Almost ten years after Pharaoh met Joseph and put him in charge of getting the nation through years of famine, he learned that Joseph’s brothers had come to visit him in Egypt.

Joseph seemed to have no family when slave traders brought him to Egypt so many years before; now he had lots of brothers and a father. Pharaoh was so pleased about this that he invited the whole family to come to live in Egypt and sent carts and provisions back to Hebron, along with a royal invitation.

“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Tell your brothers, Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’” Genesis 45:17

Dispensing Favors

Not to be outdone by Pharaoh’s generosity, Joseph gave each of his brothers a new set of clothes, but he gave Benjamin five times as many sets of clothes and threw in three hundred shekels of silver, too.

Joseph had once been the favored son, and it had made his older brothers insanely jealous. Now that they had repented and reconciled with Joseph, he tested their character by giving Benjamin extra favor and challenging them not to react the way they had in the past.

“Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, ‘Don’t quarrel on the way!” Genesis 45:24

Joseph hoped his brothers had truly become new men.

Jacob’s Spirit Revives

Jacob was overcome by the news that reached him a few days later.

“They told him, ‘Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is the ruler of all Egypt.’ Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, ‘I am convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.’” Genesis 45:26-28

Jacob’s life was complete again. Simeon was out of prison, Benjamin had returned safely from Egypt, and Joseph was alive. He packed up everything he owned, loaded his whole family into the carts and set off for Egypt.

God Speaks at Beersheba

On the way out of Canaan, Jacob’s family passed through Beersheba where Abraham had made a treaty with Abimelek, built an altar and worshiped God. Isaac did the same thing years later. Beersheba was the southernmost part of Canaan, the last place to stop and meet with God before they entered Egypt.

God called Jacob by name that night and spoke to him in a vision.

‘Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” Genesis 46:3-4

Jacob’s Family Becomes Israel

Leaving Canaan was significant, going to Egypt even more significant because there was a danger that Jacob’s family might lose their identity and be tempted to worship other gods. They needed to know they belonged to God and that he would always be with them. They also needed to know God would bring them back to Canaan someday.

As Jacob moved into Egypt he was referred to as “Israel” more often. God was creating a nation from Jacob’s family and from this point forward they would be known as the nation of Israel.

Jacob’s twelve sons had become twelve families that were destined to become the twelve tribes of Israel. Their names were recorded in Genesis 46:1-27; they added up to seventy people.

Father and Son Reunion

Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to get directions to their new Egyptian home in the land of Goshen. Joseph also went to Goshen and was there when Jacob arrived. They embraced each other and wept.

When Jacob’s heart was still broken over losing Joseph he mentioned dying or going down to his grave in sorrow several times. In Genesis 46:30 he talks about death again, but this time he is at peace. “Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”

His sorrow had ended and Jacob’s joy was complete.

Permission From Pharaoh

Joseph had some business to take care of for his family. He needed Pharaoh to declare that Goshen was the place they could stay. Pharaoh agreed to this plan because Goshen was a remote place that had good pasture for Israel’s flocks and herds.

Pharaoh was extraordinarily hospitable to Joseph’s family. He offered royal appointments to those special ability to care for his livestock. And he received Jacob and listened respectfully as Jacob told his story and then blessed Pharaoh.

The Benefits of Servitude

As predicted, the famine raged on for seven years in Egypt and people ran out of money to buy food. Joseph let them trade their livestock for grain until Pharaoh owned all of the livestock in Egypt. Then the people gave Pharaoh their land and became his tenants. Joseph supplied them with seed grain and then collected twenty percent of all they produced from then on.

Today we think that the idea of reducing people to servitude is abhorrent, but it was a practical solution to a massive problem at that time. The Egyptians declared that it saved their lives and they were willing to be in bondage to Pharaoh.

An arrangement like this goes bad if there is injustice involved, but Joseph was a man of integrity who carried out the wisest course of action for Pharaoh and his people. A 20% tax on their income was reasonable when they could keep 80% for themselves. At the time Moses recorded this story that system of taxation was still in place in Egypt.

Meanwhile, the Israelites prospered in Goshen. In fact, they became property owners and increased greatly in numbers . . .  because God was with them, just as he said he would be.