Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 47:13-26. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+47&version=NASB1995
I quote only verses 13-19 and 23-26.
“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. Joseph gathered 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. When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “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. When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. 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.”
… Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and 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 slaves.” Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
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When the people said to Joseph, “You have saved our lives!”, for selling them grain (a/k/a food), even though it was for their bodies and their land, we are reminded of the following verses.
“25 The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.
26 He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.” Proverbs 11:25-27.
Today’s Scripture should give us pause to consider, so to speak, how we withhold grain and how we sell it.
Generally, we should not be greedy. We should be generous. But, we also do not need to give it all away for free. We can get fair and reasonable compensation.
When the people showed such favor to Joseph in spite of needing to give as much as they did for food, we are also reminded of the following verses.
“3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3-4.
In conclusion, consider what delights the LORD, namely, lovingkindness, justice and righteousness. We exercise lovingkindness when we save lives, however we may do it. We exercise justice when we only charge fair and reasonable compensation. We exercise righteousness when we find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. But, God gets all credit for giving us the will to do these things and for working within us to accomplish these things. Philippians 2:13.
“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.
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