In This Way: Knowing When To Get Out

Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” ~ Genesis 50:25

Observations:

• Joseph didn't want to be buried in a place where Hebrews / shepherds were despised (43:32, 46:34)
• Joseph's father didn't want to be buried in Egypt (47:29-30)
• Joseph's father made him swear to take his bones out of Egypt (47:31)
• In 1806 BC Joseph made his brothers swear to take his bones out of Egypt (50:25)
• Joseph took Israel's bones out of Egypt in 1859 BC (50:7)
• Moses took Joseph's bones out of Egypt in 1446 BC (Ex 13:19)
• Bible doesn't say anything about the bones of any of his brothers
• It took 360 years for Joseph's bones to be removed from Egypt
• The people of Israel remembered their history during the Exodus
• Joseph wrapped up, cleaned up and locked up
• wrap: ended his life with a prophetic utterance
• clean: entered covenant with brothers who sold him
• lock: In 1806 BC, Joseph died at 110 yrs and was placed in a coffin in Egypt 
• Joseph didn't know when, but he knew the importance of getting out

Applications:

• Not everyone wants to get out
• Exodus is tied to people you may not trust or understand
• My deliverance may be tied to people who are dependent on me
• I may not know when but I am seeing the importance of getting out
• Getting out means the cessation of trading time for dollars
• Exodus is trading assets for dollars, so I can spend time to purchase things worth more than dollars
• experiences with children
• worship as a lifestyle
• marriage enrichment
• attention to physical health
• space and opportunity to write, read
• strengthening ties to extended family
• advantageous exploration of Earth 
• choosing which road to take
• not being limited by finance or access to information
• option to be with the people or in air-conditioning
• example: air-conditioned road is from
• car to airport
• airplane
• lounge at airport
• car to hotel
• hotel and restaurants
• homes and businesses
• places of interest
• car to airport
• airplane to airport
• car from airport 
• all are air conditioned...heat doesn't touch me
• example: with the people is from
• home to destination on public transportation
• land-based, ocean-going, coach, slow going
• street food or packed meals
• buses or shared taxis
• staying with friends or strangers
• fewer locked doors / places to secure gear
• public facilities
• no evacuation plan
• might have health care while traveling
• wish and a prayer
• less of an itinerary
• disadvantaged in an emergency...waiting in line
• lower budget
• see more
• learn more about the people
• have more time to learn language / culture
• immersion more likely because not in a hurry
• more of a chance to fall in love with food, art, people, seascape 
• high context
• more tea, less Coca-Cola
• warm all the time
• fish, starch, vegetable, repeat
• climbing local language learning curve
• I live in a place that sees sin / evil / criminality as black
• Not ashamed of dark skin but is sometimes inconvenient
• Do I have to wait until my bones are carried out to get out?
• Begin leaning into languages / cultures of the developing world
• Keep learning Spanish
• Finish chaplaincy when youngest is graduating high school

Prayer:  Even Jesus knew when to get out of the grave.  Who can put Him back?  May my exodus from the pretense and rat race be as irreversible as the Resurrection?  Trusting You with my bones' final resting place, in Jesus' name, amen.