Read with Me
Genesis 49:28-33 (HCSB)
These are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.
Then he commanded them: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there. The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites.” When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and died. He was gathered to his people.
Listen with Me
After Jacob blessed his sons, he was ready to die. All that remained was for him to give instructions regarding his burial.
Just as Jacob and his sons had been given access to the finest land in Egypt to live and to keep the flocks and herds, primarily out of respect for Joseph, so Jacob would have been given the right to be buried anywhere he chose in the whole land of Egypt. But Jacob longed to be buried with his father and grandfather in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre in the land of Canaan.
This was not primarily because of his claim on the promised land, but because that was where his extended family members were laid to rest. He had even laid Leah there when she had preceded him in death, although he had had to bury his beloved Rachel along the road to Ephrath because the distance back to Mamre made it impractical to transport her there for burial.
Jacob had already received a solemn oath from Joseph regarding his burial plans (Genesis 47:29-31). But this public charge to all his sons ensured not only that none of them would stand in the way of moving his body back to Canaan, but that they would be active participants in the process.
Secure in the knowledge that his final wishes would be honored, Jacob breathed his last.
Pray with Me
Father, when we approach the end of our lives, there is often great clarity about what matters most. And it is not the money and “stuff” that we have accumulated. It is our family, our friends, the reputation we leave behind, and our relationship with you. For Jacob, the seal of that relationship rested firmly in the land You promised to give to him and to his descendants. So, that is where he wanted to be buried. Help me, Lord, to live every day focused on the things that truly matter, including, first of all, my relationship with You. Amen.