Introduction

Good day to all! Let us delve into the 46th chapter of Genesis. This chapter sounds promising: Joseph, having risen to prominence as the vizier of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, dispatches luxurious chariots—BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, Range Rovers—to bring his family to Egypt. This development is indeed a cause for concern, leaving one bewildered. Did not God intend for us to enter the Promised Land? Why are we journeying to Egypt?

As the narrative unfolds, Joseph welcomes his father and brothers to Egypt, a land of boundless opulence and prosperity. With their brother holding such a high position, wielding considerable influence, Joseph's brothers perceive this as a boon. However, Jacob harbors reservations. Why should he go to Egypt? Is that their intended destination? Are they not destined for the Promised Land? Did not God promise him this land, that his descendants would become a great nation? Had He not spoken similarly to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac? Yet, now they are bound for Egypt.

I tell you, there is confusion within. Many things are beyond our comprehension, exceeding our imagination. Tracing back to the time of Abraham, did Isaac and Jacob know? They did. God covenanted with Abraham, foretelling that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for over four hundred years. Is this a favorable prospect? It hardly seems so. Perplexing! Yet, Abraham did not question why. Now, as Jacob descends into Egypt, he draws closer to the fulfillment of God's word to Abraham. Is it not strange that all these events are divinely orchestrated?

Thus, this chapter finds Jacob fraught with perplexity, mirroring our own bewilderment. Have we truly grasped the essence of the Scriptures? Could not God have established Abraham's descendants as a great nation in Canaan, without the detour to Egypt, the four centuries of servitude? It surpasses our comprehension. Jacob, recalling God's words to Abraham, trembles inwardly. Must he endure four hundred years of slavery? An old man now, he is about to depart. Though his son holds the position of vizier, who can guarantee its permanence? Today a powerful minister, tomorrow a disgraced tiger—who can foretell?

Overwhelmed by fear, Jacob resorts to prayer, erecting an altar for sacrifice, pouring out his heart to God. In response, God grants Jacob an answer, addressing his questions and concerns. Let us title this chapter: God Will Surely Make Us a Great Nation There.

Human Perplexity

Abraham learned that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years. Isaac did not descend into Egypt, but now Jacob's turn has come. Is it not arduous? Exceedingly so. Could there not be an alternative? Must this frail old man journey to Egypt, to become an aged slave? If he were to live another century, a quarter of those four hundred years would be his. Is this not perplexing? Indeed! Thus, Jacob offers sacrifices and seeks God's counsel. God's response is nothing short of miraculous.

Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I Myself will go down to Egypt with you, and I will also surely bring you up again, and Joseph will close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:2-4)

These are weighty words, do you believe them? From the first chapter of Genesis to the forty-sixth, the narrative often seems incongruous. Allow me to elaborate: God created Adam and Eve, and also the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He did not intervene when Adam and Eve partook of it. Was this not detrimental? Perplexing? Human perplexities abound. Then came Abel and Cain. Abel's offering was accepted by God, yet he was slain. These events defy easy explanation.

A child is born, and in the days of Enosh, people begin to call upon the name of the Lord. In the lineage of Cain, many descendants become mighty, erecting a city and becoming the progenitors of various trades. Is there a problem? Seemingly not. Perplexing? Indeed. Later, the earth is filled with violence. Noah builds an ark, and God obliterates that generation with a flood. Subsequently, Noah becomes drunk, Ham commits a transgression, and Canaan is cursed. Does this not strike you as peculiar? Humanity is truly perplexed, a perplexity that persists into the forty-sixth chapter of Genesis.

After Jacob receives his father's blessing, he departs with only a staff, impoverished, to his uncle's house. Over twenty years pass. These events hardly align with human desires. To receive one's father's blessing, only to flee as a refugee—is this desirable? Hardly.

Joseph recounts his dreams, only to be sold into slavery in Egypt. These events are incomprehensible. If you can explain them, please do. They hardly seem auspicious. Yet, God's purpose remains steadfast. From Noah to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God's gracious intent endures. Whether we are perplexed or not, God's word stands. He will make your name great, your descendants a great nation, and you a blessing to many. These promises remain unchanged.

