ALTHOUGH Jacob lived to be an old, old man, his son Joseph did not cease to love and reverence him. And this is according to God’s own thought. He would have us love our parents; and He tells us, “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head; and honor the face of the old man.”
When Jacob died, Joseph fell upon his face, and wept over him, and kissed him.
He had the physicians embalm his father’s body. And he mourned for his father; and the Egyptians mourned with him for seventy days. When the days of mourning were ended, Joseph made known to Pharaoh, his father’s wish to be buried in the land of Canaan, and the promise he had given to carry his body there.
Pharaoh was very kind; he told Joseph he should go, and he sent along with him his own servants, and officers and chief ones of the land of Egypt. In this way the king showed his esteem for Joseph, and also the sympathy he had with him. And Joseph’s brothers went along with, them, and his own household and his father’s house; only they left their little ones behind. They went up with chariots and horsemen; there was a great company of them. When they reached a certain place beyond the Jordan river, they stopped and mourned for seven days. When the people who lived in the land of Canaan saw them, they said this is a very sad mourning. After this the company moved on again, until they came to the field of Machpelah, and there the sons of Jacob laid their father’s body in Abraham’s grave, as he had requested them to do.
Then Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all that had gone up to Canaan with him.
But now Joseph’s brothers became uneasy again. They said now that their father was dead, perhaps Joseph would hate them and visit upon them the evil they had done to him. Ah! how little they understood the tender, loving heart of Joseph! When they sent a messenger to Joseph to say that their father, before he died, said that he should forgive his brothers for the evil they had done him, and then afterwards when they spoke to him, Joseph wept. And when they fell before him and said they would be his servants, Joseph told them not to fear. He said they had meant to do him evil, but God meant to bring good out of it for many people. He said he would feed them and their little ones. Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
What a beautiful type Joseph is of Jesus who did good to those who did Him harm; who forgave His enemies; who speaks kindly to poor sinners, telling them that God sent Him to save them, and telling them not to be afraid, only to believe in Him.
Joseph lived to be a hundred and ten years old. And he had the joy of having his great grandchildren sit upon his knee.
When he was going to die he told his brothers that God would surely visit them and take them out of that land-and bring them into the land of promise. And he took an oath from them that they would carry his bones with them when they went to the land of Canaan.
ML 05/25/1902