Genesis 47:11

Genesis 47:11 says, 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.  Joseph gave his family land in Egypt.  Not only did Joseph give them land, but he gave them some of the best of the land as Pharaoh had instructed him to.  When we become followers of Christ, God gives us the best home, one that is everlasting, though it may be many years before we get there.  We can also be certain that what God gives us no one has the authority or power to take away.  Verse twelve states, And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.  Joseph provided bread for his family, according to their needs.  We are not told that he gave fine delicacies, but bread.  We are promised that God will give us our daily bread, but too often we think we need steak.  Verse thirteen proclaims, And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.  The famine was in its second year when Joseph's family arrived, and it continued to get worse.  Verse fourteen states, And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.  Joseph gathered all the money in the land and brought it to Pharaoh's house.  Money was of little value or use to the people when they were starving.  Without Christ as their Savior and Lord, people are spiritually starving today, but often they would rather continue to starve spiritually than to surrender everything to God.  We cannot allow the things of this world to become more important than our relationship with God.  Verse fifteen adds, And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.  When the people ran out of money, they came to Joseph and asked why they should just starve because they had no more money.  Verse sixteen states,  And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.  Joseph told the people if they ran out of money, then they could trade their cattle for the bread.  We are fortunate that we don't have to bargain with God for salvation, but like the people with Joseph then, we must not attempt to hang on to the things of this world feeling that they are more important than our relationship with God.  Verse seventeen says, And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.  Joseph provided for the people and their animals for a year.  Verse eighteen adds, When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:  The people came to Joseph the next year and said that all they had left was their land and themselves.  Eventually, if we are to become followers of Christ, we must acknowledge that all we can offer God of value is our self.  Verse nineteen continues, Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.  The people said they would give their land and themselves to Pharauh for bread.  I guess some would say that Joseph was being somewhat mercenary in his actions, but he was offering the people life instead of death.  There are people today who say that God demands too much when He wants them to give up everything and serve Him, but He offers them the only way to everlasting life.  Then, when a person accepts Christ as Savior and Lord, He promises to meet that person's needs forever.  Verse twenty declares, And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.  Pharaoh and not Joseph, eventually owned all the land.  Like Joseph with Pharaoh, we are simply representatives of God if we are followers of Christ and should never attempt to enrich ourselves because of our relationship with Him.