Jacob is on his way to Egypt with all of his family to have a reunion with his long-lost son Joseph and to survive the famine that's going to continue for another five years. When he stops at an altar in Beersheba to worship the Lord, the Lord meets with him there. Just as Jacob needed the Lord's reassurance many years earlier when he left his father's house to go to Harran, he needs the Lord's reassurance as he leaves his home in Canaan and sets out for Egypt. Even though he dearly longs to see the face of his son again, I think leaving behind everything he is familiar with in Canaan is very difficult for him.
"So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac." (Genesis 46:1) Beersheba is the southernmost edge of the land the Lord promised the descendants of Abraham would inherit. Going past Beersheba is like crossing a border. Something about it feels to Jacob like an irrevocable decision. I think when he goes to bed in his tent that night his mind is filled with worries for what lies ahead.
But the Lord knows Jacob's anxious thoughts and calls to him in the night. "And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, 'Jacob! Jacob!'" (Genesis 46:2a)
Jacob has lived long enough in the faith and reverence of the Lord that he immediately recognizes His voice. "'Here I am,' he replied." (Genesis 46:2b)
"'I am God, the God of you father,' He said. 'Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt.'" (Genesis 46:3a) Why does the Lord say, "Don't be afraid"? Because Jacob is afraid! He's never been to Egypt in his life. He knows nothing about what he's going to see and hear and feel when he reaches that strange and foreign country. He's about 130 years old now and is no longer a young man with a young man's fearless, adventurous ways. It's not exciting for him to pick up and leave everything he's familiar with; it's terrifying. And the Lord doesn't find fault with him for being afraid but instead shows up to comfort him. Sometimes we are too critical of ourselves about the fear we feel. It's normal to be apprehensive about radically new and unfamiliar things. It's natural to experience some anxiety when stepping out in faith and walking on the water, so to speak. Many of the heroes of the Bible felt worried about the future or even afraid for their lives at times. But they found the strength to keep moving ahead because they believed God was going to be with them. In Jacob's dream at night the Lord reminds him that He has always been with him and will continue to be with him when he moves down to Egypt. God is God everywhere. He's going to be the same God with Jacob in Egypt as He was with Jacob in Canaan.
The Lord says, "'Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:3b-4) The Lord is promising that the nation of Israel will return to Canaan, not that Jacob himself will ever see the land of Canaan again. Jacob will die in Egypt, and the Lord makes this clear to him by saying, "Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." I think this is a beautiful way of saying to Jacob, "You'll never be separated from Joseph again. When the time comes for you to pass from this life on earth into eternity with Me, Joseph will be at your side when you take your last breath. His will be the last face you see. His will be the hand that closes your eyes when your soul has left your body."
Jacob awakes in the morning feeling refreshed in both body and spirit. He's ready to move ahead now. "Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they acquired in Canaan. Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters---all his offspring." (Genesis 46:5-7) I love that feeling when I move ahead in the confidence that I'm going in the direction the Lord is telling me to go! Even though I might still maintain some nervousness about this decision or about this new path in life, knowing that the Lord is directing me and that He's with me every step of the way makes me feel refreshed and renewed in spirit. I imagine this is how Jacob felt as he took his first step across the border toward his future in Egypt. I can almost feel the rush of adrenaline he experiences as he looks toward Egypt in a mixed emotional state of nervousness and exhilaration.
The Lord never promised us that living a life of faith would be easy. He never said there wouldn't be moments of fear. He never said we wouldn't toss and turn in the night while we wrestle with anxiety or doubts. But He did say, "Surely I am with you always." (Matthew 28:20) When you were a small child and you had to do something scary like going to the doctor for your yearly shots, didn't it help to have your mom or dad with you? Getting those shots was a necessary thing to keep you healthy, so your parents allowed you to endure the temporary pain in order to prevent worse problems down the road, but wouldn't getting those shots have been so much worse if you'd had to get them without a loving parent holding you? The Lord sometimes has to let us endure new and intimidating experiences in this life, but He stays right with us the whole time. He's holding us securely in His loving and powerful arms. We're not moving ahead into the future alone.
I'm including a song link below because our passage today reminds me of these comforting lyrics. I hope it will be a blessing to you like it has been to me.
The Promise
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