Genesis 50:1-26
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Genesis 50:1-26
Genesis 50:1-26
Last time we were in Genesis, we focused on the blessings of Israel to his children. He adopted from Joseph his 2 oldest children Manasseh and Ephraim in Genesis 48. Who was born first? Manasseh was. Joseph made sure to set up his children to be blessed in their birth order. He wanted Manasseh to take the firstborn blessing. Just like I want my oldest son to take that firstborn blessing. God sometimes has different plans, though, doesn’t he?
My brother was the chosen child of our family. He was the athlete. I was the leader. I had to work a lot harder to do the things he could do naturally. It used to make me really frustrated because I wanted to have that ability! But God had different plans. NOW, I look at my brother doing cross-fit and I say “That’s my brother! Do you know what he can do? Look at this!” I’m very proud of my brother...I didn’t know what my blessing was going to look like, but I wanted his.
Ephraim was promised a bigger blessing, but with that blessing comes more responsibility, though, doesn’t there? I don’t know that my brother would want to be a pastor. I’m sure he’d tell you, this has been a calling for me for a long time. I’ve been telling people what they’re doing is wrong for decades now, might as well do it professionally, right? I’ll bet it was not a shock, it probably answered why I’ve been so disagreeable for all of these years!
The brothers get their blessings, some are unsavory. Joseph and Judah end up getting the bulk of the blessings, Joseph staying the favorite son, and Judah usurping Reuben’s role as the head of the household, with 12 verses pointing directly to Jesus. Truly amazing to know that so much of this book of Genesis has direct prophecy to Jesus, I know I’ve pointed out some of it, but there is so much more imagery, God is so good instructing us in this!
We will find that the book of Genesis ends in stark contrast to the way it begins, but it is in perfect harmony to the heart of the believer. We are bringing a close the story of a man who has 1/4 of the 50 chapters in this book dedicated to.
Why you might ask? Because he’s a representation of the man God would send to save us all. Joseph would provide bread that would sustain life. Jesus would BE the bread that would GIVE life.
Joseph lived a life many of us can identify with. Feeling abandoned by God, and abandoned by those who he thought loved him. Little did he know, that those times in isolation would be what molded Him into one of the greatest characters in history.
1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him, and kissed him.
This first verse fulfilled Genesis 46:4
4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”
Jacob was comforted that his favorite son would be there when he died. How long did this take? About 17 years. They lived a good-long time together. Now, the family would be left to fulfill their destiny set fourth by Jacob, and ultimately from God.
After Jacob’s death, the sons had a mission to accomplish, but they would have to wait.
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
This was a doctor’s job...could you imagine, talking to your family practice doctor. “What do you do on the weekend? Oh, I’m an embalmer...” Would you look elsewhere for a doctor? I would. Butcher right next to an animal clinic...wonder why that beef tastes weird...
Jacob was a Hebrew, not and Egyptian. And this embalming practice was not something the Hebrews did, it was preparation for the afterlife as an Egyptian practice. This was done out of respect, not just for Joseph and his position with them, but because of Jacob and the man he was in the land. You remember, Pharoah was amazed by him even. It took 40 days to embalm the body. That made sure it would look good when they passed over.
Then another 30 as was a Hebrew practice of letting the person rest in your soul. 70 days in total. They were all days that were meaningful for Joseph and his brothers, though. At the end of that period, now it was time to fulfill the promise the brothers made to Jacob about his burial, to return him to the promised land.
4 Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; 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, and I will come back.’ ”
Joseph had respect for Pharaoh, too, after all, he had provided the best of the land for his family to live in, protecting them from the famine, and integrating them with his people. Hebrew people were not even to have a meal shared with the Egyptians, and they were living among them, tending sheep amongst their cattle, which was also an abomination to them.
Joseph wanted to make sure Pharoah was OK with this, and Pharaoh responded:
6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.
