Genesis 47 - Joseph and the Famine | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to Genesis 47 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In Genesis 47 Jacob gets to meet Pharoah and says something of great interest. He confesses that though he is 130 years old, his life has been short, and full of problems. While his aged seems old to us, it is short in comparison to his forefathers and others in the Bible. It reminds us of the commandment to honor one’s parents.

The command to honor wasn’t yet given, but honor for your parents was still a cultural thing, and others before him knew how to honor. That commandment came with a promise that your life would be long, and go well with you. Jacob just 53 years prior had deceived his father, showing great dishonor, and seems to have reaped the reward of dishonoring.

These promises in scripture are general in nature, so that they are true most of the time as life happens how it should. But God can do things differently with individuals. So in one circumstance he can take an individual like Jeremiah who did honor his parents, but by necessity of God’s bigger plans, put him through a difficult life. Jeremiah of course is not without rewards in eternity. But others may seem to live with disregard for God, fellow people or their families and seems to do well. Just the same the scripture that says, “your sin will find you out” applies to them.

Later in chapter 47, the Israelites multiplied exceedingly. Joseph also instigated 20% taxation in Egypt, which seems quite reasonable from a modern perspective. And Jacob makes Joseph promise to bury him back in Canaan when he dies.