Hebrews - The Faith of Joseph

When you walk into Holy Trinity Church at Stratford-on-Avon in England, you walk down the end of the aisle and there at the altar is a very special grave, it’s the grave of William Shakespeare. And inscribed on that grave is his own epitaph, and it reads like this: Good friend for Jesus sake forbear to dig the dust enclosed here; blessed be the man who spares these stones, and cursed be he who moves my bones. And that’s what Shakespeare had to say at his grave. Cursed be he who moves my bones.

Well, there's a man in the Bible who wanted his bones to be moved. His name was Joseph, we read about him in Hebrews 11:22, "By faith Joseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones."

Now what was that commandment? Genesis 50:24, "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel saying, God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old, and they embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

The story continues in Exodus 13:19, "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel saying, God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you." And then Joshua 24:32, "And the bones of Joseph which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph."

This is an interesting story. Joseph wanted his bones moved, very unusual for a Jew. A Jew when he is buried wants that plot of ground or that tomb kept very, very safe and secure and sacred. But Joseph, you see, knew that God was going to do something very wonderful for the people of Israel.

God chose this one event in Joseph’s life to show the greatness of his faith. What would you have chosen? Joseph’s faith when he suffered in prison unjustly? Or his faith when he asked God for wisdom to understand Pharaoh’s dreams? Or perhaps his faith when he trusted God to supply the need? Or his faith when he asked God to give him grace to deal with his brothers?

But God in writing Hebrews 11 said the one thing I want people to know about the faith of Joseph is this: he had the faith to believe that one day Israel would leave Egypt and he wanted his bones to go along with his people.

Well, this event reveals, I think, the secrets behind Joseph’s greatness. Two things come to mind. First of all, Joseph knew what he believed. Now that’s an interesting thing. He remembered God’s promise to Abraham.

Now you must remember Joseph did not have a Bible, a concordance, he didn’t have a study Bible that listed all the prophecies. These great promises were handed down by word of mouth. And Abraham told Isaac, and Isaac told Jacob, and Jacob told his sons, and they in turn told their families.

We read in Genesis 15:13 when God was speaking to Abraham, He said this: "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance."

Now God had made this promise to Abraham and God was going to fulfill that promise. Joseph knew what he believed. Joseph knew that the Jews would go into Egypt as strangers, then they would become servants, slaves, they would suffer, and then one day God would bring them salvation. I suppose that his brethren knew that same promise and it’s possible that Joseph reminded them of that which they already knew.

That’s why Peter wrote his letters, you know. He said, I want to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. We forget things. That’s why we must constantly be reading the Word of God. I make it a policy to try to read through the Word of God year after year after year, because I’ll read something and say, has that always been there? I never saw that before. We forget.

It seems incredible at that time in history that the Jewish nation would be going through suffering eventually. Joseph had rescued Egypt. Joseph was a big man in Egypt. His family was treated with great respect and for many years the Jewish people had it easy in Egypt. But you know, a nation that has it easy becomes an easy prey to the enemy, and God had to make them suffer to prepare them for their future experience.

You know, I’m kind of amazed that Joseph had any faith at all. Joseph had a rough life. I’ve heard people say to me when I’ve been in pastoral ministry, well you know, pastor, the way my mother treated me or the way my brothers treated me, you expect me to believe in your God? Not on your life. Well, look at the kind of treatment that Joseph had. His mother died when he was but a child. His brothers were bad examples, they mistreated him and sold him to be a servant.

When he was down in Egypt, he was abused and mistreated, put in prison for some things he didn’t do. He went to Egypt at the age of seventeen, at the age of thirty he was elevated to being second ruler in the land. He went through thirteen years of trouble and trial and difficulty and servitude. And then Egypt was not a believing place. The people in Egypt didn’t have any faith in Jehovah God. Everything in Joseph’s life pointed toward Joseph becoming an unbeliever. And yet Joseph was a man of great faith.

Now please don't tell me that because of the way other Christians have treated you, you’re going to lose your faith. Joseph didn’t. And don’t say, well the way God has permitted things to happen to my life, I’m through. Joseph didn’t say that. Joseph knew what he believed. You know why? Because Joseph had proved the Word of God personally in his own life.

Psalm 105:16-22, "Moreover, God called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant, whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron until the time that his word came; the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his substance, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom."

Joseph proved God’s word there in prison. He knew what it was to just trust God.

Where does faith come from? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And this Word of God came to Joseph and assured him that he was going to be the victor. It’s interesting that Jacob had this same faith.

In Genesis 47:29-30, we read these words: "And the time drew nigh that Israel or Jacob must die; and he called his son Joseph and said to him, if now I have found grace in thy sight, put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not I pray thee in Egypt. But I will lie with my fathers and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place. And he said, I will do as thou hast said."

You see Joseph was encouraged in his faith by his own father. It’s a marvelous thing when a father’s faith influences the son and the son is a great man of faith because of the father.

You may be going through suffering today and you say this suffering makes me want to doubt God. Suffering made Joseph trust God all the more. The trial of our faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes. Joseph’s faith was more valuable to him than all of the treasures of Egypt because Joseph knew what he believed. God will surely visit you. Joseph was one of these men who lived in the future tense.

I’ve noticed that all the great people of faith listed in Hebrews 11 were looking toward the future. Noah was looking for that deliverance beyond the flood. Abraham was looking for that city that had foundations, so were Isaac and Jacob looking for that city. Isaac blessed Jacob concerning things to come, and Jacob was looking also for that future time when God would work on behalf of his people.

