Genesis 46:31

The splendour of his present position had not spoiled him. He had reached it through sorrow. Sorrow has a mellowing and softening effect on those who go through it with God. He also took it on himself to be their go-between with Pharaoh, and he taught them how to approach him. They were to emphasize that their occupation had been with sheep and cattle.

They were only shepherds, it is true, and such people were detestable to the Egyptians. But Joseph "is not ashamed to call them brothers." They were strangers, living on charity. Yet the man of that day, the lord of Egypt, was — I say again — "not ashamed to call them brothers." He owns them in the presence of the king, of the palace, and of the nation. And the king proves to be of the same mind. That they were Joseph's brothers was enough for Pharaoh. This truly speaks to us. A day is at hand when all this will be made good in the great originals of Christ and Israel. He will return to them and say, "They are my people"; and they will say, "The LORD is my God."

But we may also note the careful administrator in his words to his brothers... Two things made this advice acceptable to the king, and even to his people. Genesis 45 tells us that Pharaoh had already declared his wish to give them the good of the land of Egypt, so they might eat the fat of the land (vv. 18-20). And since "every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians," no one would object in the least to Israel settling into this work on the land best suited to it. So Joseph could advise his brothers from the start. They would live where it was best for them, and least offensive to the Egyptians.

On every point of view Goshen was the land most appropriate for his father and his brothers. The land lay nearest for those staying in Egypt for a time. God had destined them to enter Canaan, the land He had promised long before, when their father had not even one son (Gen. 15). Again, it was near Joseph, and near the king too. Further, the people of the land visited it least of all. To them herdsmen, shepherds and the like were detestable, as Joseph let them know. Even apart from this, we were already told of their general objection to eating bread with foreigners (43:32). Such was the severity of caste among the Egyptians.

Joseph instructed his brothers to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds. They asked permission to live in Goshen, for every shepherd was detestable to the Egyptians. People suppose this began when some 'shepherd-kings' seized authority over Egypt.

There is a spiritual lesson in this also. God expects His own people to have hearts as shepherds, to care for the needs of souls. The world (Egypt) not only ignores such shepherd care, but resents others who engage in it. In fact, too often even believers do not value the pastoral care and concern that a godly person tries to show them. For this reason we sadly neglect to engage in true shepherd work.