Joseph's Faith: Hope Beyond Life's Seasons
Summary
In our journey through Hebrews 11, we find ourselves reflecting on the life of Joseph, particularly the surprising emphasis on his final act of faith. Joseph's life was filled with remarkable moments—resisting temptation, interpreting dreams, forgiving his brothers, and providing during famine. Yet, the Holy Spirit highlights Joseph's instructions concerning his bones as his great act of faith. This choice underscores a profound truth: where there is faith, there is hope. Joseph's hope was not anchored in the present circumstances but in God's promises for the future.
Joseph's life teaches us about the seasons of life that God's people experience—times of growth, times of trial, and ultimately, a time of deliverance. In Egypt, Joseph's family enjoyed a season of growth, multiplying from a small family to a nation. However, God had revealed to Abraham that a time of trial would come, where His people would be oppressed for 400 years. Despite this, Joseph's faith in God's promise of deliverance remained unshaken. He believed that God would visit His people and bring them to the promised land, a hope that sustained them through years of oppression.
This narrative is a powerful reminder that faith looks beyond the changing circumstances of the world. It trusts in God's promises and finds hope in His faithfulness. Joseph's instructions about his bones were a testament to his belief in God's promise of deliverance and resurrection. His bones, destined for the promised land, served as a sign of hope for God's people, reminding them of their ultimate destination.
Today, we too are called to live with this hope. Our hope is not in the transient joys or trials of this world but in the eternal promise of God. Just as Joseph's coffin was a sign of hope, we have the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, assuring us of our future resurrection and eternal life with God. As we navigate the changing seasons of life, may we exercise faith, knowing that our future is secure in Christ.
Key Takeaways:
1. Faith and Hope are Inseparable: Joseph's life illustrates that true faith naturally produces hope. His belief in God's promises gave him hope for the future, even in the face of death. This hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation rooted in God's faithfulness. [03:12]
2. Seasons of Life: Just as Joseph's family experienced times of growth and trial, we too will face different seasons. In times of growth, we should seize opportunities to serve and glorify God. In times of trial, we must remember that God is with us, blessing us even in adversity. [11:19]
3. The Promise of Deliverance: Joseph's faith in God's promise of deliverance from Egypt points to the ultimate deliverance we have in Christ. Our hope is anchored in the assurance that God will fulfill His promises, culminating in our eternal home with Him. [12:43]
4. The Significance of Joseph's Bones: Joseph's instructions about his bones symbolize the hope of resurrection and the fulfillment of God's promises. This act of faith reminds us that our ultimate hope lies beyond this life, in the eternal promises of God. [22:30]
5. Living with Hope: As believers, we are called to live with a living hope, grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This hope sustains us through life's challenges and assures us of our future with God. It is a hope that transforms our present and gives us strength to endure. [32:15]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Introduction to Joseph's Story
- [01:37] - The Theme of Hope
- [02:52] - Joseph's Question of the Future
- [03:41] - Joseph's Family at Peace
- [06:50] - Times of Growth
- [08:22] - Times of Trial
- [11:34] - The Promise of Deliverance
- [13:18] - Joseph's Prophetic Words
- [15:35] - God Visiting His People
- [17:40] - The Hope of the Church
- [18:28] - Hope in Life and Death
- [22:30] - The Significance of Joseph's Bones
- [26:21] - Immediate Presence with God
- [29:00] - The Two-Stage Journey of Believers
- [31:36] - Faith and Hope in Action
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Hebrews 11:22
2. Genesis 50:24-25
3. Exodus 1:6-8
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Observation Questions:
1. What specific act of faith is highlighted in Hebrews 11:22 regarding Joseph's life? [00:31]
2. How did Joseph's family situation change after his death according to Exodus 1:6-8? [07:06]
3. What promise did Joseph remind his brothers of in Genesis 50:24-25? [13:35]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between faith and hope in Joseph's life? [03:12]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might the Holy Spirit have chosen to highlight Joseph's instructions about his bones as his great act of faith? [01:21]
2. How does Joseph's faith in God's promise of deliverance from Egypt relate to the ultimate deliverance we have in Christ? [12:43]
3. In what ways do the changing circumstances of Joseph's family in Egypt reflect the seasons of life that believers experience today? [11:19]
4. How does the sermon suggest that Joseph's hope was not anchored in his present circumstances but in God's promises for the future? [03:12]
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Application Questions:
1. Joseph's faith produced hope even in the face of death. How can you cultivate a hope that is rooted in God's faithfulness rather than in your current circumstances? [03:12]
2. Reflect on a time of growth or trial in your life. How did you see God's presence and blessing during that season? [11:19]
3. Joseph's instructions about his bones were a testament to his belief in God's promise. What is one way you can demonstrate your faith in God's promises in your daily life? [22:30]
4. The sermon emphasizes living with hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How does this hope influence your response to life's challenges? [32:15]
5. Consider the empty tomb of Jesus as a sign of hope. How does this assurance of future resurrection and eternal life with God impact your perspective on death and eternity? [23:54]
6. Joseph's story reminds us that faith looks beyond the changing circumstances of the world. What is one practical step you can take this week to focus more on God's promises than on your current situation? [33:43]
7. How can you encourage others in your community to live with a hope that transforms their present and gives them strength to endure? [32:15]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith Produces Hope
Faith and hope are deeply intertwined, as demonstrated in the life of Joseph. His unwavering belief in God's promises gave him a profound hope for the future, even as he faced death. Joseph's instructions concerning his bones were not merely a final wish but a testament to his confident expectation in God's faithfulness. This hope was not based on wishful thinking but was rooted in the assurance that God would fulfill His promises. Joseph's life teaches us that true faith naturally produces hope, a hope that looks beyond present circumstances to the eternal promises of God. [03:12]
Hebrews 6:18-19 (ESV): "So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to anchor your hope in God's promises rather than your current circumstances?
