WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.480 Well, this morning we continue our quick run through Hebrews 11, looking at the faith of saints of old. 00:00:09.019 --> 00:00:11.900 And today we'll be looking specifically at the life of Joseph. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:18.260 But as we get going, I think it's worth noting the holidays season is upon us. 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:20.940 Very grateful for the summer holidays to be able to get away, 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:27.440 especially after a very long fall and winter of restrictions, of being able to get together with people and travel. 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:35.539 You know, one of the things that I remember very fondly as being a child was the opportunity to go on holiday with my family. 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:39.539 And growing up in the States, we traveled extensively around the States. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:42.539 And one of my favorite places to go was to Colorado. 00:00:43.460 --> 00:00:45.659 I had family out there, though I grew up in Florida. 00:00:45.740 --> 00:00:52.640 We'd take the long flight out to Colorado and we'd spend winters out there skiing and summers out there hiking and spending time with family. 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.619 And I remember specifically one holiday we spent out there. 00:00:56.780 --> 00:01:01.140 It was I was probably about 10 years old and it was the summertime. 00:01:01.579 --> 00:01:04.379 And it was a day we were spending with family, didn't have much planned. 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:08.939 And my dad suggested that we go to a place called Cave of the Winds. 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:14.180 It was this series of caves that go deep into the side of this mountain. 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:18.280 It was discovered in the 1800s and has since been turned into a tourist attraction. 00:01:19.100 --> 00:01:25.040 You can get a guided tour of this area and learn about the history and the geology of that area. 00:01:26.080 --> 00:01:29.980 And when my dad suggested that, there was really no one else in the family that wanted to go but myself. 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:32.160 Everyone was kind of content being lazy that day. 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:34.200 And so I wanted to go with my dad. 00:01:34.620 --> 00:01:36.200 And the two of us went together. 00:01:36.820 --> 00:01:38.120 And I remember the trip pretty well. 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:44.020 There were these narrow caverns that you could walk through or narrow corridors that opened up into large caverns. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:51.780 And you had these big stalagmites and stalactites, those big rock structures that look like icicles that grow down from the ceiling and up from the floor. 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:58.280 But what I remember most about that trip with my dad was actually something that seems very insignificant. 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:04.060 And it was the fact that he was willing to hold my coat for me throughout our whole time in the caves. 00:02:04.060 --> 00:02:12.420 The caves, because they're so deep in the mountain, they stay at a rather regulated temperature of about 11, 12 degrees. 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:16.659 And so I had brought a coat with me thinking that I'd want it but then didn't actually wear it. 00:02:16.699 --> 00:02:19.020 And my dad willingly held it for me. 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:23.759 And I think this is significant because this isn't something my dad would normally do. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:28.920 Not that he didn't love me and care for me, but he was one that wanted to enforce responsibility, right? 00:02:28.920 --> 00:02:33.159 If I brought a coat, then I was responsible for holding on to it until we got home. 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:36.819 But I remember on this day, he willingly held my coat for me. 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:41.419 And so you may think, well, this doesn't seem like a really significant story at all, 00:02:41.500 --> 00:02:44.319 the fact that my dad would just hold my coat for me. 00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:50.680 But it's really that simple memory of that simple act of kindness that has stayed with me. 00:02:51.519 --> 00:02:53.280 And I don't say this just for a sermon illustration. 00:02:53.460 --> 00:02:56.680 It's really a way, when I think back of the love of my dad for me, 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:01.479 this is one of the things that I think about, even though he has done much greater acts of love for me 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:03.619 that seem much more significant to my life, 00:03:03.739 --> 00:03:07.500 this is one tiny aspect that I turn to and remember my dad's love. 00:03:08.739 --> 00:03:12.459 And so today, as we look at the story and the life of Joseph, 00:03:12.459 --> 00:03:15.039 we're kind of going to see the same effect take place. 00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:19.239 That we see the life of Joseph, the faith of Joseph, 00:03:19.239 --> 00:03:24.939 play out in what we may think is a very insignificant, inconsequential area of his life. 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:29.079 Because we know that Joseph had this very incredible life, right, 00:03:29.099 --> 00:03:33.659 of being sold into slavery by his family, coming up and being second in command to Pharaoh. 00:03:33.659 --> 00:03:37.159 But that's not what the author of Hebrews is focusing on here. