We have seen how God had providentially sustained a family which had been severely divided and disjointed through
a combination of bad parenting, and favouritism leading to mutual loathing, cheating, distrust. They had been separated for many
years, but we saw that God was preparing
to create a nation for Himself out of
this family, and He did this in a most
unlikely place – Goshen, in Egypt. Again we see
the wonderful hand of God behind
it all,nas He preserves and provides.
OUTLINE
1. 47:1-6 Jacob’s family presented to Pharaoh
2. 47:7-10 Jacob himself is presented to Pharaoh and blesses Pharaoh.
3. 47:11,12 Israel settled in Goshen.
4. 47:13-26 Joseph’s wise leadership in the famine.
5. 47:27-30 A Review of 17 years in Egypt and a renewed focus
1. 47:1-6 Jacob’s family presented to Pharaoh
“So Joseph went in and
told Pharaoh, ‘My father and my
brothers with their flocks and herds… have come from the land of Canaan. They
are now in the land of Goshen.’” (47:1)
God has already prepared Pharaoh’s
heart for the kind reception of the family of Israel through Joseph’s
agency, by giving them favour not only through
Joseph’s excellent testimony to Pharaoh (Ch.
41), but mainly because of God’s
sovereign work and plan at work (cf. 50:19-21).
It is God that steers history for His own glory and for the good of His people.
In 47:1-2 we see
that Joseph firstly presents 5 of his brothers to the Pharaoh. We are not told
which ones. In 46:31-34 we saw that Joseph had coached them in terms of
approaching Pharaoh. He coached them how
to answer the question Pharaoh would ask them (a typically male question): “What is your occupation? What do you do?”
(47:3). He encouraged them to be
utterly honest: “Tell Pharaoh that you
are shepherds”. We are also told
what Pharaoh’s attitude towards their profession would be. We read that “every shepherd is an abomination to the
Egyptians” (46:34). And so, it is noteworthy that Joseph taught his brothers to be absolutely honest about their profession. Humanly
speaking they should not have expected a warm reception. But they did not need
to ‘window-dress’ themselves. They did not need to give themselves fancy titles
such as ‘agricultural- engineer’ or ‘livestock and veterinary consultant’. They were to present themselves as shepherds-
just that! They were to call a spade a spade and not an agricultural implement. And we will notice that this honesty will
do no damage to them at all. In fact it will serve their purpose, which is to
live in Goshen, and be separate from the Egyptian culture. And they tell Pharaoh
that they have come to sojourn in the
land – meaning that they will stay as long as is necessary and no longer.
All this shows Pharaoh that these people have an occupation (i.e. they will not be a burden to the
economy) and a termination date. They intend to not
use the kindness and hospitality of the Egyptians longer than is necessary.
But over and above all this is the story of the God who provides
for and preserve His people. This is the story of Almighty God who leads His
people like a Shepherd (!) Pharaoh
was considered a god by his own people, but
he was no shepherd to his people.
In fact, he would depend on the son of a shepherd to
steer his nation through
this famine. Pharaoh is not in control here. The God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob is in control here. And He preserves his people in a foreign
land, just as He preserves His people – you and I - today, in this world system ruled by the evil one. The Lord Jesus our true Shepherd prayed for His people in the world, not that they should be taken out of the
world, but that they might be kept from
evil in this world, because they
are not of the world (Jn. 17:9-16). And so, it is part of our Christian faith to keep ourselves unstained from the world (Jas.
1:27). In many ways the church is our NT Goshen in this
Egypt world.
On a passing note we
observe how this truth telling contrasts
with both Abraham and Isaac who lied
respectively to Abimelech, a foreign king in whose country they sojourned at different times (Abraham Gen. 20; Isaac Gen. 26). Those lies based on
the fear of man nearly got them into trouble, and if God had not helped them
they would have been dead meat. Here God is being honoured in the truthfulness of His people. And He will
surely bless them there, as we shall see in conclusion of this chapter.
The result is seen in 47:5,6:
Pharaoh welcomes them and tells them that the land is at their disposal.
He even asks them to take care of his livestock. Truly, this is a king’s heart in the hands of the Lord (Prov. 21:1)
2. 47:7-10 Jacob is himself presented to Pharaoh and blesses Pharaoh
After presenting five of his brothers, Joseph introduces his
father: “Then Joseph brought in Jacob, his father and stood him before Pharaoh…” (47:7). We read further, “and Jacob blessed Pharaoh” (cf. 47:7,10). Hebrews 7:7 (context – Abraham blessed by Melchizedek) says, “without doubt the lesser is blessed by the
greater”.
Jacob knew the promise
of God to Abraham, that God would bless those who blessed the descendants of Abraham (Gen.
