Verses 15-21

Peace in the family of Jacob50:15-21

The words of Joseph"s brothers were probably not true ( Genesis 50:16-17). Jacob may have left such a message even though Moses did not record it in Genesis. Since Moses did not record it, he probably intended the reader to conclude that Jacob had not. The brothers feared because of their uneasy consciences rather than Joseph"s behavior (cf. Genesis 50:19).

Joseph"s response to his fearful brothers reveals his attitudes toward God and them ( Genesis 50:18-21; cf. Genesis 27:41). He humbled himself under God"s authority. He regarded God as sovereign over him and the One who had providentially guided all the events of his life. He knew that God"s purposes for him, his family, and all people were good (cf. chs1-2). Consequently he behaved with tender compassion toward his brothers. He proved to be his brothers" keeper (cf. Genesis 4:9). Genesis opened with a couple, Adam and Eve, trying to become like God. It closes with a Prayer of Manasseh, Joseph, denying that he is in God"s place. [Note: E. I. Lowenthal, The Joseph Narrative in Genesis, p156.] Judas was to Jesus what Joseph"s brothers were to Joseph. [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters18-50, p707.]

"The sequence of deceptions that causes this family so much suffering finally comes to an end when Joseph chooses not to take revenge on his brothers." [Note: Richard Elliott Friedman, "Deception for Deception," Bible Review2:1 (Spring1986):30.]

"Each sentence of his threefold reply is a pinnacle of Old Testament (and New Testament) faith. To leave all the righting of one"s wrongs to God (19; cf. Romans 12:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 4:19); to see His providence in man"s malice (20; cf. on Genesis 45:5); and to repay evil not only with forgiveness but also with practical affection (21; cf. Luke 6:27 ff.), are attitudes which anticipate the adjective "Christian" and even "Christlike."" [Note: Kidner, p224.]

"Behind all the events and human plans recounted in the story of Joseph lies the unchanging plan of God. It is the same plan introduced from the very beginning of the book where God looks out at what he has just created for man and sees that "it is good" (tob, 1:4-31). Through his dealings with the patriarchs and Joseph, God had continued to bring about his good plan. He had remained faithful to his purposes, and it is the point of this narrative to show that his people can continue to trust him and to believe that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" ( Romans 8:28)." [Note: Sailhamer, " Genesis," p283.]

Verses 22-26

The death of Joseph50:22-26

Joseph lived to see God"s blessing on his children"s children. He died54years after Jacob"s death when he was110 years old. [Note: See Hugh C. White, "The Joseph Story: A Narrative that "Consumes" Its Content," Semeia31 (1985):49-69.] Some Egyptian texts refer to110 as the ideal lifespan. [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters18-50, p709.]

Joseph probably could have experienced burial in a pyramid or had some other grand burial in Egypt. However, he wanted his family to embalm him and place his body in a coffin in Egypt. Later descendants could bury him in the Promised Land near Shechem. They did so in the parcel of land his father had bought and given to him, perhaps under Abraham"s oak ( Genesis 48:22; cf. Joshua 24:32). This expression of Joseph"s faith in God"s promises to his forefathers provides a fitting climax for the Book of Genesis and the formative period of Israel"s history. Genesis 50:24 contains the first reference to the three patriarchs together.

"The outstanding feature of Joseph"s life was faithful loyalty to God under all circumstances." [Note: Thomas, p379.]

"The story of Joseph illustrates patient faith and its reward. It ends the book of Genesis and brings its theme to a literary climax. ... But the story of Joseph shows us that the road to victory, dominion, mastery, and judicial authority, is through service, the humble service of a slave. Through service and suffering, God purges and destroys indwelling sin in the believer (not completely, but sufficiently), builds character in him, and fits him for the mastery of the world." [Note: Jordan, pp67-68.]

"The Book of Genesis, like the Old Testament in microcosm, ends by pointing beyond its own story . . . . Joseph"s dying words epitomized the hope in which the Old Testament, and indeed the New (cf. Revelation 22:20), would fall into expectant silence: God will surely visit you." [Note: Kidner, p224.]

Believers who trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to bless in His own inscrutable ways will demonstrate their faith in the way they die.