- Scripture: Genesis 46:1–34
- The Anchor: “So God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.'” – Genesis 46:2–3 (ESV)
In today’s passage, Israel (Jacob) takes everything he has and goes to Beersheba, where he sacrifices to God. God spoke to Jacob in a dream, telling him to not be afraid to go down to Egypt because God will make him into a great nation in Egypt. He promises that Joseph will close Jacob’s eyes. From Beersheba, Jacob goes to Egypt with all of his family, which was about 70 men I believe, which didn’t include women and little children as well I think. On top of this, they brought their livestock and goods as well. The end of this passage is a genealogy, which shows the people of Jacob’s family who came to Egypt (or who were already there, like Joseph and his sons).
Something that I personally did not realize until earlier today was the sheer amount of distance that Jacob had to travel from his starting point in Hebron to Goshen in Egypt. I was randomly looking at a map in my new ESV Study Bible (thanks mom)! This journey was around 200-300 miles depending on the estimates, and the trip would have taken 2-6 weeks (depending on the speed of travel, but it is probably on the slower end since he had to transport 70+ people along with goods and livestock). This was only a one-way journey. Now recall that Jacob already sent his brothers twice before this time to go to Egypt to get food. That probably took like 6 weeks for those two journeys combined. Living in today’s society, I am so grateful for cars…
I like the repetition of dreams in Genesis. Specifically in the part about Joseph, we have Joseph’s two dreams, the dreams of the cupbearer and baker, the dream of Pharaoh, and now Jacob’s dream. In the past, the family did have some bad history with Egypt. Abraham went to Egypt for food during his own famine but that was counted as a lack of faith. Isaac just didn’t go to Egypt because God told him not to. I can see why Jacob was so hesitant to go to Egypt. However, God told him specifically to go to Egypt, and Jacob did not resist God. This shows more of his Israel side, since he is following the voice of God. I don’t think I’m always following God’s voice in my own life, but I don’t think I really know what His voice sounds like either, since God isn’t like talking to me clearly in my dream as He did with Jacob. Nevertheless, I want to follow God and His voice as best as I can.
Reflection
- You reflected on how Jacob’s family history made Egypt a place of potential danger or compromise, yet he moved forward because God specifically commanded it. When you feel a sense of hesitation or fear about a new season or decision, how can you better distinguish between “avoiding temptation” and “avoiding God’s plan”?
- You noted the difficulty of hearing God’s voice today compared to the direct dreams of the patriarchs. How might you practice recognizing His leading through His written Word and the wisdom of the community, rather than waiting for a direct, audible, or dream-based instruction?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the way You guided Jacob with such clarity. I know I don’t often hear Your voice in dreams, but I am grateful that You have given me Your Word to light my path. Help me to grow in sensitivity to Your Spirit and obedience to Your commands, even when the path seems long or intimidating. Give me the courage to step out in faith whenever You say “go.” Amen.