Bible Study Online Article
After Jacob had learned that his son Joseph was still alive, it was hard for him to accept the news at first. For we must remember, that Jacob for so many years; had believed that Joseph was dead. Upon hearing the news, he was at first stunned and didn't believe; for you may say, that when it came to the lost of Joseph -- Jacob's mind was already made up. But when Jacob saw all the Egyptian gifts, his sons had brought back; he could no longer deny that his son was indeed -- still alive. So Jacob decides to act upon Joseph's invite, to come and stay in Egypt; so therefore, he could wait out the great famine of seven years; for it was still wreaking havoc upon the land. As Jacob and his family were headed towards Egypt, they came upon the place that was called Beersheba; and it was here that Jacob would stop and offer up sacrifices and offerings to the one true God. It would seem that Jacob, while in the midst of his hast; had forgotten to consult God, when it came to him leaving Canaan; for the land of Egypt. This is important, for we must remember that his grandfather Abraham; had also decided to go down into Egypt, after a great famine had ravaged the land of Canaan while he was there. And although Abraham would come out of Egypt a very wealthy man, he would be afflicted in the future; by some of the baggage that he had brought with him when he finally left Egypt. For it was this wealth that he had acquired that led to his friction between him and his nephew Lot. For they were both wealthy men when they left Egypt, and because of this wealth; their camps wanted more between them, and so therefore; they ended up departing away from each other. Abraham would also run into problems, when it came to the handmaiden Hagar: for she was given to him as a gift from Pharaoh. Hagar would eventually bore him his first son Ishmael, the founders of the great twelve Arabian tribes. These Arabian tribes would become a permanent rival and a constant thorn in the side of the great twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob's father Isaac; was also faced with the same faith test. For the land of Canaan had suffered through another great famine, during the days of Isaac. But unlike Abraham, Isaac would obey God and stay away from Egypt. For he too, was faced with a serious famine that was within the land of Canaan. Because of this, Issac decides to head down to Egypt just like his father Abraham had done. But God would intervene, after Isaac had made a quick stop within the district of Gerar, the place in which he was born. "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands, and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws." (Genesis 26:2-5) And because of Isaac's obedience, he too; would become a very wealthy man while he dwelt in the midst of the great famine. So here we are, and we now find Jacob heading down to Egypt; while a famine ravages the land. And now we have Jacob, who comes across the place that was known as Beersheba; the place that both, his grandfather and father had a special communion with the Lord at. It would be here, at this time that God would speak to the great Israel: "Jacob! Jacob!" After Jacob had heard the Lord, he would reply: "Here I am." The Lord would then speak these Words: "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down into Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 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." Now, Jacob would be entering into Egypt; with the great promise covenant of God renewed. So therefore, in spite of what the situation may look like, while the nation of Israel dwells within the land of Egypt. Jacob felt like he wouldn't be with them for the entirety of their visit, after all he was one-hundred and thirty. He would also have other concerns as well? Things that dealt with the culture of Egypt, for they were an idolatrous nation; and he wondered if the Egyptian culture would have some kind of major influence upon his family? He would be hard, not to wonder if their influence would cause them; to perhaps, forget about returning to the land of Canaan? What about the prophecy that God had foretold to his grandfather Abraham: "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years." (Genesis 15:13) But now, that Jacob knows; that God is still with him, he could enter Egypt in confidence -- knowing that God would shield the nation of Israel against the concerns that he was having on his heart and mind at that time. For we must remember, that there is also a second part to that prophecy as well: "But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions."(Genesis 15:14) Now that Jacob, knows that they will be provided and protected under the great Almighty, Jacob and his family would leave from Beersheba and continue their journey into the land of Egypt. It's at this point, the Sacred Scriptures gives us the recorded genealogy of all that went with Jacob, which was everybody within his family. But, it's important to note; that when it came to his direct descendants, not counting their wives and children. The number that the Sacred Scriptures would record would be sixty-six, and when you count Joseph and his two sons, and Jacob - the number jumps to seventy. It had been two-hundred and fifteen years since God had told Abraham that he would make him into a great nation. And although, it would be at this point; that Abraham's direct descendants would be seventy in total (In regards to Israel and not counting Ishmael and his Arabian clans). The foundation of what God had promised has been poured and cured -- and that building process would continue on, while that foundation dwells in the land of Egypt. Now that Jacob has received his renewed promise from the Lord, he now heads to Egypt to meet his long lost son Joseph. This reunion would mark, perhaps one of the happiest moments in Jacob life. But now, Joseph needs to make sure that his father's household is settled in the land of Goshen. So he prepares them, when it comes to saying the right things -- so that he will place them in that region that was called Goshen. We will take a closer look, at why Goshen would be an idea place for Israel and Pharaoh.
Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty **YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 102) Jacob the Stunned & Delighted 103) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 105) Israel's Blessing to Pharaoh 107) The Promise Between Father & Son 108) Jacob Becomes Ill 109) Jacob Adds Manasseh and Ephraim 110) Jacob Places Ephraim Before Manasseh 111) Joseph's Expectation and Disappointment 112) The Promise Covenant with Humanity 113) The Prophecy of Reuben, Simeon and Levi 115) The Tribe of Kings 116) Representation of the Scepter 117) The Importance of the Sanhedrin 118) The Gathering of the People  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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