Then Joseph made his father come before Pharaoh, and Jacob gave his blessing. And Pharaoh said to him, "How old are you"? Genesis 47:7-8(BBE).
When the family of Jacob arrived in Egpt, the Prime Minister then in the person of Joseph, who incidentally was the eleventh son of Jacob presented his brothers to Pharaoh the king of the Land. Afterward he brought his father before the king. Jacob blessed Pharaoh-the less is blessed by the greater; Jacob has more spiritual authority than the king. After exchanging pleasantries and blesings, Pharaoh asked Jacob, how old are you? In other words, how many are the days of the years of your life? What could have prompted this thought-provoking question? Probably his age; his look arising from the stress of the journey to Egypt; the problems he was passing through; the shock of discovering that Joseph is alive and he was living true to his dreams. Jacob's countenance no doubt shewed him to be old, for he had been a man of labour and sorrow. In Egypt people were not so long-lived as in Canaan, and therefore Pharaoh looked upon Jacob with wonder. He looked so aged that Pharaoh was wondering how, how old could this be? Is this the father of this wonder man called Joseph?
What dictate your mood or countenance? You should not allow what you are passing through to dictate your mood. Cheer up! Learn to cast your burden upon Jesus, remember, He cares for you. Though He slays me yet I will praise Him. Stop celebrating problems. See them as challenges. Celebrate Jesus. The joy that is set before us weighs more than whatever challenges we may facing as at the moment.
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage, Genesis 47:9 (ASV).
Jacob made this profound statement regarding his life on this part of the planet Earth.
The days of the years...
He reckons his life by days; for even so it soon reckoned, and we are not sure of the continuance of it for a day to an end, but may be turned out of this tabernacle at less than an hour warning.
Ps 39:5 (NKJV) Indeed, You have made my days [as] handbreadths, And my age [is] as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state [is] but vapour.
Jas 4:14 (WEB) Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
Job 14:1 (ASV) Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
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