Genesis 50

1 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel.  So the physicians embalmed him, 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 'My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.' ”

6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8 besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. 9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.

10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. 11 When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.

12 So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them: 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:

17  'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.”

When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children.  Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

SS53 MUMMY ROAD TRIP

Jacob wanted to be buried in the promised land rather than Egypt. The family honors this wish and leads a big funeral parade to Canaan. Everyone wanted to join the parade -I assumed they either loved Joseph, wanted to suck up to Joseph, or were just bored.  It must have been quite the spectacle.  An amazing thing for just a poor little shepherd.  

Once the dust settles, the brothers become afraid that Joseph will punish them now that Dad is gone. They come up with a great story about how Dad wanted them to be forgiven. There was nothing about that in that huge list of instructions from Jacob. I also note that the brothers did not seem overly interested in forgiveness up to this point.

But it did not really matter. Joseph had all the power. He had the blessing. He ran Egypt.  He controlled the food and land.  He chose to forgive. He says, “Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” What a testimony of perseverance, forgiveness, and trust in God.

A final note on forgiveness. Joseph models Biblical forgiveness rather than the "doormat" forgiveness that people lecture Christians that they must model. Joseph received an apology from his brothers (repentance), he tested them to see if they were changed (turned from sin) and he then opted not to act in judgment upon them. He treated them fairly and kindly. We do not get an image of a completely close family where Joseph's brothers are his BFFs. But we get an image of living in peace and the giving of mercy.

Joseph dies after seeing many generations.  He still believes in the promise of God even though he does not live to see it.

A side note that both he and his dad were prepared for burial Egyptian style.  It sounds like he was a mummy to me.  This is controversial in the Jewish community – they deny this was the case.  Not sure it matters, but it did surprise me that they were embalmed in Egypt.  

It is hard to wrap up Genesis with a neat bow. Too much has happened: the birth of world, birth of a nation, birth of a covenant and much more. There is a lot of unrelated material that starts to give us more of the who of God. We have met God the creator, God the punisher, God the mover, God the protector, God the teacher, God the advocate, God the investigator and I could probably list dozens more.

Abraham was given a promise that a great nation would come from him. In fact, several nations were birthed. God exceeded his promise. God also promised a land to Abraham, but Abraham never lived to see that promise. Isaac was given the same promise but never lived to see it. Jacob died in Egypt. Joseph is still in Egypt and will never leave. God has a plan, but this family must trust without seeing (faith) because they are not where they thought they should be. God did not do things on their timeline or in a direct manner. He took the very unlikely path through Egypt. Exodus will be the story of how God works the rest of this promise.