1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” 4 They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” 5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.” ~ Genesis 47:1-6NIV
Joseph was in the land of Egypt, second in command only to Pharaoh when his brothers showed up. God had made a way for all of His people to be saved from the famine by turning the evil that Joseph’s brothers did to him into good for all people. Pharaoh saw who the real God was because of Joseph and all that God did through him, yet Pharaoh was still spiritually blind. When Joseph’s family came to the land of Egypt, he told them to tell Pharaoh they were shepherds so that Pharaoh might allow them to stay in the land of Goshen because shepherds were detestable to Egyptians. Now, I want you to think about this, shepherds were detestable to Egyptians, but Pharaoh still wanted any skilled shepherd to take care of his flocks. Isn’t that how the world is today?
The things of the Church are detestable and offensive to them, but when things go wrong, they ask for the prayers of the Church. This isn’t a characteristic that strictly affects the world; the Church today is inundated with this characteristic. We’re offended when we’re told that certain actions are sinful. We’re offended when we’re told that certain actions/illnesses are spiritual. But we want prayer. We want counseling, but we don’t want deliverance. We have become Pharaoh. We have become like the Egyptians; the shepherds have become detestable to us. Why? Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd. When we are offended by what Jesus has said, we are really being offended by the Good Shepherd Himself.
Dear LORD, please help me to not be offended by You. Help me to not be offended by Truth but to always seek it out. Break my heart for what breaks Your heart. Teach me Your ways and write Your laws on my heart that I might not sin against You. Help me to love You the way that You deserve. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
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