Joseph - a Story of Redemption

 

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 his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, 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 ESV).

 

I thought it might be inspirational as well as encouraging to do some study in the life of Joseph. Part of the reason for this is that our church, Gospel City Church in Arlington, has begun a Sunday morning study surrounding the life of Joseph. [BTW… that study begins at 10:45 am each Sunday and if you are in the area, you would be welcome to attend. Kyle is one of the teachers of this study. It is thorough and instructional.] The other reason for going in this direction is my own personal study in recent weeks. I’ve enjoyed the study and discovered some “new” things along the way.

 

One of those “new” things is found in our reading today. Notice Joseph’s instruction to his brothers: “Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’” (v. 25). I have written an extensive essay that uses both a studied of the original language as well as some background to show Joseph’s intent in having his remains taken back to Israel upon his death (If you are interested in receiving this please leave a comment or message me with your email and I’ll send it to you. It is a bit too long to post here.)

 

The whole story of Joseph (cf. Genesis 37-50) is a powerful narrative of providence, transforming betrayal into blessing. He was sold into slavery by jealous brothers, endured unjust imprisonment in Egypt before rising to become Vizier. By forgiving his brothers, he turned their evil acts into a means of salvation, ultimately saving his family and surrounding nations from famine. It points us to the incredible redemptive work of Jesus. However, it also points us to a key point of encouragement and hope. When he instructs them to “carry up his bones from here” (v. 25), he is looking for the ultimate deliverance from bondage.

 

Joseph was well aware of the covenant God made with Abraham concerning the Promised Land. He would have known, even with his rank and privilege in Egypt, that was not his destiny, nor his home. Home is the place God has promised to all His children. We simply call it heaven. I find that full of hope in these days. We are sojourners in this place until Jesus takes us to where He is for eternity! That gets me through every challenge and difficulty! This is the story we will explore in the life of Joseph.