Joseph

Joseph

Today let’s look at the last uses of chesed-חֶסֶד in Genesis. 

Let’s begin.

The God of Bethel commanded Jacob to leave Laban and return to the land of his birth. In Genesis 32 we find our patriarch on his way back to Canaan, but his fratricidally inclined brother was on his way to him. 

Jacob was understandably agitated. He looked to God for help and recounted God’s chesed-חֶסֶד. 

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Adonai, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will do good with you.’ I am unworthy of all the chesed-חֶסֶד and of all the dependability that you have shown to your servant. For with only my staff I crossed over this Jordan, and now I’ve become two camps. Deliver me, please, from my brother’s hand, from Esau’s hand …” (Genesis 32:10–11a) 

What form did God’s chesed-חֶסֶד take? It was manifest in protection and blessing. God intervened in His life. That was chesed-חֶסֶד.

When Joseph was in jail God did chesed-חֶסֶד to him. How was chesed-חֶסֶד manifest in Genesis 39? 

Chesed-חֶסֶד was done by God to Joseph by giving him favor in the prison. God intervened and Joseph was successful

But Adonai was with Joseph and extended chesed-חֶסֶד to him and gave him favor in the eyes of the commander of the prison. The commander of the prison entrusted into Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison, so that everything that was done there, he was responsible for it. The commander of the prison did not concern himself with anything at all under his care, because Adonai was with him, and Adonai made whatever he did successful. (Genesis 39:21–23) 

In the following chapter we read of Joseph asking for chesed-חֶסֶד. 

Joseph interpreted a fellow prisoner’s dream and prophesied a return of the imprisoned official to his former status. He then asked: 

But if you remember me, that I was with you, when it goes well with you, please show me chesed-חֶסֶד and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. (Genesis 40:14) 

Joseph asked that the cupbearer would intervene in his circumstance. Eventually, he did.

Joseph received chesed-חֶסֶד from God and man.

In the closing chapters of Genesis we read of Joseph being asked to do chesed-חֶסֶד for his father.

As the time of Israel’s death drew near, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please put your hand under my thigh and show me faithful chesed-חֶסֶד. Please do not bury me in Egypt. (Genesis 47:29) 

Israel asked Joseph to do chesed-חֶסֶד and bury him in Canaan. Joseph did chesed-חֶסֶד when he kept his promise.

 “My father made me take an oath saying, ‘Behold, I am about to die. In my tomb—which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan—there you must bury me.’ So now, please allow me to go up and bury my father, and then return.” Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father just as he made you swear on oath.” (Genesis 50:5–6) 

From the context we find that chesed-חֶסֶד is something one willingly does for others who are in need. Chesed-חֶסֶד is not obligatory, nor is it the result of covenant. It expresses everything from kind actions to loving, life-saving, interventions. When English Bibles speak of showing lovingkindness they are translating, doing chesed-חֶסֶד. 

Chesed-חֶסֶד is something that is done.