Genesis 46:27-28

And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

There is something beautiful happening here.

The number rises to seventy. Up to this point, the family had been counted in a way that highlighted man in his weakness. But now Joseph and his sons are included, and the number becomes seventy. Seven in Scripture speaks of completeness, and that is not hard to see here. When Joseph is added, the count is made complete.

That is a wonderful picture of Jesus.

Joseph is one of the clearest pictures of Christ in all of Genesis. So when Joseph is added to the equation and the number becomes complete, it whispers a truth that runs all through the Bible. When Jesus is brought in, what is lacking is supplied. What is unfinished is made full. What man could never complete on his own is completed in Him.

That is true in salvation.

That is true in peace.

That is true in joy.

That is true in the Christian life from beginning to end.

We spend so much time trying to round ourselves out. We try to become enough. Strong enough. Wise enough. Steady enough. Spiritual enough. But man by himself never quite gets there. Something is always missing. And the reason is simple. We were never meant to be complete apart from Christ.

He is the completeness.

He is the sufficiency.

He is the missing piece in every soul that is trying to make sense of life without Him.

Then the next verse gives us another little jewel. Jacob sends Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen. Goshen means to draw near. Judah means praise.

That is not accidental.

Praise leads the way into nearness.

I love that. When Jacob wanted the family brought into Goshen, Judah went first. Praise went first. And that is still the way it works. If you want to draw near to the Lord, start with praise. Start thanking Him. Start blessing His name. Start telling Him who He is. Something happens in the heart when praise goes first.

It softens us.

It lifts our eyes.

It quiets the noise.

It makes us aware again that the Lord is present.

Psalm 100:4 says,

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

That is the road into Goshen.

Not grumbling.

Not self absorption.

Not endless analysis.

Praise.

And it is fitting that Judah led the way, because from Judah would come Jesus, the One who is worthy of all praise. Revelation 5:5 calls Him the Lion of the tribe of Juda. So even here, the path is already being marked out. Praise goes before us, and praise leads us to the true Joseph.

That is a good word for us. There are seasons when the heart feels thin and scattered. You know the Lord is there, but you do not feel close. In those moments, sometimes the answer is not to work harder or search deeper. Sometimes the answer is to praise Him. Thank Him. Worship Him right where you are. That is often how the fog begins to lift.

So these two verses say a lot more than we might think at first glance.

When Joseph is added, the number becomes complete.

When Judah goes first, the family draws near.

And when Jesus is added to your life, and praise begins to lead your heart, everything starts coming into its right place.

That is still how the Lord works.