#127 A Type Genesis 49

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall.

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.

24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,

25 even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

27 “Benjamin shall raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

29 And he charged them and said unto them, “I am to be gathered unto my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession as a burying place.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.

32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.”

33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. Genesis 49: 22-33 KJ21

When Jacob comes to Joseph, in this discourse, he reminds all of  his struggles. He was attacked by his own, tempted and falsely accused by others, yet the resolve of his faith towards God remained. Even when what would appear to the world as his weakest state, Joseph was strong in the Lord. God's grace was always sufficient, even to forgive and become the shepherd to those who mistreated him. He was separate from his brethren, not just by geography when sold as a young man. He was separated by his faith and actions. His love of God and desire to serve God made him a blessing to all, and he stood out above all. I do not see the voice of Jacob's favoritism in this, but rather a man being honored by God, through his father. Benjamin falls next and he is a son of Jacob's favoritism, but look how dry the words of the father to one who he also favored. These are not Jacob's words alone, and what he has spoken of Joseph is also not of his own earthly preference. He was sold by his brothers, and one day, for thirty pieces of silver another would be sold out by his own. My own Lord would not at first be believed by the brothers he grew up with.

 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2 Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. John 7: 1-7

Benjamin would become a tribe of violence, and later be at war with his brothers. One of the most famous members of this tribe was the apostle Paul. He would start out as Saul and like a religious wolf, would track down the followers of Christ. He would hold the garments at the stoning of Stephen but later take his part among those forgiven. 

Acts 7:54-6021st Century King James Version (KJ21)

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 and cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen as he called upon God and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

60 And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, charge not this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

With this his final word, Jacob goes to his rest. His son is there to see him off.