Joshua 24:29-33
29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. 31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel. 32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. 33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
The Book of Joshua of Joshua closes with the burial of 3 of its patriarchs. Joshua, Eliazar, and Joseph. It is a reminder that our lives come to an end. Joshua had served the Lord Faithfully for the better part of 110 years and yet the Bible says that he was buried in the edge of his inheritance "And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah." In his life, all of the territory was his and under his care but at death he wouldn't need an entire plot, not even an acre, just a 7x4x6 plot would do. No matter the victories we win here on Earth if they are earthly victories then they will not be permitted access to the grave. Money, land, houses, and cars, won't be of any use, even if you own 1000's of acres, at death you'll only take up a fraction of a fraction of it. "One life and soon is passed, only what is done for Christ will last"
Eleazar reminds us that even the holiest and most separate are not above death, because no one is above sin, "For the wages of sin is death." Eleazar was the chief of the Levites[Num 3:32]. He had been given his father Aaron's coat and role [num 20:26] and yet his father's garments nor his position, nor his outstanding character kept him from the grave. The grave is an equalizer, a reminder that we are all sinners and therefore we all die, "Death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." In this life, we like to measure men's sins by our standards of right and wrong but the grave is a truthful witness that "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Even priests, pastors, preachers, and laymen die. One day our bodies will succumb to the disease we were born with, sin.
The Last burial, was of a man who had died some hundreds of years before. While the other burials have been shaded with less-than-happy realities, this burial brings light and hope and shows us that this book of victory does not end on a sad note but a happy one! Death is not the end! Joseph had made a command to the children of Israel, that God would visit them and when he did, that they should take his bones with them into the promised land [Gen 50:25], and they did. The New Testament tells us this was an act of faith on behalf of Joseph "By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." [Heb 11:22]. Joseph teaches us something here that prepares us for the closing of our lives, although we won't take any priestly garments or houses and lands with us when we die we can die with the promises of God! Joseph knew of the promises made by God to his people, that they would someday inherit Cannan. He lived by those promises and he died by those promises.
Death is not the end nor was it for these 3 men. I believe they knew of and hoped in Ressurection. Their forefathers seemed to; Job believed that he would see his redeemer stand upon the earth and Abraham believed in a resurrection, that is what gave him boldness to offer up Issac[Heb 11:19]. Joseph's burial was not a doom and gloom affair but an occasion of celebration. Neither do we read of mourning for the death of Joshua or Eleazar like Israel had for Moses and Aaron. God had kept his promises to his people! Why should they mourn? They died in the promises of God and with the hope of resurrection! So this book of Victory ends, not with death conquering God's People, but with God's people dying in the promise of God and with the hope of resurrection.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Rom 8:38-39]
Perhaps there is a believer whose mind has been perplexed by the thought of death. God's promises go beyond the grave, his love goes beyond the grave, and his life given to you is eternal life. Death is not the end of the fulfillment of his promises, for the child of God it is just the beginning. "To live is Christ and to die is gain."
O Grave where is thy victory?!
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