We're movin' on up, to the west side.

Genesis 46

We've skipped ahead again, over the parts where Joseph psychologically tortures his brothers (and his father, Israel, by proxy).  By the end of his "revenge" - Israel and all his family and servants and possessions have been welcomed to come stay in Egypt.

Joseph was careful to give credit to God about his abduction to Egypt while he was assuring them they did not do anything wrong.  But there have been no prayers, dreams, or other communication with God mentioned since Pharaoh's dreams were interpreted.

But now, as Israel prepares to leave the Promised Land and head to Egypt, he offers prayers, worship, and sacrifice to God.

So Israel began his trip to Egypt. First he went to Beersheba. There he worshiped God, the God of his father Isaac. He offered sacrifices. During the night God spoke to Israel in a dream and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”

I wonder why God reverts to Israel's earlier name.  Jacob has been acting persnickety towards his sons during their dealing with Joseph, but the scripture doesn't really indicate a full return to his heel-grasping ways.

Israel answered, “Here I am.”

Then God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt. In Egypt I will make you a great nation. 

This is a reiteration of the great promise that God had made earlier to Abraham and to Isaac.  It must comfort Israel to here the familiar words coming directly from God.

I will go to Egypt with you, and I will bring you out of Egypt again. You will die there, but Joseph will be with you. His own hands will close your eyes when you die.”

This sounds like a creepy promise, but priorities change and the presence of family means everything as life winds down.

Then Jacob left Beersheba and traveled to Egypt. His sons, the sons of Israel, brought their father, their wives, and all their children to Egypt. They traveled in the wagons the Pharaoh had sent. They also had their cattle and everything they owned in the land of Canaan. So Israel went to Egypt with all his children and his family. With him were his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters. All of his family went with him.

Just in case you didn't get all that -- Israel's entire family, his herds, and all their belongings are on the way to Egypt.  Nothing was left behind.

And next, just in case you were wondering how big that family tree is getting:

These are the names of Israel’s sons and family who went to Egypt with him:

• Reuben was Jacob’s first son. 
• Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
• Simeon’s sons were:
• Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, and Zohar. 
• There was also Shaul. (Shaul was born from a Canaanite woman.)
• Levi’s sons were:
• Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
• Judah’s sons were:
• Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan died while still in Canaan.)
• Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.
• Issachar’s sons were:
• Tola, Puah, Job, and Shimron.
• Zebulun’s sons were:
• Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were Jacob’s sons from his wife Leah. Leah had these sons in Paddan Aram. She also had a daughter named Dinah. There were 33 people in this family.

• Gad’s sons were:
• Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
• Asher’s sons were:
• Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. 
• Also there were Beriah’s sons, Heber and Malkiel.

All these were Jacob’s sons from his wife’s servant, Zilpah. (Zilpah was the maid that Laban had given to his daughter Leah.) There were 16 people in this family.

Benjamin was also with Jacob. Benjamin was Jacob and Rachel’s son. (Joseph was also Rachel’s son, but he was already in Egypt.)

In Egypt, Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (Joseph’s wife was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest in the city of On.)

• Benjamin’s sons were:
• Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

These were the sons of Jacob from his wife Rachel. There were 14 people in this family.

• Dan’s son was:
• Hushim
• Naphtali’s sons were:
• Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

These were the sons of Jacob and Bilhah. (Bilhah was the maid that Laban had given to his daughter Rachel.) There were seven people in this family.

The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt was 66 people. (The wives of Jacob’s sons were not counted in this number.) Also, Joseph had two sons in Egypt. With these two grandsons, Jacob’s family in Egypt numbered 70 people in all.

To get from 66 people (no wives counted) to 70 people, that means Joseph's wife was counted.

Jacob sent Judah ahead to speak to Joseph. Judah went to Joseph in the land of Goshen. Then Jacob and his people followed into the land.  Joseph learned that his father was coming. So he prepared his chariot and went out to meet his father, Israel, in Goshen. When Joseph saw his father, he hugged his neck and cried for a long time.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die in peace. I have seen your face, and I know that you are still alive.”

It's like the story of the prodigal son in reverse.  This time the missing son is almost a king, and brings his father and family to a new home.

Joseph said to his brothers and to the rest of his father’s family, “I will go and tell Pharaoh that you are here. I will say to Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and the rest of my father’s family have left the land of Canaan and have come here to me. 

They are a family of shepherds. They have always kept sheep and cattle. They have brought all their animals and everything they own with them.’  When Pharaoh calls you, he will ask, ‘What work do you do?’  You tell him, ‘We are shepherds. All our lives we have been shepherds, and our ancestors were shepherds before us.’ Then Pharaoh will allow you to live in the land of Goshen. Egyptians don’t like shepherds, so it is better that you stay in Goshen.”

In many translations, the "... don't like shepherds" is really "... an abomination" - which implies a dislike based on religious grounds. A lot of the Egyptian gods have animal faces or bodies: Cows, rams, sheep, birds, jackals. I wonder if the Egyptians don't like shepherds since their work reminds the Egyptians that those god-forms are really just animals (and also, shepherds ate cows and sheep).