The life of Joseph. It has so many lessons to teach us from beginning to end. Today, in the concluding part of this series, it is important to focus on the conclusion of Joseph’s own story.
Two things stand out in the final chapter of Genesis, the final chapter of the life of Joseph.
The first is the forgiveness Joseph gave so freely to his brothers.
For their part, the brothers were living in total terror. In fact, the first recorded thoughts of the 10 guilty brothers after their father passed away centered on their anxiety: “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.'” (Genesis 50:15 NKJV). In fact, this weighed so heavily upon their hearts that they took things into their own hands: “So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, ‘Before your father died he commanded, saying, “Thus you shall say to Joseph: ‘I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you. Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.”‘” (Genesis 50:16-17 NKJV)
Joseph’s response?
This series has expounded before on Joseph’s forgiveness (See Forgiving Yourself and Only a Test), and these final thoughts recorded in Genesis 50 are in keeping with his former character: “And Joseph wept when they spoke to him….Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:17b, 19-21 NKJV)
It is said that power corrupts, and history has so often confirmed this to be true. Yet in the life of Joseph we see a better way. Yes, Joseph did forgive his brothers earlier on; but even now, after many more years of utmost power, we continue to see a forgiving heart. But more than this, we see a heart that seeks how God has worked the bad situation for our good. No matter how hurt you have been, let’s continue to follow Joseph’s example: Forgive and identify what good God has brought out of the situation!
The second and final lesson from this last chapter in the life of Joseph comes from Joseph’s actual death. As was identified in an earlier part of this series (Don’t Be Buried in Egypt!), Joseph and his father Jacob’s insistence to be buried in Canaan rather than to be buried in Egypt reminds us that this Earth is not our final home, and we need to keep our eyes and our hopes fixed on our permanent one (See Hebrews 13:14b). But joseph’s final words to his family gives us even more insight into this important concept: “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.’” (Genesis 50:24 NKJV).
Here we see Joseph repeating a familiar promise: God will bring them back to Canaan! But wait. We know that God Himself spoke these words to Abraham, to Isaac and to Joseph’s father, Jacob. But there is no record of God having given this promise directly to Joseph. Yet Joseph’s words show no room for doubt: God WOULD bring His people back to Canaan!
When God says it, He means it. He doesn’t have to repeat it over and over again. He doesn’t even have to say it directly to us. When God says it, we can simply believe!
Let’s also remember that Joseph was highly honoured in Egypt, and as such, he would be given a burial of the highest honour (See Genesis 50:26). But worldly honour wasn’t good enough for Joseph. His heart, his hopes and dreams, never once left the Promised Land.
Oh God, may our hearts always stay focused on our Promised Land! May we believe the promises God has given in His Word and keep our thoughts and hopes and dreams on the world to come, rather than our present life!
One final thought: The bodies of both Jacob and Joseph were mummified, and both mummies were eventually transported to Canaan. Our mortal bodies may decay. We may choose to be cremated. Our bodies may be lost at sea. But none of that can change the fact that our eternal bodies will be transported to our eternal home!
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens…For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:1-8 NKJV)
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
(To access the entire “Teacher Joseph” mini-series, click here!)
