being a death trap. Moses however, tells them not to fear, but stand back and watch as God rescues them with his spectacular magical powers. God first creates a cloud cover over the Egyptians, leaving them in darkness, while he lights the way for the Israelis with his magical fireball. As Moses waves his magic staff over the water, the Red Sea parts just as God said it would, and God gets to work blowing an eastern wind across the pathway to dry up the floor of the sea. The Israelis manage to cross over the sea, but when the Egyptians finally make it in after them in the morning, God tells Moses to once again raise his hands over the sea to close it back up. The Egyptians trying to flee for their lives all die by drowning in the sea without a single survivor. When dead bodies of the Egyptian soldiers wash up on the shores, the people begin to fear God and profess their belief in him as well as his messenger Moses. Of particular note is the explicit mention of "fear" and how it relates to theistic belief. This has always bothered me that belief is coerced by the notion of fear, and that intimidation lies at the core of belief. Again, another contradiction of God's "love" and "compassion" is when he is a force to be feared - by his followers! |
Monday, March 16, 2009
GENESIS: Chapters 49 & 50
| Chapter 49 | ||
| Summary: | Jacob/Israel called together all of his sons, explaining what would happen to them in the days to come. To Reuben, Jacob says that although he is the oldest son, and at the head of the list in rank and honor, he is unruly and will therefore be demoted in rank due to Reuben having slept with Bilhah*. He then speaks of Simeon and Levi, stating that they are two of a kind and are both evil men. He states that they are men of violence, citing their murdering and animal cruelty. Therefore, Jacob curses that their descendants will be scattered throughout the land of Israel, that they will not receive land as their brothers so. To Judah, he tells that his brothers will praise him, he will destroy his enemies, and that his father's sons shall bow before him. To Zebelun, he says he will dwell on the shore and will be a harbor with borders extending to Sidon. To Issachar, he calls a strong beast of burden. He appreciates the countryside and willingly goes to task, serving his masters with vigor. To Dan, he claims he shall govern like the other tribes of Israel, but compares him to a snake biting at the heels of horses to dismount a rider. He then predicts that a marauding group will stomp Gad, but that he shall rob and pursue them. He says of Asher, that he shall produce rich foods, fit for a king. He compares Naphtali to a deer on the loose, producing offspring. About Joseph, he states that despite having been severely injured by those who have persecuted him, their weapons were shattered by God. He then blesses Joseph again in the name of God. He compares Benjamin to a wolf that prowls and hunts in the morning, dividing his spoils by nightfall. Finishing his blessings to his twelve sons, he informs them that his death is at hand. He insists that he must be buried in Canaan, in the cave in the field of Mach-Pelah. Stating that Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebekah; as well as his own wife Leah are all buried there. Jacob/Israel laid back in bed and took his final breath and died. | |
| Notes: | 1.) This occurs at the end of Chapter 35. | |
| Thoughts: | There's not really much to comment on in Jacob's/Israel's deathbed vigil to his sons. He condemns Reuben, Simeon, and Levi for their acts and makes vague and often strange prophecies about the rest, barring Joseph - who gets his utmost blessing. One interesting note however, is that we find out that Leah was buried in the family cave in Canaan, as opposed to Rachel who got buried near the side of the road going to Bethlehem. It would appear that although you could have many wives, you could only take one (possibly only your first) into the family cemetery. It's rather interesting that Rachel, being the one that Jacob/Israel was truly in love with gets buried by the side of the road, while Leah got the honor of being interred in the family plot. | |
| Chapter 50 | ||
| Summary: | Joseph threw himself over his father's body, wept, and kissed him. He then had his palace morticians embalm his father's body, which took forty days to complete. A period of national mourning commenced for seventy days after. When the period of mourning was over, Joseph requested to speak to the Pharaoh, asking for permission to go bury his father in Canaan, assuring the Pharaoh that he would return promptly to Egypt afterward. The Pharaoh agreed, and sent along a great number of his staff to accompany Joseph and his family, with the exception of the younger children, to Canaan. When they arrived at Atad (meaning "Threshing Place of Brambles"), beyond the Jordan River, they held a great yet somber funeral service, with a seven day period of lamentation for Joseph's father. The local Canaanite residents named the place Abel-mizraim (meaning "Egyptian Mourners"). His sons now did as Israel/Jacob had commanded them, and carried his body into the land of Canaan burying him in the cave of Mach-pelah. Joseph then returned to Egypt with his brothers, who now became frightened that with their father now gone, that Joseph would seek vengeance upon them for all the evil they had done to him long ago. The brothers decided to send Joseph a message claiming that their father had requested that he forgive his brothers for all the evil they had done to him. When Joseph read the message, he broke down in tears. His brothers then came and bowed low before him informing him that they were slaves to Joseph. Joseph, however, told them not to fear him, and explained again that God had turned what they had meant as an act of evil into an act of good. He continued by saying that God had given him this high position to save the lives of many people, and reassured them that he would in turn take care of his brothers and their families. So Joseph, his brothers, and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110, surviving to see the children of his son Ephraim, and the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh. Before his death, he told his brothers that he was near the end of his life, but that God would surely come and bring them out of Egypt and back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He then made his brothers promise that they would take his body with them when they returned to Canaan. Joseph died at the age of 110, was embalmed, and his body laid to rest in a coffin in Egypt. | |
| Thoughts: | Just as we wrapped up the story of Jacob/Israel, we now spend the rest of the chapter finishing off Joseph's story as well. After burying their father in Canaan, Joseph's brothers now become fearful that perhaps their father was the only lynch pin keeping Joseph from seeking revenge upon them for that whole business of attempting to kill him and then selling him off in slavery all those years ago. They decide to make up a last request from their father telling Joseph to forgive them in their father's name, but Joseph upon reading it still can't understand his brothers' hang up. He tells his brothers once again, that the whole being sold into Egyptian slavery business turned out to be a good thing after all, telling them to look at all the power he managed to assume, and with that power he saved a whole bunch of people - including his family, who surely would have starved during the famine. So life goes on, until Joseph starts nearing the age of 110 and realizes he's not as fortunate as his 900 year old ancestors, and even missing the mark set by his father who lived to age 147. He tells his brothers (whom we shall remember are all significantly older than him, except for Benjamin) about his last wishes, to be brought back to Canaan when the people of Israel return there, and they see to it that he is embalmed after his death, where Joseph's remains sit and wait resting in an Egyptian coffin until that fateful day. | |
