Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 47 before reading the devotional below.
We’ve seen Jacob receive and handout quite a lot of blessings in Genesis, and he’s not done yet. In today’s chapter he gives a blessing to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. We don’t hear the details, but it reminds me of the spiritual significance of Jacob’s blessings. Meanwhile, Pharaoh lavishes gifts on Joseph’s family and lets them have all the land they want. The family gets settled in very nicely and enjoys the luxuries of Egypt.
This chapter makes it seem at first like Joseph is taking advantage of the Egyptians when the famine gets so severe that he buys their livestock, their land, and eventually the people. He seems to be enslaving an entire country. But in the end, he creates a government-sponsored program that gives free seed to the people. When they harvest the crops, they keep 80% and give Pharaoh 20%. It’s an early form of taxes and government subsidies, and it helps the people return to a state of well-being.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Using your power to bless others will bring freedom.
We all have different amounts of influence, whether it is in our families or our jobs or our circle of friends. Even when we are interacting with the cashier at the grocery store, we have influence. Joseph was getting filthy rich in the middle of a famine that was destroying everyone else. If he had taken his eyes off of God’s plan, he would have very likely been corrupted by wealth and power. He could have turned into a cruel and unforgiving master. Instead, he uses his power to help people find a way out of poverty. They have a new level of freedom and so does Joseph. The people are able to prosper and Joseph is free from sinful traps that could have easily overtaken him. How are you using your influence and power? What is one way you could bless someone today?