Gen. 45:25-46:425And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, 26And 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. 27And 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: 28And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die. 1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3And 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: 4I 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 45:25‑46:4)
“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.” Jacob had no hope of again seeing his beloved Joseph and the report of his sons could not be accepted by him as truth. “He believed them not.” This is sad testimony to the lack of confidence in the father’s relationship with these rough sons. How often before had he known their deceptions and how could he now believe their words?
It was not until he saw the wagons and gifts sent from Egypt by both Joseph and Pharaoh that he could embrace the truth of Joseph’s existence and prosperity. As he looked on the bounties with which they returned and heard their repeated assurances he was compelled to own the story was true. “And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.” v. 28.
“And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.” Chap. 46:1. Jacob, being 130 years of age, found it no small thing to undertake the long journey to Egypt. He was no longer in the strength and energy that had marked his youth and in which he so often failed to take God into account. How refreshing it is to see him, whose earlier years were so often marked by impetuous acts and self-confidence, at this time directing his first steps to Beersheba, “the well of the oath,” where Isaac and Abraham had previously resorted to commune with God. Here he offered sacrifices to God. Here it was Isaac had been forbidden to go down into Egypt as Abraham had faultily done. But now God spoke to Israel in the vision of the night and bade him fearlessly to go down into Egypt. “And God spake unto Israel... 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.” vv. 2-4. “Fear not to go down into Egypt” calmed his present uneasiness: “Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes,” gratified the earlier desire of his heart over his long-lost child.
Approximately 200 years earlier Abraham had heard similar words of comfort from God, telling him to “fear not.” God also spoke to him in a vision saying: “Know of a surely that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs,... and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” (See Gen. 15.). When the promise now came to Job, “I will go down with thee into Egypt; and... bring thee up again,” we can see this prophecy about to take place exactly as God had foretold.
ML 11/19/1967