Jacob Goes to Egypt

Genesis 45:25-46:27

“And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.” (Genesis 45:25-26)

For at least twenty two years, Jacob’s sons had lived with the guilt of having sold their brother into slavery, and the sorrow it had caused their father. Apprehension about being charged with espionage and perhaps having Benjamin taken from them must have been made worse by their awareness of guilt. When Joseph revealed who he was, The apprehension was relieved, and his forgiveness did a lot to relieve their feelings of guilt. Telling their father about Joseph would alleviate his grief, although their deception would almost certainly come out. They couldn’t wait to get home and tell Jacob. Jacob found it very hard to accept that after twenty two years of mourning for Joseph he had been found alive, and was an important official in Egypt.

“And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die. And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.” (Genesis 45:27-46:1)

When they told him everything Joseph had said, about how God had sent him into Egypt to save their lives and everything else., and Jacob saw the wagons and meals that had been provided, he finally believed them. He started for Egypt with eager anticipation, taking time to thank God when he came to Beersheba where Isaac had lived so long.

“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.” (Genesis 46:2-4)

When Jacob took time to worship and thank God, he spoke to him again. Throughout Abraham’s life God regularly spoke personally to him, but Jacob rarely experienced such communion. It was not that God didn’t desire to communicate with him, but that Jacob was too busy doing his own thing to listen. Too many people are like the teenager who doesn’t stop to listen to his parents or the wife who gets out her vacuum cleaner and starts vacuuming when her husband starts talking, then complains they never talk. Unless we stop and listen, we don’t even hear his efforts to speak to us.

“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. 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: His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.” (Genesis 46:5-7)

From Beersheba, they traveled to Egypt as fast as possible taking everything they had. And believing what God had promised. Over two hundred years before, in Genesis 15:13, God had foretold that Israel would go into Egypt where they would be afflicted four hundred years, before returning to Canaan. Finally, the prophecy started to be fulfilled. Jacobs descendants who went into Egypt are listed by name, grouped according to which wife they descended from.

Leah’s descendants

Reuben

“And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.” (Genesis 46:8-10)

Levi

“And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 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.” (Genesis 46:11-12)

Issachar

And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron…” (Genesis 46:13a)

Zebulon

“…And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram,…” (Genesis 46:13b-14a)

Dinah

“…with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.” (Genesis 46:13b-15)

Descendants of Zilpah

Gad

“And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.” (Genwsis 46:16)

Asher

“And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.” (Genesis 46:17-18)

Descendants of Rachael

Joseph

“The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin. 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.” (Genesis 46:19-20)

Benjamin

“And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.” (Genesis 46:21-22)

Descendants of Bilhah

Dan

“And the sons of Dan; Hushim.” (Genesis 46:23)

Naphtali

“And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.” (Genesis 46:24-25)

“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; 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.” (Genesis 46:26-27)

The Old Kingdom of Egypt had collapsed and the Middle Kingdom had not yet emerged. Due to famine, much of the Middle East was forced to go to Egypt for food, and most of the records of the period consist only of grain sales and collections. Jacob’s little group of seventy people was so small it was hardly noticed in the hustle and bustle. At almost any other time in Egyptian history, it would have been recorded, as they usually kept copious records but few survive from the period.