12:3). This is not merely a formality on Jacob's part. Jacob is not merely blessing Pharaoh
in the sense of thanking him for his
goodness (with hat in hand, “God bless
you sir for your kindness”). No! This is a picture of the head of God's
covenant family acting in fulfilment of
Gen.
12:2, 3. When God called Abraham out of Ur of the
Chaldees, he said, “you will be a
blessing to the families of the earth. And
you will bless them.” And now, even though Jacob may not have the political power and prestige of Pharaoh,
yet in God's economy, he is the representative
of God Almighty, and Pharaoh instinctively seems to recognise that. It is this sort
of authority that we also find in Moses when he and Aaron shall confront a later Pharaoh, when they say to him: “God says….Let my people go”!
Jacob now stands
before one of the most powerful rulers of the world, and in the Name of God
blesses him for this temporary obedience.
Pharaoh then asks him a personal question, “How old are you?” Jacob’s answer is
given in 47:9. Jacob tells Pharaoh
that his 130 years of sojourning (pilgrimage) had been hard. He had hardly
known a fixed abode in his life. Hebrews 11:13-16 helps us to understand
that he too ultimately also knew that he had no abiding city here.
He also thought he was not likely to attain the ages of his
grandfather Abraham (175) and Isaac
(180). Physical and emotional trials erode life expectancy. Remember the trials
with his brother Esau. And then remember the deception of his father in law,
Laban with regard to giving him the wrong wife. Remember too that his chosen
and favourite wife Rachel died in child birth.
And then his sons cheated on him when they told him that Joseph had been killed by wild animals etc.
Jacob’s words were not a complaint. It was the truth. What we learn from him
about life is telling: Life is a pilgrimage. It is a short pilgrimage. It is a
difficult pilgrimage.
3. 47:11,12 Israel settled in Goshen.
And then in accordance with Pharaoh's permission, Joseph settles his family in Egypt in the region of Goshen or the land of Rameses. And there we are told, “Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food…”. This is a great testimony to Joseph’s ability to forgive and move on, in genuine kindness. It is clear that he has come to grips with the sovereignty and the purposes of God in his own circumstances. Oh, for every look at your own dire circumstances take ten looks at your God!
Philip Doddridge (1702-1751)
wrote this wonderful hymn,helping us to look to the God of Jacob:
1. O God of Jacob, by whose
hand
Your people still are fed,
Who through this weary
pilgrimage
A wav'ring Israel led.
Before your throne of grace.
O God of Jacob, be the God
Of their succeeding race.
Our wand'ring footsteps guide;
Give us this day our daily
bread,
And shelter fit provide.
Till all our wand'rings cease,
That to those mansions kept
for us
We all may come in peace.
We deal briefly with this long section which shows us the strategy which Joseph employed in managing the severe challenges of this famine. 47:13 shows us the severity of this famine: “there was no food in all the land”. And Joseph managed the affairs in line with the way the country’s ideology – a country subject to the supreme king-god, Pharaoh. We are not here to discuss justice, socioeconomics, or politics, or whether the system was good or not. That is not the point of this passage .In the end we know that Joseph managed the crisis to Pharaoh’s satisfaction, and in the end the people all had access to food, even though that meant that they had to sell themselves ultimately into slavery. But note this! Even as all of Egypt is becoming enslaved to Pharaoh, the family of Jacob was freed through the provision of Pharaoh and the provision of Joseph all in God's good providence. The closing verses will show us that they prospered in adversity. That is the point!
Make no mistake! God is good and kind even to the Egyptians through Joseph. And they were thankful for it. But there can be no doubt that we learn here that God’s special providence is for His people. His eye is upon them.
5. 47:27-30 A Review Of 17 Years In Egypt And A Renewed
Focus
In this last section we see this prosperity in adversity
amplified: “…and they gained possessions
in it, and were fruitful and multiplied
greatly” (47:27). God knows how
to prosper His people in adversity.
And then one last important thought. For the second time in Genesis
we find this placing of the hand under the thigh. We find it first
in 24:2 where Abraham sends
out his servant under oath find a covenant wife for his Isaac. This occasion here is also associated with an oath. Jacob makes Joseph
swear that he will carry his body back
to Canaan – their land of promise. He says to him, “Do not forget me here. I don’t belong here.
I belong there.” Canaan is my home, my identity. Not Egypt.
And from our perspective as Christians that is no
different. This is not our eternal city.
We are only pilgrims here. We want to be
where our heart is, and it is not in Egypt or in Babylon. Our sight must be on
the city with foundations whose builder is God. To that end may God keep our
eyes focussed on that goal, and may we
be content with being pilgrims on this earth, provided for and cared for by God, but with no abiding city, until we are truly home.
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