(Meant for Good 7) God Sent Me
Published by Olwin Gosal in 2026 · 9 August 2026
Joseph: Meant for Good 7
God Sent Me
My brothers and sisters, have we ever thought or discussed, where is God leading my family? Is what my family and I are going through God's will? Is God with us in all the journeys and decisions we make? Today, we want to reflect on Jacob and his family moving to Egypt. Let us open the Bible to Genesis 46. There are three things I want us to reflect on today:
1. God reveals His will when we are close to Him.
Understanding and doing God's will is the most important thing in a person's life. That is why Jesus taught the prayer, 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.' This means that God longs for His people to be instruments to reveal His will on this earth. However, understanding God's will does not happen suddenly. God's will can only be understood when a person is truly close to Him. Therefore, verse 1 says, “So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.”
If we study biblical history, it is clear that God promised Abraham that Canaan was the promised land given to him and his descendants, and God also led Abraham to that land. However, this time in chapter 46, Jacob is about to leave the promised land to go to Egypt, even though he knows that God wanted and gave them that land to live in. This became a dilemma for Jacob. Therefore, before he stepped out of the land of Canaan, he offered sacrifices to God at Beersheba. Beersheba was the southernmost border of the land of Canaan, meaning it was the very edge of the promised land.
Offering sacrifices was an act of worship to God, showing Jacob's closeness to God, and showing that Jacob was asking for God's guidance. And in his worship, he received an answer and confirmation from God. My brothers and sisters, is every decision we have made and lived out until today God's will? Is doing God's will still the main priority in our lives? Are any of you confused today about making a decision or taking a next step? We might wonder whether what we are thinking and planning is God's will. There is no other solution to understanding and doing God's will except building a close relationship with Him.
2. Leaving the promised land by God's command.
Jacob most likely knew about the prophecy in Genesis 15:13 concerning the 400 years of slavery in a foreign land. He stepped into Egypt knowing that the end of this story could be slavery, not just survival. Under such conditions, Jacob continued to build a close relationship with God, so that in verses 2-3, 'And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied. "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."
This part of God’s word wants to remind us that God will surely answer and show His will to His people who come to Him. It says, 'I am God, the God of your father.' God Himself told Jacob who He is, and wanted to remind him of what God had already done in his father’s life. The same God who had guided his father is the God who will also guide his life. Therefore, He said, 'Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt.' God even gave him a promise, 'for I will make you into a great nation there.
In verse 4 it says, '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.' God did not just tell Jacob to go, and He did not just comfort Jacob by saying do not be afraid. Instead, the most special promise is 'I will go down to Egypt with you.' God’s presence was the most important thing in Jacob’s life. God also said, 'I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.' The God who begins all things for His chosen people is also the God who finishes them according to His beautiful plan.
My brothers and sisters, through this story we understand that when God reveals His will, He Himself also guarantees that His will will be accomplished. He is the one who plans, He is the one who gives the command, He is the one who gives the promise, and He is the one who goes with us. God gives all these things to everyone who longs to live in His will.
3. God’s Place, God’s Purpose
In verses 33-34, “When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, "What is your occupation?" 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.” At first glance, this verse looks like simple advice before they meet Pharaoh, but there is a very important spiritual lesson here: God places His people in the right place to fulfill His plan.
At that time, the region of Goshen was still unoccupied and separated from where the Egyptians lived, and it was the closest area to the land of Canaan. With God’s wisdom, Joseph intentionally told his brothers to be open about working as livestock breeders. He wanted them to be allowed to live in Goshen, which perfectly suited their work and kept them separate from the Egyptians, who viewed that job as detestable. This was not a made-up excuse or a trick, but it was a truth used by God so that they could live separated from the Egyptians. God wanted them to grow into a great nation without losing their identity as God's chosen people.
God placed them there so that they would not mix with the lives of the Egyptians who did not know God, so that they would not follow their way of life, and would not be influenced by the bad Egyptian culture. And from Goshen, they grew from one family into a nation, and were prepared for an exodus story—the story of God’s rescue for His people. In Exodus 8:22, “But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.” Exodus 9:4, “But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.” Exodus 9:26, “The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.” Exodus 10:23, “No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”
God placed them in the right place not to isolate them, but to reveal His great plan of salvation. Their identity was preserved as God's chosen people, who could continue to build a relationship with Him. My brothers and sisters, the best place is not the most comfortable or the most famous place, but the place where God's will is revealed and His purpose is fulfilled. If we believe we are here because of God, then He Himself will shape our hearts to have faith in Him, surrender to Him, and prepare us to fulfill His plan.
Goshen was only a temporary place that God provided for His people in Egypt to reveal His care, protection, and salvation, because in the end, they would leave that place through the blood of the Passover lamb. This entire story and picture points to one bloodline leading to Christ, who would reveal eternal salvation and protection for His people. In Goshen, God revealed temporary protection and salvation to His hungry and enslaved people. But on Golgotha, God gave His Son to reveal eternal protection and salvation from the punishment of sin, giving us the assurance of eternal life through His body and blood, once and for all.
Through today’s reflection, we learn that God always plans salvation, care, and protection for His people to achieve His glorious purpose. Therefore, brothers and sisters:
1. Let us build a close relationship with God in every situation and condition of our lives. Believe that only in closeness with Him can we find the true meaning of life.
2. Let us have a deep hunger to live in God’s will, believing that the One who gives the command will accompany us and guide us to His beautiful purposes.
3. Believe that when God brings us to a specific place or condition, He is a God who has a purpose to reveal His care, protection, and salvation.