We have been studying in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 47, we have seen how Jacob has entered into Egypt, and how the famine is in its second year. We understand that the famine, spiritually, typifies the Great Tribulation. Acts 7:11 clearly says that a dearth came over the land “and great affliction.” The two Greek words that were translated “great affliction” are the same two words that have been translated “great tribulation” that we find in Matthew 24:21, among other places in the Bible.
We are learning about the Great Tribulation, which comes near the end of the world (and which we are presently going through). We have seen that for the first part of the Great Tribulation, Jacob and his family were in Canaan, typifying the believers being in the churches.
We learned that there was a dividing point during the famine, two years after the famine began, with five years still to go. The majority of time that we are learning about is the second part of this famine, typifying the second part of the Great Tribulation. The dividing point was when Jacob and all of Israel (all his sons and their families) entered into Egypt.
Then, in a very official manner, Jacob was brought before Pharaoh. He was asked only one question: “How old art thou?” He explained to Pharaoh that he had lived 130 years, and responded, “Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.” Jacob had blessed Pharaoh upon entering, and he blessed him again upon leaving, and that is all we learn of their exchange.
Through this, we have seen that God is letting us know that the Great Tribulation will occur after 13,000 years of history. We looked at several verses that confirm the fact that when God uses the number 13 or 130 or even 39 (which can be broken down into 3 times 13), again and again we are able to see that the end of the world is in view.
After Jacob leaves Pharaoh’s presence, we read in Genesis 47:11-12:
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. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
We know that whenever we read about bread in the Bible, it is pointing to the Gospel, to Christ. There was no bread in Canaan; now they go into Egypt, and Joseph, a great type of Christ, is nourishing them with bread. Spiritually, they are being fed. Then we read in verse 13:
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.
Let us look at Amos 8:11; it helps us to understand what a famine is pointing to. It says:
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
This is a spiritual famine. God is saying that it is not about physical bread or physical water, but it is a famine of hearing the Words of the Lord. This is a real problem, because God says that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). If God is sending a famine of hearing the Words of the Lord, that means that faith will not come. There will be no salvation; people will not be saved. That is what is in view when we are reading about this famine in Genesis 47:13.
Spiritually today, there is a famine in the world. Notice how God does not say that the famine is only in the land of Canaan; He says, “The land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.” The churches and congregations are located everywhere, in every nation of the world. If there is a famine of hearing in them, then there is a famine worldwide. When the churches are not bringing the truth, it affects the people of the world, and for those whom God is not blessing His Word to and saving out of the world, then the famine touches them as well.
God is joining Canaan and Egypt together. There were many other lands of that day, many other nations of the world, but He is focusing only on Egypt (because it is typifying the world) and on Canaan (because it is typifying the church). The church and the world—there is a famine in both places. Then in verse 14, it says:
And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan…
Again, both places are in view—Canaan and Egypt. All of the money of both places was gathered up by Joseph. The verse continues:
…for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
We have seen a picture of this in earlier chapters, a historical description of how all of the people of all of the nations were coming to Joseph to buy corn. “The famine,” God said in Genesis 41:56, “was over all the face of the earth.”
They were all coming to Joseph, and he gathered their silver (the word “money” in this verse is the word “silver”) or their gold. He gathered their riches, whatever they were, and he gave them corn. This had been going on for two years already, because the famine was in its second year. People had no way of gaining additional income because there was no rain—there was a dearth in the land. So, as this famine continued, they were becoming poorer and poorer.
The exception to this was Joseph and Pharaoh and the kingdom of Egypt—they were probably the only ones in the entire world who were gaining wealth. They were getting richer, as everyone else was getting poorer. The situation was like a great depression, similar to what America experienced in a much smaller scope during the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, when people had to scrape to find a nickel in order to buy anything. This was the situation at that time in Egypt.
We are surprised at this. Egypt was where the corn was to be found. But the fact is that it belonged to Pharaoh—it was Pharaoh’s corn and it belonged to his kingdom. It belonged to the authorities and the government of his kingdom and not to the people. It seemed that Egypt had a system where a great many people owned land and were spread out across the countryside as they worked it, and it seemed that not too many people lived in the cities. They were under the rule of Pharaoh, but they evidently had a lot of independence. They worked their own lands, and whatever profit they could make, they kept. This was the situation; but at this time, money was failing, and it was failing in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. God joined them both together in verse 14, as we see them all going to Joseph to buy corn. Then verse 15 says:
And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph…
If you look up the word “failed,” you will see that it is a word that means “came to an end” or “was consumed.” So, there is no more money in Egypt, no more money in Canaan. Again, God is joining Egypt and Canaan, hand-in-hand. We have seen it now in three consecutive verses—Egypt and Canaan, the church and the world. Money is failing everywhere. All are now poor; everyone in the world (Egypt) and in the churches (Canaan) has become poor.
