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Sermon preached on Genesis 47 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 09/01/2024 in Petaluma, CA.
Sermon Manuscript
Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
We resume our sermon series in Genesis with Israel and family having arrived at Egypt. Recall, Joseph had called for them to move there because they were only two years into what would be a terrible seven-year famine. Joseph had promised to care for them there in Egypt, thus preserving the line of promise in this special family that God have given his covenant promises. Last time we saw Israel and family make the move from Canaan to Egypt. The passage ended with a beautiful reunion of Israel with his beloved son Joseph. But now we turn to see them actually settling down in Egypt. And so the question becomes, how will they be received? When you are the new person arriving somewhere, you never know what to expect. Imagine your first day at a new school. Or your first day at a new job. Those can be scary moments. Well, here is when Israel will find out how they will really be received. Will sojourning in Egypt actually prove to be a God-given means of salvation during this time of famine? Well, they will find that it is, but let us dig into look at this more fully and see how this family is also simultaneously a blessing to Egypt.
Let us begin in our first point by considering verses 1-12 as we see Joseph and family come before Pharoah. This scene begins with Joseph initiating things with Pharoah. In verse 1, Joseph comes to Pharoah and informs him that his father and brothers have arrived and are at Goshen. Joseph then proceeds to present to Pharoah five representatives of his brothers. It is in this meeting, that Joseph hopes to confirm earlier plans and promises about receiving his family and allowing them to stay at the location of Goshen within Egypt.
As Joseph had prepared his brothers last chapter, Pharoah inquired about their occupation. They confirm that they are shepherds, keepers of livestock. Remember that Joseph knew that Egyptian society held a low view of shepherds and that this should allow them to live in Goshen which was away from the normal Egyptian settlements. Indeed, the brothers are very polite to Pharoah and honor him with their language. They explain that they are sojourners from Canaan due to the severity of the famine and humbly request that they might be able to live in the land of Goshen.
Pharoah kindly agrees to their request. The end result is they are given property of their own in Goshen and Joseph will be providing for the food for the entire household of Israel there, verse 11. Again, while Pharoah had already last chapter offered this, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. So, until they actually arrived, appeared before Pharoah, and were formally received and permitted to stay, they never really knew if it would all be okay. Imagine if you get a visa for a foreign country ahead of a trip, you probably still have a little apprehension when you finally arrive and approach the immigration booth. It is not until you are allowed to walk through into the country that you really can breathe easy and relax. This is that moment for Israel’s family. Indeed, according to God’s gracious plan, they were well received. But let us appreciate the simultaneous agency of Pharoah that showed them such kindness to not just welcome them, but to generously offer them the best of the land, and even offers to employ them to care for his livestock, should Joseph recommend so. You could say, that Pharoah really blesses them here. As Pharoah tells all this specifically to Joseph, verse 5, let us remember that Pharoah’s kindness is for the sake of Joseph. And that is because of how God raised up Joseph to find such favor with Pharoah.
So then, in verses 7-10 the scene shifts slightly to see Joseph then bring in his father Israel before Pharoah. Pharoah asks Jacob his age, as he probably looked quite old. In some form of humility, Jacob speaks of his days being both short, in comparison to that of his forefathers and evil, not in a moral sense, but in a sense of full of trouble. Indeed, both Abraham and Isaac lived a good bit longer than Jacob, and Jacob’s life surely has had quite a bit of difficult seasons. Yet, what becomes clear in this chapter, is that the description is not a sufficient description. For indeed, Jacob’s life is also full of many blessings of God, where God has been with him, in both the good days and the evil ones.
Yet, may we particularly recognize that Jacob describes his life as a sojourning. He speaks the same way for his forefathers too. Jacob has had some literal sojourning before in Paddan-aram and now in Egypt. But he describes all his life as one big sojourning. That surely has to be a statement of faith, in recognizing that this life is but a pilgrim’s life until the eternal life yet in store for him beyond this life.
Then, wonderfully, we see Jacob blessing Pharoah. That is interesting, because you generally think of the superior blessing the inferior, and in regards to Egyptian governance that would be Pharoah. However, we can recognize from the standpoint of the covenant of grace, this is the head of God’s covenant community blessing a king of the nations. And what I want us to consider is that this is another example of the covenant promises starting to be fulfilled. Remember, what God promised Abraham back in Genesis 12. He said that whoever blesses you shall be blessed, and that through Abraham’s seed, all the nations on the earth would be blessed. Here, Jacob, seed of Abraham, gives a double blessing upon Pharoah, versus 7 and 10. Pharoah had shown kindness to Jacob in receiving him well, and Israel rightly blesses him in reply. Praise be to God.
