Goshen: A Place to Draw Near
Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Exodus 9:25-26 (NIV)
The land of Goshen held great significance for God’s people. Long before the Israelites were enslaved and cried out for deliverance, Joseph and his family were given Goshen by Pharaoh as a place to settle. The irony is striking. The land was a gift from the very people who would later become their captors.
But it was not a meager gift. Goshen was a rich and fertile land, known for its good pastures and productive fields. Even its name carries a beautiful reminder. In Hebrew, Goshen means drawing near. It became a place where Israel could grow and flourish even in the midst of their enemies. There, they could maintain their identity as God’s people without being fully absorbed into Egyptian culture.
Goshen was a place of shelter. While flies swarmed, livestock perished, fiery hail struck, and darkness spread across Egypt, Goshen remained untouched. None of the plagues reached those who lived there, because God dwells with His people. Yet Goshen was never meant to be their permanent home. It was a temporary residence, a place of provision and protection during difficulty, but not the inheritance God had promised. Even the future Promised Land God was leading His people toward was not the ultimate fulfillment. The true promise was God Himself, and to dwell with Him forever.
Like Israel, we may experience our own Goshen seasons, times when God provides protection, provision and comfort while gently reminding us that this world is not our final home. These seasons are invitations to draw near, to trust His presence in the waiting, and to remember that every temporary refuge is meant to point us toward the lasting home we have in Christ.
APPLICATION: Pause and consider your current season. Where in your life do you feel the Lord is giving you a safe place amid uncertainty and trials? Ask Him today to fill you with hope for the greater promise of Himself, and to show you how you can dwell more deeply with Him today.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for being a God who desires that Your people draw near. I ask that You teach me to know You even more. Draw me closer than ever before. In Your name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?