God's encouragement to move 46:1-7

 

The structure of chapters 46 and 47 is also chiastic.⁸⁸⁷

AGod appears to Jacob (46:1-4)

BJacob journeys to Egypt (46:5-27)

CJoseph meets Jacob (46:28-34)

DJoseph's brothers meet Pharaoh (47:1-6)

C'Jacob meets Pharaoh (47:7-10)

B'Joseph cares for his family and Egypt (47:11-26)

A'Jacob prepares to die (47:27-31)

Beersheba lay on the southern border of Canaan (v. 1). Jacob and his caravan stopped there to offer sacrifices to Yahweh. Abraham had planted a tamarisk tree there and called on the name of the Lord (21:33). Isaac had also built an altar there and called on the Lord after God had appeared to him (26:24-25). It was perhaps at this altar that Jacob now presented his sacrifices. Jacob must have had mixed feelings as he looked forward to seeing Joseph again. At the same time he realized he was leaving the land promised to his family by God. This move was as momentous for Jacob as Abram's journey from Ur (12:1-3), Jacob's flight to Paddan-aram (28:1-22), or his return to Canaan (31:3-54), all of which God encouraged with visions.

"In addressing God as God of his fatherhe was acknowledging the family calling, and implicitly seeking leave to move out of Canaan. His attitude was very different from that of Abram in 12:10ff."⁸⁸⁸

Jacob was probably aware of the prophecy that Abraham's descendants would experience slavery in a foreign land for 400 years (15:13). Consequently he must have found it even more difficult to cross into Egypt (vv. 2-4). God revealed Himself to Jacob (the sixth time) here to assure Jacob that this move was in harmony with His will for Jacob and his family. This is one of four "do not be afraid"consolations that God gave in Genesis (v. 3; cf. 15:1; 21:17; 26:24).

God promised to make Jacob's family a great nation in Egypt. Because of the Egyptians' disdain for Hebrew shepherds Jacob's family was not in danger of suffering amalgamation into Egyptian life as they had been in danger of being absorbed into Canaanite life.

The Israelites' removal to Egypt was also a divine discipline. Jacob's sons had failed to stay separate from the Canaanites so God temporarily removed them from the land He had promised them.⁸⁸⁹

God promised to go with Jacob into Egypt (v. 4). Though Jacob was leaving God's land he was not leaving God behind. God further promised to bring Jacob back into the land. He did this by bringing his descendants back 400 years later and by bringing Jacob personally back for burial in the land (50:1-21). Moreover God promised that Jacob would not die until he had seen Joseph implying that Joseph would be present when Jacob died (49:29-33).

"Jacob's decidedly dysfunctional family is on the verge of coming together again in genuine community."⁸⁹⁰