Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Genesis Chapter 50
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 50:1-14
50:1And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 50:2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 50:3And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of embalming: and the Egyptians wept for him three-score and ten days.
50:4And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 50:5My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. 50:6And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
50:7And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 50:8and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 50:9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 50:10And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 50:11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. 50:12And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 50:13for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 50:14And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 50:15-21
50:15And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 50:16And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 50:17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil. And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 50:18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are thy servants. 50:19And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 50:20And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 50:21Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Metaphysically Interpreting Genesis 50:22-26
50:22And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. 50:23And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph's knees.
50:24And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 50:25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 50:26So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
November 3, 1901: Genesis 50:15-26
In these Scripture allegories, of which we are attempting an interpretation, the various individuals represent the different phases of character which one man expresses in his spiritual unfoldment. Jacob and Esau represent the mental and animal consciousness within each of us. Esau, the hairy man, is the animal which comes first into expression. Most of the human family let this rule in consciousness, but here is illustrated one who is on the straight road to Christhood, and his mind dominates his body; thus he is called Jacob, the supplanter. His mind is poised Godward and he quickens the subjective consciousness, until it reflects Divine images; then he “walks and talks with God in the vision of the night.”
One of the surest proofs that you have opened yourself in Spirit is that you have symbolical dreams where ideas are being reflected into your [pallid?] soul and you may mentally see them and catch their import, if you meditate patiently and persistently upon the relation that each thing bears to thought. Things are thoughts reduced to sense perception. Still the senses, and you will perceive the thought back of the thing. This may be a slow way to learn the language of mind, but it is sure; and one who can quickly translate into thoughts all the shapes and forms in all the planes of phenomena is a Joseph, and stands next to Jesus Christ.
Each of these personalities is gradually being replaced by a higher one in the minds of those who are in the narrow way. When a great change takes place, and an old state of consciousness loses its hold, we read that Joseph died, or Jesus gave up the ghost. This does not mean that there has been a loss or that anything has gone away, but that that which seemed in the beginning, and in its development, a higher state of consciousness has become the normal state. Joseph, as a separate individuality, died in Egypt, but he lived in the children of Manasseh and Ephraim “unto the third generation.” This means that the Joseph characteristics gradually became part of the body-consciousness.
The “children of Israel” are the thoughts of reality or the true ideas about Being, which have to be brought out in every department of man's consciousness. These true thoughts are brought down from the land of Canaan or higher thought centres, and for a season submerged into the fleshy realm that they may bring them out of their darkness and ignorance into the light.
Joseph apparently died in Egypt, but he “took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” This means that the affirmation or “oath” of the Truth opens the way for Divine thoughts, no matter how dark the mind may seem, and the “bones” or substance of the Joseph state are to remain, and be carried on and up to future demonstrations.
– UNITY magazine.
June 20, 1937: Genesis 50:24-26
“God will surely visit you.” Name some of the ways in which this visitation comes. One of God's visitations is the realization of spiritual consciousness by those who obey the divine law. Afflictions and trials in the case of those who are a law unto themselves are examples of God's visitation on the negative side of life. God visits us in power as we develop ability to accomplish our desires and realize our ideals.
October 21, 1951: Genesis 50:18-26
How does the imagination enable us to see ourselves as one with all others? Through developing it we acquire intuitive sympathy and understanding, which grows into a common faith that forms a strong bond of union.
What is the chief work of the imagination in sense consciousness? The nourishing of all the faculties and powers with the substance of Truth. The constructive imaging power sees good in the substance in which it deals, and the steady seeing of good brings forth good into visibility in the realm of form.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-07-2014
