Joseph and His Brothers
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At the last all the sons of Jacob were gathered about his dying bed.
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, “Gather yourselves together,
and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father,” “that
I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” Often and
anxiously he had thought of their future, and had endeavored to picture
to himself the history of the different tribes. Now as his children waited
to receive his last blessing the Spirit of Inspiration rested upon him,
and before him in prophetic vision the future of his descendants was
unfolded. One after another the names of his sons were mentioned,
the character of each was described, and the future history of the tribes
was briefly foretold.
“Reuben, thou art my first-born,
My might, and the beginning of my strength,
The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.”
Thus the father pictured what should have been the position of
Reuben as the first-born son; but his grievous sin at Edar had made
him unworthy of the birthright blessing. Jacob continued—
“Unstable as water,
Thou shalt not excel.”
The priesthood was apportioned to Levi, the kingdom and the
Messianic promise to Judah, and the double portion of the inheritance
to Joseph. The tribe of Reuben never rose to any eminence in Israel;
it was not so numerous as Judah, Joseph, or Dan, and was among the
first that were carried into captivity.
Next in age to Reuben were Simeon and Levi. They had been
united in their cruelty toward the Shechemites, and they had also been
the most guilty in the selling of Joseph. Concerning them it was
declared—
“I will divide them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.”
At the numbering of Israel, just before their entrance to Canaan,
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Simeon was the smallest tribe. Moses, in his last blessing, made no
reference to Simeon. In the settlement of Canaan this tribe had only a