Genesis 46:1-2
We know Jacob was on the right path when his God-given name 'Israel' was used. He was walking in the spirit. The road to Egypt took one to Beer-sheba. Jacob's family had a history with Egypt. With Joseph there it seemed as though God had sent him ahead so that he could meet their needs in this trying time. However, this was the land of promise. Jacob's grandfather Abraham ran to Egypt and brought back baggage that complicated his life (think Hagar). There are a few possibilities to consider as to why Israel stopped at Beersheba to offer a sacrifice:
- This was a place where his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, offered sacrifices. He may have understood it would be his final sacrifice there in the promised land.
- He may have been seeking God's counsel on whether to go to Egypt.
- Go and see Joseph but don't stay long.
- Go and stay a while, till famine ended.
- Praising God and offering thanks for Joseph being alive.
- Prayer for God's guidance and wisdom
Israel was worshiping and seeking the Lord when God called his name. "Here I am" is the right response. How many times do we seek God only to lay out what we have to say to Him? Israel says "Here I am." He is waiting on the Lord to see what the Lord says to him. Jacob's worship involved listening.
Note: God called Jacob, not Israel. Why?
Genesis 46:3-4
Leaving the promised land was a big deal. Jacob had been on several journeys. His grandfather had been on many. Some of these journeys were encouraged by vision from the Lord, others had not. Without divine approval, going to Egypt might seem like unbelief. All those fears and concerns were laid to rest by the Lord. God let him know it was within His perfect will that he go to Egypt.
- Jacob didn't have to fear. The Lord comforted him and let him know it was okay to go to Egypt.
- They would go to Egypt as a family and become a nation.
- The nation of Israel would return to the land and take possession of it.
- Go was going with him. This may seem obvious to us, but to them, they understood gods geographically. Yahweh had not worked this out of their understanding yet.
- Joseph would close his eyes. This is an idiom of a peaceful death in the presence of Joseph who will close his eyes that last time in this world to open them in the next.
What a comforting thought this must have been. God knew all along Joseph was alive. All along, behind the scenes, with perfect timing God had a plan and was working it out.
Genesis 46:5-7
Jacob arose from Beersheba. He was in the presence of his family. It's important that a family sees the father seeking the Lord, worshiping and in prayer. As previously noted, this is likely what brought Joseph so close to the Lord. Imagine Jacob explaining to his son the ladder that extended from Bethel to heaven and angels were ascending and descending. Imagine the impact when his young son envisioned this and showed him the place where he laid his head. The next generation is watching.
This was a miniature and reversed Exodus. All of Israel made its way to Egypt to be saved from the famine. In spite of Pharaoh's offer to leave their belonging, they brought all their possessions with them. They would be gone for a while – 430 years.
Genesis 46:8-27
This is the list of Jacob's family member that went to Israel. They are this symbolic 70 that are the seeds of a nation. They are listed by mother with their offspring. It is unlikely that 'young' Benjamin had 10 sons by the time he went to Egypt. Although, he was no longer a young boy, only relative to his father's age. He was probably mid-thirties. The offspring were probably listed for all the sons whether born in the land or later in Egypt.
Assuming Benjamin had 10 sons, there are 66 persons going to Egypt in this procession of Israel's family. Joseph was already in Egypt with his 2 sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. So these 3 are added to the 66 and then you count Israel to get a total of 70.
Note: You might know that Stephen says in Acts 7:14 that there were 75 people. Stephen was using a number arrived at by the Septuagint. This isn't a contradiction. The Septuagint number includes five additional sons and grandsons born in Egypt in Joseph's family.
Genesis 46:28-30
It wasn't that long ago many of us stopped for directions or to buy a map. Even Jacob needed directions, so he sent Judah to find out where this Goshen place was. Judah directed them to their new home, likely in the northeastern part of the Nile delta. For Jacob and his family, this was very likely a very welcome and acceptable place to settle in.
Imagine that moment when Joseph arrived in his chariot. The prince of Egypt reunited with his father. He would not look like part of the family and the family would not look like they belong in Egypt. Jacob was 130 years old, Joseph 39. They had not seen each other for 22 years. What a joy for a father to reunite with a son whom he thought was dead. For a father, there must have been 22 years of emotions bottled up; always wondering what life would have been like with Joseph, wondering how he would have turned out. There wept for a long time in joy inexpressible. Jacob said he was ready to die. This expresses such a fulfillment and completeness in his life, he could die a happy man. There was nothing missing, his life was complete. He could go home.
For them to settle in Egypt, they would be segregated and have to remain that way. The Egyptian customs and traditions help keep the Jews apart. God used this to keep them in Egypt but not be 'of' Egypt. Their challenge would be to remain Jews in a foreign land rather than immigrants who become Egyptians.
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19)
Goshen would become an incubator for the nation of Israel. Joseph welcomed them to Egypt. In 430 years another Hebrew who had become a prince in Egypt would come to lead them out.
Genesis 46:31-34
Telling the Pharaoh the truth about being shepherds would secure them in the secluded region of Goshen. Egypt looked at sheep as an abomination, considered as vile and dirty as the animals to them. Egypt was agricultural in nature but only in the sense of growing crops. They didn't grow livestock. Joseph coached the brothers on what to say and how to speak to Pharaoh.
©2019 Doug Ford
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