# 455 Don’t Miss the Reunion

The Book of Genesis

Day 455

Ge 49:29 Then he charged them and said to them: "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,  30 "in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.  31 "There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.  32 "The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth."  33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Jacob, on his death bed makes his sons promise to bury him with his fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite. You remember the property that Abraham purchased from Ephron? It was the only property that the Israelites owned in the promised land…..nothing but a burial plot…..a couple of caves and a field. It was the Israelites stake in the promised land, and notice the faith of Jacob as he states, “I am to be gathered to my people.”  This is nothing but a bold proclamation in the belief of a bodily resurrection.

It’s a dying man’s wish to be buried with fellow believers, so that on the Last Day, the whole family will burst from the graves together to join the returning Savior. No wonder so many churches have cemeteries! Is it necessary to be buried in a family plot? Of course not, the dead will be raised from wherever they may lie, but it is a nice picture of a family reunion on that glorious day!

A day when the dead in Christ will rise first! 1Th 4:16-18 says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

A day when the bones of Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, you and I and all believers will burst forth in our new incorruptible bodies! 1Co 15:51-58, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--  52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."  55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"  56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

This is all made possible because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to this earth to live a perfect sinless life. He then died on the cross for our sins, then He too, was buried in a cave, but the cave couldn’t hold Him, and on the third day He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven where His is preparing mansions, not caves for all His true followers.

Just as the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite was a stake in the promised land, so is the empty tomb of Jesus a stake for all of us in the new promised land. One day the Israelites would physically occupy all that land, and one day, heaven will be occupied, (prepared mansions and all) for those who trusted Christ!

Don’t miss the reunion.