This blog post will cover the devotionals #185-187 for Genesis Chapter 46.
Please note that this devotional book is for sale as a physical (paperback) &/or digital (PDF) book on my website.
[185] Genesis 46:1-7,28-30
After Jacob heard the good news about Joseph, and the bad news about what’d really happened to him, he found peace in seeing God’s hand at play. Thus, he was able to joyfully begin his journey to visit his son after years of thinking he was gone forever. When he arrived to Beersheba, he made sacrifices of gratitude, asking God to bless him. He also wanted reassurance from God that He supported his move to Egypt—and that He would be with them there. That night, God spoke to him in a dream telling him he shouldn’t be afraid to go to Egypt because He was going to make him a great nation there and would go there and return with him. That was enough evidence from God, and Jacob’s family went down to Egypt in the wagons Pharaoh had sent them for their journey. They took all their possessions, animals, and the entire family to Egypt (we’ll see just how many there were in devotional #186). Jacob decided to send someone ahead to get directions to Goshen where they hoped to go. Judah was entrusted with the errand—perhaps because he proved himself the last time Jacob sent him to Egypt. When they arrived to Goshen, Joseph got ready and took his chariot there to see his father. When he got there, he got out of his chariot and ran to Jacob. It didn’t matter that he was now basically royalty. He was a long-lost son seeing his beloved father for the first time in a long while. It was an impacting reunion. They hugged and wept for a long time. Jacob had such peace that he even made it known he was finally willing to die now that he’d seen his beloved son after mourning his supposed death for so long. The last thing God had mentioned to Jacob in his dream was this: “Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” In both Jewish and Greek culture, the nearest relative of a person was responsible for closing their eyes when they passed away. God’s promise of this helped Jacob know he’d pass peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. Thus, when he saw Joseph again, he felt the comfort that God had given him about his death.
[186] Genesis 46:8-27
For the sake of Biblical (historical) records, let’s quickly peek at the household of Jacob at the time of their move to Egypt. These things are recorded in Scripture for a reason—so they’re worthy of mention. Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn son, born of Leah), was the father of four sons. Simeon (Jacob and Leah’s second) had six sons. Levi (Jacob and Leah’s third) had three sons. Judah (Jacob and Leah’s fourth) had five sons (two of which had died as a result of their sins in Canaan) and two grandsons. Issachar (Jacob’s ninth, and Leah’s fifth) had four sons. Zebulun (Jacob’s tenth, and Leah’s sixth / final) had three sons. Leah also had Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. Leah’s living children and grandchildren totaled thirty-three people going into Egypt. This means there either must have been another child or grandchild that wasn’t mentioned or that Leah entered Egypt. We don’t know because no mention was made of her death (we’ll see, in devotional #203, that Jacob said he’d buried her in the cave his father and grandfather (and their wives) had been buried in—but didn’t say when that was). Gad (Jacob’s seventh son—by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid), had seven sons. Asher (Jacob’s eighth, also by Zilpah), had four sons and a daughter, and two grandsons. Zilpah’s children and grandchildren totaled sixteen. Joseph (Jacob’s eleventh—beloved son of his favored wife, Rachel) had two sons while in Egypt. Benjamin (Jacob’s twelfth—Rachel’s second), had ten sons. Rachel’s sons and grandsons totaled fourteen. Recall that Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin. Dan (Jacob’s fifth son, born of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid), had one son. Naphtali (Jacob’s sixth, also of Bilhah) had four sons. Bilhah’s children and grandchildren totaled seven. We don’t have any way of knowing if Zilpah or Bilhah (the sister-wives’ handmaids) entered Egypt or when they died. No mention was made in the Bible about that. Totaling all these numbers gives us seventy (this doesn’t include Jacob, any of his wives, or any of his sons’ wives). All of Jacob’s offspring that went to Egypt with him totaled sixty-six. Joseph and his two sons were already there, so with Jacob—seventy people with Jacob’s blood in their veins ended up in Egypt. Seventy is a significant number in Scriptures, so I find it intriguing that this was the exact quantity that ended up there.
[187] Genesis 46:31-34
After Joseph and his father had been reunited, he turned to his brothers with some very well-thought-out counsel. He knew Pharaoh would ask them what they did for work. They were shepherds. Now, Egyptians viewed shepherds as an abomination—it was considered degrading work. However, Joseph still wanted them to be honest about it. He was still now as concerned for his brothers’ salvation as he was back when he (as a young teenager) pleaded with them not to give into temptation and do evil things. If Pharaoh didn’t know they were shepherds, he’d likely try to employ them in his service and lift them to a high position, for the sake of Joseph. Joseph was concerned that if that happened, they’d be exposed to temptation, especially with the heathen idolatry practiced in their courts. This influence was a corrupting one that he wanted to keep away from them. If Pharaoh knew they were shepherds, he wouldn’t try to put them to work for him there. In devotional #188, we’ll see what happened, and what else Joseph hoped to accomplish.
Commentaires