Mar 20
8
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 50
“Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. 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, ‘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.’’ And Pharaoh answered, ‘Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.’ 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, 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. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 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. 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. Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 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. 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. 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.’ So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father gave this command before he died: ‘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. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ‘Behold, we are your servants.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 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. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 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. 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.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’ So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50, ESV).
New Testament Reading: Romans 8:18–30
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:18–30, ESV)
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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.]
Introduction
We have come now to Genesis chapter 50. And in this chapter three things are brought to a conclusion.
One, the story of Jacob’s descendents, which began all the way back in 37:2 with the words, “These are the generations of Jacob…” Remember that the book of Genesis is divided into ten sections, each beginning with the phrase, “These are the generations of…”, or something similar. Here in chapter 50 we hear of Jacob’s burial. And this is how each of these sections in Genesis have concluded. The section concerning the generations of Abraham concluded with Isaac and Ishmael coming together to bury their father, for example. The same was true of the section regarding the generations of Isaac — Jacob and Esau came together to bury him. And here we learn that all of the sons of Jacob came together to bury their father in the family burial plot, while the Egyptians also also payed tribute — more on that later.
Two, the story of the life of Joseph is brought to a conclusion. Now, as I have just said, chapters 37 through 50 are about the “generations [or descendents] of Jacob” in general, but the focus has been upon one of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, and his most incredible journey from being the favored in his father’s house, down into the pit, down into Potiphar’s house, down into prison, before being raised to the highest position within the palace of Pharaoh. Here in Genesis 50 the incredible story of the life of Joseph is brought to a conclusion, for we are told of his death.
And three, chapter 50 brings the whole of the book of Genesis to a conclusion. If you look to the next page in your Bible you will see the opening chapter of the book of Exodus. And although many years pass between the events recorded in Genesis 50 and the events recorded in Exodus 1, the book of Exodus picks up where Genesis leaves off, saying, “These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land…’” (Exodus 1:1–10, ESV). Notice that the book of Exodus does not tell a new story. Instead it continues the story that was begun in the book of Genesis.
So now let us turn our attention to Genesis 50 which brings this book — which is a book about the beginning of things — to an end.
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The Burial Of Jacob
First of all, let us consider the story of the burial of Jacob as recorded in verses 1-14. Three things are mentioned: One, the preparation of Jacob’s body. Two, the morning over his death. And three, the burial of Jacob in Canaan.
First, we told of the preparation of Jacob’s body. Jacob was embalmed according to the Egyptian custom. We are told that 40 days were required for the embalming. The custom of the Hebrews was to buried their dead soon after death, but the Egyptians were concerned to preserve the bodies of their dead given their view of the afterlife. We should not read into things too much here. Jacob and Joseph believed what all of the Hebrews believed concerning the afterlife. Jacob was embalmed by the Egyptians at the command of Joseph, one, to honor him. And two, to preserve his body for the long journey back to the land of promise. The thing that I want for you to notice is the honor shown to Jacob by the Egyptians.
Secondly, the mourning over Jacob’s death is described to us. Again, I want for you to recognize that it is the mourning of the Egyptians that is emphasized. No doubt, the children of Jacob also mourned. But it is the mourning of the Egyptians that is emphasized. “The Egyptians wept for him seventy days”, verse 3 says.
Death is always difficult, for it is unnatural. That might sound like an odd thing to say, for to us death has become a most natural thing. People are born, they live for a time, and they die. But here I mean that God created us, not to die, but to live forever. Death — and here I am speaking of human death — was not a part of the original created order. Instead, death intruded along with the entrance of sin into the world. Death is the just punishment for sin. In this since, it is not natural to us. And this is why we grieve over it so bitterly. Something deep within the soul of man knows that this is not the way things are supposed to be. The soul was not made to be separated from the body, and loved ones long to be together forever, and to never part ways.
