Genesis 50:4-14 – Finishing strong

The mourning of Israel’s death was long drawn. In that duration, hair would have grown on Joseph’s usually shone head. Moustaches and beard would have appeared on the areas above his upper lip and his usually cleanly shaven chin. And in his disheveled state of mourning, he must have thought it unwise to go and see Pharaoh directly. So he sent carefully worded message to the monarch through messengers. He did not want to offend Pharaoh by giving him the impression that Egypt was unsuitable for his father’s bones. So he made known to him that it was his father’s desire to be buried in Canaan. And it was the patriarch who had made him promise to bring his body back to Canaan to be buried there. It was important to fulfill the wish of a dying man, so Pharaoh consented. And Joseph set out bringing his father’s body back to Canaan

Verses 7-11 describe the cortege of a grand state funeral. After all, this is the funeral of the father of a man whom Egypt owed much. It was this mastermind who, through his God-given wisdom, had saved them from starvation and consolidated Egypt. And he had brought them immeasurable wealth from all over the then known world. Nothing would be withheld from him to ensure that his father was given a grand sent off. The procession to Canaan was elaborate. Three groups accompanied Israel’s body to Canaan. First group comprised of the elites of Egypt: the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of the household and the elders of the land of Egypt. The second group made up of Israel’s own family. Verse 8 tells us that “all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household” went up except for their little ones and their herds and flocks. Then came the third group encompassing military personnel and charioteers.  This was to provide protection. What a grand procession!

The funeral procession also took an unusual circuitous route coming to the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan. It was a rather round-about way to get to Canaan. This was perhaps a rehearsal of the route they would eventually take 400 years later in the grand exodus under Moses. In Atad, the procession paused and lamented for seven days with loud weeping and wailing. That was the way they mourned the loss of Israel. So amazed were the whole proceeding that the Canaanites observing what went on named the place “Abel-mizraim”, meaning the mourning of the Egypt. Here the Egyptians remained beyond the Jordan while Joseph and the rest of his brothers carried his body to be buried in Canaan.  

Verses 12-13 said, “Thus his sons did for him as he had charged 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 had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.” The land they buried Israel rightly belonged to them. Abraham bought it. So the bones of Israel laid to rest in Machpelah. After Israel’s burial, Joseph and his brothers and all their families returned to Egypt.

Like Israel, every one of us will have to face this inevitability of death. For since the fall of man, death has been and will continue to be everyone’s ultimate experience. This was God’s warning. No one escapes it. Hence the legacy we leave behind becomes very important. Our legacy can continue to impact others long after we leave this earth. Hence it behooves us to run and finish well in this race of life. What are we leaving behind? Though there were hiccups in Israel’s journey, overall we must conclude that he finished strong. What about us? Remember, while it is important to start well, it is equally important that we finish well.