旧约 - 创世记(Genesis)第50章

Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him.
Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,
taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him,
'My father made me swear an oath and said, "I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'"
Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do."
So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him--the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt--
besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.
Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.
When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning." That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.
So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them:
They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field.
After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?"
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died:
'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.
But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years
and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."
So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
创世记第五十章   第 50 章 

  创 50:1-11> 伤痛需要神在漫长时间中的治疗。我又可以如何让神去治疗我的创伤? 

  50:1-11 雅各活到 147 岁去世,约瑟为他哀哭了好几个月。挚爱的亲人离世,我们也需要经过一段很长的时间,心情才能平伏。哭并向别人倾诉有助于消除哀伤,恢复正常的生活。允许自己和别人为丧失挚爱的人而哀伤,也要给自己足够的时间让情绪平伏下来。 

  创 50:2-3> 埃及人的殡葬习俗,啊,是这样的…… 

  50:2-3 用香料薰尸体是埃及人的习惯,但是对于游牧民族则不常见。埃及人相信人死了以后,身体会进入另一个世界,所以他们将尸体用香料包殓成为木乃伊来保存,好使死者在来世可以如常生活。约瑟吩咐医生用香料包殓雅各的尸体,在礼貌上表示对埃及人的尊重。 

  创 50:5> 在最微小的事上显出忠诚。我可以如何建立诚信的关系? 

  50:5 约瑟已经证明了自己是法老可靠的智囊,因他一向表现良好。法老相信他去迦南地埋葬父亲以后,一定守信返回埃及。我们表现得忠心可靠,往往会得到额外的权利和自由。信誉是要用时间来建立的,我们要把握每个机会,在微小的事情上显出自己的可靠忠心。 

  创 50:12-13> 定意要葬在亚伯拉罕为葬妻子所买的洞中,这表示了什么? 

  50:12-13 亚伯拉罕为了埋葬妻子撒拉,买了麦比拉田间的洞穴作为墓地( 23:1-9 ),那块地也成为他整个家族的墓地。雅各是亚伯拉罕的孙子,他的儿子们把他的遗体送回迦南地,葬在这个洞里,在亚伯拉罕和以撒旁边。他们要葬在这个洞里的心愿,显示他们对神的应许充满信心,相信祂必把迦南地赐给他们的后代为业。 

  雅各的儿子和他们出名的后人 

  创 50:15-21> 约瑟的生命流露神的慈爱,我又可以如何向别人流露这分爱? 

  50:15-21 雅各(即以色列)死了,约瑟的哥哥们怕约瑟会报复。他真能原谅他们卖他作奴隶吗?在怀疑和惧怕的当儿,殊不知约瑟不但原谅了他们,且向他们保证,会照顾他们和他们全家。他完完全全地宽恕了他们。约瑟显明了神的慈悲,即使我们是多么的不配得,祂仍然接纳我们。既然神饶恕我们的无知和一度拒绝祂的行为,我们也该无条件地饶恕其他人。 

  创 50:20> 神能让恶劣的环境转化为祝福。这对我在现今的环境中有何激励? 

  50:20 神将约瑟哥哥的恶行、波提乏妻子的诬告、酒政的忘恩负义、埃及的七年大饥荒这些事,变为对约瑟有益的事。约瑟从生活经验中学到:只要信靠神,神能转祸为福。你有足够的信心,耐心地等候神在恶劣的环境中转祸为福吗?我们可以像约瑟一样地倚靠神,祂能破坏人的恶谋,以成全祂的计划。 

  创 50:24> 一生至死,信心不变。我期望我的一生也是如此吗? 

  50:24 约瑟快要死了,他毫不怀疑神会守约,终有一天祂必带以色列人回到应许地。这是何等大的信心!信心的奥秘在于毕生信靠神。我们的信心就好比我们的身体,在锻炼中会渐渐成长、变得越来越强壮有力。经过一生去锻炼自己信靠神,我们的信心也能如约瑟的信心一样强。这样,在快要离开世界时,我们就能深信神必信守祂向我们及相信祂的后代的应许了。 

  创 50:24> 以色列人的生活完全倚靠神的应许;我们的生活所倚靠的…… 

  50:24 这一节经文为出埃及记直到约书亚记中将发生的事作了伏笔。神要使雅各一家成为大国,领他们出埃及,并进入祂所应许赐予他们之地。这个民族要完全倚靠祂的应许,而约瑟也深信神必照祂的应许而行。 

  创 50:26> 与神同行!对我而言带来了什么挑战与鼓舞? 

  50:26 创世记中详细地描述了许多与神同行的伟人,他们虽然有时成功,却也常常失败。我们读他们的传记,会学到许多功课。他们从哪里得到勇气和动力呢?就是认知神与他们同在,不论他们的环境是怎样恶劣。我们知道了这个秘诀,就当得到鼓舞,对神忠心,倚靠祂的引导,并运用祂所赐给我们的能力,与祂同行。──《灵修版圣经注释》