GROWING IN INTIMACY WITH GOD

Genesis 45:16-46:34
Bob Bonner
October 14, 2007

Marriage, as God designed it, is meant to be the most intimate of all relationships between human beings. It is meant to be more intimate than any sibling relationship. It is meant to be more intimate than the relationship between a mother or father and their children. In the Bible, marriage is used as the illustration of the most intimate relationship of all, that spiritual relationship between Jesus Christ and the believer.

 There are several stages that are typically followed if one is going to experience an ongoing intimacy in marriage. First there is the courtship that ends with the wedding. Then there is the honeymoon stage where all you can think about is the other person. But then, jobs and children come along, and more often than not these distractions can cause a couple to enter another stage in which they take each other for granted. Sadly, for many couples, this is where their relationships cease to move forward in intimacy. Wise is the couple who realizes the pressures that life puts on the intimacy of their marriage, and they plan to meet these pressures head on. They plan for time outs alone. They plan to continue to date or take mini vacations without the kids or jobs. They schedule time for themselves to continue to dream and plan together, to work out differences. If they do this regularly, reminding one another of their commitment to their marriages, then when they get older and their kids are out of the nest and the pressures of life ease back a little bit, their intimacy continues to grow rather than become stale.

Just as there are several stages to a marriage that is continually growing in intimacy, so are there stages of growth in the ongoing intimacy one can experience with God. This morning, one of the things we are going to witness is the stages of spiritual growth and intimacy of one man, Jacob with his God. By the time we finish examining our study of Scripture, we will see how Jacob moves through four typical stages of his relationship with God, and thus learn what is necessary for us if we want to grow in our intimacy with God, something that God desires for each of us to enjoy.

Last week, in this drama of reconciliation between Joseph, the now V.P. of Egypt and his eleven brothers, we left off at Genesis 45:15. It was the climactic scene of the entire book of Genesis. Joseph had just revealed himself to his brothers for the first time in twenty-two years. At first they feared his retaliation against them for having kidnapped and sold him into slavery to get rid of him. In short, Joseph explains that he has forgiven them, and furthermore, he has recognized God’s hand in it all. Although they had meant it for evil, Joseph saw God using their wickedness for the overall good of the entire family. Now that Joseph had become the second most powerful man in Egypt, he was in the position to rescue his entire family amidst a severe famine that was far from over.

As a result of this highly emotional reconciliation, there was all this noise coming out of Joseph’s house to such an extent people outside could hear it. Pharaoh probably wanted to know what was going on, and possibly asked one of the servants from Joseph’s house what was happening. This leads us to 45:16.

“Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh [literally, it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh...] and his servants.”

The news that Joseph’s eleven brothers had come and been reunited to him reached Pharaoh. It delighted Pharaoh. Why? Remember that Pharaoh was a Hyksos king, not a true Egyptian. He was more closely related racially to Joseph than to the Egyptians. As a result, this Pharaoh could more easily trust Joseph and his brothers than he could trust the full blooded Egyptians. So he was more comfortable to be surrounded by these people.

 “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brothers, Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’” meaning “I will give you the best land I have.” Keep in mind that a famine is taking place in their land and Pharaoh eventually gives them the best grazing land he has. This is no short offer. This is huge!

Pharaoh continues his instructions, “Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. Do not concern yourselves with your goods, [or as the Orthodox Hebrew Bible translates this; “And let your eyes not take pity on your belongings...”] for the best of all the land [or the best of all ] of Egypt is yours.’”

This is the first mention of wagons in the Bible and suggests that they were essentially unique to Egypt at that time. The wheel was a major invention during this period in history. Jacob and his family were not using wagons yet, but in Egypt they were. So Pharaoh kindly sends wagons with them. Further, keep in mind that these wagons enabled Joseph’s family to travel in comfort and speedily. They would get to Egypt much more quickly. This is quite a friendly gesture on Pharaoh’s part.

“Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey. So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, ‘Do not quarrel on the journey.’”

