Genesis 47:1-10
Genesis Study 129
JACOB'S PILGRIMAGE
Genesis 47:1-10
Key verse 47:9
"And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.'"
Last week we studied that Jacob's family went down to Egypt. In this passage they settled down in Goshen in Egypt.
In verses 1 to 6, Joseph introduces his brothers to Pharaoh. He chose five of his brothers and presented them before the king. They introduced themselves as shepherds as Joseph advised them. They requested Pharaoh to allow them to settle in Goshen. Pharaoh granted their request. He also granted them a privilege to take care of his livestock.
Look at verse 7. Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. Jacob did not bow down to Pharaoh. Instead he blessed the king in the name of the Lord. In human point of view Pharaoh did not need Jacob's blessing. In fact it was Jacob who needed Pharaoh's blessing. Pharaoh was the king of the most powerful nation whereas Jacob was a refugee in his country. However Jacob saw himself as a source of God's blessing. Fifty-three years ago God promised to him, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 28:14) If Jacob does not bless, even Pharaoh cannot receive God's blessing. As Jacob was an old and helpless refugee in Egypt, we may be poor in study, jobless, suffering from ill health and strangers in this city. But we are here as the sources of God's blessing. The heads of our colleges and our companies already have many things. But they can receive God's blessing only when we bless them.
In the past Jacob envied Pharaoh-like people. So he worked very hard day and night. He did not mind deceiving his brother and his uncle if he could be powerful and rich. But now he did not envy such people anymore. Instead he had deep compassion on their perishing souls. Jacob's blessing on Pharaoh was not a simple greeting. It was his earnest prayer to bring God's salvation to Pharaoh. We tend to envy those who are powerful and wealthy. But the Bible tells us what we will be in heaven. Let's read Revelation 22:5, "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." In heaven we will reign with God for ever and ever. God, the King of kings, has made us the Prime Ministers of his world. How does it look if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh competes with elementary school students for the post of prefect? We are not here to compete for earthly power or wealth. We are here to bless the people. We are their spiritual governors.
Look at verse 8. Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?" "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty," said Jacob. "My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Here we see how Jacob viewed his life. How do people view their lives? They say, "Life is a voyage. Life is a battle. Life is a survival game. Life is a lottery. Life is a gambling. Life is a romance. Life is an amusement park. Life is a mystery." Whatever it may be, how you view your life will determine how you live your life. As for Jacob life was a pilgrimage. So he lived as a pilgrim.
What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey. But it is not the journey of a wanderer. It is a journey of a truth-seeker. He encounters many ups and downs in his life. But he does not give up his journey. He keeps going until he finds the truth. As for Jacob his life was a journey to meet the true God. Now he became the father of the Prime Minister. He settled in the best part of Egypt. But he did not say, "At last I reached my destiny." He believed he still had many miles to go. He could not stop his journey until he would meet his loving God. This was his song in each step of his journey:
Thou my everlasting Portion, more than friend or life to me,All along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,All along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.
Not for ease or worldly pleasure, nor for fame my prayer shall be;Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.
Lead me through the vale of shadows, bear me o'er life’s fitful sea;Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.
According to the Bible, life is a pilgrimage. Someday we have to leave behind all our earthly enjoyment and achievement. And then we have to meet God our Creator face to face and confess before him all we have done on earth. The Bible says, "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:7,8)
People see this world as their destiny. So they struggle hard to take possession of many things. But have you ever seen any pilgrim taking his bed, sofa, carpet, cable TV and internet connection along his journey? They make their belongings as light as possible. This was Jacob's attitude. He got a big chance to receive whatever he wanted from Pharaoh. But he did not request anything. In verse 10 he again blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. As a pilgrim Jacob had one two interests: one was to come close to God and the other to help the people to receive God's blessing. In order to be the pilgrims of heaven what should we do? Should we leave our colleges and companies and take our journey to Jerusalem? If we earnestly seek God everyday by holding his promise we are the pilgrims of heaven. And if we serve others to believe in God's promise so that they too may receive God's blessing we are the pilgrims of heaven. Then one day God will take us to his kingdom to reign with him for ever and ever. May God bless us to live as heavenly pilgrims in each day.
JACOB'S PILGRIMAGE
Genesis 47:1-10
Key verse 47:9
"And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.'"
