Now to Abraham and his seed were the
promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as
of many; but as of one, And to thy seed,
which is Christ. And this I say, that the
covenant, that was confirmed before of God
in Christ, the law, which was four hundred
and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it
should make the promise of none effect.
(Galatians 3:16–17)

After the many afflictions that have tried
righteous Joseph from the day he was sold
into captivity, it is so encouraging to see God
exalt him from the dungeon to such a position
of power. When we see the king of Egypt
telling Joseph to bring his family and to
sustain them in the best of the land, we find
truth in these words: “Humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up”
(Jas. 4:10)!

As we read of these joyous events, let’s not
forget the promise that God had made to
Abraham when He told him that his seed
would possess the land of Canaan (Gen.
12:7). It is clear that Jacob did not forget
them when he offered sacrifices to the God of
his father Isaac on his way to Egypt (Gen.
46:1). We remember how Abraham had
refused to allow his son Isaac to return to
Haran, but sent his servant to see a wife for
him there. We recall also that Jacob had been
reminded by his father that he must return to
the land of promise when he fled from the
wrath of his brother Esau. Now Jacob was
being forced out of Canaan again, this time by
famine. God speaks to Jacob on this occasion
and assures him that He would make him a
great nation (cf. Gen. 12:2) there and bring
his seed back to Canaan again (Gen. 46:3–4).
This journey into Egypt was not, therefore, an
annulment of God’s promises or even an
unexpected problem to thwart God’s plan; it
was, in fact, the means that God would use to
accomplish His purpose for them and to
demonstrate to Israel and to the world
powers the supreme power of God!

That this journey to Egypt was no surprise to
the LORD is evident in the words He had
spoken many years before to Abraham before
Sarah bore Isaac: “Know of a surety that thy
seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not
theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years; And also that
nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge:
and afterward shall they come out with great
substance” (Gen. 15:13–14). This journey to
Egypt was not a change in God’s plan, but
simply a new phase of its execution. While
there was no way for Jacob or Joseph to see
what was coming for themselves or their
children down the road, they could rest
assured by their strong faith that God would
take care of it all!

After reading the text listed below, see if you
can answer the following questions.

Non-trivial Questions (Genesis 45:1–46:34)
1. How many years of famine were
    remaining when Joseph revealed his
    identity to his brethren?
2. Who did Joseph say had really sent
    him into Egypt?
3. What gift did Joseph give Benjamin
    as they returned to Canaan?
4. Where along the way did Jacob offer
    burnt offerings to God?
5. In what part of Egypt did the children
    of Israel make their dwelling?
6. What did Joseph tell his brethren to
    report to Pharaoh as their
    occupation?