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13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because 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 grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, "Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed." 16 Then Joseph said, "Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year. ~ Genesis 47:13-17
Today, we return to Genesis 47 which happened during a period when the people on the earth were experiencing a seven year famine. Before the famine set in God revealed through Joseph that there was coming seven years of abundance of food which would prepare them for the seven year famine. It happened just as God had revealed, knowing it gave Joseph favor in the eyes of the Pharaoh. The fact that Joseph resisted the impulses of his flesh and was defined by the Lord, positioned him to recognize the leading of God. Having recognized the Lord, Joseph obey His Word and as a result he was defined by God.
The seven year famine in Joseph's day pictures for us a time of famine which will come upon the whole world during the seven year event that most refer to as the Tribulation. The Bible actually never calls this period the Tribulation, it is referenced in Daniel 9 as the seventieth seven of Daniel's prophecy for Israel. In Jeremiah 30:7 it is called a time of Jacob's trouble. At the opening of the third seal in Revelation 6 there will be a rider on a black horse who will appear as a sign of the famine. There will also be at that time a famine of the Word of God. As we’ve seen in our study of Genesis, grain has consistently pictured the word of God. It is one thing to lack food for the body, it is quite another to lack food for the soul.
In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine."
The mentioning of the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan here is significant. Both will languish which means that this will be a worldwide famine, for both Israel and the rest of the world. Only those who have a personal relationship with God will be cared for supernaturally. This is foreshadowed in today's passage in the prospering of Israel while they were in the land of Goshen while everyone else suffered. The word translated "languished" meant that in such a state the people became exhausted to the point of fainting.
In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, 'Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.'"
This is the last time the word grain is mentioned in Joseph's story. It was yet again a picture of what will happen on the earth during the Tribulation. This scenario is exactly referred to in Ezekiel 7:19 which reads, "They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the Lord; They will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs, because it became their stumbling block of iniquity."
The famine outlasted the money. We live in a world where everyone believes that if they just had a little bit more money they would be okay. Those who trust in money more than the Lord will never be secure. Even though the US currency bares the message, "In God We Trust," engraved by our faith-filled founding fathers, that phrase is a reminder not to waste our energy engaging money as the source of our security. We invite trouble into our souls when we trust money more than we trust God. It is impossible to obtain a totally secured financial future. God knows we need this uncertainty to stay dependent upon Him. Frustration and fear become the pattern of those who focus on finances over faith in the God of the Bible.
Only in Goshen did God protect and provide for Israel as long as they were willing to be defined by Him. It will be the same for those Jews during the Tribulation. According to the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24, those who will flee to the wilderness will be safe. The rest will endure intense hardships. Knowing the word of God in advance and being defined by the Lord will be the precursor for their protection and God's provision for them.
In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 Then Joseph said, 'Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.' 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year."
At this point in the narrative it was the sixth year of the seven year famine. In a wise moment for both Pharaoh and for the animals, when Joseph proposed an exchange of food for the livestock of the people. The exchange was made and the few possessions of value left to the people became the property of Pharaoh. Here, the picture of the future Tribulation comes into focus. In the book of the Revelation we learn not one person will be able to buy or sell anything unless they have the mark of the beast, the sign of their allegiance to the enemy. The only difference will be those who will be born again by asking the Lord Jesus into their lives. Sadly those who will resist the number during that time will die awful deaths. This is the clear difference between the Lord Jesus and the enemy. The Lord Jesus died for us while the devil will require those not subject to him to die. Our choice is clear, to trust in the one who loves us or to trust in the one who appeals to our flesh.
