Joseph and his father’s family remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years. He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation; the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by Joseph.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”
Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt. —Genesis 50:22-26
“Hope is a projection of the imagination; so is despair. Despair all to readily embraces the ills it forces; hope is an energy and arouses the mind to explore every possibility to combat them.” Thornton Wilder
Faith in God
“Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.” —Genesis 50:24-25
Faith is a “firm conviction of
“By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.” —Hebrews 11:22
Hope is a “confident expectation of
Despair is “the complete
“Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.” —Psalms 43:5
Faith is the
“We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. —2 Corinthians 4:8-9
“He has delivered us…and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again.” —2 Corinthians 1:10
“I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning — more than watchmen for the morning.” —Psalms 130:5-6
Hope in God is a
“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” —Hebrews 11:8-10
“These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” —Hebrews 11:13-16
“Israel’s ancient story is one of struggle, with God and with others. It is also a story of Israel’s faith in God, that God will come through for them no matter what. Genesis is Israel’s story to show that God can be counted on, from the very beginning.” —Peter Enns
For further study:
Scripture: Psalm 130; Hebrews 11-12
Resources: “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” by Eugene Peterson
Discussion questions:
Do you see more hope or despair in your imagination?
What times/circumstances have caused you to battle for hope?
How has God given you faith to hope?
How has hoping in God impacted you and those around you?
To prepare for next week: The Promise of the Messiah; Jeremiah 33:14-16