Faith Plans A Funeral

“By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.” Hebrews 11:22

By his life, Joseph said much about faith, but at his death, he shouted the definition.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,” and Joseph was both sure and certain that Egypt wouldn’t be the permanent residence of his relatives. Way back, God had told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years in a foreign country before God punished their oppressors and rescued His people. Joseph was so secure in God’s promise and so excited about God’s plans that he didn’t want to be left behind. If he couldn’t make it in person, at last part of him could take the trip, so he “spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”

When Joseph spoke his wishes, life was good for the Israelites. Joseph had been Egypt’s rescue hero, so many assumed Pharaoh’s favor would never end. But Joseph believed God’s words to his great-grandfather and knew that such would not be so. His instructions were proof of a faith that looked past his few years into God’s glorious future. In the coming days of sorrow and slavery, of bricks and beatings, Joseph’s words were a lifeline of hope the people could hold onto even if things weren’t looking up in their lifetime.

His directions were passed down through generations, and when deliverance day finally arrived, in the midst of the joyous but hasty exodus, someone made sure to grab what was left of Joseph. The box held more than a bunch of bones. The clunks and clatter were evidence of a heart that took God at His word and believed His word. For forty years someone carried the Joseph’s casket through the wilderness—a constant reminder that real faith never goes unrewarded. If the windows of Paradise were open to earth, surely Joseph smiled as his bones were finally buried in the Promised Land(Joshua 24:32), and hopefully those who heaped dirt in the hole paused to ponder the faith of a great man in his much greater God.

God’s speaks often in Scripture of the glorious future ahead for those who are His, and we can hang onto His words with hope. Don’t let anything rattle your bones—or your heart. A better place is just over the horizon, so have faith in life—and in death.

No one will need to carry your casket.
God will bring you to His Promised Land—in person.