Carry Up My Bones
Scripture Reading: Genesis 50; Matthew 15; Psalm 20
Joseph’s life was extraordinary. If the Holy Spirit were to highlight one defining moment from his journey, what might it be? His prophetic dreams? His ability to overcome evil with good? His endurance through trials? His resolve to flee temptation? Or perhaps the astonishing rise to power and influence in Egypt?
We don’t need to speculate. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the author of Hebrews reveals what mattered most about Joseph’s faith:
“By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).
Unlike Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Joseph had no record of direct encounters with God. What he knew of God’s promises came from the faithful witness of his forefathers. Yet, Joseph believed. He heard the word of God, received it by faith, and anchored his hope in it.
Joseph knew—deep in his soul—that God would one day lead His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. So confident was he in this future that his final request wasn’t about wealth, honor, or legacy, but this:
“When God comes to your aid, you must carry my bones up from this place” (Genesis 50:25).
Centuries would pass. Generations would fade into the shadow of slavery and the burden of making bricks without straw. But through those long, dark years, Joseph’s embalmed body rested, a silent testimony to God’s unshakable promises. His bones lay in waiting, anticipating the day of deliverance.
And so it is with us. Unless the Lord returns first, we too will face death. But like Joseph, we die in faith. Though decades—or even centuries—may pass while our bones lie hidden beneath the grass, our Deliverer will come. He will raise us, not as scattered bones to be carried to a distant land, but as whole, glorified beings. Our bodies—renewed, restored, healed, and made perfect—will enter the Eternal Promised Land.
This we believe.
No matter our accomplishments, gifts, or earthly status—whether we rise high or remain unnoticed—the greatest thing that can be said of us is this: we had faith to declare, “Carry up my bones.”