Genesis 46:1-34

In this study we will explore Joseph’s reunion with his father, Jacob, after twenty-three years of separation. Until just a few months prior to this moment, Jacob had no idea that Joseph was still alive. Jacob began his travel of approximately 230 miles from Hebron to Goshen with a short stop in Beersheba. This chapter opens with an account of what happened when Jacob entered the city of Beersheba in the Negev Desert, after traveling only 46 miles of his long journey.

Jacob journeyed to Beersheba and worships.  Vs. 1-7

The record continues, “So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ So He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.’ Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt” (Gen. 46:1-7).

In these first few verses, we see Jacob leaving Hebron and arriving in Beersheba, where he offers sacrifices to Yahweh, the God of his father. This place and this moment were significant for Jacob, because Beersheba was an important city in his life. Why do I say this? Because Beersheba was the home of his father, Isaac, and the place where Jacob grew up. It was here that he deceived his father before fleeing to Syria, where he spent 20 years of his life (Gen. 28:10). But Beersheba wasn’t just Isaac’s home town, it was also the city of his grandfather, Abraham. Genesis 22:19 records, “Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.” Later, in Genesis 26:23, it declared concerning Isaac, “Then he went up from there to Beersheba.” So, this city had a deep personal and spiritual significance for Jacob.

Now, imagine returning after many years to your own home town where you grew up. I am sure that many memories, both good and bad, would flood your mind. I believe that was exactly what Jacob was experiencing as he came into town. As he journeyed toward Egypt, he paused in Beersheba, and was probably reflecting on his past, and what lay ahead for him in Egypt. We definitely know that Jacob was fearful of what was ahead for him, because God spoke to him and told him not to fear (Gen. 46:3). Obviously, God would not tell Jacob to not be fearful, if he wasn’t sensing his fear. So, what does Jacob do in this moment of remembrance and anxious fear? Jacob bowed and worshipped God!

This act of humility and worship was clearly significant, and revealed who Jacob had become. He was now a man of faith, a man of worship, and a man who had learned to pursue the Lord in times like this. Worship and prayer, in many ways, defines a person, and reveals who they truly serve. The reality is that everyone worships something or someone. The question is, What and who do you worship? Is it the true and living God, or is it self, material possessions, power, pleasure, or status? Whoever or whatever you yield yourself to, that is your god. The master passion of your life, that is your god. Whoever and whatever holds the priority in your life, that is your god. Jesus said to Satan, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matt. 4:10 underline added). Jesus also said to His disciples, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). By Jacob worshipping God at this point in his life, and at this moment of anxiety and fear for what was ahead, he was acknowledging that Yahweh was his God. He was revealing who he trusted. This is why Solomon counseled his son to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path” (Prov. 3:5-6). Jacob clearly wanted to acknowledge the LORD, and seek Him to direct his path. This is why he stopped in Beersheba to worship and to wait upon the LORD.

The God who speaks.

Because Jacob acknowledged God in worship, the text declared, “Then God spoke to Israel” (Genesis 46:2). Notice the order and example that Scripture gives here. Jacob first humbled himself to bow before God to worship Him, and then He spoke to him. Worship is an act of humility and faith. This pattern found here in God’s Word should be a powerful lesson for each of us. When you bow to worship Him in faith, God is going to speak to you. How can I be so sure? The best proof I can give to you is what God spoke to King Josiah when he sought direction from God through Huldah, the prophetess. God first told Josiah that judgment was determined upon the nation because of their idolatry, but to the king himself, the Lord had a personal message. The Lord said, “But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Concerning the words which you have heard-- because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,’ says the LORD” (2 Chron. 34:26-27). Note that God clearly says it twice, that because Josiah humbled himself and wept before God for his sins and the sins of the nation, He heard Josiah’s prayer, and responded to him. My point is that God knows the heart of a man or woman, and even if you are fearful and anxious as Jacob was, if you come to Him in humility, He will hear your prayer and speak to you. So, come boldly to throne of God (Heb. 4:16).