Though death is not natural to us (if considered from the vantage point of our original condition), it is now the most common of things. Men and women live, and they die. No one is exempt.
[Application: How important it is for us to square with this reality. Only a fool will live life oblivious to his or her mortality. This is why the Psalmest prays to God, saying, “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, ESV). The wise man lives being mindful of the brevity and frailty of life. He lives, therefore, not in fear, but with purpose and intentionality. Life is short for those we love, and so we are wise to make the most of our time with them. And life is short for us, and so we are wise to live in such a way that makes the most of each one. And what does it mean to make the most of a day? It means that we live, not for our own glory, but for the glory of God. It means that we live, not for our own pleasure, but to please others. It means that we live, not to store up treasures here on earth where moth and rust destroy, but in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in a steal.
I realize that some are prone to fall into the ditch on the other side of the road and to obsess over the thought of sickness and death. Friends, we must not fear. We must learn to live according to wisdom and to walk by faith. God has numbered the days of our lives. We cannot add anything to our lives by worrying. Worry will only take from you, it has nothing at all to give. We must learn to trust God with our lives. He holds our lives in his hand, and he loves us in Christ Jesus. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, ESV).
Let us walk carefully on the road of life, therefore. Let us be mindful of our mortality, but never fear it, for in Christ we have the victory.]
When Jacob died, those who loved and respected him morned. “The Egyptians wept for him seventy days.”
[Application: In both the Hebrew and Egyptian cultures time was set aside for mourning. In our culture things are less defined. We mourn, but our culture does not necessarily provide us with any norms.
I can think of three benefits to a pronounced and particular time for mourning, such as the one that is described here regarding the Egyptians mourning over Jacob for 70 days.
One, setting time aside for morning gives permission to the bereaved to grieve. In fact, more than giving permission, it encourages healthy grieving.
Two, setting aside time for mourning helps to establish boundaries for our grief. If we are not careful, it is possible for our grief to run out of control. As with all of our affections, grief is to be kept within proper bounds. Our anger must not turn to rage. Fear must not overpower faith so that it hinders obedience. We must learn to control all of our emotions, instead of allowing them to control us. Grief is no different. Grief must not be allowed to overflow it’s proper bounds leading to inordinate sorrow, stealing away all joy, hindering us from living a life of thanksgiving to the glory of God. Whenever we loose a loved one a certain sadness will remain with us all the days of our life. But there is a distinction between grief and sadness. At some point we must move on from that intense and pronounced form of grief to live a life of thankfulness and joy once more.
Three, setting aside time for morning does allow us to show honor to those who have passed. Never should we idolize others. Never should we pretend that they were something they were not — perfect in every way, etc. But is right that we honor the dead. It is right that we give thanks to God for the lives of those who have gone before us.]
Again, I want for you to notice the honor shown to Jacob by the Egyptians. I don’t doubt that the sons of Jacob mourned, but the text emphasizes that it was the Egyptians who mourned for seventy days.
Thirdly, we hear of the burial of Jacob. Notice two things about this.
One, Jacob was buried in Canaan according to his wish. This was an act of faith. In requesting to be buried in Canaan Jacob was demonstrating his faith in the promises of God. He truly believed that that land would belong to him through his descendents. And so Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all buried in Canaan.
Two, notice again the involvement of the Egyptians. Pharaoh gave Joseph permission to go. He also sent a very great company with Joseph, “chariots and horsemen”. These were sent for protection. But notice that these also mourned for Jacob. Verse 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. 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.”
I cannot help but think that the involvement of the Egyptians in the preparation of Jacob’s body, in mourning Jacob’s death, and in Jacob’s burial is of great significance. Notice that out text does not only make passing mention of the Egyptian’s involvement in these things. Instead, their involvement is emphasized — it is a central feature of the text. I think the reason for this is that in this little narrative we have a picture of how through Israel the nations of the would be blessed.
