Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000702.htm

GENESIS: THE SOURCES OF GOOD AND CALAMITY IN OUR ORIGINS
Part III: God's Ongoing Program Of Countering Man's Apostasy At Babel
NN. Round Thirty-Nine - Joseph's Testimony To WAIT For God's LEADING To Move Back To Canaan
(Genesis 50:1-26)
  1. Introduction
    1. There is a time for everything under the sun according to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
    2. Similarly, the geographical location of a believer may change depending on the program of God. This fact is clearly revealed in Genesis 50:1-26 with applicable lessons for us (as follows):
  2. Joseph's Testimony To WAIT For God's LEADING To Move Back To Canaan, Genesis 50:1-26.
    1. When Jacob died, Joseph honored his father's wish to be buried in the land of Promise by mummifying his body, and transferring it to that burial site in Canaan, Genesis 50:1-13 with 49:29:
      1. Knowing of the Egyptian practice of preserving a body by embalming, Jacob's dying request was for his sons to take his body from Egypt to be buried back in Canaan, Genesis 49:29.
      2. This request testified to Jacob's sons that their future hope lay not in Egypt, but in the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant to possess the land of Canaan, Genesis 49:31 with Genesis 15:18-21.
      3. Accordingly, with much fanfare and honor, Joseph embalmed his father's body (50:1-3), and transferred it to Abraham's burial plot in Hebron, Genesis 50:4-13.
    2. However, JOSEPH then QUALIFIED his father's TESTIMONY, showing that Jacob's descendants were to WAIT for God's COMING deliverance before MOVING from Egypt to Canaan:
      1. Joseph took pains not to incite his superior, Pharaoh to wrath by permanently moving to Canaan:
        1. Out of respect for Pharaoh, Joseph requested permission to transport his deceased father's mummy from Egypt to Canaan by politely addressing Pharaoh through his entire household, Genesis 50:4 and Leupold, Genesis, vol. II, p. 1207.
        2. In this request, Joseph emphasized his need to heed his deceased father's vow he had caused Joseph to make about his burial in Canaan. This word de-emphasized the will of Joseph and emphasized the deceased father's wish, something Pharaoh would be more inclinded to honor, Ibid.; Gen. 50:5a.
        3. Additionally, Joseph volunteered the information that he would return, removing any doubt to Pharaoh about his intentions to the contrary. This would put Pharaoh at ease about fears of losing his best right-hand man, a fear that could have had bad repurcussions for the sons of Jacob, 50:5b.
      2. After burying his father in Canaan, Joseph returned to Egypt as he had said he would do, and brought back his brothers and entire burial party from Egypt in full submission to Pharaoh, Gen. 50:14.
      3. Then, when faced with his brothers' concerns that Joseph might mistreat them in vengeance now that Jacob was gone, Joseph reiterated his reliance on God for how he would help and not harm them:
        1. Apparently somewhat concerned that Joseph might be tempted to gain vengeance against his brothers after his death, Jacob left a dying wish with the brothers to share with Joseph: Jacob had urged that Joseph not take vengeance on these brothers, Genesis 50:15-17b.
        2. Joseph wept upon hearing this, a signal he still hurt over what his brothers had done to him, 50:17c.
        3. Nevertheless, he reported that GOD had worked in what evil his brothers had done to him to save the nation in Egypt in keeping with the Abrahamic Covenant, Genesis 50:18-20.
        4. Accordingly, Joseph claimed he would nourish and comfort his relatives, that they were not to fear any repurcussion from him due to God's oversight to which he answered, Genesis 50:21.
      4. Going further, Joseph gave directions for his body to be embalmed and buried in Canaan NOT when he had died, BUT when GOD had delivered them all out of Egypt, Gen. 50:24-25. Thus, at death, Joseph was embalmed and placed in a temporary coffin in Egypt awaiting that Exodus, Gen. 50:26.
Lesson: Though Joseph honored Jacob's TESTIMONY that CANAAN -- not EGYPT was the land of promise, he worked to follow God's proper TIMING and MEANS to even Israel's MOVING there.

Application: (1) God's will regarding the direction of God's people involves not WHAT is to happen, but also the MEANS and WAYS of that direction! (2) Accordingly, we must FOLLOW God in all that we do and NOT try to MANUFACTURE directives or means or methods en route OURSELVES!