Joseph's statue in Egypt 

How Yahweh relates with his creations (series 50)

Genesis: The end

Bible Texts (Concordant Version of the Old Testament and Concordant Literal New Testament with keywords Concordance (Main text: Genesis chapter 50)

Jacob's burial

               After Jacob's last breathe, Joseph and the people in the land of Egypt wept bitterly for the Patriarch. According to Joseph's instructions, his Physicians embalmed Jacob for 40 days. The nation of Egypt mourned Jacob's death for 70 days. Pharaoh permitted Joseph to bury his father in the land of Canaan according to the wish of Jacob (verse 1-10).

               A throng of people left the land of Egypt for Canaan to bury Jacob. People that saw the large number of people perceived that a great man from the land of Egypt was to be buried. It was stated that Egyptians were truly called the Mizriam (verse 11). People wailed and lamented. Jacob's death was a painful one to those who held him dearly, especially Joseph. All because of Joseph's significance in the land of Egypt, Jacob's burial was a talk of the town and it was colossal. He was buried at the cave of Machpelah just as Jacob had wished. He was indeed a great man.

Drama between Joseph and his elder Brothers

               Joseph's brothers stirred up the issue of their past sin against him. They were probably nursing this thought in their minds since their father's demise and during the time their father was buried. They thought their demised father (who was shielding them) had exposed them to fiery vengeance from Joseph. So, they went to Joseph by telling him that "his father" had informed them to tell Joseph to bear the evil they did to him. What? Joseph's father? So for that moment, the father only belongs to Joseph. Can you perceive what I perceive right now? Why have they come up with this insinuation? They threw themselves to the feet of Joseph and implied themselves as his servants. They were pathetic.

               What do you expect Joseph to think of? What would you do if you were in Joseph's shoes? There is one thing that is certain, for such devilish acts of his brothers, it may be difficult to forgive but it is much more difficult to forget. You may even forgive but not easily forget. Sometimes, incidences around us make us remember what other people we have forgiven had done to us in the past. In an essence, Joseph remembered what his elder brothers did to him but he had forgiven them. Joseph and his brothers wept on this issue. 

    The nature of his brother's weep is not for forgiveness but for the horror of what Joseph might do to them. However, Joseph wept because what his brother told him hurts him. It implies that his brothers appeared not to have a complete clear minds towards him. Anyway, Joseph had forgiven his brothers. His explanations implied that vengeance belongs to Yahweh and he was not in position of Yahweh to do anything concerning what his elder brothers had done to him. He made them see that Yahweh's thought towards him was good even when his elder brothers' thought towards him was evil.

Joseph played a more matured role to his brothers by speaking to their hearts intimately. He stated that Yahweh had placed him in the position that would enable him to take care of them and the rest of their families. What a big heart Joseph had.

              

Joseph's last days

               Joseph lived up to 110 years. He was able to see his children and grandchildren. He let his people understood that when it was the right time in the sight of Yahweh, they would depart Egypt for the land of Canaan which was covenanted to Abraham. Joseph implied that the time the people of Israel would leave Egypt would be the time Elohim takes note of them (remembers them) to leave. People of Israel must have been living in the land of Egypt for more than 70 years at this time. This implies that these people had been established in the land of Egypt and it would only be Yahweh's timing for them to leave. He admonished his people to hew his bones from the soil of Egypt and bury them in the land of Canaan when it was time for them to leave Egypt. Joseph's body was also embalmed just like his father's but was placed in coffin in Egypt (verse 26). I believe it is a tradition in the land of Egypt. His status is there in the top picture.

A peep into Israelites' future in Egypt: The need for Exodus

               Indeed, Joseph knew it was Yahweh's deed for Jacob and his people to migrate to the land of Egypt and it would also be his timing to let them go back to the land that was covenanted to their fore-father Abraham. Does it mean that Joseph knew what was coming to his people in the nearest future? Why did he not let them leave before he died? That is an indication that Yahweh had more things to do for the children of Jacob in the land of Egypt after the demise of Joseph and his brothers.

I hope you would want to know what Yahweh's next line of action was. That would be discussed in the book of Exodus.  I am excited to go into this book because in this book, Yahweh demonstrated how he relates with his creations in more practical sense!

 

 

 

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Shalom!