Joel M Bradshaw

1So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”–Genesis 46

Jacob was leaving the promised land to go to Egypt. Many of us who travel large distances to visit family make sure to hug and say I love you before leaving. There’s something about that transition moment that is meaningful. God met with Jacob before leaving the land in an intentional transition moment. Four things stand out to me.

1. IDENTITY. God reminded Jacob not only of who he was, but also who He is. Jacob was leaving the land God gave him, but God was still at work.
2. IMMANUEL. One of the hundreds of times God reassures someone not to be afraid. And why? Just like in the famous Psalm 23 much later, ‘for thou art with me’. God was going to be with Jacob and his family. Yahweh wasn’t a territorial God who left you alone once you exited his land.
3. HOPE. God was still at work and would uphold the promises made to the patriarchs. God would grow a nation even in a foreign land and would be with them. These words get extra emphasis when we consider the 400 years of slavery coming next for Israel in that very same Egypt. God would bring them there and bring them back.
4. JOY. Jacob would see his Joseph again. Chapter 45 told us that Jacob believed the news about Joseph and Egypt. But in his heart did he doubt at all? That very news made those other 10 sons deceivers about about what happened to Joseph years ago. It revealed that they had lied to Dad. Could he really trust them? God therefore stepped in and reassured Jacob that he would indeed see Joseph again.

Take those four and apply them to your situation. God has revealed himself to you through the pages of the Bible. He is trustworthy and cares for you. He expects you to trust him even as he leads you in directions that might seem difficult. There is hope and joy on the journey.–JMB