Introduction

Good day to all! Let us turn to Genesis chapter 50. When I previously spoke on Genesis chapter 50, the theme was "Die to Enter Canaan, Die to Enter the Promised Land." But as I read it again, is that really the case? I later realized that it might not be, so I made a slight adjustment, choosing a title between two dilemmas. Actually, the first title, "Die to Enter Canaan, Die to Enter the Promised Land," is not bad, but I chose the second title, "God Will Surely Care for You and Lead You into the Promised Land."

Why do I say this? The reason is simple. Jacob and Joseph were both people who would die to enter Canaan. But what they were most concerned about was not this, but the Israelites who remained in Egypt after their death. Joseph said, "God will surely care for you, and surely bring you up out of this land to the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob!"

I find these words particularly encouraging. It is one thing for me to die to enter Canaan, to die to enter the Promised Land. But I declare in faith, brothers and sisters, do not worry about whether I live or die, I live by my God. I also want to encourage the brothers and sisters, you must also live by trusting in God while you are alive, and you must know clearly in your hearts that God will surely care for you! Do not worry about my death, my death is nothing great, God has not died, God is still alive. How good it is to hear these words!

I was thinking: Is our faith really built on God? Let us return to God and rebuild our faith on Him. God will surely care for you. The person who says these words hopes that you have faith, and do not build your faith on a certain pastor, Joseph, or Jacob, that is not good. It is best to build your faith on God. Those who trust in God will never be put to shame. Stop being foolish and be wise.

Jacob Died with Faith

You know, Jacob lived a very bumpy life on earth. No one has experienced as much hardship as Jacob, he experienced more hardship than all his ancestors. But there was something peculiar in him, he did not care about worldly things, he only cared about what God wanted him to care about. What did God want him to care about? God wanted him to obtain what God wanted him to obtain, and he believed that God would let him obtain what God wanted him to obtain.

Jacob died with faith, telling his sons before his death: Listen to your father Israel. Did they listen to Israel? They could not listen! What kind of person you are is almost directly proportional to your faith. Jacob's sons, Joseph's brothers, were just like that. Even Joseph's younger brother Benjamin was like that, each person has their own fate. So Jacob said: Sons, listen to me, have the same faith as I do, build your faith on God. Did they build it? No!

Later, Jacob died with faith, and before his death, he made Joseph swear to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Isaac, and Rebekah were buried. Jacob was extraordinary, he died with faith, he saw from afar that God would resurrect him from the dead in eternity, and enter into God's glory in eternity. Let Jacob's short and bitter life be exchanged for an exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

I am surprised that there are so few people with such faith, this is a treasure. When such a person dies, the people on earth will mourn. Such a person is extraordinary, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all died with faith. What they believed was not something else, but that God's promise to them would surely be fulfilled. Even though they died, they would enter Canaan, enter the Promised Land. Even though they did not see the complete fulfillment of God's promise while they were alive, they would see the fulfillment of God's promise even in death. Later, what Jacob hoped for was all fulfilled.

Brothers and sisters, listen to my advice: No matter what, build your faith on God, God will surely care for us. God's promises will never be abolished, those who believe will be resurrected from the dead, will return to God, will be with God, and live in God's glory. Sometimes what I say is very interesting: If I do not achieve it while I am alive, it will be achieved after I die. What I believe will be achieved after I die, this is a great man of faith.

Brothers and sisters, is the God you believe in the same God as the God I believe in? Is it the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob? If we believe in the same God, then we tell ourselves: God will surely care for us! Stop worrying about this one dying, that one dying, no matter who dies, God will surely care for us. What we pursue in our hearts is what these great men of faith pursued, which is to live in eternity. No longer pursue the things of this life, because the things of this life are all illusory.