If you are seeking God’s direction in your life, then you should heed this example. Whether it’s a decision about your family, work, or other relationships, start by humbling yourself before Him and acknowledging His position of authority over you. Recognize His right to tell you what to do, and bow your heart to Him. He knows infinitely more than you could ever know about all the things that concerns you. He knows your past, your future, and everything in between. If God says “No,” to your requests, accept it. If He says “Yes,” then immediately obey Him and do what He commands. If He says “Not now,” trust His timing. A heart that truly submits to God’s will is one that He will lead. You should definitely pray as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” It is so important that when you pray, you acknowledge regularly that His kingdom is above yours. His will is above your will. If you do, then you can trust that He will guide your steps. Jacob’s story in this text clearly teaches us a timeless truth; when you humble yourself and worship God, He speaks, He leads, and He will direct your path. Bow before Him, submit your will to His, and allow Him to direct your path!

Waiting upon God.

One of the things that many believers fail to do is to wait upon God on a daily basis. This should be done when there is no crisis in your life, so that when a crisis occurs you already have this as your habit. As you wait upon Him, your heart and ear will become sensitized to hear God’s voice. One of my favorite passages in the Bible that addresses this concept of waiting upon the Lord is found in the prophecies of Isaiah. There Isaiah declared, “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence-- As fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil-- to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, the mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him” (Is. 64:1-4). Isaiah is declaring that he would love to see God come with miraculous power to shake the mountains, and reveal His power to those who don’t believe in Him. Then Isaiah makes a statement that no one has ever seen any God in history that has acted for His people like Yahweh has done. He was most likely referring to God’s acts, such as, the parting the Red Sea for the Children of Israel, or raining manna for 40 years from heaven to feed His people every day, or breaking open the rock to satisfy their thirst, or all the miracles recorded in the Old Testament times. Don’t you also long to see God’s mighty power displayed like this? This is what Isaiah was expressing. But, note at the end of this passage that God does these things, “for the one who waits for Him.” This is a critical statement and vital for each of us to acknowledge. Waiting upon the Lord in prayer is how you can see His mighty working in your life. Then, Isaiah continued, “And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities” (Is. 64:7). Isaiah then laments that no one in his day was stirring himself up to call upon God, or taking hold of Him in prayer like this. That is such a sad statement to make, because he acknowledged that this is why the nation of Israel was being consumed before his eyes by the Assyrian invasion of the land.

Do you want the Lord to act on your behalf? Then wait upon Him, because that is the key. If you desire to hear His voice, and for Him to respond to your prayers, then you must learn to wait on Him, and then He will reveal Himself to you. Ask God to stir you up in prayer, so that you can take hold of Him in prayer. If you will seek Him in this manner, you will experience the power and the outpouring of His Spirit upon you.

God’s redirection of Jacob’s thinking.

What did the Lord actually say to Jacob when He addressed this anxious and fearful man? God gave Jacob specific guidance and comfort at this critical moment in his life. Jacob arrived in Beersheba, probably thinking, God told my father Isaac, not to go to Egypt. Should I go? Will I ever return? I am so old; will I die in Egypt? These were most likely the questions that weighed heavily upon his heart. How did God minister to this man?

