God Encourages His people's Faith (Ex. 16:19)

5/2/2008 7:54 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time           Focus:  God encourages his people’s faith

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Exodus 13:19

          Message of the verse:  “19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.’”

            This verse speaks of Joseph’s bones, and they were a reminder of the faithfulness of God in the lives of the children of Israel.  Now it would make sense that the body of Joseph was embalmed by the Egyptians and then put into some kind of a coffin just waiting to be buried in the Promised Land.  What could the children of Israel gain by having the bones of Joseph with them for four-hundred years?  I believe that they could be reminded of the promises that God had given to Joseph, the same promises God gave to Abraham in Genesis chapter fifteen, that the children of Israel would be treated severely in the land of Egypt for four-hundred years and then God would send a redeemer to take them out of bondage.  They would also remember the trials that God put Joseph through and then how God elevated him to the very throne of Egypt after his trials were done, and they too would have an end to their trials in Egypt and be led by God to the Promised Land.  As stated before in an earlier SD, through the trials of the children of Israel God would take a family of seventy people and make them into a nation, a nation through whom the Word of God would be written and preserved, and a nation through whom there would come the God Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah who would be the Redeemer for the whole world. 

            Joseph’s bones would be buried in the Promised Land as stated in the book of Joshua chapter twenty-four, verse thirty-two:  “Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.”

            Dr. Wiersbe raises and answers a question in his commentary that has great meaning for believers:  Is it idolatrous to have visible reminders of God’s faithfulness?  He goes on to answer the question by saying there is no problem with it as long as the person is obeying the Lord, thus such reminders can encourage their faith.  “The important thing is that they point to the Lord and not to a dead past, and that we continue to walk by faith and obey the Lord today.”  There are several examples in the Scriptures that back up this statement.  I will give some verses that will need to be looked up and then put one in this SD.  Josh 4; Ex. 8:30-35; Josh. 7:25-26; Josh. 24:24-28.  1 Samuel 7:10-12, “10  Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel.

11  The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as below Beth-car.  12  Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us.’”

            I want to relate a personal one that our church, Grace Baptist Church, did in September of 2004.  I remember it well for this was the last service that I would attend there for three months as Sandy and I would leave for Aruba later that week.  We had a service with witch we put up a “standing stone,” as a reminder of the faithfulness of God to our church as he led us through a very troubled time when our church split and we who stayed prayed that God would send us a Pastor, which He did in Feb. of 2004 after praying faithfully for a little over a year on Monday evenings throughout the time when we were without a Pastor.  God was faithful to us and we can be reminded of that faithfulness by looking at that “standing stone.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have an assortment of small cards that I got from “Turning Point,” and they have to do with faith.  One of these cards has these words written on it, “The more we trust the sovereignty of heaven, the less we fear the calamities of earth.”  The back of the card has Psalm 121:1-2 on it, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help, My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”  These little cards are a reminder of the faithfulness of God in the times of troubles that we are going through because of the investment situation we find ourselves in, just as the bones of Joseph were a reminder of God’s faithfulness to the children of Israel.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To continue to trust in the faithfulness of God, that He will continually lead me in His paths, to teach me contentment, and to uses the trials and good times of live to conform me into the image of His dear Son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  To be yoked up with the Lord today.