Bittersweet Ending

Genesis 50. It's finally here. It feels really good to be finished with the first book, and I can only hope that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to keep to a schedule and work through Exodus in a timely manner.

Beresheet (Genesis) 50:1-3 "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 him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days."

Why do you suppose the Egyptians mourned too? He was just an old Hebrew shepherd in their eyes, right? Well... He was also the father of the man who saved the known world. That particular fact aside, he may very well have been liked in Egyptian society. Maybe they could appreciate his peculiar (to them) ways and maybe they made friends.

Beresheet 50:4-9 "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, "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."' And Pharaoh said, 'Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.' 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, 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. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering."

I think Joseph probably found favor in Pharaoh's eyes several years back when he interpreted the dream for him... But it's always nice to ask your higher-ups before you go off on an extended vacation, even if it is to bury family.

Beresheet 50:10-11 "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. 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."

Interesting, isn't it? A few dozen chapters ago, Cain murdered his brother Abel, and now the word Abel means "mourning."

Beresheet 50:12-14 "So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 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. 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."

If anyone has respect for the dead, they are these men.

Beresheet 50:15-21 "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.' So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, 'Before your father died he commanded, saying, Thus you shall say to Joseph: 'I beg you, 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 Elohim of your father.' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, 'Behold, we are your servants.' Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of Elohim? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but Elohim meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

I'm not sure if I should retract my last statement or not. It would seem that the brothers put words in the mouth of their dead, mummified father in order to save their own skins. What? The expression that best sums this up is, I think, -_-;   Really?? They've lived with Joseph for SEVENTEEN YEARS now and they've obviously not gotten into any major fights since moving in... Does Joseph really seem like the kind of guy who would hurt his brothers after greeting them with hugs and tears? Sure he played mind games with them, but that's all.

Beresheet 50:22-23 "So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 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."

I sense more sadness coming very soon.

Beresheet 50:24-26 "And Joseph said to his brethren, 'I am dying; but Elohim 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.' Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, 'Elohim will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.' So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."

And thus, the end of Genesis is bittersweet. Bitter because we read about Israel and Joseph dying and we'll likely have an entirely new generation of people to learn about shortly. Sweet because it is indeed finished, and we have the whole rest of the Bible to go through, one chapter at a time.

You already got your homework from the chapter before, so go listen to MercyMe!

Thank you all so much for reading and I'll be back with Exodus next week =D

-Kj