Jacob, who was also called Israel, because of His great faith in God, never stopped believing and doing God’s will. He was faithful to God up until the end of his days on the earth, as he never stopped putting the Lord first in his life. God was a priority and you could see it in his actions. This was made evident, even when he knew he was soon to die. As he began to travel with his family to Egypt, this is where he stopped and made an offering to God. This is that story. 2“And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.” (Genesis 46:1-5) As you see from Jacob’s life, his faith was secure in the Lord God. Even God saw his true intentions and visited him at different times in his life, such as this one. In this moment, the Lord reassured him that he had no fear, while he traveled to Egypt. This is because where he walked, the Lord would walk with him too. And as Jacob did as God commanded, it showed his willingness to seek the Lord and obey his commands, knowing that He knows us best and has the best intentions for our lives.
And so it was that Jacob did as the Lord commanded him. He made ready his family, after offering a sacrifice unto God, to meet Joseph and go with him into Egypt. All of his sons were told and did as he directed them, along with their wives and children. It is written that 2“Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.” (Genesis 46:29,30) It was truly a joyous occasion, indeed, for Jacob to see his son before his last breath on this earth. And it wasn’t just a blessing for Jacob alone, but all the family to know that Joseph was alive and doing well. What was also very intriguing was how far Joseph went up in the ranks of the pharaoh, being his right hand man, and also Lord of the land. This was as predicted in Joseph’s dream when he was young, and now the people bowed down to him and the pharaoh. Now, as Joseph was also a man of great faith, God was with Him also. This was made known in what he told his brothers, before they went back to get their father. It was Joseph that told them, 1“Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt.” (Genesis 45:9) The glory was given to God and not to Joseph. So like his Father, Joseph followed in his footsteps and was a great example to his brothers and sons, even until the end of his life also. May you learn from Jacob and his son, Joseph, and never stop seeking God’s hand in prayer, even until the end of your life.
Let us pray:
Lord, I pray that as believers in You, that we will also be faithful unto You. Be with us always, that our faith may stand up against the temptations of this world. I know that our flesh is weak without You in our lives. I cannot stand up to the lusts of the flesh without You, God. Therefore, I come unto You, Lord, each day of my life, that You may build me up and strengthen me in Your Word. I need Your guidance and direction in order to know what is right and what is wrong, and therefore, stay focused on doing Your will and not my own. My desires only get me into trouble, in that moment that You are not in my heart or mind. For the few seconds or minutes that my focus is shifted upon other things, is when my mind starts to wonder. Often, do bad thoughts come in, until my flesh is giving into its lusts. This is what I fear in life. I don’t want to leave You Lord and do things that are sinful in Your sight. This really terrifies me and I would never want to intentionally have Your wrath fall upon me. Therefore, in the moments that I see my flesh giving into the temptations of the devil, is when I know I should call upon Your name for help. For I know that You see the dangers that we are in, at all times, and are ready to help us. You have helped me, time and time again, when I’ve asked that You take my thoughts captive, and I am so grateful. It is so much better when Your love replaces the impure thoughts in my mind. Thank You for not hanging that over my head, but having mercy upon me instead. You are my God and my desires are to always have You near me. Even until the end, will I seek You, Lord, because I love You more than this life. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Genesis 45:1-9 (KJV)
1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
2Genesis 46 (KJV)
1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
7 His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
10 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
11 And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
13 And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.
14 And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.
16 And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
17 And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.
18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
19 The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
20 And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
23 And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
24 And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six;
27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
28 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
