Exodus 1:1-7 "Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them."
By the providence of God, Israel and all his household came down to the land of Egypt. Joseph was already there by that same providence. He was in a place of authority where he could make it possible for his brethren to have a place to dwell for a season. This was not the promised land that God had established with Abraham.
In the closing of the book of Genesis, Joseph and his brethren
return to Egypt from burying Jacob. Joseph lives for another fifty-four years and dies at the age of one hundred and ten. At his death, Joseph told his brethren that “God will surely visit you,” and he made them promise that they would carry his bones up with them. In this is the implied promise that they would be leaving Egypt.
In our scripture verses today, we see the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s prophesy. When Jacob first entered Egypt, there were a total of seventy people who came down with him. By the time that Joseph and that generation had passed, Israel was already waxing great in the land. God was already visiting them in what would become years of some of their greatest bondage.
God made the children of Israel fruitful. God increased them abundantly and caused them to wax exceeding mighty. God filled the land of Egypt with them. God was preparing them for a great journey that would eventually see them take possession of the inheritance He had promised to Abraham.
I pray as we go through the book of Exodus that we will continue to focus on the truth that this is God’s work. While some of it may be due to geographic location, it is impressive to me how that going into Egypt is most often referred to as “going down,” and coming out of Egypt is referred to as “going up.” Joseph even charged Israel to carry his bones “up” with them when they left. Egypt was a land of bondage for many years, but it was also a land from which God showed His mighty hand to Israel and all the other nations.
Dear ones, when we are going into a time of trials, it may seem that we are going down. Just remember that God is there and is leading us by His providence. As surely as we have gone down, we will come up again by His providence. It is no coincidence that the last view Jesus’ disciples had of Him was that He was going up. May God bless us to come up into His presence all the days our lives!