Genesis 50:22-26 – Awaiting our blessed hope

Joseph lived up to 110 years old. Ninety-three of those years were spent in Egypt. And he spent most part of those years as Pharaoh’s second-in-command. His life was richly blessed. And his family multiplied after he and his family returned from burying his father. He was blessed to see Ephraim’s children to the third generation. Manasseh’s son, Machir also had children born before Joseph. In other words, his family in Egypt was a multi-generational one. Just like his father who had adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his own children, he also adopted the children of Machir, his grandson, as his own.  Joseph certainly had a deep conviction that his real home was not Egypt. So he left instruction for his brothers saying, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” He even made them swear saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.”

Unlike his father Jacob who had made Joseph promise to take his bones upon death back to Canaan, Joseph was content to have his people take his bones back to Canaan in the future when they all departed at the exodus. There was no description of a grand funeral procession when Joseph died, although he most probably had one. His father Jacob’s immediate committal in the family tomb in Canaan had identified himself with Abraham and Isaac and the sure hope in the land. But Joseph’s temporary burial in Egypt identified with the future generations in Egypt and their hope of returning to the land.

So Joseph, the savior of Egypt, died at age 110. He was placed in a coffin. There was no mention of a state funeral but we are sure he was given one. His last words “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” echoed deeply in the hearts of his children. It’s a reminder of the promise that God had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He anticipated an exodus of the children of Israel. And he wanted to be part of that exodus. His words and even his bones spoke of great hope. As we come to the close of our meditation in this book, we recall the pain, hurt and suffering Joseph endured in his early life. Though with the passing of time they had lessened considerably and much was replaced by blessings, they left something deep within us. His life is a reminder that no bad experience can ever thwart the plan of God. He can redirect all the bad happenings of our life and turn them for our good. The experience of Joseph points us to our Lord Jesus. He suffered far more than Joseph, and even died in the hands of cruel men. And the punishment that should be ours fell upon Him. His suffering, like Joseph’s, was God’s intention. Our heavenly Father engineered it, so that we who believe in Him would be kept alive.

The book of Genesis ends with Joseph in a coffin waiting for the exodus to Canaan, the Promised Land. It would only take place in the exodus led by Moses. However, the true exodus for us took place when Christ came at His first Advent. And Paul writing in Titus 2:11-14 tells us how we should conduct our life now. He said, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Let’s live for Jesus! Our Glorious King!