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Awesome Hands – Part 37

“ The land of our Fathers”

The walk the Lord places His people in is holy ground, a “holy walk”. The Way the Lord sends us on is very narrow, but it isn’t given to us alone to have to bear the “burden” which we find ourselves in.

Christ tells us His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Mat 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

As we explore the story of how God is working with Joseph and his family and by extension, “us” His chosen people, we know that Christ has promised that He will be with us during whatever it is He causes to happen in our lives.

We left off in the last study learning that Joseph’s families’ occupation is that of being shepherds.

Gen 46:31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
Gen 46:32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
Gen 46:33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
Gen 46:34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Learning that the shepherds are an abomination unto the Egyptians should be not be unfamiliar to our spiritual understanding and knowledge of Christ considering it is the Lord that has sent us among His enemies and causes us to be the “stench of death” to them.

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2Co 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2Co 2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
2Co 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

As we are going to see in Gen 47, the Lord shows us tremendous grace by blessing us while we have a war going on in our spiritual heavens.

“Five men presented unto Pharaoh”

Gen 47:1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
Gen 47:2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
Gen 47:3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
Gen 47:4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

As we are given to see ourselves in these stories, we can see that the types and shadows given are for our admonition.

We are sent as Jesus the Christ to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but we soon find out that in the entirety of “the world”, we have no pasture for our flocks.

In other words, within the context of “the land we dwell in,” there is nowhere for us to live, graze, and rest. The Lord provides us a place by creating in us a dwelling place of “drawing near” to Him.

This may seem far- fetched to some, but even Christ came preaching the same thing from the beginning of His ministry.

Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

As we walk in the valley of the shadow of death in this age, we know the Lord walks with us. The very rest He gives us is found while we dwell in the land of our enemies, while being in the land of Goshen.

Gen 47:5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
Gen 47:6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

Gen 47:6 The landH776 of EgyptH4714 is beforeH6440 thee; in the bestH4315 of the landH776 make(H853) thy fatherH1 and brethrenH251 to dwell; H3427 in the landH776 of GoshenH1657 let them dwell: H3427 and ifH518 thou knowestH3045 any menH376 of activity H2428 among them, then makeH7760 them rulersH8269 over myH5921 H834 cattle. H4735

H2428
chayil

khah’- yil

From H2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength: – able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+) valiant (- ly), valour, virtuous (- ly), war, worthy (- ily).

H2342

chu l ch yl

khool, kheel

A primitive root; properly to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively to wait, to pervert: – bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow (- ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.

Total KJV Occurrences:68

pain, 6

Isa_13:8, Isa_26:17-18 (2), Jer_30:23, Eze_30:16, Mic_4:10

formed, 5

Deu_32:18, Job_26:5, Job_26:13, Psa_90:2, Pro_26:10

forth, 4

Pro_8:24-25(2), Isa_45:10, Isa_66:8

brought, 3

Pro_8:24-25(2), Isa_45:10

pained, 3

Joe_2:4-6(3)

calve, 2

Job_39:1, Psa_29:9

fall, 2

Jer_23:19, Jer_30:23

fear, 2

1Ch_16:30, Psa_96:9

grieved, 2

Est_4:4, Jer_5:3

grievous, 2

Psa_10:5, Jer_23:19

shaketh, 2

Psa_29:8(2)

stayed, 2

Gen_8:10, Lam_4:6

travail, 2

Isa_23:4, Isa_54:1

travailed, 2

Isa_66:7-8(2)

tremble, 2

Psa_114:7, Jer_5:22

trembled, 2

Psa_97:4, Hab_3:10

wounded, 2

1Ch_10:3(2)

abide, 1

Hos_11:6

afraid, 1

Psa_77:16

anguish, 1

Deu_2:25

bare, 1

Isa_51:2

bring, 1

Isa_66:8

dance, 1

Jdg_21:21

danced, 1

Jdg_21:23

driveth, 1

Pro_25:23(2)

great, 1

Eze_30:16

grievously, 1

Jer_23:19

hope, 1

Lam_3:26

look, 1

Job_20:21

made, 1

Job_15:7

patiently, 1

Psa_37:7(2)

rest, 1

2Sa_3:29

shapen, 1

Psa_51:5

sorrow, 1

Jer_51:29

sorrowful, 1

Zec_9:5

tarried, 1

Jdg_3:25

travaileth, 1

Job_15:20

trust, 1

Job_35:14

wait, 1

Psa_37:7

waited, 1
Mic_1:12

For sake of time in this study, I will get to the “root” of what “men of activity” are, for this is what Pharaoh commands Joseph to seek out.

