Page 97 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_01_MacArthur_Bible_Jan.qxd 8/8/03 14:23 Page 78

JANUARY 24
offspring whom you beget after them shall be
yours; they will be called by the name of their
7
brothers in their inheritance. But as for me,
47:25,26 The extra measures imposed by when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside
Joseph to control the impact of the famine, me in the land of Canaan on the way, when
i.e., moving parts of the population into cities there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath;
(v. 21) and demanding a one-fifth tax on crop and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath
yields (v.24),did not affect his approval ratings (that is, Bethlehem).”
(v.25).Whatever the gain to Pharaoh, the peo- 8 Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said,
ple obviously understood that Joseph had not “Who are these?”
enriched himself at their expense. 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my
sons, whom God has given me in this place.”
And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I
24
shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass 10
in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to will bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel were
Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Jo-
for the field and for your food, for those of your seph brought them near him, and he kissed
11
households and as food for your little ones.” them and embraced them. And Israel said to
25 Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; but
So they said, “You have saved our lives; let
us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!”
12 So Joseph brought them from beside his
26
will be Pharaoh’s servants.” And Joseph
made it a law over the land of Egypt to this knees, and he bowed down with his face to the
13
day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, ex- earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim
cept for the land of the priests only, which did with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and
not become Pharaoh’s. Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s
14
27 So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the right hand, and brought them near him. Then
country of Goshen; and they had possessions Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it
there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seven-
28 his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his
teen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the first-
15
29
one hundred and forty-seven years. When born. And he blessed Joseph, and said:
the time drew near that Israel must die, he “God, before whom my fathers
called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if Abraham and Isaac walked,
I have found favor in your sight, please put The God who has fed me
your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly all my life long to this day,
and truly with me. Please do not bury me in 16 The Angel who has redeemed me
Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; you from all evil,
30
shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in Bless the lads;
their burial place.” Let my name be named upon them,
And he said, “I will do as you have said.” And the name of my fathers Abraham
31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he and Isaac;
swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the And let them grow into a multitude in
head of the bed. the midst of the earth.”
Now it came to pass after these things
17
48 that Joseph was told, “Indeed your Now when Joseph saw that his father laid
father is sick”; and he took with him his two his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it dis-
2
sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was pleased him; so he took hold of his father’s
told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to
18
you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his
up on the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph: father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the
3
“God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my
4
me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and mul- son, I know. He also shall become a people, and
tiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of he also shall be great; but truly his younger
people, and give this land to your descendants brother shall be greater than he, and his descen-
5
after you as an everlasting possession.’ And dants shall become a multitude of nations.”
now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, 20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “By
who were born to you in the land of Egypt you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make
before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus
6
Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
78