Enjoying the Blessings

Thirteen years after being taken to Egypt as a slave, Joseph was made the Prime Minister.  He was responsible for making sure there would be food when the seven years of famine came.  Genesis 41:47-49 describes his efforts.  “And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.  And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.  And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.”

Normally a bumper crop means the farmers have more to sell and thus make more money by selling off the excess, leaving them with little extra for the following year.  Joseph gathered all the excess and saved it in large storage facilities for seven years.  They had more food stored than they could keep track of as a result of those seven years of bumper crops. 

Those seven good years were a time of happiness for Joseph, according to Genesis 41:50-52.  “And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.  And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”  He got married and had two sons, naming them to reflect his happiness.  He was at peace with not being with his father, and he was getting a sense of worth from his work in Egypt.  He had learned to be content with what he had.  Although God had blessed him the entire time, he had not realized how he was blessed until this time.   

Conditions are constantly changing, and before long, the seven good years ended and the famine started.  Suddenly the importance of Joseph’s policies became apparent, in Genesis 41:53-57.  “And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.  And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.  And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.  And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.”

The crops did not produce nearly enough to meet the needs for the year and they were forced to seek government help.  Joseph began selling the food he had collected back to the people.  People from the surrounding areas also came to Egypt seeking food.  One of the areas affected by the drought was Canaan, as Genesis 42:1-4 tells us.  “Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?  And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.  And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.  But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.”

The scarcity of food was causing conflict among Joseph’s brothers.  They were starting to watch each other to make sure no one took more than their share and it was worrying Jacob.  He sent them to Egypt to buy food, but he kept Benjamin at home so nothing would happen to him.  He was still favoring Rachel’s children over those of his other wives.  God would use the situation to work things out between Joseph and his brothers, but they had no idea what was happening at the time.  All they knew was they needed food.