Pronounced Burial

Pronounced Burial

Genesis 50: ⁴ Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”

 

⁶ And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

 

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, ⁸ as well as all 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. ⁹ And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

 

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After one hundred ten days, Joseph asked Pharaoh for some time off so that he could bury his father. Pharaoh agreed and Joseph got the funeral processional together.

 

My Observations:

• Israel’s funeral was the largest mentioned in Genesis.
• Egyptians mingled with Hebrews in this strange brief period of unity around mourning.
• GOD cleared the way for Joseph to bury Jacob.

 

The only people left at home were the little kids and the people who would watch over them and the animals. Everyone else went to the funeral. Sarah, Abraham, Rebekah, Isaac and Leah had small unannounced funerals. Rachel was buried in a place that her death happened and her funeral was small.

 

But Jacob’s funeral was pronounced throughout Egypt. People had to know ahy Joseph was going to be away, so they were told. Egyptians and Hebrews joined together to mourn Jacob, who GOD made great despite how he lived. GOD brought unity in a strange way.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about Joseph’s permission to bury his father?
• Is your life part of a story that GOD is not finished with?
• Will your story be ended with giving up because it seemed hard or that you pressed on for GOD’s purpose?

Mourned as a Leader

 Mourned as a Leader

Genesis 50: Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him, and kissed him. ² And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. ³ Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

 

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When Jacob died, Joseph wept and kissed him. He told the Egyptian physicians, who were “his” servants, to embalm his father. This would take forty days. After that, all of Egypt mourned for seventy days.

 

My Observations:

• Egyptians were known for mumification, whereas Jacob simply buried Rachel and Leah.
• Embalming took forty days because it was extremely important to the Egyptians who believed in gods.
• Mourning was ceremonious to the Egyptians, similar to a coronation.

 

Jacob, known as Israel was celebrated as an Egyptian leader because of his relationship with Joseph. Neither Joseph or Jacob were Egyptians, yet they celebrated him as one of their own. GOD put Joseph in a position of power and he was seen as Pharaoh.

 

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years. My guess is that the Egyptians heard of the stories of Abraham and Isaac during his stay. He was not one to remain silent. He may have had some affect on their beliefs. GOD made Jacob a leader in the middle of a culture who would, otherwise, not accept him.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the Egyptian’s mourning of Jacob?
• Is your faith strong enough to affect the culture around you?
• Can you be the salt GOD has called you to be so you can transform the people around you?

Jacob’s Final Instructions

 

Jacob’s Final Instructions

Genesis 49: ²⁹ Then he charged 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, ³⁰ in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. ³² The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.” ³³ And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

 

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After blessing his sons, Jacob gave his final instructions on where to bury him. After giving the instructions, he immediately passed away.

 

My Observations:

• Ephron was a Hittite who lived in the land of the Philistines
• Abraham insisted on buying the land when Sarah died because he wanted ownership versus ambiguous terms that would eventually allow some other family to reclaim the property.
• Leah was the only wife buried in the cave with Jacob’s ancestors.

 

There are significant things going on with Jacob’s final instructions. First, he insisted on being buried in the cave with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and Leah. Abraham moved to the land of the Philistines and dealt with Abimelech. When Sarah died, he bought the land that had a cave on it. Jacob wanted to be buried there.

 

But in his dying statement, he mentions Leah. Wow! She is the mother of Judah which is the tribe of David and JESUS! Jacob did not want Leah for many reasons. He desired Rachel, who ended up dying in the birthplace of JESUS. Leah ended up being very special to Jacob and her prayers were answered.

 

The Philistines would become the ultimate enemies of GOD as they fought against the tribes of Israel over and over because of their belief in GOD. Samson would fight the Philistines and David fought Goliath, a famous Philistine. The Hittites believed in many gods. Ephron was a Hittite who owned land amongst the Philistines. GOD seemed to bring together the people who worshipped HIM and those who opposed HIM.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about Jacob insisting to be buried with his ancestors?
• Are there some things that you fought against GOD that were beneficial to you?
• Will you surrender anything that you are fighting GOD for, to get your own way?

Israel’s Prophecy for Benjamin

Israel’s Prophecy for Benjamin

Genesis 49:  ²⁷ “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
In the morning he shall devour the prey,
And at night he shall divide the spoil.”

 

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

 

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Benjamin was the twelfth son of Jacob and the second son of Rachel, the one Jacob loved. Rachel had a difficult child labor with Benjamin and named him Ben-Oni “Son of my Trouble.” But Jacob renamed him Benjamin, “Son of my right hand.”  Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin.

 

My Observations:

• Benjamin did not grow up with a mother figure in his life.
• Israel recognized that Benjamin had valor as a warrior and disgrace.
• Benjamin was significantly younger than his brothers and may not have shared as much hatred of Joseph, but he went along with them.

 

This is the final blessing of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin would end up small. At one point, all of the tribes would turn against this tribe in a civil war. The warriors that came from the tribe of Benjamin were known for being fierce and cruel. This aligned with Israel’s prophecy of Benjamin.

