Gen 46:1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Jacob, Israel, has had a change of heart. He goes from an attitude of “Everything is against me!” in Gen 42:36 to willingly moving his entire family and all of his possessions in Gen 46:1. His actions indicate solid trust in God, a trust that has often been sorely lacking in his actions of the past. His entire demeanor seems changed by God’s peace.
Gen 46:2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
Today is a pretty appropriate day for me to read this chapter. It is the day before I go back to work after Thanksgiving break, the first day in almost a week I’ve had to set an alarm. It’s raining, and I have a lot of schoolwork to attend to today because I haven’t worked as studiously along as I had planned. It’s easy to default to “Everything is against me” instead of rejoicing in this day that the LORD has made (Psalm 118:24).
Gen 46:4 “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.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to rejoice in this day because You have made it and not to get lost in my circumstances. We all have a lot going on, Lord, and it’s not all pleasant, so help us to see You, to rejoice in You this day, no matter what we face. Thank You for being our shield and our very great reward (Gen 15:1) in this life. Your presence, Your peace, Your strength are more than enough for what we will face today. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 46:29b …As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.