Settling In

Would you take your Bibles this morning and turn to Genesis chapter 46. Genesis chapter 46, we'll read from verse 28 through chapter 47, verse 12. You follow as I read. He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen.

He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive. Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, My brothers and my father's household who are in the land of Canaan have come to me.

And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have. When Pharaoh calls you and says, What is your occupation? You shall say, Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers, in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen. for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.

So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen. And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.

They said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land.

Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock. Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh. and Jacob blessed Pharaoh and Pharaoh said to Jacob how many are the days of the years of your life and Jacob said to Pharaoh the days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years few and evil have been the days of the years of my life and they have not attained to the days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ramses, as Pharaoh had commanded. and Joseph provided his father, his brothers and all his father's household with food according to the number of their dependents. Let's pray. Father, once more we bow before you on this Lord's Day as we always do and always asking as we do every week that you would open the text of Scripture to us and give us the living word that is yours. we would not understand it without your spirit that is we would not understand it for for the purpose of glorifying you if your spirit was not at work in our hearts and so I pray dear Lord that he would work this day Lord I don't know what's going to happen from this sermon I have no idea what you're going to do with it but I'm confident that as we come to you with open hands to receive from you this word you will work in our hearts for your glory.

Do that now, we pray. In Jesus' name, Amen. Do you hate moving? I sure do. Now some of you may love to move and you've moved from place to place, but moving requires packing up all your belongings, which means you probably have too much stuff. And you have to move all your furniture and you have to do it without nicking the furniture and banging up the doorways.

Then you have to pack everything in the truck just right so you can get it all in just one truck. And the worst part of all, of course, is saying goodbye to all your friends and to everything that's familiar. You can tell how much I hate moving because last time I moved was 28 years ago out to the place where we live now. And some would say that I've lasted in LaRue for 31 years because I just hate to move.

I hope there's more to it than that, but it's a possibility. There only one more move I want to make And that the last one I want to make Now the narrative before us tells the story of a family moving to a new home It's Jacob's family, and they're headed for Egypt. A little doubtful at first, they now uproot themselves and move to an entirely new country with God's blessing.

Of course, they're probably not like me. They're used to moving because they're nomads. They're shepherds. They live in temporary dwellings. They move all the time, taking their herds to the pastures that they... But if you're like me, you read this text, this story, and you ask, what could God possibly teach his people with a story about moving?

It's always a question I'm asking as I come to the text and say, God, you're telling about this family moving to Egypt. What are you trying to teach us here? well one helpful way of figuring that out is to remember this is written to a people who who are also moving to a different home this is written to the descendants of these families as they are fleeing egypt in the exodus 400 years later they're reading about how their families got there to the place where they're now leaving they're moving from egypt to cain in the land of promise they and we as we come to this point have heard the story from the beginning of God working faithfully to separate from the rest of humanity a people for himself we've seen this all through this book the first faint clue of this was God's promise of a seed that would deliver mankind from the curse you remember that promise in Genesis chapter 3 I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your heel and you shall bruise he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel and then all the way up to the story of Babel we see God kept for himself kept him for himself some people we see it in in in Abel and Noah and Shem and how God has this line separate from the rest of humanity whereby he's working out this promise and we come to Genesis 12 where the promise of that seed now focuses down to one man, Abraham. And God says, from you I'm going to bring a seed that will bless all the nations.

So this story about moving is another installment of the story about the seed Now the heart of this story if you noticed the heart of this story is how God keeps his people separate from the nation of Egypt in order to fulfill his promise of a great nation, and from that nation, this seed. Look back at Genesis 12 real quickly. By way of introduction, let's look at the original promise that God made to Abram at the time, Abraham.

Genesis chapter 12, verses 2 and 3. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Notice, I will make of you a great nation. Here's a promise that God will produce a great nation, separate from the rest, in order to bless the rest.

And then, as the story unfolds, and you remember, Joseph is in Egypt and his brothers come. In chapter 43, you get a hint of something here. Chapter 43, verses 31 and 32. Then he wants, this is speaking of Joseph, remember when he was meeting his brothers and he washed his face and came out and controlling himself he said serve the food they served him by himself and them by themselves and the Egyptians who ate with them him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews for that is an abomination to the Egyptians and so you get a hint of how the Egyptians despise these Semitic nomads the heart of our narrative that today the heart of the story that I've just read is that these people are going to settle in Egypt, but the Egyptians are going to hold them at arm's length.

