Ge. 46: Jacob goes to Egypt

So Israel/Jacob (the Bible goes back and forth on this. Not really sure why. Maybe it goes way back where in one place it's Jon, and in another it's John. Is this enough to make me renounce my faith? Probably.) packs up the entirety of his possessions and heads south to Egypt. When he gets to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the LORD.

Anyway, in chapter 46, God spoke to Israel in a vision. I wonder if God was silent for this long time while Joseph was in Egypt. Apparently God told him nothing about what was going on with Joseph. Even in the midst of Israel's heartbreak and mourning, God was silent. As a human person, my reaction to this realization is, "Well, isn't God a God of comfort?" And God is. The comfort comes with quick answers, and sometimes it takes years to get the answers. God didn't let Israel drown in his despair. A father's beloved son was given over to death, and while Israel wept, God had planned out the entire path. Ending in an amazing posterity.

Anyway...yeah, God spoke to Israel, saying "I am your God, don't be afraid to go to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation, and I will bring you back again. Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." I'm guessing the "close your eyes" thing refers to the time at death where Joseph will be there to close his eyes...to bury him.

So the whole family packs up and moves on from there...once again, visual learner:

Israel and Jacob meet in Goshen, and its what you would expect....very emotional, they threw their arms around each other, and wept for a long time. Israel is ready to die now that he has seen that Joseph is still alive.

Then Joseph wants to introduce the whole gang to Pharaoh. So he tells them to tell Pharaoh the truth about what they do and who they are, since they are detestable shepherd types. If they do that, then they'll be able to settle in Goshen. Nice!