09/07/2021 - THE FAITHFUL SERVANT´S OBEDIENCE

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Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.   Genesis 46.5

The path of a faithful servant is full of trials, and only with the help of the Holy Spirit will he be able to get rid of Satan’s snares. Even seeing many signs that God had kept Joseph, the firstborn of his beloved, Jacob went to the place where Abraham and Isaac had experiences with the Lord. He probably had some encounters there, too, to make sure that God wanted him to go down to Egypt, and he was answered.

The news that Joseph was alive, after the lie told by almost all his children – that a beast had killed his beloved son – with almost irrefutable proof, gave Jacob the certainty that it was true (Genesis 37:17-35). When he saw the chariots sent by Pharaoh to take him to the country where Joseph was prime minister (Genesis 45:27), he wanted to hear from the Lord if that was right, because according to the Scriptures, that country, the largest in the world at the time, meant sin. Pray!

The God of his parents also appeared to him and confirmed what he already felt in his heart (Genesis 46.2,3). So, he decided to get up from Beersheba and begin the journey. He did not accept to beg in that nation, but to be the man of God who would bless the king from that land and his subjects. What we do in the world today should be asked by everyone; after all, the Lord is the same for everyone. Therefore, don’t accept to be manipulated, but be a servant in the royal service.

The patriarch of the Hebrews was old, but he had mastery of his actions and was respected by his sons, who took him to Egypt. It doesn’t matter how old you are, whether or not you have physical limitations in you. Being a servant of the Lord, you will never be abandoned. God’s children are vessels through which the divine work will be directed until the last minute of their lives, as occurred with David when he confirmed that Solomon would be his successor.

One detail in the biblical record is worth noting: their father. No one ceases to be a father because of old age or illness. It is true that, in some elderly people, there is a change in the perception of things, but those who follow the Lord’s advice remain well, with vigor: They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing (Psalm 92.14). Nothing is better than fearing God and respecting His Word!

It is beautiful to see the aging of those who have known how to love the Lord – to have and to keep the commandments – throughout their lives. The faithful God says: Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days (Proverbs19.20). Nothing is more productive than actually serving the Almighty. Many fools are teaching all kinds of crookedness these days, but consecrate yourself to the Father and be preserved.

It must have been wonderful to see the caravan heading toward the land prepared to welcome them. At Jesus’ Second Coming, He will come to take us out of this wicked world and take us to the true Land of Promise. In Pharaoh’s chariots, there were 66 souls; in Egypt, there were Joseph, his wife, and their two sons, in all 70 souls. In Jacob, there was only praise: God is faithful! 

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares