1 And Joseph fell on his fathers face, and wept on him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. And the physicians embalmed Israel. vs. 26 3 Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. 34:84
As would any child who is present at the time of one of their parents last breathe, instinctively we lean down toward them and give them one final kiss on their forehead or cheeks, out of our love and respect for them. Just as we when we put our children to sleep; we kiss them goodnight. Joseph says goodnight to his father. Jacob has gone to sleep, awaiting for the promise in which he did not obtain in his lifetime. Through his faith in God above, who promised that He would be with Him until He does all that He has spoken to him Genesis 28: 15, never obtaining that promise, but seeing it afar off ( Hebrews 11: 13, 38-40), goes to sleep, knowing that a better resurrection awaits him. There is so much to speak about this man Jacob/ Israel. Too much for this format here. I will elaborate more on him, his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham, and also Joseph in my other writings, as I go back and reflect upon my journey I started back in 2015, upon my completion of studying this great book of Genesis. As was the custom of the Egyptians Joseph had his father embalmed so that his body may be preserved as best as possible. Embalming was not the custom of Israel, but I believe Joseph chose this method of preserving his father’s body because he promised Israel that he would carry his body back to Canaan, to the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Sarah were buried, along with Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob’s first wife Leah. It was going to be a long journey, and the embalming method would help keep Israel’s body from decaying so quickly, thus keeping the stench of his body hovering over the huge procession that journeyed with them.
4 Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.'” 47: 29-31 6 And Pharaoh said, “Go ,up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
It took the Egyptians forty days in which to embalm a person. After the embalming was complete there was still another thirty days left to mourn for the death of Jacob, which brings the mourning process to a total of seventy days. According to all the commentaries, and the famous historian Herodotus it was a custom of the Egyptians to mourn for the death of a king seventy two days: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/50-3.htm. It is also known that the Israelites time of mourning for someone of significance was thirty days ( Numbers. 20:29, Deut. 34:8), Jacob was not a king, however he was the father of Joseph who was looked upon by the Egyptians as a deity, second to the Pharaoh. this could explain why this mourning here was for only seventy days, to distinguish Israel’s importance, but not equal to the Pharaoh. It may have been that the Egyptians mourned the loss of Israel out of respect for Joseph who was well loved by the people. I would like to think that the long period of mourning by the Egyptians were out of respect for Joseph, and for who Israel was. Since Joseph was considered a deity in the eyes of the people, then the father who bore him must have been placed in high esteem by the people of Egypt. Israel/Jacob was one hundred and thirty years of age when he entered into Egypt (Gen. 47:9), upon his arrival, one of the first things he did was to bless the Pharaoh of Egypt. this speaks volumes to me. the Pharaoh and the people of Egypt considered himself god, why would he need a blessing from anyone? We see no where in the scriptures that the Pharaoh took exception to this, Pharaoh, god and king of Egypt was blessed by Israel a man, not even a priest of any kind in the eyes of Egypt.. what king would lower himself to such standards? The Pharaoh did not see it as lowering his standards, instead he allowed it. Israel lived in Egypt for seventeen years before his death. As in a lot of places in the bible we are not told what his life was like during those years. Did he just lay around in his tent because of age? or did he go out and mingle among the people and gain the respect of them, to wit, the long mourning period of his death? we don’t know. I can always ask Israel myself when I am in the kingdom. how many times have we of the “Way” made such comments: “I’ll have to ask him or her in the kingdom”? Before his death, Israel Charged Joseph and all his brothers to bury him with his fathers in the cave that is in the the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burying-place. (Gen. 49: 29-30), back in chapter forty seven Israel did make Joseph swear to him that he would bury him with his fathers in their burying place. (Gen. 47: 29-31), just as Joseph told the Pharaoh.
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. 8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.
This must have been a grand processing that went up with Joseph and his brothers and their families (With the the exception of the livestock and the children), as they go to bury their father. In my opinion I think the reason for leaving the children and livestock in Egypt is to assure the Pharaoh that they would return. We just watched England bury queen Elizabeth about a year ago and saw all the grandiose that was put on for her funeral procession. I think hers was miniscule compared to what the people witnessed as this procession went by their homes and villages, that could have stretched out for a few miles. All the elders of all Egypt ( The most important people of the country), along with their entourage accompanied Joseph. this would of had to include with them a massive army of chariots, foot soldiers and horsemen for protection if the occasion was to arise. Everything you can think of to sustain this amount of people on such a long trip (250 -300 miles some commentaries suggest), food, horses, encampment gear, and the people to set that up and break down everyday as they moved across the desert. What a sight to behold. During that time and era, for lack of communication like today, the people of the land may have feared for their lives seeing this great army of people, thinking that the Egyptians had come to make war in the land.
