Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 86
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
46:25–47:7
These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father,
Laban. The number of Jacob’s descendants through Bilhah was seven.
The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to
Egypt, not counting his sons’ wives, was s ixty-six. In addition, Joseph had
two sons who were born in Egypt. So altogether, there were seventy members of Jacob’s family in the land of Egypt.
As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph
and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived
there, Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time. Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to
die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive.”
And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s entire family, “I will
go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire family have
come to me from the land of Canaan. These men are shepherds, and they
raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and
everything they own.’”
Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your
occupation, you must tell him, ‘We, your servants, have raised livestock
all our lives, as our ancestors have always done.’ When you tell him this,
he will let you live here in the region of Goshen, for the Egyptians despise
shepherds.”
Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, “My father and my
brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all
their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of
Goshen.”
Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”
They replied, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors.
We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture
for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we
request permission to live in the region of Goshen.”
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have
joined you here, choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them
to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of
Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my
livestock, too.”
Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh.
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
