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Remember, next week – a very special day – the most important day to me personally, Sunday October 1st 2023 – as we are going to formally step out into the world with a stance that has been biblically vetted. We will bring out the baptismal trough, and gather to formalize our approach. If you have ever been part of us, come join us, both as a memorial to great times in the past and to consider if you want to rejoin a brand new but old approach to seeking, learning and worshipping God Almighty. Bring anyone you know who seeks God but is genuinely over church. We have done the work – we are ready to share. Okay . . .

Study of Genesis 50

The last chapter of Genesis – 50. Let’s read and cover until it’s done.

Genesis 50:1-14

Genesis 50:1 And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. 4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. 6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear. 7 ¶ And 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 And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and 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 company. 10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan. 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying place of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

Genesis 50:15-23

15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. 22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were

Preservation and Embalming in Ancient Practices

After the blessings of last week were over, it seems that Jacob died – whether right then and there or not we cannot be sure. His deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. caused Joseph fell upon his father's face in mourning. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. The process of embalming is fascinating because its main purpose is to keep the body of the deceased as closely to what it looked like when alive, and to inhibit putrefaction of the flesh which is enhanced by moisture and moisture of flesh is attractive to insects and where flies lay their larva. The words are all sort of interrelated between the Arab name of an embalmer and the act of Hebrew embalming.

The word physicians here perhaps better understood as healers whose purpose was to heal living people so that they would not putrefy and here we have their efforts remaining the same toward the dead. Ironically, the act of trying to keep the body intact and looking like it did when alive is a morbid exercise and relative to the faith it really stands contrary to what Yeshua and Paul had to say about the flesh. When we really think about it embalming is one of the biggest expressions of religion, but instead of covering the spiritually dead bodies with fig leaves we drain all of its life-sustaining force inside (blood) and fill the body with a substance that mummifies the person in a state as close to their living state as possible. We want to in effect, die to this outer flesh, not literally – so don’t take this literally, but embalming representationally is a revelatory act and can really be representationally disturbing.

Cultural and Religious Perspectives on Body Preservation

The Jews were all about the preservation of the deceased body. I am of the personal opinion that all of these processes are both obsolete and frankly smack of Man. Some religions forbid cremation. Some forbid the sharing of organs. I suggest that the more contextual approach today is share living organs whenever possible and practice cremation with the rest. Hard as this is, hard as this would be for a parent to do this with a child, it better correlates to faith that all the other approaches in place today. Perhaps it's time for a Christian based approach to stand up and endorse harvesting of organs and cremation than to honoring and dressing up of things that should fade away. Hard stuff, I know. Mercy longsuffering and kindness with all, but just trying to point out what these things ultimately represent and how religion has manipulated them and our thoughts toward them.

Ancient Egyptian Embalming Practices

In any case, the word used describes the reddening of leather and seems to relate to the process of tanning. Remember that the art of embalming was perfected by the Egyptians as proven by how many of them anciently remain intact even to this day. (verse 3)

3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. All in all there was a seventy days process – forty for the embalming to take full effect and thirty where the mourning continued. If we are going to follow the Bible and its traditions a seventy-day mourning window is what once was – at least then. In Yeshua’s day it was less. (Verse 4)

4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Apparently, Joseph did not go to Pharaoh directly in this case and some believe this was because he was not rightly adorned as being well-dressed was super important when going before Pharaoh. So, he asks the house of Pharaoh to speak to him on his behalf and this is the message he wants conveyed:

5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo,

Reflections on Life and Death

I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

7 And 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,

The Grandeur of Funerals

The funeral procession of Jacob must have been truly grand. Isn’t it an amazing reveal to our view of life the way we envision our funerals and burial places? Usually grand ceremonies, right? It's sort of funny, in a way, how we esteem the value of members of our human community by the size of the bank account and the number of souls at the departed’s funeral?

When my brother died, he was a young man, successful materially and his funeral was large – it filled up what the LDS call their stake center. For years afterward, my dad referenced that fact, impressed by the crowd that showed up to mourn him. I get this from a parent's point of view. We want our children to be loved and appreciated by others because it shows the impression they left behind – to some extent, right. Princess Di and the millions in the bank and the millions at the funeral. I get it. This life and this world. Period. It is, however, such things are often measurements of Man.

