December 9th, 2011
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Family in Mourning

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Opening Prayer

Gracious God, thank You for Your unusual and loving surprises in usual circumstances. Surprise and encourage me today.

Read GENESIS 49:29-50:14

[29] Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, [30] the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. [31] There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. [32] The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.” [33] When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. [1] Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. [2] Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, [3] taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. [4] 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, [5] ‘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.'” [6] Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.” [7] So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him-the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt- [8] besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. [9] Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company. [10] 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. [11] 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. [12] So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them: [13] They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. [14] After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“To live without Christ is the real death, to die with him is the only life” (Frederick Buechner). Can you affirm that?

Think Further

With Jacob’s individual blessings completed, and a final reminder of his specific burial arrangements expressed, his eventful life comes to an end. Those of us who have sat with dying parents will know something of the mixed feelings of his sons. There is gratitude for a precious relationship, and sadness that it is over, all combined with relief that frailty and pain are gone. Then come preparations for the final goodbye.

Embalming, intended to preserve a body for life beyond death, was common in wealthier Egyptian circles. Internal organs were professionally removed, and then the body soaked in special fluids for 40 days. In Israel’s history, only Jacob and Joseph were embalmed (50:26) in preparation for their eventual burial in Canaan. Jacob was mourned not only by his immediate family but also for a lengthy period by the Egyptians, either as a sign of honor for Joseph’s father or in his own right as a significant citizen. Even Pharaoh respected Jacob’s burial wishes and his dignitaries supported the extended family in their journey and rituals. Their strong presence would ensure that the large company returned to Egypt, as would leaving the children and herds behind. It would be 400 years before the even larger family could leave Egypt for good, but with opposition from the Pharaoh (Exod. 12:29-32; 14:5-8).

The long journey northward via trans-Jordan seems to have been completed in two stages: first with a week-long public mourning at Adad’s threshing floor, a place of commerce near the Jordan, renamed in memory of the event. Then there was a private burial in the family plot at Mamre near Hebron in Canaan (23:17-20; 25:7-10). Jacob was home with his ancestors, and the family retained a small stake in the future land of promise.

Apply

How would you like your death to be commemorated? What signs of hope would you want celebrated?

Closing prayer

Shepherd God, when my time comes to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, may Your rod and staff surely comfort me. I trust You in life and in death.

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