then israel said to joseph, “i am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. and to you i give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge i took from the amorites with my sword and my bow.” [genesis 48:21-22]
our story is more than our story: as followers of Christ, our life is just a sentence on a page in the story of God’s interaction with humanity. our life, work, and relationships push forward his narrative, fulfilling his will and his promises.
israel’s story has taken up a significant portion of the book of genesis, yet it is clear that his death is not the end of the narrative. God’s work through jacob and his family has been significant, but it was not the beginning and it is far from the end.
as he nears the end of his life, israel reminds joseph of the covenant that God made to bring their people back to “the land of their fathers”, a covenant which will outlast both of them. israel has taken his family out of the land of promise with the faith that they will once again be brought back on God’s terms.
this promise will indeed come to pass, yet it will be roughly 400 years before God raises up moses to lead the people back. generations will come and go living in egyptian slavery, never knowing life before or after the promise comes to pass.
regardless, God’s promise proves to be true and certain. we may or may not see the beginning and end of God’s work in our lives and families, but there can be no doubt that he is good, faithful, and continuously working for our good to his glory.
~ jason soroski