Genesis 50:22-26

“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” (Genesis 50:25, NKJV)

I have a favorite couple of bookends. They are made from cherry-colored wood with a brass duck head. I don’t know why I like them—probably because they are unique and go nicely with my cherry-colored bookshelves. Bookends are borders that hold the contents of what lies between them.

The first bookend of Genesis is 1:1:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, NKJV)

By faith God framed the worlds by His spoken Word, so that the visible things were made from things not visible (Hebrews 11:3).

The contents of Genesis are about origins, including the origin of sin and death. But Genesis also shows that the only hope for man is through faith. God chose Abraham who became the father of those who are justified by faith. He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. It is only by following in the faith footsteps of Abraham that we are justified by faith.

The second bookend of Genesis is 50:25:

“Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’” (Genesis 50:25, NKJV)

Genesis ends with an act of faith. In fact, we are told in Hebrews 11:22:

“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.” (Hebrews 11:22, NKJV)

So, Genesis begins with faith, chronicles the lives of people who were saved by faith, and ends with an act of faith. The greatest takeaway of the study of Genesis is that we would be people of faith.

Where are you on your faith journey? Have you come to know Jesus as your personal Savior? What faith challenges are you currently facing? How can you believe God for greater things? God is still looking for men and women of faith whom He can bless and make them blessings to others.