We must never forget that the original promises made to Abraham which were passed along to Isaac and Jacob had the nations of the earth in view. “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed”, God said to Abraham. Throughout Genesis we have been shown little glimpses of this. And here at the end of Genesis we see that the Egyptians had such love for Joseph the Hebrew and for Jacob his father that they mourned many days at his passing.
Joseph came to the Egyptians in suffering. He was a lowly servant at first. He dwelt among them and provided salvation for them. He blessed them. He won their hearts. And this was the purpose for Israel’s existence. They were blessed to be a blessing. They, being set apart by God from the nations, were to be used by God as an instrument to bring salvation to the nations. And all of this culminated in the Christ, of course. He was born into this world a Hebrew. But he came to save, not the Hebrews only, but people from every tongue, tribe and nation.
[Application: Brothers and sisters, we must never loose sight of God’s love for the nations. Its was because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
When we study the Old Testament we must recognize that, though for a time the kingdom of God on earth was confined to a particular people living in a particular land, the salvation of the nations was ever in view. Read the prophets and see! True and biblical Judaism always understood that God’s plan was to reconcile to himself people from every tongue, tribe and nation through faith in the Messiah.
This is made abundantly clear when reading the New Testament scriptures. Christ and the Apostles were concerned, not only for the Jew, but also for the Gentile. Christ commissioned his disciples saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” This, by the way, was one of the most controversial things which cause the Jews to hate Christ and his disciples. Many of them had lost sight of this. They forgot that they existed, not to be a reservoir of God’s blessing, but a river. They were set apart and blessed so that they might be a blessing to the nations. Through them the Christ, who was and is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, was brought into the world.
And friends, we must not loose sight of God’s love for the nations of this earth even today? There are places on this planet where the good news has not yet been preached. Let us pray for the furtherance of the Gospel amongst the nations. Let us pray that men and women would be sent to proclaim it, that others would repent and believe, and that churches would be established in those lands, to the glory of God.]
It really is astonishing, and very significant, I think, to see the Egyptians so involved in the mourning of the death of Jacob. It is an interesting way for the book of Genesis to conclude. It’s as if Moses wanted the Hebrews to understand what was possible if they would only walk faithfully before God amongst the nations, as Joseph did amongst the Egyptians. God would use that to draw the nations to himself, in due time.
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Joseph’s Brothers Fear Him, But He Forgives
This brings us now to the second portion of our text today. Let us consider the interaction between Joseph and his brothers after their father’s burial. We see in verses 15 – 21 that Joseph’s brothers feared him, but that he forgave them.
Verse 15: “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. 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.’”
It is understandable that Joseph’s brothers thought this way. They thought that perhaps Joseph had been kind to them before, but only for their father’s sake. They could not believe that Joseph had truly forgiven them given the wicked things they had done to him all those years ago.
They understood the severity of their sin. They understood that Joseph would do no wrong if he judged them. They feared Joseph. And so they offered sincere repentance, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘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.’”
[Application: May the Lord bring each of us to this place wherein we realize the severity of our sin, understand that God would be just to judge, and, out of a reverent fear of God, repent sincerely before him, and through faith in Christ, say, please forgive the transgression of your servants.]
If we would come to God in this way would find that God and Christ, like Joseph, is merciful and kind, eager to forgive us all of our transgressions, and to shower us with his grace.
Notice Joseph’s responce at the end of verse 17: “Joseph wept when they spoke to him.” He wept when he learned that his brothers thought this way. He wept when he learned that his brothers thought he would take vengeance upon them, as if the forgivness he extended those many years earlier was somehow insincere.
[Application: Some who have faith in Christ make the same error. They, after repenting and believing upon Christ to the forgivness of their sins, go on living with a sense of guilt and shame. They find it hard to believe that Christ would actually pardon all of their sins. They assume that God and Christ still hold a grudge against them for those heinous sins committed in years past. Friends, this grieves Christ to the heart when you doubt the sincerity of his forgivness. How important it is for the Christian to know that when God forgives us in Christ Jesus, he forgives us sincerely and trully and to all eternity.]