Sunday, March 15, 2009
GENESIS: Chapters 47 & 48
| Chapter 47 | ||
| Summary: | Upon the arrival of his family, Joseph went to see the Pharaoh to inform him that his family had arrived with their flocks and herds, and wished to settle in the land of Goshen. He took five of his brothers and presented them to the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh asked the brothers as to what their occupations were, to which the brothers replied that they were shepherds. They further explained that due to the famine, there were no pastures left in Canaan, and they requested of the Pharaoh to allow them to live in Goshen. The pharaoh agreed, and added that if any of Joseph's brothers were capable, to put them in charge of the Pharaoh's flocks as well. Joseph then brought his father Jacob before the Pharaoh, and then Jacob blessed the Pharaoh. Asking how old he was, Jacob replied to the Pharaoh that he was 130, but not nearly as old as some of his ancestors. Then Jacob blessed the Pharaoh again before he left. Joseph then assigned the best land of Egypt - the land of Rameses - to his father and brothers, as the Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph furnished food to them according to the number of dependants. The famine grew worse and all the people of Egypt and Canaan began to starve. Joseph collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain and brought the money to the Pharaoh's treasure houses. When the people ran out of money, they came again to Joseph begging for food. Joseph told the people that he would take their livestock in trade for food. Soon all the horses, flocks, herds, and donkeys belonged to the Pharaoh. The next year the people returned once again begging for food, having nothing to offer but their land and themselves. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for the Pharaoh and all the people became serfs. The only land that wasn't purchased was that of the priests, for they were assigned food from the Pharaoh and therefore didn't need to sell. Joseph gave grain to the people and told them to sow the land. He explained that when they harvest the land, one fifth of the crops will belong to the Pharaoh. Joseph made it a law that the Pharaoh's tax would be 20% of all crops, except those grown on the land owned by the temples. Israel/Jacob lived in the land of Goshen and soon the people of Israel began to prosper, and there became a population explosion among them. Jacob/Israel would live for another 17 years after his arrival in Egypt, making him 147 at the time of his death. As his death grew closer, he made Joseph swear to him that he would not be buried in Egypt, but that he would instead be taken back to be buried with his ancestors. | |
| Thoughts: | Joseph takes his brothers and his father up to see the Pharaoh and to plead their case to be allowed to live and work in Egypt. The Pharaoh pretty much feels that any family of Joseph is a-okay in his books and lets them settle in Goshen. When Joseph brings his dad to see the Pharaoh, he blesses him, and tells him about his relatively old age - which he notes is peanuts compared to some of his 900 year old ancestors - and blesses the Pharaoh once again before he leaves. Of note once again, Jacob/Israel is mostly referred to as Jacob in this chapter with the exception of two mentions in the final paragraphs. As the famine worsens, the people of Egypt begin to trade first their livestock, and then their land and freedom in exchange for food, effectively becoming serfs and the Pharaoh owning all of the livestock and land throughout Egypt - except for the priests, as religion always seems to get a free pass from having to pay their own way. It's noted that the priests are getting free food from the Pharaoh, and are exempt from paying taxes on their land as well. Some things never change, I guess... Anyways, Jacob/Israel has a last request to make to his son Joseph, that upon his death he makes Joseph promise to bury him in the cave near Ephron's field at Mach-pelah - the one that Abraham bought all those years ago. The thing that strikes me as odd about this request is that he really didn't seem to mind burying his beloved wife Rachel by the side of the road she died giving birth to Benjamin on. | |
| Chapter 48 | ||
| Summary: | Word came to Joseph that his father's health was failing, so he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim with him to visit him. When Jacob/Israel heard that Joseph had arrived he mustered his strength to sit up in bed and greet him. He tells Joseph that God had blessed him at Luz in Canaan, giving the land to him and his descendants. He continues on telling Joseph that he is adopting his sons Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, meaning that they will inherit from Jacob/Israel just the same as Reuben and Simeon will. He adds that any other children Joseph has will be his own, and will have to inherit Ephraim's and Manasseh's portions from Joseph. Israel/Jacob then looks over at the two boys asking Joseph if they are indeed his sons. After Joseph confirms that they are his sons, Israel/Jacob tells Joseph to bring them closer so that he can bless them. Joseph takes the boys by their hands and bows low before his father, leading the boys to their grandfather's knees - Ephraim at Israel's left hand; Manasseh at Israel's right.  Israel however, crosses his hands as he lay them across the boys heads, placing his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger boy, and his left upon Manasseh. He begins blessing Joseph, but has upset him when he sees that Israel's right hand was placed upon Ephraim's head. He tells his father that he's got the wrong hands upon the wrong child and tries to lift Israel's right hand off of Ephraim, but Israel refused, stating that he knew what he was doing. He explained that although Manasseh would become a great nation, his younger brother Ephraim would become even greater. He then blesses the boys and tells Joseph that he's about to die. He continues to tell him that God will be with Joseph, and that Joseph will inherit the land of Shekem - that Israel himself had taken from the Amorites with his sword and with his bow. | |
| Thoughts: | Even in his last few chapters, the Jacob/Israel swap continues as he lay on his death bed. The news of Israel's fading health reaches his son Joseph, who takes his two sons down to see their grandfather. Israel then adopts the boys as full fledged sons, explaining that they will inherit the same amount as Reuben and Simeon, and offers to bless them. However, grandpa put his right hand on the younger boy Ephraim, instead of the older boy Manasseh to Joseph's displeasure. The significance of this is fueled by the superstition that the right hand is more pure and virtuous than the evil left hand. In the ancient Hebrew beliefs, the hand symbolized power and custody, where the left hand was used to shame society and was a metaphor for natural evil, and to invoke punishment from the gods. In many languages the term "right" (including English) is synonymous with justice and being correct and due to the overwhelming prevalence of right handed people, was considered the "proper hand". Even more interesting is that the latin root for "left" is "sinister". Therefore, fueled by the superstition of the day, Joseph is horrified to see that the "right handed" blessing was being bestowed upon Ephraim, his younger son, while Manasseh, the older child gets the "left handed" inferior blessing. Today, we can see that this is all just nonsense and superstition, but even as recently as within the past 50 years, left handed Catholic school children were forcefully made to write and eat with their right hands based on their superstitious beliefs. Even today, in some religious cultures (such as in the Arab world) it is customary to shake hands with the right, and considered rude and insulting to offer out your left hand. | |
