The Mystery Of Goshen

THE MYSTERY OF GOSHEN

Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Let your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock. " (Genesis 47:5-6). NKJV

The famine was so severe in the land of Canaan that Joseph had to invite his brothers and father to come and dwell in the land of Goshen, and told them that "You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty, for there are still five years of famine. "' (Genesis 45:10-11).

Canaan is indeed the Promised Land, but to survive physically, Israel must go down to Egypt for a period. God was working amid the sinful actions of Joseph's brothers to prepare the way for Israel to move his entire household to the best part of Egypt, the land of Goshen.

The land of Goshen was the best land and far enough from the center of Egyptian life that the influx of Hebrews would not affect daily affairs or their culture, yet the land was still under Egypt’s control. With Pharaoh’s consent (Genesis 47:5), Joseph assigned his family a place near their God-given heritage, possibly so that they would never forget the land that would one day be theirs.

Many years later, the new Egyptian King, who did not know Joseph ( Exodus 1:8), did a wise, though cruel thing, by making the Israelites slaves so that they wouldn’t subdue the Egyptians (Exodus 1:8-11). They subjected them to great toil, thinking their spirits would be crushed, but God intervened and overruled this.

The hand of the Lord was on the Israelites, and they grew exponentially despite their affliction. It is obvious that if the contest had been merely between Pharaoh and Israel, the Egyptian king could have used his power and policy to defeat the sons of Jacob and reduce them to serfdom; however, when a new name is introduced, and the contest appears to be truly between Pharaoh and Jehovah, the God of Israel, the Egyptian king is unable to defeat the sons of Jacob and reduce them to serfdom. There is one behind the curtain that takes Israel’s part. He sees through all Pharaoh’s plots. Before his thoughts have ripened into plans, they are forestalled; as fast as they are set up, they are upset; for every intrigue, there is a reprisal. Thus, "he frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans." He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them (Job 5:12-13).

The Land of Goshen had so many mysteries that only God could unravel. "The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied." (Exodus 1:12). Had it been another people, the tactics might have been successful, but they were God’s people, endeared to Him by their ancestry, ennobled in His sight by their covenant destiny, and encompassed with His favor as with a shield. No conspiracy formed against them could thrive, just like the plot against Prophet Jeremiah that was outrun by the judgment of God (Jeremiah 18:18–23).

The glory of God shines forth conspicuously in the use to which He turned their persecutions; the harsh treatment they had to bear from the enemy became a salutary discipline for them; this comes from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.

1. GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR THE ISRAELITES TO BE ABSORBED INTO ANOTHER FAMILY. They are God’s children, separated and unique to God, yet they sojourn among the taskmasters. They had settled down very quietly in Goshen and thought that it was their rest. They had imbibed many of the manners and customs of the Egyptians. They appear to have been almost naturalized in that country; they were little better than the Egyptians. God never meant them to be anything other than sojourners on that soil. He had some better thing for them than that they should dwell in that land and be as the heathen were. God was thus answering one purpose, but he did more than this.

God had a good purpose for his children, and he separated and set them apart for his glory (Deuteronomy 14:2). So that he might present it to himself as a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27), so they might dine with him in the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3).