Faith to hope
By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones (Hebrews 11:22).
Joseph is one of the most remarkable men in the Bible. Like the Lord Jesus, he was loved by his father and hated by his brothers. He suffered at the hands of his brothers and they sold him into slavery. He endured injustice and imprisonment. But in a marvellous illustration of resurrection, he emerges from prison to become a saviour. God was with Joseph. He protected him from his brothers, in Potiphar’s house and in prison. God blessed Him in everything he did. Joseph came out of jail, not only to interpret Pharaoh’s dream but to transform his kingdom. He was a man who by God’s grace developed the greatest nation on earth at that time. And, in saving the kingdom from famine, Joseph, in fulfilment of God’s will, was able to save his own family and once more see his father who loved him so dearly. He did all of this by God’s hand. You would think there were so many things Joseph achieved which could have been recorded in Hebrews to describe his faith.
The most surprising is the one that we read about: the instructions he gave concerning his bones (Genesis 50:25). You would be forgiven for asking why this was so important. It was important because it shows us that Joseph looked to the future; he had hope. Although he lived such a powerful life in Egypt, his heart was in the Promised Land. Joseph had faith to look forward to the time when his people would leave Egypt and inherit the land God gave them. He believed in the promises of God. And, sure enough, when Moses left Egypt on the Passover night, he took the body of Joseph with him. It has been said that Joseph had the longest funeral in history. It lasted over forty years! As the children of Israel travelled through the wilderness, Joseph went everywhere with them. Until at last, Joshua took the people into the Promised Land, and Joseph, the great man of God, was buried at Shechem (Joshua 24:32). He is a reminder of the Lord Jesus. At the end of the book of Genesis, Joseph is the promise of hope. At the end of the book of Joshua, he is the fulfilment of hope.
Christianity is characterised by three things: Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these is Love, which is eternal. Faith will give way to sight, and Hope will be fulfilled. But now we have a living faith and a living hope. The hope of the Christian in the Bible refers to something future, but absolutely sure. Joseph believed with full certainty that God would lead His people to the Promised Land, and he prepared for that event. We believe that one day Christ is coming again, and, in the words of the apostle Paul, “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). In the words of John, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). This is a purifying hope: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). And, of course, the Lord Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:3). The challenge of faith is to live in the
light of the reality of Christ’s coming. This hope transformed the lives of early Christians. Their watchword was, “Maranatha” (“Our Lord, come!”). Waiting for the Lord stirs us to service. Watching for the Lord stirs us to worship.
