Faith & The Bigger Story
Hebrews 11:22 | Genesis 50:15-26
Main Idea: Faith fights to see the bigger story God is writing while trusting his promises for the future
I. Faith & Forgiveness (Heb. 11:22a | Gen. 50:15-21)
Joseph’s brothers, motivated by their own guilt, ask for his forgiveness (again) after the death of their father Jacob. Joseph’s words & posture toward his undeserving brothers are a living picture of enduring faith.
His faith is seen in this offer of forgiveness in 4 ways:
1. He humbly refuses to take the place of God (50:19)
Romans 12:19: Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
2. He honestly identifies sin as sin (50:20a)
3. He honors God’s sovereignty & faithfulness in the big story (50:20b)
Acts 2:22–23: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” ~ John Piper
4. He exhibits the heart of Christ (50:21)
Joseph uses his position of power & privilege to care for his brothers who are undeserving. It is better to view Joseph as a signpost to a greater reality rather than an example to follow.
“Each sentence of his threefold reply is a pinnacle of faith. To leave all the righting of one’s wrongs to God, to see his providence in man’s malice, and to repay evil not only with forgiveness but also with practical affection, are attitudes which [are] Christlike” ~ Derek Kidner
Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.”
II. Faith & The Future (Heb. 11:22b | Gen. 50:22-26)
Joseph had many moments throughout his life that showcased his enduring faith, but the author of Hebrews emphasizes this end of life scene. This is a moment of defining faith for a few reasons:
He looks in faith to his true home & identity
Joseph had spent nearly his entire life in Egypt; he was second in command at the right hand of Pharaoh, saved their country from famine, took an Egyptain wife and had Egyptian children. Despite being fully immersed in Egyptian culture, Joseph knew this wasn’t his true home nor his true identity.
Hebrews 11:13–14, 16a: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland... But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
He trusts the promises of God in faith
Joseph confidently spoke of the Exodus because he had full confidence that God would keep his promises that he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
“[Joseph’s] coffin was going to point subsequent generations forward, allowing them to recognize that the reason the coffin was being kept was not on account of some morbid interest in bones, but it was being kept in order that it may stand as a vital symbol to the provision of God in the past and to the prospect of a glorious deliverance in the future.” ~ Alistair Begg
He looks in faith to God’s coming
“God will surely visit you” (50:25) is the storyline of the Bible. Some 400 years after this moment, God does indeed visit his people in the Exodus from Egypt; some 1,500 years later, he visited his people in the incarnation of Jesus Christ; this creed is the same thing that those of faith still cling to today as we await the restoration of all things at the return of Christ.
