Genesis 43:11-14
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
Tag: Faith in God’s Sovereignty or Fate of Life?
Israel (Jacob) gives us an example of how to handle a cruise in life. Because of the famine in the land, Israel had sent ten of his boys to Egypt to purchase grain. The first time they went to Egypt, their brother Joseph recognized them and decided to test their honesty. He took one of the bothers, Simon, and put him in jail. Jospeh wanted to know if they had changed, or if they would live their brother in jail, like they left him in the pit. He also wanted to see if Benjamin was still alive, or, did they do the same thing to Benjamin, his true brother, as they did him. When Israel is confronted with all this, instead of acting as a man of faith (Israel), he acted in the flesh (Jacob). Even though we haves been saved (our own name change to Israel) we all still have Jacob dwelling within us. Up to this point, instead of setting an example for his boys, flesh Jacob demonstrates an “it is what it is” mentality, vs a “God is in control” mentality. When the original grain runs out, Israel now is ready to trust God and pray that God will grant them all mercy. We all have this spirit within us. It took Israel some time to process and finally realize he had to trust in God’s mercy for his children. He was worshiping Benjamin (and still worshiped Jospeh). Now he was willing, because God put him in this situation, to allow God to do what God would do. We all have to come to the point that we quit living in fate and start living in faith.
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