Trusting God With Our Uncertainties

He confessed: “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.”

Like Jacob, Lincoln faced a future he could not control. His steadiness came not from strategy alone but from the presence of God sought in prayer.

Bridge to the Congregation

We, too, stand at thresholds—new jobs, diagnoses, conflicts, or uncertain cultural shifts.

You find yourself asking: “Is God with me in this? Is He still writing good when all I can see is gray?”

Jacob knows that feeling.

Famine has gripped the land.

His sons return from Egypt with an impossible report: Joseph—his long‑lost son—is alive and reigning.

And Joseph is asking Jacob to leave the promised land and come to Egypt.

The future is foggy, the stakes are high, and the old man’s heart trembles.

Genesis 45 sets the stage.

Joseph tells his brothers: “Do not be distressed… for God sent me before you to preserve life… it was not you who sent me here, but God” (45:5–8).

That sentence changes everything.

Since God sent Joseph, then Egypt is part of God’s bigger picture...

Genesis 46 shows us how God brings Jacob’s whole family into that plan.

The future is often foggy, but the promise is clear: “I will go down with you.”

God’s presence does not remove uncertainty, but it steadies us within it.

Main Point: God’s presence steadies us in uncertain futures.

Big Idea: When life takes us into unfamiliar and painful places, we can trust God’s promises, provision, and providence to carry us through—and we can do it with confidence because our story sits inside God’s larger plan to save.

How does God show Himself Trustworthy?

God Reassures Us with His Promises (1–4)

Genesis 46:1 “So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.”

Jacob stops at Beersheba, the southern threshold of the land of promise.

Beersheba = well of an oath...

Abraham had planted a tree here and called on God when he made a covenant with Abimelech (Gen 21:33).

Isaac had built an altar here and God appeared to him to reassure him of the covenant God made with Abraham (Gen 26:23–25).

Now Jacob returns to the family sanctuary...this was a place of worship...this was where his family sought God...

He seeks God’s answer before moving to Egypt so what does he do? He worships.

Exegetical Anchor: The verb “sacrificed” is covenantal language, used for offerings that renew relationship with God (cf. Exod 20:24).

By thinking about the promises God made to his family, Jacob seeks assurance that his move to Egypt is part of God’s divine plan.

Genesis 46:2–3 “God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” He 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.”

“Do not be afraid” —the same imperative God gave Abraham (Gen 15:1) and Isaac (Gen 26:24).

The text doesn’t tell us exactly what he feared but I think we can reasonably identify some normal fears for him...

Jacob’s Fear Factors:

1. Personal Fear: Age and Frailty

Jacob was 130 years old...Gen 47:9 A journey of hundreds of miles, even in wagons, was daunting.

He may have feared he wouldn’t survive the trip or see Joseph after all.

2. Theological Fear: Leaving the Promised Land

God had told Isaac explicitly: (Gen 26:2).“Do not go down to Egypt” ...Jacob likely remembered this prohibition.

To leave Canaan—the land of promise—felt like leaving the very center of God’s covenant.

Sacrificing at Beersheba (46:1) shows he wanted confirmation that this move was not disobedience.

3. Historical Fear: Egypt’s Troubled Legacy

Abraham’s descent into Egypt led to lies and compromise (Gen 12:10–20).

Hagar, the Egyptian servant, became a source of family strife (Gen 16).

Egypt was often a place of testing and temptation for God’s people. Jacob knew that history.

4. Prophetic Fear: The Shadow of Slavery

God had told Abraham: Genesis 15:13 “God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.”

Jacob may have suspected Egypt was that land. Going down could mean walking into the very exile God had foretold.

5. Core Fear: Exile and Assimilation

Leaving Canaan meant leaving behind the graves of his fathers and the altars of worship.

Would his family lose their identity in Egypt’s wealth and idolatry? Would they ever return?

When God said “I will go down with you” this would become a covenant refrain: (Exod 3:12; Josh 1:9; Isa 43:2).“I will be with you”

“I will bring you up again” foreshadows the Exodus (Exod 3:8).

Cross‑References: Isaiah 41:10 “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” ;

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

Illustrations:

Historical: The Pilgrims in 1620, leaving England for an unknown world, trusting God’s providence across the Atlantic.

Humorous: The man hanging from a branch: “Let go!” God says. “Is there anyone else up there?” That’s us—we want God’s promises, but hesitate to trust them.

Call to Believers: Brothers and sisters, when fear grips us, what’s our first move?

Freeze in indecision – we stall, unable to move forward, hoping the fear will pass.

Flee into distraction – we bury ourselves in busyness, entertainment, or avoidance.

