After Jacob blesses his sons and ensures they know where he wants to be buried, Jacob dies. There is great fanfare to celebrate his life and he is ultimately buried in Canaan. Since their father is dead, Joseph’s brothers are worried that Joseph may finally take revenge. But as we have seen throughout Genesis, the Lord is with Joseph and he recognizes what his brothers meant for evil God meant for good, keeping people alive.

As Jacob approaches the end of his life he gives some of his sons a curse, and others a blessing. These blessings and cursings are prophecies of what is to come for this growing family. The most noteworthy blessing is reserved for Judah, for from his line the Messiah, Jesus Christ would come to give blessing and abundance to all who believe.

As we approach the end of the book of Genesis, we see Jacob nearing the end of his life. He asks Joseph to visit him and requests to be buried in Canaan. When Joseph visits, he takes his sons to see Jacob. Jacob blesses Joseph's sons as his own, putting Ephraim ahead of Manasseh, indicating that the special line of promise traced throughout Genesis will continue through his descendants and find ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

Now that Joseph's identity has been revealed, Jacob and his family prepare for a journey out of the promised land to Egypt. God reassures Jacob of His enduring presence with him on the journey. In this passage, we find timeless principles for the journey of the Christian life that we may remain faithful as sojourners in a world that is not our home.

Moved by Judah’s speech, Joseph is unable to restrain his emotions. To the consternation of his shocked brothers, he reveals that he is Joseph. In a long speech he attempts to dissipate their sense of guilt by stressing God’s role in sending him to Egypt in order to preserve the lives of his family. With the famine set to continue, Joseph sends his brothers back to Canaan in order to bring the rest of his family to Egypt (From the ESV Study Bible).

One of the most pressing questions about Joseph’s brothers in this section of Genesis is, “have they changed?” In chapter 44, Joseph once again tests them one last time. This time by placing a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack to accuse him of theft. In steps Judah, the once selfish but now self-less brother is willing to lay down his own life in the place of Benjamin. In doing so he foreshadows his descendent Jesus Christ, who willingly laid down his life for his people. For “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

In Genesis 43 Jacob and his sons find themselves once again without food in the midst of famine. This prompted a second visit to Egypt, this time with Benjamin in tow. The brothers expect a harsh reaction from Joseph, who is still concealing his identity from them but are instead met with surprising mercy.

In Genesis 42 a shortage of food in Canaan forces Jacob to send his sons to Egypt, but Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother, remains at home, for Jacob fears losing him, too. When Joseph encounters his brothers again, he deliberately conceals his identity. After accusing them of being spies, he holds Simeon hostage, sending the others back to Canaan on the understanding that they will return with Benjamin. Here we see God’s servants under pressure as they face difficult circumstances. Joseph, Jacob, and his brothers are being hard-pressed by God’s providential hand as he shapes them into his likeness.

In Genesis 41 we see the working of God’s plan on full display as he redeems Joseph’s affliction. This chapter tells the story of Joseph’s rise in status from being a prisoner in the king’s jail to becoming the chief administrator of Egypt. God's providential work in Joseph's past sufferings has prepared him for this moment. Joseph continues in faithfulness and humbly acknowledges God as the source of his deliverance and blessing.

Chapter 40 begins with Joseph imprisoned. He becomes the servant of two royal workers who are imprisoned for offending Pharaoh. With God’s help, Joseph interprets their dreams, predicting that one of them will be reinstated but the other put to death. This event seems like it may be an opportunity for Joseph to get out of prison, but he is forgotten by the man who promised to remember him. Yet in all of this, God’s providence is at work- in strange places, through strange people, and in seemingly strange timing- to bring about God’s plan.