God told Jacob to go to Egypt because His sovereign purpose had changed: He would make Jacob into a great nation there.
God had up until that time instructed them not to go to Egypt, and Egypt is a picture of the world and sinfulness. But at Beersheba God spoke to Jacob in a night vision and said, 'Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation.' Joseph was already in Egypt because his brothers had sold him there, and Joseph told them not to blame themselves because God had done it. The famine then brought Jacob's family down to Egypt, where Israel multiplied into a nation.
Genesis 46:2 — This verse shows the context: God spoke to Jacob at Beersheba in a night vision, calling him by name before telling him to go down to Egypt.
Genesis 46:3 — This verse contains the direct answer: God promised to make Jacob a great nation in Egypt.
The Scripture records that Jacob came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. There God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, saying, 'Jacob, Jacob.' Jacob answered, 'Here am I.' God then said, 'I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation.' The command itself reveals God's purpose: Egypt was the place where Jacob would become a great nation.
Les explains that Egypt is a picture of the world and sinfulness, which is why God had up until that time instructed them not to go there. In Genesis 46, however, God came to the point where He could permit Jacob to go down into Egypt with his sons and their families, while Joseph and his family were already in Egypt. God's promise to Jacob was, 'For I will there make of thee a great nation.' Les shows that Joseph had been placed in Egypt through the actions of his ungodly brothers, but Joseph told them not to blame themselves because God had done it. The famine and Joseph's stored grain brought Jacob's family down, and in Egypt Israel became a nation. Les puts this inside the 430-year timeframe: 215 years had elapsed from Abraham's call until Jacob went down, and 215 years remained before the exodus. Israel came out as five, six, or seven million people.
At Beersheba, after Jacob offered sacrifices, God spoke to him and said, 'Jacob, Jacob.' Les points out that what God said next was almost the total opposite of what Jacob had been told up until now: 'Fear not to go down into Egypt.' Up until then, God had instructed them not to go to Egypt, and Les explains that Egypt is a picture of the world and sinfulness.
Les underlines God's statement to Jacob: 'For I will there in Egypt make of thee a great nation.' When Jacob went down with his sons, wives, and family, Joseph and his family were already in Egypt, making about 72 or 73 souls in all. In Egypt, Israel became a nation of people, and they came out about 215 years later numbering five, six, or seven million.
Joseph was already in Egypt because his ungodly brothers had sold him into slavery, yet Joseph told his brothers not to blame themselves, because God had done it. Les says the nation of Israel came because Joseph was rejected by his brethren and ended up in Egypt, where God blessed him. Through the famine and Joseph's stored grain, Jacob's family was drawn down into Egypt—all part of God's sovereign plan.
Joseph Sold Into Egypt by His Brothers
Les recounts that Joseph was down in Egypt because his ungodly brothers sold him into slavery, and that Joseph told his brothers not to blame themselves because God had done it.
God's Promise to Make Jacob a Great Nation in Egypt
Les cites God's command to Jacob—'fear not to go down into Egypt'—and notes that Israel became a great nation there, coming out 215 years later as millions of people.
Egypt as a Picture of the World
Les explains that God had previously instructed them not to go to Egypt because Egypt pictures the world and sinfulness, but He now permitted Jacob and his family to go.
Jacob's Sacrifice at Beersheba and God's Reply
Les highlights that when Jacob offered sacrifices at Beersheba, God spoke to him in a command that was almost the opposite of what he had been told until then.
Israel's Nationhood Traced to Joseph's Rejection
Les says the nation of Israel came as a result of Joseph being rejected by his brethren and ending up in Egypt, where God blessed him and used him to break the famine for his family.
A Deliberate Change in God's Instruction
Les contrasts the earlier instruction 'Don't go to Egypt' with God's new command, 'Fear not to go down into Egypt,' calling it quite a change.
Underline God's Purpose in Egypt
Les urges readers to underline the statement 'for I will there in Egypt make of thee a great nation' as God's clear purpose for letting Jacob go.
The 430-Year Sovereign Timeline
Les places Jacob's move to Egypt within God's 430-year prophecy—215 years after Abraham's call and 215 years before the exodus—so Israel could multiply into a nation.
Genesis 46:2: And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
This verse records the night vision at Beersheba in which God directly spoke to Jacob before he entered Egypt.
Genesis 46:3: And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
This verse gives the core reason Jacob could go to Egypt: God would make him a great nation there.
Genesis 45:5: Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
This verse is the broader context of Joseph's assurance that God had sent him to Egypt ahead of the family.
God's command to Jacob was a deliberate change from the earlier instruction not to go to Egypt. Egypt is a picture of the world and sinfulness, but God now permitted Jacob to go because Joseph was already there and because He promised to make Jacob a great nation in Egypt.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his ungodly brothers. Joseph later told his brothers not to blame themselves, because God had done it. This placed Joseph in Egypt ahead of the famine so he could supply grain for his family.
Les places Jacob's move inside the 430-year prophecy—215 years had elapsed from Abraham's call until Jacob went down, and 215 years remained. Israel came out 215 years later, having grown to five, six, or seven million people.
Les says Egypt in Scripture is a picture of the world and sinfulness. This is the reason God had up until that time instructed them not to go down to Egypt, making His command to Jacob a deliberate change.
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