The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Genesis 50:10,
“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.”
Upon Jacob’s death, Joseph, his brothers and all of Pharaoh’s officials took his body up to Canaan for burial. We are told that when they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they stopped for a seven day period of mourning for Jacob. Such mourning took place that the folks in the area named the place as “Mourning of the Egyptians”. At the beginning of the chapter we read that Joseph threw himself on his father when he died and wept over him and kissed him.
Many among us have experienced the bereavement that the death of a loved one has brought, certainly we all will at some point. It produces a separation from loved ones that is at times unbearable. God created mankind for life, not death and now that death has become the “end-date” stamped on each one of our lives, we will all be touched by it. It is the jarring reminder that we all belong to a race that lives under the condemnation of God for sin. As opposed to the intention God had for Adam and Eve, life in this world has become terminal and when we lose loved ones it brings a tremendous grief. Death is God’s judgment for sin, but it was the sin of Adam and Eve that brought that judgment. When I think of the horror of death, I think of the sin that brought it to us.
But our God is not a God of justice and righteousness only. Our God is the God of love, compassion, kindness and mercy! He has made a way for each of us to attain to what his original intent for us was: life! Eternal life! One day those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith will be reunited with our loved ones and share in the Lord’s love for us together!
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2. This light brings us life and he has purchased it all by experiencing death himself for us. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5.
What a wonderful Savior this is!!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
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