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:40.800 He doesn't really focus on his life or his accomplishments at all. 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:46.199 He focuses rather on his death and the instructions that he gives about his bones. 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:52.819 And so we may think, well, this is kind of inconsequential in the grand scheme of his whole life and all that he did. 00:03:52.819 --> 00:03:55.439 But that's not what the author of Hebrews thinks. 00:03:55.519 --> 00:04:00.259 And that's what we're going to look at today is the faithfulness of God to his people 00:04:00.259 --> 00:04:04.219 and Joseph's faith, which is revealed through the instructions of his bones. 00:04:04.799 --> 00:04:05.840 So let's look together. 00:04:05.959 --> 00:04:09.419 There's a short verse, Hebrews 11, verse 22. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:16.500 By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:20.539 and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:22.879 This is the word of God. 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:24.580 Will you pray with me? 00:04:26.020 --> 00:04:30.200 Lord, as we recount the life of Joseph today and consider his faithfulness, 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:33.040 Lord, help us to be reminded of your faithfulness to us. 00:04:34.580 --> 00:04:37.240 And so now give us a mind that we may know you better. 00:04:38.259 --> 00:04:40.740 Give us a heart that we may love you more deeply. 00:04:42.500 --> 00:04:44.720 May you be glorified through the preaching of your word. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:46.200 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:51.180 Now, if you're not familiar with the story of Joseph, 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:55.379 Joseph had, like I said, a very incredible life. 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:59.659 He would have been the grandson of Isaac, who we talked about last Sunday evening. 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.500 Isaac, as we talked about, he blessed his son Jacob, even though he was tricked into do so, 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:06.959 but we know that was a part of God's plan. 00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:14.259 Then Jacob had 12 sons of his own, and Joseph being the second youngest and Jacob's favorite son. 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:18.980 And so you've probably heard the story of the coat of many colors that Jacob gave his son Joseph. 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:22.879 And we know that his brothers despised him for the fact that he was the favorite. 00:05:22.980 --> 00:05:26.500 And so they staged his death and sold him into slavery in Egypt. 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:31.120 And we see there that Joseph was still faithful to God. 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:35.439 He served a man named Potiphar, which was one of the officers of the Pharaoh. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:41.699 He served him faithfully there and was actually got in trouble because of Potiphar's wife, 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:45.660 who came on to him, and Joseph's resistance ended up getting him thrown in jail. 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:51.480 We know that he spent years in jail, but he had this God-given ability to interpret dreams. 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:55.360 And that's what ultimately brought him in front of Pharaoh to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:01.000 And it was because of that that he became the second-ranking person in all of Egypt. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:08.439 And so we know, though, that despite that incredible story, again, that's not what the author of Hebrews is focusing on here. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:14.300 He doesn't focus on his faith during his life, but actually the faith that endures to his death. 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:22.819 And so we see this in the last few, if we look back at verse 20, 21, 22, it's focusing on Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. 00:06:23.339 --> 00:06:26.319 And each time it's talking about their faith at the time of their death. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:36.719 So even in this little snippet in the middle of Hebrews 11, we see this mini-theme of the faithfulness of God's people that endures throughout their life. 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:43.680 And reminds us of the brevity of our life, even when we don't see God's blessing come to fruition in our life, 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:51.579 when we're still living, that God's covenant is faithful and everlasting and certainly outlasts our earthly existence. 00:06:52.779 --> 00:06:55.779 And so that's what I want us to focus on today, is the bones of Joseph. 00:06:55.779 --> 00:06:58.059 What do these bones signify to us? 00:06:58.119 --> 00:07:01.139 What do they symbolize and show us about his faithfulness? 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:02.699 Well, three things I want us to focus on. 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:06.239 One is that the bones symbolize Joseph's prominence. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:09.039 They symbolize Israel's pilgrimage. 00:07:10.139 --> 00:07:12.559 And they symbolize God's promise. 00:07:13.299 --> 00:07:15.899 So let's look at that first one together, Joseph's prominence. 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:18.879 What do these bones show us about the prominence of Joseph? 00:07:19.919 --> 00:07:24.039 Well, that was kind of a speedy recap of Joseph's life that I gave you a minute ago. 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:29.280 But I don't want it to be lost on the significance of his leadership in Egypt. 