Migration
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You are eternal light. Shine into my heart so that my life will be filled with Your light and truth.
Read GENESIS 46:1–7,28–34
Genesis 46:1-7
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Genesis 46:28-34
28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.
30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence” (Psa. 16:11). Words for a world on the move.
Think Further
It seems as though the whole world is on the move. Multitudes are stuffing their lives into rucksacks and leaving home. By land and sea and air, driven by desperation, open to opportunity, they cast themselves precariously into the unknown, because that has to be better than what they are experiencing now.
What would Joseph’s contribution be to the debate concerning migration?
As a victim of human trafficking, he would have much to share about the injustice and hopelessness of being taken involuntarily to a strange land, at the mercy of heartless profiteers and stripped of human rights. As an adaptable, talented person, he would be able to speak of the opportunities for those fortunate enough to land where their initiative and skill are appreciated. As a successful leader, he could point to the advantages for a host country of a creative grafter who thinks outside the box. As a son, brother and uncle, he would recall tearful delight that his family were welcome to benefit from the resources of the well supplied. He would not forget the massive upheaval for the elderly and young, nor his forebears’ reluctance to travel to Egypt. He would be mindful of possible ethnic tensions and the importance of finding the right niche—in his case, shepherding. Yes, Joseph would give us more than knee-jerk soundbites.
Of course, our worlds are vastly different. Borders and passports, nations and global economies make the issues complex and controversial. Yet, throughout history, God has used the movement of people to further his kingdom purposes. Joseph’s story teaches us that the dramas and journeys in our individual and domestic lives, the sadness, the sin and the surprises are all held in his compassionate embrace. There is so much more to our sagas than we can see now.
Apply
If God were calling you, rather than Jacob, what would God be asking you to leave behind? Why this?
Closing prayer
Faithful God, when I contemplate change, it both excites and frightens me. I need Your help to relate to all the swirling changes that constantly surround me.
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