All the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. Not some, Do you believe the Bible means what it says? I do. It says ALL. This was a parade, All of the important people in Egypt went to pay respects to this Hebrew man, because of the faithfulness and outstanding reputation of his son Joseph. Horses, chariots, a balloon snoopy, Jedi knights performing in front of the marching band. Maybe not all of that happened, I don’t know how they would get the helium, but it was a long time ago...
We spoke last week, our reputation brings honor to our family, or dishonor. I want people to want to know my mom and my dad by knowing me. I want them to say “I wonder where this guy came from. They must be pretty amazing people!” They are amazing people.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Your reputation is important, but the unfortunate thing is, your reputation is fully dependent on how hard you work on it. I have wrecked relationships in the past. I’d be willing to bet that I don’t have the best reputation with some of the people I spoke on the phone with at my business this week. You can’t please everybody, but remember that there are some you should want to bring honor to. Especially those in your household.
Joseph brought honor to his family thru his faith. A faith we will examine a little more by the end of this chapter. Let’s continue on:
10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
Atad was a town...what does that name mean? It means among thorns. It was probably a place with many thorny trees or bushes around it, but it’s yet another symbol to the crown of thorns that Jesus would have crammed on his head as a mocking symbol of his royalty. One of the trees found in this area, are the Acacia trees. Does that ring a bell with anyone? What was made of Acacia wood? The Ark. Do you know what the branches of the Acacia wood tree look like?
Abel Mizriam means “Mourning of Egypt.” They saw this as a major event and had no idea why these people came and were mourning as they did. They had a 7 day funeral at this location, I can’t imagine the stories that would have been told, not including the ones from the past chapters in this book.
Jacob lived a life of adventure, a life that included dreams, overcoming impossible odds, God’s provision, cunning...Joseph’s life was wrot with troubles, Jacob’s was mission: Impossible. He even wrestled with the Lord in the flesh. Truly amazing stories, but alas, It was time, now, to lay him to rest.
12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded 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 bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.
I haven’t had anyone in my family pass on me yet. I have been around in a few of those times of emptiness. I have tried to put my mind in the echo chamber that is that quiet house, where everything has changed forever.
That would have to be the longest trip back. It would be good, though, to be in the company of people. During that trip, though, the brothers started to worry...
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
We have no record of Jacob saying these things. Remember when they stood before Joseph when they came to buy grain for their house? They were accused of being spies by Joseph, and they responded “We are honest men.”
Fear does crazy things to us, doesn’t it? It allowed again, the first dream Joseph told his brothers about...they would bow down to him, and he would be their ruler. That’s what he was now. The brothers are now loaded with fear though, and they resorted to their lies again.
Joseph was a man of great faith, but his brothers were not. They survived on their cunning or their strength. How could they think so little of him? They couldn’t believe that their brother would forgive them for such an egregious offense, fully and completely, so they tried to trick him into sparing them. They didn’t even have the guts to go tell him themselves, they sent messengers ahead of them...and they stood close by to see Joseph’s reaction.
What they didn’t understand fully, was that forgiveness isn’t for them...it was for Joseph. He could live a full life because he wasn’t burdened about what they thought. He didn’t wrap himself in revenge. The names of his children Menasseh and Ephriam were proof of that, that he had forgotten the old times and became fruitful as a result of them!
Do any of you still struggle with the sin of unforgiveness? Bitterness? You know the Lord can’t bless you if you harbor it in your life, right? It stifles your growth. It’s like walking a mile with a thorn in your sock. How does that feel? It’s amazing how the littlest thing can bring such lasting pain. It’s on your mind every step of the way. You know it’s there. You know.
These brothers know what they did, they know how terrible it was. They remember the cries of their brother and their unrepentant heart full of the revenge they were exacting on him. They had so little trust in the feelings of their brother and his word. Even Pharaoh knew Joseph was a man of his word, and their fear was so complete that they had to lie to him to save their own skin.
For years they dealt with that feeling. They even mourned with their father about the fake loss. Truly cruel treatment. They deserved what they had coming to them.