Day 2: Navigating Life's Seasons
Joseph's life illustrates the various seasons that God's people experience—times of growth, trial, and deliverance. In Egypt, Joseph's family multiplied and prospered, yet they also faced a foretold period of oppression. Despite these trials, Joseph's faith in God's promise of deliverance remained steadfast. This narrative reminds us that in times of growth, we should seize opportunities to serve and glorify God, while in times of trial, we must remember that God is with us, blessing us even in adversity. [11:19]
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (ESV): "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted."
Reflection: What season of life are you currently in, and how can you actively seek God's presence and purpose in this time?
Day 3: The Assurance of Deliverance
Joseph's faith in God's promise of deliverance from Egypt points to the ultimate deliverance we have in Christ. His belief that God would visit His people and bring them to the promised land sustained them through years of oppression. This assurance of deliverance is a powerful reminder that our hope is anchored in the certainty that God will fulfill His promises, culminating in our eternal home with Him. As believers, we are called to live with this hope, knowing that our future is secure in Christ. [12:43]
Isaiah 46:4 (ESV): "Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save."
Reflection: How does the promise of God's deliverance influence your perspective on current challenges or uncertainties in your life?
Day 4: The Symbol of Joseph's Bones
Joseph's instructions about his bones symbolize the hope of resurrection and the fulfillment of God's promises. By asking for his bones to be carried to the promised land, Joseph demonstrated his belief in God's promise of deliverance and resurrection. This act of faith serves as a reminder that our ultimate hope lies beyond this life, in the eternal promises of God. It challenges us to live with a perspective that looks beyond the temporal to the eternal. [22:30]
Genesis 50:25 (ESV): "Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.'"
Reflection: What tangible actions can you take today to demonstrate your faith in God's eternal promises?
Day 5: Living with a Living Hope
As believers, we are called to live with a living hope, grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This hope sustains us through life's challenges and assures us of our future with God. It is a hope that transforms our present and gives us strength to endure. Just as Joseph's coffin was a sign of hope, we have the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, assuring us of our future resurrection and eternal life with God. May we exercise faith, knowing that our future is secure in Christ. [32:15]
1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."
Reflection: How can you actively live out the hope of the resurrection in your daily interactions and decisions today?
Quotes
"By faith Joseph at the end of his life made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. Now of all the scenes in Joseph's life, this really is a very surprising selection. You think about Joseph's amazing life and you think well wouldn't it be best to record by faith Joseph resisted temptation, or by faith Joseph interpreted dreams, or by faith Joseph forgave his brothers, or by faith Joseph provided for his family through a famine." [00:00:27]
"Now the scripture that we're looking at today really bears in on a question that I think weighs heavily on all of our minds and hearts and here's the question: what does the future hold for God's people? The Bible makes it clear that there are different seasons of life for God's people. You see this in the story of Joseph. There were years that he enjoyed, and there were years that he endured and the same will be true for us." [00:01:44]
"Joseph believed what God had revealed to Abraham: your offspring will be sojourners and they will be afflicted for 400 years, and so it was. We read in the book of Exodus chapter 1 and verse 8 there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph, and he said to his people, behold the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens." [00:09:39]
"God's people know that however much we are blessed in this life his plan for us can never be fulfilled here. So here's the future: there will be times of growth and there will be times of trial and there will be a time of deliverance and this is what Joseph spoke about at the end of his life. Hebrews 11 and verse 22 by faith Joseph at the end of his life made mention of the exodus of the Israelites." [00:12:34]
"Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. Now again at the end of his life Joseph was speaking as a prophet so the words that he spoke were the very word of God and through all the years the long years of oppression in Egypt this was the hope of God's people." [00:13:35]
"Joseph had said you will carry my bones up from here so during the long years of oppression God's people were able to look at that coffin destined for the promised land and say he's going there and that means that one day we're going there too. Now friends we too have a marvelous sign of hope but it's not a coffin filled with bones, it's the empty tomb." [00:23:31]
"Think about this when Jacob died, his body was taken straight to the promised land it was immediate. We read in Genesis chapter 50 and verse seven and eight so Joseph went up to bury his father, with him went all the servants of Pharaoh the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt as well as all the household of Joseph his brothers and his father's household." [00:24:53]
"Believers who have died are on a stopover, they're with Christ, they have fullness of joy, but like us they are also waiting, they are looking for the day when Christ will return in glory and then we will together with them enter into the full joy of all that God has promised. So here's what we learned from the story of Joseph faith hopes in God if we have faith then we will have hope." [00:31:01]
"Where there is faith there really will be hope, if you are exercising faith you will have lively hope in your mind and in your heart, faith after all is the assurance of things hoped for, that's verse one of Hebrews in chapter 11. Peter says we've been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead we're the people of living hope." [00:31:53]
"Faith looks beyond the changing circumstances of the cultures of this world, faith believes what God has revealed and trusts what he has promised and where there is faith there will be hope. And so the last thing I want to say today is simply this, if we want to have hope, we have to exercise faith." [00:33:32]
"It's so easy brothers and sisters to live in fear, and when the world changes, God's people must exercise faith. We need to hear these words of Joseph, the words of scripture God will visit you. What does the future hold for God's people? Well there will be times of growth, we should enjoy them there will be times of trial, and we will endure them, but most of all, a time of deliverance will come." [00:34:32]
"Father in a changing world, we ask that we will be people marked by hope because we are those who exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you that because of him, the future is glorious for all who believe. Steady us therefore and strengthen us that we may overcome our many fears, for these things we ask in Jesus wonderful name, amen." [00:35:26]
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