Joseph picked 5 of his brothers (I guess he carefully picked one that would not ruin the event) to meet Pharaoh, and as instructed they were told to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds. As for the Egyptians this was despised job. So they settled down at Goshen.
Jacob met Pharaoh and blessed him. Pharaoh was asking his age and I found that Jacob’s answer was a little not so excited about his own life, “few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
I quoted this when Dr Baldwin asked me and his reply was – he did not address anything, just telling me about what he is going to preach the next Sunday – that God does not ask us to fulfil someone’s life’s plan in my life, for God has his own plan for me and he has the means to provide for it.
The famine continue to ravage in Egypt and Canaan, and with Joseph’s wisdom, he invented such a system that at the end, Pharaoh became the ultimate ruler and more wealthy. So Pharaoh owned almost all of the land and earned 1/5 of the land’s result.
So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.
17 years, Jacob was separated with Joseph, 17 years he lived with Joseph with content heart.
Before his death, Jacob called Joseph personally and asked him to swear to bury him in Canaan. This is an act of faith, as God has promised him the land, hence he also remembers that promise and trust God will fulfil it.
Israel (note, the name here is Israel) bowed upon the bed’s head. The pronounciation of bed is similar to staff, that’s why LXX rendered it as staff.
In a traditions story, Joseph’s staff described his life journey. There was a mark on his staff for important event, that’s the legend I heard.
Hence the story is closed “rhyming” with his answer to Pharaoh in earlier questions.
“My life has been challenging. I am no longer boasting about it on my own, I am nothing compared to my father and grandfather, oh, look at my mistakes, fears, and so on in my life. But how gracious God is, after that despair 17 years, I am revived again back to life and enjoying the presence of Joseph, witnessing with my eyes, the fulfilment of God’s dream for him. And as I bow down on the top of my staff, I remember all his faithfulness that He has been always watching over me, and his grand plan will be finished, he will safely bring us, his own sheep, to the promised land.”
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