Introduction

Jacob is buried. Joseph and his brothers stay in Egypt and eventually Joseph dies.

Verses
1Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him.
2Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.
3Forty days were used for him, for that is how many the days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for Israel for seventy days.
4When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favour in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
5‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’ ”
6Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.”
7Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8All 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.
9There went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company.
10They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.
11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
12His sons did to him just as he commanded them,
13for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.
14Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.”
16They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,
17‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.
21Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
22Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.
24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
25Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
26So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Questions

1. What did Joseph's brothers think might happen now that their father was dead and what did they do about it?

v 15 to 17 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.” They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying, ‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father". ...

2.  What was Joseph's attitude about being sold and taken to Egypt and what was his attitude to his brothers?

v 19 to 21  Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today. Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.

3.  What did Joseph say, when he was dying, that God would do for them?

v 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

Summary Points

  • v 1 to 3 Joseph has Jacob embalmed and the Egyptians mourn for him for 70 days
  • v 4 to 6 Pharaoh allows Joseph to go to Canaan to bury Jacob
  • v 7 to 13 Joseph goes up to to bury Jacob accompanied by a large company of Egyptians. After 7 days of mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, Jacob's sons bury him in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre
  • v 14 to 21 After returning to Egypt, Joseph assures his brothers that he has forgiven them for their mistreatment of him in the past and that he will continue to care for them
  • v 22 to 26 As he is dying, Joseph makes his relatives promise that they will take his coffin with them when they eventually go back to the promised land. Joseph is possibly thinking about God's promise to Abram in Genesis 15 v 13 to 16

Timeline to 2000 BC

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