Goshen: It’s Time To Move
Goshen: God’s protected place, the land of plenty and comfort.
The first mention of Goshen is in the book of Genesis with the story of Joseph. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. In this passage, Joseph had just revealed to his family who he was to his brothers who were sent to obtain food.
Genesis 45:6-10 (NKJV)
“For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.”
Goshen is a place, it has a location. In the Old Testament, it required Joseph’s family to have to relocate and leave everything that was familiar and comfortable to them.
One of the biggest thing that helped me in that move was having a checklist. What are some things you have to do to prepare to move?
Get boxes
Throw away and or purge things
Give away things
Getting rid of the excess
CLEAN the previous home
Your Spiritual Moving Checklist
1. Wavering Faith:
Waver: become unsteady; begin to fail or give way: to feel or show doubt, indecision, etc.; vacillate:
Apostle brought out this principle yesterday in his message: The Law of Balance how The enemy intensifies things in your life to get you used to losing focus.
We need to ensure that our faith is anchored in God and we keep our focus fixed on Jesus, no matter the circumstance or situation.
2. Unforgiveness
Matthew 6:14, 15 (AMPC)
“For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and [c]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and [f]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.”
3. Unconfessed Sin
David asked God to search his heart, thoughts, and ways.
Psalm 139:23, 24
“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
4. Wrong Motives
James 4:2-3
“[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.”
5. Not Pleasing God
It should be our upmost desire to please God, to honor Him in everything we do and say
God's instructions to Joseph and his family to move and relocate reminded me of the instructions that God gave Abraham in Genesis 12 and 1
Genesis 12:1
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
Those were the only instructions God gave Abram. Living in the Land of Goshen requires trust and is easy to do when the track record of the person giving the instructions is flawless.
Goshen was a place of protection from famine. While everyone was experiencing lack, they experienced abundance. Provision was already provided for them, all they had to do was go.
For us, provision and protection have already been provided to us. We will have to leave behind what is familiar to us, it may not make sense to us in the natural, but all we have to do is go. Just like when you move, everything can’t go. There might be relationships we have to get rid of, habits we must have to kill, we have trim off the excess, get rid of dead weight, anything thar will hinder us from entering into Goshen.
The next mention of Goshen is in Genesis 47 where Joseph’s family asked Pharoah for permission but first in Genesis 46 Joseph prepared the way for his family by going to Pharoah first
Genesis 46: 31-34 (AMP):
“Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were 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.’ And it shall be that when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers [before us],’ in order that you may live [separately and securely] in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is repulsive to the Egyptians.”
Genesis 47:5-6 (NKJV)
“Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”
One thing to note here is that Pharaoh granting Joseph’s family access is uncommon and unheard of. Not just anyone was allowed to live there. Goshen is a place of uncommon favor, access, and abundance. It is a place of automatic promotion. We see Pharoah told Joseph’s family to take care of his livestock (We see Genesis 46 shepherds were despised and considered repulsive. So we see they were not very high thought of) he did not know personally. He had not even seen his work ethic (But, he knew their brother Joseph) based off the character of Joseph, the entire family was promoted.
The next reference was the plagues released upon Egypt.
Exodus 9:25-26 (NKJV)
“And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.”
Goshen was a place of Passover.
Forcfield: an invisible shield or barrier that protects from outside intruders, when someone does try to come in they are instantly repelled backwards from the fortress. We the audience, and the people in the forcefield can see the forcefield but the enemy never can.
Isaiah 54:17 (AMP):
“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;
And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.
This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.”
Fortified: made stronger or more secure
Goshen is a place, it is not temporary or seasonal. Just like when you move one of the last things you do is get a change of address. For Gods sons and daughters, Goshen is our permanent change of address. Because Gods provision for his people is never seasonal no matter what season of life we are in.
Goshen is our forcefield. We can see and experience the protection of God, but every enemy and obstacle will never be able to see it an will automatically be repelled back
The parallel of Goshen between Goshen in the Old Testament and the New Testament:
In the Old Testament: Joseph was the one to prepare the way for his family.
New Testament: Jesus made the promise to prepare the way for us.
John 14:1-4 (MSG):
“Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”
John 14:1-4 (AMP):
“Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.”
Deuteronomy 6:11(NKJV)
“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Matthew 6:33-34 (MSG)
“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Amos 9:13-15 (MSG)
“Yes indeed, it won’t be long now.” God’s Decree. “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel: “They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them.”God, your God, says so.”
GOSHEN is a place of God's presence, protection, peace, provision, prosperity & providence. In the land of Goshen, there is nothing scattered, nothing broken, nothing.
Goshen: approaching; drawing near.
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to us.
9. Just like we must draw near to God first. Goshen is a place where we must approach or draw near to enter in.