Joseph, the good man that he is, plainly answered them:
19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
BUT GOD...This is a verse to live by. Anyone live this out? People meant to destroy you, and you’re still here? Do you know who knew you’d come out on the right side? God did. We talked weeks ago about God being the potter, and the potter starts by beating and rubbing and molding that clay into shape. When He’s done, he puts us on display and lets US tell the story of how God made you into who we are now.
The enemy means to shred you of everything, even your life. Don’t let him take it from you. You have a story to tell that will bring Glory to your father in Heaven. I often tell people a fictional story. I imagine Jesus and satan sitting on a couch watching my life, like in Job 1. I think of Jesus saying: Take my servant Aaron here, he’s a pretty cool guy, I’ll bet you can’t keep him down.
So satan throws a trial in my way, and I overcome it. Jesus responds “Hmm.” satan goes “Watch this, he’ll curse you” and I kick a table, and I keep my composure and walk it off. Jesus mocks him...”Thought you had him there...what’s next?” Then trial after trial, and Jesus starts getting excited for the next one, and next...To the point where Jesus is standing there, going “Watch this watch this! Watch I love this guy!” And he looks over his shoulder and he’s there alone...He’s won, and he hears from down the hall “I hate you Jesus!”
The last ditch effort by the enemy to drag us down is to make us bitter. We equate the devil’s antics with people. We’re the ones who do his bidding, right? We are the ones with the hammer in our hands, driving those nails home. The compassion Jesus has for us, we should have for others. Joseph spoke kindly to his brothers. Just as we should too. In the moment of your righteous anger, how do you respond?
Joseph knew God would bring vengeance, even though this was before those words were even said by God in Deuteronomy 32, or by Paul in Romans 12. He was not the predecessor, he was proof of the principle. He knew that God would take care of the issues, and all he had to do was stay in his lane.
We respond how we’ve been trained to respond. For Joseph, it was 13 years of hard labor, longing for reconciliation. What would we spend those 13 years doing? Plotting revenge, right? I would.
1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Let your words be Life to someone, as you rebuild trust. These verses are verses to hang your life on. This world will bring you trials, but fear not, because Jesus has over come the world.
22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.
This means that Joseph got to see his great, great, great, great grandson. Doing that math put me in “The Emperor’s New Groove” for a minute. Joseph adopted all of these kids as his own, giving them the inheritance they deserve. Joseph is a shining example of a son being the best parts of his dad, and learning from the worst. That’s what I want from my sons. Take my greatness and make it greater. Take my weakness and make it disappear. Don’t hide it, expose it and kill it.
You think your kids are terrible, wait until one of them, not even teenagers yet, calls you a hypocrite AND accurately describes to you how they recognize it. Welcome to my world. Actual conversation with one of them: “Dad, you know that makes you a hypocrite, right?” I looked at my son like I could remove all of the hair from his head with the flames I could shoot from my eyes...then smiled...he was right. I was wrong. I had to admit it and do what? Change.
I love that about my children. They WATCH US. Bring the blessings to your kids. I hope after 2 years they still think it’s great I’m their pastor. If they don’t, I’m sure I’ll hear about it after the message...AND that’s OK! I love my kids, they will be great one day. No idea what they’ll be good at, but it’ll be something.
24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
So, I mentioned earlier about the faith of Joseph. At the end of his life, what was attributed to him as his greatest act of faith for his whole life? It was this moment.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
Joseph’s greatest act of faith was 400 years of waiting, WITH HIS PEOPLE, to go home. Joseph didn’t abandon his people, he stayed with them.
This book is the foundation of our faith. I take it seriously, and literally. It is truth, and never been proven wrong. The first 4 words are “In the beginning, God” and the last 4 words are “a coffin in Egypt.” The beginning starts with life, the end with a death, but that death wasn’t the end, it was hope of a new beginning.
Genesis 50 starts with the death of the last patriarch of the promise of Israel, Jacob, and he is taken home to the promised land for burial. Joseph would want to return home also, but at a time when his people would have God revealed to them. It would be 400 years before that journey would happen. The Hebrews would need to carry his bones around for 40 years in the wilderness, out of respect for the man who was the greatest example of doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord in history before Jesus.
