In this video listen to Genesis 47 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In Genesis 47 Jacob gets to meet Pharoah and says something of great interest. He confesses that though he is 130 years old, his life has been short, and full of problems. While his aged seems old to us, it is short in comparison to his forefathers and others in the Bible. It reminds us of the commandment to honor one’s parents.

The command to honor wasn’t yet given, but honor for your parents was still a cultural thing, and others before him knew how to honor. That commandment came with a promise that your life would be long, and go well with you. Jacob just 53 years prior had deceived his father, showing great dishonor, and seems to have reaped the reward of dishonoring.

These promises in scripture are general in nature, so that the ...