God goes with Jacob into Egypt

46:1 So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. When he came to Beer Sheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 46:2 God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” 46:3 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. 46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. Joseph will close your eyes.” 46:5 Then Jacob started out from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. 46:6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. 46:7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants. 46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons: Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob. 46:9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 46:10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman). 46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 46:12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 46:13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. 46:14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 46:15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all. 46:16 The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 46:17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel. 46:18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all. 46:19 The sons of Rachel the wife of Jacob: Joseph and Benjamin. 46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore them to him. 46:21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. 46:22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all. 46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 46:24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 46:25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all. 46:26 All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) 46:27 Counting the two sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy. 46:28 Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. So they came to the land of Goshen. 46:29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time. 46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; they take care of livestock. They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 46:33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting to the Egyptians.” Joseph’s Wise Administration

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Jacob stops at Beer-sheba and offers sacrifices. God speaks to him at night and tells him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt. The Lord promises to go with him, to make his family into a great nation there, and to bring them back again. Jacob then travels with his whole household. A long list records the names of his descendants, showing that the covenant family is preserved. At the end, Joseph meets Jacob in Goshen with great joy and makes plans so the family can live there safely.

This passage shows that Jacob’s move to Egypt was not a failure of God’s promise. It was part of God’s plan to preserve his family. Jacob worships before leaving the land, and God answers with clear comfort. The Lord tells him not to be afraid, because his presence will go with him. God also promises that the family will become a great nation in Egypt and that he will bring them back again.

The family list is not filler. It shows that the whole covenant household was known and counted by God. The move to Egypt did not erase their identity. It preserved it.

Joseph’s reunion with Jacob is full of love and tears. Jacob now sees that Joseph is alive, and he is content to die in peace. Joseph also acts wisely. He plans to tell Pharaoh that his family are shepherds so they can settle in Goshen, a place suited for their work and separate from the Egyptians who look down on shepherds.

• God’s presence is not limited to one land or one place.
• Fear should be answered by God’s word.
• The Lord kept his covenant family from being lost in Egypt.
• A detailed family record shows God preserving the promised line.
• Joseph’s tears show that the reunion with Jacob was real and deep.
• Wise planning and truthful speech can serve God’s purposes.
• Goshen was a suitable place for Israel to live because of their livestock work and Egyptian contempt for shepherds.

• Warning: Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt.
• Promise: God will go with Jacob.
• Promise: God will make Jacob’s family into a great nation there.
• Promise: God will bring Jacob back again.
• Command/plan: Joseph will tell Pharaoh the truth about his family’s work so they may live in Goshen.

God used the descent into Egypt to preserve and multiply the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What looked like moving away from the promised land was actually the beginning of a larger plan that would lead to Israel becoming a nation and later to deliverance from Egypt.

When life changes in hard ways, believers should not assume God has left them. They should listen to God’s promises, trust his presence, and use wise and truthful means in daily life. This passage also reminds God’s people to hold fast to their identity and not blend into the surrounding culture.

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