JOSEPH'S FAITH AND STEWARDSHIP, Sarah Barry
HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISE
Passage: Genesis 49:29~50:26  
Key verse: 50:20
The Death of Jacob
29 Then he gave them these instructions:(A) “I am about to be gathered to my people.(B) Bury me with my fathers(C) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,(D) 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah,(E) near Mamre(F) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field(G) as a burial place(H) from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham(I) and his wife Sarah(J) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah(K) were buried, and there I buried Leah.(L) 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.[a](M)”
33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.(N)
50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.(O) 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,(P) 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.(Q)
4 When the days of mourning(R) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,(S) “If I have found favor in your eyes,(T) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath(U) and said, “I am about to die;(V) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself(W) in the land of Canaan.”(X) Now let me go up and bury my father;(Y) then I will return.’”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials(Z) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court(AA) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8 besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.(AB) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.(AC) 9 Chariots(AD) and horsemen[b] also went up with him. It was a very large company.
10 When they reached the threshing floor(AE) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;(AF) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period(AG) of mourning(AH) for his father.(AI) 11 When the Canaanites(AJ) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”(AK) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.[c]
12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:(AL) 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,(AM) near Mamre,(AN) which Abraham had bought along with the field(AO) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.(AP) 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.(AQ)
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge(AR) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”(AS) 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions(AT) before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins(AU) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’(AV) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.(AW)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.(AX)
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.(AY) “We are your slaves,”(AZ) they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?(BA) 20 You intended to harm me,(BB) but God intended(BC) it for good(BD) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.(BE) 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.(BF)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly(BG) to them.
The Death of Joseph
22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years(BH) 23 and saw the third generation(BI) of Ephraim’s(BJ) children.(BK) Also the children of Makir(BL) son of Manasseh(BM) were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.[d](BN)
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.(BO) But God will surely come to your aid(BP) and take you up out of this land to the land(BQ) he promised on oath to Abraham,(BR) Isaac(BS) and Jacob.”(BT) 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath(BU) and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones(BV) up from this place.”(BW)