GENESIS: Chapters 45 & 46
| Chapter 45 | ||
| Summary: | Joseph couldn't keep his deception going any longer and ordered his servants out of the room. He wept aloud and his sobs were heard throughout the palace, and the news quickly carried to the Pharaoh's palace. He tells his brothers that he is Joseph and asks his brother's if his father is still alive*. His brothers just stared in stunned silence. Joseph asks them to come closer and again tells them that he is their brother Joseph, whom they sold into slavery - which he tells them not to be angry at themselves for, as he tells them that God had planned for him all along to venture into Egypt, sending him ahead to preserve their lives from the famine. He further explains that he has been made into a counselor to the Pharaoh, and manages the entire nation of Egypt. Joseph then tells his brothers to return to their father and tell him that he, his son Joseph, is alive and well in Egypt and tells them to bring their father and their children back to Egypt and live in the city of Goshen. He explains that there is still five years of famine to be had and that Joseph will take care of them in Goshen. Weeping with joy he embraces his brothers - and the news soon reached the Pharaoh that Joseph's brothers had come, who was pleased to hear the news, as were the Pharaoh's officials. The Pharaoh told Joseph to have his brothers return to Canaan to get their families and that he would assign to them the best land in Egypt for them to live in. The Pharaoh then gave Joseph a fleet of wagons for the brothers to use to move their families to Egypt. Joseph prepared the wagons with provisions, gave them to his brothers along with new clothes - but to Benjamin, he also gave him three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothes. He sent along with them ten donkey loads of goods, along with ten donkeys loaded with grain and all sorts of other foods for his father to eat along his journey. Sending his brothers off, he shouted after them to not quarrel along their journey. They returned again to Canaan and to their father Jacob*/Israel telling him that Joseph is alive and ruling Egypt. Although Jacob/Israel at first refuses to believe it, somehow seeing the loaded wagons convinces him that his sons are telling the truth about Joseph. He states that he will go and see his son before he dies. | |
| Notes: | 1.) Despite having asked this just yesterday in Chapter 44 to his brothers before the feast. His brothers couldn't possibly have answered any differently. 2.) Again, Israel is referred to by his old name of Jacob again. | |
| Thoughts: | Joseph finally comes clean to his brothers, tells them not to feel badly about how they had sold him into slavery, and credits his good fortune to God's will. He tells his brothers to fetch their father and their families to come live in Egypt where he can better look after them during the famine. Word gets back to the Pharaoh that Joseph's brothers had arrived in Egypt and the Pharaoh (despite being noted in the previous chapter that Egyptians despise Hebrews) is happy to have Joseph's family come and live amongst them in Egypt. He gives Joseph a slew of wagons to give to his brothers to help them move and tells him that they can live in the choicest pieces of land in Egypt. As Joseph sets them off with supplies for their journey, he once again shows favoritism towards Benjamin, giving him a bunch of money and four extra sets of clothes more than the rest of his siblings. The extreme lengths that Joseph takes with giving Benjamin more than his brothers just seems to come off a bit silly in the story. It also seems like there may be some numerological significance with the number five as mentioned with Joseph's dinner portions being five times that of his brothers, and now being given five sets of clothes. Again the chapter reverts back to Israel's original name of Jacob which adds to the confusion of identifying them as one and the same. It also makes one question whether the whole "Israel" name change is going to stick or not. Jacob/Israel has a hard time buying his son's story that Joseph is alive and ruling Egypt, but for some inexplicable reason is convinced when he sees all the goodies they brought with them from Egypt. The chapter ends foreshadowing that Jacob/Israel is not far from death and that his story in the book of Genesis is coming to a close. | |
| Chapter 46 | ||
| Summary: | Israel sets off with all his possessions and came to Beer-sheba where he sacrifices animals to God. During the night God speaks to him in a vision, calling out "Jacob! Jacob!" As his typical introduction God announces that he is God, the god of Jacob's/Israel's father Isaac. He tells Jacob/Israel not to be afraid to travel to Egypt, reminding him once again that he will make him a great nation there, and that he will bring his descendants back from there, but tells Jacob/Israel that he will die there with Joseph at his side. So Jacob leaves Beer-sheeba, with his sons bringing him to Egypt, along with their families, in the wagons the Pharaoh had given them. The chapter now gives another listing of Jacob's/Israel's family that traveled with him to Egypt:
Jacob's children from the slave-girl Zilpah also traveled with him to Egypt and are listed as follows:
Back to our story, Jacob sends Judah on ahead to tell Joseph that they were on their way, set to arrive in Goshen. Joseph jumped into his chariot and met his father in Goshen, and they embraced and wept together. Israel*/Jacob tells Joseph that he can now die peacefully, as he has finally seen his son Joseph alive and well. Joseph then tells his brothers and their families that he will tell the Pharaoh that they have arrived safely. He also instructs them to tell the Pharaoh that they are all shepherds, and that have been shepherds since their youth, and that their family has been shepherding for generations. He explains to them when the Pharaoh hears this, he will let them live in Goshen. The chapter finishes by noting that shepherds were hated in other parts of Egypt. | |
| Notes: | 1.) Despite the fact that God himself renamed Jacob to Israel - stating the he "will no longer be called Jacob" in both Chapter 32 (while wrestling with the strange Man) and in Chapter 35 when he appears to him at Bethel - he reverts back to calling him Jacob again here. 2.) For some reason the chapter notes that Shaul's mother was a girl from Canaan. 3.) The chapter inexplicably lists Er and Onan, and then goes on to explain that they both died back in Canaan. 4.) Inexplicably, the chapter - which has been using the name of Jacob thus far - instead uses the name Israel here. | |
