Hi! I greatly appreciate your bible studies. I was just reading Genesis 50. And
verses 24 & 25 jumped out at me. It may be minutiae, the phrases about coming
to Israel's aid. But I was curious and immediately thought of your site. Is
there a particular depth to plumb or is it just a nod to Joseph being given a
prophetic word or... Well, you know. Thanks again.
Joseph's Death
22
Joseph and his father's household remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years.
23
He saw Ephraim's sons to the third generation; the sons of Manasseh's
son Machir were recognized by Joseph.
24 Joseph said to his brothers, "I
am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up
from this land to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
25
So Joseph made the Israelites take an oath: "When God comes to your
aid, you are to carry my bones up from here."
26 Joseph died
at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.
--
Blessings,
Aaron
Hi Aaron,
thanks for the email. Can't say I've given it
much thought recently but reading that passage you sent again brings to mind the
similarity to Jesus' statement before He departed. Whether it is meant to be
a type of that we can't be dogmatic but we should remember that Joseph
himself is one of the most impressive types of Christ that there is in the entire
Bible. So Joseph, anticipating his coming departure, comforts his people with the
thought that God will not forget them after he dies, but will give them aid and
bring them to the Promised Land. Does this not remind us of Jesus last statements
before departing, that our hearts shouldn't be troubled by His departure but
that He will take us to our Promised Land (Heaven) and God will aid us in the
meantime (through the gift of His Holy Spirit)?
John 14:1-3 "Do
not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) "In
My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have
told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (3) "If I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am,
there you may be also.
John 14:26-27 "But the Helper, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (27) "Peace I leave with
you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let
your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Also, in terms of
the promise that Joseph gave that they would leave Egypt and go to the Promised
Land, this is a Midrash (a repeated type) that flows throughout scripture. For
example, Abraham left Egypt and went to the Promised Land. In like manner, his
descendants, the nation of Israel did the same. Joseph, according to his command,
had his bones taken from Egypt to Israel (just as Jesus' bones didn't
remain in Egypt (the World) but went to the Promised Land (Heaven). We see the
same thing play out with Jesus as a child, who came out of Egypt (with Mathew
quoting Hosea stating 'Out of Egypt I called my Son'). And yet the
pattern still repeats, for the Apostle Paul tells us that our salvation is,
spiritually speaking, coming out Egypt (the world) and into the Promised Land of
God’s family and inheritance. And the cycle will play out again when Jesus
returns for His bride for we shall then be physically taken out of this world and
taken to our true home that Jesus said He would prepare for us. So it is a
Midrash, a repeated pattern that plays out throughout scripture and history.
Not
sure if that helps but I'll let you chew it over!
All the best!