Jacob's Funeral – Genesis 50:1-26

Today we end a long journey. For many months now, we have been working our way through the book of Genesis. I hope you know much more about the people, places, and events of early biblical history than you did before we began. I also hope that God has worked in your life through the many principles we have found in this book.

The book of Genesis ends on the sober note of death. One of the saddest events in life is the passing away of a dear loved one. It is a painful time as the human bond with the loved one is pulled apart. Though it is easier when a Christian passes since their soul is with the Lord, their physical absence is still painfully felt.

This last chapter of the book of Genesis describes Jacob’s funeral, his son’s concerns, and the last years of Joseph.

Transition

This morning as we look at Jacob’s funeral and the events that follow, we will find principles that I hope can help us in the days and years to come.

The Grief of Joseph (v.1-3)

Joseph Cried
1. Grief is normal when a loved one dies.
2. Grieving is a good but temporary event that prepares those left behind for the future without the loved one.
  Someone has wisely said, “Broken bones take time to heal and broken hearts take even longer.”
Joseph had his father embalmed
1. This long process took about 40 days.
2. The family and many of the Egyptians mourned for Jacob 70 days. That is an unusually long time to grieve. Some historians think the long grieving was because they mourned for Jacob as they would for a pharaoh.
  When a loved one passes away, do not be ashamed to grieve. Men especially struggle with this. Somehow we think that it is not manly to cry. That simply is not true. Many great men in the Bible cried including the greatest of men – Jesus Christ (Jn 11:35). God designed our bodies to cry to release our emotions.
  However, grieving is more than just crying. It is a time to reflect on the loved ones life. It is a time to thank God for allowing you to know the loved one. It is a good time to spend get alone with God. Remember that sorrow is only temporary. God will give you peace if you will let Him. Accept death as God’s will. Share your sorrow with close friends. Once you have grieved, get back into a normal schedule as soon as possible.

The Burial of Jacob (v.4-14)

Joseph sought permission
1. He spoke to Pharaoh (v.4), and requested that he might bury his father in Canaan (v.5).
2. Pharaoh gave him permission (v.6)
Joseph took Jacob’s body to Canaan
1. Servants and elders in Egypt all went along (v.7).
2. All of Jacob’s family except the children went (v.8)
3. Pharaoh sent chariots and horsemen along (v.9)
4. When they got near to their destination, they stopped and mourned another seven days (v.10-11)
5. They buried Jacob in the cave of the field of Machpelah (v.12-13).
6. They all returned to Egypt (v.14)
  People often ask me if it matters whether a body is buried or cremated. I do not find a clear answer in the Bible, but what I do find is that burial in a cave or grave was the norm. Also, baptism is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism does not picture cremation. On the other hand, the burning of a body or human bones was considered a curse (e.g., Josh 7:24-26; 1Ki 13:1-2; 2Ch 34:3-5; 2Ki 23:15-20). Only under the rarest circumstances did God’s people burn the body of a loved one and even then they buried the bones (1Sa 31:8-13). Though the Bible may not condemn cremation, Biblical practice strongly favours burial. At the resurrection, God will find every element of every body whether it turned to dust, or ashes, or was eaten by a creature. God is all-knowing.

The Fear of Joseph’s Brothers (v.15-21)

They feared Joseph’s revenge (v.15-18)
1. They begged Joseph’s forgiveness (v.15-17). This broke Joseph’s heart and he cried.
2. They humbly submitted to Joseph (v.18)
Joseph forgave totally (v.19-21)
1. He told his brothers not to fear (v.19)
2. He assured them that God knew best when he allowed Joseph to go to Egypt (v.20).
3. Joseph comforted them (v.21)
  Joseph’s forgiveness is a wonderful picture of true biblical forgiveness. He forgave his brothers at least 17 years earlier. He was deeply hurt to think that they still doubted his forgiveness. When we forgive, we ought to do as Joseph and never bring up the forgiven fault again. When God forgives us, we must believe and not doubt that he has truly forgiven us. We should not bring it up again. If Satan makes us doubt God, we must claim God’s promise.
  (1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Death of Joseph (v.22-26)

Joseph lived till he was 110 years old
1. Joseph was 56 when Jacob died and he lived another 54 years in Egypt before he died.
2. Joseph lived to see his great-grandchildren (v.23).
Joseph prepared for death
1. He reminded his brethren that God would keep his promise to visit them and bring the out of the land of Egypt and back to Canaan (cf., Ge 15:13-14; 28:13; 35:12; 46:3-4; 48:21; Heb 11:22).
2. He made his brethren promise that when God took them back to Canaan they would also take his bones with them to Canaan.
3. Joseph died and they embalmed him and put him in a coffin.
  Joseph had faith in God’s promises. He strongly believed that God would one day take all of Israel’s family back to Canaan and give them that land.
  God has also promised to come and take all true Christians out of this world before the Tribulation judgment.
  (1 Thessalonians 4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
  Many people laugh at this promise because it has not yet happened, but God is faithful. God wants us to be saved, ready, and watching.

Conclusion

In this eventful chapter we have found principles about grieving, burial, forgiving others, and waiting for God’s promises. God gave us these reminders to prompt develop a biblical view. If God has identified a need in your heart, I urge you to let God have His way.

Are you 100% positive you are ready for the Lord’s return to take true Christians to heaven? The Bible says, (2 Corinthians 13:5) “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” One day you WILL die and after that the judgment. Your sin will condemn you to hell. To go to heaven, you must change your mind about your sin and turn to Jesus Christ alone to save you soul from the judgment of hell. Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again to give you eternal life. If you have not asked Jesus to save you and change your life, please do not put it off. Tomorrow may be too late.

Christian friend, Jesus said that we are to be ready and watching for his return. If you are not close to the Lord and living a clean, godly life, you are not really ready and watching. Now is the time to live for the Lord.

Song: Have You Any Room – 241
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Jacob’s Funeral
15 March 2015 AM – Genesis 50:1-26 – Gen 14 – Scott Childs

Sermons

Jacob’s Funeral – Genesis 50:1-26