QT 12/17/2025 Gen 41:33-40, God working through history

Genesis 41:33–40 (ESV) —

33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

 

NOTE: I did some reading on the subject of yield. I grew up on a farm but I never saw a famine in Ohio. Apparently, 30 percent above normal is a good year and 60 percent is a great year. Exceptional yields are as high as 130 percent above the average. And world records have been achieve at multiple times the average. In our story, a God of miracles is promising seven great years. If we assume God provides world record levels, then 2 1/2 times the production during the good years and the years of famine at half the normal yield, the total production of the 14 prophesied years is equivalent to 14 years of normal production. And that is without any belt tightening on the part of the population. With belt tightening and some reduction in farm animals (which could then also provide additional food), the story is clearly within possibility.

 

But, proving this story is possible is actually a meaningless exercise, because God can do whatever he chooses. This is not a cop-out, it is a fact. And God was doing something here in order to move his people out of the land temporarily while he allowed the sin of the inhabitants to reach their limit.

 

Genesis 15:16 (ESV) — And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

 

Likewise, God is working in our lives. Maybe it does not seem miraculous but it is just as purposeful. We need to trust the promises God has made to believers in Jesus Christ. He knows our needs, and he is working through our pain to do something good.

 

PONDER:

1. Are we looking for God's hand in our life?
2. More importantly, do we know God? Because the promise only extends to his children (we are NOT all children of God), those adopted into his family by belief in the savior's work on the cross.

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray for those who only go through the motions that they would wake up and seek you. Jesus, your son, revealed you to us through his life. He died to give us eternal life and to bring adoption into the family of God. Open the eyes of the blind to see truth.