First, God encouraged Jacob to get his eye’s off of himself, and to put all of his focus upon Him. The Lord declares to Jacob, “I am God, the God of your father.” This is a powerful statement to this man, because this was exactly what he needed to do. God was telling Jacob to fix his attention on the God who was in complete control, because He is God. He was the only one who had authority over all of the uncertainties that were in Jacob’s mind. God is declaring, I’m God, and you are not! This would have instantly gotten Jacob to listen up! Over 2000 times God declares, “I am the Lord” in Scripture. Over 700 times He declares, “I am God.” This number of declarations of this fact should tell you that mankind throughout history has needed to remember this fact. Why? Because this is what everyone of us needs to do every day of our lives. We need to take our hands off of whatever we are holding onto, whatever we are fearful of, and give it up to Him. This is why the Psalmist was told, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps. 46:10). Did you know that the words, “Be still,” in Hebrew mean to relax, release your hands, or take your hands off? This is a truth that is vital to effective prayer, and obedience. You can’t pray in faith until you take your hands off and release your grip on that which you asking Him to handle. Unless you release your grip on what you are praying about, you will definitely not obey God, especially if He is commanding you to do something that is against your will. This is why God always wants your eyes focused on Him, and your hands off of what you are concerned with. Remember, the God who created the heavens, the earth, and the entire universe, holds the heavens in the span of His hand. The expanse of the universe has been estimated by scientists to be at least 25 billion light-years in diameter. How can you wrap your head around that kind of distance? You would have to get on a ray of light traveling at 186,000 miles per second for 25 billion years to reach the other end of the universe. And our God is bigger than that, because He holds that distance just in the palm of His hand! In other words, your God can handle anything that you take your hands off, and offer up to Him! This is why God said to Jacob, “I am God.”

God’s clear direction, comfort, and reaffirming of the covenant.

God also gave Jacob clear direction for exactly what He wanted him to do. In verse 3, He told him, “Do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.” God reassured Jacob that he was not to be fearful, and that He would take care of his family by allowing them to grow into a great nation. God indeed fulfilled His Word. Four hundred years later, when Israel emerged from Egypt, they were no longer a small family group, but they had become a great nation. Scripture records that 603,550 men came out of Egypt (Ex. 38:26). If you add women and children to this number, the Children of Israel had grown to over two or three million people. God sustained and multiplied Jacob’s descendants, and He fulfilled His promises to them. Why? Because God is the faithful One. He heard the cry of Jacob’s heart, He acted, and He fulfilled His Word. If you want to see the Lord move in your life, then wait on Him, seek Him, and obey what He tells you to do. Just as He led Jacob, He will lead you. Fix your eyes on Him!

In addition, this encouragement that was given to Jacob must have been very comforting, because God was reaffirming His covenant that had been given to his father Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham. Note in Psalm 105:5-10, how God highlights this reaffirmation of the covenant. There the Psalmist declared, “Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations—the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac—and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.” So, the Lord promised the exact same things to Jacob’s father and grandfather many years before. It must have been so comforting to Jacob to know that God had not forgotten Israel or His promises to them. His covenant remains valid today, which is why the Jewish people returned to their homeland after the Second World War in 1948. God will complete His work with Israel and will one day reign over them in the city of Jerusalem for a thousand years, fulfilling every unfulfilled promise. Here, He reassures Jacob of His covenant, which was an everlasting covenant, bringing him tremendous comfort.

In the same way, God reaffirms His promises to you every time you open your Bible. As you begin to read His Word, He speaks to your heart, reminding you of His covenant promises to you. This is why regular Scripture reading is so essential for growth in your life, because it allows God to continually reassure and reaffirm His truth to your heart. For new believers, I encourage you to start reading in the New Testament. Read the entire New Testament multiple times before ever delving into the Old Testament. Why? You need a strong foundation in the New Covenant, which will give you a clear understanding of the Old Covenant. As you read, you’ll see how God takes His promises, and makes them personal to you, applying them to your specific circumstances through the Holy Spirit.

I will go down with you.

God also promised to go down to Egypt with Jacob, which was a promise that must have stilled the fear in Jacob’s heart. Assuring Jacob of His presence would clearly have alleviated his fears. God does the same thing when He speaks to you through Scripture. He assures you by the infilling of His presence, and the assurance that He is with you. Again, this is exactly why you should be reading the Scripture on a daily basis, so He can speak to your heart. I can think of countless times when a verse suddenly comes alive to my heart, and has spoken directly to my circumstances, reassuring me. I take this as God reminding me that He is real, He is with me, and that He knows everything that is going on in my life. This was also David’s experience with the Lord. When he wrote Psalm 23:4, he shared exactly where he got his confidence. He wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.” Fear is a natural response to life’s challenges, but in those moments, if you turn to the God who is with you, and who lives inside you, He reassures you every time. Every time you do, you will find that He is right there with you.

