Genesis 47 - “Compound Interest”
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Opening Statement - God’s chosen family has decided to invest wisely…in a God who yields compound interest.
Opening Illustration - Compound interest works by making gains, than making new gains on those gains, than new gains on those gains, etc. Or you can say by a slow and steady growths
Slow and steady wins the race...
It’s a marathon, not a sprint...
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast...
Regarding Money - if you do this over a prolonged length of time - you will become a millionaire
Regarding “faith-gains,” - if you do this over a prolonged length of time - you will become a “Christian-heir ”
Ok Zac - enough of the dad jokes!! I’m gonna double-down on this...
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
So my big proposition tonight is - if you continually re-invest in the things of God, you become a Christian-heir.
Opening Background - The family of Israel had built up the years of spiritual trial and error; resulting in discipline and faithful endurance that has been compounding for years, decades, and generations…now being put to good use there in Egypt (the world).
Relevance to CCB - We’re in the world too…but we shouldn’t be of this world.
Market analysis - Look at the market (of investment opportunities) around you. You’re in a target rich environment.
During the battle of the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, famous Marine Colonel (later LtGen) “Chesty” Puller found out his unit of Marines was surrounded by enemy Chinese communist forces. So this is what he tells the Marines.
“We’ve been looking for the enemy for some time now. We’re finally found him. We’re surrounded. That simplifies things.
Implying that they had the freedom to fight in any direction!!
How target rich is your environment? How many “opportunities” do you have to fight the spiritual war?
Message
Let’s Pray
Read along (vv. 1 - 6)
(v. 1) Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh- Joseph still needed approval from Pharaoh because he didn’t have authority to assign land.
(v. 1) The land of Goshen is believed to be the NE Nile delta of Egypt (where the Nile empties into the Med)
This is a great area for pasturing since it was well watered.
Most of the Egyptians are believed to have lived in the SW portion of Egypt.
(v. 2) He took five brothers - probably some Egyptian significance with the #5.
Ben was given five times as much food and five changes of garments.
(v. 3) Pharaoh asked their (family) occupation.
We used to have have family occupations...not until the rise of education and the industrial revolution which really fueled “individualism/independence.”
Pharaoh asked their occupation to decide how best to fit them into society.
They are extremely respectful (you servants) and they answered according to Joseph’s earlier guidance.
Gen 46:33-34 - when asked, say you are shepherds...who are considered an abomination.
It’s true - they are shepherds - and honesty is the best policy.
Even when you don’t think the result will be favorable.
“Shepherds are an abomination.”
Lying is a good way to work God out of your life.
In this case, being honest and known as the “dirty” shepherds while living in Goshen will guarantee their separation from the worldly Egyptian people.
So it turns out that God was looking out for them the whole time.
Admitting they were shepherds, not only didn’t ruin their future; it actually blessed their future in a way they could have never thought possible.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
We should take a lesson from them and apply it to ourselves...to stop trying to control God by telling Him how to fix your problem.
It would be better to (with repentance, holiness, humility, and expectation) to not tell God what the method should be, but rather the Godly result that you desire.
Then get out of His way.
Don’t tell God how to do His job.
Tie your prayer back to a Biblical motive, not a worldly one.
Don’t ask God to make you rich, so that you can serve Him better.
Ask Him to give you an opportunity to serve Him better.
Don’t ask God to heal you, so that you can give Him the glory for it.
Ask Him to help you give Him glory period.
Don’t ask Him for a prominent position in the community or church so that you can influence people for Him more.
Ask Him to help you grow in your influence with those currently in your circle.
Stop trying to tell God how to do His job...and just study your Bible and ask for the good things you find to be applied to your life.
(v. 4) We are shepherds...We have come to dwell in the land...therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen - Dwell - Lit. to sojourn. They are simply asking to be pilgrims, and not lay permanent claim to any land.
Funny how they started like this as free and pilgrims - but they will soon become slaves in the land (over the next few hundred years).
(vv. 5-6) Pharaoh graciously approved their request and even delegated Israel’s family to care for his own flocks and herds!
