BURIAL OF JACOB Jacob died as a stranger in the land of Egypt, after commanding his sons to bury him in Canaan, in the burial place of his fathers. As though, realizing that the seed of God’s people, had been planted in Egypt to grow and flourish, he demands from these people to keep their hearts attached to Canaan, the promised land, in order to enjoy the promises of God. 1- Embalming Jacob 1-6 2- Burying Jacob in Canaan 7-13 3- Joseph reassures and comforts his brothers 14-21 4- Joseph takes an oath from the children of Israel to carry his bones from Egypt 22-26 1- EMBALMING JACOB Jacob lived all his life, like his fathers, unsettled in tents; and died as a stranger in the land of Egypt. He commanded his sons to bury him in Canaan in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca etc. were buried. Some people may ask: why did such man of faith, father of all tribes, care about that issue, to make it his last command to his sons?! Does he care for the body after death?! (1) The Fathers confirm that people of the Old Testament, used to care to have their bodies buried in particular locations, as a tradition, through which their children would apprehend the resurrection of the body. Those fathers lived their life as strangers, depriving the body of comfort and luxury, in anticipation of carrying it glorified in the great day of the Lord. (2) Jacob wanted to confirm to his children, through burying him in Canaan, that, although he lived his last days in Egypt, where Joseph delivered the family from famine, yet his heart is in Canaan, that God promised to give to Abraham’s descendants. It is as though Jacob is demanding from his children to live in Egypt, honestly working and striving, yet, they have to keep their hearts attached to God’s promises to them. (3) He demanded to be buried with his fathers, to proclaim that his life walked in harmony with the faith of his fathers, delivered along the ages, in particular his faith in the resurrection from the dead. Anyhow, when Jacob died, Joseph was so moved that, “He fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him” (Gen. 50:1) As though he was aware of the realization of God’s promise to his father: “Do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hands on your eyes” (Gen. 46:4); namely, he will put his hands on his father’s eyes on his death to close them, as it is the custom to this very day. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his fathers, to carry him to Canaan and spoke to the household of Pharaoh to speak in the ears of Pharaoh, to let him go up and bury his father in Canaan; as it was not possible for Joseph to approach Pharaoh with his attire of grief, and with his long beard, left to grow, in honor of the deceased. 2- BURIAL OF JACOB IN CANAAN The great procession moved from Goshen, setting forth to the land of Canaan, 4 to bury Israel. Joseph said: “I go up and bury my father” (Gen. 50:6), as it was, in his eyes, a procession of ‘ascending and not of descending,’ carrying a symbol of ascension of the Church toward the higher Jerusalem, the true Canaan, to be eternally with her Groom. The procedure of burial was in three steps: (1) Setting forth from Egypt; described by the Book as “a very great gathering” (Gen. 50:9). It had at its head, Joseph, or the true leader of our spiritual procession against the forces of darkness, according to the words of the apostle: “Now thanks be to God who always lead us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). The procession also included all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt; as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It has been the procession of the Catholic Church that embraces all men of faith, from the Gentiles, as well as from the Jews, both the servants and elite elders. It was a very great procession, as though in a continuous war, “not against flesh and blood, but... against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12), a spiritual war against sin and wicked spirits. Many Fathers spoke of this spiritual war, and of our enjoyment of fighting it, through the water of baptism, to set forth toward heaven, in a conquest and victory by the Holy Spirit. St. Cyprian says: [I wanted to fight gallantly, putting in consideration the ‘Sacrament’ that is mine, bearing the weapons of dedication and faith1.] And St. John Chrysostom says: [Just as the seal is put on soldiers, so also the Holy Spirit is put on the believers2.] And St. Cyril says: [Now, your name will be engraved, and you will be called to join the (spiritual) camp3.] In the symbolic Egypt, as the believer sets forth, as a very great army to make battle against uncountable sins, he lives among tears and crying, as done by the Egyptians, who mourned for seventy days (Gen. 50:3). Our exit from the love of the world