Last week we studied that Jacob's family went down to Egypt. In this passage they settled down in Goshen in Egypt.
In verses 1 to 6, Joseph introduces his brothers to Pharaoh. He chose five of his brothers and presented them before the king. They introduced themselves as shepherds as Joseph advised them. They requested Pharaoh to allow them to settle in Goshen. Pharaoh granted their request. He also granted them a privilege to take care of his livestock.
Look at verse 7. Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. Jacob did not bow down to Pharaoh. Instead he blessed the king in the name of the Lord. In human point of view Pharaoh did not need Jacob's blessing. In fact it was Jacob who needed Pharaoh's blessing. Pharaoh was the king of the most powerful nation whereas Jacob was a refugee in his country. However Jacob saw himself as a source of God's blessing. Fifty-three years ago God promised to him, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 28:14) If Jacob does not bless, even Pharaoh cannot receive God's blessing. As Jacob was an old and helpless refugee in Egypt, we may be poor in study, jobless, suffering from ill health and strangers in this city. But we are here as the sources of God's blessing. The heads of our colleges and our companies already have many things. But they can receive God's blessing only when we bless them.
In the past Jacob envied Pharaoh-like people. So he worked very hard day and night. He did not mind deceiving his brother and his uncle if he could be powerful and rich. But now he did not envy such people anymore. Instead he had deep compassion on their perishing souls. Jacob's blessing on Pharaoh was not a simple greeting. It was his earnest prayer to bring God's salvation to Pharaoh. We tend to envy those who are powerful and wealthy. But the Bible tells us what we will be in heaven. Let's read Revelation 22:5, "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." In heaven we will reign with God for ever and ever. God, the King of kings, has made us the Prime Ministers of his world. How does it look if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh competes with elementary school students for the post of prefect? We are not here to compete for earthly power or wealth. We are here to bless the people. We are their spiritual governors.
Look at verse 8. Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?" "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty," said Jacob. "My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Here we see how Jacob viewed his life. How do people view their lives? They say, "Life is a voyage. Life is a battle. Life is a survival game. Life is a lottery. Life is a gambling. Life is a romance. Life is an amusement park. Life is a mystery." Whatever it may be, how you view your life will determine how you live your life. As for Jacob life was a pilgrimage. So he lived as a pilgrim.
What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey. But it is not the journey of a wanderer. It is a journey of a truth-seeker. He encounters many ups and downs in his life. But he does not give up his journey. He keeps going until he finds the truth. As for Jacob his life was a journey to meet the true God. Now he became the father of the Prime Minister. He settled in the best part of Egypt. But he did not say, "At last I reached my destiny." He believed he still had many miles to go. He could not stop his journey until he would meet his loving God. This was his song in each step of his journey:
Thou my everlasting Portion, more than friend or life to me,All along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,All along my pilgrim journey, Saviour, let me walk with Thee.
Not for ease or worldly pleasure, nor for fame my prayer shall be;Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee.
Lead me through the vale of shadows, bear me o'er life’s fitful sea;Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.Close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee, close to Thee,Then the gate of life eternal may I enter, Lord, with Thee.
According to the Bible, life is a pilgrimage. Someday we have to leave behind all our earthly enjoyment and achievement. And then we have to meet God our Creator face to face and confess before him all we have done on earth. The Bible says, "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:7,8)
People see this world as their destiny. So they struggle hard to take possession of many things. But have you ever seen any pilgrim taking his bed, sofa, carpet, cable TV and internet connection along his journey? They make their belongings as light as possible. This was Jacob's attitude. He got a big chance to receive whatever he wanted from Pharaoh. But he did not request anything. In verse 10 he again blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. As a pilgrim Jacob had one two interests: one was to come close to God and the other to help the people to receive God's blessing. In order to be the pilgrims of heaven what should we do? Should we leave our colleges and companies and take our journey to Jerusalem? If we earnestly seek God everyday by holding his promise we are the pilgrims of heaven. And if we serve others to believe in God's promise so that they too may receive God's blessing we are the pilgrims of heaven. Then one day God will take us to his kingdom to reign with him for ever and ever. May God bless us to live as heavenly pilgrims in each day.
posted by bunyan90 @ 10:55 PM
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