I designed this blog to go out first thing in the morning at 5AM. That’s why it’s called “Coffee and a Bible.” Ideally, you would grab a cup of coffee, head to the couch with your Bible and this article, and dive into the Word of God with me for a few minutes.
But this morning, and only this morning, you may want to put down your coffee. Otherwise, your stomach may not appreciate what you’re about to read.
In Genesis 50:1, Jacob has passed away. Joseph is understandably emotional, just as anyone would be at losing a parent. For Jacob and Joseph, two men who were separated unjustly for years, the pain reopens old wounds and intensifies grief that may have long since become dormant.
In the very next verse though, Joseph starts the burial process. Given Joseph’s position in Egypt, this is a unique circumstance. He’s not just “buried,” as his ancestors were – in this chapter, Jacob is embalmed.
I was surprised to find out that this has actually caused quite a bit of uproar in Jewish circles. Depending on who you talk to, Jewish commentators hold one of two opinions on the matter. Either (a) Joseph was wrong for embalming his father, depicting it as a desecration of the flesh, or (b) the embalming wasn’t quite the same thing that we’re familiar with.
Little is said of burial practices during the Old Testament, but around the time of Jesus, it was common to place the bodies of wealthy Jews in an above-ground mausoleum. After a year, the body was removed and the bones placed in an ossuary, or box (hence why it’s said that Jesus was laid in a tomb that had never been used before).
In today’s world, the process of embalming is both respectful and grisly. Without getting into too much detail (again, because it’s morning time), the interior fluids are “replaced” by preservatives, which greatly decrease the decaying process and keep the body intact for as long as possible.
This process originated in Egypt, and it’s here in Genesis 50 that we see the first actual implementation of in Scripture. Just as in today’s world, the primary purpose was to preserve the body to transport it to its eventual resting place. According to Genesis 50:3, the embalming process took 40 days, with an extra thirty days for grieving (in Jacob’s case).
Jacob’s body needed every possible second of preservation, because after the period of mourning was over, Jacob would be taken back to Canaan to be buried in the cave of Machpelah. That journey alone could take several days, if not weeks.
It’s telling of Joseph’s position in Egypt that not only did the entire nation mourn for Jacob, but also Pharaoh allowed Joseph to simply leave to bury his father. And, not only did he go, but Pharaoh’s servants, Pharaoh’s household elders, and the elders over the land of Egypt. It was the closest thing Egypt had to what we would term a state funeral.
Of all the people that attended his funeral, it’s hard to think any were more precious to Jacob than his son Joseph. Several years earlier, God told Jacob to go to Egypt, and when his time came, Joseph would “close his eyes” (Genesis 46:4).
When that time came, that’s exactly what Joseph did.