Let us now turn to our second point and consider verses 13 through 26, describing how the peoples came to Joseph to buy grain. Verse 13 tells us of how severe this famine is. It was throughout both Egypt and Canaan. An immediate thing to recognize is how if it weren’t for the way Israel was received here into Egypt, they would be facing the effects of this severe famine. Some scholars have wondered why this passage about Joseph selling to the Egyptians is here in this chapter, thinking it out of place. But the at least one answer is so obvious, that this is what Israel has been saved from by finding welcome and refuge there in Egypt.
So then, we read here year by year peoples coming to Joseph to buy Pharoah’s grain. First we read how both Egyptians and Canaanites come and buy grain until they eventually run of money. But the famine continued, so they then offered to sell their livestock in exchange for more grain. But then they also ran out of livestock, so we see what the Egyptians did in verse 19. Free men offered to sell themselves and their land in exchange for grain. Tough times call for desperate measures, but in their freedom, they chose to survive. When the dust cleared, Pharoah owned all of Egypt. The money was his, the livestock was his, the land was his, and even the people were his. Due to Joseph’s prudent management on behalf of Pharoah he made his master owner of everything.
Well, almost everything. The text tells us in verse 22 that the priests and their land did not become indebted and enslaved to Pharoah. That is because they worked on behalf of Pharoah and the nation and thus Pharoah gave them an allowance that kept them fed. And let us understand what is implied here. It wasn’t just the priests who remained freeman and landowners. It was also the family of Israel. Remember, it said here that they were given the land of Goshen as their own possession. That land had become their own. And it said that Joseph provided for all the food his family of Israel needed, verse 12. Obviously, Joseph was well paid himself for doing such a good job managing Pharoah’s estate. So then, all of Egypt ends up belonging to Pharoah because of Joseph’s prudent management, everyone except the priests and the Israelites.
You may note that once Pharoah owned all the people and all the land, Joseph’s management of them was still very humane. They were not treated like cattle or chattel. No, Joseph gave them some seed to go sow the land. Then, he exacted 20% of the production, the fifth for Pharoah. Consider the modern tax rates that we pay as free men to the government, and this doesn’t sound like too terrible of an arrangement.
Indeed, notice the response of the Egyptian people in verse 25. They speak to Joseph, “You have saved our lives!” And they say they will be pleased to serve Pharoah. No, they don’t cry foul of systemic oppression, but rather appreciate that Pharoah would sell the grain he saved up in the years of plenty when others did not. Let us notice then that the Egyptians rejoice in their lives being saved. Because of God through Joseph, these families of the earth find the blessing of salvation. Again, do you see how the Abrahamic Covenant finds a little more fulfillment here? Joseph, seed of Abraham, brought a blessing of physical salvation to the whole Egyptian nation. Praise be to God!
Let’s turn then to our third point and look at verses 27-31. These final verses of the chapter summarize Israel’s salvation in Egypt and begin to look back on Israel’s life. The summary is there in verses 27-28. Israel is saved from starvation and death from the famine, taking up refuge in Egypt. While others become impoverished and lose everything save their lives, Israel is prospering and free. They have the best of the pasture land in Egypt as their own personal real estate possession. And it speaks of how they are fruitful and multiplied greatly there. That language of being fruitful and multiplying should trigger two related thoughts in your mind. First, it reminds us of that promise in the Abrahamic Covenant that Israel would become a numerous people, beyond number. But, secondly, and especially, this is the language of Genesis 1:28. That’s when God first made man on day 6, he commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. Israel and family are doing just that. God’s redemptive work in this family holds promise that yet God’s full vision for mankind will be realized.
