Joseph’s family (the Israelites) left Egypt during the Exodus, but Joseph himself had already died long before. However, his bones were carried out of Egypt, fulfilling his last request.
1. Joseph’s Last Request: To Be Taken Out of Egypt
📖 Genesis 50:24-25
“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.’”
🔹 Key Takeaways:
- Joseph knew that God would deliver Israel from Egypt.
- He made them promise to carry his remains to the Promised Land.
2. Moses Fulfills Joseph’s Request
📖 Exodus 13:19
“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.’”
🔹 Key Takeaways:
- Moses personally ensured Joseph’s remains were taken out of Egypt.
- This shows how Israel remembered Joseph’s faith in God’s promise.
3. Joseph’s Final Burial in the Promised Land
📖 Joshua 24:32
“And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the piece of land that Jacob bought.”
🔹 Key Takeaways:
- After 40 years in the wilderness, Joseph’s bones were finally buried in Canaan.
- Shechem became part of the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim (Joseph’s descendants).
Did Joseph’s Descendants Leave in the Exodus?
✅ Yes! Joseph’s descendants, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, were part of the Israelite tribes who left Egypt.
✅ They received land in Canaan, fulfilling God’s promise (Joshua 16).
✅ Joseph’s faith in God’s promise came true—his bones were taken from Egypt, and his descendants inherited the land.
Final Summary
- Joseph died in Egypt but believed in God’s promise.
- He made Israel promise to take his bones out.
- Moses fulfilled this during the Exodus.
- Joseph was finally buried in Canaan, completing his journey home.