 

Famous people came from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul, Israel’s first king and Saul, otherwise known as Paul, came from the tribe of Benjamin. Paul even says he was a Pharisee of Pharisees from the tribe of Benjamin.

 

Saul, the king, was a fierce warrior who pursued David to kill him. Saul of Tarshish, pursued those who believed in CHRIST to kill them. Both Sauls showed their fierce roots from Benjamin. BUT GOD has Benjamin’s name in the book of Revelation and on a gate in heaven. This shows GOD’s mercy.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about Benjamin’s blessing from Israel?
• Are there parts of you that seem fierce?
• Can you praise GOD for HIS grace and for overlooking what you have done in the past?

Israel’s Prophecy for Joseph

Israel’s Prophecy for Joseph

Genesis 49:  ²² “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
²³ The archers have bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
²⁴ But his bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
²⁵ By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
²⁶ The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

 

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Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob and the first son of Rachel, the one Jacob loved. Rachel was delighted to finally have children! She said “GOD has taken away my disgrace” when Joseph was born. She named him Joseph or “may he add.”

 

My Observations:

• Jacob got what he wanted when he finally married Rachel, but she suffered greatly, watching other women have children, thinking she could not fill the promise of GOD.
• Joseph suffered greatly because of his brothers, the Ishmaelites, Potiphar and his wife, the baker and butler and the Egyptians.
• Israel's blessing was on his son Joseph versus the tribe.

 

Israel had adopted Ephraim and Manasseh to be his. The blessing did not exclude Joseph, rather gave him a double portion through his sons. They are known as the house of Joseph. His name would disappear from many lists of the tribes, but would reappear in book of Revelation, symbolizing the merge of the house to prepare for the return of CHRIST.

 

Israel’s sons meant evil for Joseph. Their jealousy led them to plot out his murder. BUT GOD intervened greatly in Joseph’s life. He became the ultimate story of a human who held onto GOD despite every obstacle that was thrown at him. GOD did indeed bless Joseph!

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about Joseph’s blessing from Israel?
• Do you think your suffering in in vain?
• Do you believe that your suffering can become a huge blessing through GOD who sees you?

Israel’s Prophecy for Naphtali

 Israel’s Prophecy for Naphtali

Genesis 49:  ²¹ “Naphtali is a deer let loose;
He uses beautiful words.

 

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Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob and the second son of Bilhah, Rachels maidservant. Rachel referred to Naphtali as a “struggle” because she had a strong sibling rivalry with Leah. She named him Naphtali or “struggle.”

 

My Observations:

• Naphtali also hated Joseph and went along with the plot against his life.
• Israel mixed up the order of birth and went back to talking about Bilhah’s children.
• Israel’s blessing was brief and focused on Naphtali’s physical and verbal agility.

 

The tribe of Naphtali would eventually declare curses or warnings to all the tribes of Israel. Through these curses, the people of Israel would refrain from bad behavior. For example, “Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly.”  Naphtali would indeed use beautiful words as Israel prophesied.

 

There were times when the tribe of Naphtali was brave and there were times, they were cowards. I can definitely relate! They would be featured in a son of Deborah and Barak because they risked their lives in a battle against the Canaanites. But unfortunately, this fight came from them being cowards and not wiping out the Canaanites in the first place. I can’t help but to notice Israel’s intentional order of his son’s blessing. Naphtali’s land would eventually become the land of the Gentiles. GOD did bless Naphtali.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD tells Moses about this brief, yet powerful blessing over Naphtali?
• What beautiful words has GOD given you to tell others?
• Are you able to fight your feelings enough to tell people that GOD is amazing and caring and powerful?

Israel’s Prophecy for Asher

 

Israel’s Prophecy for Asher

Genesis 49: ²⁰ “Bread from Asher shall be rich,
And he shall yield royal dainties..

 

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Asher was the eighth son of Jacob and the second son of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant. Leah referred to Asher as a “one who makes me happy” because she was barren. She named him Asher or “happy.”

 

My Observations:

• Asher also hated Joseph and went along with the plot against his life.
• Israel kept the order of birth and continued talking about Zilpah's children.
• Israel’s blessing was brief and focused on Asher’s eventual wealth through baking and raw material for food.

 

The tribe of Asher would eventually declare curses or warnings to all the tribes of Israel. Through these curses, the people of Israel would refrain from bad behavior. For example “Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother.”

 

Asher’s tribe was indeed blessed by GOD. They were able to speak on the LORD’s behalf and all of the tribes took the words to heart. But this does not mean Asher followed GOD all the time. Like you and I, there were moments of doubt. They did not drive out the Canaanites as commanded. GOD blessed them anyway.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD tells Moses about this brief, yet powerful blessing over Asher?
• Is there a gift or skill you have that you are overlooking?
• Can you praise GOD for your gifts and talents before you see any of HIS blessings poured out on you?