Genesis 46:28 - Meaning and Application

Here we have the happy meeting of Jacob and his son Joseph. First, notice Jacob’s wisdom in sending Judah ahead of him to Joseph, so Joseph would know his family had arrived in Goshen (Genesis 46:28). This was a proper mark of respect to the ruler under whose protection these strangers had come. We should be careful not to give offense to anyone, especially to those in authority.

Next, see Joseph’s loving respect for his father. He went to meet him in his chariot and, when they met, showed both honor and deep affection. He presented himself to Jacob as a dutiful son should, even though God had raised him above his father in outward rank. Children should still honor their parents, even when life has lifted them higher than their parents.

Joseph also showed how strong his love was. Time had not weakened his gratitude or his family feeling. He wept a long while on his father’s neck, full of joy at seeing him. Here sorrow and joy come very close together in this life, because tears can express both. In the life to come, tears will belong only to sorrow no more. There, there will be perfect joy with no mixture of grief, and every tear will be wiped away.

Joseph had wept on Benjamin’s neck before, but he wept on his father’s neck even longer. Benjamin, his brother, was dear to him, but Jacob, his father, was even dearer. The bond between a father and son was stronger still.

Jacob was deeply satisfied by this meeting. He said, “Now let me die” (Genesis 46:30). He did not mean that it would not be good to live longer with Joseph and see his success and usefulness. He meant that this first meeting gave him so much joy that he could ask for nothing more from this world. Still, our comforts here are always incomplete. Jacob wished to die at once, but he lived seventeen years longer, which, in those days, was a significant span of life.

This reminds us that death does not always come when we ask for it, whether we are worn out by grief or overwhelmed with joy. Our times are in God’s hand, not our own. We must die when God chooses, not simply when life feels too sweet or too hard.

Joseph also showed wise care for his brothers’ new home. It was only right to let Pharaoh know that this family had come to settle in his land. If others trust us, we must not betray that trust by acting in secret or in a misleading way. Even if Jacob and his family might become a burden to the Egyptians, it should never be said that they came among them by stealth. So Joseph made sure to honor Pharaoh first (Genesis 46:31).

Then Joseph arranged where his brothers should live. Once they had tried to get rid of him, now he was working to settle them in the best way. This was a clear act of kindness in return for their evil.

He wanted them to live apart from the Egyptians, as much as possible, in the land of Goshen. That land was nearest to Canaan, and it was likely less crowded and better suited for livestock. He wanted them separated so they would be less likely to pick up the sins of the Egyptians or suffer from their hostility. The Egyptians, it seems, looked down on shepherds and would have treated Joseph’s family with contempt.

At the same time, Joseph wanted them to keep being shepherds and to admit that openly before Pharaoh. He could have given them work in the grain trade, or used his influence to place them at court or in the army. Some of them may have been fit for that. But such promotions could have stirred Egyptian envy and might have caused them to forget Canaan and the promise God had made to their fathers. So Joseph wisely kept them in their former work.

An honest job is no shame. We should not think less of ourselves or our family because of plain work. It is a shame to be idle, or to have nothing useful to do. In general, it is best for people to stay in the kind of work they have been trained for and used to (1 Corinthians 7:24). Whatever work or place God has given us in his providence, we should fit ourselves to it and be content with it. It is better to honor a low position than to disgrace a high one.