Joseph is mentioned alongside several heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11. The writer says, “By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones” (Heb. 11:22; cf. Gen. 50:25-26).
Joseph led an amazing and faithful life. If anyone needed to be mentioned in Hebrews it was Joseph. He was a faithful witness of God’s goodness and power. But if you were the writer of Hebrews, wouldn’t you choose one of the amazing Sunday School lesson moments in Joseph’s life? Instead the writer of Hebrews chose the most unlikely event in Joseph’s life – his deathbed.
At the end of Joseph’s life he had one request. He didn’t want his bones to stay in Egypt. Joseph accepted being buried in Egypt, but he didn’t want his bones staying there forever. Joseph knew there would be a day that God would visit his people. He knew Israel would leave Egypt and they would go back to Canaan. Even though Joseph would be dead, and he would be buried in a coffin, he did not want to stay there.
God wouldn’t leave Israel in Egypt. Egypt wasn’t their destination it was merely a pit stop in God’s eternal plan. Joseph’s dying words spoke of a better place and a future hope. Joseph’s home was not Egypt it was in Canaan. Joseph didn’t even want his dead dry bones to stay in Egypt, but one day desired to be buried in the Promised Land.
Brothers and sisters, there will be a day when God will come for His people. He will come like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2). The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first! Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:15-17).
Joseph knew Egypt wasn’t his home. Beloved, this world is not our home, we are just passing through, our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.