Journey Through Life

Journey Through Life

Genesis 47: ⁷ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. ⁸ Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

 

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” ¹⁰ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

 

¹¹ And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. ¹² Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.

 

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Joseph brought “Jacob” to Pharaoh and the first thing out of Jacob’s mouth was a blessing. Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was. Jacob’s answer was interesting.

 

My Observations:

• Jacob mentioned he was younger than his father’s age who died at one hundred eighty and his grandfather died at one hundred seventy five.
• Jacob said his days were “few and evil” as if he regretted being a swindler.
• Jacob finally changed into the leader GOD wanted him to be, so he blessed Pharaoh.

 

All of his adult life, Jacob pursued what he wanted. He tried to circumvent tradition from a swindler who gave him a wife he did not want. He took his brother’s birthright and blessing. He lived in fear of many people groups because of his actions.

 

Jacob seemed to have regrets. BUT GOD used him anyway. GOD was the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. HE is the same GOD to you and me. Once we truly realize we are inadequate to save ourselves, we can turn to CHRIST for salvation.

 

But it does not stop there. We then have to realize that we are HIS creation and our lives are not to be squandered with our own pursuits. As we approach the finish line, we have an opportunity to serve GOD to our fullest each day!

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the conversation between Jacob and Pharaoh?
• Have you ever looked back on your life in regret?
• Do you realize that today is given to you to start serving GOD despite the past?

Jacob’s Seventy

 Jacob’s Seventy

Genesis 46: ²⁶ All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. ²⁷ And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

 

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Jacob settled in the land of the Canaanites where his father Isaac was a stranger. There he raised his children. One wife, Rachel, had passed away giving birth to Benjamin. Joseph was hated by his brothers and was sold into slavery, ultimately to be raised by GOD to be the head of Egypt. Now Jacob and the entire family was ready to move to Egypt.

 

My Observations:

• GOD orchestrated the famine which in turn would send Israel to Egypt.
• GOD allowed evil thoughts and actions to come from Joseph’s brothers, but HE used them for good.
• GOD brought Jacob’s family back together in an unusual way.

 

Hindsight is twenty, twenty people would say. It is easy to question what GOD did and why HE did it when it comes to the move of Israel. But the account of history is more complex than you and I could ever imaging. GOD was preparing for JESUS to come as a human and needed certain people to be in certain places at the right time.

 

Israel would have never left the home he made for many reasons. He was old, Rachel was buried nearby and he had plenty. BUT GOD wanted him and his family to be somewhere else. This famine would last five more years, so Jacob had to go. He was delighted though. He would be reunited with Joseph.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD complete the recount of Jacob’s family to Moses?
• Have you ever gone through a difficult time and wondered why?
• Is GOD moving you to a place that HE needs you to be so HE can provide deliverance that you don’t understand yet?

Renamed for Purpose

Renamed for Purpose

Genesis 17: ¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but ^[g]Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶ And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

 

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Continuing HIS conversation with Abraham, GOD turns the focus to Sarai. HE renamed her Sarah and said HE would “bless her.” Sarai was barren. She may have grown up by the ways of the Chaldeans, a nomadic group of raiders. She believed that people could be property and mistreated Hagar, her Egyptian slave.  She thought of a plan to fulfill GOD’s promise, possibly because of shame for being barren.

 

My Observations:

• Sarai was blessed by GOD from birth.
• Sarai had strong faith as she went through famine, almost being taken and battles without complaining.
• Sarai, like Abraham, wanted GOD to win, but took matters in her own hands.

 

Renaming Sarai to Sarah was significant. GOD specifically had a purpose for her. HE would eventually perform a miracle that would show people HE is in control of the human body and spirit. GOD would bless Sarah, “AND” give Abraham a son.

 

This blessing would touch Sarah on many levels. For ninety years she was barren, then GOD tells Abraham she would be “the mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”  Sarah would not only be a mother, but a mother of many races and people groups. GOD erased Abraham’s and Sarah’s past and gave them purpose for HIM. This required them to be new.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about changing Sarai’s name to Sarah?
• Have you ever felt like giving up on GOD’s purpose for you?
• Will you continue with strong faith in GOD’s purpose for you today?

Enough for the Plan

Enough for the Plan

Genesis 6: ¹⁵ And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. ¹⁶ You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 

 

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With no turning back, GOD gave Noah vague instructions on what to build to save humanity. I can only imagine how Noah felt. He walked with the LORD for years, so he had a heart for the people. Hearing that everyone would die must have been some terrifying news. Noah, while obedient, may have tried to save his siblings and townspeople. No one would listen.

 

GOD gave Noah dimensions that would be just enough to save mankind. No more, no less. Noah could ask GOD questions to get specificity along the way,

 

My Observations:

• GOD provided Noah with purpose.
• GOD did not do the work for Noah, but included him in the plan.
• GOD was specific enough, but left room for Noah to use his ingenuity.

 

Building an ark was probably not a delightful task. Noah was told that everything would be destroyed and no one would believe him. He was not only the contractor in GOD’s plan, but the benefactor. He and his family would remain alive if he followed the plan. GOD partnered with Noah to save him and mankind.

 

It never said that the LORD left Noah. The conversation also did not go into detail about tools, shapes or other “how” questions. GOD had a plan that HE wanted to succeed. HE would provide all that was needed.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD get so specific with his instructions to Noah?
• Have you ever overdone or underdone something?
• Can you listen to GOD for specific instructions that are just enough for HIS plan?

Street Justice

Street Justice

Revelation 17: ¹⁵ The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute sits, are nations, peoples, races, and languages. ¹⁶ The ten horns you saw and the beast will hate the prostitute; they will take away everything she has and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and destroy her with fire. ¹⁷ For God has placed in their hearts the will to carry out his purpose by acting together and giving to the beast their power to rule until God's words come true.

 

¹⁸ “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

 

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After being robbed, I was shaken. I feared sitting in certain seats on the bus, or even going down certain streets. Someone said to me, “Don’t worry, those people who did you harm will face street justice.” In other words, someone will rob the robber.

 

• I saw “street justice” happen to thugs in my neighborhood.
• I heard about “street justice” happening to gang members.
• I witnessed thugs beating up the thugs who once bullied me.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, got another statement from the angel who took him into the desert. The angel explained that the great city that caused humans to sin, would face “street justice’ from the beast and from those who may be leaders of countries. Their jealousy of the power would cause them to desire to take down part of Satan’s kingdom.

 

My Observations:

• GOD will allow evil people to take down evil people.
• GOD wants my heart to remain focused on HIM and not return evil for evil.
• GOD does not want me to celebrate the demise of anyone, because it could happen to me.

 

“Turnabout is fair play” is a term that means, it is alright to do evil to someone who has done evil to me. But this causes a problem to the believe. I mean, the world may look away at my “street justice” BUT GOD will not look away. All my sins come with consequence. BUT GOD gives me a better way.

 

Instead of committing sin, GOD wants me to give my enemies over to HIM. “Vengeance is mine says the LORD, I will repay.” HE is sovereign and just to carry out what HE said HE would. HE sees the victim and the foe. HE knows who is the oppressor and listens to those who cry out to HIM. I give my enemies to GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why does the angel remind the writer that the woman was the great city?
• Have you ever been wronged and wanted to do something wrong to “that” person?
• Will you give “that” person over to GOD so your conscience will be clean today?