Hope In Death

by faith, Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith, Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

In other words, both Jacob and Joseph were able to see things that others could not. By faith, even though they had not received the things that had been promised, they saw them, they greeted them from afar. But by faith, Joseph, in spite of all the hatred and mistreatment by his brothers, he could see God's hand at work. By faith, Jacob, though he's about to die in a foreign land, he could see the value of his bones being carried up and buried beside Abraham, Isaac, and Leah. And by faith, Joseph was able to foresee the future exodus of his people and give instruction concerning his bones. See, the point is faith sees God at work even in dark circumstances. Or to put it another way, faith sees God's hand behind the veil of sin and death. Faith sees God's hand behind the veil of sin and death. You know, sin and evil often look like the very opposite of what's supposed to happen. Death often comes upon us like a dark cloud that just blocks out all the sunshine of hope. These two things form like a veil that makes us feel far from God. that makes God seem absent, that makes it feel like things are out of control. But faith sees through that veil. Faith sees God's hand at work even when others can't. We see that beautifully illustrated for us here in this final chapter of Genesis. Now the passage breaks down into four sections. There's Jacob's death, then there's Jacob's burial, then there's the brother's fears, and then there's Joseph's death. So there's four scenes of grief, sin, and death, four scenes in which there is this veil that is laying over the working of God, but also four scenes in which, with eyes of faith, we can see what God is doing, we can see what others cannot. So first, let's look at the first of these scenes, which is Jacob's death. This is chapter 49, verses 28 through 33. And it is amazing how much is said about Jacob's dying days. We're first told way back in chapter 47 that the time had drawn near that Israel, or Jacob, must die. So Jacob's deathbed is in view in the end of chapter 47, all of chapter 48, all of chapter 49, and then his burial occupies the first half of chapter 50. I mean, when you consider that things like the creation of the world are given comparatively little attention, it's truly remarkable how much is said about this. And yet, as the author of Hebrews emphasizes, as we've already seen in previous sermons, it's because Jacob's dying days are a demonstration of triumphant faith. Jacob is a shining example for us of how we can glorify God in the way we die. You know, I was reminded of the Apostle Paul speaking of his own death as a sacrificial drink offering. You know, but Paul viewed his whole life as a living sacrifice to God, and then when he comes to his death, he thinks of it as the very final portion of a sacrifice. It's the drink offering being poured out to the Lord. And I think Jacob here, he shows us that, you know, even if we have squandered much time, even if for many years we've failed to trust the Lord as we ought, if we've failed to be the spiritual leaders we're called to be, maybe like Jacob, we've let depression or despair rule in our hearts. Maybe we feel like we've just made a big mess of things. Well, Jacob's dying testimony reminds us it's never too late to die well. It's never too late to trust God and give him the glory in death. It's never too late to take up your baton and finish your race. And so, as we see here, for the third time, Jacob makes reference to what God will do in the future and why he must be buried in Canaan. In chapter 47, he had made Joseph put his hand under his thigh and swear that he wouldn't bury him in Egypt, but next to his fathers. And so Joseph had sworn to him. Then in chapter 48, Jacob had again told Joseph,

behold, I'm about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.

And now in chapter 49, we read in verse 29,

Then Jacob commanded his sons and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebecca, his wife. And there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.

And so he's so specific and detailed and direct. Charging here, not just Joseph, but now all of his sons to bury him in this specific cave, the one that Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite. Not just anywhere in the promised land, not even next to his beloved wife, Rachel, but in the cave next to Leah. Because this is the spot that represents the guarantee or the down payment on the full inheritance that God had promised. This is the one little foothold that his family already owns in the land. And so this request is a great act of faith. This is Jacob adamantly and triumphantly declaring his unwavering confidence that God will be faithful to do all that he has said. This is him declaring that even though he has lived 147 years, and now he's dying without having actually received the promises, his faith is not shaken at all. I mean, even though he began his life in the promised land, and now he's ending his life outside the promised land. I mean, it sort of looks like things have only gone backward. His faith in God's promise is unchanged. He sees past the veil of sin and death to the hands of a faithful creator. Another thing I love here is the way that it says Jacob died. Verse 28 says that he finished blessing each of his sons. Then verse 29 says that he commanded them. Then verse 33 says,

when Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

It's like he finished the last thing God had for him to do, then he draws up his feet, he takes a final breath, and he dies. There was nothing more for him to do when it came for his time to die. And I think we should pray that we would be able to die like that. Not as unfaithful servants who've neglected the mission God has given us. Not as those who are in such fear of death that we panic at the thought. Fighting against it as if there's always more that we just have to get done. But instead, I think we should pray that we could die like Jacob. Or that we could die like the Apostle Paul. When he said,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

What a beautiful way to finish the race. Jacob's earthly work was complete. And he could see through the veil of death to the arms of his creator. Now, this brings us, secondly, to the response of others to Jacob's death. So let's look, number two, at Jacob's burial. This is chapter 50, verses 1 through 14. Verse 1 continues that,

then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him.

So we again see Joseph's tenderness, his emotional response. He's a man that we often read of weeping. We should also note that this fulfills one of God's promises. Back in chapter 46, 17 years earlier, as Jacob was contemplating the trip to Egypt and wondering to himself, is Joseph really still alive? Is it really right for me to lead my family away from the promised land to Egypt? And God had appeared to him and spoken to him and said,

I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt and I will also bring you up again. And Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.

That's a way of saying, when you die, Joseph will be by your side. He will be the one who closes your eyes, who is there with you in the very end. And once again, we see that not one word of God's promises fail. Verse two continues,

and Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.

Now perhaps part of this is just following Egyptian etiquette, but I think this also had a very practical importance. You know, Joseph and the brothers are committed to doing what Jacob has instructed them to carry his body all the way back to Canaan. And I mean, that's a 300 mile journey, which is going to take probably weeks of travel. And, you know, can you imagine doing that with a rotting corpse? And so, in the providence of God, there's this Egyptian technology to embalm him. And Joseph makes use of that to prepare his body so then they can transport it. Also, it says the Egyptians wept for Jacob for 70 days. Apparently, Egypt would mourn the passing of a pharaoh for 72 days. So Jacob is very nearly put on par with that. And I mean, isn't it remarkable that here you have all the royal officials of the most powerful nation on earth observing 70 days of mourning at the passing of this nomadic shepherd from Canaan? What a reminder and illustration this is of the sovereignty of God over the nations. Then verse four continues,

when the days of weeping for him were passed, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh saying, if now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh saying, my father made me swear saying I'm about to die in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me. Now therefore let me please go up and bury my father, then I will return.

Now probably the reason Joseph doesn't go to stand before Pharaoh himself is because he's been mourning 70 days, so he's not in a presentable condition. So he sends messengers on his behalf. It also seems that Joseph is tactful in how he broaches this. This is a very big request. He doesn't just come out and say, my dad said don't bury me in Egypt. Rather, he emphasizes that his dad wants to be buried in the tomb that he had hewed out for himself, and that his dad had made him swear, so he is obligated to do this. And the Pharaoh is quick and generous to grant this request. In fact, it says all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt go along with Joseph and his family for this journey. And so you have this huge company, this huge undertaking for probably a couple months that all the nobility in Egypt leaves to be part of this funeral procession. Verse 9 says,

and there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company.