00:07:29.740 --> 00:07:33.760 You know, taking modern day analogy, if we think of the Pharaoh as the king, 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:35.960 Joseph would be the prime minister. 00:07:36.760 --> 00:07:40.320 And he was put in this position at only 30 years old. 00:07:40.520 --> 00:07:42.900 And Pharaoh actually says this to Joseph. 00:07:43.020 --> 00:07:43.280 He says, 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:54.479 And so we see that Joseph was a man of great influence. 00:07:54.599 --> 00:08:01.039 In fact, he was very well loved by the people of Egypt because he governed with wisdom and equity. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:06.939 He led them through a long and severe famine because of his planning and because of his wisdom. 00:08:06.939 --> 00:08:16.160 He would actually would have been seen as somewhat of a savior figure because of the fact that he brought such a large population through such a hard time. 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:20.139 But not only that, he actually transformed the economy of Egypt. 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:25.800 He turned them into a superpower because all the other lands relied on Egypt for survival. 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:36.680 And so you'd think that because of a man of this influence and power would certainly be deserving of a full, honorable burial. 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:45.019 And we know a lot about the burials and the rituals that were valued by the Egyptians just by looking at history, right? 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:51.960 We have these pyramids in the Middle East that show us of how they honored these pharaohs that died. 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:56.419 They buried them in great honor and actually deified them at death. 00:08:56.500 --> 00:09:00.419 And so there was a very lengthy, embalming process that these rulers would go through. 00:09:00.460 --> 00:09:07.679 And then they put them in these elaborate crypts along with great wealth, jewels, furniture, food, transportation, 00:09:07.980 --> 00:09:11.980 whatever it may be that they think they may need in the next life. 00:09:11.980 --> 00:09:21.620 And so we know that Joseph certainly would have been deserving of this reward, of this burial. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:28.840 But again, we see that he refuses this offer, certainly much to the shock or to the amazement of the Egyptians around him. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.860 This is what he says if we turn back to Genesis 50 in verse 22 through 26. 00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:38.500 Joseph stayed in Egypt along with his father's family. 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:42.759 He lived 110 years and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. 00:09:43.899 --> 00:09:48.240 Also the children of Maker, the son of Manasseh, were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:50.500 Then Joseph said to his brothers, 00:09:51.299 --> 00:09:56.340 I am about to die, but God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land, 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.919 to the land he promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:03.639 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and say, 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:07.720 God will surely come to your aid and then you will carry my bones from this place. 00:10:08.539 --> 00:10:10.759 So Joseph died at the age of 110. 00:10:11.659 --> 00:10:15.740 And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:24.019 Now we see here that Joseph would have known better than anybody of the dangers and the seductions of Israel. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:32.059 For for years, from age 30 to age 110, he'd experienced such great wealth and great power. 00:10:32.059 --> 00:10:38.019 However, he certainly could have turned from God at that point and rested on his own ingenuity and his own strength. 00:10:38.079 --> 00:10:42.879 But we see a time and time again that Joseph submits to the Lord. 00:10:42.939 --> 00:10:45.879 And now even in his death, he submits to God, 00:10:45.959 --> 00:10:50.459 not wanting to divert God's glory to himself by some elaborate Egyptian burial. 00:10:51.839 --> 00:10:53.059 And so that was option number one. 00:10:53.099 --> 00:10:54.839 At his death, he could have been buried like an Egyptian. 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:58.219 Secondly, he could have chose to be buried like his father, Jacob. 00:10:58.220 --> 00:11:04.660 We know if you go back to Genesis 49, Jacob at his death gives instructions similar to Joseph does, 00:11:04.740 --> 00:11:05.879 but his instructions are different. 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:06.300 He says, 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:17.340 When I die, take my bones back to Canaan that I may be buried with my relatives in the same cave as Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca and his wife Leah. 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:21.060 And so we see that when Jacob actually dies, 00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:25.259 all of Egypt mourns for him for 70 days. 00:11:25.259 --> 00:11:33.639 And then after that period of time, Joseph got permission from Pharaoh to take his father's bones along with his family back to the burial site in Canaan. 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:38.519 And Pharaoh not only grants that, but he sends all his commanders and all his horsemen and chariot with him. 00:11:38.580 --> 00:11:45.019 So this huge grand procession goes and they mourn at the Jordan River for seven days before he's buried and they return to Egypt. 00:11:45.019 --> 00:11:49.699 Certainly, this burial would have been available to Joseph as well. 