They despise them. They don't like these shepherds. And you will notice that three times in this narrative, this whole issue of the shepherds is brought up. So the heart of this story is separateness, to stay away from, to keep away from the Egyptians in order that they don't assimilate with those Egyptians. And so God keeps his promise of producing a great nation by putting them among a people who despise them.

Isn't it interesting how God keeps His promises, right? And so the heart of this story is that God separates His people from those... around them. Now we, as we hear this story, need to remember that all this points to God's working in Jesus on our behalf. Jesus makes it clear in Luke chapter 24, the entire Old Testament points to him. The entire goal of the Old Testament is to bring us to him.

And I think in these verses, we find how God works even with us. Now, Joseph had told his family that he would settle them in that part of Egypt called Goshen. We read that now in chapter 46. And when they arrived, Joseph had told his family they were going to settle in that part of Egypt called Goshen. And when they had arrived in Goshen, Jacob sends Judah to Joseph in order to get him to come to their encampment.

They're there. They've arrived. He wants him to know. And so he sends Judah to Joseph to tell him they're there. We're here now. Isn't it interesting, again, note this, because I think this is on purpose, and we'll see later why.

The writer says Judah is sent, right? Remember how Judah, the third son of Leah, has now ascended to the place of leadership in the family. He is the leader. No longer Reuben, the firstborn, or Simeon, the secondborn. But Judah, the thirdborn of Leah, is now the leader of the clan. And the text gives you the impression that the prime minister of Egypt, this Joseph, is so anxious to see his father that he doesn't even wait for the servants to hook up his chariot.

He does it himself, unheard of. But he is so anxious and so eager to see his father that he hitches up his chariot and he takes off. And he gets to the encampment and appears suddenly before his dad in all the power and the authority and the splendor of his office. And it's been 20 years since they've seen each other. and they just fall on one another and just weep for joy.

It's been 20 years since he's seen his son. Imagine for a moment that you see your son dragged off to the Nazi camp of Auschwitz and you just assume he's dead. He's been through the gas chambers. And 20 years later, you lay your eyes on him one more time. You can imagine the emotion of that moment. That's the emotion that just grips them at this moment.

And they weep together for joy. And Jacob now at peace looking at his son says now I ready to die I seen my son and I ready to die He at peace We need to understand as God separates his people from the rest of humanity, he does give them joy. He does give them joy. Turn over to John chapter 10 for a moment. John chapter 10 this is one of my favorite chapters in John it talks about the good shepherd you remember John chapter 10 verse 7 so Jesus again said to them truly truly I say to you I am the door of the sheep all who come before me are thieves and robbers but the sheep did not listen to them I am the door if anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy i came that they may have life and have it abundantly here's the promise of jesus he says the rest of your shepherds they just come to to to steal and kill and destroy look i've come you will have life like you've never had it before right that's what he says i am the good shepherd the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep he who is a hired hand and not a shepherd who does not own the sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf snatches them and scatters them he flees because he's a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep i am the good shepherd i know my own and my own know me just as the father knows me and i know the father and i lay down my life for the sheep and i have other sheep that are not of this fold i must bring them also and they will listen to my voice so there will be one flock one shepherd drop down to verse 27 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand I and the father are one notice Jesus voice is what separates us from the rest of humanity we become part of his flock as he calls us and we recognize his voice, by the way, by the supernatural working of the Spirit of God, we hear the voice of Christ, the Good Shepherd, and we are separated from the rest of humanity.

And what does he do? He gives us an abundant life. He gives us a life of joy and peace and blessing as he calls us out from humanity Now does that mean his sheep experience nothing but joy No and that not what happened to Jacob and Joseph either They experienced tremendous heartache, but now there is great joy as they come to that place where they're going to be.

In other places, Jesus says, in this world you'll have trouble. He even says they're going to hate you. But this family finds itself in an alien land and you see joy there. and we find ourselves in an alien land. We're strangers, and yet Jesus has promised an abundant life. The fact that we are separated from the rest of humanity does not determine the agenda of our joy.