Love to see how God is using the (worldly) Pharaoh for His purposes
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Read along (vv. 7 - 10) Pharaoh Meet’s Israel
World’s Greatest King meets Worlds Greatest Patriarch -
High Fallutin’ Royalty meet’s Hillbilly Shepherd.
I imagine Jacob seeing all the royal buildings and treatment like he’s never seen before, and thinking, “I’ve got something greater than all this...”
Like Duck Dynasty getting invited to the White House.
Blessings normally flow from “greater to the lesser,” yet here it seems backwards.
And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.
And even Pharaoh seems to be perplexed by this old man...the one whom the Spirit of God was passed down to Joseph, whom Pharaoh was greatly amazed by.
(v. 8) Inquisitively, Pharaoh asks, “How old are you?” - because Jacob probably looked older than dirt.
(v. 9) Jacob answers, “130...but my time on this earth so far has been short and plagued by evil/difficulties...”
From tricking his brother, to then escaping attempted murder by his brother, forced to leave his immediate family & home, to being swindled by his uncle, to being taken advantage of by the Shechemites, then his beloved wife dying young, and then his sons evil
Inappropriate Sexual conduct, Murder, division within the family and selling Joseph...and now famine.
It’s been a hard life!!
Anyone here feel that way?
You’re in good company. (among each other, but especially among the Biblical cast of characters)
But look at the result of a spiritually battle-worn man:
He is richer than the Pharaoh…so much (v. 7) that he blesses the Pharaoh!!
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
If you’re a Christian, you are the richest of all people!
(v. 9) But the years of my pilgrimage (bc he’s not home yet) are 130 yrs; few...Few because Jacob’s father Isaac lived to be 180 (Gen 25:7) and his grandfather Abraham lived to be 175.
Implying, he’s still young.
If you have breath in your lungs, you’re still young. He has you here for a reason. There is no retirement in the Christian life.
(v. 10) So Jacob (again) blessed Pharaoh, and went out...
Read along (vv. 11 - 26)
(vv. 11-12) Extreme Blessings. Joseph will close his final 17 years in great blessing (v. 28 - he will die at 147).
Parallel to the 17 years of blessing early in his life in Hebron, before the “Joseph incident.”
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
Enjoy the good-times!
They were provided for with bread - the very thing that the world was starving for.
Just because there’s a famine for bread in the world doesn’t mean you can’t get any. Follow Him to get it.
“Where God guides, God provides.” (Is 58:11)
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
True bread - is the bread of life, Jesus Christ. “He took the bread and broke it and said, this is My Body, broken for you...take, eat, Do this in remembrance of Me!”
(vv. 13-ff...) The Egyptians underwent extreme famine...
Good thing that God endowed Joseph to know to store food up for the seven good years.
The storehouses will aide in Egypt’s survival.
(vv. 13-14) At first the people paid money for the grain.
Until all the money was “gone.”
Pharaoh had accumulated it all, through Joseph. (Joseph was an honest business “manager”)
(v. 15) After the money failed the people still needed grain, but had nothing to purchase grain with...
(v. 16-17) Rather than giving out food for free, Joseph allowed them (to maintain their sense of worth) to barter for grain by paying with their livestock
This was a wise way to control the grain distribution...because:
Their livestock will die anyway if they can’t feed them.
They still had something left to give. Keeping their self-worth.
This kept the people engaged instead of depending on free hand-outs.
Free-hand outs only stimulate YouTube Lawyers who are looking for ways to work the system to get more.
Wisdom suggests working a trade deal so it always costs something they can give.
Free - insinuates you have nothing worth giving...
(vv. 18-19) The only thing left of value at this point was their own land and finally their bodies (for labor).
So Joseph accumulated all the money, all the cattle, (v. 20) all the land, and the people (v. 23) for Pharaoh. He made Pharaoh rich...and,
“The people had learned to trust Joseph. He had always charged them a fair price and, even though they had used up all their money and marketable possessions, they still had their self-respect.”
(v. 20-22) The only “free-handouts” went to the “priests” of their pagan religion. for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh (not Joseph).
