Chapter Twenty Two - Jacob’s Death and Burial
Jacob, also known as Israel, lived for seventeen years in Goshen. He knew his time on earth was nearly over. Jacob sent a message to Joseph, to come and see him. Joseph went to Goshen. His father was lying in bed. He spoke to Joseph.
“If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt. Instead, bury me in the place where my fathers are buried.”
“I will do what you have asked,” Joseph answered.
“Will you give me your word?” Jacob asked.
"Yes, I will,” Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.
Joseph departed and returned to Zoan. He was sad to see how frail his father had become. He realised that his father’s death was imminent. In his mind he retraced the early years and the close bond they had. He was grateful to God for bringing them together again after a long and painful separation. Joseph was thankful he was able to succour his father in Egypt, in the latter years of Jacob’s life.
Sometime later Joseph was told, “Your father is very sick.” Joseph realised his father was dying. He took Manasseh and Ephraim with him.
When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to see you.” Jacob sat up in bed, but it took almost all his strength.
Jacob told Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, where He gave me His blessing and promised ‘I will give you a large family with many descendants that will grow into a nation. And I am giving you this land that will belong to you and your family forever’.”
Then Jacob went on to say, “Joseph, your two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt, but I accept them as my own, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children you have later will be considered yours, but their inheritance will come from Ephraim and Manasseh. Unfortunately, your mother Rachel died in Canaan after we had left northern Syria and before we reached Bethlehem. I had to bury her along the way.”
Jacob was very old and almost blind. He did not recognize the two boys, and so he asked Joseph, “Who are these lads?”
Joseph answered, “They are my sons. God has given them to me here in Egypt.”
“Bring them to me,” Jacob said. “I want to give them my blessing.”
Joseph brought his sons to him, and he hugged and kissed them.
Jacob turned to Joseph and told him, “For many years I thought you were dead and that I would never see you again. But now God has even let me live to see your children.”
Then Joseph made his sons move away from Jacob’s knees, and Joseph bowed down in front of him with his face to the ground.
After Joseph got up, he brought his two sons over to Jacob again. He led his younger son Ephraim to the left side of Jacob and his older son Manasseh to the right. But before Jacob gave them his blessing, he crossed his arms, putting his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on the head of Manasseh.
Then he gave Joseph his blessing and said, “My grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac worshiped the Lord God. He has been with me all my life, and His angel has kept me safe. Now I pray that He will bless these lads and that my name and the names of Abraham and Isaac will live on because of them. I ask God to give them many children and many descendants as well.”
Joseph did not like it when he saw his father place his right hand on the head of the younger son. So he tried to move his father’s right hand from Ephraim’s head and place it on Manasseh.
Joseph said, “Father, you have made a mistake. This is the older boy. Put your right hand on him.”
But his father said, “Son, I know what I am doing. It’s true that Manasseh’s family will someday become a great nation. But Ephraim will be even greater than Manasseh, because his descendants will become many great nations.”
Jacob told him that in the future the people of Israel would ask God’s blessings on one another by saying, “I pray for God to bless you as much as he blessed Ephraim and Manasseh.” Jacob put Ephraim’s name first to show that he would be greater than Manasseh.
After that, Jacob said, “Joseph, you can see that I won’t live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago. Meanwhile, I’m giving you the hillside I captured from the Amorites.”
Jacob called his sons together and said, “My sons, I am Jacob, your father Israel. Gather around, as I tell your future.”
“Reuben, you are my oldest, born at the peak of my powers; you were an honoured leader. Uncontrollable as a flood, you slept with my wife and disgraced my bed. And so you no longer deserve the place of honour.”
“Simeon and Levi, you are brothers, each a gruesome sword. I never want to take part in your plans or deeds. You slaughtered people in your anger, and you crippled cattle for no reason. Now I place a curse on you because of your fierce anger. Your descendants will be scattered among the tribes of Israel.”
“Judah, you will be praised by your brothers; they will bow down to you, as you defeat your enemies. My son, you are a lion ready to eat your victim! You are terribly fierce; no one will bother you. You will have power and rule until nations obey you and bring gifts. You will tie your ass to a choice grapevine and wash your clothes in wine from those grapes. Your eyes are darker than wine, your teeth whiter than milk.”
“Zebulun, you will settle along the seashore and provide safe harbours as far north as Sidon.”
“Issachar, you are a strong ass resting in the meadows. You found them so pleasant that you worked too hard and became a slave. “
“Dan, you are the tribe that will bring justice to Israel. You are a snake that bites the heel of a horse, making its rider fall. O Lord, I am waiting for you to save us.”
“Gad, you will be attacked, then attack your attackers.”
“Asher, you will eat food fancy enough for a king.”
“Naphtali, you are a wild deer with lovely fawns.”
“Joseph, you are a fruitful vine growing near a stream and climbing a wall. Enemies attacked with arrows, refusing to show mercy.”
“But you stood your ground, swiftly shooting back with the help of Jacob’s God, the Almighty — his name is the Shepherd, Israel’s mighty rock. Your help came from the God your father worshiped, from God Almighty. God will bless you with rain and streams from the earth; he will bless you with many descendants.”
