Jacob's 12 sons - Gen 48-49

The original Korean text: http://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025356759

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Jacob had four wives. Jacob loved Rachel most. But Rachel had no children for a long time after marriage. In Jacob's old age, at last Rachel, his beloved wife, bore him Joseph. Joseph was the 11th son, and Benjamin, his younger brother, was the 12th.

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Jacob loved Joseph, the first son of his most beloved wife, Rachel, more than any other child. So he especially put rare colorful clothes on Joseph. So the other half brothers hated Joseph and sold him to a merchant going to Egypt when they were in the field. Jacob was greatly saddened when he thought that Joseph was dead. At first the half brothers tried to kill Joseph, but Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, persuaded them to sell him to the merchant in order to save him.

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After many twists and turns, Joseph became (a kind of) prime minister in Egypt. Joseph informed the king of the seven years of great harvest and the next seven years of severe famine, so that Egypt could overcome the famine thanks to Joseph. But the brothers of Joseph, who lived in Canaan, came to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognized them, but they had no idea that the prime minister of Egypt was Joseph. Joseph treated his half brothers like spies, because he suspected that they might have killed his brother Benjamin as they had done him harm. Joseph said to them that he would not regard them as spies only if they brought their youngest half brother Benjamin to him. Joseph took Simeon as a hostage, and put him in prison, and let the rest of his brothers return to Canaan.

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The sons of Jacob returned home and told Jacob what had happened in Egypt, and said to him that they ought to take Benjamin with them in order that they might go to Egypt and buy grain again. Jacob refused at first because he didn't want to lose even Benjamin. But when the grain ran out, there was no choice. Now Judah said that he would bring him (Benjamin) home, no matter what would happen. Namely, he thought that, if things should go wrong and Benjamin should be in danger, he would take his place and save him. Jacob allowed them to take Benjamin.

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The half brothers still did not recognize Joseph. When Joseph saw his half brothers again, he tested them for the last time. Namely, he wanted to see if they had the love for their half brother Benjamin. Joseph declared Benjamin a thief and said he would make him a slave. However, Judah came up and said, "I'll be your slave on behalf of Benjamin, so let him go!" After ascertaining that they had a love for the half brother indeed, Joseph then announced that he was their half brother Joseph. Thanks to Joseph, Jacob and his descendants lived well and prospered much in Egypt.

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Jacob died at the age of 147. He blessed all his sons for the last time before he died.

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* Reuben, though the firstborn, didn't receive any blessing because he defiled his father's concubine.

* Simeon and Levi mercilessly killed men and cattle. As punishment for that, the land of tribe will not be given them, and their descendants will be scattered among Israel.

* The kings of Israel will come out of the tribe of Judah.

* Joseph, though the eleventh son, received the blessing of the firstborn that was originally for Reuben, so that he received two tribal lands. Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were numbered among 12 tribes of Israel, as two tribes, with their uncles. That is, Joseph's two sons were honored to be included among the sons of their grandfather Jacob. Finally Jacob blessed Joseph, saying that the richness of the blessing Joseph received would be far superior to that of the other brothers as a high mountain is superior to the other low mountains.

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We know by this that a man can't receive God's blessing like Reuben if he commits sins and gets defiled thereby, that people will be imprisoned like Simeon or be scattered like the tribe of Levi if they are violent, which is the punishment of God. Why did the kings come out of the descendants of Judah? Judah often sacrificed himself for his brothers. He had a strong sense of responsibility and a spirit of sacrifice, so his descendants became kings of Israel.

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Finally, I can not help but tell Joseph's blessing. Why did Joseph get a double blessing? Because Joseph's mother Rachel was most favored by his father Jacob who had the right to bless. Joseph's blessing was not the blessing he received by his own efforts but the blessing he received thanks to his mother who was loved by the man who had the right to bless. Jacob gave the blessing he had inherited from his forefathers to Joseph, and in addition to this, he blessed Joseph with his love for him. Jacob had to die without seeing the blessing that he received fulfilled because of the limitation of time. However, Jacob was entitled to bless the one he chose with the blessing he had received from his ancestors and with the blessing he had received by his good works. Jacob loved Rachel, so gave that precious blessing to Rachel's first son, Joseph.

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Have your parents ever dressed you in colorful clothes in your dreams? Or have you ever seen a scary high mountain in your dreams? If so, isn't it maybe a sign that your parents are loved by God and that the blessing they have received will be yours? Take it well!