| Thoughts: | The first thing that springs to mind when reading this chapter is the flip-flopping between the names Jacob and Israel throughout. He is referred as Israel curiously only at the beginning and end of the chapter, with the rest referring to him by Jacob. Even more curious is that God calls out to him addressing him as Jacob. This is strange as it was God who changed his name to Israel (twice), and even stating that he "will no longer be known as Jacob" (both times). God also gets a bit morbid by telling Jacob/Israel that he will die in Egypt, even going so far as to tell him that he will die by Joseph's side. Most people generally don't want to know when and where they're going to die, and probably more so, details about their death. The chapter continues on giving us yet another long series of lists of Jacob's descendants, initially under the premise of stating everybody that is traveling to Egypt from Canaan, but curiously also includes Judah's sons Er and Onan - whom God killed way back in Chapter 38 which occurs roughly around the same time that Joseph was sold as a slave to the Ishmaelite traders. The interesting thing to note, however, with these lists is the numbers they produce. The descendants of Jacob and Leah total 33 (not including their daughter Dinah, but including Er and Onan); the descendants of Jacob and Zilpah total 16; the descendants of Jacob and Rachel total 14; the descendants of Jacob and Bilhah total 7. Combined this count makes 70. Now, taking out Joseph and his sons (who are already in Egypt), Er and Onan (who were killed), and now counting Jacob we have 66 descendants traveling to Egypt. I don't think these numbers are accidental or coincidental, I suspect that they were picked intentionally. I don't know a lot about numerology to explain the entire significance, but the number seven has been considered mystical and magical far predating Judeo-Christianity. There are seven days of the week, seven phases of the moon, the creation story took place over seven days, the seven years of harvest vs the seven years of famine, we will see later on that there are seven deadly sins, etc. Here we have 70 descendants: 7 descendants hailing from Jacob and Bilhah; 14 descendants (14 is a pair of sevens) from Jacob and Rachel; 16 descendants (1+6=7) from Jacob and Zilpah; leaving us with 33 (another notable number) to contend with from Leah, which is exactly half of the total descendants traveling to Egypt - 66. Perhaps I wouldn't make a big deal out of this issue so much if the chapter itself wasn't stressing these numbers in the first place, which is drawing attention to their significance. Moving along, the chapter finally closes out with Israel/Jacob (being referred to as Israel again) finally at peace with dying now that he has laid eyes once again on his son Joseph seeing him alive. The last thing we're treated to is an odd instruction by Joseph to his family to explain to the Pharaoh their professions in Shepherding to ensure that the Pharaoh lets them settle in Goshen - as it's mentioned that shepherds are despised and hated in other parts of Egypt(?). So far we've come to learn the the Egyptians hate shepherds and Hebrews, so I'm pretty sure Hebrew Shepherds would aspire even more hatred. | |
GENESIS: Chapters 43 & 44
| Chapter 43 | ||
| Summary: | The famine kept on and the grain that Israel's/Jacob's family had gotten from Egypt was nearly gone. Israel told his sons to return to Egypt to buy more grain. Judah reminded his father that they couldn't return to Egypt without Benjamin, to which Israel replied by asking why they ever even mentioned having another brother. Judah tells him that they had no choice and that the man specifically asked about their family*, and that they couldn't have guessed that the man would ask them to send Benjamin. Israel tells his sons that if they have to bring Benjamin, then they should at least present the man with the finest gifts they could afford, and bring twice the amount of money to pay the man back for the last bags of grain. The brothers then headed off to Egypt with Benjamin, the gifts, and with double the amount of money. When they appeared before Joseph with Benjamin, Joseph told the manager of his household to take the brothers to his palace and prepare a big feast. When the brothers saw where they were being taken, they became very frightened that they would be taken as slaves. As they arrived at the entrance to the palace, they explained to the household manager about finding the money at the tops of their sacks from the last time they bought grain, and offered to repay Joseph. The household manager told them not to worry, adding that their god must have put it there, as they had collected the brothers money all right. Then he released Simeon and brought him out to his brothers. Then the brothers were given water to soak their feet and their donkeys were fed. The brothers then got their presents ready for Joseph's arrival, and when Joseph arrived at noon the brothers gave him the presents while bowing low before him. Joseph then asked the brothers about their father, whether he was still alive and in good health, to which the brothers replied that he was alive and well. Looking at his brother Benjamin, Joseph then asked the brothers if this was indeed Benjamin, to which his brothers confirmed that he was. Joseph, overcome with love for his brother made a hasty exit and wept in his bedroom chamber. He then washed his face and came out with his emotions under control. As they began their meal, Joseph ate by himself while his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, as they despise Hebrews and never eat with them. Joseph had told each brother where to sit and had arranged them sitting from oldest to youngest much to the amazement of the brothers. He gave the largest servings to Benjamin - five times as much as the others - and kept the wine flowing freely during the meal. | |
| Notes: | 1.) We have to assume that either Judah is lying or that the author was asleep at the wheel. Judah's explanation to his father contradicts the way the story occurs in Chapter 42. | |
| Thoughts: | Faced with starvation (rather than concern for getting their brother Simeon out of an Egyptian prison) Israel finally allows his sons to take Benjamin to Egypt with them while they attempt to buy more food. Israel also decides that a little bribery would probably help their cause as well, and sends them along with a bunch of gifts, as well as double the money they would need, in order to pay back Joseph for the money they found at the top of their grain sacks the last time. When they appear before Joseph, Joe gets all teary eyed at the sight of his full blooded younger brother (Benjamin and Joseph share the same mother, and are the only sons Israel had with Rachel) and has to excuse himself to have a good cry in his bedroom. While the brothers were initially on edge as they arrived at the palace, thinking that they were about to begin lives in slavery, Joseph tells them that they are here for a feast. The chapter takes a slight dig at vilifying the Egyptians some more by mentioning their antisemitic views of not sitting down to eat with Hebrew people. This mention here seems out of place and somewhat derails the story, but should be expected as the bible misses little opportunity to vilify the Egyptians. As they are served their meals, Joseph shows obvious favoritism towards Benjamin giving him five times(!) as much food as the rest, which seems a bit excessive unless he gave the rest of his brothers Weight Watchers sized portions. | |
| Chapter 44 | ||
