Readers Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, September 30, 2012 Read – Genesis 47 & 48 The last few chapters of Genesis are really the “falling action” after the climax of the story which comes in chapter 45. Once again we need to rejoice that what we are dealing with is a really good story with all the right elements of a good story. Chapter 47 continues to tell the story that began in chapter 46 of how all of Jacob’s family has now moved to Egypt. As a part of the “big story” of God and God’s people, this story tells how it was that the children of Abraham ended up living in Egypt – the place from which they will be delivered in the next major saga, the Exodus. The children of Abraham are welcomed graciously by the Egyptians. They are given the best of the land – the Nile delta – because there is much grass there. Joseph tells them to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds – knowing that Egyptian’s detest shepherds – the story has some humor in it. Once again God blesses his people as they grow exceedingly in number. But Egypt will not be the final dwelling place of God’s people. Already in the story their return to Canaan is foretold. Jacob makes them swear that they will return there one day. Reminiscent of Abraham blessing his sons Isaac and Ishmael (Isaac we remember got the better of the blessing), of Isaac in turn blessing his sons Jacob and Esau (Jacob getting the better blessing), now Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons, born to Joseph from an Egyptian mother, and the pattern continues. The younger son, Ephraim, gets the better blessing. We need to notice that Joseph’s wife is Egyptian. Purity is an important part of this story. But the pattern is broken here. We might have expected to hear a different story. What are we to make of this? It will not be the last time when that will happen. Perhaps the best thing for us to remember is that God cares for all people. We are back at that question again – what does it mean to be chosen? If being chosen is to be special at the expense of others then Joseph marrying an Egyptian is a problem. But if being chosen is to be used by God for the sake of others then the challenge is lessened – not fully removed but not as stringent. Perhaps God is more inclusive than we may have thought.