January 17 - Genesis 45:16-47:27

Good morning everyone,

Today begins with the news of Joseph’s brothers reaching Pharaoh. He is happy for Joseph and  gives wagons and provisions for Jacob, who is now called Israel,  and all of his family to travel to Egypt and settle in the land of Goshen to be nearer to Joseph.

Imagine, if you will, the shock of finding out that your son, the son you loved most and thought dead for the last 20 years is now alive. All the emotions you would experience, the disbelief, the joy, excitement, the anticipation of once more being able to wrap your arms around him and whisper those words “I love you”, it all had to be a bit overwhelming. And what about the brothers? Yes, Joseph has forgiven them for the way they treated him all those years ago when they were young and did a really dumb thing as young people often do; but now dad, Jacob is going to find out the truth of their foolish behavior, how ashamed they must have felt when the truth came to light but the father just loved them. Very beautiful.

So they set out for Egypt but along the way stopped at Beersheba where Jacob offered sacrifices to God, after the experience Abraham had in Egypt I’m thinking Jacob wanted to be sure that this was all good with God, and it was. God told Jacob to not be afraid to go to Egypt that there He would make his family a great nation, and so they did. We read in vs 29 that “Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.”

Though all those years apart were hard on both, I do not believe the absolute joy, the moment of suspended time could adequately be put into words. These are gifts from God. 

One more thing I just want to make note of, in 46:17, one of the sons of Issachar is Jashub, if you are reading this in the King James Version you will read Job. Most biblical scholars will agree that this is THE Job, the book in the Bible, Job. I really don’t have a whole lot more to say about that only that it is another time that the I have said “cool” while reading a genealogy.

Have a most wonderful day.

God bless you all