A LIFE LIVED WELL-The Life Of Joseph
The biblical book of Genesis Ends in Chapter 50 with Joseph, one of two youngest sons of Israel dyeing at the age of 110 years of age-before all of his older brothers. Today, I am going to show you why Joseph died seemingly prematurely-before all his older brothers and how you and I can accomplish a life well lived.
We should all have the goal of living life well for the Lord according to His ways. And leave our life span to Him. If we do that, we can work hard, serve hard, love hard, and accomplish a legacy that will last a lifetime into eternity.
I always wondered why my parents and grandparents generation lived only until the mid-sixties. The answer can be derived by the fact that we have better medical support in on modern world. Furthermore, that generation worked with their hands-meaning their physical bodies as opposed to being on computers all day, avoiding the elements and bad weather.
I just finished the Book of Genesis and noticed that Joseph died at the age of 110 while his older brothers went on to live much longer, older lives. WHY was this case?
In a nutshell, Joseph died before his brothers simply because, as the ruler of Egypt, he had assumed a great deal of “life-sapping public role” and he passed away ten years sooner than he ought to have, which would have given him to 120 years of age.
THE WEIGHTINESS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel) rose to become the second most powerful person in Egypt. That came with a great deal of pressure, responsibility, stress and work. Rabbi Chama, in a commentary suggests that Joseph’s death at a younger age was linked to the burden of his role as second in command ruler over Egypt. Such a role most likely took ten years off his life.
Genesis 50, starting in verse 22 says, “So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation, The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. And Joseph said to this brother, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of his land to the land that He swore to Abraham toIsaac, and to Jacob”. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here. So Joseph died being 110 years old. They embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:22-26).
As I reflect of this story, I am reminded of the president and owner of a past client, Mr. Paul Souza. Mr. Souza was very good to me and through employing me, allowed me to bring my wife home to homeschool and raise our three children. Mr. Souza said to me a year before he retired that he can protect me for another year a the parent company would buy him out-but that he could do nothing to help me once the company was bought out.
The three things that struck me about working for Mr. Souza were:
1) His commitment to excellence and his kindness in employing me for more than a decade.
2) His character. Once he left, I was shortly left go by a cut throat manager who didn’t even give me one day notice.
3) That two years after Mr. Souza retired, moved to Florida to spend time with his family and play tennis, he had a heart attack and passed away prematurely. He died before his time if you ask me-just like Joseph.
What did Mr. Souza and Joseph have in common? They were both the top decision maker over a large organization or body of people.
So each day as we awake, let’s tell our wife or husband, children, and all those we love that we love an appreciate them. Let’s also appreciate those who manage well. I’m not speaking of the lazy corporate and political leaders that zap the life out of everyone else while they get the big money and title without the work-I’m speaking about the Joseph’s and Mr. Souza’s of the world who truly serve the organization and all it’s employees for the betterment of everyone’s life.
And let’s keep in mind the biblical model as provided by God for us through the book of Genesis showing us that Joseph, one of two youngest sons of Israel dyeing prematurely at the age of 110-at least ten years of age before all of his older brothers.
The take away for all of us should be the goal of living life well for the Lord according to His ways. And leave our life span to Him. If we do that, we can work hard, serve hard, love hard, and accomplish a legacy that will last a lifetime into eternity.