Measuring Life's Worth

If you drive up a street here in Salt Lake you come to a large cemetery up near the University where some of the leaders of the main religion are buried. Let me tell you, the more that person was seen as a leader in the faith the larger the headstones. Sometimes we even see what are called Mausoleums that contain the bones of just one soul. Again, I get it.

But principally, our purpose in life is to die to the flesh while living, to die to the things of this world as a means to give up what will serve others, to put to death what is not of Him and what we cannot take with us.

True Reflections

So, the two measurements – how much the world loved (and paid) for what we offered it and how many showed up to our funeral, and how big and elaborate the material surrounding of it are, are not really reflective of the value of the person gone but honestly is more of a celebration that is a reflection of all that is in this world.

Let me share a concept with you to consider and to do such let me hit the white board.

God and His Will

Fruit of the Tree

Material Wealth and Eternal Life

Money, fame, and popularity represent how much a person reaches and pleases the world by catering to its emotions and material needs. Ironically, when a person embraces faith and love through Yeshua, the world does not reward it because it believes it is owed such treatment, so there is no need to reward it.

Anyway, Joseph, his brothers, their descendants, the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of Pharaoh, and all the chariots and horsemen must have appeared as a very great company indeed. This is at the heart of material religionA fulfilled system of temples, rituals, and laws—replaced by direct spiritual relationship., earthly honors, and all that is in the world. It impresses the senses and gives us tangible ideals for which to strive.

Funerals in Context

Royal families have royal funerals. Famous people have popular funerals, but try and see through it all to the real meaning of eternal life and its basis. Compare it to the funeral of God himself—hurried, attended by a handful, in a borrowed tomb. Why? Because He rose above that grave and taught the world that in this resurrection from this place is where real eternal life dwells.

8 And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and 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 company. 10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

Ancient Mourning Practices

According to Numbers 19:19 and 1st Samuel 31:13, the mourning of the ancient Hebrews was usually seven days long. But on some occasions, it was extended to thirty days (Numbers 20:29; Deuteronomy 21:13; 34:8). We learn from Herodotus that the seventy days' mourning mentioned earlier was that of the Egyptians and was rendered necessary by the long process of embalming, which obliged them to keep the body out of the grave for seventy days. Numbers 19:11 and 19 indicate that God ordered seven days for a man to mourn because he was considered unclean during that time. After that, he would purify himself and then consider the mourning over. Exceptions were later made among the nation.

11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan. The word Abelmizraim means, the mourning of the Egyptians.

Verses 12-13 are believed by some scholars to belong to the previous chapter.

12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. So we leave Jacob behind buried as he desired, in the land of Canaan.

14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. It seems that the brothers went back into Egypt, looked around, and got scared since dad was no longer alive to protect them. It's sort of amazing.

Forgiveness and Redemption

Reality is that when we do wrong it is really hard to believe that the wrong has been forgiven and we can become prey, again, to our own imaginations. It is also amazing that Yeshua, having never done wrong, is free from all such things, and loves freely and without guile. Its one of the reasons we can trust Him. He bears no suspicions, so has no need to strategize or manipulate, his love is pure!

In Him, through faith, we too can become free from the debt and results of our sin and when we encounter people we have harmed in the past we are equipped to receive whatever they bring from a clear conscience, knowing our part is paid in full by Him, which frees us from the burden of suspicion and guilt which allows ourselves the liberty to forgive and to love and to receive recriminations if they are presented as we should – freely, willingly, and deservedly.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

Was this a lie or the truth? Hard to tell. Some think they had feigned this story, but others wonder if Jacob, prior to death, and who knew the mind of his sons well, might not have also had suspicions and may have instructed his older sons to humble themselves before Joseph and get a renewed commitment from him. Anyway, they say that their father told them to say to Joseph (verse 17)

17 Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

Joseph's Response

Again, the heart of Joseph was one for peace, love and unity in his family with all forgiven so this was an emotional time. In response, we read

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

Yes, this was a sign of humility, but I have to say what we witness here in something that carries through the Nation and is not such a good thing even if what they said is true.

