Genesis 46:24-34: a reflection

24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls were seven. 26All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were sixty-six. 27The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who came into Egypt, were seventy. 28Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 30Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” 31Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s house, “I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, ‘My brothers, and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’ 33It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34that you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

After long years believing his son Joseph was dead, the aged Jacob comes to Egypt and is at last reunited with him. Joseph goes up to meet his father, presents himself, and falls on his neck, weeping a long while. And Jacob says, Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive. It is a moment of overwhelming joy: the son long thought dead is alive, and the father, in his old age, holds him again. What seemed lost forever is restored.

Notice the joy of this reunion, and what it restored. For years Jacob had grieved Joseph as dead; the loss had seemed final, irreversible. And now, beyond all Jacob's hope, Joseph is alive, and they are reunited; the son long grieved as lost is restored to his father. The joy is overwhelming; Jacob can say, now let me die, having seen the face he thought he would never see again. What had seemed lost forever was, in God's providence, restored.

That joy, of restoration after long loss, is a hope worth holding. There are losses that seem final, irreversible; things and relationships grieved as gone forever. And yet Jacob's story shows that what seems lost forever can, in God's providence, be restored; the son grieved as dead was alive. This does not promise that every earthly loss will be reversed in this life; some are not. But it points to the God who is able to restore what seems lost, and, above all, to the great restoration God has promised, in which, for those who are his, even death will not be the final word, and reunions grieved as impossible will be given. When you grieve what seems lost forever, do not close your heart to hope; the God who restored Joseph to Jacob is able to restore, and has promised a great restoration in which what seemed lost forever will be given back. Hold the hope of restoration, in God's providence now, and in the great reunion he has promised, when what was grieved as lost forever will be restored.

Lord, after long years believing Joseph was dead, the aged Jacob came to Egypt and was reunited with him; Joseph fell on his neck weeping, and Jacob said, now let me die, since I have seen your face and know you are alive. What seemed lost forever was restored. Let that joy of restoration after long loss be a hope I hold. There are losses that seem final, irreversible; things and relationships grieved as gone forever. And yet Jacob's story shows that what seems lost forever can, in your providence, be restored; the son grieved as dead was alive. This does not promise that every earthly loss will be reversed in this life; some are not. But it points to you, who are able to restore what seems lost, and, above all, to the great restoration you have promised, in which, for those who are yours, even death will not be the final word. When I grieve what seems lost forever, keep me from closing my heart to hope; you, who restored Joseph to Jacob, are able to restore, and have promised a great restoration in which what seemed lost forever will be given back. Help me hold the hope of restoration, Lord, in your providence now, and in the great reunion you have promised, when what was grieved as lost forever will be restored. Thank you for so great a hope.