Our joy does not depend on whether or not we fit in. Our joy depends on Christ, our good shepherd. Well, now we come to the heart of the story here in chapter 46, the position of Jacob's family in the eyes of the Egyptians. now in your story and again i'm not going to read through it again you just follow along we're picking it up now in 46 chapter or chapter 46 verse 31 now in our story you see joseph preparing his family for an audience with pharaoh he's rehearsing with them he's getting them ready to stand before pharaoh when he calls them for an audience and he says to them okay now the first thing i'm going to do is i'm going to tell pharaoh that my family has arrived i'm going to tell him that and then listen to me now i'm going to make a point of telling him that you are shepherds and that you've brought all your flocks and your herds with him.

And when he asks you what your occupation is, make sure you tell him that you are shepherds. You notice that twice. I'm going to tell him that you're shepherds. And when he asks you, you make sure you tell him that you're shepherds. Now, he knows this culture. He knows that shepherds are despised.

He knows that the Egyptians despise nomadic shepherds. Now we don't know why. It could be because these Semitic people, this family, sacrifices the kinds of animals to their god that the Egyptians would never consider sacrificing to their gods How horrible What kind of what kind of really weird religious people are they It could be because they saw these nomads like gypsies If you want to go to Romania you will go to Romania and you will see that the Romanians just hold the gypsies like this Gypsies are nothing but nomadic, dirty thieves.

Stay away. So it could be they had that attitude. It could be they just had the typical superior attitude that urban dwellers have. You know how those urban dwellers are. They look at people like us and people live in the country and say they're nothing but a bunch of hicks, unsophisticated, stupid people. Maybe that's how they looked at it.

But the point is that he makes sure you tell him you're shepherds. And when he asks, I'm going to tell him you're shepherds. And when he asks you, you tell him you're shepherds, knowing full well that the Egyptians despise them. Please note verse 34. Very important. when verse 33 when pharaoh calls you and says what is your occupation you shall say quote your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now now both we and our fathers end of the quote in order that you may dwell in the land of goshen for every shepherd is an abomination to the egyptians he tells them why he says if you tell him your shepherds he's going to despise you, just like all the other Egyptians, and that's the way we're going to get into Goshen, you see.

I don't know why, maybe Goshen is somewhere off the main highways. Let's get him out of the way. It's certainly true that Pharaoh hasn't signed off on this thing yet. Joseph has said, go to Goshen, I'm going to give you Goshen, but now he's got to get the Pharaoh's stamp of approval on it. So he says, tell them you're shepherds, and then we'll get Goshen, You see?

So, notice how important that shepherd identity is. That despised position is so important to the plan. You are going to be despised in this country, but that's going to work for our good. That's going to work so that God can accomplish his purposes of making us a great nation. Well, the day arrives for that all-important audience, and Joseph randomly picks five of his brothers to see the Egyptian ruler.

He tells Pharaoh that his family has finally arrived in Goshen. And then sometime in the interview, Pharaoh asks the crucial question, what is your occupation? And of course, they reply with the correct answer. We are shepherds, like our fathers before us. But then notice they add something. thing chapter 47 verse 4 they said to pharaoh after your servants are shepherds as our fathers were they said to pharaoh we've come to sojourn in the land for there is no pasture for our servants flocks for the famine is severe in the land of canaan and now please let your servants dwell in the land of goshen here they add we've come only to sojourn that is we're not planning on staying here permanently.

We're only here because we don't have pastures to support our flocks in Canaan. They're saying, honest, we're here on a temporary basis because of the lack of pastures. We're not here to gain power. We're not here to take over. We're just here to feed our flocks. And so the king says to Joseph, that's great that your family's back together.

Let them settle in Goshen. And by the way, if any of them are really good at it, I'll give them my livestock to take care of. Now how did God separate these people from their host nation? How did he do that? You know how he did that? He made them despised shepherds.

He made them people that the Egyptians would despise. And remember, he does this for the purpose of fulfilling his promise to make a great nation. And as despised shepherds, they would not assimilate with the Egyptians, but they would keep their identity as God's people of promise. Do you see how God works there? Now we need to understand that God separates a people by making them different.

He makes them different. Do you know that God does the same thing to us today in Christ? he separates us from the rest of humanity separates us from the rest of humankind to be his people and humanity, the rest of the world despises us as a result it despises us as a result look how he does that, turn over to 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians chapter 1 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 2. To the church of God that is in Corinth to those no sanctified or set apart in Christ Jesus called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.

