Studying Genesis in the SSnet.org series Lesson 12, may the Holy
Spirit be the speaker to your heart. The Topic today is: "Jacob blesses Pharaoh in a priestly
manner settling in Egypt" The Opening Hymn will be 229 "Spirit of the Living God" The Sabbath School Quarterly, downloadable from SSnet.org in the
Teacher's Edition is on page 165 and for the laymen edition or Standard
Edition, on page 106. The SSnet.org site allows anyone, anywhere to read the lesson in
their own language. Choose your own language to see God speaking also to your
heart. ---Jacob at first did not believe his children (Gen 45:26). "And
his heart fainted for he believed them not". ---When reality came to Jacob and he woke up from the fainting with
the same reality still there, he head for the wagon. ---They have to go. He
ordered everyone to hurry up taking their seats on the wagon. ---They could not get him off the wagon. "What are you
standing around there, hurry up. We have to go. Joseph is waiting". ---Jacob came two years into the drought period which would be
1950/1949 BC. The drought lasted until 1944 BC. ---The Pharaoh had great interest in Joseph's father, because
Genesis 45:8 says that "And He [God] made me a father to Pharaoh and lord
of all his house". ---Dr. Doukhan says that the expression 'amad lifney =
"set...before" of Jacob before the pharaoh is normally used in priestly
contexts like in Leviticus 14:11. ---Jacob blessed the pharaoh. Pharaoh Sesostris I allowed Jacob to
be greater than himself as Joseph was already greater than Pharaoh being his
"father". ---Spiritually, and in family connections as Trust Administrator
Joseph and now Jacob was greater than Pharaoh and only in official matters
Pharaoh was still the throne for everyone. ---Christians are a royal priesthood for God, a holy nation, His
own special people (1 Peter 2:9) and Charles Bradford the evangelist came to
this verse and said: "priests offer sacrifices". We gave to dedicate
our lives to God to be His DBO = do business as.... ---Joseph did not want them to work for the palace. He told his
brothers to say their shepherd occupation to the pharaoh. The pharaoh still
wanted to use them as chief over his flocks (Genesis 47:6). ---Ellen White said that Joseph wanted to protect them from the
"heathen court". Why? They could secularize and lose their souls. ---Our aspiration to be in governments or work for the state need
to keep in mind the price and temptations that are coming along with such an
offer from the state.