Genesis 46: 31 -47:1 -12

Godly people are not freeloaders. They work. They help others. They are creative. They produce. They make good citizens and good neighbors. Every king, pharaoh and government wants citizens who are like godly people. Joseph’s brothers were going to be good citizens of Egypt. Joseph had a problem. He wanted his family to be good citizens, but he did not want them to become Egyptian. Joseph knew that God had a plan for his family to return to Canaan. They were not to return as Egyptians, they were to return as the nation of Israel.

The solution was to find a way that they could still be productive yet separate. The answer was obvious. They should remain who they were. They were to remain as shepherds. Remaining shepherds guaranteed the Israelites a chance to live as productive citizens. It also guaranteed they would not become Egyptian. Egyptians considered shepherds and sheep lowly and poor. Egyptians would not associate with shepherds. The Egyptian people did not allow the assimilation of shepherds into their culture. Egypt was not a melting pot.

We are not Hebrews in Egypt, but we have the same challenge. God expects us to be hardworking, creative and productive citizens. He expects us to be good neighbors and good citizens. He does not expect us to become citizens of this world. This is not our permanent home. We are just passing through. This is temporary housing.