Genesis 47:1

Genesis 47:1 says, Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.  Though Joseph had invited his family to come to the safety of Egypt, Pharaoh was still in charge and Joseph needed Pharaoh's agreement, or blessing, for them to stay.  We can bring people to the safety of salvation, but God is still the Only One Who can grant them salvation.  Fortunately, God stands ready to forgive everyone who comes to Him by faith and grant them an everlasting home in heaven.  Verse two says, And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.  Joseph took five of his brothers with him to meet Pharaoh.  To continue the analogy with God, we must all come before Him for salvation and not just a part of our family.  Verse three declares, And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.  Pharaoh asked the brothers what their occupation was, and they said that they and their father were shepherds.  This was a lowly occupation to Pharaoh.  When we come to Christ, we can only come as lowly, unworthy sinners.  Verse four says, They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.  The brothers told Pharaoh why they had come.  There was a famine in Canaan, and then flocks would starve if they stayed there.  When someone comes to Christ, that person may be rich in the eyes of the world, but they are still in a spiritual famine and will die without hope without accepting Him as Savior and Lord.  Verse five declares,  And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:  Pharaoh asked Joseph if his father and brother had come to Joseph for help.  Then verse six adds, The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.  Pharaoh told Joseph that his brothers could live in the land of Goshen, and if he felt that any of them were qualified to put them in charge of his cattle as well.  I believe that this was so much more than what the brothers hoped for and deserved, and when we come to Christ, He gives us so much more than we deserve or could even hope for.  Just as with Joseph's brothers, God will also give us a purpose in his kingdom other than just sitting back and enjoying our salvation while awaiting Christ's return.  Verse seven states, And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.  Joseph brought his father before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed pharaoh, or more accurately asked God's blessing on Pharaoh.  Though Jacob stood before Pharaoh, who had all the earthly power, Jacob was God's representative in the world.  No matter how powerful a person may be in the world today, if we stand before them as followers of Christ, we need to ask God's blessing on them.  Verse eight asks, And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?  Jacob evidently appeared to be very old, so this would have been a common question.  Verse nine declares, Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.  Jacob referred to his life as a pilgrimage, and said that he had not been on his pilgrimage as long as his fathers, or ancestors, had lived on their pilgrimage.  We, as followers of Christ, are on a pilgrimage in this life, as is anyone else who is a follower of Christ.  Jacob said his pilgrimage had been full of evil days.  We may look at the world today as a place filled with evil, but we must continue on our pilgrimage with Christ.  Verse ten adds, And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.  Once again, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, then he left Pharaoh's presence.  Since this blessing would really be from God, it was up to Pharaoh what he would do with the blessing.  Likewise, we can bring people to the blessing of God's salvation, but it is up to them what they will do with it.