EMQ » April – May 2026 » Volume 62 Issue 2

Summary: Genesis 47 outlines the way that God provided for the people of Israel in response to a climatic event. This provision suggests to the church today a way of thinking about climate migration and how it can respond. Drawing on Genesis 47 and the limitations of current legal agreements, this article explores why the church should play its part in advocacy, but also in responding to the practical needs of today’s climate migrants.

By David Kimiti, Safia Kimiti, and Ian Ratcliff

People movement caused by climate events is not a new phenomenon.[i] Jacob’s family in Genesis 46 was impelled to leave their homeland due to famine, and climate migrants[ii] today are similarly being displaced from their homes due to the impact of climate events.

In Chad, a place of climate vulnerability in central, northern Africa, one of the authors regularly asked people about the history of their village or how their families came to live there. Village after village, and family after family shared stories of famines or droughts leading a patriarch to uproot his family, looking for/to find a place of refuge. This resulted in their establishing a new home in an unfamiliar area. They stopped and settled where there was a place of welcome and a place where God provided them with land to farm. Most climate refugees move a few days’ walk to a region/location nearby with better conditions, but these often remain precarious and vulnerable to further drought and famine. A small minority take a much bigger risk in search of more security, leaving their country and seeking refuge in another.

In a world where climate events are leading to the migration of millions of people,[iii] does the Bible have something to say about how we, as Christians, should respond? How should the church respond to the challenge of people whose lives are impacted by climate change?

Based on Genesis 47, we explore how the story of Jacob’s family seeking refuge in Egypt provides a powerful parallel to the plight of families and communities displaced by climate change today. More than that, we propose that the story suggests how Christians might respond to communities that are, or will become, displaced by the effects of climate change.

Climate Migrants in the Old Testament and Fulfilment of God’s Purpose

There are several examples of people movement due to climate change in the Bible. In Genesis 12 we read of Abram, who, following God’s leading, had left his country and father’s house, only to encounter a famine and migrate to Egypt. His son, Isaac, goes to the country of the Philistines because of a famine in the land (Genesis 26).[iv] Although these passages could be seen as momentary difficulties and distractions in the lives of these patriarchs, we also see how God uses instances of famine for the fulfilment of his purpose, such as in the story of Ruth. In Ruth 1:1-– we read of Naomi and her family migrating to Moab because of a famine. With this migration comes sorrow upon sorrow for Naomi who loses her husband and two sons in this foreign land (Ruth 1:3–5). Yet, through that migration, we see Ruth enter the story of God’s salvific plan as she returns with Naomi to Judah and becomes part of Jesus’ human genealogy.[v]

In Genesis 47, the focus of this article, Jacob and his family left Canaan because of a severe famine and were welcomed into Egypt. We read in verse 4 that they had “come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan.” As herders, Jacob’s family relied on good pasture for their flocks. With the famine being so severe, going to Egypt was not just a move for a better life, it was a question of survival. God was an actor in this migration, having sent Joseph ahead of the family “to save lives” (Genesis 45:5), which facilitated their migration.  

This time in Egypt was not simply a momentary deviation from the course of the greater narrative. It is in Egypt that the family of Jacob becomes the people of Israel. It is from this people that Jesus is born, and it is through Jesus that we have salvation. It is also there in Egypt – the country to which Jacob’s people migrated – that God demonstrates his personal and active relationship with his people. He institutes the Passover, a foretaste of the coming deliverance through Jesus, and frees them from slavery. This deliverance is a foundation in the covenantal relationship between God and his people, as we can see through the multiple references to God as “the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt” (e.g., Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6).

Although God prepared the way for his people by sending Joseph, they were still reliant on the goodwill of a man in authority – one who does not recognize God’s authority – Pharaoh. Joseph, who has developed favor with Pharaoh through his integrity and effectiveness in government, prepares his brothers and speaks to Pharaoh himself to facilitate their migration (Genesis 46:31–34). This leads to a positive encounter with Pharaoh. When he meets Joseph’s family, he welcomes them and treats them with respect, allowing them to settle where they wish. He also recognizes the potential benefit they offer:“And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock”(Genesis 47:6).It is thanks to Pharaoh’s welcome of Jacob and his family that they were able to survive and increase in number.

As we reflect on biblical migrations resulting from natural disasters, it is instructive to observe that God uses even these times to fulfil his purpose, as he did with Naomi and Jacob. God allowed the fulfilment of his promise to be intertwined with the willingness of sinful human beings, some of whom did not even know him, to welcome and provide for his people. Whether Abram, Jacob, or Naomi’s family, all were welcomed as foreigners. They were vulnerable because of natural events they had no control over, but God chose them to be part of his plan of salvation. Perhaps God will use today’s climate migrants as part of his grand story to bring salvation to a community that does not yet know him.

