Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 47:23-25)
The situation is critical.
The land, as prophesied by Joseph in interpreting the dreams given to Pharaoh, is suffering from famine. Joseph has been put in charge because of the wisdom God has given him.
The resolution of the problem is interesting. In essence, Joseph ensures all the land of Egypt except where priests live, belongs to Pharaoh. In return for acquiring all the land, the people have seed with which to grow what they need to survive. They are no longer owners but tenants of Pharaoh with 20% of all that’s generated from the seeds to go back to Pharaoh.
Some may be concerned with talk of people being now servants of Pharaoh and in essence owing all to the ruler. There is something here, however, about the reality of life. We want to say we own everything, we want to be in charge, we want to determine everything. Yet what that does is in essence take away rightful ownership of life from God to man. The consequences of that is the variety of very good and very bad things.
Whereas when we give up all we have and look to the Provider to provide, He will not leave us in need. He wil provide what we need, we can still live and work and be productive. We can do that and still acknowledge just what the Provider and Protector has done to keep us safe.
Maybe in times of famine, we are to look to the Father to be our provider and always have it that way.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 