In August 2022 we began the book of Genesis with these words…
Genesis is a book about origins. The origin of creation, the origin of mankind, the origin of the institutions by which civilization flourishes, and the origin of one special family God chose as His own to bless the world through. And transcending all these beginnings and origins is God Himself, who has no beginning or origin.[1] Indeed if we possessed a Bible without the book of Genesis, we would be in a house with no foundation. We would have no proper doctrine of God if there’s no Genesis. We would have no doctrine of creation if there’s no Genesis. We would have no beginnings of the covenant God makes with man if there’s no Genesis. We would have no doctrine of man if there’s no Genesis. We would have no genealogy in Matthew or Luke if there’s no Genesis. We would have no Paul and his substantial use of Adam and Abraham if there’s no Genesis. And we would have no understanding of a future ‘better than Eden’ in Revelation if we don’t have the reality and images of the first Eden in Genesis.[2]
So here we are today, almost two years later, finally coming to the end of the book of Genesis. Speaking personally, I think there are two realities that have encouraged me throughout Genesis the most. First, I have been encouraged at how messy and sinful the patriarchs are. We’ve really seen this crew at their best, and that’s been great, but we’ve also seen them at their worst, and at times we’ve been appalled at them. This encourages me because it reminds me how God’s people have always been a sinful people, in need of rescue and redemption. Sure they lived in a vastly different culture than we do, but we truly do have so much in common with them. The second reality I’ve enjoyed in Genesis is how often we’ve been surprised with the presence of the gospel in these 50 chapters. From many angles, through various circumstances, and by way of many people we have beheld the gospel of Christ in Genesis in pastoral, doctrinal, and glorious ways.
Well, as we now come to the end, no surprise, we’ll see these same things again in final passage of the book.
There are many ways to divvy this passage up, I’ve split it up into three portions. See first…
Jacob’s Death (49:29 – 50:13)
“Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah—the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. 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.”
Well we come now to something we’ve expected but also something that saddens us, the death of Jacob. No doubt, Jacob is one of the most important figures in Genesis. His life takes up almost half of this whole book. Abraham was promised that God would make a nation of him. But he only had two sons that didn’t get along well. Isaac also had two sons but they separated too. It isn’t until Jacob and his twelve sons, that the promise to Abraham became a reality. Through these sons Jacob indeed became the father of the nation of Israel. And yet here we’ve come to his death.
In the end of chapter 49, v28-33 we see it occur. Jacob’s final request is to be buried in the cave belonging to Abraham. There is legal speak here about how exactly Abraham came about acquiring this piece of property. How he bought it from Ephron the Hittite, and intended to use it as a burial place. But there’s also sentiment present here, as Jacob mentions dear loved ones buried there already.[3] Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah. It is curious how Leah is mentioned but not as a wife. But he chooses to rest in death beside her instead of Rachel. In this I think we see his desire to join his family in death.[4] Then he dies, and the promise God made to him in chapter 46 that Joseph would close his eyes in death comes to pass.
And as chapter 50 begins, in v1-3 we see Joseph react as a son ought to react at the death of his father. He falls over his father, he weeps, and he kisses him. This is a great display of affection, that tugs at the heartstrings. He’s not buried right away, no. Joseph has Jacob embalmed (mummified) and a total of seventy days of mourning began in Egypt. So the affection shown in Joseph at the death of Jacob wasn’t limited to Joseph, it went a nationwide across all of Egypt. Certainly this was in deference to Joseph here for all he has meant to Egypt. But it’s remarkable to see nonetheless. It’s as if the father of Pharaoh himself has died.
In v4-6 Joseph makes a request of Pharaoh, that he would be able to leave Egypt and go bury his father in Canaan. Pharaoh agrees and thus begins the grandest state funded funeral recorded in the Bible.[5] With all kinds of pomp and circumstance, v7-13 records this great procession. See the list of all who were in attendance. In v7 the elite in Egypt were present. In v8 the whole family of Joseph was present, except for the children who remained at home. And in v9 the military of Egypt, chariots and all, joined in as well.
In v10 we see the direction they took out of Egypt. The mention of them arriving at the threshing floor of Atad is a detail of importance. That this whole company arrived here means they took a bit of a detour to enter Canaan. A map will show that in order to arrive at this location they had to go around the Dead Sea, and up the east side of the Jordan river. Which, ironically is the exact same route the Israelites took 400 years later as they left Egypt after the Exodus.[6] Because this is the same route, commentators call this funeral procession a kind of ironic dress-rehearsal for the Exodus, with Israelites – Egyptians - chariots, and all being present.[7]
The final details of Jacob’s burial are given in v11-13. Only the sons of Jacob would go further on and place Jacob’s body in the cave. The mourning was so loud the Canaanites took notice. There they said their goodbyes and returned. And as the whole procession went back the way they came, we must note a sobering detail, this is the last time any of these sons of Jacob would ever see the promise land.[8]
Thus ends the life and times of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham.