Last night I sent a message to a brother, I said: I am going to kick you out, because you are trash among us. In Lao Ma's eyes, you are Jiangmi Tiao (a kind of snack), in God's eyes, you are a pile of dog shit. He quickly called me and said: Teacher, do not kick me out. What exactly does he believe in? People like this should be thrown aside, that is called free-range. Live if you can live, die if you want to die, it is okay for people like this to die! What are they pursuing all day long? If they took even a little of what they pursue, of their love for the world, to love God, they would not be like this, they have to choose to live joyfully in this life, live in a curse, live on the road to being with demons.

Do you know why Joseph cried after Jacob died? Do you think Joseph cried the same way we do? He cried because he lost a confidant. In this world, only his father Jacob could understand Joseph's heart, the people of the world could not understand Joseph's pursuit.

In these 17 years, Joseph was with his father Jacob, and Joseph had to handle a lot of official business. Think about it, being a prime minister of Egypt, being busy all day long, is a very hard job. Often there was no time to sit down with his father, but once he had time, he would talk to his father. Can you understand? The two of them sat together and drank a little wine, had a plate of peanuts, bought a sausage at a small shop, sliced it, and fried an egg, very simple. But the two of them were talking about God will care for us, talking about the glory in eternity.

These two were people who had great faith in God. When such a person dies with faith, the earth will shake. These are people whom the world is not worthy of, the world is not worthy of having such people, these are people whom God owns. What they were discussing was: Seeing the glory in eternity from afar, perhaps seeing Chinese Mingding Doctrine four thousand years later; perhaps seeing a David a thousand years later; perhaps seeing a Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt four hundred years later, they saw it, it was great! Perhaps they saw that there is a group of people who love God to the point of madness, a group of people who are willing to lay down their lives for God, they desire to have the image of Jesus Christ, the image of God, the image of the Apostle Paul.

That is what the two of them were talking about, how good! Now that Jacob is dead, who can Joseph talk to about his heart? He cannot find anyone to talk to about his heart. If he talks to other people, it is annoying to listen to. Sometimes I feel very emotional in my heart, if I had a father like Jacob, who had the same desires and the same pursuits as I do, how good that would be! If a father like Jacob died, I would cry my heart out. Usually, the people I pastor, I would really tell them: Your brain does not work well!

Look at what these people of ours are pursuing? What they care about are trivial and nonsense things. Sometimes I want to say something to them, but I cannot say anything for a long time, I feel uncomfortable in my heart. But it does not matter, pastor them well. It is in eternity, perhaps because of my faith, the brothers and sisters can begin to desire the glory in eternity.

Joseph cried like this because he lost a confidant. When you read this passage, you will definitely ask: Teacher, have you not seen through life and death? Has Joseph not seen through life and death? Why is Joseph crying? Do you think Joseph is the same as you? The crying of Jesus, the crying of Joseph, and our usual crying when someone dies are completely different. Jesus saw Lazarus lying in the tomb, saw the people around him, Martha, Mary, saw so many miracles that Jesus performed, but in their bones, they still did not believe.

Jesus said: If you believe, you will see the glory of God, do you know these words? I wish that the brothers and sisters were all confidants. We are all a group of people like Jacob and Joseph, who desire to see the glory of God in eternity. What are you pursuing? Just by looking at the questions you ask, I know what you are pursuing. My crying is crying for those people whose brains do not work well; you cry, but you do not know what you are crying for.

What are those Egyptians crying for? The Egyptians were crying for Joseph. The Egyptians were not crying for Joseph's father Jacob, what were they crying for? Because they saw Joseph crying, they said: Our leader's father has died, we should at least make a show of it. Because those people were all Joseph's subordinates, they did not know what Joseph was crying for, the Egyptians were crying in vain, just making a show, they did not really know anything in their hearts.

Brothers and sisters, we trust in God, we trust that God will surely care for us, and God will surely lead us into the Promised Land. I declare in faith: Brothers and sisters, God will surely care for you. If I die, God will surely care for you. If it is not like this, I will not be able to close my eyes in peace even in death. I can only say in faith: Brothers and sisters, God will surely care for you who trust in God, because what you care about is the glory in eternity, and you do not care about the little things, the trivial things of this world.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Do not think that I am fooling you, I really believe it. This is my pursuit, this is the source of my strength, this is my hope for living in this world. If there is no God, I really have no hope of living, I have no hope in this world, I do not know what is the meaning of living in this world, there is no meaning at all.

It is because I have hope in eternity that I can live in this world, although every day is very hard, but it is full of hope, full of joy. No matter what, be a treasure in God's eyes. Jacob believed in God, he died with faith. Believe that God will surely care for us, and God will surely resurrect us from the dead in the last days. Jacob was a person who lived in eternity, but Jacob's sons were not very good, if you talk about the twelve tribes, they were not very good. Among Jacob's twelve sons, which ones are worth learning from? Jacob is worth learning from, Joseph is worth learning from. As for the others, let it be!

Do not ask me again, what about Benjamin, Dan, and these people? What twelve apostles, twelve tribes, and even drawing lots to choose someone to replace Judas among the twelve apostles, that is not very good either. Especially that Peter, I always look down on him. If one day I return to heaven, perhaps I will be able to see Peter, and when Peter sees me, he will be embarrassed. Although the Apostle Paul was not among the twelve apostles, he was a towering figure.

Joseph's Brothers Believed in People

I look down on Joseph's brothers! If there are people who are worthy of my respect, we can hold hands and run and jump in the glory of eternity. These brothers are very annoying, why? Because Jacob just said to his sons:

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. (Genesis 49:2)

They listened, but they did not hear anything. They continued to be the same kind of birds they were, they continued to be the same kind of dicks they were. As soon as Jacob died, they had ideas:

And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. (Genesis 50:15)

Listen to these words, what kind of trust is this? What they trusted in was people, they thought that Joseph could not do anything to them when Jacob was alive. If Joseph really wanted to do something to them, even if Jacob was still alive, what could he do? The old man could not stop him! His brothers were thinking and doing bad things all day long, they thought that how they treated him in the past, he would treat them the same way. Petty people are petty themselves, and they think that others are also petty.

People are very strange, how a person thinks in his heart, he thinks that everyone in the world will have the same thoughts as him. They thought that Joseph was taking care of them for the sake of his father's face. How would they know that Joseph and Jacob were both living in this world with hope in heaven and eternity, and there were not many things in this world that they looked up to. His brothers were trusting in people, and when people died, what would they do? What they thought was: We rely on our father Jacob, and every day when we pass by Joseph eating at home, we think that as long as our father is still alive, what can you do to me? Joseph's brothers thought that how they treated him, he would treat them the same way.

And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil; and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. (Genesis 50:16-17)

They even brought out the dead. Actually, Jacob did not say this. Joseph wept when they said these words to him. Joseph thought: When will you be able to have faith in God? How can you live with just these two things?

And Joseph said unto them, Fear not; for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not; I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. (Genesis 50:19-21)

Among our brothers and sisters, especially those whom I pastor, I sometimes speak very harshly, but they are all heartfelt words. I say with tears in my heart: Why are you people without faith? Why can you not trust in God? Joseph wept, crying that his brothers were all people without faith, why do you not know God's will? You thought evil against me in the past. You were always fighting for jealousy, the reason why my father was good to me was because I trusted in God. It was because you were such losers that my father sent you to do hard labor. Now that my father is dead, you start making up lies to fool me, bringing out the dead to say that my father told us to apologize to you before he died.

Joseph said, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Remarkable! How great was Joseph's heart? What he pursued was not the petty matters of this world. He did not pursue worldly things, yet he became second only to Pharaoh. Even Pharaoh treated Joseph like a father. That is a grand vision. Therefore, I earnestly desire that brothers and sisters have a heavenly vision, a heavenly heart, and the mind of Jesus Christ, no longer loving the world, no longer eating excrement as if it were rice cakes. Now, many people dare not eat rice cakes. If people treat excrement as rice cakes, they are ruined.

