The Piety of a Prime Minister: An Oath Kept Text: Genesis 50:4-6
Introduction: Faithfulness in High Places
We come now to the end of the life of Jacob, and to a pivotal moment in the life of Joseph. It is a moment that tests the integrity of a man who has been raised to the pinnacle of worldly power. Joseph is, for all intents and purposes, the prime minister of Egypt, the most powerful empire on earth. He is surrounded by paganism, by court intrigue, and by the immense pressures of governance. And in the midst of this, he is confronted with a simple, yet profound, obligation of piety: an oath he made to his dying father.
The world teaches us that men in power operate by a different set of rules. Promises are commodities, oaths are political theater, and personal obligations are jettisoned when they become inconvenient. The higher you climb, the more "pragmatic" you are expected to become. But Joseph operates by a different standard entirely. His allegiance is not ultimately to Pharaoh, but to the God of his fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And this allegiance manifests itself not in loud, ostentatious displays of rebellion, but in quiet, steadfast, costly faithfulness. Joseph is a statesman, yes, but he is a son first. He is a ruler in Egypt, but his citizenship, and his father's citizenship, is in a land promised by God.
This short passage is a master class in godly wisdom and covenantal fidelity. It teaches us how a believer is to conduct himself in a pagan land, how he is to honor his parents, and how seriously he must take the words that come out of his mouth. Joseph does not throw his weight around. He does not make demands. He shows respect to the authorities God has placed over him, while at the same time refusing to compromise the non-negotiable duties of his faith. He navigates the treacherous waters of a pagan court with grace, humility, and an unswerving commitment to his word. This is not just a story about a funeral procession; it is a demonstration of how a man who fears God lives out that fear in the public square.
The Text
Then the days of weeping for him were past, and Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” So now, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’ ” And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
(Genesis 50:4-6 LSB)
A Respectful Approach (v. 4)
We begin with Joseph's tactful petition after the official period of mourning has concluded.
"Then the days of weeping for him were past, and Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying..." (Genesis 50:4)
The first thing to notice is the propriety of Joseph's conduct. The Egyptians had engaged in a seventy-day period of mourning for Jacob, a remarkable honor for a foreign patriarch, and a testimony to the esteem in which they held Joseph. Joseph respected these customs. He did not rush in with his personal demands while the official mourning was still underway. There is a time for everything, and a wise man understands the times.
But when the time comes, look at how he proceeds. He does not march into Pharaoh's throne room and issue a decree. He is the second most powerful man in the kingdom, but he acts with profound humility. He goes through intermediaries, the "household of Pharaoh." He is likely in a state of ritual mourning which would prevent a direct audience, but the principle of his approach is what matters. He frames his request with the language of deference: "If now I have found favor in your sight..."
This is not the false humility of a Uriah Heep. This is the genuine respect for authority that is required of all believers. Peter tells us to "Honor the emperor" (1 Peter 2:17). Joseph understands that Pharaoh's authority is, in a very real sense, delegated by God. To show respect to Pharaoh is to acknowledge God's providential ordering of the world. Joseph is not a revolutionary in the modern, bomb-throwing sense. He is a reformer, a re-orderer, who works within the structures he has been given. He has immense soft power because he has consistently shown himself to be trustworthy, wise, and respectful. He has earned the right to be heard, and he does not squander that capital on arrogance.
This is a crucial lesson for Christians who find themselves working in secular environments. Your greatest influence will not come from belligerence, but from competence, integrity, and a respectful demeanor. Joseph has found favor with Pharaoh not by being a chameleon, but by being a consistently excellent and godly man. Now, when he has a crucial request to make, a request rooted in his covenantal obligations, he has a store of goodwill to draw upon.
The Unbreakable Oath (v. 5)
Next, Joseph lays out the substance of his request, and he grounds it in an authority higher than himself and, implicitly, higher even than Pharaoh: the authority of an oath.
"‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” So now, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’" (Genesis 50:5)
Joseph's entire argument rests on this foundation: "My father made me swear." An oath, in the biblical worldview, is not a mere promise. It is a solemn act of worship in which a person calls upon God Himself as a witness and guarantor. To break an oath is to perjure yourself before the Almighty. It is to take His name in vain in the most serious way. Joseph is not saying, "I'd really like to do this for my dad." He is saying, "I am bound by a sacred obligation that I cannot break."
