Did you ever read something in the Bible and wonder why it is there? Perhaps the story of the bones of Joseph is such a passage. There are four places in Scripture which speak about the bones of Joseph: Genesis 50:25, Exodus 13:19, Joshua 24:32, and Hebrews 11:22. A fact such as this should arrest our attention. There can be no doubt that Joseph is a prominent character among the patriarchs of ancient Israel, and yet it may seem to us to be unusual that his bones are mentioned, not just once, but four times!

The answer to this may partly lie in the fact that Joseph is a type of our Lord Jesus. His life was one of rejection, suffering, and ultimate glory as prime minister of Egypt, a wonderful picture of our Lord! Thus anything connected with Joseph must be important and have a special meaning for us who are followers of Christ. Even the bones of Joseph have significance!

As Joseph was dying, he gave his brethren instructions. His request was straightforward: that at a future time, when deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt would come, they would remember to carry his bones with them and bury them in the land of Canaan. This was a striking request of faith! It reveals that Joseph believed in the promise of Jehovah which was made to his great-grandfather Abraham many years before he was even born (Gen. 15:13–14). The time would come when Israel would return to the land God had promised them. Joseph had no doubt of this. We are always rewarded when we trust in God’s Word, despite lacking any sign of immediate fulfillment. Believing what God has promised, though it may tarry for a season, is the path of blessing. May we have the faith of a Joseph!