Let me explain by reading first what Joseph says in response to them bowing before him and proclaiming to be his servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

This could mean any of the following:

“Don’t fear, I am not in the place of God to bring judgement upon you.”

Or

“Don’t bow to me in fear – I am not God.”

Or

“There is no need to fear for I am in the place of God, and I will care for you, feed you and protect you despite of your treatment of me.”

All we can really be sure of is he tells them not to fear, they had no reason to fear and he then, moving away from what he has done as a representative of God, brings the situation back to them, his brothers and says

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Your intentions were evil – we get that – but Elohiym meant it for good, to bring to pass, just as it is today, the salvation of many people. And he adds at verse 21

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. 22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

Joseph's Legacy

So, Joseph continued to live in Egypt after his return from Canaan until his death; he, and all of his father's house which made up all the descendants of Israel. These would be there until the exodus or their departure under the direction of Moses and Aaron, which was one hundred and forty-four years later.

23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

This appears to be a way to describe the fact that these grandchildren were educated by him or were under his direction as long as he lived.

24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto…”

Faith and the Legacy of Joseph

The land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Notice that we do not read of the death of the brothers who were all older than Joseph except Benjamin. I suspect that this is why we get the genealogies of these men later in other books – to show who came from the eleven and how the Nation grew. In the meanwhile, Joseph knew that their time in Egypt was meant to be temporary that Egypt was not the land promised them nor their permanent home.

Because of this Joseph too makes a request of his brethren saying,

25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

This is the hope all people of faith cling to in their lives today – that the living God would carry us – not our bones but our souls – into the land promised us, the heavenly kingdom which has been promised and which has been established. We walk in this by faith, and sojourn in the world according to such, knowing that we have a home above which we too will enter forevermore after this life. Joseph acted by faith in this request. He trusted that his request would be carried out AFTER he died, all in a material sense.

Observations on Faith in Hebrews

This is why the writer of Hebrews wrote the following in his epistle

Hebrew 11:22: "By FAITH Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure (of his Exodus) of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.”

Today, we ask, what commandments or directives do you give for your bones? I want my body to be given all the honor and spectacle that it deserves – to be unceremoniously cremated and scattered over the Pacific Ocean by just my family – no marker. In honor of My Lord and King and the spiritual new life He gave me through His flesh. Of the faith He had to save me by.

According to Exodus 13:19 Moses, when he departed from Egypt, took Joseph's bones with him and had them buried in Shechem, in the place that Jacob had purchased from the Amorites. And the last verse of Genesis?

26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. The stage is set. The Nation called, promised, established and now growing in Egypt over the buried body of Joseph.

Verse 8 of Exodus, after a short genealogical review, we read

Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

Israel's Struggle to Embrace God Alone

And this takes us back to something we covered here today but not completely – and that was Joseph’s brothers coming to him and humbly bowing themselves before him. There is a mentality, an approach in the heart of the people of the Nation of Israel that will pop its head up over the course of their history, and that is one where they were willing, ready, even trying of their own strength, to put men above them to follow.

The point – God was never enough for them. Because of this they repeatedly rejected those who truly stood for God (his prophets) and turned to god’s of their own making and image. They did this when they wanted a king like other nations, when they sought after idols of wood and stone, when they feared men more than God, and even when they sought to make Yeshua a king on earth. It was their nature, to turn from deontological adoration and devotion to the living God and to worship anything and everything else BUT Him.

It is in the nature of Man – to place our trust in everything that is not Him. In the proving ground, for those who care, all souls are free to elect and choose their God or Gods. All who choose the true and eternal God are free to pursue Him as they wish. We all, along the way, walk according to the dictates of the Spirit or the flesh, either motivated by duty and love or out of fear and dread. We can seek treasures here and all that they promise or the promise of treasures there by faith. We can bow and please all the other gods here or give our hearts and minds and bodies to YAHAVAH.

The stage is set now. We know the backstory of what God did to bring forth Himself, His will, His name and now His Nation forth into the

Introduction to Upcoming Series

We’ll continue to follow this nation after we consider the lessons and principles of Job – which we will cover the week after next. As this next week, Sunday October 1st, we begin to promote decades of findings into what we see is the biblical view of the faith today.

Please join us then!

Future Discussions

Community Engagement

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