Everything contributes to the good of those who love God! (Genesis 46 – 47)

Everything contributes to the good of those who love God! (Genesis 46 – 47)

Intro
Our worship will continue this morning considering the greatness of God with which we are involved.

God’s Framework
On the one hand, whatever happens, God puts in place what He has promised.
The whole history of mankind testifies to this.

Ours
And at the same time, God takes everyone’s decisions into account, He takes into account all my choices.

How to do in prayer?
So this has an implication in my prayers:

how do I do, what to ask?
If, in fine, God will put in place what He has planned.
We have an immense privilege, it is that God Himself by His Spirit inspires our prayers.
The two align

• God’s path and the responsibility God entrusts to us align in order to walk in the footsteps of the excellent things that God has foreseen; this is the meaning and context of a well-known verse.

What the Bible says:
Romans 8. 28
Besides, we know that everything works for the good of those who love God, of those who are called according to his plan.

God, in the Bible, does not say:

Romans 8. 28
Moreover, we know that everything contributes to the prosperity of those who love God, of those who are called according to his plan.

Romans 8. 28
Besides, we know that everything contributes to the comfort of those who love God, of those who are called according to his plan.

Romans 8.28
Besides, we know that everything contributes to the hedonism (the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain) of those who love God, of those who are called according to his plan.

The one-way man?
Indeed, if this were the case, it would mean that we humans are the only object, reason of the story, and that this story would end with our end.

Involvement in prayer
This would mean that our prayers have no divine inspiration, but which would be focused on our person, on our navel; that would be terrifying: a flash of existence without provenance and nothingness as an end!

Integration of 2 dimensions
But God integrates our story with a lowercase “h” into His Story with a capital “H”.

Example in Genesis 46 and 47
This is what we will see today in the reading of chapters 46 and 47 of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Background
Since chapter 37, God has wanted us to feast, to meditate on the great Story that God is developing in the line of Jacob, because there is a promise He has made that all the nations of the earth would be blessed by this line that leads to Christ!

And at the same time, on the personal history of several people who, by their decisions live the consequences of their choices.
And the consequences can sometimes be suffered or unfair.

Among these people:

Jacob:
His very strong preference for Joseph and other factors led to his believing, with evidence, for some twenty years that his son Joseph was dead.

Joseph,
by trumpeting the visions which showed that the whole clan would submit to him, exploded the hatred of his brothers who finally sold him as a slave and made him pass for dead in the eyes of their father Jacob.

Afterwards, his integrity and helpfulness earned him ten years in prison.

But the same God-enlightened helpfulness and wisdom made him the central figure of one of the greatest powers in the world at the time, saving an entire nation and civilization.

But also to save the line of Jacob, all this family by which the divine promise is realized and will be realized until Christ.

• But is it the fact of Joseph helped by God or is it the fact of God that implicated Joseph?
  Joseph has an idea of ​​it since he said:

For it is to save your life that God sent me here before you
Genesis 45. 5

God sent me here before you to enable you to subsist in the land and to make you live by granting you a great deliverance.
So it wasn’t you who sent me here, it was God.
Genesis 45. 7-8

Judah
A « beautiful scumbag » who has the brilliant idea of ​​changing the course of her brother Joseph’s life by selling him into slavery.

Other “famous” decisions: he moves away from his family to make a living with very “rotten” consequences: two of his sons die leaving a widow whom Judah no longer takes care of.

In the depths of the consequences of these catastrophic decisions, God, through his daughter-in-law, leads him to recognize that he is on the wrong track.

Since then, his leadership qualities will be put to better use
until he offers his freedom in place of his brother Benjamin, caught red-handed and sentenced to slavery.

So let me stay in the boy’s place as my lord’s slave and let the boy go back with his brothers!
Genesis 44. 33

Substituting himself for his doomed brother, Judah, unknowingly, was proposing what someone in his family was going to do perfectly for mankind, which God was preparing in this Great Story through Jesus.