However, human perplexity is intriguing. Jacob did not question God, nor did Abraham ask why they must be enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years. No one inquired! I have observed that no one in the Scriptures provides an answer to this question, not even the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul's experiences are even more perplexing. God calls him to be an apostle, yet what does he endure? Beatings and stonings. Would you still choose to do it? Yes. Why? Some say, "There is no choice."

Such is the work of God. God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and God's ways are higher than our ways. It is a wondrous thing. Do you desire to be a blessing to many? You must have a Mingding Destiny, and you must undergo arduous training. Why does God do this? Why take such a circuitous route? Could not God have made Abraham's descendants a great nation in Canaan? Chinese Mingding Destiny offers this explanation: one must prevail in battle to obtain the promise.

The land promised to Abraham's descendants must be conquered by Moses and the Israelites, victory in battle being the prerequisite for obtaining the Promised Land. But this entails death! Bullets are indiscriminate. Such is the work of God; there is no need for perplexity. It is to enable you to experience these things, that you may become a victorious person. Such is God's intent.

Jesus Christ must be crucified. Can you comprehend this? Why endure such pain and torment, only to rise from the dead? Could He not have simply died, breathed His last, and then risen from the dead on the third day? You may deem it good, and I may deem it good, but God deems it not. To be a blessing to others, you must become one whom the world is unworthy to have. If you possess the desires and possessions of the world, it is unremarkable, for such is the way of the world. But if you do what the world does not, you become one whom the world is unworthy to have.

Knowing the Work of God

To know the work of God is to understand that this is how God operates. One cannot fully comprehend worldly matters; if you cannot see through them, and you grasp at them, you will never understand the work of God, and you will become one whom the world is worthy to have. We must become those whom the world is unworthy to have, and to do so, we must understand the work of God.

The Israelites left Egypt and entered the wilderness, not the land of Canaan. Were they perplexed? Exceedingly so. This perplexity sifted some out and sifted others in. We must know the work of God! The Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness, failing to recognize the work of God, and ultimately became an abomination to God. In the end, only Joshua and Caleb entered the land of Canaan.

Do you know the work of God? The work of God often takes a circuitous route, seemingly a detour, but it is in fact a shortcut. Such is the work of God. Without recognizing the work of God, you cannot maintain a heart of faith in God. Even today, God continues to sift His people. Chinese Mingding Destiny possesses a crucial theological concept: sifting.

What is the purpose of going to Egypt? It is for sifting! Four hundred years of slavery—after two hundred years, one's entire life is spent in servitude. After four hundred years, generations have died; no one lives to be four hundred years old. Is this not misfortune? Whether it is or not is beyond our comprehension. God does not seem to care about this. What you care about may not be what God cares about, and what God cares about may not be what you care about. That is problematic.

God intends to accomplish a momentous task in this era: the salvation of humanity. From Genesis and Exodus to the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, to complete what we call salvation today. Do you think salvation is complete? Not yet. God will manifest His power and wisdom through the church. We must have a clear understanding of God's plan, God's will, and God's work.

In past years, some have asked: when people die, do they go to heaven or hell? God does not seem to care about this. Do you want to argue fairness with God? Moses, who wrote Genesis in Egypt, also wrote Numbers. In the wilderness, God struck down 600,000 Israelites, and in Egypt, God struck down 20% of the Egyptians. How can we comprehend this? We cannot. But we must still recognize the work of God. Do you want to wrestle with God, to reason with God? Do you want to tell God, "God, what you are doing is wrong"? What you think is right or wrong is not important; what God thinks is important.

God does not seem to care much about a few more or a few less deaths. God simply wants to sift out the treasures. We must recognize the work of God, and know that God is sifting out treasures. Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology of sifting out treasures. If you are one whom the world is unworthy to have, you are a treasure in God's eyes. If you are like the people of the world, you are garbage in God's eyes. One more death or one less death makes no difference. Even if God calls you, and you later prove to be garbage, you will be given to the demons. From the first chapter of Genesis, there is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree bears the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, which looks beautiful, but God's purpose is to sift out the treasures.

If you truly understand the teachings of Jesus Christ, you will know that the teachings of Jesus Christ are teachings for sifting out treasures. Whether you become a treasure or garbage depends on whether you recognize the work of God. Through summarizing, I have created Chinese Mingding Destiny to resolve these perplexities. Do you think God wants all people to be saved, and therefore all will be saved? No. Do not cast pearls before swine, lest they do not recognize the pearls as treasures, and turn around and trample you. For some people truly do not care about God's treasures.

