Breathless Moment #1

I am reading in Exodus today - chapter 13 where the children of Israel are leaving Egypt.

Exodus 13:9 "Moses took the bones of Joseph with him."

Genesis 50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."

Hebrews 11:22 "By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones."

Joseph knew there was going to be a redemption. He knew that freedom from slavery meant a change of life, a change of location, a change of heart - and that they would be leaving Egypt for places elsewhere. He made the sons of Israel solemnly swear that they would carry his bones from Egypt.

When did this happen? It happened on the First Passover - when the sacrifice was made, redemption was granted, and freedom allowed them to leave. His bones were taken as well - leaving behind an empty tomb.

Two thousand years later, we find another empty tomb - on another celebration of Passover - but this time, it was THE Passover of Passovers, the promised redemtpion. "Just as the redemption from Egypt betokens our redemption in Messiah, so too Joseph's empty tomb portends Messiah's empty tomb. In fact, the tomb in which the Master was laid belonged to a man named Joseph." (Vol. 2 - shadows of the messiah - first fruits of zion)

I am reminded of the road to Emmaus when Jesus meets the two disciples walking . . .Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Wow. Three obscure verses about some dead man who is so insecure that he doesn't want to be buried in a foreign land. I mean, in today's day and age, who cares what happens to your bones after you die? After all, doesn't the Bible say we will be with Him? What does it matter?

But the three verses show us several things - 1: God has a plan. 2: He has always had a plan. 3: What is written in the Old Testament is found in the New Testament, which proves another important point - God never changes. 4: Reading the New Testament is like reading Cliff's notes. It's so much better when you read the book itself.

Read the book.