Moving house does not make my list of fun things to do. It is hard work physically and stressful emotionally. Moving was especially difficult for Jacob. He was 130 years old. He could not call up a moving company; however, he did have the wagons sent by Pharaoh to help. Jacob also had 11 sons and their large families and huge flocks of animals. Not only were they moving house, they were changing countries. This was a HUGE event in their lives.

Transition

This morning we are going to look for practical principles as we examine three aspects of Jacob’s move to Egypt.

Jacob’s Trip to Egypt (Ge 46:1-27)

  1. Jacob prayed before he left Canaan (46:1-2)
    1. He stopped in Beersheba at the southern end of Canaan. (See map)
    2. There he built an altar and sacrificed animals to the Lord. Sacrifices were for cleansing and for worship. There Jacob talked with the Lord. From God’s answer, Jacob must have prayed about his fears of entering Egypt.
    3. Jacob was remembering the promises God had given him and his forefathers that they would inherit Canaan.
  2. God assured Jacob of His guidance (46:3-4)
    1. God comforted his fears.
    2. God assured him that his family would become a great nation in Egypt.
    3. God promised his presence, that the nation would return to Canaan, and that Joseph would comfort him.
  3. Jacob took his whole family into Egypt (46:5-27)
    1. Jacob began the trip (46:5-7).
    2. All Jacob’s children and grandchildren are counted for the record (46:8-27).
      ☆ We learn a very important principle from Jacob in this section. It is always wise to seek God’s approval before we make a major decision in life. We do this through prayer and a careful study of the Bible. God will never lead us contrary to his Word. God will reveal his will for your life through the following: 1) Communion daily with God, 2) Crucifying selfish desires, 3) Continual desire or conviction, 4) Congruity with the Bible, 5) Counsel from godly leaders, 6) Confident inner peace, 7) Circumstances.

Jacob’s Arrival in Egypt (Ge 46:28-47:12)

  1. The family reunion
    1. Judah went ahead to tell Joseph of their soon arrival and to get directions (46:28).
    2. Joseph and Jacob have a sweet reunion (46:29-30).
    3. Joseph instructed his brothers to be sure to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds so that he would send them to Goshen. Evidently, Goshen was a pasture land and good place for raising cattle (sheep, goats, and cows). It must have been along the Nile River because they ate an abundance of fish (Nu 11:5) and carried water to their gardens (De 11:10). Goshen seems to be what Israel called “the field of Zoan” (Ps 78:12; Ps 78:43), which was probably also the “land of Rameses” (Ge 47:11).
    4. Joseph’s brothers told Pharaoh they were shepherds and he did give them the land of Goshen (47:1-6).
    5. Jacob talked with Pharaoh (47:7-9). Pharaoh asked Jacob of his age. Note his response.
      1. He said he was 137
      2. He said that his days had been few and evil compared to his forefathers.
      3. Jacob then blessed Pharaoh (47:10).
        ☆ As Jacob reflected on his life, we find another practical principle. No matter how old you are, there will never be a better time in the future to reflect on your life than right now. Jacob said his days had been few and evil. His deceitful character had led to much heartache and sorrow.
        ☆ Right now is the time to make sure you are right with God and on your way to heaven. If Jesus Christ does not live in you as your Saviour, you will go to hell.
        ☆ (2 Corinthians 13:5) “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
        ☆ Right now is the time for action. We cannot change the past, but with God’s help, we can change the future.
        ☆ (Ecclesiastes 12:1) “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;”
        ☆ The time to begin living for God is in your youth. You will never be younger than you are right now, so NOW is the time to live for God.
  2. The family relocation
    1. Joseph settled his family in the best of the land of Egypt as Pharaoh commanded (47:11-12).
    2. Joseph nourished or cared for his family.

Joseph Preserves Life (Ge 47:13-31)

  1. The famine was terrible
    1. Joseph sold grain to preserve life (47:13-22).
      1. The people used up all their money.
      2. The people sold all their cattle (47:16-17).
      3. The people sold their land and their lives (47:18-21).
    2. Joseph established taxation in Egypt (47:23-26)
  2. Jacob lived 17 years in Egypt
    1. God blessed him and his family and they greatly multiplied (47:27).
    2. When Jacob was 147, he knew he was going to die and he made Joseph promise to bury him in Canaan (47:28-31).
      ☆ There in Egypt, Jacob and his family had obeyed God and were where God wanted them to be. As a result, God blessed them abundantly. When we do what the Bible tells us to do, God will bless us too.
      ☆ If you have not yet placed your trust entirely in Jesus Christ to save your soul, that is the first thing God wants you to do. John 3:16 assures you that God does not want you to perish in hell.
      ☆ (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
      ☆ Once you are truly a Christian, then God commands you to be baptised by immersion. If you refuse to be baptised under the water after you are saved, you are disobeying God’s clear command.
      ☆ (Matthew 28:19-20) “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
      ☆ Once baptised, you should join a biblical Baptist church and get involved.
      ☆ God also commands Christians to read the Bible, pray, witness, live holy lives, and several other things. The more we obey the Lord, the more he is able to bless our lives.

Conclusion

Perhaps this morning you need to know God’s will for your life. Like Jacob, the best thing to do is to pray. I recommend that you follow the 7 guidelines for finding God’s will that I mentioned (review on pg. 2 if time). As Jacob reflected on his life, he saw his many failures. Now is the time to live for God to avoid future failures. If you are not 100% positive you are saved. Come talk to me about that. I would be delighted to show you how you can be from the Bible. If you need to make some changes to live for the Lord, now is the best time. Remember, if you want God’s blessing on your life, you must obey his commands. 1) You must trust Christ as your Saviour. 2) You must be baptised by immersion and join a biblical church. 3) You must grow in the things of the Lord and live for Him (Bible reading, prayer, witnessing, holy living, tithing, serving, etc.).

Song: Have Thine Own Way – 388
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Jacob Moves to Egypt
1 March 2015 am – Genesis 46:1-47:31 – Gen 14 – Scott Childs