Israel's Death

Being removed in the land of Goshen preserved the Hebrews from intermarrying with the Egyptians, and kept them from the pagan practices of the Egyptians until their exodus.

The men saying that they were shepherds insured this separation, this isolation. It also guaranteed that the sons of Israel had no political or social ambitions.

Pharaoh nor any of his officials would feel threatened by them.

God was bringing them to Egypt to fulfill what God had promised would take place.

Genesis 15:13-16 when God told Abraham that his descendants would be afflicted to 400 years, before he brought them into the land to take possession of it.

God is bringing His people to Egypt, so that He might redeem them and bring them to the promise land.

This is a type of the salvation that God has for us.

For Jesus redeems us from the slavery of sin and death, He is bringing us through the wilderness of this world, to bring us to the promised land, heaven.

God Comforts Israel

Israel is nervous, how do I know? God comforts Him, and tells him “do not be afraid.” (v.3)

v.1

What’s the first act that Israel takes?

Offers a sacrifice.

This is an act of worship.

Do we begin with worship?

Do we begin with sacrifice?

Pastor, we don’t offer sacrifices anymore.

It is true, Christ our passover lamb has been slain that we might have forgiveness of sins.

Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We are called to be living sacrifices.

What does that look like?

Being transformed by the renewal of your mind.

Don’t be influenced by the culture. By the next celebrity. By political movements.

Let the word of God change your mind and change your heart.

Let it effect your belief & behavior.

You must see things the way that God sees things.

Only by beginning here can we discern what is the true will of God.

Beersheba

Beersheba means well of oath. Because there Abraham had contended with those whom he sojourned among.

In Beersheba Abraham planted a tamarisk tree, and called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

Beersheba is where God appeared to Isaac, and told him not to fear, for he would be with him and multiply his offspring in Gen 26:23-24.

Israel has journeyed to this place where his grandfather Abraham had found peace, a place where God has spoken to his father.

Here he comes in the middle of a famine, after his boys had been detained by an Egyptian. That Egyptian is now saying he is Israel’s long lost son Joseph. He came in search of answers when he was in need of peace, when he wanted to hear from God.

v.3-4

We see that Israel or Jacob is afraid.

How do we know?

God admonishes him not to fear.

What was his source of fear?

I think it might have been to depart from the presence of God. Or that it would make void his inheritance in the land.

Remember God had told Abraham to sojourn in that land, and God would give it to Him.

I believe this becasue of God’s admonition.

God will go with him and bring him back.

God will make him a great nation in Egypt.

Fear Not

I want you to see this, when God says don’t be afraid, it isn’t ambiguous.

Fear not....why?

Because your source of fears are unfounded.

After God says don’t fear, he shows why you can trust Him.

Don’t be afraid that you are departing from the presence of God.

God is with you, when you go down.

Don’t be afraid of losing your inheritance.

God will bring you back.

Don’t be afraid of your descendents being cut off.

God will make you into a great nation, in Egypt.

Don’t be afraid of not being able to see Joseph.

His hand will close your eyes.

What fears do we have?

Death?

Psalm 116:15

Psalm 116:15 ESV

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Food, provision

Matthew 6:26

Matthew 6:26 ESV

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Pain, sickness, suffering?

Romans 5:3-5

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

When we are instructed, “do not fear.” There is a always a “because” given at the end of those statements.

Death

46:30

Seeing the face of his son, he has peace restored to him.

Jacob’s grief has been taken away.

With the serenity that comes only from God, Jacob states that he is ready to die.

I was speaking with a nurse recently, who is around death a lot. She was saying that at the point of death, many people lose hope and fall into total absolute fear. No hope. Even a lot of Christians, who know Jesus at the point of death are fearful.

Beloved, I want our lives to be free from fear, and full of hope.

v.8-9

My sojourning

A temporary dwelling place.

That’s an interesting way to describe life.

They were walking, and living in the land that God was going to give their descendants.

But it wasn’t theirs yet.

Jacob’s look on his life, was that his years on earth was only a temporary residence.

Hebrews 11:8-10

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they were looking beyond Caanan. To a lasting, heavenly country. One that did not exist in this life.

Jacob is referencing his life here a sojourning as a reminder that he had a home, so much more glorious that anything here.

1 Peter 2:11

1 Peter 2:11 ESV

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Peter reminding us that we too are exiles, sojourners in this world.

Because our real home is in heaven, Peter says, “live like it!”

War against your desires that are contrary to the law of God.

After Israel’s whole family had settled in the land of Egypt.

God had provided for them through the great famine, their families were multiplying greatly. It tells us in v.29-30

Israel is getting ready to die.

He is insistent that he would be buried with his fathers. He wanted to be laid in the land that God had promised him.

The land where his descendants would thrive.

The place where God said he would bring him back to. God promised him that he would be laid in the promise land.

There is a special kind of comfort that comes from being buried among loved ones, believing your memory will live on.

We who serve Jesus as our king, have a comfort so much greater than Jacob even looked forward to.

1 Corinthians 15:49-55

For those who believe in Jesus as saviour, our imperishable shall put on imperishable.

For those who confess Jesus as Lord, there will be a day, when death will be no more.

For those who serve Jesus as king, there will be a day when our sojourning will be over, and we will be together, for eternity.

Related Media

Related Sermons