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:54.199 Because it was he that was the second in charge, not his father. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:55.360 And his father got this reward. 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:58.860 Certainly, that would have been an honor deserving of Joseph as well. 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:02.879 But we see that Joseph turned down this opportunity as well. 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:09.879 Instead, he wants his bones to remain in Egypt to be carried out at a later time. 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:14.179 And so that Joseph had been separated by force from his family years ago, 00:12:14.220 --> 00:12:19.299 we now see that he wants to remain with his family in Egypt even after his death. 00:12:20.179 --> 00:12:23.439 He doesn't want his bones to be put in some inaccessible crypt. 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:25.200 He doesn't want them buried in some distant lands. 00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:31.379 He wants them to be among his people to serve as a reminder of his prominence that came about by God's provision. 00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:35.059 Because just as Joseph had said to his brothers, 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.720 you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:43.139 And so then that brings us to our second point. 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:45.879 Not only did Joseph's bones remind us of his prominence, 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:49.500 but it also reminds us of Israel's pilgrimage. 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:56.600 If we go back to Genesis 15, this is where we first see God make this initial covenant with Abraham. 00:12:57.159 --> 00:13:00.919 And he tells him that he and his descendants will inherit this land. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.899 But he warns them that first there'll be sojourners. 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:07.600 If we read in Genesis 15, verse 13, it says this, 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:08.740 Then the Lord said to him, 00:13:08.740 --> 00:13:15.659 Know for certain that for 400 years your descendants will be strangers in a country, not their own, 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:18.519 and that they will be enslaved and ill-treated there. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:21.840 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, 00:13:22.060 --> 00:13:24.500 and afterwards they will come out with great possessions. 00:13:24.500 --> 00:13:31.960 We knew that this promise to Abraham would have been handed down from generation to generation. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.679 So we can be confident knowing that Joseph would have known of this covenant, 00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:40.759 of this promise of land, and even this warning of slavery. 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:44.259 And so it's because of his faith in this promise 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:50.080 that prompts him to choose to leave his bones in Egypt to be carried out at a later time. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:56.340 We see in Genesis 50, where we just read, that twice he says in this short couple verses 00:13:56.340 --> 00:13:59.980 that God will surely come to your aid when he's talking to his family. 00:14:00.259 --> 00:14:06.420 There's no question in his mind that God will lead them out of Egypt into the promised land. 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:14.440 And so because of this, Joseph recognizes that Egypt is not to be their forever home. 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:18.760 He recognizes that the people of Israel are supposed to be pilgrims, 00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:23.720 just like the author of Hebrews says of his forefathers that they were exiles, 00:14:24.280 --> 00:14:28.580 that they were aliens and strangers in their own land. 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:34.860 And so he wants his bones to remain in Egypt to remind his people of this fact, 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:36.800 that Egypt is not their home, 00:14:37.540 --> 00:14:43.320 whether they're experiencing a life of ease or when they fell into slavery. 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:48.920 Rachel and I, when we were in university years ago, 00:14:48.920 --> 00:14:51.860 we had the opportunity to study in Europe for a semester. 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:54.740 And it wasn't in partnership with any university over here. 00:14:54.800 --> 00:14:58.240 We actually had our own professors and our own students that came as a group to study. 00:14:58.560 --> 00:15:01.080 And because of that, we had great flexibility in traveling. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:04.380 We were studying the politics of the UK and the EU. 00:15:04.580 --> 00:15:06.220 So we literally, for a whole semester, 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:08.540 jumped from place to place almost every three days, 00:15:08.980 --> 00:15:10.880 except for a six-week stint in London. 00:15:11.060 --> 00:15:13.480 We truly felt like sojourners. 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:15.420 And so in that semester, 00:15:15.740 --> 00:15:21.560 there was plenty of stories of good travel experiences and bad travel experiences. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:27.340 One free weekend that Rachel and I had when we were in London, 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:32.019 we decided to go to Switzerland to do hiking in the Alps for a few days. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:34.980 And so we booked a flight from London to Zurich. 