Jacob's Family Settles in Goshen

Story:  Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

Passage: Genesis 47:1-12

Characters: Joseph, Pharaoh, Jacob, five of Joseph’s brothers 

Summary:  Joseph told Pharaoh that his family and their flocks had arrived.  Joseph picked five brothers to appear before Pharaoh and they told him they were shepherds and asked to live in Goshen.  Pharaoh gave them permission and asked them to watch his flocks too.  Jacob came before Pharaoh and blessed him.  Joseph helped his family settle into Goshen and he provided them with food. 

Notes:  I don’t have too many notes for this passage.  I think it is cool that Pharaoh gave Joseph’s family the best of the land and even trusted them with his own livestock.  He based th is decision completely on Joseph’s devotion.  If Joseph had lost his focus at any point over the twenty years he was in slavery, this favor might not have been possible.  It is also very significant that Pharaoh allowed Jacob to bless him.  In Egypt, Pharaoh was a god.  For a god to allow a man to bless him is very significant and it shows how affected Pharaoh was by Joseph’s example.  Jacob knew he wasn’t in his final home.  His life was a pilgrimage.  It was a short and evil one as well according to him.  I find his answer weird.  If someone asked me my age, I would not say my life has been short and evil and I don’t stack up to my fathers’ example.  Jacob had some perspective on life at this point.  Joseph’s family settled in Goshen, which apparently had a landscape which could support livestock.  They depended on Joseph for food and he wisely allotted food to them.     

Questions:  Which five brothers did Joseph present to Pharaoh?  Why did Jacob respond to Pharaoh like he did?  Why did Pharaoh allow Jacob to bless him?  What was the land of Goshen like? 

Lessons:  Joseph’s obedience in the hard times was all that allowed these good times to occur.  When we focus on our present troubles and lose sight of the future, we end up crippling ourselves in the future.  This story in general is a great example of how we are supposed to keep our focus on God no matter what our external circumstances are!