{"id":16769,"date":"2021-07-20T22:00:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T05:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/genesis_46_1-34-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-07-21T22:33:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T05:33:00","slug":"genesis_47_1-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/genesis_47_1-31\/","title":{"rendered":"The Riches of Christ\u2019s Righteousness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Genesis 47:1-31Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Genesis 47:1-31.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Genesis 47:13-22 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up.”
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.”
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Why should we perish before your eyes–we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s,
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other.
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 13-22:\u00a0\u00a0The famine in Egypt and Canaan is severe.\u00a0\u00a0On behalf of the Egyptian government, Joseph first sells grain to the Egyptians in exchange for their money.\u00a0\u00a0But when the Egyptians have no more money to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their livestock.\u00a0\u00a0When the Egyptians have no more livestock to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their real estate.\u00a0\u00a0When the Egyptians\u2019 real estate had all been transferred to the government, the Egyptians still had a need for grain, so Joseph agrees to hire the Egyptians as workers for the Egyptian government.\u00a0\u00a0He gives the Egyptians grain to plant in the ground and allows them to keep 80% of the harvest while giving 20% back to the Egyptian government.\u00a0\u00a0Only the land of the priests was not touched, since the priests received a regular allotment from Pharaoh.<\/p>\n

Notice that the Egyptians\u2019 material possessions \u2013 their money, livestock, and land \u2013 could not buy them all the grain that they needed.\u00a0\u00a0Even after all their money, livestock and land had been used up, the Egyptians still had a need for more grain.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?<\/p>\n

First, the Bible describes that all of us are in need not just of physical grains, but \u201cfood that endures to eternal life\u201d (John 6:27).\u00a0\u00a0What we need more than anything else is bread from heaven, which is Jesus Himself.\u00a0\u00a0Without the bread of God that is Jesus (see John 6:33), we would starve to death.\u00a0\u00a0For there is a God-sized hunger in our lives that only Jesus can fill.<\/p>\n

Second, there is no amount of money or material possessions that we could give to buy the grain \u2013 i.e. the heavenly bread \u2013 that we need.\u00a0\u00a0For while we long for God and need God, we do not have sufficient means to pay off the debt of sin which we owed to God.\u00a0\u00a0As Psalm 49:7-9 says:<\/p>\n

7\u00a0<\/em><\/sup>\u00a0No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him–
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0the ransom for a life is costly,\u00a0no payment is ever enough–
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0that he should live on forever and not see decay.<\/em><\/p>\n

But the good news is that Jesus came with riches that we do not have \u2013 the riches of a completely righteous life.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus used the riches of His righteousness to pay off our debt by dying on the cross for our sins.\u00a0\u00a0Thus, when we place our trust in what Jesus Christ has done, our sins are forgiven and the longing in our hearts for God is filled.\u00a0\u00a0We become priests in God\u2019s kingdom who, like the priests of Egypt, have a protected and sufficient allotment from our King.<\/p>\n

Praise God!\u00a0\u00a0What our money and material possessions could not buy, Jesus bought with His own blood, with the riches of His righteousness.\u00a0\u00a0When there was nothing in our possession that could sufficiently pay for the priceless bread of life that we need, God in His love gave us this bread anyway.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Genesis 47:23-26 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground.
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt–still in force today–that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 23-26:\u00a0\u00a0Notice that by verse 23 all the land now belongs to the king of Egypt.\u00a0\u00a0Joseph, on behalf of the king, gives the Egyptians seed to plant in the ground, letting them keep 80% of what grows while giving back 20% to the king.\u00a0\u00a0Let this be a reminder that, similarly,\u00a0all that we have in our possession actually belongs to God our King<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0God is gracious in that even though He owns it all, He lets us use so much of it for our needs and only requires that we give him back a portion \u2013 in this case 10% (a tithe), which is even more generous than the 20% Joseph required!\u00a0\u00a0Let it be a reminder that all that we think we own is really on loan from God, and that God our King is a gracious provider who not only provides for our needs but who makes us fruitful so that we have something to give back to the King as well.<\/p>\n

Genesis 47:27-31 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n27\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.
\n28\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.
\n29\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,
\n30\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” “I will do as you say,” he said.
\n31\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 27-31:\u00a0\u00a0To think that Jacob spent almost as much time (17 years) as the 20 years he spent in Paddam Aram decades before working for his uncle Laban and accumulating the wealth that he did (Genesis 31:38).\u00a0\u00a0Yet despite his children \u2013 including his long lost son Joseph \u2013 and grandchildren living there in Egypt with him, Jacob never forgot where he was meant to be in the end: to be buried with his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham in Canaan.\u00a0\u00a0That is why as Jacob nears his death, Jacob makes Joseph swear an oath. Using the customary way of giving oaths, Jacob makes Joseph promise to carry Jacob out of Egypt and bury him in Canaan.\u00a0\u00a0After Joseph gives his oath, faith-fueled Jacob (once again called Israel in verse 31) worships as he leans on his staff.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0May you never forget where you ultimately belong.\u00a0\u00a0You may find yourself living in different places, working in different environments, but may you always remember that you are a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20).<\/strong>\u00a0Remember that you are someone who is in the world but not of the world, and that your final destination is not here on earth, but in heaven with Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0That is why Peter calls us \u201caliens and strangers\u201d in this world (1 Peter 2:11).\u00a0\u00a0May that attitude colour and empower the way you live life in this world.\u00a0\u00a0May you not cling too tightly to the things of this earth, and may you not get too comfortable here as if earth is where you\u2019ll stay, but may you keep your heart on heaven and your eyes on the mission and calling God has for you.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, thank You that even when I could not afford it, in Your love You gave me what I needed the most: bread of life.\u00a0\u00a0His name is Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0Today I am reminded that all that I possess belongs to You and that I am only a trustee and a steward of what You have entrusted to me.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You for reminding me today that my citizenship is in heaven, and so may I live these days on earth knowing that I\u2019m not meant to stay here, but I\u2019m going home one day.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Genesis 47:1-31.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Genesis 47:13-22 (NIV)
\n13\u00a0\u00a0There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.
\n14\u00a0\u00a0Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.
\n15\u00a0\u00a0When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up.”
\n16\u00a0\u00a0“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.”……<\/p>\n

On verses 13-22:\u00a0\u00a0The famine in Egypt and Canaan is severe.\u00a0\u00a0On behalf of the Egyptian government, Joseph first sells grain to the Egyptians in exchange for their money.\u00a0\u00a0But when the Egyptians have no more money to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their livestock.\u00a0\u00a0When the Egyptians have no more livestock to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their real estate.\u00a0\u00a0When the Egyptians\u2019 real estate had all been transferred to the government, the Egyptians still had a need for grain, so Joseph agrees to hire the Egyptians as workers for the Egyptian government.\u00a0\u00a0He gives the Egyptians grain to plant in the ground and allows them to keep 80% of the harvest while giving 20% back to the Egyptian government.\u00a0\u00a0Only the land of the priests was not touched, since the priests received a regular allotment from Pharaoh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16769"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16770,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16769\/revisions\/16770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}