If you want to be God's treasure, you must recognize the work of God. Four hundred years ago, that large group of Israelites all died. Although they all died, and some were not even recorded in the Bible, there were indeed some who lived in this world with a glorious hope. Like Joseph, although he was not a slave, in the end, his bones had to be moved to the Promised Land. If you truly recognize the work of God, you need not be afraid.

Do Not Be Afraid

God said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there." (Genesis 46:3)

In reality, God is sifting. Jacob and Joseph have both passed through this sieve, so you are all treasures in God's eyes. If you are a treasure in God's eyes, you need not be afraid. If you are garbage in God's eyes, then you need to be afraid. If you are like Jacob, you need not be afraid; if you are not like Jacob, then you truly need to be afraid. God says, "I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will also surely bring you up again to the land of Canaan." Who will He bring? Those who are like Jacob and Joseph. Because those who are like Jacob and Joseph are people who have a glorious hope in eternity.

I can clearly tell the brothers and sisters, if you choose to love the world, then love the world well, and do not follow me anymore. If you want to have a Mingding Destiny, then run the heavenly road with me, recognize the work of God, and do not become an abomination to God, nor become a vessel for manifesting God's wrath. If you are Jacob, you must have Jacob's character, and have Jacob's pursuit and faith. Do not be afraid, no matter where you go, even if you pass through the valley of the shadow of death, you need not be afraid, God will surely lead you into the land of Canaan. You must know for sure, you must have a Mingding Destiny, you must know what you are doing. If you do not have a Mingding Destiny, then go pursue what you pursue, without a Mingding Destiny, there is no way to continue.

You can receive grace and blessings among us, but if you are not Jacob, these words are not spoken to you. You need not be afraid, these words are spoken to Jacob. I encourage the brothers and sisters to have a glorious hope in your hearts, this momentary light affliction is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. If what you pursue are all worldly things, then go pursue them well, I have nothing to do with you. Jacob heard the words that God spoke to him: do not be afraid, for I am with you. You must have the mark of God on your body, and have the character and faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God Will Make Us a Great Nation

God said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. (Genesis 46:3)

How to become a great nation? It must be in Egypt that you become a great nation. If you are thinking all day about enjoying the good life, you will not become a great nation. God's plan is for them to become a great nation and multiply in Egypt. As a result, they were enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years, and they multiplied even more. From the seventy people who first went down to Egypt to the current three million, that is truly a great nation. Three thousand five hundred years ago, if there was a nation with three million people and an army of six hundred thousand, that would be formidable. God wants to make us a great nation, and you must have that heart, that mentality of a great nation. If you are constantly calculating petty matters, trivial things, without the mentality of a great nation, a great country, it is impossible to become one.

I earnestly desire that all brothers and sisters have the mentality of a great nation, to be expanded by God in Egypt. How to expand? Being enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years is called expansion. Joseph was also first enslaved in Egypt before becoming prime minister. God wants to make us a great nation, and no matter how many difficult things we experience, overcoming them will make us a great nation. In any case, we must become overcomers. If we do not overcome, we will become like the Israelites who died in the wilderness.

On this Christian journey, there are corpses everywhere. Will you be a Christian who dies in the wilderness, or a Christian who enters the Promised Land? Know that God's will is for us to become a great nation. Chinese Mingding Destiny wants to be a blessing to many people. If you are only thinking about petty matters, I don't think you can become a blessing to others. Don't even talk about becoming a blessing to others; I think you are the one who needs blessings the most.

Becoming a great nation is God's will. Did the Israelites who read Genesis in the wilderness become a great nation? Yes, they did. In that era, having more than three million people was remarkable, but six hundred thousand of them died in the wilderness. The reason is simple: they did not overcome. Even after being enslaved for four hundred years, it did not destroy their love for the world. They were still thinking about eating and drinking, about whether there was meat to eat. If they are thinking about trivial matters, can they become a great nation? God told Jacob that He would make him a great nation, and also said, "I will surely bring you back to this Promised Land, and I will surely bring you up again."