Did you know that even the Apostle Paul experienced fear? In Acts 27:24, when he was in the midst of a life-threatening storm, God told him, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Paul feared for his life, but God assured him of His plan, and everything that God told him came to pass. So, when you get overwhelmed by your trials, cry out to God, be filled with His Holy Spirit, and witness His deliverance. He is always faithful.

I will surely bring you up again.

At the end of verse 4, God told Jacob, “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again.” This is another comforting and powerful promise. Jacob was nearing the end of his life, and didn’t know if he would ever return to the land of Israel, but God assured him that he would. This promise profoundly impacts Jacob, because he later instructs his sons in Genesis 49:29, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.” He insisted on being buried in Israel, because he trusted in God’s promise. Joseph later echoes this same request in faith, also asking his family to promise to take his remains back to Canaan (Heb. 11:22).

More comfort.

God also comforted Jacob by assuring him that he would see his son Joseph again, when He told him, “Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.” This meant that Joseph would be present at Jacob’s death, by using his hands to close his eyelids. What reassurance this must have been for Jacob in his old age! Everything God told Jacob was meant to bring comfort to this fearful and anxious man. This powerful encounter with God, should also assure all believers that this is God’s heart, to comfort His people. This is why Isaiah cried out, “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ Says your God” (Is. 40:1). Never forget that you have the greatest Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who lives inside you, and who would love to comfort you and be your help today (John 14:26).

Jacob or Israel?

It is very important to note before we leave this encounter with Jacob, that you see how God used Jacob’s old name and his new name. It declares in verse 2, “Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” (Gen. 46:2). Now why would God use both names like this? This encounter with God at Beersheba must have been a very pivotal moment for this man. Remember that God had changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen. 32:28). What did this name change mean? The word Israel is a combination of two separate words.  Notice at the end of the word Israel is the word El, which is the name for God. The first part of the word means to prevail, or to be governed, or to rule. So literally the Lord changed his name from the supplanter and deceiver, to the one God rules, or the one God governs. So, why would God emphasize his name calling him Jacob twice during this encounter? Was it to be a reminder that he was not the old Jacob anymore, and that he shouldn’t go back to living in fear, but move ahead in faith? Or, was it a warning that he was already headed down this path of trying to figure everything out again? I believe God was essentially telling Jacob, don’t revert back to the old Jacob in your fear, so that you try to control everything. God was saying, trust Me Jacob, I am with you, and I will bring you back to your land.

How does God speak to us today?

Many times, when people read of these encounters with God where He speaks so directly to them, they say, “I wish I had lived in those days, so God could speak to me directly.” I usually respond and tell them, “I’m glad I didn’t live back then.” People look at me a bit puzzled, and ask why. I explain that the people in Jacob’s day didn’t have the Scripture to refer to, they only heard from God on rare occasions, and they didn’t have the Holy Spirit living in them as we do today. I believe God can speak to each of us much more easily today, because we have His Word in our hands that we can refer to anytime we desire. This is why the apostle said in Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” God has spoken through the prophets, apostles, angels, and by direct visitation. But Jesus has given us the clearest and most direct word from the Father possible. He has also given us His Spirit to live inside us, to teach us all things, and bring to our remembrance His truth.