10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 1 Sam. 31:3 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore it’s name was called AbelMizraim, which is beyond Jordan.
Since the time I read about the death of Deborah (Gen. 35:8), I always say, “God doesn’t just have Moses write willy nilly to fill in space” There is a more meaningful reason why these things are mentioned in Scripture. I think these two verses of the threshing floor of Atad has a more deeper spiritual understanding to it than what I thought when I first began my studies. The threshing floor itself was a place not only for processing the grain of their crops such as bringing in the harvest, separating the grain from the straw , or the wheat from the chaff, (separating the good part of the harvest from the bad),The winnowing of the chaff from the grain, or the husk from the cob, but it was also used for other purposes such as as agricultural processing facilities, commercial activity, As neutral places of gathering such as political treaty’s. building sites, places of sacrifice, and a place of mourning. (World History Encyclopedia; threshing floors of the bible). This particular threshing floor of Atad (H329), was surrounded by thorns (Hence the name), and was owned by all the villages that were near it. The people of the surrounding area who saw this great mourning by the Egyptians changed the name of the threshing floor from Atad to AbelMizraim meaning Meadow Egypt (H67), after witnessing the great mourning of the Egyptians. In my opinion the children of Israel would have been familiar with this threshing floor, as they had lived in the vicinity throughout their lives. This could be why they came to this particular site to mourn. Out of Egypt I have called my son (Matt. 2:15, Hosea. 11:1). Again I see Joseph as a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. It has been noted in the scriptures that Egypt is spiritually a type of sin in and of itself. We don’t see this any clearer than in book Of Revelation Chapter 11 where Egypt is tied together with Sodom as a sinful place. (Rev. 11:8), Speaking of the two witness’s whose bodies lie in the streets of Jerusalem after being struck down by the beast. At that time Jerusalem has become as evil and sinful as Sodom and Egypt were. Thru Moses God called His people out of Egypt, and they were led by that spiritual rock which is Jesus Christ, and they drank of that spiritual rock that was Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 10: 1-4). Joseph, being Christ like is the one who leads his brothers, (The twelve tribes of Israel), out of Egypt ( Sin), to Israel’s final resting place. when Jacob died, Israel the nation was born and God called out his son from Egypt ( Hosea. 11:1). Symbolically I see the foreshadowing of the time when they will be led out of Egypt by Moses to their physical resting place in the land of Canaan. But it doesn’t stop there. when they get to the threshing floor of Atad, Joseph see’s this threshing floor surrounded by thickets of thorns, and he is in the middle of the thorns spiritually representing the crown of thorns that were placed on our Lord Jesus Christ’s head as He was crucified. ( Matt. 27:29, Mar. 15:17, John. 19:2), although not mentioned in the scriptures it is in my humble opinion that Joseph would have unwrapped all the clothe that was used in Egypt to mummify Israel, and anything else the Egyptians put on him during the mummification process, as all this is representative of Egypt and sin. Just as Jesus Christ takes the sins of Israel away, so to Joseph, being Christ like, is doing the same for his father, Israel.
12 So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 13 For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father. vs.5
Jacob commanded his sons to take him back to the land of Canaan, to the cave in the field of Machpelah that is before Mamre, which Abraham bought for a burial place for his wife Sarah at the time, but also for him and his family to follow. Abraham bought this property and it was certified by the the sons of Heth as a legal purchase, measuring it’s borders with all the trees round about. even though God told Abraham years ago that all the land he sees from north to south to east and west would be his. Abraham did as God commanded, and he finally moved to Mamre where he settled, he pitched his tent and lived among the oaks in Mamre, which is in Hebron. There Abraham built an altar to Jehovah to worship Him (Gen. 13: 15-18), All this he did many moons ago. Abraham still considered himself a stranger and a visitor in the land, although the people of the land considered him a mighty prince among them (Gen. 23:4-6), he was highly regarded by the people, yet Abraham did not lord this over them, nor did he accept the offer from Ephron the Hittite to give him the land for free. Instead Abraham purchased the land for four hundred shekels of silver. When Joseph and his brothers came to bury their father, they left behind in Egypt their family, and all that they owned. It is so that the prophecy of Abraham might be fulfilled, ” that his descendants would be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and be afflicted for four hundred years (Gen. 15:13). It was not their time to possess the land of Canaan. so they returned to Egypt, all that went with them and no one was left behind.
