A New Thing … Reflections in the moment
There I was in the routine and the mundane of life, just getting on with it really. Perhaps in the place where even expectation is diminished, just thankful to God. There has been incredible and timely answers to prayers and there has been many times when the answers did not come or perhaps not in the way or the when…when I expected. But life goes on, the routine, the mundane, the familiar….and then an announcement is made…A NEW THING… 'what new thing?' '.Oh yes, 2 decades ago…ah ah I remember a NEW thing then' 'oh yes I am so happy for others, they are in the NEW thing' But wait a minute is this announcement for me? Dare I believe, am I hearing right? This is not an announcement but a prophetic proclamation!!!! A proclamation NOW and for ME. I find myself musing, thinking of a family, a particular man, Joseph, Jacob's son. His father named him Joseph. When it was least expected, Joseph was conceived and born and added on (or shall I say added in, a +)
The name Joseph means add on or increase…as I meditated on his life before becoming Egypt's Prime Minister, Joseph seemingly was in a place of decrease and decay, he was in a dungeon. It seemed he lived contrary to the prophetic symbolism of His name. However looking at 'the ways of the Spirit' constraint and emptying is in line with the process of bringing him to a place of enlargement or fullness . Psalm 105. verses 10-24 remind us of the constraint of the feet of Joseph, until the time of release. Feet released synonymous with agility, movement, relocation.
Similarly the famine constrained the Patriarch Jacob to Canaan. I often wondered how the place of promise and inheritance, called Canaan now ossified into a place of dire famine. Selah! The previous and divine injunction to Jacobs' Father and Grandfather was 'not to go to Egypt.' Egypt in this dispensation has been come a place of providence.
In Egypt Joseph (the DREAM) is alive. When Jacobs's sons brought back word to Jacob that Joseph was alive, it was subtle but it was A NEW THING! it was clearly recorded in Genesis 45 verse 26b that Jacob's heart fainted, be believed them NOT. The heart of the man fainted because; his heart had been broken and sorely disappointed, how many nights of agony, or longing for the return of the DREAM…Joseph. Joseph that was a cursor of the future.
In the meantime Joseph had sent wagons and cart loads of provision for the journey of his father and the brothers to Egypt. Goshen was waiting for them…A New place The Bible clearly records that in verse 27 when Jacob saw the carts his heart revived. There is a place for 'seeing carts!!!' that is both convincing and reassuring. It encourages faith and its revives the heart. It was an invitation to move out from a place of decrease and decay. Its causes us to do cartwheels, no pun intended!!!!!
So Jacob leaves for Egypt but via Beersheba (Genesis 46 verse 1). Beersheba the place of oath, the place of revelation, and the place where God visits again, and reassures Jacob of the 'way of the spirit' is to go to Egypt and the added benediction that Jehovah will make you 'a great nation there'. A In Egypt God increased his people greatly (Psalm 105 verse24). He added to them, they multiplied; the prophetic name of Joseph was fulfilled in a most unlikely place and a most unlikely time…A New thing
Article contributed by Abby Olufeyimi. Abby is the Parish Pastor of Builder's House (Redeemed Christian Church of God), U.K
The Redeemed Christian Church of God – Annual Holy Ghost Congress – themed "A New Thing" will hold Dec. 12th- 17th 2011. Be there. You can also join online to be strengthened in your spirit. See Trailer below for details.