People take this life too seriously. If you are a treasure in God's eyes, then you are also a treasure in my eyes. If you are garbage in God's eyes, I will also treat you as garbage. Why be garbage? Why be a rice cake? Why live only for the sake of this life?

Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19-21)

People are concerned about this: "Can you provide for us?" They are only concerned about living. Living is easy, but people's minds are filled with this one thing. As a result, Joseph reassured them with kind words. They were concerned about this life, but Joseph was concerned about eternal life. Seeing their lack of faith, Joseph spoke according to their level of faith, lest they be afraid. God's intentions and people's intentions are clearly one in heaven and one on earth. Those with faith are treasures!

Among us, perhaps you spend five days a week thinking about heavenly things and two days thinking about earthly things, or perhaps you spend all seven days thinking about earthly things. Joseph's brothers, living in Jacob's house, clearly saw Joseph as the prime minister in Egypt. They had been in Egypt for seventeen years, yet for seventeen years they did not understand God's work. Why? They always thought wrongly, always about trivial matters, always about this life. They only spoke of these things. Where is the glorious hope? They simply did not understand God's work.

Joseph's brothers lived for twenty-two years without Joseph. When they came to buy grain, Joseph tested them. At that time, they were very distressed, only to discover that it was their brother Joseph. They enjoyed seventeen years of good life in Egypt, but what was the result? They still did not understand God's work. How much of what you see and experience can you understand? Some say, "Teacher, don't kick me out." Yes, I may not kick you out outwardly, but I have already kicked you out in my heart. You cannot cling to a victorious church and remain garbage.

Joseph's brothers believed in man. What do you believe in? Joseph explained to them, "Don't be afraid, I will provide for you and your children." Everyone felt relieved, and life went on as usual. They were living just to live! Joseph felt very moved.

Joseph Also Died in Faith

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” (Genesis 50:24-25)

Jacob died in faith, and Joseph also died in faith. Joseph wanted to enter Canaan even in death, to obtain the blessings of eternity. Because Joseph said, "You must carry my bones up from this place." Joseph's coffin was not buried. Joseph's remains were not laid to rest but remained in the coffin. Why? Joseph's faith surpassed Jacob's. Actually, Jacob did not need to worry, but he took advantage of Joseph's lifetime to quickly have his remains transported to Canaan.

But Joseph was different. "I am dead, my bones are here, but God will surely come to your aid, and will surely lead you back to the promised land, and my bones will certainly witness God's power with you." Could Joseph have arranged for Ephraim and Manasseh to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were buried? Yes. But Joseph's faith was not limited to this. Joseph's faith far exceeded Jacob's faith. In Joseph's spiritual eyes, he had already seen the results of 400 years later. Joseph saw the Israelites carrying his coffin, carrying his remains out of Egypt and back to the promised land.

Joseph said, "Even in death, I want to see God's power. I want to witness you all coming out of Egypt with me." What kind of faith is this? Amazing! Joseph was the prime minister. After a powerful man dies, is he afraid that someone will take out his remains to whip and burn them in humiliation? Afraid. Did Joseph offend many people? Yes, he offended all the Egyptians. If there were an election, they would definitely vote him out. The Egyptians felt that Joseph was too bad, taking all their money away.

Was Joseph worried when he was in Egypt? He was not worried when he was alive, and he was not worried after he died, because God not only cares for the living, but also cares for the dead. Do you and I have such faith? Joseph was remarkable. Moreover, Joseph said, "You don't need to send me to Canaan. I want to go out of Egypt with you. It doesn't matter that I have offended so many people. What can they do to me? I have God!"

Later, after the Israelites became slaves, the Egyptians would see the coffin and ask, "Who is this? Why is the coffin here?" The Israelites would reply, "This is our ancestor Joseph. He came to Egypt and became the prime minister of Egypt. Otherwise, you can check the history of Egypt. This person is very famous."

