Settling In Goshen (Genesis 47)

The patriarchs were not perfect. Clearly Israel was given much better laws as they inherited the land of promise. Yet, we live in an imperfect world too. Is our hope here or in a better world coming? Let’s look at Genesis 47.

What did Joseph tell Pharaoh? What was their request?

So Joseph went and informed Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their sheep and cattle and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen.” He took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds.” Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.” (Genesis 47:1-4 HCSB)

How were relations between Pharaoh and the patriarch Israel?

Then Pharaoh replied to Joseph, “Now that your father and your brothers have come to you, Egypt is at your disposal, so settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land! Let them live in the Goshen territory. If you learn that any of them are especially skilled, put them in charge of my livestock.” Later, Joseph brought his father Jacob to Pharaoh and introduced him. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. “How old are you?” Pharaoh asked Jacob. “I’m 130 years old,” Jacob replied. “My years have turned out to be few and unpleasant, but I haven’t yet reached the age my ancestors did during their travels on earth.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and then left the throne room. (Genesis 47:5-10 ISV)

Did Joseph take care of his family’s needs?

And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families. (Genesis 47:11-12 KJV)

Why did the people begin to liquidate their assets?

Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in payment for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying, “Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone.” Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. (Genesis 47:13-17 NASB)

How did the people become slaves of the state?

When 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. Why 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.” So 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, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. However, 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. (Genesis 47:18-22 NIV)

How did it happen that the Egyptians had to pay a 20% tax?

Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s. (Genesis 47:23-26 NKJV)