Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: Israel blesses all his sons before he dies, Joseph and his brothers bury their father in Canaan, and Joseph dies after telling his brothers that God will bring them up out of Egypt to Canaan and give them the land and that they will bring his body there to be buried.
Joseph is told his father is sick, so he takes his two sons to see him. Israel is told this, so he sits up on his bed and prepares to meet them. He tells Joseph how God appeared to him in Canaan and blessed him and promised to make him a great nation and give him and his descendants the land for an "everlasting possession." He says that Joseph's sons are his as well. He also mentions his mother, Rachel. When Israel sees Joseph's sons, he asks to bless them. His eyes are dim with age so he cannot see, but he kisses and embraces them. Joseph bows to his father, and Israel places his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn, and blesses them. But it displeases Joseph that he is reversing the usual order, and he says to his father, "But this one is the firstborn." Israel refuses and says, "I know, my son, my son. He (Manasseh) also shall become a people and shall be great. But his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." He also says, "By you, Israel will bless and say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.'" Israel tells Joseph he is dying but that God will be with Joseph and bring him back to he land of his fathers. Israel tells Joseph that he has given him a portion above his brothers.
Israel then calls his other sons to bless them before he dies. He tells Reuben that although he is the firstborn and very powerful, he is unstable as water and will not excel, since he "defiled his father's bed." He tells Simeon and Levi they are "instruments of cruelty." He declares that "[his] soul [will not] enter their counsel or [his] honor be united to their assembly, for in their anger they slew a man and hamstrung an ox." (Interesting.) He curses their anger and "cruel wrath." He seems to be speak for God when he says, "I will scatter them in Israel." He moves on to Judah and says that his brothers will praise him, and "his hand will be on the neck of his enemies," and that others will bow down before him. He compares him to a lion and says, "The scepter will not depart from [him] until Shiloh comes, and to him will be the obedience of the people." Zebulun will dwell by the haven by the sea and be a haven for the ships. Issachar is a strong donkey, having seen that rest is good and the land is pleasant, but he bowed his shoulder to bear a burden and became a band of slaves. Dan will judge his people and be like a snake that bites the horses' heels. To Dan, he also adds, "I have waited for your salvation, oh Lord." As for Gad, a troop will trample upon him, but he will triumph in the end. "The bread from Asher will be rich, and he will yield royal dainties." "Naphtali is a deer let loose; he uses beautiful words." "Joseph is a fruitful bow by a well; his branches run over the wall. The archers have grieved and hated him, but his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands remained strong by God's hands. He is the shepherd, the stone of Israel." He says God will bless him from all directions, and that all the blessings of his fathers will be upon the head of him who "is separate from his brothers." Of Benjamin, he says he is " a ravenous wolf who will devour the prey and divide the spoil." So he blesses each one of his sons, then charges them to bury him with his fathers in the cave in Canaan, where Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and even Leah are buried. When he finishes, he "draws his feet up on the bed and breathes his last and is gathered to his people."
Joseph falls on his fathers face and weeps over his father and kisses him. He commands his servants to embalm him for 40 days, and the Egyptians mourn for him 70 days. After that, Joseph asks Pharaoh if he can bury him in Canaan, and Pharaoh agrees. Them, all of Pharaoh's household and all the brothers and their households go, leaving only their little ones behind. They travel with chariots and horseman, and it is a "very great gathering." They mourn with a "great and solemn lamentation." So they bury him and return to Egypt.
When Joseph's brothers see their father is dead, they wonder if Joseph will repay them for the evil they have done. So they send a message to Joseph saying that their father's wish was for him to forgive them. Joseph weeps when they speak to him, and they also weep and fall down before him, saying, "Behold we are your servants." Joseph answers by saying, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me but God meant it for good... to save many people. So don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones." So, he comforts them and speaks kindly to them. Joseph lives 110 years and sees Ephraim's children to the third generation. Manasseh's children are also raised in his presence. And Joseph says to his brothers, "I am dying, but God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land to the land of which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Then he takes an oath, again saying that God will surely visit them, and that they will carry up his bones from Egypt. Joseph dies, and they embalm him and put his body in a coffin in Egypt.
Thoughts/Discussion Questions:
Through this story, we can see the longterm vision of God. Joseph's brothers were short-sighted. When they hated him in their youth, they were not thinking of the consequences in the future or future generations. If they could only have seen... We need to learn from history and see the "bigger picture" of what God is doing and our small but very important role in the whole scheme of things, like a link in a chain.
That being said, God's ultimate plan was fulfilled regardless of what Joseph's brothers did to him; they were just on the wrong side of things.
What are you looking at right now with eyes of faith? Do you see the bigger picture of what God is doing? Are you willing to ask God to show you and to be patient until you see it?