Focus: The Place Called Goshen

Text: Gen.45:10; 46:28.

"And thou shalt dwell in the land of GOSHEN, and thou shalt be NEAR unto me... and they came into the land of GOSHEN."

In this devotional we are looking at the spiritual significance of Goshen, a place in Egypt, where Jacob and his children settled upon arrival in Egypt.

In the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17, He says in verse 11, "They are IN the world," but in verses 14 and 16, He says, "They are NOT of the world." So as Jesus' people, we are IN the world, but NOT of the world. And that is what Goshen represents in the Bible.

The people of Israel were in Egypt, but not of Egypt. By living in Goshen they lived separate from the rest of Egypt, so that in reality, they were in Egypt, but not of it. They were different and lived differently.

Jesus' prayer for His disciples was for the Father to keep them safe while they lived and worked in the world. The world is our workplace. While in the world we labor for heaven. We are sent to the world by Christ on a rescue mission.

Goshen is a border land between Egypt and the promised land. You can call it 'the edge of Egypt.' Israel lived on the edge, away from all else and ready to get (jet) out at any time. Joseph said to them, "I will nourish you there." Goshen is a place of nourishment and refreshment, a place of industry, of comfort and plenty. It is a pastureland. Pharaoh called it "the best of the land," for it was a land suitable for them and their kind of business. It was a lush, green and very fertile land, having a temperate climate.

God's people lived separate from the rest of Egypt. They practiced their culture and served their God.

Goshen is a place set apart from the rest of the world. It is the place where through Christ "the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" - Gal.6:14. It is a place where we are separated from worldliness and set apart to God.

In our Goshen we are committed to 'holy worldliness.' Jesus prayed, "Keep them from the evil."

Interestingly, Goshen means "drawing near." Joseph says to his family, 'You will be near me. I will nourish you there, and you will experience lack or poverty.' We are called to be near Christ and away from the world's evil.

Goshen was Egypt's best place for God's people. It yielded the largest revenue for Egypt, and don't forget that Israel built the treasure cities, which included Goshen - Ex.1:11.

The fresh water canal runs through Goshen from the Nile to Ismailia. It is indeed a safe land of plenty and comfort. Fertility, prosperity and security are all associated with Goshen, and God wants His people to experience and manifest the reality of Goshen in their own lives, spiritually and otherwise. It is a place in the realm of Christ to cultivate a rich faith, godly character and heavenly culture. There we labor for the kingdom of God while at rest in Christ.

It is there that God makes a separation between His people and the Egyptians. We are exempted from certain troubles and afflictions. On our side is light, but on the world's side is darkness. Moses describes the darkness as thick and as something that could be felt, and no one could cross from one side to the other. Our cattle survive; theirs, die, each one. There is hail in Egypt, but none in Goshen. (Read these scriptures: Ex.8:20-23; 9:1-6; 9:22-26.)

As we draw near to our God he provides for, and protects us.

Goshen was a place of temporary residence, not a final destination. It is our place of sojourn, not our eternal abode. It is a safe and settled place in this world so filled with crisis and chaos.

Where you live and work is your Goshen. With Christ in your life you can experience a bit (or even a lot) of heaven on earth. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter