Exodus: A Group StudySample

What is this passage saying?

Upon the death of Jacob, Joseph assures his brothers he does not intend to harm them. Joseph makes his descendants promise to take his bones back to the Promised Land when they return from Egypt.

What is this passage teaching?

The book of Genesis ends on a somber, but hopeful note. As Joseph nears his death, he remembers the promises God gave his forefather Abraham – that they would inherit the land of Canaan, have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed through them. In faith, Joseph tells his descendants to bring his bones back to Canaan when they return. He dies, clutching the promissory notes of God, hoping and believing for the day when God would bring to fruition His covenantal promises.

How do I respond?

Hundreds of years after Abraham responded in faith to God’s call, God’s covenant promises had still not come to fruition. At the end of Genesis, the descendants of Abraham were in Egypt, not the Promised Land, and certainly, their numbers were not as numerous as the stars in heaven. However, Joseph trusted God. Although he did not live to experience the full culmination of God’s promises, Joseph still “saw them and greeted them from afar” (Hebrews 11:13). As we reflect on the promises of God this week, we are reminded that sometimes God’s plans do not unfold as we anticipate. Often there are seasons of waiting, formation, and growth before God acts or moves decisively. Will you trust God in your season of waiting? Like Joseph, will you look towards the future, hopeful and expectant because the one who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)? Pray that God would steady your heart, increase your faith, and point you towards His good plans for you in the future.