By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. Hebrews 11:22
Look back over the extraordinary life of Joseph. What does the rest of the Bible have to say about him? He was a remarkable person who lived a remarkable life. He overcame extraordinary difficulties and was blessed with the most unlikely success. He served as the governor of Egypt, and through his God-given wisdom, he saved the lives of thousands of people, including the family of God to whom the great promise of a Redeemer had been given.
But when you come to the New Testament, very little is said about Joseph. Of all Joseph said and did, just one thing is recorded about him: his bones. At the end of his life, Joseph “gave directions concerning his bones” (11:22).
Here’s what this means for us. What matters more than the things you achieve in your life is where you will be after your death. You may have great accomplishments in this world, but what will they be on the day you die?
What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul (Mark 8:36)? When Joseph came to his last days, the thing that mattered was not what he suffered or achieved. It was that he had put his hope in the promise of God, and he knew he was destined for a better land in which he would enjoy a better life.
The book of Genesis ended in a coffin in Egypt. Spreading out from Eden, sin and death had covered the world. And even Joseph, the most godly person of his day, was caught up in pain and loss. But Joseph points us to Jesus and the hope of the gospel: our Savior is not in a coffin. His tomb is empty. He is risen.
To all who believe in Him, Jesus promises, “Because I live, you also will live” (Jn. 14:19).
Are you placing all your hope in what you can achieve in this life? Or on where you will be in the next?
