January 17, 2022: Day 13 – Genesis 48-50 and Psalm 31

We come to the end of the Joseph story with the description of the death of Jacob, also known as Israel.  In 48 he blesses the younger son over the elder son.  This should not have been that strange in this family.  Jacob was younger over Esau, Joseph was younger over his other 11 brothers, and so the trend continues with Joseph, where the youngest is actually the one who is blessed by God.

After that blessing then Jacob calls his sons and “blesses” them.  Did you read those blessings carefully.  Most of them were not super positive.  Some of them seemed more like curses than blessings.  Jacob then dies and he is buried in the cave that had been set apart for him and his family.  Did you see how all of Egypt went out with Joseph to bury his dad.  The people of that place recognized the importance of the event.

Psalm 31 is one that some of the words should sound familiar.  Remember when Jesus was on the cross he said as his last words: Into your hands I commend my spirit, just like what we find in vs.5.  Probably my favorite of these verses is the last one, 24, where we are called to gain strength as we wait for the Lord.  The waiting for the Lord doesn’t seem to be our strength at all most days.  We would much rather God work on our time frame and in the way that we ask.  But we are actually made stronger as we wait for the Lord to act.