The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. Exodus 1:5 NIV

At the time of the descendants of Jacob entering into the land of Egypt, Joseph was already there. His jealous brothers had mistreated him and sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelites. In turn, the Ishmaelites sold him into slavery in Egypt. It was Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son, that advised Pharaoh as to how he should overcome famine in his land. Impressed with Joseph, Pharaoh put him in charge of all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.

The descendants of Jacob are the people we know of as Israel. We read of Jacob’s name change in Genesis 32:28 which says, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed. WEB” The descendants of Jacob who became the nation of Israel fulfilled a portion of a promise given to Jocob’s grandfather Abraham by God in Genesis 17. There, God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations.

From Slavery to Salvation

When famine affected Egypt and what we now call the Middle East, the descendants of Jacob came to Egypt in search of food to sustain them. There, they found both food and their betrayed brother Joseph. Also, they found forgiveness and the favor of Pharaoh who allowed them to settle in the land of Goshen. For a time, they would dwell there peaceably. But, after the Pharaoh Joseph served died, the descendants of Jacob found themselves without the favor of the new Pharaoh.  

From an initial seventy descendants of Joseph, Israel swelled in numbers, multiplying greatly, and filling the land of Goshen in Egypt. As a result, the new Pharaoh devised a plan to oppress them so they would not cause him any trouble. This began four centuries of harsh treatment and enslavement that culminated in the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt. Following Moses and miraculously supported by God, the descendants of Jacob escaped into the wilderness. They eventually settled as the nation of Israel in the promised land of Canaan on the Egyptian border.

Yesterday’s Devotional: Teach Us to Pray