Doing some dissertation writing today, and thought I’d post an unedited excerpt. It’s so important that we buy into God’s eternal purpose (“the vision” that’s been given) for us as individuals and families, own it, and then cast that vision to the next generation.

Genesis 50:24-25 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Notice the multigenerational power in these two passages:

First, I see that this multigenerational vision (given in Genesis 12) didn’t die with Abraham. It was cast from Abraham to Isaac, and Isaac bought in. Then Isaac took the vision and cast it to Jacob, and Jacob bought in. And here, four generations later, we see Joseph cite the vision by faith.

Secondly, I see that Joseph bought into the vision himself. He made it his own. It wasn’t his father’s vision and purpose. It was his. He believed in the vision. He owned the vision. He knew that he was a part of it in life and didn’t think it should stop in death- which leads us to our third thought.

Thirdly, Joseph didn’t stop with simply believing the vision himself. Joseph cast the same vision to the next generation. He said, I know God has a plan for our family. I know that God will do what He said. And some day, He’s going to visit us. Some day, he’s going to deliver us. And when He does, I don’t want my bones in left in this worldly place. When God sees fit to fulfill the promise to us years from now, carry my bones out of Egypt!