Climate Migrants Today

Genesis 47:4 echoes the voices of many migrants today: “We have come to live here … because the hunger is terrible there.” We may perceive our own economy to be sputtering, even stalling. Yet people are coming to our nations from numerous places, seeking refuge from hardship that puts their livelihood in question. This economic hardship is often in some way connected to climate, even if it may not be exclusively caused by it.[vi]

Many climate migrants move because of multiple factors, not just famine or drought.[vii] They often retain an intimate connection to the place and people they left, becoming a channel of support to those they left behind.[viii]

It is not within the scope of this article to add to the discussion about the responsibility for the changing climate conditions. After all, the latter chapters of Genesis do not blame a particular society for the drought, but instead show a divine provision for both God’s chosen people and the people of Egypt. We suggest that it is more helpful to think about how we, as Christians, can be part of God’s provision for people today. Natural disasters are not always a sign of God’s judgment. In fact, they impact even the most faithful of his servants. God did not stop the famines in the stories referred to above, but he prepared a way for his people to survive.

Lessons from Genesis 47 and Beyond

While the number of migrants in the Bible may have been small compared to today’s populations, the Genesis 47 climate migrants were not turned away from Egypt, their place of refuge. God provided in advance of the migration. Joseph was already in Egypt “for such a time as this” (Genesis 45:7; 47:5–7).

The invitation from Pharaoh was a generous one in terms of the place to live and provisions, despite the economic struggles of the country at that time (Genesis 47:13-20). At least initially, Jacob’s family was not seen as a threat to the community despite being from a very different culture and origin. However, positive interaction between the incoming culture and the existing culture cannot be assumed (Genesis 46:31–34).

There are additional lessons we can draw from the larger story of Jacob’s family in Egypt. Principles of planning (Genesis 41) and empathy (Genesis 43:23-30) are important if we wish to thrive as a community that welcomes those who are fleeing from the environmental impacts of climate change.

When we read on from Joseph’s story in the Bible, we see that there is a potential for long-term dangers and risks for climate migrants. We would not want to replicate the strongly negative reaction of the host community towards the migrant community seen at the start of Exodus. Although welcomed into the land, the migrants are later enslaved, and their sons murdered. The Israelites are reminded of both the salvific welcome of their family into Egypt and the sufferings that followed in the law given to them as they entered Canaan:

“You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God” (Leviticus 19:34).

God does not just provide for his people Israel, but instructs them to follow in his ways, providing a safe place for those in need of it. It is this generous, inclusive, and rights-based response that we are called to as a people who follow Christ.

Offering a Land of Goshen: International Agreements

International climate change agreements do not currently recognize or make space for the movement of climate migrants across borders.[ix] The recent emphasis has been on making funds available for adaptation to the challenges and impacts of environmental degradation resulting from climate change.[x] However, at the international level, we are beginning to see some nations acting in a way that reflects the example of the land of Goshen. In November 2023, Australia entered the Falepili Union, under which 280 Tuvaluans may obtain permanent residency in Australia each year.[xi] There has been some critique of this pathway to residency, including questions about how the Tuvaluan culture will be maintained and who will bear the burden of looking after the new community in Australia.[xii] These are very real issues for consideration in any model for welcoming in those who are displaced. However, the principle of offering a welcome to those in need of a place to stay because of climate impacts reflects the story of Genesis 47.

Apart from this discrete response to climate migrants, there is limited international law that presently supports climate migrants. From a rights-based perspective, there are arguments that a nation could not return (refoule) a person to a place so affected by environmental disaster that it would affect the person’s right to life or other internationally recognized rights.[xiii]

There is also a Global Compact under which parties agree to:

“Cooperate to identify, develop and strengthen solutions for migrants compelled to leave their countries of origin owing to slow-onset natural disasters, the adverse effects of climate change, and environmental degradation, such as desertification, land degradation, drought and sea level rise, including by devising planned relocation and visa options, in cases where adaptation in or return to their country of origin is not possible”[xiv]

However, this resolution is not binding or enforceable.

Overall, the limited scope of international agreements in this area creates some uncertainty about how we, as Christians, could offer a welcome to climate migrants. However, as we explain below, there is a role for the church in this context. At the same time, the church should consider its response to people displaced by environmental disaster who choose to remain within their own country.

