Joseph shows great wisdom in his advice to his father in chapter 46. He knows enough about Egyptian life to know that mixing with the Egyptians won’t be best for his family. He chooses the land of Goshen for his family. It was in Egypt but quite separate from where most people lived and was also good pastureland. In addition to this it was enroute to Canaan which would be important if they had to return back to their homeland in a hurry. The fact that Joseph’s family were shepherds helped give validity to his case for them to settle there because Egyptians did not like to live with shepherds. It is obvious then that Joseph, though he had been so highly promoted in Egypt, did not allow himself to be seduced by the Egyptian lifestyle. He thinks it best to remain separate even though they are to live in Egypt. In the long run this turns out well for the Israelites. Though they will be enslaved in the next generations they nevertheless hold on to the faith of their fathers which would have been less likely if they had lived in the centre of the colourful Egyptian civilization. These sorts of decisions have multi-generational significance, and this is where Joseph’s wisdom shines. We too should learn to think beyond our own lives to what effect our decisions may have on subsequent generations.
Think about what legacy you are leaving for the next generation.
Read Genesis 46:28 to 47:12
