Thoughts on Genesis 46
V3 So He 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”
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: Jacob now knew his son Joseph was alive and preparation began in ernest for him to go and see him(Gen 45:27-38).
Jacob along with 66 souls (vs 26) departed from the land of Hebron and set out to begin life in Egypt. We remember this is the same land God had once forbidden his father Isaac from entering during a similar famine.
Beersheba was where God had confirmed the covenant to Isaac, thus making it an important place of worship. It is not surprising then, that Jacob stopped here first, to offer sacrifices and receive assurance from God that Egypt was where he should go. God fulfilled his word as the Israelites did become a great nation and eventually returned to Canaan as we understand from scripture.
Although God told Jacob to leave his home and travel to a strange and faraway land, He reassured him by promising to go with him and take care of him. To top this, Jacob himself will never know the bitterness of being lonely again, (“Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes”) Brethren these same assurances are for us today.
We are sometimes faced with new situations that frighten us. But though it is normal to experience fear, we must not be paralysed by fear to the point of questioning God’s ability to take care of us.
Even in times like these in our nation, when we are faced with a situation that has no precedence in history, God is mindful of us.
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield(Ps 33:20)
Even when unsure of how things will pan out, forsaking God or resorting to being cynical is not a way out….For He himself said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?*(Heb 13:5-6)
