Saturday 11 July 2009

Background

To be 'with your people' in death must be one of the mostcompelling instincts in humans. You may have seen wildlifedocumentaries about elephants in Africa, who when coming upon theremains of another, act most gently and sensitively towards them.They display a reverence which we find amazing in creatures otherthan humans.

Could it be that it is not only humans who share theseemotions?

I sense that in the two verses above, there is much more than awish to be buried in a certain place - there is the pull of memoryand call across the generations working like a homing beacon forthe spirit. Jacob gives specific instructions for his burial: hisdescendents are to have his remains returned to the land from whichhe came.

Joseph, preparing for his death, instructs his people not to leavehim in Egypt but to "carry my bones from this place". God's peoplecame to Egypt seeking corn, seeking the means to live and trade anddo well in life. But they became slaves and they left with'bones'.

Contracting this history of generations into a few moments shows usmuch. It started out with favouritism, pride and arrogance (Genesis 37:1-11).It continued with scheming, deceit and trickery (Genesis 37:14-28).It became reconciliation, forgiveness and living in peace (Genesis 45-49). Itfinished (at least in Genesis) with eternal values about being partof something greater than yourself being engraved into the minds ofa people.

To Ponder

We live in an age that has got used to thedisposable. What do you think are the 'eternal values' in yourlife?

What are the things that are being engraved intothe generations of today by fathers and mothers?