I am Just Passing Through

Genesis 46:31–34 NKJV

Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 46:

Here we find Joseph preparing his brothers for a meeting with Pharaoh.

Joseph is letting his brothers know when you meet Pharaoh you better believe he is going to ask you what your occupation is.

The reason Joseph let his brothers know this is because it was a big deal in Egypt.

Egyptians lived by a caste system.

A caste system is a class structure that is determined at birth.

It basically means that if your parents are poor , you are going to be poor too.

And if your parents are rich, you will be rich to.

So when Pharaoh meets Josephs brothers he wants to know what kind of people will be entering his kingdom.

Joseph is coaching his brothers on what to say.

He wants his brothers to let Pharaoh know that they are more than just shepherds.

He tells them to say our occupation has been with livestock.

We are farmers not just shepherds.

We know that Egyptians considered Shepherds an abomination.

Genesis 47:1-

Genesis 47:1–6 NKJV

Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.” And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

Why was this so important to Joseph?

Why did he call a special meeting to go over this?

Why did he want his brothers to tell Pharaoh they were shepherds?

What was so important about the land of Goshen?

I. I believe Joseph was trying to establish with his brothers who they were.

He did not want his brothers to get caught up in the ways of Egypt.

You see Joseph had been living in Egypt for a very long time.

He knew what this sinful place was all about.

He was worried that is his brothers did not know who they were from day one, that just maybe some how Egypt would have changed them.

If Joseph could keep his family in the land of Goshen, it would keep them away from the heart of the city.

There would be less distractions for them.

Less people to influence them.

Just maybe they would not forget where they come from and who they are.

II. Joseph was placing his family in a land that was somewhat like where they came from.

Goshen would separate them from the Egyptian cattleman of the Nile Valley and would reduce friction with them

Goshen was the land closest to where they came from which was Canaan.

He was doing everything in his power to preserve who they were.

He did not want them to get caught up in Egyptian life styles.

He did not want them forgetting who they were and where they come from.

He was holding on to a dream and a promise that someday they would be delivered out of Egypt into a land that flowed with milk and honey.

We must understand that Egypt is like the world to us today.

If would reduce friction with the Egyp

We must realize that Egypt represents bondage.

We must know that we are not supposed to stay in Egypt are whole lives.

We may of been raised in Egypt but we are not supposed to stay in Egypt.

We must know that we are in Egypt but not