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| Goshen, Indiana (Public Domain) |
Cities and towns throughout the world are named “Goshen” in honor of that biblical land.
Wikipedia explains that the “Land of Goshen” was “the place in Egypt given to the Hebrews by the pharaoh of Joseph.”
Joseph had been sold by his Israelite brothers into Egyptian slavery, but had amazingly become vizier (second in command) to the pharaoh since that time.
With forgiveness in his heart, Joseph then welcomed the sons of “Israel” (aka “Jacob,” his and their father) to settle in this fertile region of Egypt. This invitation was a life-saver for the Israelites, due to a seven-year “severe famine” in Hebron.
Goshen was not only fertile, it was “the best land in Egypt” at the time, “suitable for both crops and livestock." The Israelites thrived there, so much so that they became “populous in number.”
Unfortunately, the Egyptians began to fear the growing strength of these Israelites in their midst, and eventually enslaved them. This is an all-too-familiar scenario that has tragically repeated throughout history.
God, however, triumphs over human weakness. Centuries later, Moses led the Israelites from Goshen back to their true Promised Land.
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Goshen
Copyright July 17, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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