Title: Go Before Egypt (Gen 46:1-7)
Contents
Go before Egypt (Gen 46:1-7)
The ‘Celebrity Invitational Rally’ held to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the founding was impressive. These three lecturers, Dr. Bong-Ho Son, Elder Ha-Jung Kim, and Rev. Dong-Won Lee, gave many challenges with their own unique colors and themes. Among them, the testimony of Elder Ha-Jung Kim was a precious time for me to realize once again how infinite the depth and breadth of the spiritual world are.
He was leading a consistent life in which he received God's instructions in everything and unconditionally obeyed those words. What kind of God is his God, and what kind of God do I believe in? What attitude am I taking with an important issue in front of me or at an important turning point in my life? Are you really sure that it is God's will and are you taking action?
Jacob received the shocking news that his son Joseph is still alive and that he has become prime minister of Egypt. He couldn't believe it, but when he finally had faith and confidence in his heart, he said that he would go and see Joseph before he died. He is making an important decision now. He wants to go to Egypt. Organize all household items. The idea is to take all 70 people and go to that distant place at the age of 130. There is no chance to make up for it any longer. Where is Egypt? What kind of disasters did your ancestors face when they went down there? Otherwise, he will not perish alone, but everyone who follows him will perish. But it is meant to go all-in.
But let's look carefully at the footprints of Jacob, the man of faith. Is he going straight to Egypt now? “And Israel departed with all that they had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac” (Genesis 46:1). He is going to Beersheba. First of all, where is Beersheba located here? In Canaan, Egypt is located in the south, and Beersheba is located near the Dead Sea, that is, to the east. What is clear is that Beersheba was not located on the road to Egypt. But why did he go to Beersheba first with the whole family when he said he was going to Egypt?
Next, what kind of place is this Beersheba? Now Jacob was in a famine and had no food to eat. Was it to get food there? Beersheba is a wilderness (Genesis 21:14). Abraham's servant Hagar and Ishmael were driven out into the wilderness. This is where Hagar even said that she would never see her son die (Genesis 21:16). It doesn't even match the direction Jacob was going in now. You can't even get a form there. But Jacob leads his family and all his possessions to Beersheba.
Look at the text again. Note the verb 'early'. The verb a/B(bo) appears at the beginning of the sentence. This word means 'not somewhere else', 'first there', and 'toward that place'. Jacob's 'will' is emphasized. It is emphasized that he deliberately went out toward Beersheba there. It means that Beersheba was given a higher priority than Egypt. Why was Beersheba in a different direction and without food?
What kind of place was this Beersheba? Abraham and Sarah's longing for the rest of their lives was to have a son. However, the place where the son was obtained and the place where prayers were answered was Beersheba. So Abraham planted an eser tree there and called on the name of the everlasting Lord (Genesis 21:33). Isaac also went up to Beersheba on the same day he unloaded his belongings to Rehoboth, the spacious and blessed place God had prepared. And on that night, you will meet God, hear God's voice, and receive God's blessings (Genesis 26:23-25).
Even for Jacob, Beersheba was an unforgettable place. One day, he was hated by his older brother and had to run away, and the first place he looked for was Beersheba. When I went there first and headed for Haran, I had an unforgettable experience that God appeared to him, met him, and blessed the way he was going. So this Beersheba was not simply Beersheba. Now Jacob is at a very important turning point in his life. He killed his own thoughts in order to ask if this is really the path that God is pleased with, and in order to know God's will, he first sought Beersheba.
Dear all! What turning point are you at right now? We must put some important problem in front of us and ask God's will. God called David “a man after my own heart.” Because he inquired of God and obeyed him (2 Samuel 2:1). However, Joshua suffered defeat in the battle of Ai because he did not ask God, and he made a great mistake of making a treaty of peace with the people of Gibeon (Joshua 9:14-15).
God guides our way (Proverbs 16:9). Therefore, before proceeding with anything, we must first ask God. How can I hear the voice of God? In today's sermon, Jacob offered a 'sacrificial offering' (Gen 46:1). This word contains the meaning that he himself came before God with the same attitude and attitude as a sacrifice on the altar. It means that you have an attitude of giving your all to yourself while purifying your mind and body. That day Jacob offered not only the beast, but himself as a whole sacrifice. God appeared to Jacob like this (Gen 46:2-4).
The Daniel case has many implications. He made up his mind and ate only vegetables for ten days. He was not obsessed with what to eat, but only focused on God. Clearly, my spirit became clear, and I came to know God’s will clearly. Egypt means our goal, our dream, our hope. But there is a place to go before Egypt. This is Beersheba. Beersheba is not just a place. It is a place where you can always hear the voice of God, and it is a special place where God gave his covenant oath as a blessing for his chosen people. If anyone just seeks Beersheba, if he seriously emptys himself and offers himself as a pure sacrifice on the altar, God will appear. You say. meet you
Dear all!
Today is the first Sunday of December. We are at an important turning point as we close the year and welcome the new year. Are you going to just get on the sailboat of the right time and let the waves flow like it used to? Or, since it's not too late now, will you continue to create meaningful days that float up the waves like a living fish? What is the most important thing we need to do at this point? I hope it will be the ‘ten days’ of trying to become those who are led by God.