The Book of Genesis, Chapter 50

This chapter is about the death of Jacob & Joseph. Also Joseph reassuring his brothers that they’re gonna be okay after Jacob’s death. This is the last chapter of Genesis. We’ll be getting into Exodus next. I hope you enjoy this read.

Jacob gave instructions to his 12 sons, knowing that he was about to die: He wanted to be buried where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, & Leah were/are in Canaan. When Jacob was done giving these instructions, he drew his feet up into his bed & breathed his last breath.

Joseph threw himself on Jacob. He wept over Jacob & kissed him. Joseph told the physicians that were in his service to embalm Israel/Jacob. The physicians embalmed Jacob, taking 40 days. “For that was the time required for embalming.” The Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days. Yep, you read that right! The Egyptians mourned for Jacob/Israel for 2 months & 10 days!

When the mourning days were done, Joseph told Pharaoh’s court to speak to Pharaoh for him. (If Joseph was 2nd, in all of Egypt, only to Pharaoh, then why the hell would he need to ask anyone else to talk to Pharaoh for him?!) He told the court that his dad made him swear to bury him in Canaan. Pharaoh told him that he could go to Canaan & bury Israel/Jacob. Jacob told Pharaoh that he was coming back.

Joseph went to bury his dad, Jacob/Israel. All of Pharaoh’s officials, all of the dignitaries in Egypt, Jacob/Israel’s other 11 sons, all the members of Joseph’s household, & those belonging to IsraelJacob’s household (this might be unmarried daughters, any widows, servants/slaves, etc.). Only the kids & livestock were left in Goshen. Chariots & their drivers also went.

When they reached “the threshing floor of Atad,” which is near the Jordan River, everyone lamented loudly & bitterly. Joseph observed a 7-day period of mourning for Jacob/Israel, his dad. The Canaanites who lived there saw the group mourning at Atad said that the Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony. They called this place: Abel Mizraim, which means “mourning of the Egyptians.”

So Jacob/Israel’s sons did as he asked & buried him where Abraham was buried. After burying his dad, Joseph & everyone who went with him returned to Egypt.

When Joseph’s brothers saw that Jacob/Israel had died (Yes, I know this is a bit out of whack storyline wise. But the Christian bible & the Jewish Pentateuch jumps around storyline wise sometimes.), they said amongst themselves: What if Joseph decides he wants to hold a grudge? What if he wants revenge for what we did to him? Now that dad is dead, we might be in trouble. So they sent word to Joseph saying that before Jacob/Israel died he gave instructions to forgive his brothers for what they did to Joseph. (But this is a lie. Because Jacob/Israel never said any of this. The brothers were just trying to save their own behinds.) When Joseph got the message, he cried.

His brothers came & threw themselves down before Joseph. They tell Joseph that they are his slaves. Joseph told them not to be afraid. Because God took their evil intentions & turned it into a positive. Joseph also told his brothers that he would take care of them & their kids. Joseph reassured them & spoke to them nicely.

Joseph lived to be 110 years old. He lived to see his great-great-grandkids (from Ephraim). Also Manasseh’s grandkids were placed, at birth, on Joseph’s knee (these would also be Joseph’s great-grandkids.). Joseph says to his brothers that he was about to die. He also tells his brothers that God will come to their aid & will take them back to the land that he promised their forefathers.

Joseph then made his brothers swear that they’d carry his bones out of Egypt. (Check out Exodus 13:19) So Joseph dies at the ripe old age of 110. After his embalming, he was placed into a coffin in Egypt.

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