Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

Yesterday was an emotional roller coaster, mystery, intrigue, theft, reunions, and all

in three chapters.

We wrapped up with Jacob agreeing to move his family to Egypt on the King's tab to ride

out the last five years of the famine.

When we opened today, Jacob is packing up all his stuff, even though Pharaoh told him

not to, to start out their 450 mile journey.

But I suppose I wouldn't want to leave my goats to starve in the famine either, so whatever.

Their first stop for his massive caravan is in Bershiba, where he offers a sacrifice to

God.

Both his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham lived in Bershiba at one point in their

lives, so this may have been some kind of nostalgic, final farewell to his homeland, especially

since he expects to die in Egypt.

While he's in Bershiba, he makes a sacrifice to God, and he has a vision where God tells

him to go to Egypt.

This is noteworthy because Egypt is generally regarded as a terrible place for Hebrews to

go.

The Egyptians were enemies of God's people, they were racist, and they enslaved them, so

it could be really terrifying.

But God comforts Jacob and promises to be with him.

This is a good place for me to mention the difference between God's general presence

everywhere, which is called omnipresence, and his special presence, which is called

...