And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Gen 41:52)
In mention of the land of affliction Joseph expresses faith. Do you see it? He is saying ‘This is not where I belong! Yet if I am blessed here how much more so will I be with I come to the land where I belong.’
He saw later that physically only his bones would come into the Promised Land, but he was even then looking beyond the symbol to the reality. Likewise with reference to his family – he is saying that this people among whom I live are not my people.
Are these not our realities? We are strangers and aliens in living among a people whom we seek to bless by drawing them to Jesus Christ and to life according to His Word. But when we come together on the Lord’s Day we find ourselves reminded that though in the world we are not of the world, that this is not home, it is not family – it is here in the gathered people of God and in worship that we are reminded of home and enjoy the realities of family. We are brothers and sisters.
We discover and re-discover the meaning and joy of Jesus’ words, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother” (Mk 3:33-34)!
This is what we are. This is what we enjoy now – no matter what we were before Christ came to us in redeeming grace.
And yet we are lifted even further above the realities of life in this world as strangers and aliens through the knowledge of what we enjoy here now together is but a foretaste of the eternal realities of the whole community of the saints gathered together in the presence of our God and worshipping and fellowshipping with Him. There is our ‘home, and it comes with He who is coming again for us, to take us into it.
Do you know this? How does it shape how you live – including in the light of your yesterdays, and how you view your tomorrows? How does it impact how you worship God today?