15 July 2023
Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, ‘When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here.’
From Genesis 49:29-33, 50:15-26 NRSV
Today we reach the end of the Book of Genesis with the deaths of both Israel and his son Joseph. Following some final words of both correction and blessing to his sons, Israel gave them specific instructions about his burial. He was to be buried with his ancestors in the Promised Land of Canaan. Even though he would have been entitled to a grand Egyptian burial, he chose to be returned to a lowly cave in the Land of Promise. Following Israel’s death, Joseph’s brothers again became anxious that without their father’s protection, Joseph might treat them as enemies because of the wrong they had done to him in the past. Joseph again reassured them that they did not need to be afraid and underlined his words through his generosity towards them and their families. When Joseph himself drew close to death, he obtained the same promise that had been made to his father – that when the time allowed, his body would be laid with that of his ancestors. Legend has it that Joseph’s coffin was not buried in Egypt for hundreds of years and that it became a reminder to the people of Israel of God’s ongoing promise to them.
- Why did Israel and Joseph want to be buried with their ancestors?
- How do we remember and honour the lives of our ancestors?
Spend some time today recalling and giving thanks for what you have inherited from your ancestors.
