When the famine first hit Jacob's family, his children didn't know what to do. They waited for their father's word before they took action. Jacob told them that they should not just keep looking at each other. They should do something to survive. And that was to go down to Egypt.
And so they went down to Egypt and were able to get the supply they needed. Perhaps they thought the famine would not last for long and the provision they brought was enough. But they were wrong. The famine would stay longer than they anticipated, and so they had to return to Egypt to buy the supplies for them to survive.
But on their second return, they met the most unexpected person that would change their lives. They met their betrayed brother who was now in the position of power in Egypt. With the consent of Pharaoh, Joseph invited his father and the entire family to migrate to Egypt. Jacob could not believe what he heard, but after seeing the carts that Joseph sent, Jacob was convinced that his son was still alive. And so he decided to meet his long-lost beloved son before his death.
In the unfolding of this family drama, we already learned several important lessons:
that God sent Joseph ahead of his brothers to Egypt to save lives
that God wanted to preserve Israel to protect the Messiah that would come into the world to save mankind, and
that God wanted to restore a family to wholeness by taking away the sin and the guilt that had been covered and burdened them for so long.
In this, article, as we explore the migration of Jacob's family to Egypt, I just want to share with you very important lessons, particularly in decision-making. I am referring to a decision to move out of your comfort zone.
Moving out of your comfort zone, the most important thing is the assurance of divine presence.
Yes, Jacob wanted to see his beloved son before his death. In this case, love serves as the motivation to leave his homeland, Jacob's comfort zone. However, love for Joseph itself was not a sufficient reason to leave. We are told in verses 1 to 4 that God spoke to Jacob in a vision and encouraged him not to be afraid to pursue his decision to go down to Egypt for God would also go down to Egypt with him. God even promised that Egypt was the place where God would make Israel a great nation.
And so Jacob and his family reached Beersheba. The place is very significant in the Bible. It was known for wells and oathtaking (Genesis 21:30-33). It was also recognized as the southern boundary of Israel. The road would end at Beersheba. That would be the last city before leaving Israel. And so before Jacob and his family would finally leave Israel, he offered sacrifices to his God. This is a very memorable and significant act of worship.
Jacob had his fears of leaving his country and entering a foreign land. But God spoke to him and told him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt. There in Egypt, God would make Israel a great nation. God even promised that he would go down with Jacob in Egypt and assured him that God himself would bring him back. The promise of God's presence was enough for Jacob to overcome his fear.
Likewise, in our journey in life, there are times when God is calling you to unfamiliar places. Perhaps we have different reasons in our minds. They could be relational or financial reasons. However, we should not forget that the most important thing to consider before making a risky decision is the assurance of God's presence.
Moving out of your comfort zone, bear in mind the importance of capital.
The presence of God is the primary thing we need to consider in making a risky decision. However, there are practical things that we need to consider in leaving a comfort zone.
We read from verses 5 to 27 the importance of capital. Capital could either be in the form of economic or human resources. The economic resources are clear in verses 5 and 6. Here we read that Jacob and his children took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. Many Bible interpreters would simply ignore Biblical verses like these. They think that for Christians, heaven is our ultimate destination and so we don't need to be concerned about economic things. The problem with such an interpretation is that it will not stand the test of the reality of life and the test of biblical witness. If the patriarchs themselves given the promise of the best of Egypt would still consider their acquired possessions necessary, I think it is unwise for us to neglect our property amid an economic crisis.
Rousas John Rushdoony, a reformed theologian said:
God's purpose is that wealth capitalize the godly and through them his kingdom.
Mission organizations are worried about the lack of funds for doing missions. We also complain about the current economic system. But the truth is, there is no shortage of funds. Wealth is simply in the wrong hands and being used either for misguided or destructive purposes such as welfare and warfare. The problem is a lot of godly people have no capital. They struggle to survive.
Another form of capital is human resources. We read that from verses 7 to 27. The total number of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, was seventy in all. God's promise to make them great had been fulfilled. After 430 years, Jacob's family increased from 70 to more than 603,550 when the Israelites left Egypt during the time of Moses (Exodus 12:40-41; Numbers 1: 45-46).
In our time, population growth is considered a threat. At present, the total population of the world is more than 8 billion. Many politicians are in favor of policies to slow down population growth as part of their economic solution. In the past, I think China with its one-child policy is the most notorious example.
We heard about the Chinese economic miracle after Deng Xiaoping took power in 1979. However, such growth reached a critical point. Many analysts foresaw that if China had not changed its direction, its deceleration could have a negative impact on the global economy. It was good that China stopped its one-child policy in late 2015. Source
Finally, moving out of your comfort zone, you will have a great opportunity for growth.
God repeated once again to Jacob the promise he gave both to Abraham and Isaac that he would make Israel a great nation. Such greatness would be accomplished in Egypt. However, this would never have happened if Jacob refused to leave Canaan, the land where he was comfortable. Only by leaving Canaan, that God could make Israel a great nation.
In this process of making a nation great, there are two important considerations:
Location and
Occupation
Goshen was the chosen place for Israel. It was the best land in Egypt at that time. There in Goshen, God would supply all of the needs of Jacob and his family during the famine's remaining years.
For them to be allowed to settle in Goshen, Joseph taught his brothers the appropriate response to the Pharaoh's question concerning their occupation. This is because, during that time, the Egyptians considered the shepherds detestable.
Conclusion
When Jacob and his family left Canaan, they were leaving a country they were familiar with; they were leaving their comfort zone. We learn from this story that moving out of a comfort zone, the most important thing is the assurance of God's presence. However, we should also not neglect the significance of capital, both economic and human. And finally, the opportunity for growth is only possible by leaving our comfort zone.