"By
faith Jacob, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones" (Heb. 11:22).

"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 swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will
surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died,
being 110 years old; and thy embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt" (Gen. 50:24-26).

What
did Joseph have to do with the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob? He lived only 17 of his 110 years in the promised land (Gen. 37:2;
50:26). He made a mark in the world; he became the second most powerful man in
a great nation. But his fame was not connected with "the land" of
promise, but with the nation of Egypt. Given Joseph’s high position in Egypt, no doubt he was worthy of a great monument—perhaps a pyramid—being erected as a long-lasting
memorial to him. But Joseph declined such an honor. While he held a high
position in Egypt, he was not of Egypt (compare John 17:12 and
16). His body was placed in a coffin in Egypt (Gen. 50:26), but he
desired that the final resting place of his bones be in the land of his
fathers. His heart was with his own people—God’s chosen ones—and not those
among whom he served as a great ruler.

What
difference did it make where Joseph’s remains were buried? Along with his
great-grandfather Abraham, he seems to have believed in a future resurrection
(Heb. 11:16). No doubt he believed that his next life would somehow be
connected with the land promised to his forefathers; thus he wanted to be
buried there.

Joseph
showed great faith in this. As far as we know, the LORD did not teach the patriarchs to anticipate resurrection. But He gave
them many experiences that served to direct their thoughts in this direction.
First there was ENOCH who, though not resurrected, was taken up directly to
heaven without dying. Then there was Noah and his family who went through the
waters of death and came out of the ark alive. There were Abraham and Sarah who
had a son after their bodies were reproductively dead (Rom. 4:19). There was
Isaac on the altar ready to be sacrificed, with his father "accounting
that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead" (Heb. 11:19). Then
there were Joseph’s own personal experiences of being "raised
up"—first from the pit into which his brothers had cast him and then from
the prison in Egypt. The second experience, in which he was not only released
from prison but immediately elevated to second in command in the entire nation
was for Joseph a foretaste of a far more blessed resurrection to come.

There
is a lesson of faith in this:Faith does not seek earthly memorials or means
whereby one’s name and reputation will be remembered by future generations.
Rather, faith looks on to "a better country" where the eternal focus
of attention will be the Lord Jesus Christ and the marks of suffering in His
hands, His feet, and His side (Zech. 12:10; Luke 24:39; Rev. 1:7).

In
view of the great faith shown by Joseph throughout his life, it may seem
strange that just this one aspect of his faith is mentioned in Hebrews 11.
However, this desire of Joseph’s at the end of his life surely is
representative of his attitude throughout his life. Whether facing actual death
as in Genesis 50 or facing possible life imprisonment in Egypt, Joseph never seemed to be discouraged or to lose hope. Nor did he have a bitter or
vengeful spirit toward his brothers and others who had treated him wrongfully
(Gen. 50:20). His faith in the LORD was firm and steadfast,
however great the adversity and difficult the circumstances. Because of this,
Joseph was prepared—on each occasion of his deliverance—to do the best he could
in dependence upon the LORD (Gen. 39:2-6; 41:16,25-36). Because of Joseph’s
positive attitude stemming from his faith in the LORD, the LORD greatly prospered him each time.

The
history of Joseph reminds me of a modern-day Joseph whom I first met in a city
jail. Upon his release, this fellow did not return to his old environment, his
old friends, and his old habits as so many released prisoners do. Rather he
moved to a different city, went to college, got a degree in nursing, secured a
good job at a hospital, and became involved in a church fellowship and several
volunteer projects. Then his world collapsed—or so it seemed. The state
legislature passed a law that prohibited convicted felons from being employed
as health professionals. He was not only out of a job; he was out of a career.
But instead of becoming depressed and discouraged, he immediately got on the
phone with some contacts through his volunteer work. He soon had himself an
entry-level job in another field and is now in the process of working his way
up again. Through all of this, he has placed his faith in the Lord and the Lord
has prospered him.

Another
lesson, then, is this:Faith does not become discouraged or vengeful during
times of adversity. Rather, faith prepares one to do the very best—with the
Lord’s help—both during the time of trial and when it is over.