Genesis 47:7-12 "And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, 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. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families."
After introducing his brothers to Pharaoh, Joseph brought his father, Jacob (Israel), and presented (set) him before Pharaoh. Jacob had many reasons to thank Pharaoh on this occasion. Pharaoh had been good to Joseph, and through Joseph, Jacob and his whole family had been able to survive the early years of the famine. Now, he stood before Pharaoh with the promise of a good land for his flocks and herds and for provision for his family for the future. However, with God watching over him, Jacob’s blessing may have had more import than simply thanking Pharaoh for his kindness.
Jacob was obviously elderly at this time, although still with a measure of strength. This was remarkable to Pharaoh, much as it still is to us today when we see someone who had lived many years and is still blessed to have a measure of strength and reason. Jacob’s answer was very telling in the manner in which he viewed his life. He declared that every day of his life was a pilgrimage.
The word translated as pilgrimage means a temporary abode, or it can point to a more permanent residence, but with the idea of being a stranger. Jacob’s pilgrimage up to that point had been one hundred and thirty years. Jacob considered this to be a short time, and he admitted that his life had been hard. We sometimes forget that Jacob’s hardships did not just begin with the loss of Joseph: his life had been filled with deception and loss.
Jacob considered his time to have been short. He admitted that he had not lived as long as his forefathers. Yet, there was one thing that they all had in common. All their days had been a pilgrimage; a temporary passing of strangers in a strange land following the leadership of the LORD.
Joseph placed his father and his brethren and their families in the best of the land of Egypt. They possessed Rameses (Goshen) according to Pharaoh’s command. Pharaoh had given this command because of Joseph. And here Joseph nourished them with bread.
Whether we deem our days to have been few or many, they have (and will) pass quickly. We realize that our dwelling here is temporary and once called by God, we are certainly strangers here. Our time may be filled with hardships and trials, but still, we have reason to rejoice and to bless God. Jesus has appointed us a kingdom here, and we dwell in the best of the land. In this land, we are nourished with bread from His loving hand!