Old Testament - Genesis 46 - March 16, 2022

 3/16/2022 – Genesis 46 

This chapter tells us just how Jacob and his family are able to get from Canaan to Egypt, where Jacob is reunited with Joseph, the son he thought dead for 20 years. 

V 1 Jacob “took his journey with all that he had…and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.” Then in v 2 “…God spake unto Israel (the second name the Lord had given to Jacob) in the visions of the night, and said Jacob, Jacob.” And Jacob--who had been praying to the Lord along their journey, AND listening to the Lord--immediately answered: “Here am I.” Then the Lord, in v 3 & 4, speaks: “I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.”

With 12 sons and all their wives and all their children (many of whom had grown and married and had children were) made this a large amount of people participating in this journey. Their number was significant: 66 people, plus the people, and wagons, and things the Egyptians had brought to make the journey run smoothly.

In v 29  the Egyptian helpers and Jacob’s family were now close to Joseph’s home,  “Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen and presented himself unto him.” Joseph also goes on to tell his entire family how to greet the Pharaoh, and what to say: that they raise cattle, but also they raise sheep—and evidently “every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.” (v 34) 

Joseph has shown deep forgiveness. And both Joseph, and his father Jacob, has stayed close to Heavenly Father…not just praying to Heavenly Father, but also listening and responding, to the Lord’s guidance. It is interesting to me that the Lord’s sure assurance came to Jacob AFTER they had left their home in Canaan and were into moving their family, their animals, and probably all of their belongings. They started off in the path they thought was best, continuing to pray to the Lord along the way, and it was then that the Lord confirmed the rightness of their decisions. 


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