67 JACOB'S BURIAL

Twelve verses of Genesis 50 are devoted to the story of Joseph paying his last respects to his deceased father. Verse one sets the context. “Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.” With all of Joseph’s ability to put on a rough and commanding front with his brothers when they came to Egypt to buy grain and all the dignity, wisdom and position as the Prime Minister of Egypt which surely accompanied the high position, still he was a tender-hearted man. With tears and kisses, and all the softer expressions of a parental affection, he takes leave of the deserted body. Though Jacob was old and decrepit, and must die in the course of nature and though he was poor comparatively, and a constant responsibility to his son Joseph, yet such an affection Joseph had for his loving father. He certainly would be aware of the loss of a prudent, pious, praying father, that he could not part with him without spontaneous and sincere floods of tears. As it is an honor to die lamented, so it is the duty of survivors to lament the death of those who have been useful in their day. This shows appreciation and respect for honorable character and hints that such a person also has or wants to have the same or similar good features in their character. Even if in their old age the deceased may have passed their usefulness, we should appreciate the entirety of their contribution, not remember just the responsibilities accompanying their last years. The departed soul is out of the reach of our tears and kisses, but with them it is proper to show our respect to the departed soul and spirit by honoring the body, which God Himself honors by resurrecting it. We look for a glorious and joyful resurrection. In this way Joseph showed his faith in God, and love to his father, by kissing his pale and cold face, and so giving an affectionate farewell. Possibly the rest of Jacob’s sons did the same, much moved, no doubt, with Jacob’s dying words and Joseph’s demeanor.

Joseph ordered the body to be embalmed as verse two says, “Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him.” This practical measure was done not only because he died in Egypt, and that was the burial custom of the Egyptians, but because Jacob’s body was to be carried to Canaan. Such a trip would require time, and therefore it was necessary the body should be preserved as well as possible from putrefaction. See how weak and temporary our bodies are. When the soul has forsaken a dead body, unless a great deal of art, pains, and care is given, they will, in a very short time, decay and stink. If a body has been dead for only four days, by that time it is already offensive. Joseph observed the ceremony of solemn mourning for him Verse 3 says, “taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.” Forty days were taken up in embalming the body, which the Egyptians we understand had an art of doing so curiously as to preserve the very features of the face unchanged. That means that all this time, and thirty days more, seventy in all, they either confined themselves and sat solitary, or, when they went out, appeared in the clothes and behavior of mourners, according to the decent custom of the country. Even the Egyptians, many of them, out of the great respect they had for Joseph, whose good work done for the king and country were now fresh in remembrance, put themselves into mourning for his father. As with us, when the court goes into mourning, those of the best quality do so too. So for about ten weeks the court of Egypt was in mourning for Jacob. What they did in state, we should do in sincerity, weep with those that weep, and mourn with those that mourn, as being ourselves also grieving with them. There is comfort in that.

Joseph asked and obtained permission from Pharaoh to go to Canaan to attend the funeral of his father. Verses 4-6 say, “ When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’””It was a necessary respect to Pharaoh that Joseph would not go without permission; for we may suppose that, though his charge about the corn was long since over, yet he continued as prime-minister of state, and therefore would not be so long away from his business without Pharoah’s permission. He observed a decorum, in involving some of the royal family, or some of the officers of the household, to intercede for this permission. Perhaps this was because it was not proper for him in the days of his mourning to come into the presence of the king, or because he would not push his own interests forward too much. Modesty is a great ornament to dignity. He pleaded the obligation his father had put on him, by an oath, to bury him in Canaan, as verse 5 says, “My father made me swear an oath and said, ‘I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.” It was not from pride or humor, but from his concern to fulfill his father’s request. He wanted to do it. Probably all cultures in the world consider that promises to the dead must be performed; the will of the dead must be observed. Then Jacob promised to return: I will come again. After special events have concluded we go back to our posts of duty.

When we return to our own houses from burying the bodies of our relations, we say, “We have left them behind;” but, if their souls have gone to our heavenly Father’s house, we may more correctly say and with greater reason, “They have left us behind.” Verse 6 tells us that Pharaoh gave Joseph permission to bury his dead, but we may contrast that with our Lord’s response to the same question in His time here on earth. Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do,” but Jesus said, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Pharaoh was willing that his earthly food-related business should stand still as long as Joseph was gone. But the service of Christ is more important and with eternal consequences. Therefore Jesus would not allow one that had work to do for Him to go first and bury his father.

We have next some details of Jacob’s funeral from which we can learn. Of the funerals of the kings of Judah, usually, no more is said than, “They were buried with their fathers in the city of David.” But the funeral of the patriarch Jacob is more largely and fully described. Was this to show how much better God was to Jacob than Jacob expected? Remember, Jacob had spoken more than once of dying for grief, and going to the grave bereaved of his children, but that did not happen; after living more years he dies in honor, and is followed to the grave by all his children. Furthermore, this was possibly most important because his orders concerning his burial place were given and observed in faith in expectation both of the earthly Canaan which was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and of the heavenly Canaan which is obviously a very great blessing to the believer.

For all of its spiritual significance and meanings, it was, nevertheless, still a stately funeral. He was attended to the grave, not only by his own family, but by the dignitaries of the court of Egypt, and many great men of the kingdom, who, to show their gratitude to Joseph, showed this respect to his father for his sake, and did Joseph honor at Jacob’s death. Though the Egyptians did not originally or customarily think highly of either shepherds or Hebrews, and had looked on them with disdain, they developed an appreciation for Jacob and Joseph. Remember what happened when Joseph’s brothers ate at Joseph’s house? “They served him (Joseph) by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians” (Genesis 43:32). Yet now, that they were better acquainted with them, they began to have a respect for them. Good old Jacob had conducted himself so well among them as to gain widespread esteem. And Joseph himself had saved the population from famine and death. We Christians, especially we leaders or representatives of Christians, should also try, by wisdom and love, to remove any prejudices which some may have developed against us because they do not know us. God will give us opportunities to help them change their attitude toward Jesus, by watching us!

There were quite a few chariots and horsemen, not only to attend them a little way, but to go all the way with them. Let’s think a moment about funeral expenses. Reasonable and decent expenses and preparations for funerals, each according to people’s economic situation situation, are commendable as they show their grief at their loss. So, perhaps we might be hesitant to criticize mourners by asking why the waste. Acts 8:2 “Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.” And Luke 7:12 “As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.” These verses give us some insights here. Each of these funerals mention the size of the crowd and that would be an accurate way to measure the respect people had for the deceased. The Holy Spirit can show us how to honor the dead without being wasteful with an extravagant funeral that takes us years to pay for. Jacob’s funeral was attended by a large enough gathering that standers-by took notice of it as a grievous mourning. This was a sorrowful funeral. “When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, ‘The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”’ That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim” (10-11)

The death of good men is a great loss to any place, and ought to be greatly lamented. The flip side of that statement is that to learn from the aged among us before they die is even better. Let’s get all the wisdom we can from them. Stephen dies a martyr and certainly is a hero in the minds of believers of subsequent generations. Devout men made great lamentations for him. The solemn mourning for Jacob gave a name to the place, Abel-Mizraim, the mourning of the Egyptians. This serves for a testimony against the next generation of the Egyptians since they oppressed the descendants of the man to whom their ancestors showed such respect.

On the subject of death, we cannot discuss Jacob’s death and burial without referring to the great hope that we believers have. It is recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:52-58, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Our belief system is forward looking. Jacob’s faith was and now ours is. It is better to think about our future than to wallow in sadness over our past.