Genesis 50:14

Genesis 50:14 says, And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.  Joseph and all those who went with him returned to Egypt after they had buried his father.  He was true to his word to Pharaoh.  As followers of Christ today, when we give someone our word then we need to be true to that word.  Verse fifteen states, And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.  Joseph's brothers were worried that since their father was dead that he would treat them as badly as they had treated him.  If we live by the rules of the world, then when someone treats us badly, we are told that we should get even or maybe even do worse to them than they did to us.  If we are following God, then we are told to love those who treat us badly.  Verse sixteen declares, And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,  Then verse seventeen adds, 'So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.  His brothers told Joseph that before he died, their father had told them to tell Joseph to forgive them.  We do not have a record of this, and I believe that they were saying this so Joseph could not do anything bad to them without disobeying his father.  We need to be careful that we do not attempt to likewise claim that our heavenly Father has said something that He has not said just because it would benefit us.  Then we are told that Joseph wept, I believe more from the fact that his brothers believed that he would harm them.  What we need to realize is that God is never out to harm us.  We can come to God truthfully, with all our sins, confess to Him, and He will forgive us.  What we cannot afford to do is attempt to deceive God.  When we do, I believe that God is heartbroken over our attempt to deceive Him.  Vesre eighteen states, And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.  His brothers went to Joseph, fell down before him, and pronounced themselves to be his servants.  This was another time when Joseph's dream, which was a revelation from God, all those years before was fulfilled.  God's word is always true.  Verse nineteen declares, And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?  Joseph told them to not be afraid, and asked if he was in the place of God.  We today should not attempt to assume God's role in punishing sinners.  Instead, we are to reach out to them with God's love.  Punishment for sin will always be God's right.  Verse twenty adds, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.  Joseph told his brothers that what they did for evil God used for good.  Joseph saw God at work in the situation, so there was no reason for him to be angry.  We should also look for God's will in every situation that we find ourselves in.  Verse twenty-one continues, Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.  Joseph told his brothers not to fear him and that he would nourish them and their families.  Even when we come to God as sinners by faith in Christ, we have no reason to be afraid of God.  God will always want what is best for us and will nourish us spiritually.  Verse twenty-two states, And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.  Joseph lived the rest of his life in Egypt with his extended family.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are not immediately transported to heaven, our promised land, but must remain in this word until we die or Christ returns.  Verse twenty-three adds, And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.  Joseph lived to see his grandchildren born and growing up.  Verse twenty-four declares, And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  When he was close to death, Joseph told his brothers that God would one day bring them out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land.  We have that same assurance from God today.  God will bring us out of this sinful world and into heaven, our promised land.  Verse twenty-five declares, And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.  Joseph had his brothers swear that when God delivered them from Egypt that they would carry his bones with them.  Fortunately, we do not have to worry about where our bones will be when Christ returns.  Verse twenty-six concludes, So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years, most of it as a slave in Egypt.  When he died, his body was embalmed and he was buried in Egypt, but Joseph himself was home with God.