Genesis 50
Notes
Transcript
Background
Last week we continued through the final section in Genesis, focusing on the final days of Israel with his family. Joseph introduced his family to Pharaoh, who allowed them to live in Goshen. Israel blessed Pharaoh and lived there for 17 years, living to be 147 years old. Before he died, he blessed each of his sons, and also adopted Joseph’s two oldest sons as his own, thereby giving Joseph a double portion. He then breathed his last at the end of chapter 49.
1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him.
2 Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
3 Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
4 When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,
5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please 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.”
As we’ll recall from last week, Israel gave specific instructions for his burial.
29 Then he charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site.
We see Joseph weep after his father dies. He got to spend a total of 34 years with his father, but was blessed to be able to be with him in his last days.
God promised this would happen:
4 “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.”
The “embalming” here would most likely refer to the Egyptian burial method, since this word does not appear in the Old Testament outside of this chapter, and one other place.
The word means “to spice,” and the other use is found in Song of Songs: translated, to “mature” or “ripen.”
This process took 40 days, and then another 30 days were alloted for mourning period. Hence the need for preservation.
Embalming in Egypt was reserved for people in positions of honor, as it was tied to religious rites of passage into the afterlife.
This fact does not necessitate Joseph practicing those beliefs in order to give his father honor.
After the mourning period passes, it was time for Joseph to honor his father’s last wishes. He makes his request to Pharaoh, who grants his permission in light of the oath.
This wasn’t automatic, as Joseph still had a job to do as Pharaoh’s administrator.
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen.
9 There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.
10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed seven days mourning for his father.
11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12 Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them;
13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
A great company traveled with Joseph. As being second in command of all of Egypt, he had at his disposal many servants and officials who worked alongside him, as well as troops for protection.
The threshing floor of Atad would most likely be on the western side of the Jordan, since it would’ve been near the burial plot that Abraham purchased in the land of Canaan.
The Hebrew mourning period was typically 7 days, which they observed here before burial.
Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt - they named the place after the Egyptians mourning for Israel.
14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!”
16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying,
17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?
20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
21 “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
The great company returned to Egypt as promised. When they returned, Joseph’s brothers began to fear that Joseph’s grace and mercy towards them was on account of their father.
The brothers clearly were still operating under the bondage of guilt of what they had done to Joseph so many years ago.
Their message to Joseph is ironic and intentionally manipulative, according to their thought that Joseph was showing restraint because of their father.
Notice they use both “your father” and “the servants of the God of your father.”
It is unknown if Israel actually said these things, but based on the wording, I lean in the direction of manipulative deception.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
The bondage of sin is a heavy burden that can be relieved by faith in God.
The bondage of sin is a heavy burden that can be relieved by faith in God.
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
The brothers’ message causes Joseph to weep.
They then present themselves before Joseph, and give themselves to him as servants.
This is again reminiscent of the prophetic dream Joseph had, that his brothers would bow before him.
6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had;
7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Nevertheless, their acknowledgement of their past sins is genuine.
Joseph’s response echoes his earlier assurance of forgiveness: God is sovereign.
5 “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
He reminds his brothers that he is not God, yet he acknowledges that God’s hand has been moving throughout his life, both in the good and the bad.
Though we often cannot see it, God uses hardships for His purposes.
Though we often cannot see it, God uses hardships for His purposes.
Often when tragedy strikes, we cannot see what God is doing. That doesn’t mean He is not moving.
Even when people mean us harm, God can use that for His purposes.
Joseph reassures his brothers that, as second-in-command of Egypt, he will take care of them and their children.
His love for those who wanted him dead foreshadows Christ’s love for us.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
God spared the family of Israel to continue His promises that He made to Abraham. Their sin will not get in the way of this.
22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.”
25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.”
26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Of all his brothers, only Joseph’s end of life is mentioned in the text.
TIMELINE
TIMELINE
Joseph lived another 54 years after his father died, and was able to meet his great-grandchildren.
Joseph is able to reassure his family that God’s promises are still applicable to future generations.
He echoes his father’s desire to be buried in the promised land, something that future generations will fulfill.
He also was embalmed like his father, but his body must wait many years before he is buried with his forefathers.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The bondage of sin is a heavy burden that can be relieved by faith in God.
Though we often cannot see it, God uses hardships for His purposes.
Next week, we will being our study in 1 Peter.