The Big Picture

By Genesis 47, the main plot points of the narrative have been resolved. Joseph has ascended to power, the brothers are reconciled, and God's people have been preserved. While the remaining chapters may seem less important, when you read Genesis as the first of the five Books of Moses (Pentateuch), it becomes evident that these final chapters are preparing us for Exodus and the broader biblical story of redemption. When you pull back the lens, each movement in this chapter reveals a larger theological point.