And so I come to the end of the book of Genesis! Here in ch. 50 we learn of the way a person is mourned in Egypt. Jacob was embalmed (something that the did not generally do).The people mourned for 40 days. Perhaps it took that long for the embalmment to be complete enough to put the body in a tomb. Joseph asks Pharaoh to be permitted to take his father's body back to Canaan and be buried with the others that had died before him in the cave of the patriarchs (as it is called). Pharaoh permits this, even releasing all of the male leaders of the tribe of Jacob to go back to their prior home. At the gravesite, Jacob is mourned for 7 days (probably the custom for the Israelites?).
After returning from Canaan, Joseph's brother begin to worry that Joseph will take revenge on them now that their father has died. After 17 years you would think that they would know that Joseph had no such intention. But, perhaps they did not have very much contact with Joseph considering is position in the government. Joseph once again assured them that he will treat them with lovingkindness because he had truly forgiven them, thus exemplifying Christ.
Joseph must have been about 55 when Jacob died. He lived another 55 years. He saw his sons grow up and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Interesting one was named specifically saying he was brought up on Joseph's knees. Macher must have been a favored grandchild.
Joseph provided for his family and his brothers and their families for all the years he was them. When he was close to death, he promised his brethren that God would visit them and take them back to Canaan. He asked his brothers to take an oath to carry his remain back to Canaan and bury them with his forefathers. It doesn't recount him giving a blessing on his children, perhaps because is father already had done so.
The story of Joseph's life is a truly amazing. God never left him forsaken, but blessed him richly in every circumstance, making him a man of God.
After returning from Canaan, Joseph's brother begin to worry that Joseph will take revenge on them now that their father has died. After 17 years you would think that they would know that Joseph had no such intention. But, perhaps they did not have very much contact with Joseph considering is position in the government. Joseph once again assured them that he will treat them with lovingkindness because he had truly forgiven them, thus exemplifying Christ.
Joseph must have been about 55 when Jacob died. He lived another 55 years. He saw his sons grow up and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Interesting one was named specifically saying he was brought up on Joseph's knees. Macher must have been a favored grandchild.
Joseph provided for his family and his brothers and their families for all the years he was them. When he was close to death, he promised his brethren that God would visit them and take them back to Canaan. He asked his brothers to take an oath to carry his remain back to Canaan and bury them with his forefathers. It doesn't recount him giving a blessing on his children, perhaps because is father already had done so.
The story of Joseph's life is a truly amazing. God never left him forsaken, but blessed him richly in every circumstance, making him a man of God.
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