Lesson 96- The "In and Outs" of Famine Genesis 47:18- 31

Running out of Finances: 47:18, 19

English Standard Version (Chapter 47)

18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Famine has caused the people of Egypt to resort to some very drastic changes in their lives. Because of the purchasing of grain was so important, they had run out of money. (vs.18) It was a widespread problem. It has gotten so bad they are off the standard of money. They are now purchasing with livestock, goods and land. At what point will you give it all away for food? The Egyptians are fortunate that a godly man is in charge of the government or it may have been worse. There was no rioting or demonstrations. The outcry was truthfulness: “we will not hide from my lord that all of our money is spent…there is nothing left.” When problems hit our culture they respond with rioting, complaining, and unreasonable demands. This is the heavy price of no food. Even the reserves will cost us something. The gravy train has come to a halt in Egypt.

These people had come to the point in their lives that they were ready to give up all of their money, their livestock, and their land. Their cries go up to Joseph and he takes command of the situation. He does not let things get so bad that his own people are starving and beating up on each other. Chaos has not been the order of the day, but rather, excellent organization, a free flow of reasonable comment, and an easy to understand solution from their own lips. It does give insight into the Scripture that the “Lord sends rain on the just and the unjust.” When people do not prepare for the day (season) of famine, they will go hungry and possibly lose everything, even their lives.

In reality, the people are buying back what they had brought into the treasury of Egypt. The grain continues to sustain them as they continue to pay for that which they brought in. Eventually, as we read on, we shall see that the famine is easing and the grain becomes seed for planting. The grain goes full scale and Joseph is the champion of God, famine, and government. The testimony of Pharaoh is that he was wise enough to see how much he needed God’s man. If only the world could see that today, and only if there was a Godly man in place to seize the day in this famine of righteous rule across our land.

Replanting the Barren Fields 47:20- 22

English Standard Version (Chapter 47)

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other.

22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

While this may seem like Joseph is purchasing a bunch of bad worn out real estate, it had once brought in the bounty that they were living on during famine. But it’s not the land speculators, foreign governments, or greedy neighbors doing the buying. It is Joseph purchasing in the name of Pharaoh. Pharaoh now owns it all. It truly was his country. Joseph is setting the value of it in the purchase. Only he can do this sort of thing because this is not a democracy. I’m sure it is a theocracy because the Egyptian people worshipped Pharaoh.

The only property not sold is the property of the Egyptian priests and the family of Jacob and Joseph. You might think to yourself, I don’t like this set-up! Then again, you are not the one faced with starvation. It’s either put up or get out of town and head back to another country. When the prodigal son got hungry, he left the place of his starvation and went back to where Dad was the standard of living. It is better to eat crow than have nothing at all to eat.

Joseph’s Speech of Hope 47:23- 26

English Standard Version (Chapter 47)

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.”

25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

We would all do well if every speech was four sentences. Actually, it was only two. There is a one sentence reply and a statement of condition. The hope that is sown in this sentence by Joseph is that “now here is seed for you and you shall sow...” Planting growth and harvest. That is hope! We are turning the corner and walking away from hopelessness. This is a big, big step. The last seven years have been hopeless and loss of everything. But Body and soul have remained intact and that is enough to go forward with!

The response of the people should be the response of all godly people:”You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to...”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 47:25.

We don’t offer our lives to Pharaoh as the Egyptians did, but we do offer our lives to God through gratefulness in Him getting us through the famines in our lives.

Israel settles in for a long Haul and Joseph Promises to Jacob 47:27- 31

English Standard Version (Chapter 47)

27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.”

31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

Thus begins the story of a nation who resides so long in a land that they become slaves to the land and people. It’s a 400 year old story. Jacob lives to the grand old age of 147. He was becoming a pretty good Egyptian. He and the family did amazingly well in Egypt. Their testimony was four points: 1.) They settled, 2.)they gained possessions, 3.) they were fruitful-had babies and families, 4.) they Multiplied greatly!

The Israelites were the so-called elephant in the room. Maybe they almost outnumbered Egyptians in some areas, like Goshen.

As we put a wrap on this, Jacob makes Joseph swear that when he dies, he must be buried in the family plot back home- out of Egypt! Do not bury me in Egypt. Carry me out out of this place. Joseph said that he would and Jacob worshipped. This is a fitting conclusion to the rescue of a family from famine and the blessing of God on them as a nation. Jacob worshipped.