20130904 Wednesday, September 4 2013
Genesis 47: Jacob's Israel In The Land Of Goshen

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

After long and difficult years apart (see Genesis 37: Joseph's Coat Of Many Colours, Genesis 39: Potiphar's Wife, Genesis 40: The Dreams Of The Butler And The Baker, Genesis 41: The Pharaoh's Dreams, Genesis 42: Joseph's Sheaves and Stars Dreams Fulfilled, Genesis 43: The Benjamin Connection, Genesis 44: The Trial Of Joseph's Brothers and Genesis 45: Joseph's Revelation), Joseph's entire family were reunited with him in Egypt.

"47:1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen." (Genesis 47:1 KJV)

The "land of Goshen" was located in the verdant, well-watered area of the Nile Delta. It was the perfect place for shepherds to not only survive, but to prosper during a severe drought and famine.

"47:2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

47:3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation?

And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 47:4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

47:5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 47:6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle." (Genesis 47:2-6 KJV)

Jacob was then introduced to the Pharaoh (a term that originally meant the king of Egypt's palace, but which later came to mean the king himself). Note how, even though Jacob's name had been purposefully changed to "Israel" (see Genesis 32: The Origin Of Israel), the man himself continued to be identified in the Scriptures, prophetically and historically, as Jacob also.

"47:7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 47:8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?

47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 47:10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

47:11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families." (Genesis 47:7-12 KJV)

Exactly as the LORD God (Who was and is Jesus Christ; see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) had given Joseph to prophecy, the great famine came "so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine." Egypt itself wasn't immune from the famine - it was prepared for it.

"47:13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 47:14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.

47:16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. 47:17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year." (Genesis 47:13-17 KJV)

The great famine brought about a change in the economic system of Egypt. In effect, everything was nationalized: "Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones."

"47:18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: 47:19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.

47:20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. 47:21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. 47:22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

47:23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. 47:24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.

47:25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.

47:26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's." (Genesis 47:18-26 KJV)

Again, notice how the man is referred to here as both Jacob ("Jacob lived in the land of Egypt") and Israel, but with "Israel" beginning to take on a national meaning of its own ("Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly").

"47:27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

47:28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. 47:29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: 47:30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace.

And he said, I will do as thou hast said.

47:31 And he said, Swear unto me.

And he sware unto him.

And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head." (Genesis 47:27-31 KJV)

Fact Finder: Did Joseph keep the promise to Jacob's request to be buried with his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac?
See Jacob's Mummy