If you’re living by faith, you’re not burdened by today or shackled by yesterday; you are living in the future tense.

Now do you know what you believe? You say well, how did Joseph know what to believe? God told him. God had told Abraham that I will deliver Israel from Egypt, and Abraham told Isaac, and Isaac told Jacob, and Jacob told Joseph. He said, now when Israel is delivered from Egypt, make sure that they take my bones. And Joseph said fine, I’ll go right along with you. They can carry the both of us out of here because we don’t want to stay here in Egypt. He knew what he believed.

I’m amazed at how many Christians do not know what they believe. They wonder why they have weak faith, shallow faith, when they have a whole Bible to encourage them to trust God. The secret of his greatness, he knew what he believed and secondly, he knew where he belonged. His citizenship was not in Egypt. He knew he belonged in Canaan land, that was the land of promise.

Well, we don’t belong here in this world. Philippians 3:20-21, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our lowly body that it may be fashioned like His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." Our citizenship is not in this world, not in Egypt. Egypt, as you know, is a picture of this world’s system. We’re not supposed to conform to the things of this world.

Now while Joseph was in Egypt, he faithfully did his job, but he was always a stranger and a pilgrim. He was always hanging loose. He realized this was not his permanent place and he didn’t want his sons and his grandsons and his great-grandsons to get attached to Egypt. Abraham had gotten into trouble in Egypt, Isaac had started to go down to Egypt and God stopped him. Abraham had problems with Hagar who came out of Egypt.

And Joseph did not want his sons to get involved in anything pertaining to Egypt and so he kept reminding his relatives: when you get when you are delivered from Egypt, take my bones. Take our father’s bones along and you take my bones along because I want to be buried in Canaan land.

Now, the grave or the tomb of Joseph in Egypt must have been a great encouragement to the Jewish people during their time of trouble. I want you to know that when the Jews were in servitude, in slavery in Egypt, their life was difficult.

Now you’d never know it to listen to them in Exodus and Numbers. They were always talking about the leeks and the onions and the garlic and the fish and the meat all the things they ate in Egypt. Oh, they forgot the lash of the taskmasters, they forgot the burdens carrying these huge rocks to build pyramids and cities and so forth.

And I can just see some tired, weary, discouraged Jewish men going home after a long day’s labor in the desert and going past the tomb of Jacob and Joseph and saying, you know, Jacob said we’re going to be delivered. Joseph said we’re going to be delivered. Let’s not give up, our redemption is drawing nigh. Let’s take new courage because soon God may send the deliverer.

And then when Egypt was delivered of Israel, when Egypt looked around and Israel was gone, there was an empty tomb sitting there.

And Egyptians would go by and say, whose tomb is that? You know the Egyptians were very careful about the dead. Whose tomb is this? Well, a fellow named Joseph and his father Jacob were buried there, but when those Jews left Egypt, they took those bodies with them. That empty tomb was a witness to Egypt that God’s word was true.

Now we have an empty tomb, don’t we? The Lord Jesus Christ left the tomb empty. He came forth victorious from the grave. He didn’t just simply have somebody move His body. He came out bodily and He ascended back to heaven and that empty tomb is evidence to us that one day God’s going to take us out of this world.

"I am the resurrection and the life," said the Lord Jesus. "He that believeth on Me, though he were dead yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." He’s talking about two kinds of people. Believers who go to sleep in Jesus will be raised from the dead when our Lord returns. And those of us who are alive when He comes are going to be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We shall never have to die. It’ll be a glorious reunion and resurrection time when Jesus Christ comes.

Now God sent His deliverer to Egypt, his name was Moses. And Moses did by the blood of the lamb deliver the people from Egypt and they carried with them the bones of Joseph and of Jacob in keeping their promise. Well, the Word of God makes it very clear that one of these days there’s going to be deliverance for God’s people. Joseph knew what he believed. He believed that Egypt was not his home and he was one day supposed to be in Canaan land. And Joseph knew where he belonged. Do you know where you belong?

Oh Christian friend, don’t fool around with the world. Don’t be conformed to this world, don’t be friendly with this world, don’t be interested in the things of this world because this is not where your citizenship is. You and I are one day going to be carried away. We are going to be raptured, resurrected, and carried off to glory where our citizenship is, where our home is, where our Father is, where our Savior is. And we want to be like Joseph, don’t we?

You know, it’s rather interesting that the book of Genesis begins with a garden and ends with a coffin. The Lord Jesus Christ has reversed that, hasn’t He? We get to the end of the book of Revelation, we’re back in the garden again, we’re back in paradise again.

Oh, one of these days we shall be with the Lord Jesus Christ to reign with Him and to enjoy His presence and His blessings forever. Now don’t be satisfied with the present. Press on because before you is a heavenly country. Press on because before you is the heavenly city.

"Press on, forgetting those things which are behind," said the apostle Paul, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Set your affection on things above. No matter what your situation may be today, just keep reminding yourself, I’m going to heaven. I’m going to be in heaven. I’m going to see the Lord Jesus. What goes on in this world a hundred years from now will not bother me because I will be in glory with the Lord Jesus Christ.

You’d better be ready to move if you’re a pilgrim and a stranger you had better be ready to move. You don’t know when you’re going to move. Hebrews 13:14, "We have here no abiding city." Are you ready to move today? Are you looking for that city and are you expecting Jesus to come?

Do you know what you believe? And do you know where you belong? And does what you believe control where you belong? Are you living by faith? Are you living in the future tense?