God Will Surely Visit You

Text: Gen 50:22-26

Genesis 50:22–26 ESV

22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

PRAY

Introduction: The End of the Beginning

With this message we conclude the first book of our Bible. For the past 15 months we’ve been looking at Genesis and considering its message and how it serves as the foundation of the rest of Scripture.

The rest of the Bible ties back to Genesis. The themes we’ve seen in Genesis are repeated and expanded throughout the rest of Scripture and lead to the ultimate consummation of all things in Christ, described at the end of Revelation.

The Bible is an amazing story, and Genesis has been an amazing introduction to that story. I sincerely hope you have benefited from our time together in Genesis even a fraction of the amount I have.

And even though we’ll be closing the book on Genesis for this sermon series, we will continue to come back here from time to time even as we study other portions of Scripture, because Genesis is so foundational to our understanding of the rest of Scripture.

And the way Genesis ends is so fitting even as we move on to other Scriptures, because the God of Genesis is the God of the whole Bible, and just as we see His goodness and faithfulness here at the end of Genesis, so He will prove to be good and faithful throughout the rest of Scripture, and for all eternity.

God’s Faithfulness (Gen 50:22-26)

Genesis 50:22–26 ESV

22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Why did Joseph and his whole family stay in Egypt?

How long did Joseph spend in Egypt?

What blessings did God give Joseph in Egypt?

What is the significance of God’s visitation of His people?

Why did Joseph want his bones taken to the promised land later?

Why did Moses end Genesis this way? - Genesis’ end foreshadows Moses’s own end - dying outside the promised land with the hope of one day possessing it.

God Will Surely Visit You: A Biblical Theology of God’s Visitation

God’s visitation implies His salvation through judgment

God’s visitation in Exodus (prophesied in Gen 50:24-25; mentioned in Ex 3:16; 4:31; 13:19)

God’s visitation in the new Exodus (Ex 20:5; 34:7; Jer 29:10; 32:5)

God’s visitation in Christ (Luke 1:68; 7:16; 19:44)

God’s final visitation (1 Pet 2:12)

God’s visitation reveals His character: mercy and justice

God’s visitation fulfills His promises of mercy and judgment (both personally and corporately)

God’s visitation means salvation and blessing for those who trust Him, but judgment and punishment for those who oppose Him.

God will surely visit you. Are you ready for His visit?