Fight for control – we scramble to fix everything in our own strength, grasping for certainty.

Forecast the worst – we imagine every possible disaster, letting anxiety write the future.

Forget God’s past faithfulness – fear narrows our vision to the problem, not the Provider.

Fear tempts us to run from God...worship trains us to run to God...

Like Jacob, stop at your Beersheba.

Open the Word. Kneel in prayer.

Anchor your trembling heart in God’s unshakable promises.

Appeal to Unbelievers: Friend, if you don’t know Christ, you don’t yet have this anchor.

You may have positive thinking, but not a promise.

You may have optimism, but not a covenant.

God’s “Do not be afraid” is spoken most fully in Jesus, who said, “Take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

God Provides for Us in the Journey (5–7)

Genesis 46:5 “Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.”

Jacob’s family loads into the wagons Pharaoh provided.

The covenant family is carried into Egypt by the resources of a pagan king.

Genesis 46:6–7 “They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.”

Exegetical Anchor: The text repeats “all his descendants” — emphasizing covenant continuity. God is preserving the seed promise

Genesis 12:7 “The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.”

Genesis 15:5 “And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.””

Cross‑References:

God would continue to provide for His people beyond the story of Jacob

God provided ravens to care for Elijah at the brook... 1 Kgs 17:6;

He provides all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ...Phil 4:19;

He provides abundant grace and sufficiency for everything...2 Cor 9:8.

In the 19th century, George Müller cared for thousands of orphans in Bristol, England. He never fundraised or asked for donations—he simply prayed.

One morning, the children were dressed and seated at the long dining tables. Plates and cups were set, but there was no food in the larder and no money to buy any. Müller led them in prayer:“Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat.”

Moments later, there was a knock at the door. A baker stood there, explaining that he had been unable to sleep the night before and felt compelled to bake bread for the orphanage. Almost immediately after, another knock came—the milkman’s cart had broken down outside, and he offered all his fresh milk so it wouldn’t spoil. That morning, the children ate bread and drank milk—provided at the very door, in direct answer to prayer.

(Source: Roger Steer, George Müller: Delighted in God; see also Path2Prayer)

Call to Believers: Trust God’s provision, even when it comes through surprising channels.

When God is ready to bless us, He can bring it from anywhere and from whomever He choses to use.

Receive them as God’s hand. Steward them for His glory.

Appeal to Unbelievers: If you’ve never trusted Christ, you are living on borrowed breath and borrowed blessings without acknowledging the Giver.

Every meal, every heartbeat, every provision is God’s kindness calling you to repentance...

Romans 2:4 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

Don’t mistake His patience for absence...God is doing everything He can to draw you to Himself...but He doesn’t guarantee He will draw you tomorrow with the same intensity He uses today!

“Because God provides for His people even through surprising channels, we can face uncertain journeys with steady trust—receiving every provision as His hand, stewarding it for His glory, and resting in His covenant faithfulness.”

God Remembers Us in His Covenant (8–27)

Genesis 46:26–27 “All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all, and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.”

The genealogy may feel tedious, but it is theological gold. Every name matters.

Exegetical Anchor: The total “seventy” is symbolic of completeness.

Seventy nations are listed in Genesis 10;

Connection to Nations: Genesis 10 lists seventy nations descended from Noah.

By paralleling that number, Israel is portrayed as a “microcosm of humanity”—a single family that will grow into a nation meant to bless all nations (Gen 12:3).

now seventy descendants of Jacob enter Egypt

By recording that Jacob’s household numbered seventy, the text signals that the family of Israel entered Egypt as a complete, divinely ordered unit.

Covenant Continuity: The seventy who go down to Egypt embody the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation (Gen 15:5).

In 400 years what started as 70 people would grow to over 2 million being led out in the Exodus...

Cross‑References:

Gen 15:5 — God promises Abraham an innumerable legacy of descendants...

Deut 7:6–8 — God reminds them of their covenant relationship to Him as His people, not because they were numerous, but because of His love.

Luke 10:20 ““Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Revelation 3:5 NASB95

‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Call to Believers: Rejoice that your name is written in heaven (Luke 10:20).

Live like one who is known and loved.

When you feel invisible, remember: God never loses track of His children.

Appeal to Unbelievers: Your name is not yet in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 20:15).

But it can be. Christ shed His blood so that sinners’ names could be written in His book.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.

The genealogy shows that every name matters to God.

Because God remembers every name in His covenant, we can live with confidence that we are known, loved, and never forgotten—our names written not in statistics, but in heaven.”

God Positions Us for His Purposes (28–34)

Judah leads the way.

Joseph embraces Jacob.