Pharaoh was unwilling to give up his gods in all this despite Joseph’s God was the One who clearly provided all of this.
I find it interesting how even Jesus predicted by “The parable of the Mustard Seed,” that when the plant (often interpreted as the church of God) growing from 12 Disciples to a mighty church...where
but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
The birds represent evil, taking advantage of the tree’s shelter. Problems come sneaking in when there is great blessing.
As the church has grown, so have people snuck in attracted to power, ambition, and self-glory...
Don’t be surprised to see birds in the church.
You will know them by their fruit. Look for people with “servants hearts.”
So the pagan “priests” ate from the very hand that God was providing.
People curse the name of God with the very breath that He gave them.
It’s okay. God will judge.
This problem is above Joseph’s pay-grade. Pharaoh will answer to God for this.
(vv. 24-25) Joseph works out a deal with the people toward the end of the famine, when agriculture was becoming possible again -
Seed will be provided.
One-fifth of your harvest will go to Pharaoh (2x as much as before)
Four-fifth’s - you can keep.
Better tax rate then we’ve got!!
(v. 25) The people are super thankful So they said, “You have saved our lives; let ups find favor in the sight of my lord”
(v. 26) This tax arrangement remained in effect to this day, which would have been when Moses was writing this story down - 400 years later.
Read along (vv. 27 - 31)
(v. 27) So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt...and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. -
Who is “they” referring to? Go to the nearest antecedent.
Israel - this is the first occurrence in the Bible of Israel speaking of a people group rather than a man.
The promise has subtly shifted from a person to now a family. God’s promise will continue to shift from a family to a nation in due time.
This “warm’s my heart,” to see that God’s promises work 100% of the time...in His time.
That church is all worth it!
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
They multiplied exceedingly - from 70 “heads of household” (maybe 700 total) to 600,000 men (estimated over 2 million people) when they leave Egypt in 400 years.
This is a compounded growth rate of a couple percent year over year.
I did the math - if you started with 70 (men) and grew 2.29% annually you’ll arrive at 600,000 (men) in 400 years.
Scholars estimate Israel was over 2 Million at the exodus.
Would Abraham ever have expected that?
But should we be surprised?
Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
God said it…so that settles it!
What is unsettled in your heart, regarding God’s Word?
What are you wrestling with accepting?
(v. 28) Jacob nearing death - lived there for 17 years, died at 147 - a ripe old age and he died while in great blessing.
As Jacob neared death - Jacob made Joseph swear that he won’t be buried there (in one of those pyramids)
Jacob knew the promises of God, are still yet to come...and he wants even his burial place to be amongst his people, for millennia to come...
So far - there’s only buried there; Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah, and his wife Leah...
It took a lot of faith to perceive God’s blessings are to come for many future generations!
Think of how this motivated the Jews?
Bury me with my fathers. - Joseph will personally ensure this occurs (as he will with his own bones). Jacob will be buried in the cave of Machpelah (Gen 50:12-14)
Jacob had great hope and expectation for the Lord’s plans.
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
I encourage you to have that same great hope and expectation for God’s future plans!
Closing
Closure
Closing Application - Invest in your faith for a prolonged period of time - Get you’re Compounded Interest. A small percentage gained, year-over-year, results in millions...
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
To practically invest in faith - I’ve told people many times, focus on your current direction regarding God.
All people at any point in time, are either headed toward the cross, or away from the cross!
For the unbeliever - You’re only ever one step from Jesus, because salvation isn’t perfection, it’s just a change in direction. Jesus handles the perfection (holiness) part.
For the believer - just keep heading toward Jesus.
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
If you want great gain - just keep moving towards Him.
Closing Illustration - For Abraham - Isaac - Jacob - Compounding interest resulted in this fantastic season of growth. The ROI was in the form of seeing God’s promises fulfilled!
Urge to Action -
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22)
Let’s Pray
Benediction - God Bless you and keep you, may he shine His face upon you, and for those who need it, may He give you rest - God Bless and see you Sunday!