It seems silly that Joseph would send all of these material gifts to Canaan when they would have to turn right around and bring them back. But he did so to convince not just the brothers that all is on the up and up, but Joseph wanted his old father back home to have no regrets in leaving Canaan immediately and to join him in Egypt.

Notice, also, Joseph’s admonition to his brothers, “And don’t you guys quarrel on the way home!” The word, “quarrel” means “to be agitated and perturbed” and is sometimes used preceding a fight.  Joseph’s admonition reminds us of how wise Joseph was and how well he knew his brothers. He tells the brothers not to do what they in the past would have done typically in such a situation. He tells them not to make recriminations against one another regarding their crime against him and especially in explaining it to their father. Just tell the whole truth as to how they had kidnapped Joseph and sold him into slavery twenty-two years before, and that they had lied to their father as to what happened to Joseph. Joseph’s point being that if he had forgiven them, how much more should they forgive one another and their father as well. 

Furthermore, Joseph knew what favoritism had birthed in his brothers before. Yet, knowing that, and for his own reasons, he still chose to bless his brother Benjamin more than the others. He did not want his blessing of their youngest brother to become a possible thorn in their sides. So basically, he warned them with a hint of rebuke, “Get over it! Don’t argue about it. You have more than you deserve...you’re still alive!”

Joseph was wise. He knew what it was to trust others, all the while never to trust their nature.

Finally, they arrive home and face the music. Presumably, they tell their father the whole story, beginning with their kidnapping of Joseph and the deception of their father. For whatever reason, God left out those details in the written text and moved to the bottom line, “They told him, saying, ‘Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ But he was stunned, for he did not believe them.”

In Hebrew, the statement “he was stunned” literally reads, “his heart grew numb.” One commentator suggests that with this news, this old man and father, Jacob had a mild coronary. He probably got dizzy and almost passed out. “Pass the smelling salts please!” And that’s what happens in the next verses. “When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.”

The words and wagons were the proverbial smelling salts that caused Jacob’s heart to be revived. For we read, “Then Israel said, ‘It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.’”

At this point, Jacob wastes no time in packing up and heading south. But on the way, he suddenly stops. We read, “So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.”

This stop at Beersheba was no brief stop. It took some time for them to slaughter these animals as a sacrifice to God. Furthermore, according to verse 2, the family probably spent the night there. So, why stop here and do this religious thing now. Why didn’t he do this before he left Hebron? I’m convinced that a spiritually sensitive cord was struck within Jacob’s heart when he arrived at Beersheba. I believe this to be so, because verse 1 clearly calls Jacob by his God-given spiritual name of “Israel,” and the text points back to the God of his father Isaac. These are no slight references. They are pregnant with intention.

In addition, consider for a moment the historical and spiritual significance of Beersheba. In Genesis 12, due to a famine, Abraham headed to Egypt to get food. His first mistake was that he never checked in with God as to whether God would provide the food in another way, or whether God would give him permission to go to Egypt. While in Egypt, Abraham almost got himself killed. God intervenes, Abraham gets a mild spanking from God and leaves Egypt.

Then, in Genesis 15, God warns Abraham that his descendants would one day live in a land not theirs for 400 years and that they would be enslaved and mistreated. He does not tell Abraham where that land is, but he can guess. He also reassures Abraham that his descendants’ enslavement is all a part of His plan and that God will eventually rescue his descendants and return them to the land.

Then, in Genesis 21, at Beersheba, Abraham called on the name of the Lord. In addition, according to Genesis 21 and 26, Beersheba was a place where treaties were made by both Abraham and his son, Isaac. Finally, in Genesis 26, Isaac, Jacob’s father, met with God in Beersheba where God repeats to Isaac His promise to do for him and his descendants what God had originally promised to do for Abraham. Along with repeating the Abrahamic covenant to Isaac, while at Beersheba, God strictly forbade Isaac from going down to Egypt as his father Abraham had mistakenly done. 

I believe all of this history suddenly struck Jacob as he came to Beersheba on his way to Egypt. Suddenly, he had some doubts as to whether this was the right and safest thing to do as far as his family and God were concerned. So, when in doubt, pray or talk to God.

