Jacob's Journey to Egypt 

So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And 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 there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.” (Genesis 46: 1 to 4) 

God called Abraham out of Ur into Canaan, a land of milk and honey as God promised. Now God called Jacob out of Canaan into Egypt. Wasn't Canaan a land of milk and honey? Wasn't every shepherd an abomination to the Egyptians as Joseph later said? Why did God want Israel to leave his comfort zone into a potentially hazardous territory? God promised that He would bring Israel back again. Why went through all the troubles? Couldn't God make Israel a great nation in Canaan, why went to Egypt instead? We might ask God tons of questions because it didn't make sense to us. However, for Jacob, no question was asked. Not only that, but Joseph had also planned it out for Israel as described below.  

When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” (Genesis 46: 33 34) 

Abraham and Isaac both had gone to Egypt to escape famines before but came back to Canaan afterward. Why did Joseph plan for Israel to settle in Egypt this time? One reason was because the famine was not over yet. It would last for another five years. The second reason was for Jacob to bless Pharaoh as described below. 

And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. (Genesis 37: 9 to 11) 

Indeed, later, Pharaoh was blessed as described below. 

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. As for the people, he made servants from the one end of Egypt to the other. (Genesis 37: 20 21) 

Pharaoh was blessed because Joseph could settle his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the best land of Egypt as Pharaoh had commanded. This is as what Jesus had said in the Bible below.  

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10: 40 to 42) 

Since Pharaoh acknowledged God's sovereignty on Joseph and received the Israel tribe generously, God rewarded him abundantly with the entire Egyptian land and people. 

If we receive Christ Jesus, then the reward would be even greater as described below. 

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1: 12 13) 

So, we will be born of God and become children of God with Christ being the firstborn as described below. 

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8: 29 to 34) 

Not only that we would be called brothers of Christ Jesus but also be justified and glorified by God so that nobody could charge against or condemn us. This really is out of our imaginations. Yet, Christ Jesus is still interceding for us. This is how great the reward is by receiving Christ Jesus.  Emmanuel.

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