The Church’s Response

Biblically, we see Jesus, in Matthew 25:34–36, stating that those who welcome the stranger and feed the hungry inherit the kingdom prepared for them. This seems to connect directly to how the church might respond to those who have been made homeless or otherwise suffer from environmental disasters resulting from climate change. Therefore, let us be wary of rejecting these climate migrants or excluding them from places of refuge.

In the gospels, we see Jesus reaching out to the outcast, welcoming, and including them in his community. The church, at its best, has offered a place of hope and refuge for the outcast throughout its history. What does it look like for the church to offer a land of Goshen for those who are displaced by climate change’s impacts? Can our churches be like the land of Goshen for migrants who left poverty and hardship in search of refuge? It is not that the church will itself be able to offer land to live on, although this may sometimes be possible, but the church can still provide the welcome, hope, and peace that Goshen represents. We explain this below.

First, we can act as advocates, just as Joseph advocated for his family. God used Joseph and enabled him to find favor in the eyes of Pharaoh. Joseph’s advocacy led to the gift of the land of Goshen. The community of Christ maintains influence in many nations, which can offer a land of Goshen to climate migrants. In many countries, the church or its members still retain a positive voice to government.[xv] As people or organizations sent to a particular place or nation (like Joseph), some missionaries or mission organizations may have developed the respect to effectively advocate with decision makers. At the least, they might influence local churches to take on this calling. We suggest that advocacy for those who require a place of refuge because of climate impacts is a calling upon God’s people.

Pharaoh’s welcome included providing for material needs:

You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute. (Genesis 47:10–11)

The call to generously offer substantive support to those in need is emphasized throughout the gospels and the epistles.[xvi] Like the way God used Joseph, under Pharaoh’s authority, to provide for Jacob’s entire family once they arrived in Goshen, so the church witnesses to the reality of faith in Christ by giving generously to those displaced by climate changes (Deuteronomy 10:19, Matthew 25:35, Romans 12:13). As we have identified above, the offering of welcome and provision is not limited by the economic wellbeing of the community. Egypt was itself suffering from famine – and expected to do so for another five years. Yet Egypt, through Pharaoh and in accordance with God’s plan, still offers a place of refuge.

As we reflect on the wisdom of Christ, are we able to remain generous even in times of economic difficulty? As Jesus argues in Mark 8:16–21, he can multiply our limited resources in miraculous ways. Those who are the most affected by climate changes and food insecurity are those already exposed to vulnerabilities.[xvii] We cannot fail to recognize God’s particular care for the vulnerable and destitute, through his own people throughout the Bible, such as Naomi and Ruth (Ruth), the widow of Zarephath and her son (1 Kings 17:7–24), and the Christians in Judea during the Roman Empire’s famine (Acts 11:27–30). As the body of Christ, we need to be practical demonstrators of that love.

When welcoming climate migrants, we need to recognize that we cannot credit ourselves for this generous sharing. The Psalmist reminds us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it.” We are all beneficiaries of God’s generosity.

Equally, as the church, we should be a people of hope. As such, we should not limit our response to supplying the physical needs of climate migrants, but also to spiritual needs, sharing the good news so that they too may experience the peace that surpasses all understanding and a hope that goes beyond tomorrow.

There is also the opportunity to share hope within the church. Research based on teenagers found that many young people in Europe and Asia care deeply about climate and environmental issues.[xviii] Many others in Africa and Latin America identify extreme poverty as one of their top concerns.[xix] There are opportunities to include young people in our churches who are concerned about these issues.[xx] Inspiring them to be involved in a tangible response, both locally in welcoming the climate migrant and globally in taking the whole gospel to the many climate migrants in places where there is little Christian witness, can be a source of hope for them as well.

As communities of the church respond in compassion and love to those who are being displaced, or at risk of displacement because of climate changes and their associated impacts, there is a witness to the light of Christ. Opportunities arise to exhibit God’s love and grace. The church can witness with Joseph that “it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. … God sent me ahead of you to … save your lives by a great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:5, 7)

As people respected by the church communities they engage with, missionaries have particular opportunities to encourage this vision of the church as advocate and welcomer to climate migrants.

Conclusion

The experience of Jacob’s family in Egypt suggests ways that Christians can respond to climate migration. These include advocacy to influence national leaders as well as practical provision for the needs of a community. Churches have an opportunity to engage locally with climate migrants, providing a welcoming context as part of God’s provision for them. Many of these people have a deep spiritual need to hear and experience the good news of Jesus Christ. At a global level, churches have an opportunity to send missionary workers to proclaim the whole gospel to climate migrants in places where there is little Christian witness.