Psa 114:7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

Jer 5:22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

Job 26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Deu 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
Deu 32:18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

Mic 4:10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

What we are being told by the Lord our God is that He has set into motions all of the events in our lives, both “good and bad” so that we can BRING FORTH FRUIT meet for repentance.

The reason He sends us into Egypt, into Babylon, is so that in GREAT PAIN and LABOUR we can be DELIEVERED by the “birth of the new man”.

Joh 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Joh 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

The Pharaoh (God the Father) tells Joseph (Christ His Son) to seek out “any men of activity”, and those “men” are, we ….. “us”….. the sons of God, to look after His flock.
“And they will be known by their fruits……”

“Unless a grain of wheat fall, it cannot bring forth fruit……”

Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

The “men of activity” of which we are sent to “set over” the “cattle of the Pharaoh” are those who do the will of the Father and the will of the Father is:

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Christ is Truth.

Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The darkness that Joseph’s family was rescued from came in the form of a very grievous famine that gripped the entire world. Now, as they are being rescued and the will of the king is being revealed unto them, they are being told how to perform the work for which they are made to do.

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

The “blessings of Pharaoh”

Gen 47:7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Gen 47:8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
Gen 47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
Gen 47:10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
Gen 47:11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, 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.
Gen 47:12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.
Gen 47:13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

What we are discussing in this study is the Truth that the “days of our pilgrimage” are no different in how few they are and how much evil they contain. Truly, there is “one event unto all”.

However, the true blessing of our pilgrimage is that while we are “here”, we are given the best of the land. We have been made a covenant with the Lord.

We are given a promise that we will go to the promised land, but while there we will STILL have to “fight giants and have war.” However, in this war, we will be given victory while in this age and in the ages to come.

How does this play itself out?

Gen 47:14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
Gen 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
Gen 47:16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
Gen 47:17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
Gen 47:18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
Gen 47:19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
Gen 47:20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.
Gen 47:21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

What is being described to us in detail here is that the Lord has a plan, a process for how He achieves His will in us to “bear fruit of the spirit in all goodness and righteousness and truth”.

The Lord first requires anything that we have “gained” to be given to Him. In other words, He takes all the “filthy lucre” and replaces it will His “goods”.

He then requires that which get us wealth and money in the first place, and that is all of “out cattle”.

The last thing remaining is that the Lord requires all of us…. all of the land, our very bodies, all of us.

He then places us where He can sustain us. Remember, Joseph (Christ) stored all the food in the cities. So, in type and shadow, the Lord brings us to where He can look over us, into the cities He has “built up”.

Gen 41:48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Remember, this is a process for everyone, and we all go through this same process. Additionally, there are those who have simply gone before us in this process and have “grown daily”, Christ increasing in them, who are the “pillars of the temple” and partake of the altar.

These are the clouds we saw last week which “a voice from a mountain comes from”. There are the “kings and priests” the Lord is training up!

Gen 47:22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

This is simply telling us that these priests have no need to “sell their land” because their land was ALREADY GIVEN to them for a POSSESSION.

1Co 9:13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
1Co 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

The reward the “priests” have is that of Christ in US, our hope and glory!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

2Th 3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
2Th 3:8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
2Th 3:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Before we are given “the land” and a portion with our “Pharaoh the King”, we first must sell all that we have for a pearl of great price!

Gen 47:23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
Gen 47:24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
Gen 47:25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
Gen 47:26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.

When this pattern is followed (and it is always followed by His elect due to God working it all) we will “find grace” in the sight of the Lord and we will grow and prosper.

Gen 47:27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
Gen 47:28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
Gen 47:29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:

Christ will give Israel life from the “valley of the shadow of death” which Egypt and Babylon represent.

Putting the hand under the thigh represents the covenant or oath that takes places while making this gesture. Abraham, “the father of the faithful,” fashions this covenant because He knows that our marriage is to our Lord and of His people and not to those of whom we find ourselves living amongst.

Gen 24:1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
Gen 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
Gen 24:3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
Gen 24:4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

In other words, we are the bride of Christ and we have a country we are seeking, which is the country of “our Fathers.” Christ promises to deliver us there.

Gen 47:29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
Gen 47:30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
Gen 47:31 And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.