AP

Genesis 47:5   Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.  Let them live in Goshen.  And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock. ”

It is verses like this in the Scriptures that confirm to us that the God of Creation, the Covenant LORD of Israel, remains in full control of ALL he has made, and of the progress of history in ALL ages.

Pharaoh, in this act of extreme generosity to Joseph and his family, would have had no idea that he was fulfilling such a significant step in God’s Plan of Salvation for the whole world!  It was the means by which God’s promise to Abraham when “He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (Genesis 15:5).

Even as this promise was being so wonderfully fulfilled in Goshen in Egypt, it also became a threat to the host nation, and it began to look like things were taking a turn for the worse:  “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.  Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.  ‘Look,’ he said to his people, ‘the Israelites have become far too numerous for us.  Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.’  So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labour, …”  (Exodus 1:6-11a).

But this, also, was a key link in Salvation History, with the ‘Passover’ and the ‘Exodus’ becoming essential events in the foreshadowing of the Saviour whom God would ultimately send to redeem the world.

I like to reflect on all this perfect planning and execution of the Plan whenever I am struggling with God’s often ‘strange’ Providence throughout history – and at the present time as Christians suffer increasing rejection and persecution throughout the world.  This same God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, has also promised to his Church that he would continue to build it and that “the gates of Hell will not overcome [or prevail against] it” (Matthew 16:18b).  So we can be assured of the certainty of the promise that the Risen Lord Jesus gave to the Apostle John: “‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.’  The Spirit and the bride say,’Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.   … …  He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:16-17, 20).  And this is regardless of whatever difficulties and discouragement we might encounter along the road on which we are required to travel as (sometimes weary) pilgrims.

– Bruce Christian