And what a strange sight this must have been. People must have been thinking, what is this huge traveling caravan coming out of Egypt? You've got these clean-shaven, you know, Egyptian leaders with their chariots, then you've got these bearded, rugged Hebrew shepherds mixed in. They're all traveling together, all riding in these great chariots. I mean, the Canaanites must be scratching their heads. Then they come to a place that is described as being beyond the Jordan, to the threshing floor of Atad, and Joseph commands them to stop there and observe seven days of mourning. And it seems clear the Egyptians aren't just along to observe, they're actively participating. Because it's a great and grievous lamentation, so much so that the watching Canaanites renamed the place Abel Mizraim, which means the mourning of Egypt. And then it sounds like Joseph and his brothers probably go on a little farther. And sort of as a family, they go to this cave at Machpelah. And just as their father had commanded, they bury him there. And then the whole caravan returns to Egypt. Now we need to ask the question, what are we supposed to see in this? Why does Moses expend the ink to explain all of this? I mean, on the surface we see grievous lamentation and we see death. Where's the hope? What is it that with eyes of faith we should perceive? Well, I think the answer is that this whole episode is really like a preview of what God is going to do next. You see the day is coming when there will again be a great caravan traveling through the wilderness up from Egypt into the land of Canaan. There will again be a rather strange and vast mixed multitude of travelers. Interestingly, Moses twice mentions that Abel Mizrahim was beyond the Jordan. And I'm not sure why he would include that, other than to perhaps emphasize that they came up way on the eastern side, which is sort of out of the way, but also very similar to the path that the Israelites later take out of Egypt 400 years later. And once again, we see here that there's Egyptian chariots and horsemen. We again read of this Abel Mizraim, this great mourning of Egypt. The difference is 400 years later in the Exodus, the Egyptians won't be mourning the passing of an Israelite. They will be mourning their own dead bodies. as God destroys him in the Red Sea, and the Hebrews exclaim,

the Lord has triumphed gloriously. The horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.

And the point of all of this is that, I think this is written by Moses so that one with an eye of faith can see that this is like a preview of the Exodus. God is foreshadowing what he's about to do. It's almost like a dress rehearsal for the main event. And so, In the midst of this grief and this pain that is being felt at the death of Jacob, the Hebrews should at the same time have hope. They should recognize as they're carrying him up to the land, this is the path that God will lead us on again. God is gonna bring us back to this land permanently. He is gonna be faithful to his promises. I think maybe it should prompt us to ask the question, What previews might God be giving us? Where might there be situations for us where if we saw it with an eye of faith, we might recognize that God's plans and purposes are already being worked out, even in outwardly dark situations. You know, the book of Revelation speaks of many signs and judgments, and it talks of a lot of them as sort of signaling. The coming end of the world, you know, it's written to to suffering Christians who are asking the question, if Jesus is really reigning, why is life so hard? And part of what revelation is assuring them is, yes, Jesus is reigning. And yes, judgment is coming. Yes, righteousness will be established. And you need to recognize that, yes, there are these anticipatory thunderings. These warnings, these rumblings from God that are signaling, previewing what he will one day do. In fact, many of those judgments in Revelation, they're described in terms of the exodus. So this in Genesis 50 is like a preview of the exodus from the book of Exodus. Well, even the exodus in Exodus is like a preview of an even greater exodus. An even greater judgment, an even greater act of God. And by faith, we need to see what God has already done and what God is doing and recognize that it should assure us that he will follow through on what he's promised. You know, I also think of, for example, funerals. Think of how we often speak of laying someone to rest. Isn't interesting that when bodies are prepared for a funeral, we try to prepare them in such a way that it looks like they're sleeping. And I don't know if that's intended or not, but in the providence of God, I think there's real theological significance in that. We as Christians lay fellow Christians to rest in sure and certain hope of the resurrection from the dead. We can speak of them as sleeping because this funeral is just like a little preview of the day that one day they're going to wake up. One day Jesus will raise them. It's as if they are resting and sleeping now. Or think also of the Lord's Supper. You know, on one hand, it's a sobering thing. We're remembering the death of Christ. It's just a tiny little taste from the bread and the cup. But of course, the Lord's Supper is another preview. We partake in anticipation of the great wedding banquet of the Lamb to come. And so, just as God leads his people on a mini exodus here, let us be considering what previews he's given us to strengthen our faith and to help us see his hand even behind the veil of sin and death. Well, we come now to the third scene in the story. So number three, we find the brothers' fears. This is chapter 50, verses 15 through 21, the brothers' fears. Verse 15 says,

when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, it may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.

So even after 17 years, since Joseph had first revealed himself to them, their consciences are still burdened by the fact that they had sold him as a slave. And now they're afraid that he may seek revenge. They think, now that our father's dead, this will be his opportunity. In other words, they suspect that maybe behind all of Joseph's kindness, All the kindness he's shown them for 17 years. He doesn't really mean it. It's all just been for their father's sake. But deep down, Joseph wants revenge. Deep down, Joseph has been plotting something. And so out of fear, they come up with a plan. And it's somewhat elaborate and carefully thought out. First, they conspire to make up a dying wish from their father. Verse 16 says,

they sent a message to Joseph saying, your father gave this command before he died. Say to Joseph, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin because they did evil to you.

Now, there's no record that Jacob actually said that, and it doesn't even make sense that he would have because why would he say that to the brothers but not to Joseph? He had every opportunity to tell Joseph that if he wanted to. So it seems clear that the brothers have fabricated this in an effort to try to make Joseph feel obligated to show them mercy. Second, notice how carefully worded and planned the request is. First, they send a messenger to go and deliver it, and then they've all coordinated themselves so that soon after the messenger delivers, they will all come in and bow down together. And then in the message itself, they have their father remind Joseph that they're his brothers. They describe themselves as God's servants, and then later they come in and call themselves Joseph's servants. And their action is described as sin and transgression and evil. They're doing everything possible to try to garner Joseph's mercy. They really believe that he intends to seek revenge. But look at Joseph's reaction in verse 17. It says,

Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

These aren't tears of joy. It's not like Joseph is happy that they're finally asking for mercy. These are tears of sorrow. Because Joseph realizes how little they know him. I mean, how alienated from them Joseph must have felt. For 17 years, he's shown them nothing but kindness. For 17 years, he's invited them to live with him. He's provided for them. He's protected them. I mean, 17 years ago, he had already explained to them that they shouldn't be angry with themselves because of what they did to him. Because they were not the ones who'd sent him to Egypt, but God did. And in spite of all that, after 17 years, his brothers are suspicious of him. They don't trust him. They've banded together, not to harm him, but in fear of him. He's still the odd one out. He's still not accepted by them, trusted by them. They still think that he might be planning some evil scheme against them. No wonder Joseph's weeping. How removed, how far removed from his brothers he must have felt, how burdened that they would feel this way, that they were living in such fear. And you know, one application of this, I think it, first of all, shows us the importance of verbalizing reconciliation. You know, there's no record of Joseph's brothers ever explicitly asking for forgiveness. Maybe it just felt to them like too big a thing to ask forgiveness for. So instead, it's just sort of assumed, it's never verbalized, and now 17 years later, it continues to weigh on them. And, you know, Pastor Early, we have had situations where, you know, people have been sinned against and they're reluctant to or unwilling to verbalize, you know, I'm sorry and I forgive you. You know, we've heard things like, well, they already know I forgive them. I've shown it by my actions. I've already forgiven them in my heart. You know, what difference does saying the words make? But friends, the words themselves are powerful. The words themselves are necessary. I mean, people need to hear, I forgive you explicitly and sometimes even repeatedly. And then when we're the one who's wronged someone, we need to verbalize, I'm sorry for what I've done. Will you forgive me? Don't let these things linger. Don't let assumptions be made. Seek clear and explicit reconciliation so that 17 years later, you don't find yourself in Joseph and his brother's situation. However, in Joseph and his brother's situation, and in light of, I mean, the extraordinary kindness that Joseph has shown them and the words that Joseph did already speak 17 years ago, in this case, I think the fault lies almost entirely at the brother's feet. You know, the problem here has not been Joseph's reluctance to verbalize forgiveness. The problem is that the brother's suspicion of Joseph is totally unjustified. And that's why I think a second way that we should apply this is by thinking about our own relationship to God. You see, we can doubt the sincerity of God's kindness and God's forgiveness in the same way Joseph's brothers doubted Joseph's. We too can suspect maybe Jesus doesn't really mean it. Maybe all the kindness he's shown us, all the promises he's made, they're just sort of veiling some ulterior plot. Maybe he's just biding his time to unleash his judgment. And friends, if Joseph was brought to tears by his brothers suspecting his intentions, How much more must we burden the heart of Christ when we suspect his? We look at the one who who laid down his life for us. Offered himself to die for our sins, and somehow we still question his love. We still doubt his forgiveness. I mean, how much we must burden his heart when we hear his words to us,

