I learnt something from the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Egypt, Uncle Joseph Jacobson. The man is nameless but He had studied his Boss within the short space of time of serving the recently Pharaoh appointed lord of Egypt. He knew Joseph’s God is a Treasure Holder. And that He dispenses it at will to whosever He chooses and uses just about anyone to do the distribution.
Joseph’s siblings had returned to Egypt again to buy grain from Joseph. They came with their sack full of cash. More than enough for their new purchases and refund of the money they inadvertently went home with the last time they shopped. They also came with seven assorted gift items to appease the Prime Minister. They needed gain and wanted their brother Simeon released to go back home with them.
Before they met Joseph, the Chief of Staff took a look at all the gift and cash they brought. He listened to all their explanations as they strained to demonstrate their innocence. “We have no intent to defraud your master,” they pleaded. But the Chief Servant blurted out a statement that seemed overwhelming to the panic stricken, hunger driven, sin hunted and morally plundered sons of Jacob. The sons of the Patriarch heard a golden sermon from the lips of a pagan “Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Gen. 43:23
“God is in charge here” the guy seems to be saying. “We do as He orders. Pharaoh may be on the throne as the king of the territory. But Jehovah, the God of your father, is the Lord of all, and especially, the Treasury, even here”, he asserted. In Egypt, Joseph serves both temporal king and Eternal Lord admirably to fulfill eternal purpose. From this chief Servant of Joseph we draw eternal Truth: What we give and what we get belong to the Treasurer.
We equally learnt it is God who was scripting all the drama, from day one, when Joseph left home. The Lord was orchestrating the melody. It’s Him who started it the good work who will bring it to fruition. It’s God who holds the treasure and it’s Him who empowers us to create wealth. Jacob family may be rich in goods and cash, but they had no food and needed external and Eternal help to preserve their race. Food they got and treasure heaven added.
Missionaries are sometimes like Jacob sons, sent on Father’s errand to preserve races for Eternal life. They equally need, not just food but treasure they did not labour for tucked into their bags. They are often subjected to irregular source of food supply, like Jacob family in the era of famine. But because they are on Father’s errand and because they are working to establish posterity, we ought to bless the missionaries by putting kingdom treasure in their bags, in their place of call or land of service. They should be considered as deserving Kingdom Treasure from others who are custodians.
It is God’s way of doing things. He put some in charge of regular flow of goods for the good of all. He sometimes places some in locations where the flow is intermittent. Like those serving on mission front. If God gives you a chance this week, be the one who puts treasure in the bag (bank account) of missionary or mission group because who He is, not on account of who they are. Actually, I know some missionaries in whose bags you can deposit treasure today. Some are traveling with me on a a mission trip to Ghana today and I have a couple of them labouring faithfully in El-Rehoboth Foundation.
