To Live or Die

DEVOTION

GENESIS

TO LIVE OR DIE

Gen 47:13-25

13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up." 16 "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. 18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes — we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate." 20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. 24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children." 25 "You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh."

NIV

Several truths are within this narrative regarding all the people of Egypt and Joseph. Because of the famine, everyone needed to come to Joseph as decreed by Pharaoh. It was not Joseph who demanded their coming to him, but it was Pharaoh. The first truth here is that Jesus never commanded we come to him in order to receive salvation. It was decreed by the Father.

John 3:16-17

 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

NIV

It is God who sent Jesus.  Christ did not decide to come on his own as well as all that he said, all that he taught are the words and teaching of the Father. He worked and continues to work under the authority of the Father.

John 7:16-19

16 Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own . 18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

NIV

This is the state of Joseph. Although he has absolute authority to sell the grain, he does so at the command of the king of Egypt. Plus all that he gains for the sale of the grain belongs to the king, Pharaoh. The people used up all their money and still ran out of food, so they sold all their livestock, their source of money, so to speak. Still the famine continued and more food was needed so they sold their land as well as themselves.

Everything Joseph collected was for the Pharaoh, nothing for himself. Another truth here for us. Although we might amass a certain amount of material wealth, it does not belong to us, it belongs to the King of kings, the Lord of lords. We see over and over again narratives regarding not storing up wealth for ourselves but rather being rich toward God. These people had given everything in order to live, rather than die from starvation, including becoming bondservants to Pharaoh. In our culture today it seems there is a lot of worth put on ownership. The American dream of owning a home, having a two car garage filled with two or more cars. Owning so much stuff many of us have to rent a storage locker somewhere in town. It seems so many place a great deal of value on how much money they have. All the material things of life were surrendered to Joseph so they could live. When all their material wealth was gone, all they had was their own beings to give. Although it may seem true God does not desire for us to surrender all our material wealth to him, that he only expects us not to value it more then we value our relationship with him. The point is he truly does want us to surrender all we have to him in order to live, especially ourselves. If we are clinging onto material goods, our wealth so to speak, then we truly have placed a greater value on it then on God. If we are trusting in our wealth to sustain us, we have lost our way.

Matt 6:19-21

 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

NIV

Of what value did the Egyptians consider all their wealth if they were going to starve to death? Nothing. They did not even value their independence in order to live. If our heart is in our material wealth, then we have not gained life. If we want eternal life, we must have our whole heart in God. True, if we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior we will be saved. But what does that mean? Can we departmentalize our spirit life from our material one? Can we keep a portion of our heart on the things of this world, giving Jesus only a portion of our heart? If we want to live, if we want eternal life, then we must give everything to the Lord. Now, does that mean actually giving it, physically selling everything we have and giving every last cent to the church? Absolutely not, but it means we should not be trusting in it either. We should be willing to give everything up, in an instance, if God requires it. What if he did require it, how would we respond? We cannot have a divided heart in this issue. We cannot trust God and trust in our wealth. We must give our all to the Lord, even ourselves. What does servitude mean? Our lives are completely in the hands of the King. We have no independence. We make no choices of our own. We must do whatever the King desires.  This is not about living our own lives, doing things our own way and expecting God to bless whatever we decide to do. This is about master and servant. This is about giving our all in order to live.

Matt 16:24-26

 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life  will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

NIV

The one choice the Egyptians had was whether to live or die. That too is the one choice we have. To live or die.