“Carry Up My Bones” (Gen 49:29-50:26)

“And Joseph said to his brothers, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from hence.” (Gen 50:24-25)

My desire is to be found faithful, to die and go to heaven. Joseph said, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here”, to the Promised Land, because he believed God's promise was everything. You may have this desire, by God's grace, to want the unseen more than the visible.

First, we desire eternal life and the promises of God because God breathes the desire within (Gen 49:29-30). Jacob was Joseph's example, as he earlier had said, “bury me with my fathers ... in the land of Canaan”.

He showed by this evidence that his hope was on eternal life, pardon, acceptance with God, and heavenly rewards. He counted the cost and paid the price because God PERSUED him, just like He does us, breathing and maintaining life within. We see the reality of hell, the beauty of worship, and the forgiveness of sins. He makes us want Him by a mixture of goodness and fear.

Secondly, we have a right to the promises legally (vs31-33). We read, “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth”, so that our burial ground, our pardon, and our blessings were paid in full by Jesus. I can die in peace because Christ died for me, and I receive Him by faith. I put my merit away and depend only on what Christ did for me at the cross, bearing my sins to a land of forgiveness, where they are remembered no more, blotting them out of my record book, and fully establishing me righteous by faith alone.

Thirdly, we fear, even though we're saved, because of the remembrance of sin (Gen 50:15-21). After Joseph's father died, his brothers said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him”. But Joseph said, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Sin makes us fearful, and yet it brings us to Christ, by grace, to admit our sins and get undeserved mercy.

But, let us hear Joseph's words and receive them. We are to not be afraid. He says, “Do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones. And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them”. This is the exalted Son, ruling in love to you.