“Joseph: Bones”

February 25, 2017

“Joseph: Bones”

Blessings folk!

We resume where we left off three months ago…thought I forgot, huh? Happy

By faith!

Remember, Hebrews 11 is a great “gallery of faith” that the Lord has given us.
A reminder of those who have gone before.
Their faith.
Their lives.

Hebrews 11:22

By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel,
and gave orders concerning his bones.


Well, that doesn’t sound too exciting?
But it is.

By faith Joseph knew that the day would come when his people would return to the land that the Lord had given.

Gen 50:24-26

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.”

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you,
and you shall carry my bones up from here.”

So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years;
and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.


By faith, Joseph…

  • knew that God would take care of them
  • knew that God would return them to the Promised land
  • made the sons of Israel swear to take his bones up from there to there

This was not some strange icon worship or process.
This was a sign of faith before the people.

By faith, Joseph…
  • believed in life after death
  • believed that God would resurrect
  • believed that God would fulfill His promises

The children of Israel did as instructed…

Exodus 13:19

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.”

Joshua 24:32

Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.


May we live by faith!