Do not fear
Genesis 46:2-4 - 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here am I.” 3 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. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
Fear God
Genesis 31:53 -The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
I really love God's reassuring words here to Jacob (Israel) as he was heading back to see his son Joseph whom he thought was dead. The anxiety of moving to Egypt, the fear of the Egyptians, the worries of his health and the family dynamics must have been enough to cause him to fear. And God speaks to him during his sacrifice that evening through a vision. I don't believe it is a coincidence that God spoke in response to Jacob's sacrifice that evening, in that when we worship and seek God, he meets us their to calm our fears and speak words of comfort. Flashing back to his earlier years, Jacob refers to the fear of his father Isaac as his proof that Jacob will keep his promise with his father-in-law Laban. It is an interesting idea that we would make promises by swearing on the fear of God. I think the reason promises are broken so often is because we have no fear of God.
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