For the very first time in his life, Jacob pauses before he possibly does something stupid and asks God, “Hey, is this something You want me to be doing?” Jacob has made enough mistakes in his life and he doesn’t want to make any more. Hence, he needs a little more encouragement than the invitation from his son Joseph or even from Pharaoh to come to Egypt. He needs to have a green light from God. And he gets it 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. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.’” or literally, “Joseph’s hand will close your eyes” which is a reference to the custom that the eldest son or nearest relative would gently close the eyes of the deceased.

In this brief statement, God not only gives Jacob the green light, but reminds Jacob of His promises to Abraham that He would make their descendants a great nation and bring them back to the promised land.

Having heard from God that He wanted them to move to Egypt, we read, “Then Jacob arose [the Hebrew expresses quick or immediate and decisive action] 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 carry him. They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.”

From this point in our passage down through verse 27, we find a list of all of Jacob’s living descendants who moved with him to Egypt--seventy in all. Now, in the interest of time, we are not going to read these verses and check out each name mentioned here. You can do that on your own. However, I hesitate to do this, lest you may think these verses are not important. This list of names is important for at least two reasons: First, in this list of names is the genealogy that leads to the person of Jesus Christ. Some of the names you find here, you will find in the New Testament, in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 that lay out for us the genealogy of Jesus Christ. So, for that reason alone, it is worthy of your study.

Furthermore, instead of reading this list of names, I would rather take the time to make a second important point that comes from this list of names, as it concerns God and you, personally.

In this list of names are people who end up getting saved and who will spend eternity with God. In addition, there are others who will not get saved and will spend eternity alone, separated from God. In a way, your name could be in this list. For just like you, God knows every one of the named persons in this list and that’s why you find them listed here. He knows not just their names, He knows everything about them, personally.  Likewise, God knows your name and you personally. You and I don’t really know each other very well. I may know a little about you, and many of you know me very little. But God knows everything there is to know about me and you, just as He knows everything about every person named in these verses.

Allow me to take this a step further. God knows me better than my mother or father ever did. My Mom or Dad never at one time knew the exact number of every hair on my head; but God has always known the number of every hair on my head and even how many fell out this morning! He knows me and you, personally and intimately. There is not one good or evil thought, righteous or wicked attitude or action we have had that He doesn’t know about. Yet, He loves each of us irrespective of sex, age, education, nationality or race. It was for the whole world that Jesus Christ died, that each of us might be forgiven and able to approach God and get to know Him. He desires that you would get to know Him.

When I go to a shopping mall, and Becky goes into one of those stores that leaves me bored to tears, I often will get a cup of coffee and sit on a bench and watch people pass by. Inevitably, I can’t help it, but the thought comes to me, “I wonder how many of these people know how much God loves them and wants to be an integral part of their lives. I wonder if they know that He loves them so much that He died that they might be able to know Him.” And as I watch these people stroll by, more often than not, overtaken by consumerism and purchasing what they want whether they need it or not, I grieve to think that odds have it that many of them are missing God’s outstretched hand to them, that they might know and walk with the living God. 

All this to say, that if you have never considered that God has your name on a list, and knows everything about you, believe me, He does. Furthermore, just as He knows these listed here, God desires for you to know Him and has provided the way for you to know Him. If you never have before, I’m asking you to consider the importance of seeking after God, the one who created you, loves you and died for you that you might spend eternity with Him. At this point in Jacob’s life, at age 130, spiritual revival came to his life. It matters not how old you are, or how long you have stiff-armed God. To know Him begins with entrusting your lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for you, for your deliberately ignoring Him, so that if should you want to know God, you can ask Jesus Christ to forgive you and to become Lord of your life, and He will. He is the one who makes it possible for us to be reconciled to God, regardless of our past or age.

If that is something you would like to do, then simply tell that to God right now. Ask Him to forgive you for having ignored Him or for having rebelled against Him. Put your trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross to save you and to bring you into an eternal relationship with God. Then surrender the controls of your life to Him. When you do that, He promises to forgive you and enter your life. And as you seek after Him, He promises to lead you and provide what you need to grow closer in intimacy with Him.

