Genesis 46
At first when Jacob’s sons returned home to Canaan, saying Joseph was alive and a great ruler in Egypt, Jacob could not believe it to be true, hut when he saw the wagons and all Joseph had sent, he was willing to go to him.
So Jacob, his eleven sons and all their families started the journey to Egypt. In all, there were seventy-five persons (Acts 7:1111Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. (Acts 7:11)) which made a large company. And they took their flocks and herds with them. At night they rested at Beersheba, near the border of the land of Canaan, and there Jacob offered a sacrifice to God, and God there spoke words of comfort to him, again promising that his children should become a great nation.
So this was a very important move, and these people did become very great, and are known as “Children of Israel”, because, Jacob had also the name Israel. Look on a map of Canaan, or Palestine, as now called, and see where the way would be to go to Goshen, in northern Egypt, where Pharaoh said they could live and have food for themselves and their hocks. And the men were given charge of the king’s cattle, also.
When Joseph heard that his father had reached Goshen, he went to him; and that was a happy time to them, after so many years separated.
Jacob lived in Goshen the rest of his life and told his twelve sons and Joseph’s two sons what God’s blessing would be for them. After he died, all his sons went to Canaan for his burial, then returned to Egypt.
Joseph lived to be one hundred and ten years old. Before he died he told his children and all his kindred that God would surely take them again to live in Canaan. This shows he believed God’s promise, and you will later learn how this came true.
ML 11/22/1936