“Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve His present end, the survival of many people.” —Genesis 50:20
Following forty days of embalming and the seventy days of mourning in Egypt, Joseph went to Canaan and buried his father with “a very great and solemn memorial service” (50:10). After the funeral, Joseph’s brothers were afraid that he had harbored a grudge against them for the last thirty-nine years. However, Joseph spoke kindly to them and reassured them. Joseph lived happily for another fifty-four years to the age of a hundred and ten. Like his father, he arranged for his bones to be taken to the promised land. Thus, we conclude with a happy ending for a family with a disastrous history. All God’s promises are true. We are God’s chosen people, life is worth living, and we have reason to be hopeful.
Prayer: Father, may my family’s history conclude with a family reunion in heaven, without one family member missing.
Promise: “Joseph said to his brothers: ‘I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ ” —50:24