15 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.” 37: 18-36
The evil Joseph’s brothers did to him was when they plotted to kill him, but instead sold him to the Midianite trader of the Ishmaelites, who in turn sold Joseph to the Egyptians where he became a slave.
16 So they sent messengers to Joseph saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘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.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
Again we see Joseph as a foreshadow of things to come that is a type of Jesus Christ. his brothers come to ask Joseph for forgiveness of their sins. Yet Joseph pointed to the Father stating, “Am I God. I find it an interesting saying of Joseph, “Am I” we say you are, and God say’s I Am and He fills in the blanks. I am the Almighty God,” I am the Alpha and Omega,” and, “I Am That I Am” (Gen. 17:1, Rev. 22:13, Exo. 3:14), just as Jesus always pointed to God the Father, as he is weeping, so to Joseph points to God, “the Father” as they beg for forgiveness of their sins from him, Joseph reminds them that it is only God who can forgive their sins.
20 “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. 21 “Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Matt. 5:44
Verse twenty is so profound, one can’t help but think of Christ on the cross when they read this verse. The Romans, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees all meant evil as He was being tortured, and crucified on the tree, He cried out to God, “forgive them, for they do not know what they do” ( Luke. 23:34), What his brothers did they meant for evil against him, but they did not understand what they were truly doing, because in the long run, “God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it this day,’ to save many people alive”. The people of the time of Christ were blinded in what they were doing to to Him. they meant pure evil against Him, But God meant it for good, in order to also bring it about as it was on that day, to bring salvation to all the nations, so that it might be fulfilled, “In your seed all nations will be blessed ( Gen. 22:18, Acts. 3:25, Gal. 3:8). Joseph assured them that there was no reason for them to fear him, as he spoke to them with a gentle voice, telling them that he will take care of them. This gave great comfort to his brothers that everything will be alright. Just as Jesus gave us the comforter to help us and assure us that all will be well.
22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his fathers 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. v. 2; Heb. 11:22
In the cave at the field of Machpelah before Mamre, in the land of Canaan which is Hebron, that Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite for 400 shekels of silver, witnessed before the sons of Heth, who certified the field and cave as a burial place (Gen. 23: 16-30). Abraham and Sarah were first buried there, after which Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there along with Jacobs first wife Leah, and now Jacob joins his family awaiting the resurrection. All three patriarchs of Israel (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), from whose seeds all nations of the earth were to be blessed still lye in wait to this very day, awaiting for the promise they did not obtain during their life time, although having seen it afar off, understanding that they were strangers in a strange land all the days of their life. In a land that God promised would one day would be theirs for eternity. After burying their father in this land all the sons of Israel returned to Egypt and dwelt there until there death. Joseph was born in Padan – Aram, the land of his mothers father Bethuel in approximately the year 2199 AC (After creation), this would put his death around 2309 AC. give or take 3 years. see my chart section on my home page and click on “Genealogy of Adam to Joseph” to see how I arrived at this date. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years old, roughly ninety three years of his life was spent in Egypt where he gained great prominence among the Egyptians, second to Pharaoh in the land among the people. joseph lived long enough to see his great grandchildren be born and raised on his knees. upon his death bed Joseph remembers the promises he was told; of how God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; that one day this land would be theirs for an inheritance to them and all their descendants for ever into eternity. His faith in God was unwavering even after living in Egypt for most of his life. He knew he was truly a stranger in the land of Egypt. by faith Joseph knew that one day God would deliver his people from the bondage that was sure to come, and bring them back to their homeland, in a land flowing with milk and honey. so he had his family swear an oath to him that when that day comes, for them them to carry his bones up out of Egypt and into the promised land. Joseph was embalmed just as his father was. this was not a practice of the Israeli nation nor has it ever been. Joseph was so revered by the Egyptians (Almost god like), it was them who embalmed him. the children of Israel had no say so in this matter, for they were strangers in a strange land. Thus this ends the book of Genesis. but as it is titled, this is only the beginning of Gods story to us; His-story.