Then Joseph instructs them to settle in Goshen—fertile land, but separate from Egyptian idolatry.

Exegetical Anchor: Goshen’s separation fulfills God’s design for Israel to remain distinct (cf. Lev 20:26).

Joseph’s strategy ensures both survival and holiness.

Judah’s leadership anticipates the royal line (Gen 49:10).

Cross‑References: Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28; Exod 1:7.

Call to Believers: Where we are right now in God’s plan is God’s Goshen for us...

Yes, there are some uncertainties...

We don’t know what will happen next with us...God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight...

We don’t know what our “life in Goshen” is right now, however, we are assured that God has positioned us right where He wants us for His greater purpose...

Ask God: “Lord, how are You positioning me for Your purposes here?”

Your placement is not random—it is providential.

Appeal to Unbelievers:

There is no such thing as randomness in your life...God is positioning you even now to hear this gospel.

He has brought you here so you might seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26–27).

Goshen wasn’t glamorous, but it was strategic. God positioned His people for growth and holiness.

Wherever God has placed you—He has positioned you there on purpose, for His glory and your growth.”

The Larger Story: From Genesis 46 to Jesus!

Genesis 46 is the hinge between promise and deliverance.

God brings Jacob down so He can bring Israel up.

But the story doesn’t end in Exodus.

The greater descent and ascent is Christ Himself.

Jesus came down to us, died a horrible death on our behalf and in our place, and was brought up in resurrection.

He is the greater Joseph, sent ahead to preserve life, betrayed by His brothers, but exalted to save.

Jesus says to his own...“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5).

Exegetical Anchor: God’s promise in Gen 46:4—“I will bring you up again”—finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s resurrection and our future resurrection with Him (1 Cor 15:20–23).

“Genesis 46 points us to the greater descent and ascent of Christ, reminding us that every ‘Egypt’ we face is not the end of the story—resurrection is.”

Appeal to Believers and Unbelievers

To believers: Live with the long view. Don’t measure God’s faithfulness by today’s circumstances but by the empty tomb.

To unbelievers: The same Christ who went down into death and rose again offers to bring you up with Him. Don’t settle for Egypt when resurrection life is offered.

Lesson for Life: Trust His promises when the path feels unclear.

His presence in every circumstance...Heb 13:5.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you”

In a culture of loneliness and digital isolation, His presence is the antidote.

Peace that surpasses understanding...Phil 4:7..

“The peace of God… will guard your hearts”

When anxiety and outrage dominate headlines, His peace steadies us.

Wisdom when we ask...Jas 1:5

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask… and it will be given”

In an age of information overload and cultural confusion, He gives clarity.

Strength in weakness...2 Cor 12:9

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”

When burnout and exhaustion define our pace, His strength sustains.

Provision for our needs...Phil 4:19

“My God will supply every need of yours”

In economic uncertainty and rising costs, He remains our Provider.

Victory over temptation...1 Cor 10:13

“He will also provide the way of escape”

In a culture saturated with temptation, He makes holiness possible.

To work all things for good...Rom 8:28

“For those who love God all things work together for good”

In a world of chaos and injustice, His providence is still at work.

To hear our prayers...1 John 5:14

“This is the confidence… if we ask anything according to his will he hears us”

In a culture of noise and distraction, He bends His ear to His children.

To finish what He started...Phil 1:6

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion”

In a culture of unfinished projects and broken commitments, His faithfulness endures.

Eternal life in Christ...John 3:16.

In a culture obsessed with the temporary, He secures the ultimate future.

These promises are not theory—they are yours in Christ.

To believers: In a world of shifting values and fragile securities, God’s Word is the one anchor that will not move.”

To unbelievers: Outside of Christ, these promises are not yet yours. But they can be—today. Every promise of God finds its ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Jesus (2 Cor 1:20). Come to Him, and these promises become your inheritance.”:

Lessons we can learn from Gen 46.

When fear dominates culture → Worship before you worry.

When scarcity defines culture → Trust God’s surprising provision.

When identity is confused → Rest in being known by God.

When restlessness rules → See your placement as purposeful.

When short-term thinking prevails → Live with the long view of Christ’s victory.

Church, we don’t need to mirror the fear, scarcity, confusion, restlessness, and short-term thinking of our age.

God calls us to live differently and Genesis 46 shows us how.

Anchored in God’s promises, provision, covenant, placement, and plan—all fulfilled in Christ.

If you’re standing at the edge of a decision today with the fog pressing in, take this with you: God is not only with you—He is at work for you.

Final Exhortation: Believe that the God who goes down with you will also bring you up again.

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