After Jacob discovered that his son, Joseph, was alive in the land of Egypt, God appeared to him in a dream and said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes” (46:1-4). Jacob obeyed the voice of the Lord and departed with his family from Canaan (46:5-7) around 1875 BC and they would remain there until the Exodus some 430 later (1445 BC). Genesis 46:8-27 records the names of 70 men from whom the nation of Israel would form. Jacob instructed his son Judah to go ahead of the caravan to meet Joseph so that he could direct them to Goshen, where they would settle away from the mainstream of Egyptian culture (46:28). Joseph departed to Goshen and was reunited with his father after 22 years of separation (46:29-30). Joseph’s family would soon meet Pharaoh and he instructed them to say that they raised livestock because the Egyptians despised shepherds (46:31-34). This despised occupation would allow Joseph’s family to settle in Goshen, which would be secluded and somewhat protect them from intermingling with the Egyptians. Joseph’s plan worked and Pharaoh allowed them to settle in Goshen (47:1-12), which was also called Rameses (46:11) or Zoan (Psalm 78:12, 43).
After Joseph’s family had settled themselves in the land of Goshen, Joseph turned his attention back to the famine which had become very severe (47:13). When all the money in Egypt had been used (47:14-15), Joseph began accepting livestock as payment for grain (47:16-17). The year ended and people had no money or cattle left so they began selling themselves and their land in exchange for food until Joseph had purchased all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, except the land owned by the priests (47:18-22). Joseph then instructed the people to begin planting seed, which he gave to them, and then they would give Pharaoh one-fifth of the yield as payment (47:23-24). The people rejoiced in Joseph’s plan and declared that he had saved their lives (47:25-26).
Circumstances were a little different in Goshen where Joseph’s family had settled. The Israelites prospered by the hand of God during the famine so that “…they had possessions and there and grew and multiplied exceedingly” (47:27). God’s prospering of the Israelites was related to the promise He had made to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years before his death came near (47:28) and he requested that Joseph would bury him in the family burial cave in Canaan (47:29-30). Joseph promised Jacob that he would be buried at the place of his request (47:31). God had been faithful to Jacob.
Dear God, thank You for being faithful even when circumstances may not seem like they are going my way.