People usually say, “But I can’t discern God’s voice; is it just my thoughts in my head?” But Jesus said that every believer has heard God’s voice. He taught in Revelation 3:20 that he can speak directly to our hearts, when He spoke to the church of Laodicea and said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” This confirms that every believer has heard His voice, and His call to open their heart to Him. Therefore, you must learn to discern God’s voice as He speaks to us through our thoughts and minds. In Acts 7:23, when God was calling Moses to serve Him, it declares, “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.” In the Greek language the heart and mind are used interchangeably. This means that God planted the thought in Moses’ mind to visit his brethren, which is how his ministry to the Jews began. Similarly, in Acts 8:29, when God wanted Philip to reach out to the Ethiopian eunuch to minister to him the Scripture declares, “The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot.’” How did the Spirit tell Philip to take this action? I believe that this was, again, a simple thought within him that was inspired by God. The same thing happened with Peter in Acts 10:19, while contemplating a vision God had given him, Scripture declared, “While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are seeking you.’” Note that the text specifically says, that while he, “Thought about the vision, the Spirit said.” This clearly connects Peter’s thought process and the Spirit’s speaking. You can also hear God’s voice at any time you wish, by simply reading your Bible. In Psalm 103:20 it states, “Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” Note that angels heed the voice of God’s Word. So, you can hear His voice too by just reading His Word. I believe that God is speaking all the time, but are we listening?

Those who went down to Egypt.  Vs. 8-27

“Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob's firstborn. The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three. The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all. The son of Dan was Hushim. The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all. All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy. (Gen. 46:8-27).
In verses 8 through 27 we find a simple listing of names, so I won’t spend much time in this section, except to mention a few points. These are the names of the children of Israel, totaling seventy individuals. Note that only the men are recorded here, because twenty-six times you will read the word “sons,” and twice the word “son.” This was because the sons carried the family name on, even though there were also daughters implied in this same text. This is why we understand that the number of 603,550 men that were recorded as leaving Egypt would probably have totaled two or three million people, if you counted the women and children. This is equally true in the New Testament when it declared that Jesus fed 5,000 men (Matt. 14:21). Therefore, if you added the women and children to this number, it would probably have been fifteen to twenty thousand people that Jesus fed. In addition, in verse 7, note that it states, “His sons, his son’s sons, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters.” This indicates that there were also daughters and granddaughters, likely a much larger number of people.

There also seems to be a discrepancy of three different counts of these people. First, in Genesis 46:26-27 it says, “All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy. The difference between the 66 people, and the number 70, is calculated by adding in Jacob, Joseph, and his two sons, because Joseph was already in Egypt, and Jacob couldn’t be included in the 66 number, because the calculation were only those who, “came from his body.” But, if you also compare Acts 7:14 with this text in Genesis, Stephen stated that seventy-five people came out of Cannan into Egypt, rather than seventy, how can this figure be correct? Does this mean that the Bible is in error? Not at all. If you read Acts 7:14 more closely it declares, “Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him.” Stephen was quoting from the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, where this number is given as 75. Stephen was simply including additional “relatives,” beyond those who came from Jacob’s body. The Septuagint is not wrong, the number is just adding in those unnamed “relatives.”

Jacob settles in the land of Goshen.  Vs. 28-34

“Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.’ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, “My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, “What is your occupation?” that you shall say, “Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,” that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians” (Gen. 46:28-34).

The reunion.

This reunion must have been a tearful scene as Jacob and Joseph meet for the first time in over 20 years. Again, you should note that these two men had no problem crying on each other’s shoulders for “a good while.” They had no problem with this display of emotion, so neither should you when a special moment like this occurs in your life.

Joseph the diplomate.

Now some ask, “Why did Joseph instruct his family how they should represent themselves to Pharoah when he arrived to meet them? Because Joseph was trying to be diplomatic with Pharaoh, hoping that their presence would not offend him by mentioning that they are shepherds. He instructed them on how to describe their occupation as those who fed livestock. Did his brothers take Joseph’s advice? No. Because in the next chapter, you will read that when Pharoah asked them what their occupation was, they told him that they were shepherds. We will explore this topic in more detail in our next study.