Letter to the Hebrews Volume 136

 The Faith of Joseph

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. KJV

If any of the Hebrews had witnessed the Mighty protective power of the Lord God at work it surely was Joseph (the son of Jacob). Therefore, we have here the Holy Spirit prompting the writer of Hebrews to surely place Joseph as one of the Hebrew heroes of faith, as it is written with these words, "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) (KJV). Joseph (being the next to last son born to Jacob) bore the brunt of his other 10 brother's bitterness and resentment of him because he and his brother Benjamin were the son's from his wife Rachel (whom Jacob loved more than his other wives) and in so doing he loved Joseph more than he did his other sons, as it is written, "The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin." (Genesis 35:24) (KJV), and also written here, "And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more." (Genesis 37:1-5) (KJV). The hatred that the other 10 brothers had for Joseph led them to sell him into slavery and then pretend to their Father Jacob that he had been killed by wild animals. Finally, Joseph ended up in Egypt and many other terrible things happened to him, however, the Lord God/Jesus was with him, as it is written, "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem." (Acts 7:9-16) (KJV). Joseph not only remembered the promise of God to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's descendants, but he also remembered God's warning to Abraham that his descendants would dwell in a strange land (Joseph aware that this land of Egypt he was brought into must be that strange land) and be enslaved by those people for 400 years, but would be brought out by the Mighty powerful hand of their/our God, as it is written here, "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." (Genesis 15:13-14) (KJV). Note: "Remember that when Jacob, his other sons, and all the other people with them were brought into the land of Egypt, there were only 75 of them and they began to grow rapidly in number during Joseph time in Egypt, however, after Joseph's death and the Pharaoh's death that he served under, the later Pharoah's became fearful of the population of the Hebrew people so much that they then remembered not Joseph and enslaved the Hebrew people fearing they would rise up and overthrow them." Joseph forseeing all of this, then gave command to the Hebrew people to take his bones out of the land of Egypt (for he knew that this land was not his true homeland), as it is written here, "And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." (Genesis 50:22-26) (KJV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:22, "Joseph was eminent for his faith, though he had not enjoyed the helps for it which the rest of his brethren had. He was sold into Egypt. He was tried by temptations, by sin, by persecution, for retaining his integrity. He was tried by preferment and power in the court of Pharaoh, and yet his faith held out and carried him through to the last. (1.) He made mention by faith of the departing of the children of Israel, that the time should come when they should be delivered out of Egypt; and he did this both that he might caution them against the thoughts of settling in Egypt, which was now a place of plenty and ease to them; and also that he might keep them from sinking under the calamities and distresses which he foresaw were coming upon them there; and he does it to comfort himself, that though he should not live to see their deliverance, yet he could die in the faith of it. (2.) He gave commandment concerning his bones, that they should preserve them unburied in Egypt, till God should deliver them out of that house of bondage, and that then they should carry his bones along with them into Canaan and deposit them there. Though believers are chiefly concerned for their souls, yet they cannot wholly neglect their bodies, as being members of Christ and parts of themselves, which shall at length be raised up, and be the happy companions of their glorified souls to all eternity. Now Joseph gave this order, not that he thought his being buried in Egypt would either prejudice his soul or prevent the resurrection of his body (as some of the rabbis fancied that all the Jews who were buried out of Canaan must be conveyed underground to Canaan before they could rise again), but to testify, [1.] That though he had lived and died in Egypt, yet he did not live and die an Egyptian, but an Israelite. [2.] That he preferred a significant burial in Canaan before a magnificent one in Egypt. [3.] That he would go as far with his people as he could, though he could not go as far as he would. [4.] That he believed the resurrection of the body, and the communion that his soul should presently have with departed saints, as his body had with their dead bodies. [5.] To assure them that God would be with them in Egypt, and deliver them out of it in his own time and way." Here also is what the JFB Commentary had to say of Hebrews 11:22, "Joseph's eminent position in Egypt did not make him regard it as his home: in faith he looked to God's promise of Canaan being fulfilled and desired that his bones should rest there: testifying thus: (1) That he had no doubt of his posterity obtaining the promised land: and (2) That he believed in the resurrection of the body, and the enjoyment in it of the heavenly Canaan. His wish was fulfilled (Joshua 24:32; Acts 4:16)."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…