Our next passage will take us from the time of Abraham and Isaac, to Israel and Joseph. Israel’s name was originally Jacob. He was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, just as He changed Abram’s to Abraham. The families of Israel’s twelve sons would become the twelve tribes of Israel.
In previous chapters, Joseph, who was the favorite son of Israel, was sold into slavery in Egypt. After growing up and becoming the second most powerful man in the kingdom, Joseph encounters his brothers. They have arrived in Egypt looking for food during a seven year period of famine. It is here that Joseph encounters his brothers, who do not recognize him. Joseph is kind to his family and does not seek revenge against his brothers who had sold him into slavery. He tells them to bring their father to him.
In Genesis 46: 1-30 we see the journey of Israel and his reunion with his son Joseph. It is through faith, at God’s urging in visions, which Israel leaves to go to Egypt. In Genesis 46:2-3 God reveals Himself to Israel in visions and renews the promise that He made to Abraham. A total of seventy people arrive in the land of Goshen, including Joseph’s father, brothers and all of their families.
Remember the covenant that God had made with Abraham. Egypt was the land that God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would be afflicted in for four hundred years in Genesis 15:13-14. However, during this time the nation would increase in number. Also, we will see how God made provision for them to leave Egypt to begin their journey to the promised land. God’s people will be enslaved, but God has a way to free them from their bondage. God has remembered His promise, and His people.
In the world we live in it is common for us to communicate constantly with others. If someone does not answer our text messages in a few seconds we feel that we are ignored. If we post on social media sites and no one responds, we feel disrespected. We get upset when others don’t get back to us right away. Think about waiting for four hundred years for someone to respond and take action on something. This was the experience of Israel’s descendants in Egypt. God had something great planned, but it was going to happen in His time, not theirs. How should this impact our own responses when God does not answer our prayers immediately?