00:15:35.060 --> 00:15:37.740 We planned on catching a train from Zurich to Interlochen. 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:41.759 But the problem was that our flight from London to Zurich was delayed. 00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:45.180 And then when we got to Zurich, we couldn't get all the way to Interlochen. 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:47.519 We could get as far by train as the city of Bern. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.279 And so we got to the city of Bern at about 10 or 11 at night, 00:15:51.379 --> 00:15:53.060 but then had no other place to go. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:56.379 And this was before the time of smartphones, 00:15:56.379 --> 00:15:59.919 so we couldn't just pull up a map or call an Uber or book a hotel. 00:16:00.060 --> 00:16:01.960 We were literally stuck in the train station. 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:06.280 And so that's where we spent our night with no place to sleep and nothing to eat. 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:07.940 It was exposed. 00:16:08.259 --> 00:16:08.800 It was outdoors. 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:12.300 And so there we sat rather miserable throughout the night. 00:16:13.540 --> 00:16:17.560 Another better experience of that trip was we had several days in Florence, Italy. 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:22.800 And so there was a group of us that decided to go on this bike excursion, 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:25.300 this tour through the Tuscan countryside. 00:16:26.219 --> 00:16:29.679 And so on that trip, we rode for several hours. 00:16:29.779 --> 00:16:32.500 Then we got to this old castle where there was this old winery. 00:16:32.620 --> 00:16:34.740 We got to tour the winery, went a little further. 00:16:34.819 --> 00:16:40.819 And then we had lunch at this little Italian restaurant that had this fresh bread and fresh pasta and wine. 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:43.019 And by the time that meal was over, 00:16:43.099 --> 00:16:47.399 none of us had any desire to get back on that bike and ride several more hours 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.159 to complete our loop back into Florence. 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:56.159 And so we see in those experiences both the good and the bad that can keep us, 00:16:56.600 --> 00:17:00.120 that can impede us from the desire of finishing our trip. 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:04.480 You know, in both those instances, I was a kind of a pilgrim of sorts, 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:06.680 going from point A to point B. 00:17:07.399 --> 00:17:12.359 And so the hardship that I experienced on that train ride that didn't end up getting me to my destination, 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:15.339 I was focused on how miserable I was at that moment, 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:20.659 rather than recognizing that still, in a few hours' time, I'll be at 10,000 feet hiking in the Alps. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.379 And then when I was at that lunch during that Italian siesta, you'd call it, 00:17:27.419 --> 00:17:31.599 I had lost my desire altogether to complete that bike ride. 00:17:32.819 --> 00:17:37.519 And so Joseph understood these inclinations of his people when they experienced great pleasure 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:40.919 or when they experienced pain to forget about God's promise. 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:47.500 You see, when Joseph's family came to Egypt, Pharaoh gave him the land of Goshen for his family. 00:17:47.600 --> 00:17:51.340 This was some of the most fertile area in all of Egypt. 00:17:52.320 --> 00:17:57.300 And so when that famine had passed, this was an area that was great for raising families 00:17:57.300 --> 00:18:01.580 and raising their livestock and growing and multiplying, which they did. 00:18:01.579 --> 00:18:07.119 And so Joseph knew that they would be tempted to want to stay in this land, 00:18:07.179 --> 00:18:11.980 to forget God's promise and to forget that they are supposed to be pilgrims on a journey to a better country. 00:18:12.159 --> 00:18:17.339 So Joseph wanted his bones to remind them to not to grow content with their surroundings. 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:21.819 But on the flip side of the coin, he wanted his bones to remind them, 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:29.439 to remember of God's promise, to remember God's promise when they experienced bad times. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:37.340 Because right after, in Genesis 50, the passage we read where Joseph gives his instructions to his family regarding his bones, 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:40.620 the very next chapter in the Bible is Exodus 1. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:48.640 And Exodus 1 immediately tells us of how the Israelites were thrown into slavery by the Egyptians. 00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:53.220 So we know that this life of ease and comfort did not last long. 00:18:53.220 --> 00:19:01.700 And so in the same way, Joseph wants his bones to remind them that God is their rescuer. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:09.900 Joseph wanted his bones to be remembered so they wouldn't grow content in their country 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:15.460 and they wouldn't grow embittered to God in this case. 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:18.319 And so this is interesting. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.860 This is really something that should be a part of our lives as well. 00:19:22.859 --> 00:19:28.799 When we recognize that Joseph wanted his people to be pilgrims, that's what we are nowadays also called to. 00:19:30.699 --> 00:19:32.419 We just looked at 1 Peter. 