needs persistent spiritual strife, until our depths are freed, from worldly bonds, by Jesus Christ the Leader of the procession. (2) The procession came to the ‘threshing floor of Atad’ which is beyond the Jordan; representing the Church that longed to exit the love of the world, to enjoy the heavenly life, through its crossing of the Holy baptism. There, the procession mourned with a great and very solemn lamentation for seven days; of which it was said: “When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, ‘This is a grievous mourning of the Egyptians;’ Therefore its name was called (Abel Mizraim), which is beyond the Jordan” (Gen. 50:11-12). The baptism melds with mourning for seven days; as our new birth in the Holy Font, melds with the continuous repentance, all the days of our sojourn. And as said by St. Gregory of Nyssa: [Whoever receives the bath of renewal, is like a little soldier, given a place among the wrestlers, although he did not still prove his worthiness of that honor4.] (3) As they reached the land of Canaan, we do not hear any more of tears and crying; as though entrance into the heavenly Canaan, would take any suffering away from the Church. And as said in the Book of Revelation: “And God will wipe away 1 De Lapsis 13. 2 PG 61:48. 3 PG 33:333 A. 4 PG 46:429 C. 5 every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain; for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Jacob entered into the same cave where his father Abraham was buried, as though the sojourning Church, had found comfort, and settled down in the bosom of Abraham. 3- JOSEPH REASSURES AND COMFORTS HIS BROTHERS “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him” (Gen. 50:15). They came to beg him, in the name of his father, and according to his command, to forgive their evil deed. Joseph could not help himself before their humiliation, and wept when they spoke to him. Here Joseph’s dignity grew in the eyes of his brother who, “fell down before his face, and they said, ‘Behold, we are your servants” (Gen. 50:18). Joseph grew greater, not by occupying the second place in Egypt after Pharaoh, but by the love that filled his heart; enjoying, not the righteousness of the Law, through keeping its commandments, but realization of the evangelic commandment through the covenant of the Law. He did not repay evil with evil; and did not even stop at forgiveness of those who did him wrong, but he could not bear to see their humiliation, and wept. He did not see their evil, but he saw God’s hand that turned their evil into good for all; proclaiming his great care for them, and that he will provide for them and their little ones. By that, he consummated the commandments of the Gospel, that so many of the New Testament consider as heavy burden. Joseph’s words, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive;” these words became a living program, in which the spirituals find a revelation of God’s mysteries and dealings with them. The coming back of Joseph’s brothers to him with repentance, refers to the coming back of the Jews, at the end of days, to faith, through receiving the Lord Christ whom they denied; after the consummation of the Church of the Gentiles; when they ask for forgiveness for what they did; forsaking their arrogance and Zionic thoughts; to live, not any more as a fanatic nation, but as believers, accepting Him, whom they have persecuted before. 4- JOSEPH TAKES AN OATH FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, TO CARRY HIS BONES OUT OF EGYPT If Joseph, in his love for his brothers had comforted and reassured them, by saying: “Do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones” (Gen. 50:21); He, in his last request, revealed that God alone will be their provider; as for him, he is going to die; saying: “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land, to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (Gen. 50:24). Which have been realized on the hands of Moses and Joshua. He lived with the faith of his fathers, believing that his people will surely set forth to the land of Canaan. That is why he took an oath from the children of Israel, saying: “God will surely visit you; and you shall carry up my bones from here” (Gen. 50:25) in a reference to his wish to partake of his people’s exodus from the land of servitude, even through his 6 bones. Finally, the Book of Genesis came to an end, by the death of Joseph, his embalming, and being put in a coffin in Egypt. As we said before, this Book started by the creation, namely the setting forth of life out of nothingness through the work of God; and ended by man being embalmed and buried in Egypt, where huge pyramids, arts, and civilization, could not save him from death, because of his inner corruption.
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