We pick up the story as the news reaches Pharaoh of Joseph's family situation. They get a personal invitation by Pharaoh to move to Egypt and that they'll be welcomed with open arms. They return to Jacob and tell him that Joseph isn't really dead, he just runs Egypt! Jacob is stunned and he doesn't believe them. When he hears the whole story and sees the carts he starts to believe and his spirit is revived. So they load up the carts and move to Egypt. On the way Jacob has a vision and God tells him not to be afraid to go to Egypt. They give "a countin'" of the families, sixty-six in all make the trip.
There is a tearful reunion of Joseph and Jacob. They meet Pharaoh and he gives them land in Goshen. In fact, he says for them to manage his flocks as well. Jacob blesses Pharaoh. Pharaoh asks Jacob how old he is, he says he is 130 and that his years are few. An interesting perspective.
The famine in the world continues and people exchange everything they have for food, but they survive. Jacob gives them grain for seed and food and tells them to pay 1/5of their harvest back to Pharaoh.
Seventeen years later Jacob is near death at 147. He makes Joseph promise him that he will not be buried in Egypt, but in the land of his fathers.
Later Joseph and his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh visit Jacob, who is sick. He tells Joseph about God's promise to make him fruitful and increase his numbers, and how he has given the land as an everlasting possession to their descendants. Jacob claims Joseph's two sons as his own, that from now on they will be counted as his.
Tomorrow read Genesis 48:8 to the end and Exodus Ch 1! Woo hoo we'll finish the first book of the bible!
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