Hebrews 11:22: By Faith Joseph
2023-09-02
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. (Hebrews 11:22)
This is mentioned as a sign of Joseph’s faith rather than his persevering through persecution from his brothers, Potiphar’s wife, or being in prison. He saw something afar off that he could not live to see.
Consider Genesis 50:22-26. Joseph lived a long life, but not quite like the other patriarchs. Like Jacob, he invested in the lives of his children and grandchildren.
In Genesis 50:24, Joseph spoke to his brethren, most likely Israelites in general. Many of his brothers were older than him and some had likely died already. He told the Israelites “God will surely visit you.” The “surely” indicates that the verb “visit” is actually being used twice for emphasis. God’s bringing them up to Canaan was sure. Even though Joseph, once a deliverer of his people, would die, the Lord remains forever to ensure that His promises will be executed in the future. Joseph took God at His word even though he would not see it fulfilled in his lifetime.
Because Joseph would be dead at the time of the Exodus, he made them swear that his remains would be carried up to Canaan. This clearly shows that Joseph believed in the resurrection. Otherwise, why care about your remains? If you would rot for all eternity, why care about what happens to your bones? He believed in a resurrection, and while God could have moved his bones at the resurrection, Joseph likely wanted others to know that God would keep His promise to Abraham and his children.
The oath that the people swore was fulfilled. “But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 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” (Exodus 13:18-19).
Another forty years later, they reburied Joseph’s bones. “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 an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph” (Joshua 24:32). Where Joseph was buried became the land where his descendants lived.
Jesus was likely near this location at the time He spoke to the woman at the well. “Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph” (John 4:5).
So when we get to Hebrews 11:22, we see that Joseph’s commandment was given by faith. He was not going to see anything of what the Lord promised in His lifetime, and he knew this, but he trusted that the Lord would fulfill His promises and one day he would live again to see it.