We are in chapter 50 of Genesis with our word for today which will be our last word we will look at in the book of Genesis. חָיָה be alive, stay alive, live, revive, recover, return to life, to keep in the state of having life, preserving life. It is used 282 times in the Old Testament. A great example of this word is surrounding the flood. Genesis 6:19-20 You are to bring into the ark two of all הָ֠חַי living creatures, male and female, to keep them לְהַחֲיֹ֣ת alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת alive. Genesis 7:1-4 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds לְחַיּ֥וֹת alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”
This is exactly how our word is used in our chapter today. Genesis 49:19-20 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept לְהַחֲיֹ֥ת alive, as they are today. As we saw yesterday God turned the evil that his brothers had planned for him and brought good out of it. The good was the saving of many lives. Joseph is a good example for us of how to trust God with what he has called us to do when evil is done to us by others. This is what Joseph said earlier in chapter 45. Genesis 45:5-8 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to לְמִֽחְיָ֔ה preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to וּלְהַחֲי֣וֹת preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. This is a great picture of Christ who trusted God when he was put to death by the hands of evil people, which by the way includes you and me. 1 Peter 2:21-25 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Jesus endured the evil done to him so that he could save us and bring good out of evil. Which is one of God’s specialties.
