Revelation 2:10 CSB – Be faithful unto death and you will receive the crown of life.

Joseph finished strong: he took responsibility for his family

Genesis 46:28-30 CSB – Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival at Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.

30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die now because I have seen your face and you are still alive!”

Genesis 43:32b CSB – Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is detestable to them.

Genesis 46:34b CSB – all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians.

Genesis 37:35 CSB – he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.”

Genesis 42:38 CSB – Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Genesis 45:28 CSB – My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.

Genesis 46:30 CSB – “I’m ready to die now because I have seen your face and you are still alive!”

Genesis 48:21 CSB – Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you

Psalm 90:12 CSB – Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Genesis 46:29 CSB – Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father…threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.

Genesis 46:31-34 CSB – Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32 The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock.

When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our ancestors, have raised livestock from our youth until now.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to Egyptians.”

Genesis 47:7-9 CSB – Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”

9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “My pilgrimage has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard, and they have not reached the years of my ancestors during their pilgrimages.”

Genesis 47:10 CSB – So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from Pharaoh’s presence.

John 7:24 CSB – Jesus said, Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

Genesis 47:11-12 CSB – Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food for their dependents.

Genesis 47:27b CSB – They acquired property in it and became fruitful and very numerous.

Joseph finished strong: he served vigorously, even after he’d achieved success

“Stopping at third adds no more to the score than striking out. It doesn’t matter how well you start if you fail to finish.” — Billy Sunday

Genesis 47:13-14 CSB – But there was no food in the entire region, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were exhausted by the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the silver to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were purchasing, and he brought the silver to Pharaoh’s palace.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 CSB – “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”

Genesis 47:15-21 CSB – When the silver from the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die here in front of you? The silver is gone!”

16 But Joseph said, “Give me your livestock. Since the silver is gone, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.”

 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks of sheep, the herds of cattle, and the donkeys. That year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18 When that year was over, they came the next year and said to him,

 “We cannot hide from our lord that the silver is gone and that all our livestock belongs to our lord. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.

….Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves.

In this way, Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph made the people servants from one end of Egypt to the other.

Genesis 47:23-25 CSB – Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land. 24 At harvest, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your households, and your dependents.”

25 “You have saved our lives,” they said.

Psalm 33:12 CSB – Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD

Proverbs 14:34 CSB – Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Proverbs 3:5-6 CSB – Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways know him,
and he will make your paths straight

Joseph finished strong: his final acts of faith were his greatest

Joseph continued to show grace to his brothers

Genesis 50:15 CSB – When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.”

Genesis 50:17 CSB – Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin—the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when their message came to him.

Genesis 50:20-21 CSB – Joseph said, “Don’t be afraid.”

You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.21 Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Joseph’s final request

Genesis 50:24-25 CSB – Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”

Hebrews 11:22 CSB – By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Genesis 50:26 CSB – Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus 13:9 CSB – Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath.

Hebrews 11:22 CSB – By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 CSB – Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.