From My Perspective - - -

The Blog posted yesterday concluded with a reference to Genesis 47:13-27. Pharaoh has placed Joseph in charge of preparing for a seven-year famine. When the famine occurs, Joseph is also in charge of the allocation of grain and seed, etc.  Biblical Chronology places this period somewhere between 1897-1878 BC. The key to this Biblical event is that the Egyptians would negotiate away their possessions for food and survival. Genesis 47:18-19 is when the people are near the end of their resources and they are forced to come once again: “…when that year was ended, they came to him…and said… We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” It is a case of desperate times and failure to prepare for them that bring them to the place of desperate choices – giving away everything – including themselves – so that as subjects of the state – they can survive.

Yesterday’s Blog produced an email and reflection that made a very important point, namely, “None of our presidents of late seem to have had a vision or dream from the Lord. Neither have we had a prophet like Joseph who has gained the ear of our Leaders and credibility from decision makers of our country. Therefore Egypt and the USA are very different. Egypt stored up a reserve during years of plenty while the USA during years of plenty not only spent like wild but also accumulated a huge additional debt. Therefore for the USA, we do not have stored reserve to help during the lean years. However, we will likely have future inflation since we print more money with nothing to back it up like we did when we were under the gold and silver standard. The people in both cases lost there possessions and become slaves to the government…” There is an online sermon by a “Pastor Vern” on Genesis 47:13-27 where he states: “What can we learn from this? That turning to the Government instead of to God to be our provider in hard times only leads to slavery…The only reason the government wants to be our provider is to also become our Master…we see the same thing happening today – the Government today wants to ‘share the wealth’ – to take it from us and redistribute it back to us. It wants to take control of health-care, just as it has taken control of education and ration it back to us – and when Government rations it, then Government decides who gets it, and how much, and what kind. And if we go along with it, and do it  willingly, then we will wind up no differently than the people of Egypt did 4000 years ago – as slaves to the Government and as slaves to our leaders…”

Is there any practical hope and/or resolve for the people of God when confiscation and control become the norm for the day? Can the people of God have any hope in the 21st Century when the economy seems so negative and the remedies seem so few? Genesis 47:27 should give the people of God reason for hope – “Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.” Nothing was confiscated from them. They realized blessing and provision from the Lord. The only sacrifice on their part was relocation. Two hundred years later – when they violated the Covenant of God – they would become slaves of Egypt. With their unique advantage of being – “one nation under God” – that had as it's reality – “In God We Trust” – one would think that it would be faithfully adhered to and be passed on to future generations. It wasn’t done for very long then – and – it hasn’t been done lately in our own nation.

Just note that at the upcoming 10th  anniversary of 9-11 at Ground Zero – there will be no prayer to God - either thanking Him for His protection and/or invoking Him to continue to guard, protect and bless us! Are we nearing the day – inching toward it - of confiscation, bartering for our existence, getting a computer chip (mark) to allow us to buy and sell, and slavery to the State? Be instructed and encouraged by the words of Psalm 33:10-12, “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! Think about and consider these things with me!