Title: Looking at that Hometown
Contents
We are already saved people of God. But we have not yet entered heaven, and we live in this world. (already, not yet) expresses the identity of these saints in one word.
We are already saved people of God, but we are still living in this world. Then, how should the saints who are God's people and still live in the world live? Although we live in the world, we must not forget that we are God's people.
Today's text shows Jacob and his family going down to Egypt and settling there. Through their appearance, we can learn what attitude God's people should have in this world.
Jacob's family came to Egypt. Joseph had prepared his father and his brothers to live in Egypt, and now he is moving forward. First, Joseph prepared his brothers to meet Pharaoh.
Pharaoh rejoiced that Joseph's family had come, and was willing to give them whatever they wanted. Joseph told his brothers that when Pharaoh asked about his occupation, he should answer that he was a herder. He replied that the Egyptians would live in the land of Goshen, because they hated the herders the most.
Then the distinction between God's people will disappear. So Joseph had his brothers introduce themselves as the most hated herders of the Egyptians. Then they would live separately from the Egyptians in the land of Goshen, and there would be no fear that the Egyptians would detest them, so that they would marry and mix. Furthermore, they would be constantly reaffirmed of their desire to return to the promised land of Canaan by being despised by the Egyptians.
They came to Egypt in this way to escape a severe famine, but they thought they had to leave again soon. They were to leave Egypt whenever God directed them. So Joseph did not want them to have everything in abundance in Egypt. This was so that they would not be swayed by all the abundance of Egypt and the favor of the Egyptians.
Until the moment of his death, Joseph will not bury himself in Egypt, but the time will come when God will move the Israelites to the promised land of Canaan, just as God had promised to his great-grandfather Abraham, grandfather Isaac, and father Jacob. is making a will to take the body of Because Joseph was a man who made great achievements in Egypt, he built great pyramids like the Egyptians did, and was in a position to be an example and to be praised for future generations, but he was not interested in the praise or praise of the world, but rather God He lived with his promises and hopes.
Today, we too are living in this world now, but someday we will leave this world and enter the kingdom of God. We are people who live with the hope of the kingdom of heaven. How should people who live with the hope of heaven live in this world today? We have to live with hope and prepare for that country.
How much do you long for the kingdom of God? Like the rest of Joseph who yearns for the country, are you prepared to kick the rolled bread with your feet?