So Israel made his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba [a place hallowed by sacred memories] and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, Jacob! Jacob! And he said, Here am I. 3 And He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you [your people Israel] up again; and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes [when they are about to close in death]. 5 So Jacob arose and set out from Beersheba, and Israel’s sons conveyed their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle and the gains which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him:
Contemplation
It is a great opportunity for Jacob to walk each day to the praise and the glory of the Lord. From that day when he was given the news of the passing of Joseph due to their evil manipulation of the time, it was as though the divine timing was held down in Canaan and became full of struggles in Egypt until Joseph became the prime minister. For all these years, it looked like the life of Jacob was only existing, until this moment when he had this great opportunity to call on the Lord in Beersheba, amazingly, from chapter 46, starting from verse 1, the word of the Lord says,
“So Israel made his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba [a place hallowed by sacred memories] and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.”
Beloved, when Jacob came to this place called Beersheba, suddenly the glory of the Lord came alive like never before and he was stirred up to offer the sacred sacrifice to the God of his father Issac and amazingly the presence of the Lord spoke to him like never before. From verse 2 following, a glorious communion began,
“And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, Jacob! Jacob! And he said, Here am I.
3 And He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will there make of you a great nation.”
Beloved, it is a beautiful idea for Jacob and his household to head towards Egypt, but until this moment in Beersheba, it was a strong concern for him to find out if he had taken the right step. Like some of us, it looks like a good idea to head in the direction we are going right now, but because we have not heard from the Lord, our hearts are troubled. Beloved, if we are truly concerned about our lives and the destinies of those in this journey with us, we should be truly troubled. We may have heard from men and it may look important for us to head in the direction we are heading, but each of us knows that until the Lord speaks to us we may be in trouble. Beloved, be careful, it may look like going to Egypt of our time is a beautiful idea, until the result of Lot in Genesis 19:1-38 reveal that we were only led there by the leading of the flesh. Please be double sure that you are in the will of the Lord. This was the serious concern that Jacob had until he received a clear leading of the Lord that he was in the perfect timing of God for his life and his household.
For the Lord had said unto him, “… I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will there make of you a great nation.” If the Lord did not speak this to Jacob, his heart would have been filled with so much distress, but the Lord spoke and his heart found peace. Beloved, are you sure you have the leading of the Lord?
From verse 4 down to verse 6, the Spirit of the Lord continue to grant Jacob clear assurance about his decision and the Lord said to him,
“I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you [your people Israel] up again; and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes [when they are about to close in death].
5 So Jacob arose and set out from Beersheba, and Israel’s sons conveyed their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.”
Beloved, please take note that until it became obvious that the house of Jacob has become more desperate after the leading of the Lord about them walking in the will of the Lord, than in the fulfillment of their fleshy desires, there was no peace in the moment of their journey. But immediately he heard from the Lord, he knew it. It became so important that the Lord made him see the great difference when He said, “.. So Jacob arose and set out from Beersheba, and Israel’s sons conveyed their father, “ Beloved, it became a great difference when the one who was known as Jacob, is the same man known as Israel. Without doubt, a great transformation took place in that encounter. And the word of the Lord revealed in verse 6,
“And they took their cattle and the gains which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him:”
If you are heading in a direction without God’s clear leading, please wait to hear from the Lord.
Practical issues
Until you have heard from the Lord God Almighty, you are on your own. Let the Lord guide you with His strong leading. Shalom!
Written and edited by Igho L Y.
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