Daily Devotions
Genesis
"I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever." Psalm 145:1
Text: Genesis 46:1-34
SACRIFICES OF THANKSGIVING
Swiftly Israel gave orders to travel to Egypt! Everything the family owned would be relocated to Egypt, where Joseph was! If the words of Joseph were correct, then all the more the whole family must move to Egypt, if they were to survive the famine years that would last for another five more years!
The journey to Egypt could not be made in one day! As they paused in Beersheba, Israel offered sacrifices to the Lord! That surely was most appropriate!
“So Israel took his journey with all that he had,
and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices
to the God of his father Isaac.”
GENESIS 46:1
A SPECIAL RESPONSE FROM GOD
God must have been pleased that Israel took the trouble to offer worship and sacrifices. In response, God gave him a special word of comfort.
“Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said,
‘Jacob, Jacob!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’
So He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father…'”
GENESIS 46:2-3a
It is interesting to note that God addressed Israel as “Jacob”. It might well be that Israel had all but reverted to being Jacob these many years! The old Jacob of bygone days did not relate to God very much. It took the news that Joseph was alive to bring about a revival of his spirit. The glorious news that Joseph was alive brought Jacob back to God. Jacob must have stayed away from God for so long that the Lord had to virtually re-introduce Himself as “The God of Isaac” when He spoke to him! Jacob’s faith had been sorely tested and he had not done as well as he could have!
A GENTLE WORD OF COMFORT
Was there yet hope that God still loved him and would be with him as he made the move to Egypt? Graciously, the Lord gave to Jacob a special word of comfort.
“Do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you
a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt,
and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph
will put his hand on your eyes.”
GENESIS 46:3b-4
Once again, God reiterated a promise He made to Jacob a long time ago! Had Jacob forgotten God’s promises? It would be in Egypt that God would create a nation out of the children of Israel! The Lord promised that He would be with him as he made his way to Egypt. Did Jacob say that he planned to see Joseph before he died? He would indeed have that wish come true! Joseph would be the one who would “put his hand on his eyes”. Joseph would be that son who would close his father’s eyes when he would breathe his last! How gracious and wonderful God showed Himself to Jacob!