Old Testament - Genesis 47:1-31 - Joseph's Management of Famine - CC Windward - Pastor Tim

Old Testament - Genesis 47:1-31 - Joseph's Management of Famine - Calvary Chapel Windward - OAHU, HAWAII - Pastor Tim Newman - From Local Olelo / Oceanic / Time Warner Cable show "A View from Calvary" - Episode #: - Original Air Date: 12/16/2012 A.D.


PASTOR TIM's NOTES:


Genesis 47:1-31
“Joseph’s Management of his Family
and the Famine”

Prov 21:23
1. There will be a formal REQUEST to live in Goshen.
Vs. 1-6
1a. The REQUEST centered on the need to live Goshen.
Joseph mentions that his family is already there.
Again, this was a tactical move.
Notice that just as Joseph predicted, Pharaoh inquired about their occupation,
and they “spontaneously” chorused, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and
also our fathers." v. 3b.
1b. The REQUEST is formalized between Joseph and Pharaoh.
Unbelievably, in addition to keeping his initial promise of the best of the land (cf.
45:18),
Pharaoh even offered the brothers employment as superintendents of the royal
cattle.1
2. Jacob RESPONDS to Pharaoh’s questions about his life.
Vs. 7-12
2a. He REPSONDS to the question of his age.
Jacob stood amidst what was to him opulent luxury.
Around him would have been the gawking officials of the court of the Nile.
Jacob was unimpressed.
2b. He REPSONDS to the opportunity to bless Pharaoh.
Jacob’s double blessing of Pharaoh here is most significant.
Pharaoh had first blessed God’s people with his
generosity.
So Jacob’s blessing of Pharaoh was proper and also a fulfillment of what God had
earlier said to Abraham. Gen 12:3
2c. Joseph will continue to RESPOND to the needs of his family
So in the throes of a deepening world starvation, God prospered his people.
2d. We need to RESPOND to the problem in verse 11.
Vs. 11b in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as
Pharaoh had commanded.
The Bible time line puts the Exodus at 1446 BC.
Joseph coming into the land was at 1876 BC

1
Nahum M. Sarna, JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989), p. 319, provides
interesting details:
Hebrew sarei mikneh, literally “officers of cattle,” that is, superintendents of the royal cattle. This office is mentioned frequently in
Egyptian inscriptions since the king possessed vast herds of cattle. Ramses III is said to have employed 3,264 men, mostly
foreigners, to take care of his herds.
Therefore we have almost a 500 year difference between Joseph being in the land
and the name mentioned in verse 11.
So how do we reconcile the two differences?
1) The name of the land changes over time.
2) The other explanation is that the name Rameses was used earlier in Egyptian
history long before the Pharaoh named Rameses.
3) The other explanation is that Rameses took his name from this famous portion
of land in the Nile Delta.
3. Joseph continued to manage the RESOURCES of Egypt.
Vs. 13-26
3a. The management of the RESOURCES are difficult because of the severe
circumstances.
What does it mean when it says, very severe? It means they were starving.
Pharaoh prospered as Joseph affected a plan that nationalized the land and the
livestock and turned the Egyptians into tenant farmers.
3b. Joseph’s management of the RESOURCES would be for the
benefit of Pharaoh.
So Joseph was able to purchase all the land of Egypt for the Pharaoh
This created the need for the people to move into cities
Tenant farming became the norm, with Pharaoh providing the seed.
3c. Joseph’s management of the RESOURCES would be fair to everyone.
Joseph had a favorable response to his management of the famine.
4. Jacob’s concern about his final RETURN to the Land.
Vs. 27-31
4a. Jacob desired to RETURN despite the prosperity.
Even during the famine Israel prospered.
4b. Jacob was concerned about RETURNING to the Land for burial.

Isa 45:7
Jacob so wanted to be buried in Canaan in the cave of Machpelah.
He then made Joseph to swear that he would not bury him in Egypt.
Why this almost desperate demand for assurance that his bones be interred in the
Promised Land?
The reason for the demand was that burying his remains in Canaan was a
declaration of his faith in the promise of the land to Abraham and his seed forever
(15:17ff.).

Gen 50:20, Rom 8:28, Jer 29:11


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