QT 1/14/2026 Gen 47:13-22, Showing Grace to the dead and dying

Genesis 47:23–31 (ESV) —

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

 

NOTE: Technically, where we are buried makes little difference. But as I saw in Amos recently, how we treat a dead body is a measure of the respect we have and a belief that the body was also made in the image of God. Our burial place does not change our relationship to God or any of the promises that God has made to us. But it is important to the dying and for that reason it should be important to us. In the coming years, I will face more death than what I have seen in the last ten. I tend to skip funerals unless the person was very close. I have gone to two funerals in the last ten years. The next ten years will be probably be more people that I know very well. I need to make these things a priority.

 

PONDER:

How can we show respect to the memory of the dead?

 

PRAYER: Father, I listen to my mother on the phone and it is hard to determine if she hears me. I know my relationship with my mom has not been what it ought to be. I pray in these last years, I would show her more grace, and that she would feel important.