God’s promise to the children of Abraham, was that after their deliverance from Egypt, that He would bring them into a land of promise. They would inherit cities that they did not build and houses full of good things. This represented God’s restoration to greater than what was before. The Jews may have felt like they missed out on living in their promised land. This was because of their time of harsh slavery in Egypt. This land that they would possess, originally belonged to Abraham. This was passed down to Isaac and then Jacob who lived there until the famine.
During the famine, they went to Egypt but the people settled there long after the famine. The result was cruel and harsh punishment and slavery. I wonder if the Israelites had overstayed their welcome. What might have happened if they left after the famine and returned to build on their own land? The reality is that Egypt was not their country and this was not the land which God had promised them.
The good thing about God is that he restores even when we have made mistakes. Even if them staying in Egypt was through lack of insight or foresight, God would keep his promises. And that is the nature of God that he honours his word above his name. Before one jot of his word should pass away, heaven and earth would have to pass away (Matthew 5: 18). So even before Israel went to Egypt and became slaves, God had a plan to deliver them. Why was their deliverance so important to God? Because of his promise to Abraham that he would have a people and a great inheritance.
We share in Abraham’s promise and we are confident that there is an inheritance in store for us. We can lay claim to every promise in the word of God and we call them into existence. “and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:11-12)
A.P.-Y.
Devotional Inspirations 