“My son, the blessings I give are better than the promise of ancient mountains or eternal hills. Joseph, I pray these blessings will come to you, because you are the leader of your brothers.”
“Benjamin, you are a fierce wolf, destroying your enemies, morning and evening.”
These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is how Jacob gave each of them their proper blessings. Then Jacob told his sons, “Soon I will die, and I want you to bury me in Machpelah Cave. Abraham bought this cave as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, and it is near the town of Mamre in Canaan. Abraham and Sarah are buried there, and so are Isaac and Rebecca.”
“I buried Leah there too. Both the cave and the land that goes with it were bought from the Hittites.”
When Jacob had finished giving these instructions to his sons, he lay down on his bed and died. He was 147 years old.
Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him. Joseph commanded the physicians he had brought with him to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. A period of 70 days was required for those who were embalmed. The Egyptian mourning period was 70 days. Joseph and his brothers grieved deeply for their father.
When the days of mourning were completed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household. “If you consider me your friend, please speak to Pharaoh for me. Just before my father died, he made me promise to bury him in his burial cave in Canaan. If Pharaoh will give me permission to go, I will come back here.”
Pharaoh answered, “Go to Canaan and keep your promise to your father.”
Joseph was relieved that
he could carry out his father’s request. Pharaoh spoke to him again, “Joseph, this is a solemn occasion. Egypt should show its gratitude to you. It is fitting that the nation should have a strong representation at your father’s burial. I will arrange this for you.”
Pharaoh decided that all the elders of the land of Egypt should accompany Joseph. The elders of Pharaoh’s household would represent Pharaoh.
Joseph gathered them together in Rameses. There went with him, Pharaoh’s chief servants; the elders of Pharaoh’s household, all the elders of Egypt, Joseph’s household, his brothers and their households, and his father’s household. The small children, the flocks and herds stayed behind in Goshen.
The assembled company was a very great gathering. It was accompanied by units of the Egyptian army, with chariots and horsemen.
It was a tremendous spectacle of Egyptian pomp and glory. The huge company made an impressive sight as it moved out from Rameses and headed towards the land of Canaan.
The journey was slow and solemn. When the great company came to the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan River; Joseph ordered a rest. They mourned for Jacob with a great and very solemn lamentation. Joseph observed seven days of mourning for his father.
The inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, and said to each other. “This is a deep mourning for the Egyptians.” They called the place ‘Abel Mizraim’ which means ‘Mourning of the Egyptians’.
Jacob’s sons took his embalmed body into the land of Canaan, and buried him in Machpelah Cave which is before Mamre; the cave which Abraham bought, along with the field of Ephron the Hittite, as a burial place. After the burial Joseph, his brothers, and all who went with him returned to Egypt.
Joseph’s brothers said to each other, “What if Joseph still hates us and wants to get even with us for all the cruel things we did to him?”
So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before our father died, he told us, ‘You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you.’ Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped.”
When Joseph heard this, he wept. Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him and said, “We are your slaves.”
But Joseph told them, “Don’t be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided. You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children.”
After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.
Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly to them. So, Joseph and his brothers, and their families, together with his father’s household lived in Egypt.
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Epilogue
Joseph lived to see the third generation of Ephraim’s children. The children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, sat on Joseph’s knees.
At the age of 110 years Joseph knew his time on earth was nearly up. He sent for his brethren. Joseph spoke to them, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you; and you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died being 110 years old. They embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Centuries later Moses fulfilled Joseph’s dying words; for in Exodus 13:19 we read, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he [Joseph] had charged the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry my bones away from here with you’.” In the book of Joshua 24:32 we read that the children of Israel buried Joseph's remains in the same place Joseph buried his father Jacob.
About the Author
I am a retired male nurse, married with three sons, who have grown up and left home. I live with my wife at Innisfail in tropical North Queensland, Australia. The main agricultural crops of the region are sugar cane, bananas and paw paws. Innisfail is situated at the confluence of the Johnstone and South Johnstone rivers; adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.
I am a committed Christian and I fellowship with like minded Christians at a Gospel Hall in Innisfail. I enjoy writing and reading my Bible and Christian books. I also enjoy reading other non-fiction books in my spare time, particularly biographies and autobiographies. I also blog on my two blogs:
Biblical Perspectives blog https://www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com
Words of Life blog https://www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com
Bibliography of Names
Akentoph - Captain of Pharaoh's armies
Amenope - Esna's friend
Asenaken - Potipherah's wife
Asenath - Joseph's wife
Ephraim - Joseph's second son
Esna - Potiphars's wife
Gebel - Potiphar's head steward
Gimbal - Potiphar's head groomsman
Harrup - Amenope's wife
Manasseh - Joseph's eldest son
Okan - Joseph's chief Butler
Ontis - Captain of Pharaoh's personal guards
Oznak - Captain of prison guards
Potiphar - Captain of Pharaoh's royal guards
Potipherah - The Priest of On
Queen Nefterin - Pharaoh's wife
Zanak - Prison warden
Zanaken - Pharaoh's former chief baker
Zoken - Pharaoh's Chief Steward
Zophek - Pharaoh's former chief butler
Joseph's Brothers
Reuben
Simeon
Levi
Judah
Zebulon
Issachar
Dan
Gad
Asher
Naphtali
Benjamin
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