Genesis 46:1-4; 46:28-30; 47:7-10 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.… I. BETWEEN JACOB AND GOD. 1. A gracious meeting. In the visions of the night, at Beersheba, Jehovah, after a lapse of upwards of a quarter of a century, again makes known his presence to his servant. It was a signal act of gracious condescension on the part of God. 2. A promised meeting. As the God of Abraham and of Isaac, Jehovah had solemnly taken Jacob into covenant with himself, and engaged to be with him for guidance and succor wherever he might wander and whensoever he might need assistance; and such an occasion had manifestly arisen then in the experience of the patriarch. 3. A solicited meeting. It is more than likely this was the explanation of Jacob's sacrifices at Beersheba. He was asking God to come to him with counsel and help at the important crisis which had come upon him. 4. An encouraging meeting. Jacob got all that he desired and more - words of cheer and promises of love, that sufficed at once to dispel his fears and animate his hopes. II. BETWEEN JACOB AND JOSEPH. 1. A longed-for meeting. How earnestly father and son had yearned to behold one another we can imagine better than express. 2. An expected meeting. No doubt Joseph instructed Judah to inform Jacob that he (Joseph) would visit him at Goshen. 3. A happy meeting. Those who have passed through experiences in any degree similar to thin of Joseph and Jacob meeting after many years, when each perhaps thought the other dead, will not be surprised at their emotion. III. BETWEEN JACOB AND PHARAOH. 1. An interesting, meeting. Of age with (probable) youth, of poverty with wealth, of lowly birth (at least, comparatively) with regal dignity, of piety with superstition. 2. An instructive meeting. No doubt the monarch would learn something of Jacob's by-past history, and let us hope too of Jacob's God; and perhaps Jacob would discover something in what he heard from Pharaoh concerning Joseph that would lead him to recognize the Divine hand even mere clearly than he did. 3. A profitable meeting. Pharaoh got a good man's blessing, and Jacob won a great man's smile. - W. Parallel Verses KJV: And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. |
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