Verse 17: “Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ‘Behold, we are your servants.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 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” (Genesis 50:17–20, ESV).
Here is the pinnacle of the story ofJoseph. In these words there is much for us to learn about forgiveness and God’s ability to use even that which is evil to bring about good in the world.
“I’m I in the place of God”, Joseph said. He understood that God would set everything straight in the end. It wasn’t his place to hold grudges against his brothers or to judge them with the certainty with which only God can judge. Joseph was free to forgive his brothers.
[Application: And you, friends, are free to forgive those who have wronged you. You are to forgive others, knowing how much you have been forgiven. And you are to forgive others, knowing that God will set everything right in the end. It’s not on you to hold grudges. It not on you to make others pay. You are free from that obligation. And for those of you who are holding on to bitterness now, or who have been bitter in the past, you know that it is a burden. When you are bitter and unforgiving, you are the one who pays the price.]
Joseph then said, “You meant it for evil…” This is significant. Here Joseph acknowledges that his brothers did what they did freely. They intended evil when they sold him into slavery all those years ago.
But then Joseph said, “God meant it for good…” Friends, we serve a God who is able to use that which is evil to bring about good. Never does this minimize or dismiss the evil that other do, but it does give us to hope and courage to know that God is sovereign even over the sinful actions of others. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). In the story of Joseph we have a clear illustration of this. His brothers meant evil against him, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they were that day.
Again, knowing that God used the evil for good did not excuse the sinful actions of his brothers, but it did help Joseph to forgive them once they were repentant. Knowing that God had a purpose for his suffering kept his heart tender and soft enabling him to respond to his brothers, saying.
“do not fear; I will provide for your little ones.”
[Application: I wonder, friends, do you have it in you to forgive as Joseph forgave? I hope so! If you have faith in Christ then you have been forgiven by him in this way! How could you not forgive others the same? And knowing that has used the sins of those who have sinned against us to refine and strengthen us surely helps.
I have found this to be true in my life. When others mistreat me, I am tested and strengthened. How will I respond? Will I sin in return, or will I turn the other cheek, responding with love and kindness? Will hold a grudge, or forgive? Suffering (to one degree or another) at the hands of others is a refining fire.]
Joseph knew this. He was able to see that God could use that which was meant for evil for good, and it helped him to forgive, knowing that he was not in the place of God to take vengeance on his brothers.
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19–21, ESV)
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Joseph’s Death
Thirdly, and very briefly, let us consider the account of Joseph’s death.
Here we are told that Joseph lived to 110 years (an age that sounds more reasonable to us, and the age the Egyptians considered to be ideal). We are told that he saw “Ephraim’s children of the third generation.” Joseph was truly blessed. But pay special attention to Joseph’s last words, and see the strength of his faith in the promises of God: “‘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.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’”
With these words the stage is set for the Exodus.
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Conclusion
Now that we have come to the end of our study of the book of Genesis I do hope that you have a better understanding of what we mean when we say that the book of Genesis is a book about the beginning of things.
Here we have learned of the beginnings of the heavens and earth, of man and woman, and of God’s covenantal dealings with us in the Covenant of Works. We have learned of the beginning of marriage, of sin and also of grace. In Genesis we have witnessed the beginning of the nations of the earth, with special attention given to one people — the Hebrews. They were chosen of the Lord. God entered into a covenant with them — the Old Covenant. And finally, in Genesis we have witness the beginning of the nation of Israel. At the end of Genesis they were a relative small people without a land, but God had promised to multiply them greatly, to give them Canaan, and to bless the nations of the earth in them by the Messiah who would come in to the world through them.
Truly, this book is foundational to our faith. May the Lord enable us to build upon the truths established here for our good and to the glory of his name. Amen.