Observation of the two overlapping plots
I therefore suggest that you read chapters 46 and 47, considering how closely these two aspects of life are intertwined,

• the History that God unfolds
• and the involvement of people – history and the decisions of men.

Context

• Joseph has revealed himself to his other brothers and sends them to seek his father Jacob;
• Jacob finally decides to leave when he sees the splendor of the chariots that Joseph sent him to make the journey.

Genesis Reading
– Chapter 46

1 So Israel departed with all that belonged to him. When he reached Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Even if we don’t fully grasp this pivotal place of Beer-sheba, we do understand that there is continuity between Israel – Jacob and his father Isaac; indeed, one of the counterparts of the Great History passes through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Abraham, Genesis 21. 33 :
Abraham planted tamarisk trees at Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

Isaac, Genesis 26. 33 :
He called the well Shiba. This is why the name of the city was given to Beer-sheba, until today.

2 God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night. He said, “Jacob! Jacob!” Israel replied, “Here I am!” 3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation.

In the Great Story, God had promised Jacob’s grandfather,
Genesis 15. 5
After leading him outside, he said, « Look up to the sky and count the stars, if you can count them. » He affirmed to him: “Such will be your offspring.”

4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt and bring you up myself. It is Joseph who will close your eyes.”

More personal story
God, Himself, guarantees him His presence at his side and that Joseph is alive!

5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel installed their father Jacob with their children and their wives on the chariots that Pharaoh had sent to carry them.
6 They also took their flocks and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
This is how Jacob went to Egypt with all his family.
7 He took with him to Egypt his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters and all his family.
8 These are the names of the descendants of Israel who came to Egypt. There was Jacob and his sons.
Jacob’s eldest son: Reuben. 9 Sons of Reuben: Enoch, Pallu, Hetzron and Carmi. 10 Sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin and Zochar, and Saul the son of the Canaanite woman. 11 Sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; however, Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perets were Hetzron and Hamul. 13 Sons of Issachar: Thola, Puva, Job and Shimron. 14 Sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15 These were the descendants that Leah had given to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. His descendants and descendants were 33 in total.
16 Sons of Gad: Ziphjon, Haggi, Shuni, Etsbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. 17 Sons of Asher: Jimnah, Jishva, Jishvi and Beriah and Serah their sister. Sons of Beria: Heber and Malkiel. 18 These were the descendants of Zilpah, the servant whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah; she gave these children to Jacob, 16 people in all.
19 Sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt Joseph had Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera the priest of On bore him. 21 Sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. 22 These are the descendants that Jacob had by Rachel, 14 people in all.
23 Son of Dan: Hushim. 24 Sons of Naphtali: Jahtseel, Guni, Jetser and Shillem. 25 These are the descendants of Bilhah, the servant whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel; she gave these children to Jacob, 7 people in all.
26 The total number of those who accompanied Jacob to Egypt and who were descendants of him was 66, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons. 27 Joseph had two sons who were born to him in Egypt. The total number of people from Jacob’s family who came to Egypt was 70.

Great History
There is an aside here to answer what was pointed out earlier, where God guarantees that out of Jacob will come a great nation.

Here there is a numbering, a census of the line of Jacob, when they enter Egypt and when they come out, it will be the Hebrew people under the leadership of Moses.
God is telling us: « I made a promise, remember, you will see the result! » »

Clearly this is an aside because the details of the arrival in Egypt are actually explained to us now in verse 28.

Take a good look at who Jacob sent ahead to prepare for their arrival in Egypt:

28 Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to prepare the way for him in Goshen, and they came to the region of Goshen.

29 Joseph hitched up his chariot and got into it to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as he saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept for a long time on his shoulder. 30 Israel said to Joseph,
« I can die now, since you are still alive and I have seen your face. »

31 Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s family,
“I will warn Pharaoh and say to him,
‘My brothers and my father’s family who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 32 These men are shepherds because they raise cattle. They have brought their sheep, their oxen and all that belongs to them.’
33 When Pharaoh calls you and asks,
‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you will answer,
‘Your servants have raised cattle from their youth until now, just like their ancestors.’
In this way you will be able to live in the region of Gosen, since all the shepherds abhor the Egyptians.”

