February 1 Daily Devotional

Genesis 48–50

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years. When the time drew near that he should die, he called his son Joseph and spoke to him about his burying place. He said, Do not bury me in Egypt, but in my father’s burying place. It was the place bought by Abraham when Sarah died, the cave of Machpelah. A little later someone told Joseph that his father was ill. Joseph took his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and came to his father’s bedside. And Jacob strengthened himself and sat up in bed. His eyes were dim with age. Noticing the two boys he asked, “Who are these?” Joseph replied, “They are my sons, whom God hath given me.” And he stretched out his hands and blessed them saying, “God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day … bless the lads … and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” To Joseph he said, “Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.”

Before his departure Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” He gave every one his blessing, but above all be blessed Judah; he said, “Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up … The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” After Jacob had finished these blessings, his spirit departed to God. Joseph commanded the physicians to embalm the body, so it could be taken to the Land of Canaan. Then the brothers took the body to the cave of Machpelah at Hebron.

Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers were afraid that Joseph would no longer be kind to them. They thought that he might at last punish them for selling him to be a slave. One day they sent a message to him, saying, Our father, before he died told us to come and beg you to forgive us for all the wickedness that we did to you. Now we pray thee, forgive us our transgression. Joseph’s eyes filled with tears, and he said, “Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” And he spoke kindly to them.

Joseph and his brothers lived in Egypt all the rest of their lives. Before Joseph died, he said to his people, “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob … God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” Joseph was one hundred and ten years old when he died.