Genesis 46

This trip to Egypt will be very significant. In the short-term it will save the Jacob and his family by helping them survive the famine. In the long-term the future generations will go from honored guests to slaves in the land of Egypt. Now, don't forget that this was already spoken about.

Genesis 15:13-14, God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years". They are now arriving as the strangers in the land. Nobody is looking back on this prophetic verse and saying we should not go because this could lead to trouble. All they know is that they are hungry and Joseph can feed them in Egypt.

They weren't dragged in as slaves; they were welcomed as a free people. But over time the relationship will change as the people listed today pass away and their ancestors and the ancestors of the Egyptians begin to interact. That is why we need to instill in our children a rock-solid faith that will be able to stand firm no matter what America or the world looks like 25 or 50 years from now.