Genesis 47:1-6 "Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle."
While Joseph might be the practical ruler over the land of Egypt, he still answered to Pharaoh. Joseph came before Pharaoh to tell him that his family had arrived from Egypt. He did not want it to appear to Pharaoh that they had come as beggars. He assured Pharaoh that they had brought their flocks, herds, and all their possessions with them.
Joseph knew that the land of Goshen was a good place for cattle. He had his father and his brothers go there, then placed the matter before Pharaoh. Joseph had already coached his brothers in how they were to answer Pharaoh when he questioned them about their occupation. He knew that telling Pharaoh they were shepherds would predispose him to giving them the land of Goshen to dwell in.
They wanted Pharaoh to understand they had not come to stay. They were “sojourners” in the land. The word translated as sojourn means to turn aside from the road. This was just a temporary stop on their journey to possess the land of Canaan.
Pharaoh held Joseph in such high esteem that he placed the matter back in Joseph’s hands. He instructed Joseph to give them the best of the land to dwell in. Since Goshen seemed to be the best place for them, they were to remain there. Furthermore, he instructed Joseph to make the bravest and strongest of the men among them rulers (chief shepherds) over his own cattle.
Like Joseph’s family, we may find ourselves in situations that demand hard choices. Circumstances may demand that we give up the place (whether a physical place or an emotional one) we have become comfortable dwelling in for a season. This was a time and place for great growth for the house of Israel, and so it is for us in our lives. We may sojourn for a season in a land that is not meant to be ours as God prepares us to possess the land, He has promised us.
Their sojourn lasted for centuries, but it was still a sojourn. Ultimately, God delivered them by a mighty hand and brought them out to possess the land of Canaan. He did not forget them, even when their sojourn became a great bondage. Rest assured that, even when your sojourn seems to take longer than you anticipated, God will not forget you!