Good day to you and welcome back. Today we read through Genesis 50:1-26.Joseph's father dies.
1Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him and kissed him.
2Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
3Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
If you haven't read today's reading you may do so by clicking here.
Joseph told Pharaoh about his promise to his father and asked if he could return him to the land of his father for burial. Pharaoh agreed.
6Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."
12Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them;
13for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
17'Thus you shall say to Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants."
He told them that what they had meant for evil God had meant for good and he would take care of them and their children.
21"So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them
22Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.
23Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's knees.
25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here."
26So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
So after the death of Jacob the brother's got afraid again that Joseph would then take wrath on them for what they had done to him...and what was Joseph's response...he wept...and spoke kindly to them.
Do we have that kind of response to those who have wronged us? I think we can all take heed and follow suit in the compassion of Joseph and his life's story. "Thank you Lord for the example you left us in Joseph and his family."
Tomorrow we move on to a new book of the bible...please join me in reading Exodus:1-22
