At the end of a story, it’s common to have some kind of wrap up. You want those loose ends tied, the story concluded, and any noticeable changes in the main characters solidified. At the end, a good story always shows progress.
It’s interesting then, that at the end of Genesis, the only thing that’s talked about is going back.
At the risk of splitting hairs, I need to mention that going back is different than going backwards. Going backwards implies regression, whereas going back refers to returning to our home. There’s a huge difference between those two phrases.
All of us are supposed to be going back; that’s the theme of the entire Bible. Our bodies are created out of the dust by God (Genesis 1-3), and we were given a soul by God. At the end of our life, our soul “returns” to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Psalm 90:3).
Genesis shows this return in both a spiritual and a literal sense. In the last five verses, Joseph tells his brothers two things. First, he tells them that God will take care of them, and that, eventually, God will return His people back to Canaan.
Secondly, when they do, he wants his ancestors to take Joseph’s bones with him. He doesn’t want to stay in Egypt forever – he wants to return to his homeland.
Both of these indicate a hopeful expectation of future events – the word we would use is faith. Throughout his life, Joseph trusted in God to help him carry out God’s will. God never once forsook Him; now, Joseph is imparting that same level of faith to his family.
That’s how the book of Genesis ends, and in so many ways, it’s a fitting bookend to the way that Genesis opens. Within three chapters, man is cast out of the Garden of Eden, out of God’s direct presence and into the world. Now, with God’s help, the family of Joseph and Jacob are planning their return trip back to the promised land.
The next several books will reveal just how difficult this journey will be.