Legacies—Remembered, Also Forgotten
After Joseph’s father (Jacob) dies, the physicians embalmed him, taking a full forty days.
The Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. Pharaoh gave permission to Joseph to go back to Canaan to bury his father. All of Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him: the dignitaries of his court, and all the dignitaries of Egypt, chariots and horseman—it was a very large company. The Egyptians held a very solemn ceremony of mourning at the threshing floor of Atad.
Joseph was held in such honor and high esteem that even Pharaoh’s officials wanted to honor the man who raised him (Jacob).
We all have a legacy, a witness, a testimony that we will leave behind. We most likely will not be mummified for burial with an entire country mourning our death for months.
However, we all still have an opportunity to leave the sweet aroma of God’s love and faithfulness to those we leave behind on earth one day. For some, this witness will still be felt by many neighbors, friends and family members long after they are gone.
Even if our influence extends to only a few people, the example we set of a godly life can be a light for many years. Hopefully, our encouraging and kind words will be thought of as Joseph’s words of forgiveness and kindness are still remembered.
After burying his father, Joseph returned from Canaan and stayed in Egypt, living to be 110 years old, long enough to see his great-grandchildren. When he died, Joseph was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Legacies Forgotten
For many decades, probably even for hundreds of years, Joseph’s renown and wisdom regarding the famine was remembered. Like many things in the past, Joseph was eventually forgotten by the Egyptians along with all his good deeds for the country.
A new Pharaoh saw the Hebrews as a threat to his nation as they had grown numerous and prosperous filling the land; they were so many. The Pharaoh was ruthless, making slaves of the Hebrews and driving them to exhaustion.
The Israelites called out to God in their suffering. God looked and was concerned.
God Sends a Deliverer
God raised up a deliverer, and through miraculous intervention, prevented the young Moses from being killed by Pharaoh’s edict to kill all the male newborns. Pharaoh’s stubbornness regarding releasing the Hebrews was part of the Lord’s plan to show the Egyptians and all the Hebrews in slavery who is the one true God. Pharaoh will soon know the answer to the question he asked Moses: “Who is the Lord? That I should obey him and let Israel go? We have plenty of gods here in Egypt; worship them!”
Keep Hope Alive in Your Heart
In these modern times, we also have an enemy who doesn’t want us to prosper, to be blessed, and to know the one true God. This enemy seeks our destruction by loading us down and trying to steal our faith through lies and deceit. Today we are not physically suffering through heavy loads of slavery and oppression; still, our enemy daily sows seeds of doubt and fear in an attempt to steal our joy and testimony of God’s work in our lives.
Through God’s word we have hope; we know “No weapon formed against us shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17). Though we may be loaded down with many burdens, the Lord has promised to never leave us. We are “more than conquerors through our faith in Jesus” (Romans 8:37). We are reminded in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
John Hendrickson
