d.
Genesis
47:14 – And Joseph gathered
up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt land of Canaan
§
Joseph would
likely have preferred to remain in Goshen
§
Money from both Egypt Canaan , Canaan becoming subject to Egyptian dominion
§
Romans 11:29 -
For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.
o
God has no
regrets for the gifts He gives or who He calls.
e.
Genesis
47:15 – And when money failed
in the land of Egypt land of Canaan
§
Money failed
§
No mention of Israel
§
Throughout
history and even recently we see revolts and revolutions due to food shortages
most notably the French Revolution, not here…why?
o
It seems that the
people trusted in the wisdom and direction of Joseph
o
Joseph has proved
himself to be a capable and wise leader
o
Egyptians throw
themselves completely at the mercy of Joseph
f.
Genesis
47:16 – And Joseph said, Give
your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
§
When money fails,
hard assets and bartering become the accepted currency
§
More of a type of
a relief to the people in that they no longer bare the responsibility of caring
for the animals
g.
Genesis
47:17 – And they brought
their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread [in exchange] for horses,
and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he
fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
§
Everything is
secondary to life
§
Since they were
unable to feed the flocks, it was of little consequence to trade them while
still alive and of value.
§
Fulfillment of
Pharaoh’s dream of lean cattle
h.
Genesis
47:18 – When that year was
ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide
[it] from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of
cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and
our lands:
§
The next year,
not second year of the famine
§
Naturally Joseph
would not have approached the people about the grain in need of making it
stretch as long as possible, sso reason plays out in that the people approached
Joseph.
§
Joseph gave the
warning from God to Egypt
§
How are we
ignoring the warning signs and not preparing ourselves for the coming “famine”?
§
Revelation
11:15 - And
the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
[the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and
ever.
o
Just as Joseph
claimed all of the land for Pharaoh, Jesus, at the seventh trump, will reclaim
all the kingdoms of this world.
o
Seventh trump,
seven years of famine, seven items traded for food
·
Money
·
Horses
·
Flocks
·
Cattle
·
Asses
·
Lives
·
Lands
i.
Genesis
47:19 – Wherefore shall we
die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and
we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give [us] seed, that we may
live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
§
Bought for a price
by their own asking, not a plan of Joseph to bring them into bondage
§
It should be
considered reasonable that to save their lives the price was to pay with their
lives. The people recognized that
without the help of Joseph, they would surely die.
§
1 Corinthians
6:20 - For
ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's.
j.
Genesis
47:20 – And Joseph bought all
the land of Egypt
§
So here we have
Joseph finding favor both with the people and with Pharaoh
k.
Genesis
47:21 – And as for the
people, he removed them to cities from [one] end of the borders of Egypt
§
While the famine
still prevailed the people were brought into the cities where the logistics of
food distribution could be more efficiently accomplished.
§
With no livestock
and no fields, there was no reason for the people to remain on the land that
now came under the possession of Pharaoh.
l.
Genesis
47:22 – Only the land of the
priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion [assigned them] of
Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold
not their lands.
§
What kind of
priests?
m.
Genesis
47:23 – Then Joseph said unto
the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo,
[here is] seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
§
Again, he takes
himself out of the transaction, what has happened is between the people and
Pharaoh, he gained nothing for himself.
§
Knowing that the
famine is coming to its end, he distributes seed for sowing in the land (that
is now owned by Pharaoh)
n.
Genesis
47:24 – And it shall come to
pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth [part] unto Pharaoh, and
four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for
them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
§
Another reference
to the number 5, another reference to grace
§
20% flat tax
implemented, inherently fair in that everyone gives the same proportion whether
it is a lean year or a bumper crop its all relative.
§
Seems excessive,
but this is actually a business transaction (and quite fair) Joseph, in his
wisdom, understands that the land is of no value without people to cultivate it
and a nation is defenseless without its population to draw on for enlistment
into its armies.
o
Joseph could have
let them all die and their property would have transferred to Pharaoh, Joseph’s
actions were honorable and merciful toward the Egyptians.
o
By providing
productive work for the citizenry he is providing a secure economy and sound
national security for Egypt
§
We see Joseph
acts faithfully toward his master, Pharaoh, and does not take advantage of the
situation to enrich himself.
o
Contrast this
with politicians today who seek to enrich themselves and defile their public
office and the trust placed in them through bribes and kickbacks.
o
Joseph was smart
enough he could have enriched himself to the point of being emperor over the
entire region, but his motivation was not power but to fulfill the calling God
placed upon him.
§
This arrangement
was perpetual
o
How similarly
this encapsulates what happened in the garden, Adam and Eve did not heed God’s
command and as a result were under perpetual bondage:
·
Genesis 3:19 - In
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground…
·
Yet we live only
by the grace of God
o.
Genesis
47:25 – And they said, Thou
hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be
Pharaoh's servants.
§
Here the people
ask for grace and show their appreciation for Joseph
§
Ephesians
2:8 - For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast.
o
The people
neglected to heed the warning, and fell at the mercy of Joseph
o
Our ancestors did
not obey the command of God and fell into the need for a savior.
p.
Genesis
47:26 – And Joseph made it a
law over the land of Egypt
§
The law of grace
§
Romans
4:16 - Therefore [it is] of
faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all
the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of
the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all
§
Does not appear
to be an exception made for Israel
II.
Jacob Instructs
Joseph of his Final Wishes (Genesis 47:27-31)
a.
Genesis
47:27 – And Israel land of Egypt Goshen
§
Grew and
multiplied exceedingly
b.
Genesis
47:28 – And Jacob lived in
the land of Egypt
§
Jacob, 147 years;
Joseph, 56; ~599 years after flood, ~1749 BC, ~2255 AM
§
Isaac, 180 years;
Jacob, 120; Joseph, 29; ~572 years after flood, ~1775 BC, ~2228 AM
§
Abraham, 175
years; Isaac, 75; Jacob, 15; ~467 years after flood, ~1880 BC, ~2123 AM
§
Flood occurred
~2348 B.C.
§
Adam created
~4004 BC, so flood occurred 1656 AM
c.
Genesis
47:29 – And the time drew
nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If
now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,
and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
§
Again, “If I have
found grace…”
§
Even in death
Jacob held on to the promise
d.
Genesis
47:30 – But I will lie with
my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt
§
Correctly
translated to “lie with my fathers…” to “sleep” with one’s fathers does not
refer to burial, but falling asleep.
e. Genesis 47:31 – And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him.
And Israel
§
The whole
setting indicates that an important need of faith had been met. That would most
naturally suggest that Jacob "bowed down in prayer," thanking God
that He had granted him this deep satisfaction. The added phrase, "upon
the head of the bed," conveys the sense that the head end (ro’sh), being a bit elevated, would
offer a natural point upon which more comfortably to bow his head in prayer. Commentary
on Genesis, H.C. Leupold
A point occasioning some confusion in this connection is the fact that the words "head of the bed" are rendered "top of his staff" (Heb
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