Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson:

1. Think of a time you moved from a familiar location. What were some concerns you had at that time? How did the move work out for you?

2. If you were to have a family reunion, where would you hold it? Does that place have any special significance to your family? Why?

Read Genesis 46:1, 2.

1. On the way to Egypt, Jacob stopped at Beersheba. What might be the significance of this? See Genesis 21:33; 26:23-25; 28:1, 2, 10. 

2. Believers respond in worship when recalling the ways God has blessed them. Jacob was no exception. What were some blessings Jacob received since leaving his childhood home of Beersheba decades earlier? See Genesis 28:13-15; 30:25-30; 35:9-12.

Read Genesis 46:3, 4.

3. Review the verses preceding our lesson text (Genesis 45:16-28). What events caused Jacob to leave the land of Canaan and head for Egypt? Why do you think Jacob might have had mixed feelings about this move?

4. Just as God blessed Jacob’s days to that point, God reassured Jacob that he would bless his coming days. List and explain the assurances God gave to Jacob in Genesis 46:3, 4.

Read Genesis 46:5, 6; 47:27.

5. While Jacob feared the move to Egypt (v. 4), God’s words seem to have replaced the fear of the unknown with the fear of the Lord. How does Psalm 34:8, 9 help you understand the difference between those two fears?

6. Jacob’s earlier life was scarred with family conflict and division (Genesis 27:41; 37:11, 17-20). How did the final days of his life differ from those earlier days? 

7. Leaving our comfort zones is no easier for us than it was for Jacob thousands of years ago! Think of times you moved from the comfortable surroundings of the past because you knew God would continue to bless with his presence. Encourage someone with your story during the coming week.