How does this verse encourage us to trust God's promises in our lives? Setting the Scene Joshua 24:32: “And as for the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up from Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred kesitahs, and it became an inheritance of the children of Joseph.” The Promise Behind the Bones • Genesis 50:24-25 records Joseph’s dying words: God would surely visit Israel and bring them out of Egypt, and they were to carry his bones with them. • Exodus 13:19 shows Moses faithfully collecting those bones at the Exodus. • Joshua 24:32 closes the loop—Joseph’s remains finally rest in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. • Literal bones in a literal plot of ground prove a literal promise kept. Decades to Centuries: God’s Timing, Never Late • About 430 years separate Joseph’s prophecy and the Exodus (Exodus 12:40-41). • Another 40 years pass in the wilderness. • Conquest and settlement add still more time. • Yet not one detail is forgotten. Numbers 23:19 reminds us, “God is not a man, that He should lie… Has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?”. Why This Burial Builds Our Trust Today • Tangible Faithfulness: A gravesite at Shechem stands as concrete evidence that God finishes what He starts. • Generational Reliability: Promises outlive the people who first hear them; God keeps covenant with their children (Deuteronomy 7:9). • Small Details Matter: If He cares about relocated bones, He cares about our everyday needs (Matthew 6:30). • Long-Range Perspective: Waiting seasons are purposeful, not wasted (Habakkuk 2:3). • Christ-Centered Assurance: “For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Other Stones of Proof in Scripture • 1 Kings 8:56—“Not one word has failed of all His good promise.” • Psalm 145:13—“The LORD is faithful in all His words.” • Hebrews 11:22—Joseph’s faith commended for believing God would act. • Philippians 1:6—He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. • 1 Thessalonians 5:24—“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” Living It Out with Confidence • Remember specific promises God has given in Scripture; write them down as Israel carried Joseph’s bones. • Rehearse past deliverances—personal “Shechem moments” where you have seen God’s hand. • Rest in His unchanging character; the same God who kept Joseph’s request oversees every promise to you. |
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