By Mike Chaffin
24 And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26
The last word, who will get it. The Bible says God will have the last word. Romans 3:19 states,
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
So, considering God’s Word, what is the last word we take away from each book of the Bible? In Genesis, the last words are Joseph telling his kin that he is going to die. But that is not really the last word. His last words contain a prophesy. Prophecy has a future. This prophesy was one day God will visit them and take them to the promised land. When they go, Joseph wants to accompany them, literally and figuratively, by asking them to carry his bones to the promised land. Joseph knows God is faithful and true and will fulfill his promise to his children.
The first book of the Bible ends with a promise that God will deliver. If you read the Bible you will find time after time, God comes through for his people. He did bring the Israelites out of Egypt. He delivered them from Balaam. He delivered them from harm when they conquered the land. He delivered them from invaders. He delivered David from King Saul, Elijah from King Ahab, Jonah from the belly of a whale, Daniel from the lions’ den, and Jesus from the grave. The list could have a million more examples because God still does that today. He delivers.
Jesus told us to ask and receive so that our joy may be full. Did he mean that we should ask for cars and jewelry? No, he was talking about our needs, not our wants. What do we need most? We first need to be delivered from sin. If you have never asked Jesus to deliver you from sin you are not a child of God. Only God’s children get into heaven so those who don’t ask for deliverance spend eternity in hell. Jesus came to earth to live a sinless life and provide a perfect sacrifice for our sins. His sacrifice, when we accept Him as our savior, washes away the sins in our life. We ask him to live in us and he comes in and cleanses us, making us new, born again. Delivered from death to life. Then, as a child of God, we serve Him rather than sin.
Prayer: To accept Jesus deliverance from death, sin, and the grave pray this prayer; Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I know you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins. I accept your sacrifice and ask you deliver me from my sins. Cleanse me and make me new. I accept you as savior. Live in me, lead and guide me. I want to be yours. In Jesus name, Amen.
