Written by Stefan Johnsson
The Word
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. 29 Then he commanded 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 at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying 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 in it were bought from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 49:28-33 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Revelation 21:1-7
Reflection
Jacob, at the end of his life, had no regrets. God had provided for him in every step of the way. He had grown to see his tribe flourish with many sons to carry on the lineage that God had promised He would do. He was given a life of comfort in the last seventeen years of his life, seeing his long lost son again in a land and region flush with vegetation and produce. The family was restored and redeemed and he could rest in peace.
But there was one thing he did not want, was that his family would forget that this was only a temporary home. It was not where God meant for them to stay.
So the last command he gave was for his bones to be buried in the same cave that was bought by his grandfather Abraham in Canaan for his wife Sarah. It was in this cave that Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah had been buried. He did not want to be buried in a foreign land, outside of what had been promised to him and his descendants by God. He had a bigger vision of what God would do and wanted his sons and descendants to equate the promised land to their land. If Jacob was buried in Egypt, who knows if there would be the same desire to return when Moses came?
Application
Jacob did not equate his life in Egypt as a permanent home, but a temporary one. The land of Canaan, the promised land, was where his heart was and where he wanted to be buried. He never concerned himself with the good life that Egypt had given him. There was a far better life and far better promise waiting for them.
In the same way, Jacob gives us an example of how we should live our lives. Are we looking to what is to come or simply living with what is infront of us?
There will be day when this earth will pass away and a new heaven and a new earth will come. There will be no weeping, diseases, or death. We will live with God, and His light and presence will cover the earth.
Yes, take me to the promised land when I die. For when that time comes, I’ll fly away.
Prayer
Father in heaven, help me live with a heaven mindset. This life is short and will soon be no more. Let me live with your promise of a new earth and new heaven as my vision. I want to live life to glorify You here and bring with me all who want to come to see Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
City Life Starter 
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