In The Beginning. Day 166, Those Who Went Down To Egypt

Twelve sons of Jacob end up in Egypt. Twelve tribes are going to come out of Egypt 430 years later. In our study today Moses provides us with a list of each of Jacob's sons and their sons and tells us how direct descendants of Jacob originally go to Egypt. This list is going to be of the utmost important to the nation when they emerge from slavery---through the mighty power of the Lord---centuries later.

"These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went down to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob. The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari." (Genesis 46:8-11) Reuben, though he is Jacob's firstborn, is not the one chosen to inherit the covenant blessings God promised to Abraham. Reuben, if you recall, once rebelliously tried to take his father's place as leader of the family by sleeping with one of his father's secondary wives. Reuben's character has improved a lot and he is not the man he used to be but he disqualified himself for leadership in proving by his immature and rash actions that he was not fit for leadership. The Messiah will not come from the family line of Simeon or Levi either. Simeon and Levi avenged the rape of their sister not only on the perpetrator but also on a city full of innocent men. They slaughtered every adult male of the town of Scechem and looted every home there. They have matured and changed a lot since those days, but I think the Lord knows that in the right circumstances they still might resort to violence, and they too are disqualified for family leadership.

Now we move on to Jacob's fourth born son Judah, who is the ancestor of God's own Son. "The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan)." (Genesis 46:12a) You will recall that Er and Onan were exceedingly wicked. The Bible doesn't tell us what their sins were, but they were of such a dreadful nature that the Lord didn't allow them to live past the age of young manhood. Moses names these two men because they are on Judah's family tree, but their lines were cut off by their death and they are not alive to go down to Egypt with the family.

Our Lord is descended from Judah's son Perez, the son Judah fathered out of wedlock with Tamar, the woman who was previously married first to his son Er and later to his son Onan. Judah's son Shelah by his first wife (who died) goes down to Egypt with him along with his son Perez by his second wife Tamar (whom he legally married after conceiving a child with her). Zerah the twin brother of Perez also goes along with them to Egypt.

Moses gives us the names of the sons of Perez. The Lord Jesus will descend from Perez' son Hezron. "The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hemul." (Genesis 46:12b)

Now we move back to the sons of Jacob's sons. "The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters were thirty-three in all." (Genesis 46:13-15) By the time they move down to Egypt, Jacob's marriage to Leah has resulted in thirty-three descendants.

"The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister's name was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah---sixteen in all." (Genesis 46:16-18)

"The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin." (Genesis 46:19) Joseph, of course, is already in Egypt, but he must be listed here in this genealogy because his descendants will make the exodus out of Egypt along with all the others. "In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On." (Genesis 46:20)

"The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob---fourteen in all." (Genesis 46:21-22)

"The son of Dan: Hushim. The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel---seven in all." (Genesis 46:23-25)

Jacob's descendants are seventy in number at this time. "All those who went to Egypt with Jacob---those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives---numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all." (Genesis 46:26-27)

This is not a very large number going down into Egypt. I've been to family reunions with far more people than this packed into a reception hall. But when the Lord brings them out of Egypt four centuries later their number will be large enough to form a nation. We don't know exactly how large the nation known as Israel will be when the exodus takes place since expert opinions on this vary, but generally it's estimated that their number is anywhere from half a million to two million. Here in Chapter 46 this nation makes a very small beginning, but as the Lord said in Zechariah 4:10, we are not to look down on the day of small beginnings. Everything has to start somewhere, and when these descendants of Jacob make their home in Egypt, likely they are barely noticed in such a huge country filled with so many people. But the Lord will bless and multiply them there. And when He leads them out in a miraculous way, the entire nation of Egypt will notice of them---and will take notice of their mighty God.