He is explaining to a pagan king that he operates under a set of laws that are not negotiable. This is a courageous and savvy move. He is not appealing to Pharaoh's sentimentality. He is appealing to a principle that even a pagan ruler could understand and respect: the principle of sworn allegiance. Ancient kings lived and died by the loyalty of men who had sworn oaths to them. Pharaoh would understand the gravity of what Joseph was saying. Joseph is effectively communicating, "The same integrity that makes me a trustworthy vizier for you is the integrity that compels me to honor this oath to my father and my God."
Notice also the content of the oath. Jacob did not want to be buried in Egypt, the land of temporary provision, but in Canaan, the land of promise. This was not about real estate; it was about eschatology. It was a statement of faith. Jacob, on his deathbed, was looking forward. He was declaring that he believed God's promises. He wanted his bones to rest in the land that would one day belong to his descendants, the land from which the Messiah would come. Joseph, by honoring this oath, is participating in that same statement of faith. He is publicly aligning himself, in the heart of the Egyptian empire, with the future purposes of God. His heart is not in Egypt's treasures, but in Canaan's promises.
Finally, Joseph adds a crucial reassurance: "then I will return." He is not using this funeral as a pretext for an exodus. He is making it clear that he understands his obligations to Pharaoh and to Egypt. He is a man under authority, and he will submit to that authority. He is asking for a leave of absence, not resigning his post. This is wisdom. He is demonstrating that his covenantal piety does not make him a threat to the Egyptian state. It makes him a better, more reliable servant of it.
Pharaoh's Wise Affirmation (v. 6)
Pharaoh's response is short, direct, and reveals the wisdom of Joseph's approach.
"And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”" (Genesis 50:6)
Pharaoh grants the request, and he does so by echoing Joseph's own reasoning. "Go... as he made you swear." Pharaoh recognizes and honors the binding nature of the oath. He does not see Joseph's piety as a liability, but as a mark of his character. He essentially says, "Be the man you have always been. A man who keeps his word."
This is a remarkable picture of how God's people can and should operate in a pluralistic or pagan society. Joseph did not have to compromise his convictions to gain Pharaoh's respect. On the contrary, it was his unwavering conviction that secured it. Pharaoh knew that a man who would not lie to his father, even in death, was a man who would not lie to his king. A man who feared his God would be a man who discharged his duties with integrity.
Pharaoh's permission is not given grudgingly. It is a straightforward command that affirms the very basis of Joseph's request. This pagan king, by God's common grace and Joseph's wise witness, is made to serve the covenant purposes of God. He facilitates the transportation of Jacob's body back to the promised land, becoming an unwitting participant in a great act of faith. God's sovereignty is such that He can make even the thrones of pagan empires bend to His will, often through the quiet, faithful, and wise conduct of His servants.
Conclusion: The Integrity of the Oath
What are we to take from this brief interaction? We learn that piety begins at home. Joseph's great power did not cause him to forget the Fifth Commandment: "Honor your father and your mother." This honor extends even beyond their death, to the keeping of promises made to them. We live in an age that treats the elderly as disposable and family obligations as optional. Joseph shows us a more excellent way.
We learn that our word is our bond. An oath is a sacred thing. We are to let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no.' When we make a vow, whether it is a wedding vow before the congregation or a simple promise to a friend, we are to perform it, even to our own hurt (Psalm 15:4). Joseph was willing to risk his standing with Pharaoh to keep his word to his father. This is the integrity that God requires, and it is the integrity that the world, in its better moments, still respects.
And finally, we learn that faithfulness in a foreign land is possible. We are sojourners and exiles in this world. Like Joseph in Egypt, we are called to be in the world but not of it. We are to be the best employees, the best neighbors, the most respectful citizens, precisely because our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. Our goal is not to overthrow the kingdoms of this world by force, but to serve them with such integrity, wisdom, and faithfulness that their rulers are compelled to acknowledge the God we serve, and in so doing, advance His kingdom purposes, whether they know it or not.
Joseph's request was about more than a burial. It was a testimony. It was a sermon preached in the court of a pagan king, a sermon on faithfulness, honor, and the certainty of God's covenant promises. And the king heard it, and he said, "Amen." May we live in such a way that the world, seeing our good deeds, our kept promises, and our quiet integrity, is likewise compelled to give glory to our Father in heaven.