The Bible gives us so many great examples of how a Christian ought to live their lives and in Genesis, chapter 47, we have two great examples. In this instance, we have Jacob, who God Himself named Israel and Joseph. Speaking of Jacob, his faithfulness to God spoke for themselves in the way he carried himself around all people. One such person that was affected was Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. The moment that Joseph brought his father in to see him, he was blown away by his humility and faith in God. It was God’s blessings that Jacob expounded upon the Pharaoh, as they met and as they left. And as we will learn later on, a blessing is often a special prayer for that individual, with blessings from God included in it. This we will understand as we continue to read through Genesis, until the end of chapter 49, where Jacob blessed his children before his passing. In saying this, this is what took place when Jacob blessed the Pharaoh. It is recorded, 1“and Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.” (Genesis 47:7-10) From this encounter, you can see the goodness in Jacob’s heart towards everyone around him, including the Pharaoh.
Time went by while Israel and his family took residence in the land of Egypt, 1“and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.” (Genesis 47:27) This took place as Joseph was the main person in charge of getting the people the food they needed during the famine. Even cattle was traded in for food and raiment in that time, and if someone could not provide, Joseph made a way for them to get the goods they needed to survive. This truly showed his good heart, as he ruled over the people with goodness and grace. This is the same thing that any steward of God would do, because of their love for Him and others. It was at this time that 1“Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.” (Genesis 47:28-31) How amazing it was to see Jacob in his last days, still seeking God and wanting to be buried alongside his father Abraham. Just as Abraham endured in the Lord God, His faith was also strong, even until the end. May your faith also endure, as you continue to call upon the Lord in prayer and read His Word daily.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, my God, it is such a blessing and an honor to live this life for You. You are my greatest delight and I am more happy than I could ever deserve. You have truly done great things In my life and I am so grateful. Thank You God. I am in awe at Your great love for me. Just thinking of You, Lord, brings tears to my eyes. I have never been so loved by anyone but You, my Father. I pray that this love that You have shown to me, over the years, will also continue to bless other people’s lives. May my actions show my love and devotion to You in all that I do. Your light is what I’ve found and I want everyone to know that You are the reason for it. My life has been transformed because of Your compassion, mercy and forgiveness for my life and I cannot hold in my praises to Your glory. You deserve every praise and honor for the things I’ve accomplished and will still do by Your great and mighty hand. I’ve dreamt for many years to find freedom from all my sins and addictions and You heard my prayers and brought rest unto my soul. I knew not how to change my life, but by Your presence I found a new way think and to live. Truly, it was Your counsel that showed me the way. There was no longer a situation that was too hard that I could not get out of. And Lord, no temptation now is too strong as to take me down, because Your Spirit abides with me. I love You more than this world and all things. You are my greatest joy. Oh, how I love You Lord. May my faith and others continue to rest in what You did for us on the cross. I trust in You, Lord. It is an honor to live this life for You. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Genesis 47 (KJV)
1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
4 They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.
13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.
27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31 And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.