Forced Exile
Pursued by God.
He finds us in exile and invites us to come home.
Rescued by God.
But many times we get sold back into Exile; sometimes by our own choices and sometimes as a result of the evil intentof others.
Exile revisited. It is often temporal but it reminds us that we are strangers in this world that has gone rogue and has another ruler apart from God.
There are some pretty clear examples in God’s Word of “Exile revisited” as condition and not as calling.
All the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Judeo-Christian faith experienced exile. The people of God throughout centuries of existence remembered Yahweh as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, exile is far from gender exclusive. Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel, along with Hagar and Leah, were engrafted into the exile experience.
Abraham – leave country and family to find my blessing.
Rebekah – leave country and family to marry into the first family of blessing.
Isaac – leave famine and family, journey to the land of the Philistines, your enemies none-the-less, to find God’s bounty.
Jacob – leave country and family to find your new name (Israel) and wives.
Rachel and Leah – leave country and family to find your purpose as Matriarchs in God’s new family.
Whereas the exiles of Abraham, Rebekah and Isaac wereinitiated by God’s voice, Jacob’s exile was self-induced.
Jacob, the deceiver; his name is a clue to his life pilgrimage. He stole his brother’s birthright. Once he had the birthright in hand, he was left with no choice. Run.
And even though we run, God still has a way of finding us in our exile.
God rescued Jacob through a dream – at least, he made himself known as the ongoing rescuer in the dream. A ladder. Ascending and descending angels. And a word from the Lord, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go . . . I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15).
This promise of presence would become the staple of God’s people. It usually followed the most repeated exhortation or command from God – fear not! Exile presents multiple opportunities for fear. God did not promise to eliminate exilic experience but he did promise to be present in the midst of exile.
And so the exiles become the heroes of the faith – the “by faith” people of the earth.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:13-16)
Strangers and exiles on the earth.
People seeking a homeland.
Desiring a better country – a heavenly one.
And though they waited for that kingdom to come they still lived fruitfully in the locale of their exile. Even if the living was filled with rebellion, distrust, and failures in following the Lord of the Exile.
Abraham was not only blessed with a generational and millennial unfolding legacy, he prospered on the earth.
Jacob also had the God-favored touch with livestock. He prospered as manager of uncle Laban’s flocks.
Leah was fruitful in womb. This was not a small blessing in the biblical world of the Matriarchs – especially “unwanted” matriarchs.
All the patriarchs and matriarchs experienced success amidst their wanderings but the most prosperous exile would eventually be Jacob’s favored and favorite son Joseph. Joseph introduces us to a new type of exile. Not exile as a result of God’s proactive call. Not exile caused by my own sin – ie. deception and stealing. Joseph’s exile was the result of the sin of his brothers.
Family dysfunction. It all began with Jacob. Eventually the waters of deception, lying, and jealousy ran down hill and became the family sin pattern.
The jealous brothers sold Joseph to a caravan of Midianite slave runners.
FORCED EXILE!!
But people in exile, even sin inspired exile, who choose to be “on exile” find purpose, hope, and continue on. Remember, they are “by faith” people.
The hand of God was on Joseph. The Bible identifies this blessing received from God by the word FAVOR.
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and . . . his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight” (Genesis 39:2-4).
Favor with God often leads to favor with man. But it can also lead to more intense exile. God’s very Son, Jesus, is said to have grown in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Favor led him to be crucified. Just saying. We need a robust theology and full biblical view when speaking of favor or blessing.
Joseph has favor with Potiphar. But Potiphar’s household was no safer than Joseph’s biological household. Joseph once again became the object of sin induced and forced exile. A scorned, lust filled Mrs. Potiphar turned on him.
Downward mobility. The favored slave ended up in prison. Exile intensified. But God’s promise intensifies with greater exile. PRESENCE is everything when you have nothing.
“But the Lord was with Joseph . . . and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison . . . and whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed” (Genesis 39:21,23).
And in prison, the Dreamer became the dream interpreter. There are lots of details in the unfolding of the next chapter of his life. But the final word was God’s FAVOR, which led him to be named second in command of one of the greatest nations of the day.
Joseph’s CV was not impressive.
Dreamer. Rejected.
Slave. Forced Exile.
Household Assistant. Fired.
Prisoner. Forgotten.
But Pharaoh overlooked all of the failures because of one factor. PRESENCE. “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Genesis 41:38).
How do you survive forced exile? Remain “on exile” when you are “in exile”. Joseph somehow was able to hold on to promise so that he retained his status as one of the “by faith” people.
And what does the man of favor do once he moves from forced exile into the Pharaoh palace?
He continues to live on exile. He forgives the dream rejecters and exile forcers. Being on exile means believing that God is always telling a better story, especially when the plotline on the surface looks dismal.
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be saved . . .” (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph expresses the Jesus way of being on exile, centuries before Jesus made his way known.
So what should I do with forced exile? Complain and quit dreaming? That might be my natural reflex. Joseph models a better way. Acknowledge PRESENCE and live out of HIS FAVOR.
And so it is said of the “by faith” people
“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40).
Seems like the story doesn’t end with the previous exiles, even the successful exiles. They did not receive what was promised. Somehow our exile is completing their exile. It is an invitation to fix our eyes on the Author and Perfecter of our Exile, not the exile itself.
On exile with you in a long tradition of exiles.
