Today we are reading Genesis 47. In this chapter we read about Joseph and the Famine. “Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 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. 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.” 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. As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other.” Genesis 47:13-21 ESV The Famine must have been a terrible time for the people of Egypt. All their money was gone. All their livestock were gone. All their land was gone and now they were selling themselves to Pharoah as slaves. What would you do to help if you lived back then? In our own country, we see a shocking increase in homelessness. People are losing their grip on a decent life. People seem increasingly dependent on the government for necessities. These are sobering times. How can we help? May God give us a vision of generosity both materially and spiritually. Pastor Tim