You would think, with an example such as this, and all of the similarities, that Jesus would be recognized by those who know the Torah so well. An example they see clearly of the events in the next 4 books of the Bible is right here:
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7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” 8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
3 generations from Abraham came Joseph. Not only God’s word being clear, but the sleep on Abraham would be symbolic of those 400 years in captivity. God made this covenant with himself, not with Abraham, it’s conditional upon God, who always keeps his promises. 3 sacrifices, 3 sacrificed generations, and the 4th would come out, and be lead by the Lord by smoke by day, and fire by night, back into the promised land.
They can connect those dots, but that costs them nothing. Connecting the testaments to Jesus, that will cost them everything.
Do you take this book of the Bible seriously? Is this Truth? Do you take God at His Word? Or are you willing to allow the foundations to be shaky. What will that cost you?
Do you believe a day is a day? That would make the 2300 years Genesis represents accurate. Do you believe God make the stars in a day? He’s God. He does what He wants, when He wants, how He wants. Are you OK with that?
Do you believe something comes from nothing? What’s the definition of nothing? I heard a Christian comedian once speak of a conversation between the Lord and an atheist scientist, it went something like this:
God was once approached by a scientist who said, “Listen God, we’ve decided we don’t need you anymore. These days we can clone people, transplant organs and do all sorts of things that used to be considered miraculous.”
God replied, “Don’t need me huh? How about we put your theory to the test. Why don’t we have a competition to see who can make a human being, say, a male human being.”
The scientist agrees, so God declares they should do it like he did in the good old days when he created Adam.
“Fine” says the scientist as he bends down to scoop up a handful of dirt.”
“Whoa!” says God, shaking his head in disapproval. “Not so fast. You get your own dirt.”
Foundational questions that we MUST answer to be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil. There are famous Christian apologists that consider old earth versus young earth. I take God at His Word. There is science I don’t fully understand. I know thru all proven history and science proves the Word is True, and has never been proven false. The things I can’t prove, I let God sort out.
Our lives begin and end as this book does. It begins with “Let there be Light” which scientists have now shown happens at the point of conception, and it ends with bones in a coffin. The life we live is represented by a dash on a stone.
It started with a perfect creation, then man disobeyed, meaning sacrifice would be needed and blood spilled to atone. That sin would become more and more depraved, to the point where the Lord would have to destroy all of creation but one man and his family, and thru that one man he would save the world. He promised He would never again destroy the earth with water.
Thru that one man, again came sin, which lead to split nations who would try to get to God by building a tower to the heavens in modern day Iraq, and even trying to protect themselves by covering the inside with pitch knowing God had the ability to flood the land, the pitch would make the tower waterproof.
Man has become cunningly defiant of the Lord, so instead of starting over again, he confused their language and sent them away from each other.
Then, the Lord called one man, Abram from Ur of the Caldeans and speak to him and send him out into a land promised for God’s people, but he would disobey too. He would run in fear, commit adultery, lie...and he would be called the father of many nations, proving God’s sovereignty, but also His mercy on us. As Abram, who became Abraham, God knows we’ve screwed up, and He uses us anyway.
The Lord would make promises to Abraham, thru his son Isaac, and Jacob, but each of these men would need to be tried in the light of that promise. Those trials lasted 20 years for each of them. 20 years of waiting and changing. 20 years to struggle in their sin, to doubt the promises of God. This book was a testament to the patience and time it takes for the Lord to make a man or woman into an instrument that He can use. Sometimes He doesn’t get all the way there...but His purposes are always fulfilled.
Fun math fact, how old was Joseph when he was sold into slavery? 17, How many years in servitude or prison? 13. How old does that make him? 30, how old was Jesus about when his ministry started? About then, right? 30-33.
This book is the foundation of our faith, the information we need to base our system of beliefs on. It was written before the foundation of this world was laid. Planning out God’s rescue plan for our lives thru the sacrifice of His Only Son, because we can’t earn our way to Heaven. He had to make a way.