We began this morning talking about a growing intimacy in relationships with others. Right now I want you to see what was necessary for Jacob to finally begin a growing intimacy with the living God. In order to do that, let’s take a quick review of Jacob’s life.

When you stand back and study Jacob’s life, it falls into four geographical as well as spiritual divisions of growing in intimacy with God. In the first division he lived in Canaan with his father, mother and brother Esau. While there, even though God had chosen him to be the future patriarch, he had no personal relationship with God. He did not worship the Lord. 

Then, upon threat of murder by his brother Esau, he flees Canaan and heads to the second geographical position, Haran, that really defines this next period of his spiritual intimacy with God. On the way there, Jacob stops at Bethel, where God takes the initiative and reveals Himself to Jacob. Understand, Jacob was not looking for God at this time. God came looking for him and revealed Himself to Jacob, just like He might be doing for some of you here this morning. There, at Bethel, Jacob is saved and worships God for the first time. However, even though saved, when he gets to Haran and for the next 20 years of his life, he lives as a carnal believer. Jacob is still not seeking after God. He knows that God is real, but God does not play a major part of how Jacob lives his life or makes decisions for his life. It will take Jacob a long time before learns that this is not the proper way to live one’s life.

After hard years lived in Haran, God visits Jacob again and tells him to go back home to Canaan, with his wives and children. Mind you, Jacob wasn’t looking for God, God comes looking for Jacob. Shortly after arriving back in Canaan, his third geographical location, Jacob wrestles with God, and realizes that he is supposed to be living for God. He chooses and commits to do so, but he tries to live and fight for God in his own strength, rather than continually checking in with God and seeking His supernatural strength and direction. In the end, Jacob makes a mess of his family and has poor relationships with his neighbors.

And now, at age 130, Jacob makes his final geographical move to Egypt. He is no longer walking in his own strength nor is he running away from anything or anyone. He is now walking by faith, as was indicated by his seeking out God at Beersheba before he headed to Egypt.

In the end, God had transformed Jacob into the man both he and God wanted him to be. But realize that for Jacob, this transformation process took 147 years. It doesn’t have to be that way for you. You can begin walking as a person of faith, growing in intimacy with God for the rest of your life–right now, today. All it takes is a desire and action on your part to make room in your life daily to check in with God as to all your decisions and how it is that God would have you invest your life, for His glory, not your selfish wants.

Aren’t Jacob’s four stages of spiritual growth typical of many Christians today: some move through all the same four stages that Jacob did. Some do not, dying either in spiritual “Haran” or “Canaan” before they have really experienced a vital intimate relationship with God, where they sense His presence and supernatural leading and empowerment. For instance: a person gets saved, and like Jacob in Haran, the Christian goes through the entire week and leaves God pretty much out of his or her life. They never read their Bible, never really seek God in prayer. They make their own decisions and do what they want to do. Then they come to church on Sunday, are very religious and are willing to do God’s will—they think God’s will is for them to go to church and maybe serve in some capacity on Sunday, then leave church, say “Good-bye” to God, and the rest of the week, God is not in the picture for them at all. That’s Jacob in Haran, and that’s no way to live.

But then, we arrive back in Canaan, that place where we take God more seriously and we want to serve Him, and we try to do so using our own strength and our own wisdom, following after what others tell us God would have us to do and we fail. Why? Because we have not personally and devotedly sought God on our own, asking Him what He wants us to do personally. Like Jacob, many Christians spend most if not all of their lives in this situation. Then come to the end of their lives and wonder why they feel so empty and why things have not gone well for them or their families.

But some come to this final stage, Egypt, where they live as spirit-controlled Christians—people who moment by moment are seeking to know God, obey Him and involve Him in their daily decisions, hoping to honor Him.

My friend, if you are not in this last stage, don’t be discouraged. It took Jacob 130 years to get there. However, if you realize today that you are not in this last stage, you don’t have to stay where you are. Spiritual intimacy and growth begins when we daily seek God’s direction and depend upon His enablement to live throughout the day. It’s walking by faith and depending upon Him to lead you as you walk.

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