Vayechi (Genesis 47:28–50:26)

This week’s Torah portion Vayechi covers Genesis 47:28–50:26. These are the last chapters of Genesis and the final moments of the era of the patriarchs. It is a biblical pivot point. While Genesis covered the personal lives and divine encounters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Exodus will launch into the national history of the twelve tribes. 

A Heart Anchored in the Promise

After Joseph brought his family to Goshen, Jacob lived there with his extended family for the last seventeen years of his life. These were likely his most peaceful years. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Yet, as his strength begins to fail, his mind does not dwell on the comforts of Egypt. He calls Joseph to his side for a final request. He says: “Deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt” (Gen. 47:29).

Transcript

This week’s Torah portion Vayechi covers Genesis 47:28–50:26. These are the last chapters of Genesis and the final moments of the era of the patriarchs. It is a biblical pivot point. While Genesis covered the personal lives and divine encounters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Exodus will launch into the national history of the twelve tribes. 

A Heart Anchored in the Promise

After Joseph brought his family to Goshen, Jacob lived there with his extended family for the last seventeen years of his life. These were likely his most peaceful years. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Yet, as his strength begins to fail, his mind does not dwell on the comforts of Egypt. He calls Joseph to his side for a final request. He says: “Deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt” (Gen. 47:29).

Jacob wants to go home. He wants his final resting place to be the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. This is the same cave where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and his wife Leah were buried. Even in death, Jacob refuses to let his family become fully Egyptian. He reminds them that their identity is tied to the Land of Promise. Even if Genesis ends in Egypt, it cannot be the chosen people’s final destination.

The Gathered Sons: The Weight of the Prophetic Word

When Jacob reached 147, he knew his time was short. He called all his sons together to receive their final words. We often call these “blessings,” but that term is not always appropriate for what Jacob says. He doles out plenty of criticisms and prophecies alongside his well-wishes. This is a moment of accounting. 

He speaks truth to each son, sometimes with harshness. Reuben was denounced for bringing disgrace to the family because of his inappropriate relationship with Bilhah. Jacob says: “Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it” (Gen. 49:4). Reuben lost the prestige and the double portion that usually comes with being the firstborn. 

Simeon and Levi were chided for their uncontrolled rage during the massacre of the people of Shechem. Jacob did not sugarcoat their past: “Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place... For in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung an ox” (Gen. 49:5-6). Because of their anger, they would eventually be scattered throughout the other tribes rather than having a unified territory of their own. 

Other sons received more geographical or functional prophecies. Zebulun was told: “Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships” (Gen. 49:13). Issachar was described as “a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens” (Gen. 49:14). Even Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali received specific visions of their future roles, from judgeship to providing “royal dainties” (Gen. 49:20).

The Lion of Judah and the Scepter

One of the most significant moments is when Jacob turns to Judah. He praises Judah for his wise judgment and leadership. Jacob promised: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen. 49:10).

This is a clear Messianic milestone. It marks the shift of leadership from the firstborn to the line of Judah. This prophecy points directly toward the kingship of David and, ultimately, to Jesus. When we read about the “Lion of Judah” in the book of Revelation, we see the fulfillment of these words. Jacob saw a future where Judah would be the leader. It is a striking choice because Judah was not perfect. Yet, he was the brother who stepped forward to save Benjamin. He offered his own life as a substitute. In that act of sacrifice, Judah showed the heart of a leader.

The Mystery of the Double Portion

The most noteworthy vignette happens when it comes time for the blessing of Joseph, who was clearly Jacob’s favorite. Jacob does something unexpected. He gives the blessing to Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. In doing so, Jacob tells Joseph: “Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow” (Gen. 48:22).

In Jewish law that comes later in Deuteronomy 21, the oldest born son usually receives a double portion of land inheritance. Since Reuben, the eldest, had disqualified himself, the double portion went to Joseph. This happened through the adoption of his two sons. Each boy became a full tribe in Israel.

When Jacob goes to bless them, Joseph brings the boys forward. He places the firstborn, Manasseh, at Jacob’s right hand. Jacob, though his eyes are dim, crosses his hands. He places his right hand on the younger boy, Ephraim. Joseph tries to move his father’s hands. He thinks the old man is confused. Jacob resists. He knows that God often chooses the younger over the older to show that his grace is not bound by human traditions.

A Legacy for the Diaspora

It is striking that Jacob tells Joseph: “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’” (Gen. 48:20). To this day, when Jewish parents pray over their children on Shabbat, they use this specific language. They bless their daughters to be like the matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. But the sons are blessed differently. They are not told to be like the patriarchs. Instead, the prayer is: “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”

We actually know very little about these two boys. Their birth is announced in Genesis 41. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (Gen. 41:51). He named the second son Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Gen. 41:52).

For people of faith living in a culture that does not share their values, Ephraim and Manasseh are the ultimate examples. They were the first generation of the family to be born and raised entirely in Egypt. They lived in a land that was tantalizingly pagan and polytheistic. Yet, they remained followers of the God of their forefathers. Furthermore, even though Jacob said the younger brother would be greater than the older, the Bible does not record the same kind of brotherly strife or rivalry that plagued earlier generations.

When parents pray this prayer, they are asking their children to carry on the legacy of their faith even in a foreign and hostile land. They are also praying for a home filled with unity and harmony. 

The Sovereignty of God Over Evil

After Jacob is buried in Canaan, the brothers of Joseph panic. They fear that with their father gone, Joseph will finally take his revenge. They even make up a story about Jacob’s dying wish for Joseph to forgive them. Joseph’s response defines the entire theology of Genesis. He weeps and says: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).

Joseph does not minimize their sin. He does not say it didn’t matter. Instead, he sees that God is so powerful that he can weave human malice into a design that results in salvation. Just as Joseph’s brothers “meant evil,” those who crucified Jesus meant evil. Yet God used that act of rejection to accomplish the ultimate act of redemption.

Living as Sojourners: In the World, Not of It

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks offered a perspective on why this ending is so vital:

“In Vayechi, the book of Genesis ends not with a settled people in their own land, but with a family in exile. Yet it is an exile framed by hope. Jacob and Joseph both die with their eyes on a different horizon, teaching us that faith is the ability to live in the ‘not yet’ while trusting in the ‘shall be.’"

For the Christian, this “different horizon” is exactly what Jesus spoke about. He described His followers as people who exist in a specific tension. In His high priestly prayer, He said of His disciples:

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).

Just as Ephraim and Manasseh had to maintain their identity in the halls of Egyptian power, we are called to live with integrity in a world that often opposes our King. We are in the world, but we are not of it. Our values, our hope, and our ultimate loyalty belong to the Kingdom of God. Yet, like Jacob and Joseph, we can live with purpose in the land of our exile. 

That’s it for this week. In the newsletter version of the episode, I am including three questions that you can study for either your personal use or a group study. They are thought-provoking questions that I think the text asks of us as readers. Be sure to sign up for our emails at www.thejerusalemconnection.us.

Join me next week as we read Vayigash which covers Genesis 44:18-47:27 and that will close out the book of Genesis!