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NASB | Genesis 47:19 "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 47:19 "Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed [to plant], that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate." |
Subject: Joseph's iron fist |
Bible Note: Hi Angel. I certainly understand that Joseph was working for Pharoah, not Jacob. The story is clear about how God gave him the ability to interpret dreams, and that his position of authority was God's doing ---- this is one of the clearest examples of a negative thing (being sold by his brothers) being used by God for good. My question was about what he did AFTER that. If you paid significant taxes for 7 years (like the Egyptians did, paying grain into Pharoah's coffers) --- wouldn't you expect to get the services when you needed them? I know I'm being anachronistic here, for effect. Basically, Joseph was being shrewd to the point of being tyranical. Caring for the hungry is a value embodied in Old Testament and New ---- Joseph fed the people, but took their entire wealth, land, and freedom in the process. We can't really say this is Pharoah's fault, for Pharoah gave Joseph the authority to run the program. The Bible is honest about the characters -- we see even the most heroic characters' severe faults. Might you agree that this is Joseph's moment of weakness? |