Genesis 50

Well friends, here we are, we have come to the close of the book of Genesis or what we call he book of Beginnings.

So what have we seen across this grea big book? Summarize some of the things we have talked about….

Now lets begin by looking at verses 1-3

Genesis 50 ESV

1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

So we see finally at 147 years old, Jacob whose name of Israel has passed away and Joseph has come and is weeping over his father, and we can imagine that he loved him dearly.

Now you might think this is strange but it really is not. They are in Egypt and emablming was one of their processes, they were masters of it and remember they had made a promise to Jacob.

They would make sure his bones got transported back to the land of Canaan, the land given to them by God and more especially Hebron, where his family was buried.

So the physicans embalmed Isarel… and the process took 40 days and the Egyptians wept for him 70 days. The 70 days of mourning reflects a royal practice that took place according to ancient sources.

It would suggest that because of Joseph’s place, his father was being shown a very high honor.

Now lets look at verses 4-8

Genesis 50 ESV

And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’ ” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.

Now that the time of mourning is officially over Jospeh comes to Pharaoh and seeks permission from him to go and do as His Father had promised him before his death.

And Pharaoh grants permission for Jospeh and his brothers to go and bury their father in the land of Canaan.

And so a very large group of people goes with Jospeh. Joseph, his brother, his father’s household, the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of Egypt and they left only in Goshen, their children and flocks.

So this is a very large caravan of people traveling to bury Jacob

Now verses 9-14

Genesis 50 ESV

9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. 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 grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him 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 at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

So people on horseback and in chariots make the journey. And this is seen as a large Egyptian procession, and the local people are caught off guard, they have never seen such a thing.

And mourning there for 7 days at the threshing floor at Atad, it makes such a scene and impression that the Canaanites refer to it as Abel-mizraim… the mourning of Egypt.

Now we do not know exactly where that threshing floor was, but we know it was a elevated spot so they could take advantage of the wind to separate the chaff from the grain. But regardless, this scene makes a huge impression on everyone in the area.

So they took Jacob to the place where his father and father before him were buried, so the place where Abraham and Isaac , Sarah and Rebekah are buried there. But also Leah is buried there as well.

When all this was completed, Jospeh, his brothers and all those who were with him returned to Egypt as they had told Pharaoh.

Now lets look at verses 15-21

Genesis 50 ESV

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

So after their father’s death, those other brothers of Joseph, well everyone but Benjamin who were jealous of him so many years ago and sold him into salvery are now afraid that Jospeh might take revenge on them.

So instead of facing him face to face they sent a message to jospeh. They confessed their guilt, but the message they sent as like a plea from their father to forgive their transgression.

And Jospeh wept over their message and his words are ones we rememeber today.

What you meant for evil, God meant for good….

It is really the ultimate principle that God overrides human sin for his glory and the ultimate good of mankind

Jospeh is gracious, forgiving attitude unites the family.

And he tells them he will provide for them and their little ones, thus he will take care of them

Now the last section verses 22-26

Genesis 50 ESV

22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

So Joseph and his brothers and their families all remianed in the land of Egypt.

Joseph lived 110 years, and saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. And Manasseh were counted as Joseph own.

Now when it comes close to the time of Jospeh’s own death he tells his brothers, that God will visit them and will bring them up out of the land of Egypt and take them back to the land that God had promised them, namely Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And Jospeh makes them swear when the times comes and they leave the land of Egypt they will be certainto carry His bones back to the promised land as well.

So Jospeh died at 110 years old, they embalmed him as they had done in the land of Egypt and he was placed in and egyptian coffin. ‘

Jospeh was given a Egyptian burial right as the royals had before him. So even in death he was treated well.

And this is where God closes the Book of Genesis and the book of Exodus opens up 400 years later….

Oddly 400 yeaers from the close of the OT to the time Michael the Archangel visits with Zechariah and Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke concerning the coming bith of John the Baptist…