Genesis 46-47

Genesis 46-47

Day 17!

It's Saturday morning. I MUST be dedicated to this....for it's 6:50am!!!!! And NO ONE in my house is up but me and the puppy!!!  Humph! :)

Chapter 46 Jacob goes to Egypt.  This is a rather short chapter if you take out all of the names you can't pronounce! Verses 1-8 describe Jacob's journey back to Egypt where he will live out his days.  He's excited to see his long lost son, Joseph. 

(nine minutes of peace and quiet are over...my firstborn is awake already!)  

As Jacob was traveling, its as if it were by divine providence again.  God spoke to Israel "in a vision at night" (v. 2) and renewed AGAIN the promise to go to a foreign land where God will "make him a great nation (v.3)." Jacob/Israel and all of his sons, children and wives and grandkids took on their journey.  My mother helped us out and added a map at the VERY BOTTOM of this page.  Its a map of Goshen in Egypt where they are going.   

Verses 8-27 the list of Jacob descendants who traveled with them.

Verse 28:  Jacob sends Judah ahead of the pack to go find out directions from Joseph on how to get to Goshen.  As he does this, Joseph tells Judah and his brothers that they are to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and then they would be given land outside of the interior part of Egypt.  Being a shepherd was detestable, for it was an unclean job.  They were also Hebrew people and weren't to live close by the Egyptians.  Jacob was happy too now that he has found and seen his long lost son.  He said, "Now I am ready to die since I have seen for myself that (Joseph) is alive" (v. 30).  I can't imagine the agony of thinking a son is gone, but then finding out after years and years and years that he is alive.  Only God gets you through that and only God makes that turn our right!  Amen?  Amen!!!

Chapter 47 Jacob gets a blessing from Pharaoh after already living many long and hard years. He has received the blessing of welfare and long life.   The rest of this chapter continues the depressing story of the famine that has severely hit the land.   There was no water, no food and the land was wasting away.  Things go from bad to worse and to terrible.  At first the people spent their money on grain.  But then they became more desperate and traded their cattle for food.  THEN they traded their own land for food.  By the time the chapter ends, the people have become tenants of Pharaoh. They are farming his land and still paying him one-fifth of all of their produce.  This law is still on force today (v. 26-27).  In verse 27, this is the first place where Joseph and his family are called the "Israelites."  This family who has been destitute and divided are now a family of great hope.  God is behind all of the sorrow and heartache this family has been through...the moving and famine and relocation.  God is preserving this family and rescuing them from the corrupt influence of Canaan.  Joseph has brought them all together again...a family reunited! Can you imagine if Joseph hadn't forgiven his brothers....if had held onto the past and been bitter and resentful??  Joseph didn't allow that to happen....GOD didn't allow that to happen.  This family will fulfill God's promise to Abraham.  This "remnant" has been saved and will build a nation!    Understanding this from the Bible sure makes a difference when listening to the evening world news huh?!!!!

Lessons learned:  never take family for granted!  You never know how long you have with them! Treasure them!   Love them!  Forgive them!  And above all, thank God for them! I know I do!!! I love you family!!!!!

Thy will be done..............