Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—December 2024

East Tallassee Church of Christ

December 3, Genesis 47

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put then in charge of my livestock." - Genesis 47:5-6

Through the years, I've been blessed on more than one occasion when I was welcomed and accepted among people who did not know me because they knew and loved one of my relatives or friends. Not many of us really have "friends in high places," but it helps to have a good reference from someone the other party knows. You can see how it would be especially advantageous if your friend or family member who spoke up for you had an unusual degree of power or influence.

Jacob and his family were blessed to have their son and brother Joseph intercede for them as a trusted staff member of the most powerful ruler on earth. Many refugees from many places arrived in Egypt as the famine worsened and lengthened. But no one else had Joseph, the second most powerful person in Egypt as their kinsman intercessor with the the great Egyptian king.

Pharaoh already knew Joseph's family was coming, and the land of Goshen had already been reserved for them. But the transaction needed to be formalized. Joseph picked five of his brothers for the interview. He coached them about what to say, and they delivered their lines well. Pharaoh not only granted them the land of Goshen, but entrusted his own livestock to their care.

After the Goshen deal was final, Jacob brought his father to meet the king. Pharaoh might have seen the old man as pitiful and helpless, seeking refuge from the famine. But he was Joseph's father. And Joseph was the savior of Pharaoh and his nation. The king asked the old man his age. Jacob explained that he was 130 years old. He said the years had been few and evil. He had not lived as long as his fathers did, but he had seen some hard times. He grew up in a home where the parents played favorites; he earned the hatred of his brother Esau by stealing his birthright. Laban deceived and mistreated Jacob for twenty years. He had strife in his own household among his rival sister wives. He lost his favorite son when his hateful brothers sold him into slavery and led him to believe Joseph was dead. His daughter was violated and two of his sons committed mass murder in retaliation. One of his sons slept with one of his concubines. He had been humbled by the famine. Jacob’s years had been evil indeed.

An unusual thing happened in that interview. I called Pharaoh the most powerful man on earth. Maybe in some ways he was. But old Jacob stood before Pharaoh and pronounced a

blessing on the king. That blessing prospered Egypt as long as they treated Jacob's family well. After a Pharaoh came to power who didn't remember Joseph, the Israelites lost their favored status and Egypt’s disastrous troubles began.

So Jacob's family settled in Goshen and enjoyed all the privileges and favors of Joseph's generous provision throughout the rest of the famine. They flourished and multiplied there.

Across the rest of Egypt, the famine continued. Desperate to survive, the Egyptians gave Pharaoh's government all their money to get food for another year. They came back and gave their livestock in exchange for another year of government assistance. Then they surrendered their lands and themselves to keep from starving. So Pharaoh came to own all the land and all the people in Egypt (except the priests whom he exempted) and perhaps the Israelites.

As the famine years came to an end, the Egyptian people had nothing. Joseph gave them seed and imposed a 20% tax on their produce as they took the first steps to feed themselves again.

Jacob called his life a pilgrimage when he met Pharaoh. Like Abraham and Isaac before him, Jacob knew they were pilgrims, not settlers in this world. His faith in God's promise was bright as he made Joseph swear to take his body back to Canaan when he died. He wanted to be buried in the family plot at Machpelah.

Jacob lived seventeen years after he and his family went to Egypt. Through Joseph’s work, God brought Jacob’s family to Egypt as a safe and secure incubator in which to grow into a nation. No one knew why the hard things happened when they did. But later they could look back and see God's hand in the difficulties. I pray that you and I will be able to look back over our lives, even at the things that were hard, and see how God blessed us through it all.

Copyright © 2021 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.