come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. Come, let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

I mean, how much it must burden the heart of Christ when we hear these gracious invitations and suspect he doesn't really mean it. You see, it's not noble or humble to doubt the mercy of God. It's not noble or humble to think, you know, I'm such a great sinner, God could never forgive a sinner like me. God would never choose me. It's not noble or humble to be more focused on your own sin than on Christ. It's noble and humble to repent of our sins and trust in God's grace, to look at God's amazing kindness toward us and to receive it and to believe it. To see that in spite of all that we have done against him, his heart towards us is open and pure and full of grace. You see, as I talked about at the beginning, faith sees the hand of God behind the veil of sin and death. All Joseph's brothers could see was their own sin. All they were seeing is the fact that they had wronged Joseph. They had made a mess of things. They weren't seeing the hand of God at all. And notice how Joseph responds to this by trying to lift their gaze, by trying to take their eyes off of himself and on to God. He says in verse 19,

Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. to bring it about as it is this day to save many lives. So do not fear, I will provide for you and your little ones. Thus, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

See, Joseph is trying to get their gaze off of him. He says, don't be afraid, am I in the place of God? He's your judge, right? I mean, he's the one you need to be looking to and thinking about. And then instead of trying to threaten them with God's justice, notice how he points them to God's sovereign grace. He says, yes, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. God intended it to save lives. And we need to be careful not to misquote this. Joseph doesn't say, you meant evil against me, but God used it for good. That's not strong enough. It's not merely that Joseph's brothers made this mess and then God figured out how to put the broken pieces back together in such a way that would come up with something good. No, Joseph says God meant it for good. God intended it for good. You could even say he's saying this was God's plan before it ever was yours. Because this is how I was intended to come to Egypt. This is how I would interpret Pharaoh's dreams. And this is how many lives would be saved. Notice how Joseph places God's sovereignty and human responsibility side by side in this uncompromising fashion. It's not that God's sovereignty means that Joseph's brother's intentions were any less evil or that they were any less culpable for their sin. But it's also not that Joseph's brother's intentions means that God was any less in control. God is 100 percent sovereign over every detail, over every human decision, and we are 100 percent responsible for our sin. There's no compromise either way. As James read earlier in the service, the apostles would later say of the crucifixion of Jesus,

For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

So even the killing of Jesus, the greatest crime ever committed, God was not merely using evil for good. He predestined it. They were doing what God had predestined to take place in order to fulfill God's perfect plan to bring salvation to the world. And I think the application of this for us, well, at least there's two main things I want us to think about. Understanding God's sovereignty in this way is a powerful reason why we should be able to forgive others. You see, when others sin against us, it's so tempting to feel like they've taken something from us. They've caused us some loss, some kind of harm. They've wasted our time. They've cost us money. They've damaged our health. And we want payback. I mean, if you were I were in Joseph's shoes, we might think, you know, my youth was stolen from me. I spent my youth as a slave in Egypt and then in a prison cell instead of by my father's side. Look what my brothers did to me. Look what they took from me. But Joseph doesn't think about it that way because he sees the sovereign hand of God, and he says, in effect, to his brothers, God's love sent me here, not you. And we need to understand that that is the same for every situation in our lives. God's love has placed you there, not someone else. And so no matter how much evil others intend against us, no matter how sinful their actions are, God's love intends it for our good. Romans 8 says,

we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are the called according to his purpose.

I mean, to put that another way, you could say it like this. If you are a Christian, then in the ultimate sense, no one can ever harm you. Because no matter what they do to you, God intended it for your good. He is using it to sanctify you, to teach you, to enable you to bless others, or to enable you to glorify His name. And that may at times be very hard for us to believe. It may at times be impossible for us to explain or figure out how that works in a given situation. But I think when we find ourselves doubting how that can be, we can look to Calvary. And understand that if that the greatest evil that has ever happened, the murder of the son of God. Could be intended by God for the greatest good imaginable, the salvation of all of us. Well, then surely we can trust that God can intend whatever evil is perpetrated against us for our good as well. And you see, once you embrace that perspective and believe that's the case, forgiveness becomes relatively easy. You see, you and I are really only asked to forgive people who've contributed to our good. It's like trying to forgive a robber who tried to steal from you but accidentally deposited extra money in your account. I mean, God is just super intended whatever others have done against us for our good. I mean, this is why Joseph, it's not hard for him to forgive because he's like, yeah, if you guys didn't sell me as a slave, well, we'd all be dead. We would have perished in the drought and the famine. And God intended it. He saved us and he saved the world through this. Joseph would not have gone back in time and changed it if he could. And so, friends, when we understand God's sovereignty, what a powerful help to forgiving that is. Because we see God is sovereign over it all, intending it for our good. Now, secondly, understanding God's sovereignty in this way is also a powerful reason why we can receive forgiveness. You know, Joseph said back in chapter 45, verse 5, to his brothers,

And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life.

" At first blush, that may seem like a strange thing to tell someone who's sinned. Don't be angry about your sin. But I think what Joseph is trying to communicate there is he doesn't want them to be swallowed up by guilt or shame because of what they've done. He wants them to be able to receive forgiveness and then move forward to the clear conscience. Yes, you intended evil, he says. Yes, what you did was wrong. Yes, God's sovereignty is no excuse. And it doesn't mean that you're not guilty. But what God's sovereignty does mean. Is it assures you that in spite of what you've done, God's good plans and purposes remain unchanged. He's saying you can receive forgiveness and move forward no longer crushed under that weight. Because God is sovereign. You see, maybe you've failed as a parent. Maybe you've failed in a marriage. Maybe you've done something that caused great harm to others in your life. And now years later, maybe 30 years later, like Joseph's brothers. Your conscience is still weighed down by that. You're still angry with yourself. You're carrying deep regret and you've confessed it. You've repented of it. You've done everything you can do, but you can't go back and make the past right. Well, friend, I think you need to hear what Joseph tells his brothers, God intended it for good. God has a sovereign plan that you have not derailed. God's purposes will stand in spite of your sin. And so what you can do is receive God's forgiveness, receive the forgiveness of others, and walk forward not crushed by your own sin and failure. To put it another way, God's sovereignty means that repentance is enough. It is never an excuse to continue in sin. It's never a license to sin. But when we have sinned, it means repentance is enough. You don't have to somehow undo the mess of your past. You can't. God is simply calling you to walk in obedience now. and to realize that in his sovereignty, the past doesn't need to be undone. Instead, by faith, you must learn to see God's hand at work behind the veil of your own sin, behind the veil of death. Well, we come now, fourthly and finally, to the very last scene in Genesis, which is Joseph's death. So number four, Joseph's death, this is verses 22 through 26. We read,

so Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years, and Joseph saw Ephraim's children to 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.