00:19:32.479 --> 00:19:34.539 We went through that series not long ago in the spring. 00:19:34.719 --> 00:19:39.779 And over and over again, we are reminded by Peter that we are exiles and that we are sojourners in this world. 00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:42.299 That this world is not our home. 00:19:42.399 --> 00:19:44.859 That should be a part of our DNA as believers. 00:19:44.859 --> 00:19:52.159 And so Jonathan Edwards, in a sermon he preached, shared this sentiment. 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:52.459 He said, 00:19:52.639 --> 00:19:59.099 This life ought to be so spent by us as to be only a journey or pilgrimage toward heaven. 00:20:00.259 --> 00:20:03.939 And so we need to remember not to cling on to the comforts of this life 00:20:03.939 --> 00:20:09.079 because our enjoyment of Christ is really the only thing that can fully satisfy us. 00:20:09.079 --> 00:20:12.019 Edwards goes on to say this in his sermon. 00:20:12.139 --> 00:20:12.399 He said, 00:20:12.919 --> 00:20:18.199 To go to heaven fully to enjoy God is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. 00:20:19.139 --> 00:20:23.839 Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends are but shadows. 00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:27.339 But the enjoyment of God is the substance. 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:31.019 These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. 00:20:31.099 --> 00:20:33.159 These are but streams, but God is the fountain. 00:20:33.259 --> 00:20:35.980 These are but drops, but God is the ocean. 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:40.500 And so let us hold loosely to the things of this world, 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:45.240 not being captivated by wealth or success or the comforts of family and friends, 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:49.680 to know that God has promised us a better country for those who believe in him. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:56.400 But similarly, let us recognize that this life is hard, that this journey will be difficult. 00:20:57.779 --> 00:20:59.579 Edwards continues by saying, 00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:02.380 Long journeys are attended with toil and fatigue, 00:21:02.380 --> 00:21:09.340 and we should expect no other than to experience suffering, hardship, and weariness. 00:21:10.840 --> 00:21:12.800 And so on our journey, we're going to face trouble. 00:21:14.560 --> 00:21:18.740 We're going to encounter sickness and job loss and broken relationships, 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:23.300 but we can continue on in the holiness of Christ, 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:28.600 relying on God for strength and endurance as we seek to walk with him in faith. 00:21:28.599 --> 00:21:33.619 And so this was Joseph's desire to remain as a pilgrim. 00:21:33.679 --> 00:21:37.139 This is what he wanted his family to remember, that they are pilgrims. 00:21:37.179 --> 00:21:38.500 And the interesting thing is this. 00:21:38.859 --> 00:21:41.959 Joseph, who was forced out of the land of Canaan by his family, 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:47.500 will be the one, his bones, the ones that leads his family back to the promised land. 00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:52.420 And so then that brings us to that last point, 00:21:53.059 --> 00:21:57.099 that these bones of Joseph symbolize God's promise to us. 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:02.880 I don't know if you were old enough to remember the days before Facebook, 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:06.759 but if you turn back the clock to the early 2000s, pre-Facebook, 00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:09.680 there was another website called MySpace. 00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:14.299 It was one of the very first social media platforms, and it really took off. 00:22:14.299 --> 00:22:18.019 It was founded by a guy named Tom Anderson, and he built this thing up in a few years 00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:21.659 to the point that it was one of the most traffic sites in all the world. 00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:27.259 And just after a few years' time of creating this website that was so novel in its time, 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:29.319 he sold it for $580 million. 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:36.359 And he stayed on as present for a few years, but then decided, well, I'm done with this, 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:38.440 and he broke ties entirely with the company. 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:42.820 And he realized that his investment would be better. 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:45.259 His time and his money would be best served somewhere else. 00:22:45.340 --> 00:22:49.320 And he was right, because just a few years later, six years after making that sale, 00:22:49.840 --> 00:22:56.680 the value of the company plummeted over 90% and was sold for $35 million in 2011. 00:22:58.580 --> 00:23:00.779 And so as we look at the life of Joseph here, 00:23:01.320 --> 00:23:03.700 we've talked about the fact that he had great power. 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:05.559 He had great influence. 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:08.799 He built up this great life for himself and for his family, 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:10.840 but also for the people of Egypt. 00:23:10.920 --> 00:23:15.559 Like I said, he really transformed their whole economy to turn into this superpower. 00:23:17.340 --> 00:23:22.360 But yet, just like Tom from MySpace here, Joseph cashed out, so to speak. 