“Genesis 47:13-19”

Sunday, April 26, 2020

“Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, ‘Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone.’ Then Joseph said, ‘Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.’ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, ‘We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

“The severity of the remaining years of famine is such that the people become wholly dependent upon the state for their survival. Joseph rises to the occasion and averts disaster through a series of drastic measures that, in effect, nationalize the land and livestock and turn the populace into tenant farmers of the state. This section has no connection with the story of the Israelites; a continuation of the narrative of chapter 41 describing the measures taken by Joseph in preparation for the famine, it has been included here because it provides examples of Joseph’s wisdom and leadership capabilities. It also supplies an explanation for the extraordinary contrast between the Egyptian system, which concentrated land ownership in the hands of the state, and the Israelite ideal of private ownership of property. It is also likely that the Narrator wants to emphasize the great benefits that Joseph brought to the crown, thus accentuating the base ingratitude of a later Pharaoh ‘who did not know Joseph; (Exod. 1:8). In this sense, this digression provides a link with the Book of Exodus.” (Nahum Sarna)

“Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.” (verse 13) The situation was dire for Egypt and all the surrounding area, including and especially the land of Canaan. If the Lord had not placed Joseph in his position of influence and leadership, Israel and his family would have perished in the famine along with all the wonderful promises God had made to Abraham and his descendants. The Lord chose to deliver His people and preserve His promises through the hands and the plans of a misunderstood, outcast-from-his-family, sold-into-slavery, wrongfully-imprisoned dreamer. No truer words were ever spoken than those of Joseph in Genesis 45:7—“God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” Never sell your influence short or underestimate your personal worth when God Almighty reigns supremely in your life and sits enthroned upon your heart. He is either currently using you as a lifeline for a few or a multitude, or He is preparing you to provide such deliverance sometime in the future. Follow Joseph’s good example by always keeping your mind humble, your heart tender and your eyes open.

“Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone.” (verse 15) The people of the land of Egypt and Canaan came before Joseph after all their money had been spent and all their food was consumed, and threw themselves upon the mercy and generosity of Joseph. “Then Joseph said, ‘Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.’” (verse 16) Joseph reminded the people that they still had valuables with which to do business. This was the wisest and most merciful course of action to take under those catastrophic circumstances since the people were incapable of supporting their own lives, let alone being burdened with the needs of struggling farm animals. “As the charge of so many cattle in time of dearth would be a very serious matter (1Kings 18:5-6), we now see the reason why Pharaoh wished the ablest of Joseph’s brethren to be employed in the task; and probably while there was no food for them in the Nile Valley, there would still be grass in the alluvial soil of the delta, which men used to move about with cattle would be able to find.” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers)

“Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh.” (verse 19) With their livestock the people were able to purchase a year’s worth of sustenance to survive the horrid famine. But their food supplies expired long before the drought did and they were soon forced to stand before Joseph again as beggars and bargainers. While we Americans view such an arrangement as indentured servitude with disgust, it is important to note that this proposal was not insisted up by Joseph but offered freely by the people themselves. Their motto was not “Give us liberty or give us death” but, ‘It is better to live than to die.” “So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” Evidently this request was made sometime near the end of the seven year drought period because they were requesting seed with which to plant crops and reap harvests. All of life’s droughts, no matter how mild or severe, eventually come to an end. Keep your chin up, your hope alive and your faith vibrant. Better times are coming for you if you place your hope and trust in the Lord!

Please read Genesis 47:20-26 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

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