Notice, anybody who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus are sanctified. That is, they're not made better. The word here is being used in this sense. They are set apart in Christ Jesus. We are set apart from the rest of humanity by being united to Christ. We are united to Him.

And that unity produces a people that are not like the rest of humanity. Right? We are set apart. Across this globe, there is a people that belong exclusively to God. They've been set apart from the rest of humanity. They belong to God.

You see? look at 1 Peter chapter 1. What does that mean for us then? What does that mean for us? 1 Peter chapter 1. Look at verses 14 through 16. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, But since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. Because in Christ we're separated from the rest of humanity in our position. Now he says, in your practice you be set apart. You be set apart in your thoughts and your words and your deeds. You be different. You are now to act in a different way.

We are separate from the rest of humanity because we're in Christ and we're separate in the way that we live. We are separate. He has separated us out. You know, I can't say that enough. I don't think we as Christians take this seriously enough. We do not belong to this world.

We do not belong to the rest of humanity in the same way that everyone else does. We have been set apart as the people of God. A holy nation, right? A people belonging to God. We are set apart and we are different. because of that in the way we act. Then finally look at chapter 4 of 1 Peter Watch what he says here Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh I looking at verse one since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves with the same way of thinking for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God for the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do living in sensuality passions drunkenness orgies drinking parties and lawless idolatry.

With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you. See that? Because we've been set apart in Christ, we live differently. And because we live differently, we are despised. Isn't it interesting that when you try to be the best worker you can be and the best parent you can be, all for the glory of God, when you seek to be the best citizen you can be, all to the glory of God.

People hate you for that. Isn't that amazing? Do you ever think about that? When you try to do everything right for the glory of God by the power of the Spirit, people begin to despise you. Boy, if there's anything that tells me the Word of God is true, that's it. Say, Jesus, oh my.

You can talk about God, you can talk about other things, but you mention Jesus, suddenly all bets are off. you are now in that category of people called nut jobs, bigoted, horrendous people who don't deserve to live here. Right? That is our identity, just like it was then. God separates us by making us different. And of course, remember the words of Jesus himself from John 15.

Listen to what Jesus said. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belong to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world. But I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Remember what I told you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. By the way, just to make a little footnote here, isn it interesting that the same person who says I have come that they may have life and have it to the full have an abundant life is the same one who says oh by the way everybody going to hate you Isn't that interesting?

But the life that Jesus gives, even the life of the world hating us, is better than anything you've ever dreamed of. It's an abundant, good, wonderful life. But let's get one thing clear, that he separates us from the rest of the world and he makes us different. He makes us different. Holy followers of Jesus, the most despised kind of people in the world.

Just like they were despised, so are we. The story continues. And to me, what happens next is most fascinating. Joseph brings in his father Jacob to meet Pharaoh. That's a big deal. Right?

That is a big deal. You bring your dad in. It's like you, you know, it's like you introducing your father to the President of the United States, right? That's a big deal. So he's introducing his father to this Pharaoh, who's probably one of the most powerful men in the world at this time. Now Pharaoh recognizes and respects his old age.

You remember, the Egyptians were preoccupied with death. Have you ever got that idea when you read about all the mummies and stuff? You know why they mummified their bodies? Because they thought that's how they got immortality. You keep the body intact so that you can live forever, you see. And the Egyptian pharaohs even claimed to be immortal.

So that's why the big deal about mummifying bodies and everything. They just were preoccupied with death. And to them, 110 was the ideal age. and here's a guy who is at this point 130 years old. So Pharaoh, out of respect for his age, talks to him. And Jacob responds, how old are you? And Jacob responds that I'm 130 and I haven't reached the age of my father's, but my life has been short and evil.

Better translation, my life has been short and tragic. now don't get on your his case and say how can you possibly say that after God has blessed you Jacob you ungrateful bag of bones what is wrong with you well he's just telling the truth is he not his life you might think 130 years is listen you may think 130 years is long but Let me ask you, I'm going to be 62 this year, and it seems like I've only been around like, like it was just, like yesterday I was in kindergarten, right? And you young people, you laugh, but I'm telling you, the oldest person right now, the oldest person sitting in this congregation will say to you, it seems so short. It seems like just yesterday I was in high school, right?

Seems just like yesterday I was running out on the football field and everybody was cheering me and I was really buff and I could knock guys down. And that was just yesterday. That wasn't that long. I mean, my life is short. And he says it's been tragic. Why?

