Alien Nation pt. 2: Beginnings & Endings
Alien Nation: Beginnings & Endings • Sermon • Submitted
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Temporary Rest: Genesis 47:1-6
Temporary Rest: Genesis 47:1-6
Temporary Rest: Genesis 47:1-6
Temporary Rest: Genesis 47:1-6
Introduction - everything in life has phases/seasons to it. There are moments of new beginnings and conclusions, both of which necessitate that we take a moment to reflect and evaluate. Here we see that Israel in his sons are in such a moment.
TR: Let’s take a look at what happens as Joseph begins to introduce his family to Pharaoh and his court.
So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”
Joseph introduces his brothers to Pharaoh but only took five of them.
In addition, their phrasing when they meet is interesting.
They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
Joseph went to great lengths to indicate that they weren’t there to stay. They in fact were immigrants in the land.
Yahweh consistently uses this moment to remind the Israelites about their disposition toward immigrants.
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
exodus 23:9
You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Deuteron
There was the clear understanding that this time was temporary yet should produce a character in the Israelites. A humility toward strangers among them and people that came into their nation.
You too are sojourners in a foreign land. cf and aliens to the promise of God cf.
αρα ουν ουκετι εστε ξενοι και παροικοι αλλα συμπολιται των αγιων και οικειοι του θεου
εποικοδομηθεντες επι τω θεμελιω των αποστολων και προφητων οντος ακρογωνιαιου αυτου ιησου χριστου
εν ω πασα η οικοδομη συναρμολογουμενη αυξει εις ναον αγιον εν κυριω
εν ω και υμεις συνοικοδομεισθε εις κατοικητηριον του θεου εν πνευματι
How does this shape our view of foreigners? How does the temporary nature of our sojourning here change our character?
Since there has been much political ado about immigration I want to unpack some basic thoughts on the Kingdom of Heavens immigration policy
αρα ουν ουκετι εστε ξενοι και παροικοι αλλα συμπολιται των αγιων και οικειοι του θεου
εποικοδομηθεντες επι τω θεμελιω των αποστολων και προφητων οντος ακρογωνιαιου αυτου ιησου χριστου
εν ω πασα η οικοδομη συναρμολογουμενη αυξει εις ναον αγιον εν κυριω
εν ω και υμεις συνοικοδομεισθε εις κατοικητηριον του θεου εν πνευματι
Let this shape your approach on issues in his foreign land.
There is no illegal immigration in the Kingdom of God cf.
There is only one way to citizenship into the Kingdom of God and that is through trust in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. cf.
Yet that citizenship is not cheap but it does not require work nor does it take time to occur cf.
The Kingdom of God actually doesn’t want those who have something to offer but instead wants those who believe they have nothing to offer except themselves being a yielded vessel cf.
The constitution for the Kingdom of God is the Word of God and all those that wish to be a part of that kingdom and immigrate there for citizenship should seek to abide by what it says cf. .
Now the Kingdom of God’s immigration policy more than likely isn’t going to be adopted by any nation, including this one, any time soon. Also, it isn’t going to fit into this current broken system.
However, like Israelites in Egypt and then later in their promised land, we must remember this time while we are sojourners and allow that to shape how we view others who are sojourners and our treatment of them. Lest we find ourselves worshipping a nation rather than the God of the Nations.
Seek the wellbeing of the nation you are in and be grateful for the time God allows you to spend there. Yet, never become too attached knowing it’s temporary.
Just like God predicted with Egypt so too will the U.S. be judged along with every other nation.
Never forget that we too are sojourners and actually belong to a Kingdom not of this world.
TR: As Joseph’s brothers were focused on the temporary nature of there visit, Jacob had a different focus of his reflection...
Broken & Blessed:
Broken & Blessed:
Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 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 sojourning.” And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. Then Joseph settled 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. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.
In a later separate session, Joseph brings his father Jacob into visit Pharaoh
Interestingly, Jacob blesses Pharaoh. cf. the inferior is blessed by the superior.
Pharaoh who was treated as a god is blessed by Jacob though showing that to some degree Jacob understood that he was going to be a blessing to others in a way in which he hadn’t been earlier in his life.
Hebrews 7:
Jacob’s life had been hard, so hard in fact that Pharaoh was amazed because he looked so old!
Jacob had an interesting assessment of his life. He defined it as:
Few, evil, not comparable to others in longevity (which was seen as a way of the Lord blessing someone)
Think of the things that we’ve seen Jacob go through: deceiving his brother Esau, running from his home to Mesopotamia, the rape of his daughter, his favorite wife’s death, Joseph’s apparent death, etc.
My generation are fools who don’t appreciate longevity of years. We truly believe that wisdom can come from passion rather than a tempered hand navigating the terrain of life through the years.
Yet Jacob, here 130 years old and would live to 147, saw God’s blessing through a different lens.
Yet Jacob in Hebrews is described as being a joint heir of the promise of God, being blessed through Isaac and being found faithful in continuing that blessing through his sons.
It’s interesting when we begin to assess our own lives what we see versus what will be written about us.
My confession to David Jackson and the correction that he gave me. How I consistently feel like a failure and will minimize what the Lord has done through me through saying “considering where I’ve come from...” etc.
Never underestimate the Lord’s impact through you or those that you have impacted.
There is not one person in the Bible that hasn’t lied, cheated, murdered, committed sexual immorality, etc.
And yet, in spite of those sins, God still uses people mightily.
One thing Jacob missed is that although he had struggled as a father and faithful believer at times, he had in fact conveyed one of the most important things to his sons and that is trust in the promise of God.
How did Joseph know that Yahweh, not the God of the Egyptians had held him all these years?
How did Jacob’s sons know that their stay would be temporary in accordance with the promise Yahweh made to the Israelites?
It was all because of Jacob conveying the truth of God to his posterity.
Also, witness the man before you here in the text. What humility rather than boastfulness and manipulation. How different is this man than the one we have grown accustomed to knowing?
CALL PRAISE TEAM UP
How do your seasons in life change you? How do you view yourself in the Lord?
Let them work humility in you toward the truth of God and allow them to show you the greatness of God working through you in spite of you many times. Don’t stand before this world resilient and entrenched in your own way.
Be broken before this world yet not forgetting the greatness of God. Understanding that YOU can be the blessing to others in spite of your failures. That is because YOU ARE GOD’S PEOPLE!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION