Year 7, Day 49: Genesis 50

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I really love Joseph’s maturity in this passage.  There are three significant events with which we can see this maturity.  Let’s look at each one individually.

First, Joseph experiences the death of his father.  It is not easy to lose a parent, especially when the relationship is good and the feelings between child and parent is one of respect.  Joseph valued his father’s role.  However, notice that Joseph doesn’t mourn with abandon when he dies.  Joseph does lose himself.  Joseph’s world isn’t over.  Joseph mourns maturely.  He lets the sadness within him out, but he is able to compose himself and move on after the fact.  He is able to keep his promise to bury his father as well as continue to be a good servant to Pharaoh.

Then, we see Joseph go before Pharaoh.  Joseph is mature enough to go humbly.  He asks for permission to leave.  He does not go in making demands; he does not go in a wreck of a man.  Notice how Pharaoh responds.  Pharaoh gives him time to go.  But Pharaoh also gives him supplies. There appears to be a great number of people who go with Joseph to mourn.  Pharaoh seems to give more than his blessing; he gives him enough of a retinue that the people of Canaan take notice!

The third place that we see the maturity of Joseph is when his brothers come before him.  Naturally, I can see them being a bit concerned.  They could easily have thought that Joseph was just treating them nicely out of respect for their father.  After all, they had hurt the very man who was now Pharaoh’s greatest aide.  But I love Joseph’s perspective.  Joseph isn’t focused on who hurt him.  Joseph is focused on how God was able to work through it.  Joseph has the maturity to be focused on what God has done through him rather than what others have done to him.

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