Joseph and His Brothers (50:14-21)
“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.”
It doesn’t take long after Jacob’s death for the brothers to return to being the brothers we know them to be. They all return from the funeral and burial, and Joseph’s brothers grow anxious and afraid. Why? Because they think Joseph might seek retribution now that Jacob is dead. On one hand this is quite understandable, they have done true wrong to Joseph in the past and their consciences still bear the weight of it, clearly as we can see here. But on the other hand, we can pity these brothers. Their sinful fears has warped their view of reality. Joseph loves them and has already shown them so much grace and mercy. Yet they seem to have forgotten that. And so, see what they do. They write Joseph a letter of all things, lying to Joseph, saying that before Jacob died he had commanded Joseph to forgive them for the evil they did. And as they ask for forgiveness from Joseph they call themselves servants of God, I think, trying to make the letter sound devout and godly.
How does Joseph respond to this? He could’ve responded in wrath, calling out their lies, and wickedness in using their father’s name to seek reconciliation. Maybe the brothers think Joseph will submit to this request due to his high view of Jacob.[9] But see what Joseph does. He weeps for them. He weeps because I think he pities them. That they are so quick to believe he would desire retribution, and that they are so slow to believe he is eager to show mercy to them. When his brothers finally work up the nerve to come before Joseph in v18, Joseph responds with three reasons for why they should not fear.
First in v19 Joseph says, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?” In these words Joseph is acknowledging again what he told his brothers back in chapter 45. That ultimately it is God who has brought him to Egypt. And so, Joseph is truly in the place God means for him to be. This is the first reason the brothers shouldn’t fear.
Second in v20 Joseph says, “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.” This verse is famous, for good reason. It is one of the many texts explaining God’s sovereignty and providence. Providence rightly defined refers not to God knowing things before they happen, but refers to God’s work in upholding, sustaining, guiding, providing for, and governing all things. In His providence we see God’s control over all things, and His care for all things. But we can say more than just providence here. Specifically, when Genesis 50:20 comes into view we can speak of a subcategory in the doctrine of providence, called the doctrine of concurrence.[10] This speaks of how God can bring His sovereign will to pass not apart from the choices and actions of people, but through the choices and actions of people. This is hard to grasp, but it’s exactly what Joseph is saying to his brothers here. That though they were doing evil to Joseph, God was doing something good in their evil far greater than the brothers knew. What good did God bring about? Keeping many alive through the famine.
Perhaps I can say it like this. The brothers truly meant evil to Joseph…but in their evil actions God was at work, such that the brothers proved to be instruments in God’s hands bringing about things more wonderful than they could imagine. This Church, is the Romans 8:28 of the OT. And this Church, gives us great hope. For here we learn not only that nothing happens to us in life that does not ultimately come from the hand of God, but we also learn that in all that God brings into our lives He will bring us good through it. So we have good reason to not despair, in good or bad, or any time we have at all.
And third and finally, in v21 Joseph says to the brothers, “So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Not only does he remind them that he is in God’s place, and not only does he of God’s providence, but now he reminds his brothers of God’s provision. That he will continue to provide for them and for their families.
These are great words of comfort to Joseph’s anxious and fearful brothers. And they’re great words for us.
Joseph’s Death (50:22-26)
“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.”
Here the book of Genesis comes to an end with the death of Joseph. It mentions he and his brothers and all their families remained in Egypt for the rest of their lives. Joseph lived to be 110 years old, old enough to see the multiple generations of his children and grandchildren. Interestingly, 110 is the ideal Egyptian age of death, and it was also how old Joshua was at his death.[11]
Joseph’s last words are prophetic. While he does make a request known, that he desires his bones to be buried in Canaan and not Egypt, he also makes a comment in v24 we would do well to pay attention to. There he says, “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.” Well when did God visit this family, this nation, and bring them out of Egypt and back to the promise land? In the Exodus. Genesis ends then, in great hope, of God’s promise to Abraham being fulfilled.
Conclusion:
Church, we have these past two years traveled from Eden to Egypt. What a journey it’s been!
Notice the grand pattern to Genesis. God’s people began safe in Eden, went through several crazy sinful years, and ended up safe in Egypt. Lesson? God’s covenant is sure, for He ever keeps His people.
The same is true for us today in Christ. We were made in God’s image, yet we’re brought into this world sinful. Our lives truly can be crazy and sinful, and that takes its toll on us. Yet in the end, all who come to Christ will never be forsaken by Christ, for His covenant is sure, and He ever keeps His people.
[1] Victor P. Hamilton, Genesis 1-17, NICOT (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1990), 2.
[2] Kenneth A. Matthews, Genesis 1-11:26, NAC (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H, 1996), 22–23.
[3] Wenham, 487.
[4] Waltke, 619.
[5] Hughes, 566.
[6] Hamilton, 697.
[7] Wenham, 489.
[8] Hughes, 568.
[9] Waltke, 622.
[10] Sproul, Joseph, 181-182.
[11] Waltke, 626.
