Genesis 46 – Jacob’s Journey to Egypt

Overview: Faith, Family, and Fulfillment

🔹 Timeframe: During the famine, as Jacob’s family moves to Egypt.

🔹 Setting: Beersheba, the wilderness, and Egypt’s Goshen region.

🔹 Theme: Faith in transition, God’s promises, and divine preservation.

Key Takeaways

🔑 God leads His people, even into unfamiliar places.

🔑 Faith means trusting in God’s greater plan, even when it’s unclear.

🔑 God keeps His promises—Jacob’s descendants will become a great nation.

Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment

🔮 Israel’s Journey to Egypt – Foreshadowing Israel’s later enslavement and exodus.

🔮 Goshen as a Place of Separation – Believers are called to be set apart from the world.

🔮 Joseph as a Type of Christ – Welcoming and preparing a place for his people.

Historical & Cultural Context

📜 Beersheba as a Place of Covenant – A significant location for seeking God’s direction.

📜 Egypt’s Role as a Refuge – Many nations sought Egypt for survival during famines.

📜 Shepherds in Egypt – Egyptians viewed shepherds as lowly, keeping Israelites distinct.

💡 Final Reflection: Trusting God’s Leading

Jacob’s journey shows that sometimes God leads us into places we don’t expect, but His promises remain. Whether in Canaan, Egypt, or the wilderness, God’s presence is constant.

📌 Are we willing to follow God into the unknown?
📌 Do we trust His guidance, even when we don’t understand?
📌 Will we hold onto His promises, knowing He is faithful?

🚀 Genesis 46 reminds us that wherever God leads, He also provides.

Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt
Gen 46:1  And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 
Gen 46:2  And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 
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: 
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. 
Gen 46:5  And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 
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: 
Gen 46:7  His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. 
Gen 46:8  And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. 
Gen 46:9  And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. 
Gen 46:10  And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 
Gen 46:11  And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 
Gen 46:12  And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. 
Gen 46:13  And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron. 
Gen 46:14  And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. 
Gen 46:15  These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. 
Gen 46:16  And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. 
Gen 46:17  And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel. 
Gen 46:18  These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls. 
Gen 46:19  The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife; Joseph, and Benjamin. 
Gen 46:20  And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 
Gen 46:21  And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. 
Gen 46:22  These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 
Gen 46:23  And the sons of Dan; Hushim. 
Gen 46:24  And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. 
Gen 46:25  These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven. 
Gen 46:26  All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six; 
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. 

Jacob and Joseph Reunited
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. 
Gen 46:29  And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 
Gen 46:30  And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 
Gen 46:31  And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 
Gen 46:32  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. 
Gen 46:33  And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 
Gen 46:34  That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath 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.