Further Resources

World Migration Report 2024, https://publications.iom.int/books/world-migration-report-2024-chapter-7

Climate change-induced migration: UK collaboration with international partners, https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/climate-change-induced-migration-uk-collaboration-with-international-partners/

Environmental Migration, https://www.migrationdataportal.org/themes/environmental_migration_and_statistics

Mapping churches’ responses to migration,

https://ccme.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-05-20_Mapping-Migration3-2020-PDF-FINAL.pdf

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[i] Lawrence Huang, “Climate Migration 101: An Explainer,” Migration Information Source (November 16, 2023), https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/climate-migration-101-explainer.

[ii] For the purpose of this paper, a climate migrant is a person who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment due to climate change, are obliged to leave their habitual place of residence, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, within a state or across an international border, taken from the definition of ‘climate migration’ in International Migration Law: Glossary on Migration (International Organization for Migration, 2019), 31, https://environmentalmigration.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1411/files/iml_34_glossary.pdf.

[iii] Viviane Clement et al., Groundswell Part 2: Acting on Internal Climate Migration (The World Bank, 2021).

[iv] Another example is the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 8.

[v] Matthew 1; Luke 3:23–38.

[vi] EMM2.0, “Drivers of International Migration,” https://emm.iom.int/handbooks/global-context-international-migration/drivers-international-migration.

[vii] M.T. Chazalnoël and A. Randall, “Migration and the Slow-onset Impacts of Climate Change: Taking Stock and Taking Action,” in World Migration Report 2022, ed. M. McAuliffe and A. Triandafyllidou (International Organization for Migration, 2022), chapter 9.

[viii] Cécile Couharde, Davis Junior, and Rémi Generoso, Do Remittances Reduce Vulnerability to Climate Variability in West African Countries? Evidence from Panel Vector Regression: Discussion Paper 2 (UNCTAD, September 2011), https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/suc-miscDP02_en.pdf.

[ix] The Paris Agreement acknowledges that “Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, … [and] migrants, …”, but has no binding mechanism to ensure that persons displaced by climate change are able to find an alternative place to live. Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, December 12, 2015, T.I.A.S. No. 16-1104, Preamble.

[x] See the outcomes from COP 28, including a global goal on adaptation and funding arrangements for addressing loss and damage, https://unfccc.int/cop28/5-key-takeaways.

[xi] A copy of the Australia – Tuvalu Falepili Union agreement is available at https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/tuvalu/australia-tuvalu-falepili-union.

[xii] See Taukiei Kitara Dr Carol Farbotko, Tuvalu, Australia, and the Falepili Union (Australian Institute of International Affairs, November 2023), https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/tuvalu-australia-and-the-falepili-union/.

[xiii] See Teitiota v New Zealand, CCPR/C/127/D/2728/2016 (23 September 2020), ¶ 9.4–9.5, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CCPR/C/127/D/2728/2016&Lang=en; Jane McAdam, Climate Change Displacement and International Law: Complementary Protection Standards (UNHCR Division of International Protection, 2011); Caitlan M. Sussman, “A Global Migration Framework Under Water: How Can the International Community Protect Climate Refugees?” Chicago Journal of International Law Online 2, no. 1 (2023): 48, 57–61.

[xiv] UN GA Resolution 73/195 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (December 19, 2018).

[xv] One analogous example is the Micah Australia ”Christians United for Afghanistan” campaign, accessed 22 October 2025, https://www.micahaustralia.org/take-action/christians-united-for-afghanistan/.

[xvi] Matthew 25:35–40; 1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–9:15; Romans 15:14–32.

[xvii] Overlapping Global Crises: The Impacts of Food Insecurity and Climate Change on Migration and Displacement (IOM, 2023), 4, https://www.iom.int/international-dialogue-migration-2022-overlapping-global-crises-impacts-food-insecurity-and-climate-change-migration-and-displacement.

[xviii] In the United Kingdom (44%), Spain (47%), Germany (44%), France (45%), the Netherlands (37%), Korea (43%), Taiwan (36%), and India (38%), teens ages 13–17 list global climate change as one of their top five concerns. Barna Group, The Open Generation, vol. 3., How Teens Around the World Can Make an Impact (Barna Group, 2023).

[xix] In Mexico (53%), Brazil (54%), Nigeria (49%), and South Africa (46%), teens ages 13–17 list extreme poverty as one of their top five concerns. Barna Group, The Open Generation, vol. 3, How Teens Around the World Can Make an Impact (Barna Group, 2023).

[xx] For example, the Lutheran World Federation has invited youth from member churches to apply for “climate justice project grants,” accessed October 22, 2025, https://lutheranworld.org/news/lwf-opens-call-youth-led-climate-justice-projects.

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EMQ, Volume 62, Issue 2. Copyright © 2026 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: [email protected].