Genesis 44:18-47:27, Vayigash, “And he drew near”
Again, this week I am feeling that the title of this Parsha really captures several key concepts that I have been contemplating over the past several days. Coming off last week’s readings I found Joseph “drawing near to his new home” as he “pushed away from his past”. As I read this week’s readings, I see Pharaoh encouraging Joseph’s family to do the same. I see Israel and all his children “drawing near” to Joseph and all of them “drawing near” to Egypt and all it has to offer. With all of this, the main concepts of where I feel led is in how God’s plan for our lives and the lives of the “nation” that He is creating takes into consideration who we are, and how He knows we will respond in particular situations. How we respond in those situations is what ultimately leads us to “pushing away form the world” and finally “drawing near” to Him. This is the process of becoming all that He has created us to be. This process works on an individual basis and a corporate basis as we are all walking out this journey together. In this week’s readings we see this in the lives of Joseph, Israel, and ultimately the “nation”.
Years earlier God showed Abraham that his descendants would end up in Egypt and that they would become slaves there. In this week’s readings we find God telling Israel “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.” “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4 NASB)
For me, there are a few key points to what God tells Israel:
- Of course, He lets Israel know that He is the God of his fathers,
- He assures him that there is nothing to be afraid of,
- He tells him that his family will become a great nation while in Egypt, and
- He tells him that ultimately, He will return Israel to his homeland.
When I read this my mind immediately goes to Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB) “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When I overlay this with Luke 21:27-28, Mark 13:24-27, Matthew 24:29-31, and specifically Deuteronomy 30:3-5, I see a very similar overlay between what God showed Moses and clarified through Jesus with what God showed Abraham and clarified through Israel:
"that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. "If [any] of you are driven out to the farthest [parts] under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. "Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.” (Deuteronomy 30: 3-5 NKJV)
When I think about Israel taking his entire family and moving to Egypt it is a very similar image to God taking His “nation” and spreading us out over the face of the earth. When God tells Israel that his family will become a great nation while in Egypt, it makes me think of how Jesus gave the great commission to go and make disciples across the face of the world. And, when God and Jesus tell us that at the end of this age, He will re-gather us back to Him in the promised land, it parallels God telling Israel that He will bring him up again (to his homeland).
With all these parallels I think it is reasonable to consider that there are somethings that we can take from the experiences of Joseph and his family and apply those to our own lives while waiting on His return. It is here where we will want to investigate the concept of “drawing near”.
Let’s read Genesis 45:5-7 and ask ourselves these two questions: According to what Joseph heard from God, what is the purpose for his being brought down to Egypt, and how long would his family need to remain in Egypt to accomplish this purpose?
“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.”
For me, I would say that Joseph was led to Egypt to provide a reproof for his family from the famine which was to last another five years. But, after making these points to his family, Joseph called his family to come live “near” to him in the land of Goshen, in the land of Egypt. He then reminds them that the famine will last another five years.
From there a few interesting things take place. In verse 13 we find Joseph telling his brothers that they must tell their father about all the splendors of Egypt. Then it gets even more interesting when by verse 19 we see Pharaoh ordering Joseph to take wagons loaded with the best of the land back to Israel. All of this could have been done in gratitude toward Joseph’s family. At the same time, there could be some manipulation going on here. In any case, the promise of prosperity is a strong enticement to leave “the promised land” and “draw near to Egypt”.
This is when Israel has his conversation with God and where God assures Him of the promises noted above. As the story unfolds, the family arrives in Egypt and Joseph tells his brothers that he is going to go talk to Pharoah. He tells them that during this conversation, he will tell Pharoah that his family are shepherds. He then tells them that ultimately Pharoah will call upon them and ask them what their occupation is and that when this happens, they are to say that they are shepherds. Joseph reasons that because Egyptians see every shepherd as loathsome, this would guarantee that they would be allowed to stay in the land of Goshen. Ultimately, these meetings take place and Pharoah not only gives them the best of the lands of Goshen, he even asks that any capable men be put in charge of his personal livestock.
This week’s reading ends seventeen years later with a summary of how Joseph did business with the people of Egypt throughout the time of famine, how this led to Pharoah owning all the land of Egypt, and how through the transactions, how each family would owe Pharoah 20% of their harvest each and every year for all time. Apparently, the only exception to this would be Israel and his family who acquired their own property, were fruitful, and become very numerous during this seventeen-year period.
So, here is my question: How did an assignment of “preserving life for five years” become a reality of “acquiring land, being fruitful, multiplying, and remaining for seventeen”? Ultimately, we know that seventeen years extended out to 430 where the future descendants of Israel and his family were deeply enslaved to the very system that this generation was enticed into.
I think the issue comes down to what happens when shepherds start acting like sheep. In this case, Israel’s family was not just given a place to live for five years so that they could be safe and return to their homeland. Instead, they were enticed to “draw near” to Egypt and all that Egypt had to offer. In this, Pharoah got his shepherds who would ultimately become slaves of the Egyptian system. There is no doubt that sometimes God move us out of an area of safety and protection for some greater purpose. But the question we must always ask is, “Why”? It is so easy to believe that God is simply blessing us, giving us a gift, that it is all about us, and as such, is what we are to “draw near” to.
In Matthew 6:24 we are reminded “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.“ (NASB)
At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with the things of this world. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the life that God has given us. The problems come in when we allow our hearts to “draw near to those things” because when our hearts are “near them”, they can’t be “near God”. Sadly, very often, the very things we “draw near to” are the very things that enslave our future generations.
Instead, in these times when God is providing wealth or some other opportunity to live in a more prosperous way, maybe He is challenging us to keep our hearts “near” Him, and not be “drawn” away to the things that He has given us. Maybe we have just been given these things as an opportunity to shepherd others through our testimony so that they will “draw near” to Him. Maybe we have been given some opportunities so that we can provide for others. Maybe our character is being tested. Maybe we have been “drawn” into a place that is full of temptations just so we can reach those who reside there.
This is the other aspect of the great commission that I see in this story. You see, we have been called to live in the world, to be shepherds, and to lead others to Him. At the same time, the world is just like Egypt. The people are loathsome toward true shepherds, the entire system has been designed to entice us toward “drawing” our hearts away from God and “near” to the things that take us away from our assignment as shepherds. As we allow ourselves to “draw near” to those things we set the stage for the powers of this world to enslave our children and our children’s children to those very things that we found so enticing.
So, with all this said, where are each of us in this process? Are we working with God as He is using these things to make us that “great nation”? Are we so ensnared that we can’t even hear Him? Or, are we hearing but not paying any attention? I guess this would be a good time to ask ourselves some hard questions.
Are there some things that you have “drawn near” to that have in turn enslaved you? Are you seeing some attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle choices that you know will ultimately get passed down to your children where they will become even more deeply enslaved to the very same things? Are there some beliefs and patterns that it is time to die to so that God can build your character and lead you one step closer to the “nearness” that He desires we all have with Him?
Becoming a part of a great nation isn’t something that happens overnight. It is something that takes place one step at a time, one revelation at a time, one place of brokenness at a time, and ultimately, one victory at a time. What has God revealed to you through this blog, and what victory is waiting for you today?
I pray that the Holy Spirit has shown you some things, that you are feeling a new power over them, and that you are resolved to push away from them and become free. I pray that as you have the courage to push away from those things that you know you need to push away from that you feel Him drawing you near to those things that will truly satisfy, that will give you freedom, and return to you the liberty that the enemy tried to steal. I pray that you remain strong on your journey, and that each day sees more victories, and that your victories today present the path to your children’s freedom on the future. Amen Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment