Genesis 46

Genesis 46:1

8. Joseph’s Reunion with His Family (Chap. 46)46:1-7 On the way to Egypt, Israel stopped the caravan at historic Beersheba to worship the God of his father Isaac. This was the place where God appeared to Abraham in connection with the offering of Isaac (21:3122:2). It was also the place where the Lord appeared to Isaac (Gen_26:23-24). Now He appears to Jacob to encourage him. This is the last of the Lord’s seven appearances to him.

The second promise of verse 4 seems to indicate that Jacob would return to Canaan. Actually, of course, he died in Egypt. But the promise was fulfilled in two ways. His body was taken back to Canaan for burial, and, in a sense, he also returned when his descendants went back in the days of Joshua. The expression “Joseph will put his hand on your eyes” predicted a peaceful death. Atkinson explains the idiom beautifully: . . . Joseph would close his father’s eyes at the time of his death. Joseph would be with him when he died. Notice the personal promise graciously made to Jacob, which would compensate him for the long years of sorrow and mourning for Joseph. God cares for the personal needs of His servants (1 Pet. 5.7). And so Jacob reached Egypt with all his descendants, his livestock, and his personal goods. 46:8-27 In verses 8-27 we have the family register of Jacob and his sons. There were sixty-six family members (v. 26) who came with Jacob to Egypt. There are admitted difficulties in reconciling this figure with the seventy of verse 27 and of Exo_1:5 and the seventy-five of Act_7:14. The most obvious explanation is that the numbers expand from direct descendants to wider circles of relatives. 46:28-34 The epic meeting between Israel and Joseph took place in Goshen, the most fertile section of Egypt, near the delta of the Nile. Jacob and his sons preferred to stay there, since it provided the best pasture for their herds. It was agreed that they would tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds. Since shepherds were despised by the Egyptians, Pharaoh would let them live in the land of Goshen, far away from the royal palace. There in Goshen they were isolated from social intercourse with the Egyptians, first because of their nationality (Gen_43:32) and then because of their occupation. God left them in this incubator until they were a strong nation, able to possess the land that He promised to their forefathers.