14 July 2023

God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.’

From Genesis 46:1-7,28-30, NRSV

Israel’s (Jacob’s) decision to leave Canaan would not have been taken lightly. He would have known of the difficulties that Abraham encountered in Egypt and that his father, Isaac, had been specifically told not to go there. Whilst in Canaan, Israel’s tribe had increased and prospered. However, the famine that they were suffering made it necessary for survival that they moved on. Above all, Israel’s desire to see his son Joseph, the son he had long since given up for dead, would have influenced his decision. God seemed to understand Israel’s need for reassurance. In the same way as God had spoken to him forty years previously, Israel again received a vision in the night. God addressed Israel as Jacob – the name by which he had first been called, and assured him that he was doing the right thing. And so Israel led his family into Egypt, not knowing fully what their fate was to be but trusting that their destiny was held in God’s hand.

• • How do you think Israel felt as he came close to Egypt?
  • What has helped you to decide when it was time to move from one situation to another?

Reflect on the journey your own life has taken and when you have felt God’s reassurance in the decisions you made.