Scripture:
He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt. It is there that I will make you into a great nation. Not only will I go down with you to Egypt; but I will also bring you back here again, after Yosef has closed your eyes.” – Genesis 46:3-4

Observation:
Jacob (Israel) was 130 years old and nearing the end of his life. He’d lost Joseph, so he’d thought. He faced the possibility of losing his youngest son to the king of Egypt because of his older sons’ shenanigans. The fear of losing his only other son from the true love of his life, the late Rachel, must have tortured the old man tremendously. It was no wonder why he dreaded the entire situation of his son being withheld from him. The LORD, however, spoke to Jacob and told him to not fear going down to live in Egypt, for it was God’s plan to take him there in order that the nation of Israel might be born and saved from the seven-year famine that plagues the Ancient Near East in that day. The LORD promised to go down to Egypt with Israel and bless him there and to have him returned the promised land of his fathers when his life was over. The future would play out just as the LORD had said.

Application:
Often times we hear people speak of how God has told them to go and do something for the kingdom, but they shy away from it for any number of reasons from fear to outright rebellion. In history there has been only one person to ever do all that God asked and required of that one to do, and that was Jesus, himself. The rest of us fall into the other category of yes, maybe, and no. Even when we’ve faced, or are facing, a trying event like Jacob was, we need to learn to have the faith and confidence in the LORD to follow his lead. Jacob faced severe famine and the possible of loss of his entire family had it not been for God putting his son in charge of the world’s superpower of the day, Egypt. God orchestrated the survival of the nation of Israel by a great salvation in order to fulfill the promises made to Abe, Ike, and Jake: giving their progeny the land of Canaan and making them as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach. Had Jake not gone down to Egypt as the LORD instructed, Israel would possibly not have been the chosen people or at least may have been delayed for an unknown amount of time.

I know that I have balked at some of the things the LORD has told me to do. Because I deviated from the path set before me, there were consequences to be had. I walked through a spiritual wilderness a few times and even trekked around the same mountain a time or two before coming to my senses, learning my lessons, and getting to where He wanted me to be. Had I hearkened to the words of the LORD and done what He wanted, those times could have been avoided and great reward enjoyed. Thus, it behooves all of us to heed the word of the LORD and be humbly obedient to him. I encourage you today to hear with spiritual ears the message from Him, trust and obey, for there’s no other way than to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey (Sammis, 1887). The word tells us that He never leaves or abandons his children, so why would we want to do anything other than trust and obey Him? Our disobedience doesn’t cause Him to leave us, but it will distance us from Him until we come to repentance and again trust and obey. Jacob knew that the LORD would be with him because he trusted in the promises of the LORD and had seen His mighty hand perform many great things for him over time. Jake knew the power of faith in his later life and loved God enough to listen and obey. Will you hear the word of the LORD and obey? Will you go where He says to go and/or do what He says? He is with you until the end!

Prayer:
Father, most high. You’ve humbled me today through the story of Jacob’s final days. He feared the worst but trusted you to deliver him in the hour of his need. You promised to be with him until he passed, and you were. Your word held true and gives me assurance today of the steadfastness of your love, grace, and mercy. Help me to ever be humbly obedient to your written and spoken word. May your will be done, not mine. In the name of Jesus, Amen.