So once again, we're confronted with death. In many ways, the man who has been the hero of the past 13 chapters now dies. Genesis ends with Joseph's bones in a coffin in Egypt, so it can seem like a very bleak ending. What's more, from this point forward, Israel's position in Egypt will only get worse and worse. Instead of being brought out of Egypt, they become slaves in Egypt. They're forced to carry heavy burdens, and then their children are murdered. So once again, all is shrouded in this veil of sin and death. But again, by faith, we can see the hand of God behind it all. As I read earlier from Hebrews 11,

by faith, Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

And isn't it interesting that of all the demonstrations of faith in Joseph's life, This is the one the author of Hebrews point picks out. He doesn't say, by faith, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams. By faith, Joseph forgave his brothers. By faith, Joseph remained faithful in Potiphar's house. By faith, Joseph ruled the nation of Egypt. Instead, he says, by faith, Joseph gave directions concerning his bones. And by faith, Joseph said, God will surely visit you. Communicating his faith that just as they had carried up Jacob's bones to Canaan. God would visit his people and bring them up out of Egypt, leading them on a great exodus so that they all might come to the land of Canaan. Now, unlike Jacob, who had his bones brought up right away, it seems that Joseph wants his bones to remain in Egypt for as long as Israel does. It seems that he wants his coffin to be like a witness to his people, a perpetual reminder of what God had promised. So for the next 400 years, as they hear the stories, as they're told about this Hebrew son who became the ruler of Egypt and saved the nation. They've got his bones there, right in front of them. This tangible evidence of what had happened and what God had said. And sure enough, as Houn read earlier in the service in Exodus 13, when the Israelites begin the exodus from Egypt, That's exactly what happened. Moses is carrying the bones of Joseph with him. And then for the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel is carrying with them two boxes. There's the Ark of the Covenant and there's the coffin of Joseph. And interestingly, this word coffin is actually the same Hebrew word as the word ark. So you got two arks. One's got the law of God and the other has Joseph's bones. And what is the significance of that for us? You know, I think as Reformed believers, we really emphasize the word of God. Of course, we don't see any place for relics or things like that. But I do think this can be a reminder to us that there are times when having tangible reminders can be helpful. Ebenezers. You know, it's interesting, we have the little cornerstone on the church that's got the date. I think it's helpful for us to remember what saints over 60 years ago did and how God has been faithful through history. Sometimes we get so narrowly focused on our lives and our trials and it's good for us to step back and see and hold in our hands and remember what God has done. I think it's also good for us to remember that God himself has given us some two tangible signs of his salvation. that when we become believers, we're to be baptized, like physically immersed in water that rinses dirt off of us to point us to the spiritual reality of what Christ has accomplished. And secondly, in an ongoing way as believers, he's given us the gift of the Lord's Supper, that we would take physical, tangible bread in a cup and partake of these elements to remember Jesus and his death. You know, Joseph left his descendants his bones to testify to them of what God would do for them. Jesus has left us the bread and the cup to represent his body and blood, to testify to us what he has done for us. And not only what he has done, but what he will do. That he is coming again. I love the language Joseph uses, God will surely visit you. This way of describing God coming near, God coming down. And of course, he does that in the Exodus, he comes down in a pillar of cloud and fire. But friends, this is the season when we remember how God has done that for us. Emmanuel has come, God has visited us. Jesus is born in our midst. He has accomplished salvation. And even as we remember the fact that he has come, we also look forward to the fact that he's coming again. That there is another divine visitation that we can look forward to. And so now, you know, in the midst of life where there is sin all around us, there is death all around us. We just had a funeral yesterday. Our view is so often clouded. The veil lies around us. We can wonder, is God really at work? Can I really trust his word and his promises? And friends, Joseph leaves his descendants his bones, assuring them, yes, I am dying, and God will do what he has said. And today we can take God's word. And we can celebrate the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and it can assure us in faith so that we can see through the veil and see, yes, the same God is at work. He is faithful. He will do all that he has said. We can trust him to the end. And we can see that that his faithful and gracious and sovereign hand is at work. no matter what we face. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word and for this opportunity we've had to meditate throughout the book of Genesis and now on the very end of Genesis. Lord, we do pray that you would use this message to increase our faith. that you would help us to see your hand, even when it might be masked by sin and death around us. We pray especially that we would see Christ and what he has done for us, that we would look forward to his return, trusting that you will bring us into the true and eternal promised land. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.