What Can We Trust When Moving Somewhere Unfamiliar with Our Family?

If you had to leave for an unfamiliar place with your entire family and everything you owned, what would give you the confidence to go? In Genesis 46, God tells Jacob, who is afraid to go down to Egypt, that he will not go alone. After hearing this promise, Jacob sets out for Egypt with all his descendants and possessions.

Worshiping God Before Leaving

Israel set out with everything he owned and came to Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Before undertaking the enormous task of moving his entire family, he first came before God.

That night, God spoke to him in a vision and called, “Jacob! Jacob!” Jacob answered, “Here I am.” What God says next reveals that Jacob was afraid to go down to Egypt. God did not ignore his fear but addressed it directly.

God Promises to Go with Him

God identified himself as the God of Jacob’s father and told him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt. He also promised to make Jacob into a great nation there.

God’s promise did not end with instructions to go ahead to Egypt. He said, “I will go down to Egypt with you.” He also promised to bring Jacob back again and told him that Joseph would be there to close his eyes.

Jacob’s confidence did not come from the circumstances awaiting him in an unfamiliar land. It came from God’s promise to go down with him and lead him back again. This is also the answer Genesis 46 gives us: even when we cannot see everything that lies ahead, we can take the next step within what God has revealed.

Jacob’s Entire Family Sets Out Together

Jacob left Beersheba. His sons placed Jacob, their children, and their wives in the carts Pharaoh had sent. The family then traveled to Egypt with the livestock and possessions they had acquired in Canaan.

The passage records at length the names of the family members who went with him. Jacob’s sons and grandsons, as well as his daughters and granddaughters, were all part of the journey. Including the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s household numbered seventy in all. This was not merely one man’s decision or departure. His entire family acted on it together.

Jacob sent Judah ahead to Joseph to receive directions to Goshen. Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father. They embraced and wept together, and Jacob said that he had now seen Joseph’s face and knew that he was still alive.

Write Down Your Fear and Your Next Step Today

You do not need to calculate every possible outcome today. Begin by reading Genesis 46:1–7 for yourself. Then write one sentence describing what you fear about something you are preparing to leave, change, or decide.

Below it, write down one practical step you can take today. It might be explaining the plan to your family or checking what preparations still need to be made. After hearing God’s promise, Jacob climbed into the carts and truly set out with his family and possessions. We, too, can hold on to the word we have received and take the one step that is possible today.