Well, probably he's recognizing he's had a hard life because of his own deceptive, manipulative ways. You know how much heartache is caused in this man's life because of the way that he has manipulated things. So he's telling the truth. He will reach the ripe old age of 147 as you continue to read the story. He's going to be alive for another 17 years.

But it still doesn't quite get to Abraham's 180 and Isaac's 175. but the fascinating thing here is not how old he is here's the fascinating thing about this Jacob walks in to the Pharaoh and blesses him when he walks in and blesses him when he walks out did you notice that? did you notice that? now that's not right the inferior never blesses the superior it's always the superior who blesses the inferior right and here's this old man walking in and blessing pharaoh like you know i'm thinking i wonder pharaoh sitting on his throne thinking who who is this guy that would bless me right but that's what he does that's i remember being struck as i read that going wait a minute what's he doing blessing pharaoh not only is he just an inferior guy but note he is also the leader of despised shepherds people that they despise and he walks in this despised shepherd walks in and blesses pharaoh and then blesses him on the way out What that all about Well look he beginning to fulfill the covenant promises of God What had God said? God said, I'm going to, two places, I'm going to make your name great so that you're a blessing to other people. And he also said, I'm going to give you a seed that will bless the nations.

And here is God beginning to fulfill that. Here is his seed. One of the descendants of Abraham blessing the head of this nation. You see? Now, understand that God separates us out as a people for the purpose of blessing. For the purpose of blessing.

But you might ask, how are we, the despised people of the world, supposed to bless the world? How are we supposed to do that? What kind of a blessing can we give to the world, a world that looks at us as inferior and a world that despises us? How in the world can we bless the world? That's really quite a simple answer to that. You know what it is?

We proclaim the seed that blesses all the nations to them. Do you know how you're going to bless the world? You're going to bless the world by proclaiming Christ. you're going to bless the world by bringing them face to face with this jesus who's been resurrected from the dead who has come to save a people for himself that is how you bless the world we don't bless the world with all our resources because of all people we have the least we don't bless them with great reputation because of all people we are the least when it comes to reputation we bless them with the only thing we have to bless the world and that is proclaim to them a savior jesus christ who came to save them from their sins that is how we bless the world and let me say this to you who are sitting here today who have never come to christ let me just say to you this christ has come to bless you and it is foolishness for you to hold him at arm's length and say i don't know if i want that life i don't know if i want to follow jesus you are a fool.

You're a fool. You're holding at arm's length the living Son of God who promised you an abundant life And you are saying no no I going to live life the way I want to live Let me tell you how that working for you Can you say, man, pastor, I can tell you right now, I have an abundant life. It is so good. I don't think you can tell me that. You're a foolish rebel to hold Jesus at arm's length.

The one who's come to bless you. Well, there's one other thing as we look at this story. What happens next to the family? They settle in the land of Goshen, otherwise called the land of Ramses, the term used so the people who are reading this for the first time understand exactly where it is. By the way, we don't know where Goshen is. No one has ever figured that out.

They're trying to piece it together, but no one's quite figured it out. It must be in the delta area of Egypt, the real rich land and so forth. But no one knows where that is. Nevertheless, they got to Goshen. And God provides for them there in such a way that he provides for them independent of all the politics of Egypt. Now, when I say God provides for them, he provides for them land and food.

But you say, no, he doesn't. Joseph provides that for them. Okay, here we go. Who's providing it for them? God is providing for them. He's using Joseph to provide for them.

It is what we might call a God thing. It's God who's doing it. It's God who's providing their food. All of that. And he does it independent of the politics of Egypt. Now let me explain what I mean by that.

In order to see the full impact of verses 11 and 12, you have to look ahead in the story. Do you remember what happens next in the story? If you don't, go ahead and read it, but I'll kind of give you a summation at this point. In the next part of the story, everybody runs out of food. And so they come to Joseph and they say, we need food. And what he does is eventually gives them to sell all their land.

And so that they become starved. They are starving people who, in order to avert starvation, become indentured servants of Pharaoh. So that in the end, Pharaoh owns everything. Everything. And they have to pay him one-fifth of their crops from that point on. Because now he owns them. he owns them he owns their land but notice in verses 11 and 12 first in verse what you see in verse 11 is Joseph gives them a possession a term a possession in the land of Egypt That a technical term It means the granting of land that cannot be taken away from you Can't be taken away from you.