The effects in everyday life in human history:
The effect
of • substitution,

• reconciliation,
• forgiveness.
  Reunion between Joseph and Jacob after 20 years.
  Tips and tricks for settling in, just like we would for someone in our family!

Genesis – Chapter 47

1 Joseph went to tell Pharaoh and said to him,
“My brothers and my father have come from the land of Canaan with their sheep and their oxen and all that belongs to them; they are in the Gosen region.”
2 He took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh said to them,
“What is your occupation?”
They replied to Pharaoh,
« Your servants are shepherds, just as their ancestors were. »
4 Again they said to Pharaoh,
“We, your servants, have come to sojourn in the land because there is no more pasture for our cattle.
Indeed, famine weighs heavily on the land of Canaan.
So please allow your servants to settle in the Gosen region!”

5 Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6 Egypt is before you. Install your father and your brothers in the best part of the country. Let them dwell in the Gosen region.
And if you know that there are capable men among them, put them in charge of my flocks.”

7 Joseph summoned his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh.
Jacob blesses the pharaoh.
8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” 9 Jacob answered Pharaoh,
“My wandering life has lasted 130 years. It was short and bad, and it did not reach the span of the wandering life of my ancestors.
10 Jacob again blessed Pharaoh and withdrew from his presence.

11 Joseph settled his father and his brothers, he gave them a property in Egypt in the best part of the country, in the region of Ramses, according to the orders of Pharaoh.
12 Joseph provided bread for his father and his brothers and for all his father’s family, taking into account the number of children.

Personal and family history where finally, Jacob and all the family are settled in the best part of Egypt of the time. God also leads these excellent times!

13 There was no more bread in all the land, because the famine was very great.
Egypt and the land of Canaan were wasting away from famine.
14 Joseph collected all the money that was available in Egypt and in the land of Canaan and paid it out in exchange for wheat, and brought it into Pharaoh’s house.

15 When the money from Egypt and the land of Canaan was exhausted, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying,
“Give us bread! Why would we die before your eyes? In fact, there is no more money.”
16 Joseph said,
« Give your cattle, and I will give you bread for your cattle, if there is no more money. »
17 They brought their flocks to Joseph, and he gave them bread in exchange for horses, flocks of sheep and oxen, and donkeys. He thus provided them with bread that year in exchange for all their herds.

18 When that year was over, the following year they came to Joseph and said to him,
“We will not hide it from you, sir, that the money has run out and our herds of cattle are already in your possession, sir. There is nothing left before you, lord, but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, we and our lands?
Buy us with our lands in exchange for bread and we will serve the Pharaoh, us and our lands.
Give us what to sow so that we stay alive and do not die, and our lands are not devastated.”
20 Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh.
Indeed, the Egyptians each sold their field because the famine pressed them. This is how the country became the property of the pharaoh.

21 As for the people, he moved them into the cities from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other.
22 Only the lands of the priests he did not buy, because there was a prescription from Pharaoh for them: they lived on the income that Pharaoh gave them, so they did not sell not their land.
23 Joseph said to the people,
“Today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you and you can sow the ground. 24 – Give Pharaoh A Fifth Of The Crop And The Other Four Parts You Will Use To Sow The Fields And To Feed Yourselves, Your Children, And The Members Of Your Household. »
25 They said:
“You save our lives! If we find favor in your eyes, Lord, we will be slaves to Pharaoh.”
26 Joseph made this a ordinance, still in force today, that one-fifth of the revenue from the land of Egypt belongs to Pharaoh. Only the lands of the priests do not belong to the pharaoh.

Joseph’s Professional History
God gave Joseph extraordinary wisdom.
From the beginning, at Potiphar,

Genesis 39.2
The Lord was with Joseph, and success followed him.

