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22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees. 24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. ~ Genesis 50:22-26
Today, we conclude our long study of the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis. This book of Genesis gives us the first of everything including the beginning of all creation, the beginning of sin, the beginning of sacrifices, the beginning of redemption, and the beginning of eternal life. As we have noted before, in this final chapter there are three burials: the burial of Jacob, the burial of Joseph's brothers' sin, and finally the burial of Joseph. Today, we will close out our study of this great book by considering what God has to say about Joseph's death.
In v.22 of today's passage we read, "So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years."
Joseph was born right around the year 2260 BC. He lived 110 years and he died in the year 2370 BC. Joseph lived 54 years after the death of his father, Jacob. He remained in Egypt for the remainder of his days. When he was 17 years old he was sold into slavery by his brothers to Ishmaelite traders from Midian who took him to Egypt. As a result, Joseph lived in Egypt for 93 years. The remainder of his days were spent outside of the Land of Promise. The only time Joseph left Egypt was when he went to bury his father in Canaan. In all, Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt for 80 years.
In v.23 of today's passage we read, "Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees."
Joseph lived long enough to see his great-great grandchildren. In all, there were five generations of Joseph’s family living at the same time which was in fulfillment of Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh before his death. In the line of Manasseh, only his grandchildren are noted during his life. Being "brought up on his knees" means Joseph's grandchildren enjoyed a close relationship with their grandpa involving the passing on of his wisdom and God's blessings from one generation to the next.
In v.24 of today's passage we read, "And Joseph said to his brethren, 'I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.'"
With the sure knowledge of his soon death, Joseph repeated the promise of God to his brothers. In doing so, Joseph emphasized our absolute need to be defined by the Lord on a day by day basis. While the world and our flesh tells us to be self-confident, the Bible reminds us to find our confidence only in the Lord GOD. Confidence in ourselves is circumstantial. It is often based on our pant size, how much money we make, or whether we fit in to the context we find ourselves. If our confidence is in God, we will grow to be the most secure people in the world. As a result of knowing God and His will for our lives, we will have the courage to take the risks that He calls us to take. We will love others, dream big, and think and do the unbelievable by His grace.
In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.'"
Joseph knew what he believed and he subsequently belonged. His disposition was rarely determined by anything outside of his faith in the God of the Bible. These are the last recorded words of Joseph. Just like his father before him, Joseph now required an oath from the sons of Israel. Despite bearing an Egyptian name, having an Egyptian wife, and being the second ruler of the land, Joseph remained always and forever an Israelite. His desires for his people and His land never faded and his devotion to the God of the Bible never wavered. And so once again, he repeated the promise of God’s presence among his people and his desire to have his bones buried in Canaan.
In Hebrews 11:22 we read, "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones."
Despite all of the many things Joseph did and the faithful patience he exhibited towards his circumstances and those around him who afflicted him, Joseph was above all noted for his faith in the unseen God. His was a testimony that God simply desires and requires of us simple faith. For many, faith is based on creeds, doctrine, and head knowledge. It's about mastering the "facts" and making sure we give the "right" answer when any spiritual question is asked. But biblical faith is not about mastery but about mystery, and that living in that mystery allows us to focus on our relationship with the God who created us and who is recreating us.
Joseph's request was fulfilled by the Israelites as they marched out of Egypt approximately 286 years later. We are told in Exodus 13 which specifically says that they carried Joseph’s bones out with them. And eventually another generation of Israelites carried them into the land of promise and buried him as is recorded in Joshua 24. And so the narrative of the immediate family of Israel ends with the promise of redemption from Egypt which is based on the oath made first by God to Abraham.
In v.26 of today's passage we read, "So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."
Upon Joseph's death, he became the second and last person noted in the Bible as being embalmed. After this, his remains were placed in a "coffin." This is the first usage of word "coffin" in the Bible. The next time this word is used will be to describe the Ark of the Covenant. Everything associated with the Ark of the Covenant points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, especially the MERCY SEAT where God sees us as forgiven through the blood of His Son. Joseph’s coffin was probably made of the same wood as the Ark, acacia wood which is incorruptible.
The book of Genesis began with creation, including the creation man. No sooner had man been created did he rebel against God and spiritual death came to be his norm. Since that time, the premise of the Bible is that man is born to die and physical death has become a scary reality for us all. The book of Genesis ends without the fulfillment of the promise of the savior. But God's promise of our savior and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ has been fulfilled through the cross of Calvary. The Lord Jesus overcame sin and death by laying down His life. When this gospel is met by our faith, we will have similar faith to that of Joseph, bold and confident.