God said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. (Genesis 46:3)

God Will Bring Us Into the Promised Land

The phrase "God will bring us into the Promised Land" is particularly good. The words God spoke to Jacob are the words He speaks to us. God wants to bring us into the Promised Land. Even today, there may still be battles within you. The fleshly person naturally cannot please God; the fleshly person is at enmity with God. If a person is at enmity with God, how can he enter the Promised Land?

I earnestly desire that brothers and sisters can be awakened in their hearts, knowing that God is in control of everything. Let God expand our borders through these circumstances. Know that God's will is to bring us into the Promised Land. God wants to bring us back to the Promised Land. Although Jacob went down to Egypt, God will surely bring him back to the Promised Land. This is God's good will; God's will is for us to prosper. But we often act according to the flesh, and a person who acts according to the flesh cannot please God.

Why be enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years? It is to destroy all our worldly dreams in these four hundred years. But sadly, even after seeing the ten plagues that God brought upon the Egyptians, the Israelites still could not awaken in their hearts after leaving Egypt. They could not understand God's actions, nor did they understand God's will. They often resented God and eventually died in the wilderness.

I divide Christians into three categories: The first category is those who are enslaved in Egypt, doing slavery in the world until death. The second category is those who come out of Egypt but die in the wilderness, unable to enter the Promised Land. The third category is those who come out of Egypt, pass through the wilderness, and then enter the Promised Land. Which kind of Christian do you want to be? Choose for yourself.

This chapter is so well written. God wants to make us a great nation, and God wants to bring us into the Promised Land. Who is it being said to? It is being said to us. Are we to be Christians who die in the wilderness, or are we to be Christians who enter the Promised Land? Here, a large group of people are listed. Some people never had the opportunity to go down to Egypt and became people who provoked God's anger in the land of Canaan. God struck them down in the land of Canaan. For example, Tamar's husbands, Er and Onan, died in the land of Canaan. Brothers and sisters, after reading these words in the Bible, our hearts must be awakened again.

They Were All Shepherds

Why were they shepherds? Sometimes I am surprised. Shepherds carry the smell of sheep, and it is very hard work. How much better it would be to farm. In fact, agriculture is more advanced, while animal husbandry is nomadic. Nomadic peoples have a hard life, often without a fixed abode. In fact, we are all sojourners in this world. Nomadic peoples engage in what the world despises; they are a group of sojourners on earth without a fixed abode.

Shepherds are detested by the Egyptians. This occupation is dirty, without a fixed abode, and carries the stench of animals. If there is an epidemic, the animals they raise will die. Whether raising fish or sheep, it often depends on the weather. It is despised by the world, and it looks low-end, but they are not mindful of worldly things.

Brothers and sisters, know that the work of shepherding that we do is also detested by the world, because worldly occupations cater to the flesh, while the work of shepherding deals with the flesh. Can brothers and sisters destroy all our worldly dreams, so that we can become a great nation in God's eyes, even if we have to squeeze into God's kingdom? No longer be mindful of worldly things, but only be mindful of God's kingdom. Not accumulating wealth for ourselves in this world, but constantly shepherding God's flock for the sake of God's kingdom, manifesting God's glory throughout the earth. This is God's will.

Our Chinese Mingding Destiny is a shepherding theology. It sounds like a good term, but it is often difficult for the world to understand. The theme of this chapter is: God will make us a great nation there, multiplying and filling the earth, being a shepherd of God's flock.

May God bless everyone!

Genesis Chapter 46 Scripture

46:1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
46:2 God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied.
46:3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
46:4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again, and Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
46:5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.
46:6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and possessions they had acquired in Canaan.
46:7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.
46:9 The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
46:10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
46:12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
46:13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Job and Shimron.
46:14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
46:15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. The descendants of Jacob’s sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.
46:16 The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
46:17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel.
46:18 These were the descendants Leah’s servant Zilpah bore to Jacob—sixteen in all.
46:19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
46:20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
46:21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
46:22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim.
46:24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
46:25 These were the descendants Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel, bore to Jacob—seven in all.
46:26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.
46:27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.
46:28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen,
46:29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he embraced him and wept on his shoulder for a long time.
46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
46:32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’
46:33 When Pharaoh calls for you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’
46:34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”