JACOB DIES
50 And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.
vs 1-2 Jacob dies at one hundred and forty seven years old. Joseph had been reunited and able to provide for the security of his family for the last seventeen years. Jacob has died and Joseph has promised to return him to Hebron and the cave at Mamre. Egyptians embalmed almost all the dead. Joseph had Jacob embalmed and Egyptians recognized Jacobs death with a period of mourning. This was most likely due to Josephs position.
JOSEPH REQUEST TO RETURN TO CANAAN TO BURY JACOB
4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. 6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
vs 4 -5 Joseph goes to his boss and requests to use resources and time to bury his father.
vs 6 Pharaoh grants the request. I believe that God has made Joseph not only very powerful, but also very popular. He is seen as the savior of the land. This is seventeen years after Jacob entered Egypt, therefore twelve years after the end of the famine. Egypt has survived, and now owns all the land that people gave up for food. All the people that are alive owe their lives to Josephs plan to store up food in the seven years of plenty.
vs 6 Pharaoh grants the request. I believe that God has made Joseph not only very powerful, but also very popular. He is seen as the savior of the land. This is seventeen years after Jacob entered Egypt, therefore twelve years after the end of the famine. Egypt has survived, and now owns all the land that people gave up for food. All the people that are alive owe their lives to Josephs plan to store up food in the seven years of plenty.
JACOB IS BURIES IN CANAAN
7 And 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 and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and 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 company. 10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond Jordan. 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 13 for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS RETURN TO EGYPT
14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
vs 14 Joseph and all of his brothers return to Egypt. I wonder why they returned with Joseph.
MESSAGE SENT
15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
vs 15 Back in Egypt, the brothers realize that Joseph may not have acted against them due to their fathers frailty. Now that Jacob is gone, perhaps the vail of protection that Jacob provided is lifted, will enable Joseph to act in revenge. The guilt of the brothers make it very hard to receive the gift of true forgiveness without a price. What they may come to realize is that the price is not something they can repay, they must freely accept it. Josephs understanding of Gods plan is much different than the brothers understanding of the world and what they thought they deserved.
vs 16 No telephones or email, the brothers sent a messenger. Jacob also sent messengers to Essau prior to his meeting. This was a way to test the reaction of a person without confronting them. Their message carries the weight of their fathers dyeing command. Did the brothers make this up to make, their revengeful brother feel compelled to forgive them? The power to forgive all that they have done lies with Joseph alone.
vs 17 The brothers recounting of Jacobs dyeing command includes several important confessions, they have trespassed, sinned, and done evil. These are all true, but now they profess to be the servants of the God of thy father.
vs 18 This time when they bow down, they all know who he is, and what power he holds. They willingly and knowingly bow down to this brother that had dreamed this dreams all those years ago. Gods prophetic dream is fulfilled.
vs 16 No telephones or email, the brothers sent a messenger. Jacob also sent messengers to Essau prior to his meeting. This was a way to test the reaction of a person without confronting them. Their message carries the weight of their fathers dyeing command. Did the brothers make this up to make, their revengeful brother feel compelled to forgive them? The power to forgive all that they have done lies with Joseph alone.
vs 17 The brothers recounting of Jacobs dyeing command includes several important confessions, they have trespassed, sinned, and done evil. These are all true, but now they profess to be the servants of the God of thy father.
vs 18 This time when they bow down, they all know who he is, and what power he holds. They willingly and knowingly bow down to this brother that had dreamed this dreams all those years ago. Gods prophetic dream is fulfilled.
TRUTH DECLARED
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
vs 19 Josephs role, like Jesus', was not to judge, but to save. All of his brothers have a place in Gods plan. God alone would be the one to determine the consequences. Like Jesus, all that took place was fulfilling the plan of salvation.
vs 20 Gods plan will not be thwarted. Whatever evil does to try to interrupt it, God will overcome. What the brothers did was in service to evil, however God still prevailed. Occasionally I think that God allows Satan to seem to have a victory, only to remind him of how powerless he really is. That there are men and women of God who will recognize the true power of Gods love and forgiveness and remain true to Him.
vs 21 This is a wonderful picture of the word of God telling each of us that we are forgiven. Yes, you the one that has done things that when saved, realize were sins. Joseph reassures them that even now, when dad is gone I will take care of you. God made this plan and I will obey Him.
vs 20 Gods plan will not be thwarted. Whatever evil does to try to interrupt it, God will overcome. What the brothers did was in service to evil, however God still prevailed. Occasionally I think that God allows Satan to seem to have a victory, only to remind him of how powerless he really is. That there are men and women of God who will recognize the true power of Gods love and forgiveness and remain true to Him.
vs 21 This is a wonderful picture of the word of God telling each of us that we are forgiven. Yes, you the one that has done things that when saved, realize were sins. Joseph reassures them that even now, when dad is gone I will take care of you. God made this plan and I will obey Him.
PROMISES ASSURED
22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees. 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
vs 22 Joseph remained in Egypt until he died at one hundred and ten years old. The Egyptians believed this to be the perfect number of years for a blessed one to live. The brothers also stayed in Egypt. This leads me to the question of why? If they had returned to Canaan would the Exodus have had to happen? Perhaps the Nile delta was to good to leave. This will lead to the enslavement of the Hebrews for 430 years. God will once again send a deliverer to protect his chosen.
vs 23 Joseph lives long enough to see his great grand children. He will have the opportunity to tell them all that God has done in their lives. He is not only a deliverer, but also a witness of God.
vs 24 Josephs last prophetic pronouncement. No matter what happens to our descendants in Egypt, God will bring them out and return them to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
vs 25 Like all of those before him, he made them promise to carry his remains to the promised land. He was a son of Israel, not an Egyptian.
vs 26 Joseph body was embalmed as was the Egyptian custom and placed in an ark or coffin. Exodus tells us of what happens to Josephs remains
Exodus 13:17-19
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely [e]visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”
Shechem (Nablus): Joseph's Tomb - Chabad.org
vs 23 Joseph lives long enough to see his great grand children. He will have the opportunity to tell them all that God has done in their lives. He is not only a deliverer, but also a witness of God.
vs 24 Josephs last prophetic pronouncement. No matter what happens to our descendants in Egypt, God will bring them out and return them to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
vs 25 Like all of those before him, he made them promise to carry his remains to the promised land. He was a son of Israel, not an Egyptian.
vs 26 Joseph body was embalmed as was the Egyptian custom and placed in an ark or coffin. Exodus tells us of what happens to Josephs remains
Exodus 13:17-19
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely [e]visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”
Shechem (Nablus): Joseph's Tomb - Chabad.org