Gen. 47:11 “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.”

“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.”  Joseph carried out the command of Pharaoh.  Joseph had this responsibility and he completed it.  Likewise, Christ carries out the command of the Father both in giving the obedient children of God a timely possession in the church and all the elect an eternal possession in heaven:

                        1.  Rev. 12:6 “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

                        2.  Eph. 1:10, 11 “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

            “And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.”  While the famine was very sore in the land of Egypt, Joseph provided nourishment for his family.  Likewise, Christ provides for the spiritual nourishment of his children, even though there is a famine of spiritual nourishment in the world:

                        1.  John 21:15 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

                        2.  Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

                        3.  1 Pet. 5:2 “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;”

                        4.  Rev. 7:17 “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

                        5.  Rev. 12:6 “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

            “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.”  The world has no spiritual food for the spirit born child of God.  A child of God who tries to get his spiritual food from the world will find his soul to be greatly famished:

                        1.  Luke 15:14 “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”

                        2.  1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Genesis Chapter 47:14-26  Famine Continues

 In this passage of scripture, we are told how that the famine continued on in the land of Egypt and what happened to the people during this time of famine.  First the people gave all their money for bread to eat.  The next year they gave their cattle, flocks and herds to Pharaoh for bread to eat.  The third year they gave their lands and their bodies to Pharaoh for bread to eat.  In just a relatively short period of time, because of the famine, the people had gone to possessors of wealth to be slaves to Pharaoh.  Next, Pharaoh made them sharecroppers.  They were to give 20% of all that they produced to Pharaoh. 

This should teach us that we should not trust in uncertain riches.  How easy is it for worldly riches to disappear in a very short period of time.  Rather, we should put our trust in our God and trust in his provision. 

Genesis Chapter 47:27-31 "Swear unto me."

Gen. 47:27 “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.”

Israel made a covenant with Joseph that his body would not be buried in Egypt but be buried in the land of Canaan in the burying place that had been purchased by Abraham.  Buried there was Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob’s wife Leah.  There were two things that Jacob requested of Joseph to assure Jacob that his desires would be carried out.  First, there was a covenant between the two.  We know this was a covenant because Jacob required Joseph to put his hand under his thigh while Joseph confirmed the agreement: “I will do as thou hast said.”  Next, Jacob asked Joseph to make an oath to that affect: “And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him.”

The above is very similar to what we read concerning Christ and the covenant that he made with the Father: Heb. 6:16 “For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

We have a great hope of eternal life because of the covenant promise made between the Father and Son and because of the oath of God.  Since God cannot lie, these two immutable things (covenant promise and oath) assure us of our eternal home.  Just as Jacob had a covenant promise and oath from Joseph, we have even a greater hope than Jacob because our covenant promise and oath is from God.