| Summary: | When Joseph's brothers were done with their meals and ready to leave, Joseph ordered his servants to fill each of the brothers' grain sacks with as much grain as they could carry, and to once again put the money they had paid at the top of their sacks. In addition, he had his servants place Joseph's own silver cup at the top of Benjamin's sack. The brothers were up at dawn the next day and went on their way with their loaded up donkeys. However, when they were barely out of the city, Joseph told his head servant to follow after them and confront them about why they had "stolen" Joseph's silver drinking cup when Joseph had been so kind to them. When the servant caught up to the brothers and told them what Joseph had instructed him to, the brothers replied in disbelief, stating that if the silver cup was found on any of them, let that brother be killed and the rest would serve in slavery forever. The servant replied instead that if one of them was caught with the cup, then that brother would serve as a slave and the others could go free. The servant searched each brother's sack, going from oldest to youngest, finally finding the cup in Benjamin's sack. They ripped their clothing in despair, loaded the donkeys again and returned to the city to plead with Joseph. Joseph was still home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. Joseph asked them what was the meaning of stealing his silver drinking cup, to which Judah pleaded their innocence and explained that they had all returned to serve as Joseph's slaves. Joseph repeated that only the man who stole the cup would serve as a slave, and that the rest of the brothers could return home to their father. Judah then recaps the events of the last two chapters to Joseph, and further explains that Benjamin is special to their father as the last remaining son from his mother, and that their father would die from sorrow if anything happened to Benjamin. Judah continues to explain that his father had entrusted him personally with Benjamin's safety and offers himself to serve as a slave in place of Benjamin. | |
| Thoughts: | Joseph once again sets his brothers up by putting their money back into the top of their grain sacks, but this time ups the ante by stashing his silver cup in Benjamin's sack to frame him as a thief. He sends his servants to go catch the brothers, and more specifically to "catch the thief" amongst them. Interestingly, the servant is able to remember the ages of all eleven brothers as it's mentioned that he checks the bags of each of them from oldest to youngest. It begs the question as to how much the servant(s) were told about Joseph's plans, as the bible fails to mention specifically how much or how little the servants knew about Joseph's schemes towards his brothers. It's just odd that the servant would be able to memorize the exact sequence of the brothers' ages after seeing them only twice, once the entire group the night prior, and ten of the brothers, presumably months prior, where their ages weren't explicitly mentioned or given in the chapter. Another interesting thing to note is how Judah pretty much takes over as the spokesman of the brothers, where prior the brothers' words were generalized as coming from all of them. After Benjamin is taken back as a slave to Joseph's palace, Judah bears the responsibility (after recapping the last two chapters at length) and offers to serve in slavery in his brother's place. | |
Friday, March 13, 2009
GENESIS: Chapters 41 & 42
| Chapter 41 | ||
| Summary: | One night two years later, the Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the Nile when suddenly seven sleek, fat cows emerged from the river and began grazing on the grass nearby. A second set of seven cows, these being skinny and emaciated, emerged from the river and ate the seven fat cows. The Pharaoh woke up, but he drifted back to sleep having a second dream. This time he dreamed of seven heads of grain on one stalk, with every kernel being well formed and plump. Suddenly seven more kernels appeared on the stalk, but these were shriveled by the eastern winds. Finally the shriveled kernels swallowed the plump kernels before the Pharaoh once again woke up. The next morning, as the Pharaoh pondered about the dreams meaning he summoned all the magicians and sages of Egypt to interpret his dreams to no avail. Finally the Pharaoh's wine taster spoke up about Joseph and told him about the dreams that he and the baker had, and how Joseph had predicted their futures with perfect accuracy. The Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, who was rushed out of prison, washed, shaved, and given a fresh set of clothes before appearing before the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh asks Joseph if he can interpret the dreams that his sages and magicians could not, and Joseph tells him that although he alone cannot, God can interpret his dreams. The Pharaoh then repeats his dreams to Joseph.  Joseph tells him that both dreams meant the same thing: that God was telling him what he is planning to do in the land of Egypt. He explains that the seven fat cows and well-formed heads of grain meant that seven years of prosperity lay ahead, and that the seven skinny cows and withered heads of grain signified a famine would follow for the next seven years. He further explains that the double dream gives double impact and will surely happen as God decreed it. Joseph then suggests to the Pharaoh that he find the wisest man in Egypt and place him in charge of administration of Egypt's farming, and to appoint officials to collect a fifth of all the crops to store away for the seven years of famine. Pharaoh was impressed by his interpretation and his suggestions, and noted that since God has revealed the meaning of these dreams to Joseph, that he must be the wisest man in Egypt. He then appoints Joseph to become the administrator of the land, only to be outranked by the Pharaoh himself. The Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph's finger and dressed him in lavish clothing to signify his authority. He also gives to Joseph a chariot and a wife - a girl named Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis - making Joseph famous throughout Egypt at the age of 30. Just as Joseph had predicted, the next seven years yielded a crop surplus that Joseph stored in the granaries over various cities throughout Egypt. Over the next seven years the granaries were either full overflowing. Before the arrival of the first year of the famine, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath. He named his oldest son Manasseh (meaning "Made to Forget*") and the youngest was named Ephraim (meaning "Fruitful"). As the years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted, people began to starve. They pleaded with the Pharaoh for food, and the Pharaoh sent them to Joseph, who sold grain to the Egyptians and to travelers from other lands who came to Egypt in search of food. | |
| Notes: | 1.) Alluding to God making up to him the anguish suffered in his youth. | |
| Thoughts: | Joseph's dream interpretations come to his own rescue from prison when the wine taster finally remembers about Joseph in the Pharaoh's time of need. Much like I wrote about in my thoughts about Chapter 40 the fortune telling aspect of dreams makes little sense in regards to what we know about dream states today. Even with our knowledge aside and for the sake of argument allowing supernatural elements to explain things, the notion that dreams can or are predicting the future - or God's will - still makes little sense at all. What is actually being implied here in this chapter? That all dreams are prophetic (which we know is not true), that God can choose to reveal prophecies through dreams, that God feels the need to reveal prophecies to select people or to everyone? Why does God need to communicate messages in the forms of riddled symbolism and metaphor (recall that this is not limited to just the Egyptians, Joseph had these riddled dreams as a child as well), when at other times he appears to people in dreams giving clear and concise messages (such as to Laban in Chapter 31)? Also, quite frankly, these riddled dreams aren't very impressive in their terms of difficulty to discern, which makes it very hard to swallow that no-one in Egypt could have guessed the same - or at least similar - answer that Joseph provided. Nowadays we have all sorts of unqualified "professional psychics", mystics, and mentalists who literally have boatloads of guesses and hunches to what people's dreams may mean and often try their hands predicting the future with comical results. I find it difficult to believe that with the tendency of human nature to clamor towards fame that nobody in Egypt could take a stab as to what the Pharaoh's dream meant. So, Joseph becomes a wealthy celebrity around Egypt and immediately becomes the Pharaoh's second in command (even before waiting around to see if Joseph's prophecies come true or not) and is entrusted with the country's agriculture stock. He's given a wife and a fancy ride and manages to have two sons before the famine comes, only to now become richer from selling the grain he stocked to not only the citizens of Egypt, but to those traveling from other nearby countries. | |