And it's given by one with authority to give it. It's like a land grant that says this is yours for perpetuity. No one can take this from you. So when all the other Egyptians are selling themselves and their land in order to get food, they don't have to. Here's the other reason why. Verse 12, they never reach the point of starvation like the rest of Egypt.

Why? Because the guy that they know who's in charge of all of it is giving them what they need. They don't have to sell their land. they don't have to go that far because they never reached the point of starvation they've got the top man of the program just giving them what they need whereas he requires the rest of egypt to sell themselves in order to get what they need in other words what's going on here god separates his people by providing for them they are distinct from the egyptians in the fact that they never reach the point of starvation and they don't sell their land that's been given to them they're distinct from the rest of the country.

This people is distinct in the fact that God has provided for them. It's another way that we're separate from the rest of humanity. God takes care of us. God takes care of us. Matthew chapter 6, of course, familiar verse where Jesus is talking to us about the fact that, why do you worry? Why do you worry about the basic things of life?

You don't need to worry about that. Matthew chapter 6, you remember, this is the passage where Jesus says, don't be anxious. God's clothed the flowers of the field. He feeds the birds, all those things. You don't need to worry about that. Come down to verse 31.

Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. We're set apart from the rest of the world because we don't have to worry about that stuff.

You ever think about that? I can think of certain highlights in my life. And Beck will attest to it as well, where there were times where we'd say, the numbers don't add up. How are we going to make it? Guess what? We're still here.

And we're still alive. And we have made it. You know what? You know what should set us apart? And Jesus even says this. For the Gentiles do that.

You don't have to. You know what's going to set us apart? God provides for us. We never have to be anxious about that, ever. We don't. Something else occurred to me.

One last thing. Look at Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 through 24. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires notice all the things that we have by the spirit of God Richard Gans is a is a biblical counselor one of the granddaddies in the biblical counseling movement who lives in Ottawa Canada he spoke at the ACBC conference this year he spoke here he was to some of you might remember Richard Gans He was here and spoke at our Bible conference one year He was born a Jewish guy.

He was converted to the Lord. He got to know Jay Adams. He learned about counseling. He's a leader in the movement and so forth. But he talks about the fact that, and he used to be, by the way, he used to be a psychologist, making tons of money in a mental health hospital, and then had to chuck it all because he started sharing Christ with people in the mental health hospital, and they didn't like that, even though the people were getting better.

They didn't like that at all. So he lost that. But here's what he says. He says, you know, before I was converted, I saw this thing that said, Gal. All right, he doesn't have any, doesn't know the New Testament at all. He says, I saw this thing that said, Gal 5, 22 and 23.

For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness. He goes, you know what? I read that and I said, you know what? I don't know who this gal is, but I sure want what she's got. All right. I want what she got And what the point The point is the world is starving for love and joy and peace They just the world wants those things And guess what We have it By the power of the Spirit of God That's us.

And they're striving and wanting it. But God provides it for us. He sets us apart from the rest of humanity with the provisions that He makes for us. See, God has a people. God does have a people, people that belong exclusively to him. And he separates them not by race or nationality or status or profession.

He doesn't separate them out that way. He separated them in his son, Jesus. That's how he's pulled us away. And if you belong to him, you don't belong to the world. Like Jacob's family, you may live in the world. like Jacob's family who lived in Egypt but were not a part of it we live in the world but we're not a part of it and remember what he does is he separates you from the rest of humanity he gives you joy in the midst of a broken, fallen hard, hostile world he makes you different you're holy followers of Jesus you're a holy people in Christ and although you're different from the rest of humanity he has separated you so that you can be a blessing to humanity And remember that you are different because you have a Father who provides for you in a way that is so different than how the world gets what they need.

In Jesus, you find the joy in being different. Father, thank you. Lord we recognize many times that we have been separated from the world we've been separated from humanity in the flesh to be the spirit led people of God we are different I pray Father that you'd help us not to boast in our difference but to be grateful for it that even though our separation brings hardship on us.

I would ask, Lord, that you help us to rejoice that we are yours. Thank you for Jesus. We pray, Father, that we would live this way in faith, believing that you have done this for a purpose, and that we can rest in that. We thank You in Jesus' name.