Bring Along the Bones

Bring Along the Bones
Words of Faith 11-1-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 13
[19] Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place."

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him.
It may seem small to some, but it was an important thing. Mostly, it was just a matter of fulfilling a commitment from long ago. In our culture, most of us do not know the names of our ancestors from 400 years ago. But Israel had never forgotten. The story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had not been forgotten. The story of Joseph had not been forgotten. It was the one thing he asked before dying.
But there is something more here than just the transfer of a gravesite. Bringing the bones of Joseph was a powerful symbol. Surely the bones of many others had to be left behind, but Joseph represented a critical chapter in the history of Israel. It was Joseph who had been used by God to win favor with the Egyptians and save the people of Israel from starvation. Joseph had secured a place where a great nation could grow in peace. It was essential to carry those bones along for the journey ahead. This was part of the heritage in which they were walking.
The Apostle Paul once wrote to the church at Philippi-- "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (3:13-14).
We might take that to mean we should forget about our heritage. Paul was insistent that we cannot rest in accomplishments or be burdened by past failures. But Paul never forgot his heritage as a Jew. He never forgot that the grace of the Lord Jesus was accomplished for all the nations in the midst of the Jewish people. He brought along the "bones" of the past everywhere he went, even as he pressed on toward the future.
We also need to bring along the "bones" of the past. In modern life, people often act as if they have no history. But we are people blessed with a legacy. The heritage of our past blesses us for the future.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses-- those who have gone before us-- that we are inspired to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. We are exhorted to run with perseverance the race marked out for us with our eyes fixed on Jesus (12:1-2).
We have the heritage of Scripture and all of the people in the Bible who were part of bringing the Gospel to us. We have the legacy of early church leaders and many martyrs who died while passing on the Gospel to the next generation. In fact, in every age, there have been those who laid their life on the line so that we could hear the Good News that we can walk in the freedom offered by Jesus. Let us also not forget the heritage of our local churches and those who labored to plant the fellowship that we now enjoy.
As you journey today, do not forget the heritage of the past. Bring along the "bones."

Lord God, I celebrate today the legacy of faith passed down to me. I thank You for those who have gone before and paid the price so that I might hear the Good News. I thank You for those who paved the way of faith so that I might learn and grow. With gratitude, I walk that way of faith today. In Jesus’ mighty Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.