These concluding verses then turn to look back on Jacob’s life and consider his final days. After moving to Egypt, he ended up living for another seventeen years. When we had arrived there, he told Joseph now he was ready to die. Shortly thereafter, he had told Pharoah how few his years had been compared to his forefathers. Yet he did have more time. He had a second seventeen years with his beloved Joseph. He lived to see the family saved from the famine, since there was only five years of famine left after he had moved to Egypt. And while he still didn’t live quite as long as Abraham or Isaac did, yet he did live to the good old age of 147 years. Yes, his life did have many evils in it, some of which he brought on himself. You can remember his wrestlings with Esau and Laban, for example. Or the trouble his sons brought when they killed that whole town of Shechem after Dinah’s violation. Or his loss of Joseph. But his God had pursued him in love and grace. His God had been with him through all those times, even when Jacob himself wasn’t trying to follow God or when he wasn’t sure he could trust God. Yet, God brought blessing amidst the troubles, and even turned the evils around for good purposes. As we near the end of his story in Jacob, we look back on those 147 years and see God’s saving blessings in his life. As I hinted earlier, Jacob’s own description to Pharoah of his life being short and full of evil doesn’t do full justice to the situation. His life is a testament of God’s saving grace through the troubles of this life.
So then, Jacob asks his son to swear a very special oath, verse 29. The fashion of the oath is reminiscent of how Abraham made his servant swear to not find a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites in Genesis 24, yet also not to take Isaac out of the Promised Land. Here, Jacob, from outside the Promised Land, asks his son to swear to return him to the Promised Land upon his death. Jacob wants to be buried in the family tomb back in Canaan, in the Cave of Machpelah. He wants to be buried with his forefathers in the Promised Land. Joseph agrees and so swears.
This really sets everything in the proper perspective. It reminds us that Israel and family’s salvation at that point was both already and not yet. Already they had been saved from death and were multiplying and prospering, growing into a great nation as God promised. But, yet, they were not in the Promised Land. Their possession of Egyptian land was but momentary and fleeting in the larger plans that God had in store for Israel. One day, God would bring them up from Egypt to take possession of the earthly Promised Land.
So, Jacob’s desire to be buried in the Promised Land shows his faith in God’s promises that are yet to be fulfilled. Indeed, our burials as Christians also express our hope in the coming resurrection. For whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. And even if in this life we have some light momentary afflictions, it is only for a little while in comparison to the eternal glory that awaits us (2 Cor 4:7). For our life here and now is but a pilgrimage to the final Promised Land. The earthly Promised Land of Canaan was only a type and a shadow of that eternal Promised Land that awaits. One day Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all who hope on the seed of Abraham, Jesus, will be raised from our graves to finally be brought to our final home. There we will even feast together with those patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven. God has sworn an oath to this. This life is but a pilgrim’s life, but a sojourning, for we who are God’s chosen people.
Stepping back then, let us appreciate that this chapter hints at how the blessing God was bringing to Israel’s family held the hope of blessing to all the nations. Indeed, this chapter showed God’s blessings both upon Israel and upon these Egyptians. Even Pharoah himself found tremendous prosperity through Joseph. But God’s promise was that the blessing would come through this family of Israel, a promise that ultimately looked to how all the nations would find blessing in Jesus. But prior to Jesus’ arrival, the blessings were already starting to be seen.
So let me ask the question from today’s passage. What will happen to Egypt when Israel finally decides to leave and go back to the Promised Land? Well, for us who know the Biblical history we know what happens. It won’t be for some four hundred years. But, when the time came, instead of Egypt blessing Israel and sending them off in peace, they actually forcibly enslaved the Israelites. Even though we see here that the Israelites were there legally, and legitimately, landowners and freemen. But one day a Pharoah would rise up who would forget about the long-passed Joseph. He would afflict with evil the vast number of Hebrews at that time. Israel would need God’s power to free them from Egypt. That is what the book of Exodus was about. In that later generation, Egypt would choose to curse God’s people and it would result in them being cursed.
So then, like God told Abraham, those who bless the seed of Israel are blessed, those who curse the seed of Israel are cursed. The New Testament clearly says that is realized and fulfilled in Jesus, the ultimate seed of Abraham. Jesus would send his apostles to the nations with the offer to find the blessing of salvation and eternal life to all who would receive Jesus in peace and love.
There is a memorable prophecy in Isaiah 19 that foretells how one day Egypt would become full of godly Egyptian peoples. That they, alongside Israelites, would be the chosen and blessed people of God. What Isaiah foretold from a distance, we proclaim is now being fulfilled, and far more, as people from all over the world are becoming a part of God’s people by their turning to Jesus in faith.
We are reminded again of the gospel. Bless the seed of Jacob who is Jesus. And you will find he blesses you with salvation and eternal life. We say then to Jesus, “You have saved our lives, and we will gladly be your servants.” This Jesus will grant to us liberty and freedom even while simultaneously calling us into service of his glorious coming kingdom.
Amen.
Copyright © 2024 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
