City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

²² So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. ²³ And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. ²⁴ And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” ²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” ²⁶ So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Genesis 50:22-26

Reflection

Thus are the final words of the book we know as Genesis. The text conveys the death of Joseph, the most successful human portrayed in the entire Old Testament. When we look at the beginning, we see creation and life (ch 1-2). Now, the prevailing theme is death. While Joseph optimistically foretells of the eventual exodus, the scene fades to black with Joseph’s body surrounded by Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting idolatrous gods. The fledgling nation of Israel, the chosen seed of Abraham, is swallowed up by the beast.

This leaves us with an uncomfortable tension: Why did God lead Israel and his sons to die in Egypt rather in the land promised? God could have stopped the famine. He could have empowered Joseph to conquer Canaan and build storehouses there for saving the world. There are many possibilities, but God’s providence led them exactly here.

In chapter 38, Judah drifts away from his father and brothers, getting into business with a Canaanite, taking a Canaanite wife, and finally committing idolatry and other sin. We can only imagine how his brothers’ stories went, but the implication is clear: left alone, this family will be absorbed into the prevailing culture of Canaan. In Egypt, however, they are left completely separate from the culture of the Egyptians. The Israelites live in their own region and Egyptians will not even eat with Hebrews (Gen 43:32). Egypt, despite it’s ominous reputation, becomes like an incubator for this family to multiply into a nation (Exodus 1:7) while maintaining their covenantal identity towards the God of their fathers.

Application

Israel’s journey and eventual enslavement in Egypt was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ exile to come. He is the God that personally became human in order to let humanity brutally kill Him. He is the God that turned cruel, bloody death into glorious, everlasting life. If He can do that, then He can do anything. That’s good news for those who believe in Him. We are adopted into His royal family, and have assurance that anything that happens to us will be redeemed for good.

Thank God for redeeming your life and for what He is doing now to transform the story you are living into a guidepost toward your glorious eternal existence with Him.

Prayer

Dear Father,
You are faithful to those who bear Your Name. Let me remember Your sacrifice and permanent defeat of death, which prove Your providence over every situation I face. I trust that You are using my experiences, good and evil, for Your glory and for my good.
Amen