Summary of passage: Israel/Jacob set out with all of his household and belongings for Egypt. At Beersheba he offered sacrifices to God. There God spoke to him, reassuring him to go to Egypt.
Questions:
3a) Because last time God spoke to Jacob (Genesis 35:1), God had told him to go to Bethel, the Promised Land. Jacob may have had doubts if he was following God’s will or not to go to Egypt and as BSF pointed out in Genesis 26:2, God had previously said not to go to Egypt. God was reassuring Jacob that this was His plan.
b) Genesis 26:2 & 46:3: God tells us where to go.
Proverbs 3:5-6: God will guide you if you trust and know Him and His ways with all your heart.
James 1:5-7: Ask God for what you desire and it will be given. But you must believe and not doubt that it will be so and that God will accomplish it.
4a) God will make Jacob into a great nation in Egypt. God will go to Egypt with Jacob. God will bring Jacob back again. Joseph’s own hand will close his eyes.
b) Exodus 1:7 says how the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied and filled the land. God was with them in Egypt (Exodus 1:20; 3:8). God commissions Moses to bring the Israelites back (Exodus 3:10; 6:8) and God will be with him (Exodus 3:12). Exodus 12 is the Exodus from Egypt. Genesis 50:1 has Joseph throwing himself upon Jacob when he died and crying and kissing him so presumably he closed his eyes since that is what one normally does when one dies.
Conclusions: Short and sweet. Wish the rest of Genesis would be this way cause I don’t know about you but I’m ready to be done with this study. It has definitely been a long one this year it seems.
Beersheba was one of the last towns in the Promised Land before reaching Egypt. Many events have taken place in Beersheba in Genesis here with God so it probably held special significance as well to Jacob (Genesis 21:22; 21:33; 26:24-25; 22:19).
Jacob could also have been hesitant to go to Egypt because of the evil it brought upon Abraham with Hagar and Sarah.
I like the emphasis on prophecy being fulfilled. Great example of how God is faithful to us always.
I have LOVED this studied and sad to be taking a break. I could be because while hearing the stories growing up this is the first time to have gone deep into Genesis. God has shown us how and why he made us and NEED him. I could go on and on about what our father has taught me through out this wonderful study. Thank you for your post. While I do not come here every day or week it is nice when I am not sure to check your blog. It’s like sitting in class and getting someone else’s point og view. The truth is I have things differently than you at times but that is God showing each of us what we he wants us to learn. Atozmom are you a GL or CL? If not why not? It is such a blessing to give back!
Vanessa,
Nope, neither. Haven’t been asked.
And this is my “giving back”–to you. What else would you call it?
I think you are right. God has given you a ministry in his way not! What a blessing to be chosen by our Father and not man! Carry on knowing you are a blessing to many. I do love the BSF study and giving back but I do cringe every time one of the leaders above me brings up BSF rules. I want to tell them they are being legalistic and I don’t believe that is Gods way. Thanks again and have a blessed rest!
AtoZMom: I’m so sorry this hasn’t been a good study for you. For others, including me, this has been exactly the word I needed at this time and in the situation in which my family finds itself. So sometimes the Lord isn’t using a specific thing to speak to you but He may be speaking through you to others. One never knows what He is doing but we do know He word never returns void. God’s blessings.
Never said “this hasn’t been a good study for me”. Just because I’m ready to be done doesn’t infer that.
I’m ready to be done because I am emotionally drained. This blog takes a LOT of work. A LOT. And it is not my only calling in life. I need the break to fulfill those other passions in my life.
That is what I meant when this study has been long and I’m emotionally spent.
I’m so glad we are on Joseph because I, too, am spent and drained. So much going on in my life and family around me. “Come to the well that never will run dry.” I need Jesus more than ever. I sent my letter to my TL and I am in prayer about leaving leadership. I am so weary of the drain of calling, calling, and never hearing back from volunteers and trying to get the ones I have to confirm and praying they are reliable and show up on time or even at all. We’ve had a rough year with people just “forgetting” despite repeated phone calls, texts, and emails and sticky notes. We’ve had so much leader absence that I’ve not been able to attend class on leaders’ training days or class days. I’ve missed class weeks this year when I have been PRESENT on both days because of people not showing up and leaders being sick the next day so I haven’t been able to attend class. I need to attend class. All of church duties involve ME teaching and giving and not being present in the sanctuary so others can be served. BSF Leaders Class is the ONE place I get served in my life and this year, it hasn’t been reliable because of all of the above. Maybe I’m just a private Eeyore person but just seeing that I needed to read Exodus 1-12 on the Challenge Question made me want to cry. It’s overwhelming right now. We spent so many weeks on Creation and the same passages and now, when we are in such rich soil, we seems to be cramming it in at one of the busiest times of the year for many people (end of school events, piano and ballet recitals, concerts for band, chorus, and orchestra, all the church events, baseball and softball season, wedding preparations, graduations, proms, moving kids home from college.) Praying for you and all of us to push on to the end.
And I am Sweet Mama because all of my life, people in Texas have prefaced my given name with SWEET and they still do. I don’t get it so much in this state but strangers tend to comment and call me sweet. I tend to keep a lid on my grumpy in public.
Will be praying with you….
Cute! I LOVE the sweet thing…
I bet you are sweet (as seen many times here) even when you think you’re not…I often think I’m a B****
We are often harder on ourselves when we shouldn’t be (and I know than God is)!
God bless…
Didn’t mean to misinterpret. I don’t come to your blog a lot but I enjoy your (younger) perspective. I’m in a different time of life from you … but am quite busy as well. For me, I guess, BSF has been the place where I am fed despite being a volunteer each week at our weekly study as well. I hope you find the refreshment you need.
Godbless you Atozmom, in Jesus name….Kudos to you as you do a good work rightly dividing the word of God…When u feel “emotionally drained” Please reckon Luke 6v38…and the psalm “the more u give the more he gives to you, just keep on living because its really True – U Can’t Beat God giving, no matter how u try…”