| Chapter 42 | ||
| Summary: | When Jacob*/Israel heard that there was grain available in Egypt he sends his ten oldest sons there to buy some. Jacob however, wouldn't let his youngest son Benjamin join his brothers out of fear that something might happen to him, as like had happened to Benjamin's older brother Joseph. As Joseph was governor of all Egypt, and in charge of selling the grain, it was to him that his brothers came and bowed low before him. Joseph recognized them immediately but pretended as though he didn't. As Joseph asks them where they are from he remembers the dreams from his childhood, but he accuses his brothers before him of being spies, charging that they came to judge how destitute the land of Egypt had become during the famine. The brothers swore their innocence, further explaining that they were of 12 brothers from Canaan, that their youngest brother was staying behind with their father, and that another of their brothers had died. Joseph continued to feign disbelief in their story and told them that he needed proof to verify their story. He told the brothers that they could confirm their story by bringing their younger brother before him, but that he would allow only one of them to retrieve him while the other nine brothers would be kept in prison. Before a choice was to be made, he threw all ten of them into prison for three days. After three days in prison, Joseph tells them that he will take a chance on assuming them as honorable, by allowing them all to leave except one, and that the rest may go home with grain for their families. However, he insists that they must still bring their youngest brother before him if they wish to be spared. Speaking amongst themselves the brothers began blaming themselves for their situation on account for what they had done to Joseph years ago. Reuben chimed in claiming that he had insisted all along that killing Joseph was a bad idea, believing that they were now all going to die on account of it. The brothers were unaware that Joseph was able to understand them as they spoke as he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. Joseph left the room to weep in private, and upon his return he selected Simeon to remain in prison while he released the rest of his brothers. Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men's grain sacks with grain and secretly told his servants to also put each brother's payment at the top of his sack. The brothers loaded up their donkeys with the grain sacks and headed back home. When they stopped for the night, one of the brothers* opened his sack to get some grain to feed the donkeys and spotted his money at the top of the sack. Trembling they wondered aloud what was it that God was doing to them. When they returned to Canaan they told their story to their father Jacob, and as they emptied their sacks they all discovered their money at the top of each bag. Fear engulfed them as well as their father. Jacob cried that he had been bereaved of his children, stating the loss of Joseph, Simeon not coming back, and now losing Benjamin too. Reuben offered to Jacob permission to kill his two sons if he doesn't bring Benjamin back, but Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go, stating that without Joseph, Benjamin alone is the only child left from his mother (Rachel), and that if anything should happen to Benjamin, Jacob would die. | |
| Notes: | 1.) Israel is inexplicably referred to again by his former name of Jacob in this chapter. 2.) It is not specified as to which brother. | |
| Thoughts: | We begin chapter 42 with a strange reversion back to Israel's birth name of Jacob for reasons that aren't clear. As the famine affects Jacob's family, he sends his sons to Egypt where there is a surplus of grain to purchase. Out of fear of losing him, Jacob does not allow Benjamin to accompany his brothers to Egypt. When the brothers arrive, they're unaware that they're attempting to buy grain from their long lost and forgotten brother Joseph, however Joseph recalls them instantly. Joseph then begins messing with his brothers' heads by accusing them of being spies, locking them in jail for three days, insisting that they bring up Benjamin from Canaan to prove(?) that their story about being brothers is true(?), and by secretly giving their money back to them - filling them with terror that they may now be accused of being thieves as well as spies if they return. It's difficult to understand how - for the sake of logic - that bringing Benjamin up from Canaan would prove anything, and why the brothers didn't think of possibly bringing one of their sons to pose as Benjamin. In the context of the story we know why Joseph wants them to bring Benjamin and why the brothers are frightened at the prospect of having to do so, but the whole plot doesn't seem to make sense out of just using a bit of logic and common sense. How would they suspect that Joseph would be able to see past the rouse of bringing up one of Jacob's grandsons instead of Benjamin, or how Benjamin's presence proves that they aren't spies. Anyways, upon freaking his whole family out by placing their money into their grain sacks, Jacob doesn't seem to be willing to budge on letting Benjamin travel out to Egypt, so I guess Simeon can rot in jail for all Jacob cares. | |
GENESIS: Chapters 39 & 40
| Chapter 39 | ||
| Summary: | (As explained already in Chapter 37) when Joseph arrived in Egypt as a captive of the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, a officer of the Pharaoh. Potiphar was the captain of the Pharoah's bodyguards and his chief executioner. God greatly blessed Joseph in the home of his master so that everything he did, he succeeded. Potiphar took notice of this and realized that God was with Joseph, so Joseph gained favoritism with him. Soon Joseph was put in charge of the administration of the household and all of Potiphar's business affairs. God now began to bless Potiphar for the sake of Joseph. As the household ran smoothly, the crops and flocks flourished and multiplied, and Joseph was give complete responsibility over everything that Potiphar owned. Potiphar's wife began trying to seduce Joseph, but he refused her advances reminding her of his loyalty to Potiphar and that what she was suggesting was a great sin against God. However she kept on trying, and Joseph attempted to keep out of her way as much as possible. One day she catches Joseph alone, grabs his sleeve, and begs him to sleep with her. As he struggles to flee from her, Potiphar's wife is left with Joseph's jacket still in her hands and she decides to scream rape. When Potiphar arrived home his wife tells him that Joseph had tried to rape her and that she was saved only by her screams, while clutching his jacket. None too amused, Potiphar throws Joseph in prison. God blessed Joseph in his prison as well, and granted him favor with the chief jailer. Soon the jailer entrusted Joseph with the administration of the prison, and due to God's blessings, the prison ran smooth and efficiently. | |
