Jacob is an old man now, and his heart has been broken for a long time. Years ago, he believed his son Joseph was dead — torn apart by a wild animal. But now a messenger has come with the most astonishing news: Joseph is alive. Not only alive, but ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.
Jacob's hands tremble. His eyes fill with tears. 'My son Joseph is still alive,' he whispers. 'I will go and see him before I die.'
So Jacob packs everything. His sons, their wives, their children, the flocks and herds — the whole family begins the long journey south toward Egypt. There are seventy people in all who make this journey, and every one of them is part of God's great plan.
Before they reach Egypt, Jacob stops at Beersheba to worship God. And God speaks to him in a vision at night. 'Jacob, Jacob,' God calls. 'I am God, the God of your father. 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.'
This promise is part of the covenant God made with Abraham, Jacob's grandfather. God had said that Abraham's family would one day be as many as the stars, and that through them, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Even going to a foreign land cannot stop God's covenant from moving forward. God is keeping every single promise.
When Joseph hears that his father is coming, he gets into his chariot and races to meet him. When Jacob sees Joseph, he throws his arms around his son and weeps for a long, long time. 'Now I am ready to die,' Jacob says, 'since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.'
The whole family settles in a region of Egypt called Goshen, a rich and green land perfect for their flocks. Pharaoh gives them this land because of his great respect for Joseph.
Years pass. Jacob grows very old. Before he dies, he calls his sons together and blesses them. He crosses his hands to place the greater blessing on the younger, just as God has done throughout his family's story. Then Jacob breathes his last breath, trusting in the God of his fathers.
Joseph weeps over his father. He keeps his promise to bury Jacob in the land of Canaan, the land of God's promise. And when Joseph's own life is almost over, he speaks with great faith to his brothers: 'God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'
God has not forgotten. God never forgets His covenant.
Christ in This Story
Joseph, who was rejected by his brothers but raised to glory and became the one who saved his people from death, is a powerful picture of Jesus. Just as Joseph forgave his brothers and welcomed them into a place of safety, Jesus forgives those who sinned against Him and welcomes His people into His kingdom. Jacob's dying faith — trusting in promises he had not yet seen fulfilled — points to the faith all of God's people need to trust in Jesus, the final fulfillment of every covenant promise. The gathering of the whole family in Egypt also mirrors how Jesus will one day gather all His people together, from every nation, to be with Him forever.
Historical Context
The movement of a Hebrew family into Egypt fits well within the ancient Near Eastern world of the second millennium BC. Egyptian records and archaeology show that Semitic peoples — groups from Canaan and surrounding regions — regularly migrated into Egypt during times of famine, and some even rose to positions of significant administrative power. The region of Goshen, likely in the northeastern Nile Delta, was known for fertile grazing land and was sometimes settled by foreign groups with Pharaoh's approval. The number seventy recorded for Jacob's household in Genesis 46 reflects a symbolic completeness common in ancient Near Eastern literature, representing the fullness of a family or nation.
The burial customs described in Genesis 50 are historically striking. Jacob's embalming, which took forty days according to Egyptian practice, and the seventy days of mourning are consistent with what we know of Egyptian funerary traditions. Joseph's insistence on burying Jacob in Canaan — in the cave of Machpelah purchased by Abraham — underscores the deep covenantal significance of the Promised Land in the patriarchal faith. Joseph's own request that his bones be carried out of Egypt when God delivers Israel (Genesis 50:25) is fulfilled centuries later in Exodus 13:19, showing how these dying acts of faith echoed through generations.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father, thank You for keeping every promise You have ever made. Just like You were with Jacob's whole family even in a foreign land, help us to trust that You are always with us too. Thank You for sending Jesus, who is the greatest promise of all. Amen.