GENESIS
Chapters 46 and 47
If you don’t have a Bible handy, click this link for Genesis Chapter 46 and Chapter 47.
Chapter 46
NOTE: Jacob / Israel – the name goes back and forth in these chapters.
Verses 1-4: Israel starts his journey and God speaks to him.
Verses 5-7: They all leave Beersheba and continue on their journey.
Verses 8-27: The list of names of everyone who traveled – 70 in all.
Verse 28: Judah goes ahead to Joseph.
Verses 29-30: Jacob and Joseph reunite.
Verses 31-34: Joseph gives instructions for meeting Pharaoh.
Chapter 47
Verses 1-6: 5 of the brothers meet Pharaoh and do what Joseph told them to do.
Verses 7-10: Jacob meets Pharaoh.
Verses 11-12: Joseph gets the family set up in Goshen.
Verses 13-22: Joseph sells bread to the people of Egypt for money, livestock and land.
Verses 23-26: Joseph makes an agreement with the people – they can stay on the land, grow crops and give 1/5 of the harvest to Pharaoh.
Verses 27-28: Jacob lives there for 17 years and the family grew.
Verses 29-31: Israel makes Joseph promise to not bury him in Egypt but to bury him in his fathers burial place.
Discussion:
-- What’s going on with Jacob/Israel? Is he trusting God, then not trusting God? Does he have one foot in the world and the other foot in heavenly things?
-- Jacob needed encouragement and God gave it. When you have needed encouragement, did you seek it from God? If not, where did you get it from?
-- From a family of 70 people, God grew a nation. Did God keep His promise?
-- Jacob did have flocks, so it wasn’t really a lie telling Pharaoh that they were shepherds – Joseph used the truth to protect them. How do you protect yourself – with lies or truth?
-- Joseph wheels and deals with the Egyptians until he has all their money, livestock and land. Did Joseph help them or take advantage of them? What else could have been done?
-- Joseph’s deal with the people – would this be similar to taking out a loan or a 2nd mortgage on your home to cover expenses? Would you be a “slave” to that loan until it was paid off?
