After World War II the United States Army left five army dumps in France full of machinery. It was destined to sit and rust, that is, until the Quakers stepped in.
They offered the United States 200,000 franc for the machinery; which made the US very happy. In turn, they salvaged everything in the dumps. Everything from shovels, saws, axes, trucks, and motorcycles creating army salvage stores all over the country; they made a fortune.
Furthermore, because they sold the equipment to the French people, the French government provided free transportation of the equipment on the French railroads and gave them 200 German prisoners to help with the packing, loading, and transporting the equipment throughout the French countryside,
In turn, the Quakers used the money they made to build a hospital in France that was deeply needed that still is in operation today.
When asked why they took on the project their answer was simple: “We did what God did, we just put things into the right order.”
Transition:
God is a God of order. The whole universe operates in precision order. In the earliest pages Genesis we read: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.”
Do you get the picture? The earth was void, dark, void, and useless; then suddenly, the Spirit of God started moving....
When God starts moving, things start stirring. Life starts emerging. Things fall into place. God gets things into order.
I don’t know about you, but when things are out of order; it impacts our lives. Have any of you ever been in the middle of a long trip, pulled into a gas station, ran to the restroom and saw a sign like this? (Our of Order) Or needed some quick cash and stopped by the bank late and night and see something like this? (Out of Order) Or you are starving and run to the vending machine to discover this? (This machine is not distributing food but will gladly be receiving cash donations)
I think we have all made a cash donation to a vending machine once or twice in life haven’t we?
Yet, the worst thing to be out of order is a life.
At the end of David’s life he wrote these words: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delights in his way.” Psalm 37:23
Do you know what God is saying here? He is saying, I want to put your life in order and keep it there.
This morning as we read about Jacob, we find God ordering his steps. He is sensitive to God’s order and has learned how God orders our steps. Let’s see what Jacob learned about God’s orders our steps.
Transitional Sentence: God orders our steps through:
I. Inspecting Our Steps
vs. 1-“So Israel set out with all he had, and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.”
Explanation:
Jacob had been through a lot in life. When we meet him in Genesis 46 Jacob is 130 years old because in the next chapter, Jacob will tell Pharaoh: “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty, few and unpleasant have been the years of my life...”Genesis 47:9
Wow Jacob! Talking about a Debbie downer. Really? Few and unpleasant? That’s the commentary on your life?
Yet, many years had been hard. Jacob made a lot of steps on his own and God was constantly seeking to inspect and correct his steps.
As a matter of fact, remember Jacob wrestled with God a lot. He was nearly 100 years old (97 years old) when God physically had a wrestling match with Jacob. In Genesis 32 we discover that following that event, Jacob limped. His walk was changed physically and spiritually.
This is obvious in verse 1 of chapter 47 because of how Jacob responds to the invitation to move to Egypt. Notice he has two responses:
a) He accepts the invitation- Verse 1- He set with all he had- He was all in. He didn’t leave
anything behind. There was no reserve. No looking back. Nothing would be left behind. He
was headed to Goshen which meant: “to draw near.” God was moving and he sensed it, felt it,
and saw it with the arrival of the wagons Joseph sent to move him to Goshen. (Ch. 45:27)
Listen: God is active and moving in our lives and we should take notice. We should look for Him and learn to recognize, sense, and respond to His will and ways. Just like people walking; He is directing steps every day. Be all in. He’s active, you should be too.
b) He lets God inspect the invitation- Verse 1- As Jacob limped toward Egypt, He paused at
the Southern-most outpost in the land of Canaan called “Beersheba” –the last place in
The Promised land that the Lord promised to his descendants.
His limp was a constant reminder of how he often got ahead of God and God had to slow
Him down to correct and redirect him. So look and see what Jacob does; He pauses at
Beersheba and wants to have a heart to heart with God.
He did not want to leave until he spoke to God. He pauses to ask God to inspect the invitation.
You see, despite the fact that God seemed to be initiating this invitation, he paused to make
sure.
You see, every time the other patriarchs had a desire to go to Egypt, it did not work it
was the wrong step. When Abraham went to Egypt, he ended up returning with Hagar.
Likewise, in Genesis 26 Isaac wanted to go to Egypt the last time there was a famine and God
told him: “Do not go down to Egypt, live in the land where I tell you to live.” Genesis 26:2
Furthermore, In Genesis 15:13 God prophetically told Abraham that his people would be enslaved for 400 years and He did not want to lead his family into a place like that.