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:25.580 He recognized that it wasn't worth his investment to stay in Egypt, 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:30.840 that the value of that country and their family was not going to last there. 00:23:30.839 --> 00:23:37.659 He recognized that God's promise was where great value came. 00:23:39.439 --> 00:23:41.339 John Calvin said this about Joseph. 00:23:42.179 --> 00:23:42.459 He said, 00:23:42.819 --> 00:23:47.339 Wealth, luxuries, and honors made not the holy man to forget the promise, 00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:49.579 nor detain him from Egypt. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:52.939 And this was evidence of no small faith. 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:57.599 You know, we talked about this covenant that God made with Abraham 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:59.119 that Joseph would have remembered. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:03.139 But before that covenant, God made a covenant with Adam. 00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:08.619 And it was in this covenant that he told Adam that he would experience great blessing 00:24:08.619 --> 00:24:10.819 if he kept God's commands. 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:14.000 We know how that story went, right? 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.599 Adam could not and did not keep that covenant. 00:24:17.199 --> 00:24:20.079 And because of that, sin and death entered the world. 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:24.980 And so these bones of Joseph remind us of that death. 00:24:25.059 --> 00:24:26.740 They remind us of our own mortality. 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:29.839 But more than that, they point to a promise. 00:24:31.379 --> 00:24:35.259 They point to a covenant of hope that we have in the future. 00:24:37.299 --> 00:24:42.259 You see, because God wasn't promising Abraham and his family just land. 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:44.099 He was actually promising them life. 00:24:44.099 --> 00:24:50.119 He promised to rescue them from sin and from death. 00:24:50.119 --> 00:24:55.219 And so we see this imagery of the bones not only used here in this passage in the life of Joseph, 00:24:55.339 --> 00:24:57.659 but we see it elsewhere in the Bible as well. 00:24:58.740 --> 00:25:01.799 If we look to the book of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37, 00:25:02.219 --> 00:25:04.939 the prophet receives a vision from God. 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:09.019 And he's placed in this valley full of dry bones. 00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:13.160 And God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy over these bones. 00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:13.980 And this is what he said. 00:25:15.019 --> 00:25:17.240 He said, dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 00:25:17.400 --> 00:25:20.200 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones. 00:25:21.320 --> 00:25:24.220 I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:29.000 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover your skin. 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:31.400 I will put breath in you and you will come to life. 00:25:31.460 --> 00:25:33.180 And then you will know that I am the Lord. 00:25:34.940 --> 00:25:39.740 And Ezekiel says that he then sees these bones come to life and grow flesh 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:41.559 and the breath of God is placed in them. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:44.400 And then God said to Ezekiel this, 00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:48.660 Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:53.640 They say our bones are dried up and our hope is gone and we are cut off. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:58.039 Therefore prophesy and say to them, this is what the sovereign Lord says. 00:25:58.360 --> 00:26:02.279 My people, I am going to open your graves and I will bring you up from them. 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:04.860 I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 00:26:05.660 --> 00:26:10.240 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 00:26:10.580 --> 00:26:14.360 And I will put my spirit in you and you will live and I will settle you in your land. 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:17.180 And then you will know that the Lord has spoken. 00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:19.559 I have done it, declares the Lord. 00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:23.420 You know, as I mentioned at the beginning, 00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:31.640 the author of Hebrews doesn't focus on the faith exhibited in Joseph's life that we may expect. 00:26:31.800 --> 00:26:37.259 He doesn't talk about his faith by being able to interpret dreams or his rise to power or his leadership skills. 00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:44.640 He focuses on the faith that Joseph had, that his bones would be buried in the promised land. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:50.500 And so we see this hope that Joseph has is the hope that we have in the resurrection. 00:26:50.500 --> 00:26:58.059 It foreshadows the resurrection of Jesus because Joseph knew that God was a God of the living. 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:02.279 He knew that the only way to dwell with God was to dwell in his holy land. 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:06.240 And so that's the promise that each one of us have. 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:09.859 To dwell with God in his holy land. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:17.740 And the thing of it is now, we don't have to look to the bones of Joseph to be reminded of this promise. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:19.819 We have something far, far better. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:23.980 We are reminded of this promise through an empty tomb. 00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:28.460 For Jesus is the greater Joseph. 00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:33.700 He's the one who leads us into a better country, an eternal, heavenly country. 00:27:34.620 --> 00:27:37.480 Not by his dead bones, but by his resurrected body. 00:27:39.259 --> 00:27:45.480 We know that Jesus is the one who endured the cross, who scorned the shame, and now sits at the throne of God. 00:27:46.900 --> 00:27:50.779 And so it's in him alone that we must place our trust, not in our own prominence, 00:27:50.860 --> 00:27:53.360 not in the comforts and seductions of this world, 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:56.639 but in a God who keeps his word. 00:27:58.179 --> 00:28:01.539 And so this really is the offer to all of us. 00:28:02.899 --> 00:28:07.159 It's a calling that God gives each one of us to come, pilgrim. 00:28:08.459 --> 00:28:09.559 To journey on. 00:28:11.399 --> 00:28:13.539 To know that this is not your home. 00:28:13.639 --> 00:28:17.639 To find rest in Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. 00:28:17.699 --> 00:28:22.359 Because it is only in him that we may find rest in the promised land. 00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:24.939 Will you pray with me? 00:28:24.940 --> 00:28:31.980 Oh God, we thank you for your promise. 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:36.059 For your eternal covenant that does not end. 00:28:36.059 --> 00:28:45.879 Lord, we thank you for your promise is not based on our faithfulness, how weak and feeble it is sometimes, 00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:49.559 but on the faithfulness of Jesus. 00:28:51.679 --> 00:28:55.839 Lord, thank you that we can look to the empty tomb as our hope. 00:28:55.839 --> 00:29:00.879 Lord, we ask that you deepen our faith. 00:29:02.399 --> 00:29:07.819 For those of us who may not know you, may you give us desire to be in relationship with you, 00:29:07.899 --> 00:29:10.839 to walk with you in faith. 00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:16.099 We thank you that you're a God who loves us, that welcomes us into your family. 00:29:17.179 --> 00:29:18.839 We praise you for it in Jesus' name. 00:29:19.779 --> 00:29:20.039 Amen. 00:29:23.159 --> 00:29:26.459 Now we'll hear our last hymn sung, By Faith. 00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:49.120 By faith we see the hand of God. 00:29:49.119 --> 00:30:17.199 By faith our fathers roamed the earth. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:47.180 We will stand as children of the promise. 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:52.779 Fix our eyes on Him, our souls reward. 00:30:53.180 --> 00:31:00.620 Till the race is finished and the work is done. 00:31:01.320 --> 00:31:05.940 We'll walk by faith and not by sight. 00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:22.559 By faith the prophets saw a day, when the longed for Messiah would appear. 00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:30.559 With the power to break the chains of sin and death. 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:36.559 And rise triumphant from the grave. 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:38.559 By faith the church was called to come. 00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:43.559 By faith the church was called to come. 00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:45.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:49.559 And the power of the Spirit to the Lord. 00:31:49.559 --> 00:31:57.559 To deliver captives and to preach good news. 00:31:57.559 --> 00:31:59.559 By faith the church was called to come. 00:31:59.559 --> 00:32:01.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:03.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:05.559 By faith the Lord. 00:32:05.559 --> 00:32:07.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:07.559 --> 00:32:09.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:11.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:11.559 --> 00:32:13.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:13.559 --> 00:32:15.559 And the power of the Lord. 00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:20.559 donating our souls reward. 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:22.559 Till the race is finished. 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:27.559 And the work is done. 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:41.579 We'll walk by faith and not by sight. 00:32:41.579 --> 00:32:47.179 And the power of the gospel shall prevail. 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:54.460 For we know in Christ all things are possible. 00:32:56.179 --> 00:33:01.099 For all who call upon his name. 00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:07.099 We will stand as children of promise. 00:33:07.099 --> 00:33:12.279 We will fix our eyes on him. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:14.819 Our souls reborn. 00:33:15.240 --> 00:33:22.039 Till the race is finished and work is done. 00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:27.579 We'll walk by faith and not by sight. 00:33:37.099 --> 00:33:43.240 Now will you stand with me to receive the benediction taken from Hebrews 13. 00:33:44.779 --> 00:33:51.819 Now may the God of peace who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus. 00:33:51.819 --> 00:33:56.579 That great shepherd of the sheep equip you with everything good for doing his will. 00:33:57.299 --> 00:34:00.819 And may he work in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ. 00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:04.159 Who be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:07.440 Go in peace.