For all the excitement that Jacob had to have felt in finding out Joseph was still alive, there was some trepidation, too.
In Genesis 46:3, we have the last recorded visit from God to Jacob. In it, God tells Jacob not to be afraid to go down to Egypt, because that is where God is going to make of him a great nation.
Of course, that begs the question: Why was Jacob scared to begin with? There are several theories, ranging from the understandable to the historical.
For starters, let’s take Jacob’s age. In Genesis 47:9, he tells Pharaoh that he is 130 years old at this point. Remarkably, Jacob actually downplays this age by saying that he hasn’t attained the years that his forefathers did. In today’s world, that would make him the oldest person alive by a long shot.
It’s entirely reasonable to assume that Jacob was legitimately worried that he wouldn’t survive a trip of this magnitude. Notice too that when he actually does leave Canaan for Egypt, his family “carries” him, most likely in a cart or carriage.
But there’s another reason why he may have been worried to go to Egypt. In Genesis 26:2, God explicitly tells Isaac not to go to Egypt. God wants him to “stay in the land of which I [God] shall tell you.”
In my opinion, this is the main reason why Jacob is reluctant to head to Egypt. The last thing he wants to do is break the command of God to his father. As if to reinforce this reason, Genesis 46:1 says that Jacob offered sacrifices to the “God of his father, Isaac.” Isaac’s legacy is clearly in view here.
Also, don’t forget that the people of God have “history” with Egypt, even before they eventually become slaves. Egypt is where Abraham lied about his wife Sarah for fear they would kill him (Genesis 12:12) and Hagar found a wife for Ishmael (Genesis 26:2).
Moreover, part of the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 15 was that his descendants would be slaves in a “foreign land” for 400 years. Did Jacob suspect that land could be Egypt?
No matter the reason, God’s words to Jacob are comforting. “Go down to Egypt,” God says, “and eventually, Joseph will be the one to close your eyes when you die.”
Imagine that: The son that Jacob thought he lost will be the last thing he sees before he dies. Can you design a more fitting end for one of Genesis’ greatest patriarchs?