Sunday: Ravenous Wolf?

From Genesis 47-50

1. I wonder how the oldest sons felt about their blessings. They don't appear to be very good. I wonder if this is because Jacob now knows about what the older sons had done in selling Joseph off to the Midianites. He did know before he died because in Chapter 50, the brothers send a message to Joseph about Jacob having supposedly said to forgive them for their past treatment of him.

2. Reuben slept with his father's wife, which is recorded in Chapter 35, and now he does not receive a good blessing due to this fact.

3. Ravenous Wolf? I wonder why there is very little in the way of blessing for Benjamin, because he was one of Rachel's sons and one of Jacob's favorites before he went down to Egypt. One would think that he would get an awesome blessing due to his position in his father's eyes.

4. Although Jacob loved Rachel very much, it is interesting to see that he did not want to be buried where she was buried, but rather where Leah and his ancestors were buried.

5. It is also interesting to see that Jacob switched his hands when he blessed Manasseh and Ephraim. He blessed them opposite what would have been accepted, upsetting Joseph. However, in light of Jacob's own experience, it makes perfect sense. I wonder if the bible will show us how Ephraim's descendants were favored above Manasseh's descendants.

6. It is interesting that Jacob emphasizes the excellence of his blessings when he blesses Joseph. I wonder if he was worried that Joseph would feel that the material goods he had gained in Egypt were better.

7. Joseph's understanding of the big picture is great. He responds wisely to his brothers when they convey to him a supposed message from his father. He could have been spiteful, or he could have made them sweat, but he just says that he is not God and does not have the authority to judge.