So much has happened! The recipient of God’s comforting words is now Jacob (Israel), who has just been informed by his 11 sons that Joseph, long thought dead, is now practically ruling over Egypt during the 7 years of famine and has requested that they come live there for the duration of the famine.
When Israel is en route to Egypt, he stops for the night to make sacrifices to God, and that night God visits him:
(2) … “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.
And Jacob replied “Here I am.”
(3) God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. (4) I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.”
According to my bible, the phrase “put his hands on your eyes” means he will close your eyes after you die. So, essentially, Israel will die in peace with all of his sons around him, particularly his most beloved whom he thought long dead. Amazing!
At this point, the fact that Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation has been promised to nearly all of his descendants, and so when God reminds Israel of this fact He is assuring him that He keeps His promises. I especially love the next line- “I will go down with you… and I will also bring you back.”
God never leaves or forsakes His children. Even far before those words are ever spoken (Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5), He was reassuring His children of this fact. He keeps His promises! We can be assured that whatever our own personal “Egypt” is, wherever that place is where we are afraid to go whether it is to a hopeless job, a new city, a place of bad memories or just to bed where terror waits in the darkness (raise your hand if you’ve ever been THERE), He will go down with us and He will bring us back.
Fear Not # 4- He will go down with us and He will bring us back.
Fear Not # 3- He is with us.
Fear Not # 2- He hears us in the place where we are.
Fear Not # 1- He is our shield.
