Genesis 50:1-26 NKJV
50 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 him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
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.’ ”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
In the first part of today’s reading, we’re told of the lengthy mourning period for Jacob after he died and of the elaborate embalming process and funeral procession all the way back to the land of Canaan—a journey that the children of Israel wouldn’t make again for over four hundred years. God does not expect us to hold a “celebration of life” when a loved one dies. It’s perfectly proper for Christians to mourn the death of a believing loved one, as long as we don’t mourn as those who have no hope.
It’s also proper for Christians to show care and respect for the bodies of our loved ones when they die. See the zeal of Jacobs’ sons for giving their father a dignified burial! His burial in the land of promise reflected his faith that God would one day fulfill His promise to give that land to his descendants. In the same way, we bury our dead as a confession of our faith in God’s promise to raise those bodies back to life.
In the second part of today’s reading, we see Joseph’s brothers still guilt-ridden over their treatment of Joseph years earlier. But instead of seeking mercy from Joseph for mercy’s sake, they lie to him about their father’s request to show them mercy. In spite of their imperfect repentance, Joseph shows again the attitude of a mature believer in God. He acknowledges that he hasn’t been authorized either to condemn them or to forgive them on God’s behalf. But for his part, he forgives them, speaks kindly to them, and graciously promises to keep providing for them and their families.
How can he so readily forgive? Because God has shown throughout the whole history recorded in Genesis that He takes the evil that men do and fits it all into His wonderful plan of salvation. He would do the same during the rest of world history as well, taking the evil plans of men and causing them to result in the birth, suffering, death, and resurrection of the Seed of the woman first prophesied in chapter 3. What men intend for evil, God always works out for good to those who love Him! Let us pray: Lord God, we thank You for using even the wicked intentions of men to accomplish Your good purposes for us. Amen.