Genesis 50:6-14: a reflection

6Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.” 7Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great company. 10They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days. 11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. 12His sons did to him just as he commanded them, 13for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre. 14Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

When Jacob dies in Egypt, Joseph, now a great man in Pharaoh's court, could have buried his father there, where it would have been convenient. But Jacob had made him swear to carry his body all the way back to Canaan, to the family burial place; and Joseph keeps that oath, undertaking the long and costly journey to bury his father in the promised land. His sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah. Joseph kept the promise he had made, at great effort and cost, when the easier course was near; he followed through on his oath rather than taking the convenient path.

Notice that Joseph kept his promise even at great effort, when convenience was near. He had sworn to bury his father in Canaan; and though it would have been far easier to bury him in Egypt, close at hand, Joseph undertook the long journey to keep his oath. The promise required real effort and cost, a great company traveling far; but Joseph followed through, honoring his word to his father even when the easier course was available. He did not let convenience override his promise; he kept it, at cost, as he had sworn. The keeping of the promise mattered more to him than the ease of the alternative; he followed through on his word rather than taking the convenient path.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to keep our promises even at great effort, when the convenient course would be easier. We make promises, commitments, oaths; and keeping them can require real effort and cost, when a convenient alternative would be far easier. We can be tempted to take the easy path and let the promise slide; but Joseph kept his oath to his father at great effort, when convenience was near. Keeping our word may cost us. Do not let convenience override your promises, taking the easy path and letting your commitments slide; keep your word even at cost, as Joseph carried his father to Canaan as he had sworn. Keep your promises even at great effort, not letting the convenient course override your word, as Joseph undertook the long journey to bury his father in Canaan as he had sworn rather than burying him conveniently in Egypt; for keeping our word may cost us effort, and faithfulness to our promises matters more than the ease of the convenient alternative.

Lord, when Jacob dies in Egypt, Joseph, now a great man in Pharaoh's court, could have buried his father there, where it would have been convenient. But Jacob had made him swear to carry his body all the way back to Canaan; and Joseph keeps that oath, undertaking the long and costly journey to bury his father in the promised land. His sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah. Joseph kept the promise he had made, at great effort and cost, when the easier course was near. Show me that Joseph kept his promise even at great effort, when convenience was near. He had sworn to bury his father in Canaan; and though it would have been far easier to bury him in Egypt, Joseph undertook the long journey to keep his oath. The promise required real effort and cost; but Joseph followed through, honoring his word to his father even when the easier course was available. He did not let convenience override his promise. Take that to my heart, for I am called to keep my promises even at great effort, when the convenient course would be easier. I make promises, commitments, oaths; and keeping them can require real effort and cost. I can be tempted to take the easy path and let the promise slide; but Joseph kept his oath to his father at great effort. Keeping my word may cost me. Keep me from letting convenience override my promises, taking the easy path and letting my commitments slide; help me keep my word even at cost, Lord, as Joseph carried his father to Canaan as he had sworn.