26 So Joseph died(BX) at the age of a hundred and ten.(BY) And after they embalmed him,(BZ) he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 49:32 Or the descendants of Heth
- Genesis 50:9 Or charioteers
- Genesis 50:11 Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians.
- Genesis 50:23 That is, were counted as his
Cross references
- Genesis 49:29 : Ge 50:16
- Genesis 49:29 : S Ge 25:8
- Genesis 49:29 : S Ge 15:15; 50:25; 2Sa 2:32; 19:37
- Genesis 49:29 : S Ge 25:9
- Genesis 49:30 : S Ge 23:9
- Genesis 49:30 : S Ge 13:18
- Genesis 49:30 : S Ge 23:20
- Genesis 49:30 : S Ge 23:4
- Genesis 49:31 : Ge 25:9
- Genesis 49:31 : Ge 23:19
- Genesis 49:31 : S Ge 24:67
- Genesis 49:31 : S Ge 23:20; S 29:16
- Genesis 49:32 : S Ge 10:15
- Genesis 49:33 : S Ge 25:8; Ac 7:15
- Genesis 50:1 : S Ge 29:11; S 46:4
- Genesis 50:2 : ver 26; 2Ch 16:14; Mt 26:12; Mk 16:1; Jn 19:39-40
- Genesis 50:3 : S Ge 37:34; S Dt 1:3
- Genesis 50:4 : S Ge 27:41
- Genesis 50:4 : ver 7
- Genesis 50:4 : S Ge 30:27; S 32:5
- Genesis 50:5 : S Ge 24:37
- Genesis 50:5 : ver 24
- Genesis 50:5 : 2Sa 18:18; 2Ch 16:14; Isa 22:16; Mt 27:60
- Genesis 50:5 : Ge 47:31
- Genesis 50:5 : Mt 8:21
- Genesis 50:7 : Ge 45:16
- Genesis 50:7 : ver 4
- Genesis 50:8 : ver 14
- Genesis 50:8 : S Ge 45:10
- Genesis 50:9 : S Ge 41:43
- Genesis 50:10 : Nu 15:20; Ru 3:2; 2Sa 24:18; 1Ki 22:10
- Genesis 50:10 : 2Sa 1:17; 3:33; 2Ch 35:25; Eze 32:16; Ac 8:2
- Genesis 50:10 : 1Sa 31:13; Job 2:13; Eze 3:15
- Genesis 50:10 : S Ge 27:41; S Lev 10:6
- Genesis 50:10 : S Ge 37:34
- Genesis 50:11 : S Ge 10:18
- Genesis 50:11 : S Ge 37:34
- Genesis 50:12 : Ge 49:29
- Genesis 50:13 : S Ge 23:9
- Genesis 50:13 : S Ge 13:18
- Genesis 50:13 : S Ge 23:20
- Genesis 50:13 : S Ge 25:9
- Genesis 50:14 : ver 8
- Genesis 50:15 : S Ge 27:41
- Genesis 50:15 : ver 17; S Ge 9:5; 37:28; Zep 3:11; 1Pe 3:9
- Genesis 50:16 : Ge 49:29
- Genesis 50:17 : S Mt 6:14
- Genesis 50:17 : S ver 15
- Genesis 50:17 : S Ge 28:13
- Genesis 50:17 : S Ge 29:11
- Genesis 50:18 : S Ge 37:7
- Genesis 50:18 : S Ge 43:18
- Genesis 50:19 : S Ge 30:2; S Ex 32:34; Ro 12:19; Heb 10:30
- Genesis 50:20 : Ge 37:20
- Genesis 50:20 : Isa 10:7; Mic 4:11-12
- Genesis 50:20 : Ro 8:28
- Genesis 50:20 : S Ge 45:5; Est 4:14
- Genesis 50:21 : S Ge 45:11
- Genesis 50:21 : S Ge 34:3; Eph 4:32
- Genesis 50:22 : S Ge 25:7; Jos 24:29
- Genesis 50:23 : Job 42:16
- Genesis 50:23 : S Ge 41:52
- Genesis 50:23 : S Ge 48:11
- Genesis 50:23 : Nu 26:29; 27:1; 32:39, 40; 36:1; Dt 3:15; Jos 13:31; 17:1; Jdg 5:14
- Genesis 50:23 : S Ge 41:51
- Genesis 50:23 : S Ge 48:12
- Genesis 50:24 : ver 5
- Genesis 50:24 : Ru 1:6; Ps 35:2; 106:4; Isa 38:14
- Genesis 50:24 : S Ge 15:14
- Genesis 50:24 : S Ge 13:17
- Genesis 50:24 : S Ge 17:19
- Genesis 50:24 : S Ge 12:7; S 15:16
- Genesis 50:25 : S Ge 24:37
- Genesis 50:25 : S Ge 49:29
- Genesis 50:25 : S Ge 47:29-30; Heb 11:22
- Genesis 50:26 : Ex 1:6
- Genesis 50:26 : S Ge 25:7
- Genesis 50:26 : S ver 2
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
Jacob lived a tumultuous life in Canaan, in Paddan Aram, back in Canaan and then in Egypt. He was a pilgrim, but he wanted to be buried in the cave his father Abraham purchased in Canaan. His burial was like one of Egyptian royalty, but he belonged to God. Even in death he planted the hope of God, who would do as he promised and bring Israel to the land that he swore to give them.
2. Joseph's faith (50:15-26)
When Jacob died, his sons worried that Joseph would hold a grudge for how they had treated him. So, they came asking forgiveness. Joseph could forgive them because he accepted God's sovereignty in his life. They had intended to harm him, but God had turned their evil deed around and used it to save many lives. He, too, planted hope by giving instructions about his bones.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live with hope in your promises.
One Word: Plant God’s hope