The question is, can the Israelites keep Joseph's coffin safe? You are slaves, what can you keep safe? As a result, the Egyptians really wanted to take the remains out of the coffin and burn them. "Aren't you Israelites, Hebrews? You are slaves, what do you need a coffin for?" But let me tell you, even a person like Joseph lying in a coffin, some people wanted to burn the remains in the coffin, but the next day when they were about to do it, they died. Something went wrong as soon as they touched it. Do you understand? You thought you couldn't defeat Joseph when he was alive, but you can defeat him after he dies? Even if Joseph is dead, you can't defeat him, because Joseph has God.

God will take care of Joseph's remains, to fulfill what Joseph believed when he was alive; Joseph believed that after his death, 400 years later, when the Israelites left Egypt, his remains would go out of Egypt with them. This is God's eternal will, fulfilled according to what Joseph believed. Who in Egypt dared to touch it? No one dared to touch it. Whoever touched it would be unlucky. As a result, it was left there for hundreds of years. Maybe the Egyptians would go there to worship, burn incense, and offer something. I am moved. What kind of faith is this? It is faith in God. This faith can shake the power of the devil in the spiritual world.

Once, my mother said to me, "After I die, you must arrange things this way." I said, "Okay, I promise you everything." Later, I added, "However I arrange it, it doesn't matter what you say." Would Joseph be like this? Joseph was not like this. Joseph's faith was: "Although I am lying in a coffin, what I say doesn't matter, but my faith when I was alive is that I still trust in God. God will surely come to your aid, and will surely lead you up from this place, and will surely bring you into the promised land, and my bones will go up with you, and enter the promised land together." Joseph wanted to witness God's work in Egypt with his own eyes. Later, when the Israelites left Egypt, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Joseph's remains witnessed the disasters that God brought upon the land of Egypt.

Summary

I want to make a summary. The entire book of Genesis speaks of faith. Genesis, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, Exodus, are these books of law? No, these are books of faith. Abraham pioneered a path of faith. What you believe will be fulfilled. Genesis speaks of faith. Even after death, we still know that in faith, God will surely care for us, God will surely fulfill his promise, God has established his will, and God's will will surely be fulfilled. Let us declare together, God will surely care for us, God will surely lead us up, God will surely bring us into the promised land! This is a declaration of faith.

So I also declare in faith that the Chinese Mingding Doctrine will bring about a transformation of Christianity in the future world and future generations. I don't know if it will be in my lifetime or after my death, but that doesn't matter, because I live in eternity. God will surely care for me, not only care for me, but also care for you. God will surely bring us to the promised land, but whether we can enter or not, that is our destiny.

What is destiny? It is what we believe in our hearts, that is destiny. Jacob died in faith, Joseph died in faith. These people were those who wanted to enter the promised land even in death, who saw God's glory from afar while they were alive. They were too amazing.

We must imitate them. Even if people want to harm me, they cannot harm me. God's intention is good. The foundation of the entire Bible is faith. Abraham pioneered a path of faith. Joseph's faith had already reached the peak of his time. This faith is faith in God, not in this life, but in eternal life.

May God remember us and be gracious to us!

Genesis Chapter 50

50:1 Then Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.
50:2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,
50:3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
50:4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him,
50:5 ‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”
50:6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
50:7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt—
50:8 besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those of his father’s household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.
50:9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him; it was a very large company.
50:10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.
50:11 When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.
50:12 So Jacob’s sons did for him exactly as he had commanded them:
50:13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field.
50:14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
50:16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:
50:17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
50:18 His brothers then came and threw themselves before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
50:19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
50:21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
50:22 So Joseph and his father’s family settled in Egypt. Joseph lived to be a hundred and ten years old,
50:23 and he saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.
50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
50:25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
50:26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

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