Genesis 46:5-27- With God we form the majority

The first four verses of Genesis 46 tell us that Jacob set out for Egypt. While still a distance from his destination, he paused at Beersheba to offer a sacrifice and worship to God. Two reasons why he did that at Beersheba. He was, firstly, fearful because of the uncertainty of what’s ahead. Secondly, he was grateful to know that Joseph whom he thought was dead, was in fact still alive. In response to his worship, God appeared to him in a vision and called out tenderly to him. And what God said to him must have eased his mind and allayed his fear. Having been assured by God, Jacob was now set to continue on his journey to Egypt.

Fully assured by the vision and God’s comforting words, “…Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.” Jacob was fully assured that Egypt would provide the preservation for him and his family. And they would also emerge from there a great people and nation. This was God’s promise to him. So he confidently looked forward with full faith and vigour.  

The list of Jacob’s family delineated for us, in verses 8-27, indicates that this movement from Canaan to Egypt was a historic and significant moment. The number of children born to Jacob added up to seventy. Notice that his two wives Leah and Rachel both bore to him twice as many descendants as their maids. Leah gave him thirty-three but her maid Zilpah, sixteen. Rachel gave him fourteen while her maid Bilhah, seven. Adding the figures we get a total of seventy people. On closer examination we know that only sixty-six of them went to Egypt. How do we know that? Verse 12 tells us Er and Onan, the sons of Judah died and were buried in Canaan. And Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim were already in Egypt. Take away these five we get only sixty-five but when we add Jacob himself, the total would be sixty-six. The number seventy that came to Egypt in verse 27 is more a representation than a literal figure.  

Think further, the number should rightly be seventy plus one. The figure seventy did not factor God. When God is added in, the number should be rightly seventy-one. The point is this: we need to have God with us in the journey. When we have Him, we can be one or seventy, we will always form the majority. We cannot afford to leave God out of our life. He must always be included in everything. Our ability to stay on track and experience fulfilment and fruitfulness depends largely on His presence in our life. Let us make God a part of our journey. With Him we will not fail.