Yet, in response God responds in verse 2, “God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob, And he said, Here I am, He said, “I am God, the God of your father, do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”
Jacob pauses. Remembers the limb and refused to take another step until he get’s God’s approval. (This is quite a change for Jacob)
Before Jacob would take another step, He paused to listen. This was new for Jacob but a true sign of growth in his spiritual life. It took 100 years for God to get him there, but he was finally there.
I would encourage you to start listening much earlier than Jacob.
Illustration: Mosquito tone
Have you heard about the cell phone ringtone that junior high and high school kids are using to keep teachers from discovering that they are using their cell phones in school? The pitch of this ringtone, called the "mosquito tone."
It is too high for people over 25 to hear. So the kids can still send and receive text messages
during class without the teacher knowing
The mosquito tone was first developed in Great Britain to irritate teenagers who were loitering around convenience stores and keeping customers away by their loud and obnoxious behavior…Some kid simply figured out how to use that sound as his cell phone's ringtone and—voilà—kids are downloading it by the millions.
Application:
Jesus said something significant in His ministry. He said: “He who has ears, let him hear.” It is recorded 3 times in Mark and once in Luke.
What Jesus was saying was, if you want to hear, you’ve got to spiritual tune in to God. This is exactly what Jacob was doing. He was tuning in, listening, and seeking to obey God. He wanted God to inspect his steps.
Imagine if God would have told Jacob to “not go”? He had not seen Joseph in 20 years. He just discovered his son (who he thought was dead) is alive. You would think that nothing would stop this man from going to Egypt; yet Jacob dare not misstep. He would wait and listen. He would let God inspect the steps and obey.
How about you? At all costs, are you surrendered to listen and follow God’s voice no matter what the cost? Jacob was and that’s why he stopped in Beersheba.
Transitional Sentence: God orders our steps through:
II. Protecting Our Steps
vs. 3b-5- “...I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, I will surely bring you up again, and Joseph will close your eyes. Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to them.”
Explanation:
In Psalm 37:23 the Hebrew word ( kovnanu) for “ordered” carries two meanings:
a) One meaning is “to be set in place/established”- In other words, he puts them in place. He
directs our steps.
b) The second meaning is “ to be firm”- In other words, he takes away the slippage. He makes
protects our steps.
The idea of having firm footing is communicated often in the Bible. In Ephesians 6 the Bible illustrates spiritual warfare saying that we have our “feet covered with the good news (gospel) of peace.” Ephesians 6:15
In the Roman world, Soldiers wore sandals that had huge spiked cleat-like sandals to keep their footing in battle.
As Paul spoke about spiritual warfare he used this imagery to speak of living the life of an overcomer.
As Jacob sought God to order his steps, he trusted God to do both; direct and protect the steps he was taking as he moved forward.
As God spoke to Jacob he responded with a series of “I will’s” that reminds us that God directs and protects our steps by His providence. Notice God’s says:
a) “I will” go down with you to Egypt. (vs. 4)
b) “I will” make you a great nation there. (vs. 3)
c) “ I will” bring you up again. (vs. 4)
1. God assures him Jacob that he will not experience a slippery slope in Egypt because God was going with him to Egypt. Jacob knew he could not protect himself, God was his shield and fortress.
2. God assures Jacob that his family will be built up, not fall down as he promises that Egypt will be like a womb for his future family. About 70 people were going to be moving to Egypt, but when they leave; it will be about 2 million!
Think about it this way. Like many great works of God, things started slowly.
- It took 25 years to add one son (Abraham- to Isaac) (Not a great rate of return)
- It took 60 more years for Isaac to have a son. Jacob
- It took 50-60 years more years for Jacob to add 12 sons and a daughter
It took 215 years to grow from 1 to 70.
But it only took 430 years from them to grow from 70 to 2 million.
It would be in Egypt where God would finally make good on His promise to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham! What started slow, will escalate in Egypt. Slow beginnings are normal for God.
Yet, God is protecting the steps of his people and will fulfill all He promises to them. Do you trust His promises?
3. God assures Jacob that while Genesis 15 and its prophecies will be fulfilled at some time in
the future, that this is not the current situation and that he would “bring him up again”—that
the Promised land would be inhabited by the nation that would be born out of Egypt.
Warren Weirsbe one said: “The safest place in all the world is the will of God.”
