‘And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.”’ (Genesis 47:9 ESV).
Chapter: 47
‘And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”’ (Genesis 47:9 NKJV).
WE ARE PILGRIMS HERE When Pharaoh asked Jacob his age, he responded that the years of his “pilgrimage” was 130 years. A pilgrimage is a journey taken by a pilgrim, who is steadfastly and intentionally traveling towards a sacred destination. That’s how Jacob saw his life. He considered his life a brief and difficult journey
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:6-7 NKJV).
Five times the psalmist calls for praises to be sung to God. Four times, perhaps to move us to passionate intensity. But with the fifth, to “understanding.” The Hebrew word translated “understanding,” is the word “maskil,” which could also be translated “with skill,” or “with a didactic psalm.” The psalmist encouraged praise that engaged both heart and head. Worship, like love, is to be offered to God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! …Sing praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:6-7 NKJV).
Singing praises to God should engage both the heart and the mind. All kinds of singing is encouraged by God’s Word. The apostle Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). Modern praise songs, with their simple repetitive phrases, help move the heart, but soon feel shallow without the rich theology found in many older hymns. Both are needed. A survey of the 150 Psalms of the Bible, reveals a wealth of songs and hymns that engage both heart and mind. We are to sing songs that stir our emotion, with an exclamation on the end! But we are also to sing songs that deepen our “understanding,” so that the Word “dwells richly” in our minds too.
“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east…” (Ezekiel 47:1 NKJV)
Ezekiel spoke of a time when life-giving waters would flow from the temple down the valley towards the Dead Sea, bringing life and healing to the land of Israel. Not only is this temple larger and more spectacular than any ever built in Israel, even the terrain of the land is changed by it. There is currently no life in the Dead Sea. But there is coming a day when fruit bearing trees will line both sides of this river of life as it flows down past En Gedi to the lowest point below sea level, and changes the saline content of the Dead Sea, so that fish live there in abundance. For those who believe in a literal fulfillment of Ezekiel, this is a description of Israel during the Millennial Reign of Christ.
“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:1-2 NKJV)
This psalm calls all peoples of the world to recognize God as King. It is a call to worship the Lord Most High. He is not just the king of Israel, but over all nations. There is no one higher nor mightier than He. There may be rebellion in the world today against the great King, but His triumph is assured and those who oppose Him are destined to fall. For whom do you offer your worship of clapping and shouting?
“God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne” (Psalm 47:8 NLT)
It’s easy to fret about the state of world affairs. The dictators, the warmongers, the kings and presidents who care only for their own fame and power… where is God in all this? The Bible says that He reigns above. In the chain of command, God is atop all. Why then the wars and chaos? According to Acts 4 God has a plan and a purpose even in the midst of this. Instead of fretting, we can entrust the destiny of nations to the Lord while at the same time asking Him to embolden us to share the gospel and to stretch forth His hand to move in the Name of Jesus (Acts 4:29-31). God reigns.
“My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers” (Genesis 47:9)
Jacob sees life as a pilgrimage, a short journey on the way to eternity. Surely Abraham and Isaac taught him this. Seeing a heavenly ladder, wrestling an angel, and seeing Joseph alive must have convinced him of God’s promise of paradise.