What happensPermalink
God tells Jacob in a dream not to fear going down to Egypt and promises to bring him back out. He takes his family down, and Joseph tells him to make sure to identify themselves as shepherds. A list of all the people who went down into Egypt with Jacob.
Why it mattersPermalink
God again repeats His covenant, so we will not forget His faithfulness even as we descend into enemy territory. The Egyptians held shepherds as outcasts, ensuring that the Israelites would not—could not—mix with them the way they had with the Canaanites.
Key versePermalink
Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.”