Illustration: Safest place on earth
Do you know statistically the safest place in the world is? Iceland. They have one violent crime there per 100,000 per year.
Want to compare that to Atlanta? It’s 769 per 100,000. We currently are number 5 in the country
Behind, Memphis (2352) West Memphis (1,970) Chicago (943) New York (571) Atlanta (769) behind us is Los Angeles (732)!
Yet, you might say, well, I’m moving to Tennessee? Really? Gatlinburg, Tennessee has 480 and the whole state only had 624! Yet, you might say, well I’m moving to Maui? Really? 268!
Application:
You might say, “Wow? Where in the world can I hide out from the devil and his clan? I tell you where; walking in the steps of Jesus; that’s where!
Jacob had taken a lot of steps in life and now he was going somewhere he had never been; he was headed to a land that he had heard horror stories about from his Dad and Granddad; so he wanted God to order his steps.
He wanted God to direct and protect his way. To put him in the right place. To fulfill every step God wanted for his life. So he listened to God’s promises, and stepped out on faith believing.
Do you know what God promises to those who follow and trust His will?
God promised his people leaving Babylonian captivity he said: “You will not go away in a hurry, nor will you go away quickly. The Lord will go ahead of you. The God of Israel will guard you from behind. Isaiah 52:12
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:8
I love verses 8-27 because these verses are like a roll call of everyone God who followed Jacob to Egypt. Name after name are mentioned. God watched over every soul in Jacob’s family and when they arrived in Egypt verse 27 says: “all the persons of the house of Jacob that came to Egypt, were seventy.”
God guided and guarded all 70 of them. Not one was overlooked or left out. God guided every step as Jacob followed the steps of God who led before and behind them.
Transitional Sentence: God orders our steps by:
III. Perfecting Our Steps
vs. 28- Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point the way before him to Goshen, to point the way...
vs 29- “ Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel, as soon as he appeared before him , he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. Then Israel said, Let me die since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”
Explanation:
When God is ordering our steps; he leads the way, and perfects the way in front of us.
As we read about Jacob heading to Egypt, we read in verse 28 that “He sent Judah before him to Joseph to point out the way...”
The word “way” in Hebrew means: “The road, the path, the place of travel.” It is interesting that Judah was the one who led the way. Judah points the way. Again, Judah was the brother from whose tribe Jesus Christ would be born.
Judah the one who proved to have a the true change and desire to follow God, therefore, he was honored to be the one from whom the Messiah would come. Yet, in this action, He reminds us that it would be through Him that Jesus who said he was “the way, the truth, and the life” would come from. He perfected the way and made straight the path to Goshen.
In verse 29, we are given the picture of the glorious reunion of Joseph and Jacob. Judah heard God promise that Joseph would “close his eyes.” Vs. 4 ( A promise that Joseph would be present with him when he died)
When we saw Joseph they wept, hugged, and Jacob declared that he was ready to die. His road was not always easy, but now his heart was comforted as never before.
Isn’t that where God always leads us? While life’s road is not always easy, when God is ordering our steps, the final steps always take us to a good place.
In verse 30- 34 we discover that Goshen is the most fertile land in Egypt. Today, it is the area where the best Egyptian cotton comes from. If you have Egyptian cotton sheets; they most likely came from the land of Goshen.
Joseph had prepared a place for them. Likewise, Joseph told his father to tell the Pharaoh that his family had always been shepherds. (Keepers of livestock)
Joseph knew that shepherds were loathsome (vs. 34) to Egyptians and that they would stay away from them. There would be no inner-marrying. They would be left to themselves in Goshen, and would grow into a great nation.
What Joseph did provides for us a beautiful picture of Jesus. Think about who Joseph was:
1. Joseph was the favored Son. (At Jesus’ baptism the voice from heaven said, This is my
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.)
2. Joseph was thought to be dead. (On the cross Jesus died, he gave up His Spirit.)
3. Joseph was really alive. (Jesus rose from the dead and today is really alive.)
4. Joseph brought salvation to his family. (Jesus brings salvation to His family)
Yet, like Joseph, His people had to come to him. They had to embrace him. They had to receive the salvation from him. The same is true about Jesus today.
Do you know where it starts, it starts by taking a step. Stepping out and coming to Jesus. Today, that’s what our invitation is to you. It’s an invitation to take a step that has been made possible, ordered by the Lord, that brings us to God.
Today, would you take that step? Start now. Take a small step to the altar; it will be a giant leap of faith that will change your life and eternity.
