Pastor’s Perspective – July 2024
The Sad Story of Egypt’s Blessing
“The power of the future lies not in the hands of those who believe in scarcity but of those who trust in God’s abundance.” – Walter Brueggemann
“Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers, you have done it to me.” – Jesus
God gave Pharaoh a dream, a dream that by the power of God only Joseph could interpret. Joseph (God’s anointed dreamer) had undergone great tragedy, pain and loss on his route to Pharaoh’s court. The favored son had been sold into slavery by his siblings and imprisoned by a rejected woman. Now through divine intervention Joseph was granted a power and authority, reserved only for those touched by the gods.
Joseph revealed to Pharaoh that God would grant Egypt seven years of abundance to prepare for a future famine that would cover the world for seven years of unimaginable scarcity. The dream and its revelation allowed Egypt the chance to utilize the years of plenty to prepare for the coming catastrophe. Even though famine was coming Israel’s God had moved to protect the people of the world.
Under Joseph’s command, Egypt began to store grain and supplies as a bulwark against the coming shortages. One would imagine that a divinely inspired plan would be utilized to bless the nations and protect the peoples of the world. One would be spectacularly wrong in that assumption.
Joseph, seeking neither the instruction of God nor Pharaoh, but solely on his own word (according to the scripture) wields the gift of God like a Wall Street insider. Instead of blessing the nations, he uses his knowledge to rule them. When the people came to Joseph for food, Joseph gave them a year’s supply of food in exchange for all their money. The next year Joseph demanded that they give him their livestock. By year three, Pharaoh and Joseph had used their stored food to strip the people of their land and freedom. (Cf Genesis 47: 13-26).
Why did Joseph do this? The text places the blame squarely on Joseph. The decisions are his to make as Pharaoh grants full authority to Joseph. Pharaoh simply tells Egypt, “Go to Joseph, whatever he says to you, you shall do” Genesis 41: 55b.
Joseph was given the opportunity to show the world that God’s abundant blessings were the only necessary bulwark to the problem of scarcity. God was ready, willing, and able to guide them through famines and misfortune. Sadly, for reasons unrevealed in the scripture, Joseph decides to monetize and profit from the blessings of God. His actions result in a system that enslaves Egypt, the world, and eventually Israel.
We serve a God who seeks to bless Creation. A God who wants us to bless our neighbors. To give away our second cloak, or to share our dinner with a neighbor. Most of us ignore the difference that we can make in our community and world if we would only live with a trust in God’s abundant blessings.
The people of God have never been so blessed and prosperous. How shall we live in our abundance?
Give more, share more, love more, care more. May the world see more of Jesus and less of me.
Pastor Dan
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