Recap: (see Genesis 35b) Judah became the forefather of David, and Jesus. Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt, and when Pharaoh had dreams, Joseph explained that they pointed to impending famine. He was put in charge of the grain stores. When the famine severely affected Joseph’s family they too went for grain. Joseph finally arranged for them to move to Egypt
These final studies are short and could be combined
Read Genesis 46:1-7, 28-34
1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Why? And why there?
Beersheba was well known from the time of Abraham and was the most southerly town in Canaan. God had made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their descendants, that the land of Canaan would be their ‘promised land’ (Genesis 17:4-8, 26:3-4, 35:11-12).
Jacob may well have known and remembered God’s words to Isaac when he too was facing a famine: ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live’ (Genesis 26:2). Yet now it seemed that God was leading his whole family to Egypt: but Jacob was not sure. He had to be certain that this was truly God’s leading so he stopped on the border and offered sacrifices there.
2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, ‘Jacob! Jacob!’
‘Here I am,’ he replied.
3 ‘I am God, the God of your father,’ he said. ‘Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.’
‘I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again’. That was all he needed!
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters – all his offspring.
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
Again, here was an opportunity to list all the members of the fledgling ‘Tribe of Israel’. (Not actually those who went to Egypt v12, and Joseph himself was still in Egypt)
Read Genesis 46:8-27
Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.
9 The sons of Reuben:
Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
10 The sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
12 The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).
The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul.
13 The sons of Issachar:
Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun:
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
Note the term ‘sons and daughters’ includes grandchildren too.
16 The sons of Gad:
Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher:
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah:
Heber and Malkiel.
18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah – sixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:
Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
21 The sons of Benjamin:
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob – fourteen in all.
23 The son of Dan:
Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtali:
Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel – seven in all.
26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob – those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives – numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.
Seventy (v27) was a perfect and complete number but sixty-six (v26) was more accurate! (33, v15, +16, v18, +14, v22, +7, v25 -2, v12 -2, v20) (and to be more accurate, less joseph, – 65! But actually it was many more, as wives, daughters and granddaughters were not counted. There is also a question about the sons of Perez (v12) – we looked at that in the study on Genesis 38)
28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.
It was a large migration to manage – probably over two hundred people if you include their employees (Shepherds, herdsmen, servants, slaves and their wives and children), together with all their belongings, and flocks and herds of animals. So it was important that they took the most direct route across the intervening wilderness. Judah was sent to enquire where Goshen was, and when word reached him that they had arrived, Joseph went to greet them.
As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.
30 Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.’
Could someone describe the scene?
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, “My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.” 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, “What is your occupation?” 34 you should answer, “Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.” Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.’
Joseph had great authority, and Pharaoh had said ‘I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land’, but he also believed in treading carefully.
Once Pharaoh had seen the true size of his family he might have been concerned; even threatened. But Joseph knew by now the customs of Egypt and knew that ‘shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians’. So to emphasize this aspect would ensure that they were allowed to settle away from other centres of occupation.
Goshen has been identified as being to the North-East of Egypt, on the Nile Delta. Presumably this was an area where grass was still growing.
