Things Above Thought
TAT # 84 WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE?
Some estimate that over a million people followed Moses out of Egypt. But it is known that only three men from the original adult generation made it into God’s promised land. Not even Moses made it! The great and obedient warriors Joshua and Caleb did enter the promised land. While Joshua was just as strong as he was when he left Egypt the third man had to be carried in. Even though the third man had lost his physical strength his witness to Israel is one of the greatest in the entire history of Israel.
The third man was a slave! But yet he was carried out of Egypt! He never spoke a word to anyone that left Egypt! He never even spoke a word while they were in the wilderness for 40 years! But yet his witnesses to Israel was great!
The third man was Joseph. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He became second in authority in Egypt and answered only to his master, the Pharaoh but he remained a slave. He saved his family and the entire future nation of Israel, by bringing them to Egypt and feeding them during a severe famine. But all that is not the great witness of Joseph. When Joseph died he ordered that he was not to be buried in Egypt but only in God’s promised land. Therefore Joseph’s body was embalmed and placed in a coffin (Genesis 50:24–26).
For 400 years Israel did not have a Bible, they did not have a written Word from God, they did not hear God speak to them, and they did not have a prophet – they only had Joseph’s coffin (Joshua 24:32)!
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of (dead) witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Heb. 12:1 clarification added).
WANTED: ALIVE AND DEAD!
Will you join the cloud?
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