Change is not always easy to come to terms with and Jacob is no exception. He has his doubts about going to Egypt and went as far as Beersheba. His beloved Rachel’s grave was nearby, and Beersheba held many memories. He offers sacrifices probably to be sure of God’s guidance and God reveals Himself.
Interesting that whereas Egypt is usually figured as a place of slavery, Mary and Joseph were told to take the infant Jesus to Egypt for safety. How God can change things!
“I am God, The God of your father, do not be afraid to go to Egypt for I will make of you a great nation there, and I will go with you …. and surely bring you up again and Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes. “ (v3, 4)
We all have to face change. Nothing remains the same for very long. We need not fear if God goes with us. We will even find He has gone before us.
All the names of those who went are listed here, 70 in all (v27) Is this a contradiction? In Acts 7 Stephen when addressing the High Priests (v9-19) before he was stoned and became the first Christian martyr, refers to Joseph and says 75 people went to Egypt. According to the Septuagint, the five grandsons of Joseph are added. So, it is not.
Jacob arrives in Goshen (v28) and Joseph meets him there. “He threw his arms around him and wept a long time,” (v29) Jacob said he was ready to die now that he had seen his lost son but we see that he lived in Egypt another 17 years (47v28) Is it any coincidence that that was the same number of years he had with Joseph, when he thought he was dead, before he was sold into Egypt?
Derick Bingham suggests that God’s goodness to Jacob was not only amazing but compensatory. God is no man’s debtor and if His ways seem strange, time will prove they are always kind.
Why does Jacob say he wanted to die when he’d only just arrived? Had he forgotten that God had told him that He would bring him out again and back to his land? (v3,4) Even if it was after his death see Ch 49/50.
Griffith-Thomas makes a very striking point that while Jacob and Joseph may have thought that the family was in Egypt as a protection against famine. God was actually using to bring about His own wonderful purposes concerning Israel.
May we trust where we cannot trace. Experiences may be hard, but God is always faithful, and He has promised that He will never forsake us.
v31 Joseph goes to make plans with Pharaoh for their future in Goshen and in v33 he tells them that when Pharaoh asks their occupation to say quite truthfully that they have been shepherds all their lives. This seems a little strange when he says, “For every shepherd is detestable to the Egyptians.”
