Right Words

Not the one to Egypt, which probably took just weeks (Gen. 37:28, 39:1; Deut. 1:1-2), but the one out of Egypt after his death.

In. Gen. 50:24-26, Joseph makes the Israelites in Egypt swear that they will not bury him there but in Canaan like Jacob (Gen. 47:29-31). The Israelites, led by Moses, honor his request (Ex. 13:19), even after hundreds of years in captivity, during which his coffin was never buried. So hundreds of years passed before Joseph’s personal exodus from Egypt, but it’s at least 40 more years before he’s finally interred in Canaan (Deut. 8:2, Josh. 24.32).

It’s curious that this is not mentioned until the end of Joshua, but the reason why is found in the context. At the end of Joshua‘s career, he and Eleazar the high priest are both buried in mount Ephraim (24:30, 33), land belonging to Joseph and his seed. So the Lord chooses this moment to mention Joseph’s burial, and how appropriate that is, for this great man is ultimately buried in the land belonging to him in his offspring (24:32b, “and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph”). The Lord keeps track of everything, including an uninterred coffin for over 400 years!