Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Tour of the Tombs

Bryan Schneider · August 13, 2022

Joshua 24:29-33

sharonrpc.org/sermons/tour-of-the-tombs

Summary

Joshua closes with three burials that bear witness to God's faithfulness and invite reflection on the legacies of Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar.
Joshua dies as the servant of the Lord, and his generation's service leaves an influence that continues among the elders who outlive him.
Joseph's bones are buried at Shechem, completing the long journey of faith begun when he trusted God's promised return to the land.
Eleazar's burial in the land given to his son testifies that God has provided an inheritance and established priestly service among his people.
The sermon moves from those occupied tombs to Christ's empty tomb: the better Joshua, true High Priest, and reigning King has defeated death.
Because believers are united to the risen Christ, death brings their souls immediately into glory while their bodies rest in hope of resurrection.
The final tomb in the sermon's tour is the hearer's own, prompting the question whether one's life will glorify God and show faithful service flowing from faith and love.

Why does Joshua end not with conquest but with the burials of Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar?
What made Joshua's title servant of the Lord a fitting summary of his life?
How did Joseph's command concerning his bones express faith in promises he would not see fulfilled during his earthly life?
What does Eleazar's burial in an inherited place say about God's provision for his people?
How does Jesus fulfill and surpass Joshua's leadership, Eleazar's priesthood, and Israel's hope of inheritance?
Why is Christ's empty tomb the decisive answer to the occupied tombs at the end of Joshua?
What hope does union with Christ give believers about death, glory, burial, and bodily resurrection?
If others examined the fruit of my life, what would they learn about the God I serve and the hope I profess?

Servant of the Lord: The honorable title given to Joshua at death, describing a life submitted to God's calling and purposes.
Legacy: The spiritual influence and testimony a person's life leaves to those who follow.
Promised land: Canaan, the inheritance God promised and gave to Israel, anticipating the fuller inheritance secured in Christ.
Joseph's bones: The remains Joseph commanded Israel to carry from Egypt, a long-standing testimony to faith in God's promise.
Priesthood: The ministry represented by Eleazar, fulfilled and surpassed by Jesus the heavenly High Priest.
Resurrection: God's raising of the dead, decisively inaugurated by Jesus' bodily victory over the grave.
Intermediate state: The believer's condition after death, when the soul is with Christ in glory and the body rests until resurrection.
Chief end: Humanity's highest purpose: to glorify God and enjoy him forever.