| Thoughts: | Joseph, apparently being God's chosen one now - ahead of his father Israel/Jacob - is (much like his father, his grandfather Isaac, and great-grandfather Abraham before him) blessed with a King Midas-like touch, where everything he does excels to the maximum. Even as a slave (and later a model prisoner) Joseph makes the best of the situation by being the best slave he can be, while upholding his loyalty and moral standards by refusing to be seduced by the lady of the house. However, when Mrs. Potiphar, being the sexually frustrated wife that she is, can't get Joseph to mess around she finds herself accusing Joseph of trying to rape her in order to get him thrown into prison. Much like his life as a slave, Joseph also excels at being a model prisoner and is soon running the prison (with God's help of course). Nothing is said about whether Potiphar's home-life goes to shambles or not, but I can only assume if he's visited the jail anytime while at work, that he's probably headed for Egyptian Divorce Court soon enough. | |
| Chapter 40 | ||
| Summary: | Sometime later the Pharaoh got upset with his chief baker and his wine taster and threw them into jail. They remained in prison for a while and Potiphar assigns Joseph to wait on them. One night both the baker and the wine taster had strange dreams, but couldn't find anyone to help figure them out. When Joseph hears about their dreams he tells them that interpreting dreams is God's business and asks them what they had dreamed. The wine taster went first and told Joseph that in his dream he saw a vine with three branches that began to blossom, soon providing clusters of ripe grapes. The wine taster finishes his dream, explaining that he had squeezed the grapes into the Pharaoh's wine cup and then gave it to him to drink. Joseph tells him that the dream means that in three days the Pharaoh will release him from prison and give him his job back. He then tells the wine taster to have pity on him and put in a good word to the Pharaoh on his behalf. The baker went next, telling Joseph that in his dream that he was carrying three baskets of pastries on his head, the topmost being filled with all sorts of baked goods for the Pharaoh, but that the birds swept by and ate them. Joseph explained to the baker that his dream signified that in three days the Pharaoh would decapitate him and impale his body on a stake, leaving the remains for the birds to pick at. The Pharaoh's birthday came three days later and preparing for his party he summoned both the baker and the wine taster from prison. As Jacob predicted, the wine taster was given back his job and the baker was executed. However, the wine taster forgot all about Joseph and never mentioned his plight to the Pharaoh. | |
| Thoughts: | Dreams can be fascinating experiences, but they are not by any means some sort of magic fortune telling experience. Our dreams are a reflection of our subconscious, which means that the things we dream about are not predicting the unknown, but tapping into what we already do know. Dreams can seem magical where we can often do the impossible, but they are not telling us things we don't already know. To the ancients of the Bronze Age, who out of ignorance and superstition believed a lot of crazy things - like seamonsters dwelling in the oceans, the sun revolving around a flat earth, and mythical beings like giants - dreams must have seemed like a pathway to the gods to them. However fascinating dreams may be and the things they might tell us about ourselves, dreams do not tell the future any more so than a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant. I'm sure for the sake of our story we could assume that perhaps the supernatural, in the form of God, could have possibly guided these dreams, but it isn't stated and is presumptuous at best. The problem with taking the angle of a biblical apologist is that while trying to assert that the bible is in fact "truth" or the "word of God", it takes a lot of human interjection, guesses, and theory to explain things. If we're to assume truth in the biblical text, then shouldn't we just work with the information we have and not inject far fetched theories to explain the gaps? What I'm getting at is that the miraculous defies credibility, and if the miraculous did, or could happen, then the bible should be our only source of when and where that could have occurred. Inventing miraculous explanations of your own accord shouldn't be an option when there's no basis for making such a wild claim. Anyways, Joseph's story is meant to further enforce his connection and alliance with God - as he states that interpreting dreams is God's work - and sure enough his psychic predictions for both the baker and the wine taster come to fruition just as Joseph had said they would. We close off the chapter once again with a dig at how villainous the Egyptians can be when the wine taster forgets all about poor Joseph rotting away in prison. | |
Thursday, March 12, 2009
GENESIS: Chapters 37 & 38
| Chapter 37 | ||
| Summary: | Jacob/Israel settled once again in the land of Canaan when his son Joseph was seventeen years old. Joseph's job, like his half-brothers, was to shepherd his father's flocks, but he often would tattle-tale on the bad things his brothers were doing. Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, due to the fact that Joseph was born to him in his old age, and gave Jacob a special gift of a brightly colored coat. His brothers of course noticed their father's partiality and thus hated Joseph for it. One night Joseph had a dream that he couldn't wait to share with his brothers. He told them that in the dream, they were out binding sheaves when his sheaf stood up and his brothers sheaves bowed low before it. His brothers scoffed at Joseph's dream and his arrogance for apparently desiring to become a king over them. Shortly after, Joseph reported another dream he had, this time being that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him. This time he also told his father along with his brothers, but his father was having none of it. While Joseph's brothers began to hate him even more for his seemingly arrogant dreams, his father pondered what Joseph's dreams might mean. One day when Joseph's brothers had gone off and taken their father's sheep to graze in Shechem, he asked Joseph to follow them out there to check on them. When Joseph arrived however, he didn't find his brothers. A man who noticed him wandering about tells Joseph that his brothers had left, but that he overheard that they were headed to Dothan. Joseph travels to Dothan, but when his brothers notice him coming in the distance they hatch a plan to kill him. They planned to kill Joseph and toss his body into a well, and that they'd tell their father that he was attacked and eaten by a wild animal. But Reuben, hoping to spare Joseph's life, persuades his brothers not to kill Joseph, but to simply throw him down into the well alive, so that he would die without leaving his blood on their hands. When Joseph arrived, his brothers pulled off his brightly colored coat and tossed Joseph into an empty well. When the brothers sat down for supper that evening, they noticed a caravan of camels coming towards them in the distance. Judah tells his brothers that instead of leaving Joseph to die, that they should sell him off to these Ishmaelite traders passing through. After they pulled Joseph out of the well, they sold him to the traders for twenty pieces of silver. Reuben, who's idea it was to spare Joseph's life, had been away when the traders passed through, and when he returned to the well later that night to rescue his brother. When he found the empty well without his brother, Reuben tore at his clothes out of anguish and frustration.  The brothers then killed a goat and splattered it's blood upon Joseph's coat. When they returned home they showed the coat to their father Israel, telling them that they had found it out in the fields, and asked their father if this was Joseph's coat. Israel broke down in sobs and mourned his son for many weeks.Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders had sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer to the Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard, and chief executioner. | |
