OceanSide church of Christ

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THE SEEDS OF A NATION ENTER EGYPT

Genesis 46

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.           The Title of Genesis 46

 

A.   The Seeds of A Nation Enter Egypt

B.    Joseph Reunited with His Father

C.   A Family Enters Egypt (they will exit as a nation)

 

II.         The Key Verse of Genesis 46:  Genesis 46:2-3

 

And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob.  And he said, Here am I.  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.

 

Why this verse?  We see God’s true purpose being set forth in this text.  God had promised to make of Abraham’s seed a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3).  God had not abandoned that promise.  He would grow this nation in the land of Egypt.

 

III.       The Outline of Genesis 46

 

i.               THE PROMISE TO JACOB (Gen. 46:1-4)                              God

ii.              THE PEOPLE WHO ENTERED EGYPT (Gen. 46:5-27)          Genealogy

iii.            THE PLACE OF SETTLEMENT (Gen. 46:280-34)                     Goshen

 

IV.        The Lessons of Genesis 46

 

A.   The blessing of God did not keep Israel and his family from taking time to worship God (Gen. 46:1).

 

And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacri-fices unto the God of his father Isaac.

 

1.     In exciting times, we often forget to worship God (i.e., vacation).

2.     When we are in haste, we often forget to worship God.

 

B.    When God speaks, we should be eager and ready to listen (Gen. 46:2).

 

And God spake unto Israel in a vision of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob.  And he said, Here am I.

 

1.     Several Bible characters responded to God with the words:  “Here am I.”

a.     Abraham (Gen. 22:1)

b.    Moses (Exo. 3:4)

c.    Samuel (I Sam. 3:10)

d.    Isaiah (Isa. 6:8)

 

2.     Two passages

a.     Hebrews 2:1

 

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

 

b.    James 1:18-19

 

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

 

C.   Question:  Jacob was a patriarch.  God had spoken unto him in the past (Gen. 28:13-14; 35:1).  God is now speaking to Jacob again.  Why didn’t God speak to Jacob about Joseph’s dreams and of his situation in Egypt all of those years?  God does things in His own way and according to His timing.

 

D.   God never forgets or forsakes his promises to man (Gen. 46:3).

 

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.

 

1.     God had originally promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3).

2.     Although many years had passed, God had not abandoned His promises.

3.     II Peter 3:9

 

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffer-ing to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

E.    God insures his children with not just His words, but with His presence (Gen. 46:4).

 

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.

 

F.     The move of this family is spoken of in very simple terms, but moves involve great time, effort, and expense.  They are also very emotional (Gen. 46:5-7).

 

G.   The providence of God can move us great distances and in directions that seem to be the opposite of what they should be (Gen. 46:6).

 

And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him.

 

1.     Canaan was the land of promise.

2.     Moving into Egypt was a move in the opposite direction.

3.     Fortunately, Jacob had a promise from God, saying:  I will also surely bring the up again.

 

H.   God can take a small number and develop them into a great nation (Gen. 46:27).

 

And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls:  all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

 

I.     A forerunner can often make transitions much smoother (Gen. 46:28).

 

And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen:  and they came into the land of Goshen.

 

J.    Some children and parents can unite after years of separation (Gen. 45:29).

 

And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

 

K.   The accomplishment of some things in life can bring us comfort and make us ready for death (Gen. 46:30).

 

And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

 

L.    The customs, beliefs, and practices of different cultures often necessitate their separation (Gen. 46:31-34).

 

And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; and the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.  And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?  That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hat been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers:  that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

 

1.     These differences are sometimes of a religious nature. 

2.     Our Lord died and established His church, to bring all men together (Eph. 2:12-19).

 

…for his is our peace, who hath made both one…and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross…now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.