Not only did God enlighten Joseph to guarantee the survival of all the people, but He made Pharaoh immensely rich. All the people’s money in the coffers of the pharaoh, all the lands of Egypt become the property of the pharaoh!

And the people are grateful for the fair balance for the following

• Concept of 1/5
• and the priests of other laws.
  To see if we find equivalent things for the Hebrew people. Normal, the two managements are inspired by the same God!

27 As for Israel, they settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.
They acquired properties, had children and became very numerous.
28 Jacob lived 17 years in Egypt, and his life span was 147 years.
29 When Israel approached the time of his death, he called his son Joseph and said to him,
“If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will show me kindness and faithfulness by not burying me in Egypt. 30 When I lie with my ancestors, you will carry me out of Egypt and bury me in the family tomb.”
Joseph replied,
« I will do according to your word. »
31 Jacob said, « Swear to me! » And Joseph swore it to him. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.

Jacob’s funeral
Twice, we have had indications, in the text of the day, relating to the death and funeral of Jacob which, here are settled, and will take place in accordance with Jacob’s wishes, in the following chapter.

Two intertwined destinies
But you have seen, like me, how the great story of God – which will first lead to salvation – subsequently mingles with the story of people like us, with the story of a country, of a civilization…

Capital perception for our lives
And it is important that we always have these two dimensions in mind, to consider the greatness of God, so that we have a right perception of the original meaning of life (originally created without end) and which
exceeds just functional existence.

Joseph had this perception
Joseph, after what he had gone through with God, had grasped this other dimension

• which went beyond the outrages he had suffered,
• which went beyond the opulence and the aura he enjoyed afterwards.
  1) God had sent him forward to save his family, beyond the machinations of his brothers.
  2) Hebrews 11:22 gives us an interesting indication of this perception.
  Note that it is imperative to look at the texts of the Old Testament in the light of the New Testament!

And Hebrews 11:22 tells us this:
It was by faith that Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Beyond the circumstances of this life
Joseph had obviously not grasped everything as the rest of the Bible reveals to us, but he had grasped this dimension which went beyond his sumptuous life, which went beyond the preservation of his family.
But he had a bigger dimension!

And for us?

Identical to Joseph
Our life has the same value as that of Joseph, it is involved in daily life, in short, medium and long term projections.
But it has a dimension that is linked to the great plot that God is unfolding and this is what we saw at the beginning with the verse in the Epistle to the Romans.

Romans 8

Reminder of salvation:
24 Indeed, it is in hope that we have been saved. Now the hope that we see is no longer hope: what we see, can we still hope? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with perseverance.

Faced with this greatness of what God does and the reality of our lives, what do we ask of God in our prayers?

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness. Indeed, we do not know what to ask for in our prayers, but the Spirit himself intercedes [for us] with groans that words cannot express. 27 And God who examines hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because it is in agreement with him that he intercedes in behalf of the saints.

God-Spirit helps us in our prayers, He sets our daily existence on the great plot that God unfolds, which is “Good”.

28 Moreover, we know that everything contributes to the good of those who love God, of those who are called according to his plan.

Just like Joseph, at that time, prayer, the goal of life has a different dimension of « metro, work, sleep », bobo, comfort, leisure, hedonism, it aims to adjust to Christ, to be in the same conformity.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren. 30 Those whom he predestined he also called; those whom he called he also declared righteous; and those whom he declared righteous, he also granted glory.

That in this we can:

Greatness of God unfolds its plan
Be amazed by the greatness of God which does not stop only at the circumstantial but which has an eternal ambition which He puts in place in a resolute way.

Makes us part of it
Who integrates us into this framework, so that we can give Him an echo of it in our thoughts, our projects, our lives.

Revealing
The best clue that this is in us is seen in the tenor of our prayers:
Are they just races of needs, protection, health concerns or do they take a few steps in this way of eternity?
Do we project ourselves on the “Good” of God?

Challenge: Let’s reflect when we pray, if we focus only on ourselves or if we have also projected ourselves on what God is putting in place forever.