| Thoughts: | This chapter basically serves to set up the story of Joseph, who through his boastful dreams, tattle-tales, and being his father's favorite has earned the ire of his brothers who decide to kill him. Reuben is made to appear as the only remorseful brother of the bunch, by convincing his brothers to not kill Joseph right away, but to leave him to die alone in the well - under the guise that Joseph's blood wouldn't be on their hands. However, Reuben's real intentions were to free Joseph from the well late that night, a plan that was thrown askew by brother Judah who noticed some traders passing by and opted to sell Joseph into slavery. The brothers then slay a goat and splatter its blood onto Joseph's coat, bringing it to Israel for a positive identification. Israel goes into mourning, while Joseph has been sold off in Egypt to a palace guard and executioner. | |
| Chapter 38 | ||
| Summary: | Around this time Judah left home and moved to Adullam, and lived there with a man named Hirah. There he met and married a Canaanite girl - the daughter of Shua. They lived at Chezib and had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. They were named by their mother except for Er, who was named by Judah. When his oldest son Er grew up, Judah had arranged for him to marry a girl named Tamar. However, God deemed Er a wicked man and killed him. Judah then tells Onan that according to their laws, Onan is now required to marry Tamar so that her sons could with him would be Er's heirs. However Onan was not very keen on the idea of fathering any children that would not be counted as his own, so whenever he slept with Tamar he refused to ejaculate inside of her* and in turn angered God enough to kill him also. Judah then told his daughter-in-law Tamar not to remarry, but to return home to her parents as to wait until Shelah was old enough to marry her. Judah however had no intentions of letting his now only son Shelah marry Tamar, fearful that God would kill him too. After some time, Judah's wife died, and after the period of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah went to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. Tamar realizing by now that she was not going to be permitted to marry Shelah, as he was fully grown by now, she laid aside her widow's clothing and covered herself in a veil and sat beside the road at the entrance of Enaim, which was on the way to Timnah. Judah noticed her as he went by, thinking she was a prostitute, and propositioned her. He offered to pay her with a goat from his flock up in Timnah, but she asked Judah to leave behind his walking stick and identification seal as collateral for his payment. He gave them to her and proceeded to sleep with her, in turn impregnating her. When Judah later asked Hirah to bring the goat back to her and collect his collateral, Hirah was unable to find the prostitute. Hirah asked the men of the city about the prostitute and was told that the city didn't have any prostitutes. Hirah returned to Judah and explained to him what he had been told. About three months later, word got out that his daughter-in-law Tamar was pregnant, and was obviously the result of prostitution. Judah upon hearing this exclaimed, "Bring her out and burn her!" As she was being taken out to be killed she sent a message to her father-in-law Judah explaining that the man who owns the identification seal and walking stick that she possessed, was the father of her child. Judah admitted that these were his and realized that he was now more in the wrong than she was for not keeping his promise to allow her to marry Shelah. Judah however, did not marry Tamar. When Tamar gave birth it was to twin sons. As they were being born, the midwife tied a scarlet thread around the wrist of the child who appeared first, but he drew back his hand and the other child was born first instead. The first born was named Perez (meaning "Bursting out"), while the baby with the scarlet thread around his wrist was named Zerah. | |
| Notes: | 1.) The bible specifically says that Onan "spilled his seed upon the bed". | |
| Thoughts: | A quite colorful chapter detailing Israel's son Judah, his sons, and the "daughter-in-law of death". Er seems to be doomed right from the get go by his wickedness that causes God to kill him before he can have children with Tamar. Onan now has to step up to the plate to impregnate Tamar, however the offspring according to customs would in fact be Er's descendants and not Onan's own. Onan, not too happy with that arrangement opts to employ messing the sheets as a form of birth control and is killed by the wrath of God as well. It's really difficult to figure what the whole motive and point for God's killings are here. First we kill off Er, as God deems him wicked, but he kills him before he can have any heirs. Now Onan, as little as he is described, doesn't appear to be doing anything wicked, but more over just being defiant and self-centered. Now God's official reason for killing Onan in this chapter is because he feels it is very wrong of Onan to deny his brother Er a descendant...however isn't this whole mess partially God's fault to begin with? Why is God so concerned with these bizarre man-made customs (there is nothing that states that this is God's mandate) of marriage and descendants that are obviously now obsolete to the majority of Abrahamic religions nowadays that he feels death is an appropriate punishment to serve. Essentially God strikes down Onan for practicing birth control as he's unwilling to clean up a mess that God helped make in the first place. Now with two sons down and one not quite old enough to go, Judah has Tamar go back home to her family and play the widow for a while. Judah's wife's death is very casually mixed into the story, which to me appears to serve only to absolve Judah from being guilty of adultery in the next part of our story. Apparently realizing that Judah had no intentions of letting her marry his last surviving son, Tamar pretends to be a prostitute along the road that Judah is traveling. Judah hasn't got any money to pay for hookers, so he gives his I.D. and his walking staff to his lady-in-waiting as collateral until he can pay her for her services. Tamar returns gets back into her widow clothes leaving Judah's buddy unable to find the town hooker to pay her and get Judah's stuff back. When Tamar turns up pregnant, and the rumor going around town is that it was from prostitution, Judah declares that she should be (and apparently will be) set on fire. Set on fire! Fire... I'm thinking that might be a bit too extreme for having a child out of wedlock from prostitution, and is also a bit hypocritical and sexist of a man who is apparently okay with bedding prostitutes himself. I repeat, he wants to set his daughter-in-law on fire...that is until she tells him that she's got his I.D. badge and his cane. Judah apparently doesn't marry her - which I'm still having trouble figuring out how and when people are actually considered married back then, as all that had to be done with Judah's dad Jacob was a simple bride-swap in the bedroom in Chapter 29, and once the deed was done, Jacob was stuck with Leah. Anyways, Tamar gives birth to twin boys while a mid-wife manages to tie a scarlet thread around the arm of the first baby poking out, but instead his brother beats him to the punch to be born first. They name the first born Perez, as he "burst out" of the womb, and his brother got stuck with the name Zerah. | |
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