We wonder, “What does God have in view?” God speaks of the poor in the Bible in the same way in which He speaks of His people. Matthew 5:3, the beginning of the Beatitudes, is a good example. It says there:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Also, look at James 2:2-5, which says:
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith…
God says that He has chosen the poor, and to “be chosen” is language that points to election. God is typifying the poor as the elect. They are the ones chosen by God to salvation. Therefore, when we read about the poor in the Bible, most often (though not always) it is pointing to individuals whom God is going to save. Being poor does not necessarily mean that they have to be physically poor, but they have to be in spiritual poverty. God can save someone who has money, but He looks upon them as poor because He makes them “poor in spirit.” This means that they become humble before Him, and they begin to mourn over their sins. When we read about the poor widow who gave her two mites in Luke 21:1-4, she is typifying the elect who are giving their livelihood for the work of the Gospel.
What is going on in Egypt is something highly unusual, because the whole world has become poor. Let us read again Genesis 47:15, which says:
And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan…
Money has failed; it is no more. Forget what is in your wallets. There are no bank accounts; there is nothing. The people have already swept their houses clean and searched under their beds. They have looked everywhere to find the last mite, the last coin, the last piece of silver that they can find, and they have spent it all. The people say in verse 18, “We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent.”
When the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, everyone was historically poor. Except for Pharaoh and Joseph and Pharaoh’s court, and probably the priests and those who were in the army of Pharaoh and those who were associated with the government of Egypt (who had some wealth), everyone else was brought low and made poor.
If we are understanding this right, and if poverty is pointing towards those who are poor in spirit, the elect of God, then we wonder, “Why were those in Canaan also made poor? They are typifying those in the churches, and if they are poor, is that not saying that God is still operating in the churches?”
They are made poor, it is true. Those in the churches today are spiritually poor, impoverished, and bankrupt. We can say that what is going on within the churches of our day has left everyone there spiritually impoverished. But what is the difference? The difference is that they do not realize it. It is similar to Revelation 3:17, where God addresses the angel of the church of the Laodiceans (and this is applicable to all churches). We read:
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
To sum it up, Egypt is made poor. The world, or those whom God is going to save out of the world, are coming to the end of themselves, realizing that there is no help in the world’s philosophies, and that the world is a vain place. Likewise, the church becomes poor. It has lost its blessing of God. The Holy Spirit has departed out of the midst, and there are no longer any spiritual riches there (2 Thessalonians 2:7). As money failed, both the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan became impoverished. Yet, since Canaan typifies the church, they still think that they are rich. That is why in the next part of verse Genesis 47:15, it says:
…all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
Did you notice what happened? We have been reading of Egypt and Canaan, Egypt and Canaan. They both experienced the famine. In both, the money failed. Then, in this verse, who is it that comes to Joseph (who is a type of Christ)? Only Egypt came. We do not read that Egypt and Canaan came, or that the inhabitants of Canaan came to Joseph and sought bread; only those in Egypt came. They said, “Give us bread,” give us the Gospel, “for why should we die in thy presence? For the money faileth.”
Look at John 6:48-50. Jesus is speaking there, and He says:
I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is salvation; He is the embodiment of the Gospel.
We have just seen that it was the Egyptians alone, not the inhabitants of Canaan, who came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread.” This leads us to wonder, “What happened to the inhabitants of Canaan? Why were they not there? Why were they not begging bread?” They were in view, hand-in-hand, all the way through this famine. But now that money has failed, they are not coming to Joseph.
Historically, there could be a reason. Egypt was a neighboring nation to Canaan, and Canaan was in a very weakened position. They had no money; they had nothing. To get corn, they would probably have to go and become slaves to Egypt, giving up their land. They probably realized that, and they did not want to come under the power and the authority of Egypt, to that degree. Many of them probably thought, “I will take my chances with the famine.” They did not know how long it would go on. It had lasted two years in the land, and it would have been easy for them to think that it might come to an end soon. The people of Canaan were probably thinking this.
They did not go any longer to Joseph to buy corn, because they had no money. In all likelihood, it was their pride that prevented them from going into Egypt and begging bread of this ruler, putting themselves in a humbling position. Very similarly, it is the pride of many in the churches and congregations that keeps them from realizing that God is finished with the church, that He is no longer operating within the congregations of today. They will insist on staying in that land that is experiencing a spiritual famine, thinking, “This is going to end soon,” or, “God will still bless His Word.” That is the same as thinking that God will send rain. But there will be no rain. There is no longer any blessing of God upon those in the churches.
If the people could find bread, they would not die. The people of Egypt are going to Joseph, who is picturing Christ, and beseeching Him for bread. Then in verses 16-17, we read:
And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. 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.
This would be the third year of the famine, because this is following Jacob’s entering into Egypt, which was after two years. Now it is the third year, and in order to continue eating bread, the people of Egypt had to sell their livestock. We think of “cattle” as cows only, but here it included horses and donkeys and flocks of sheep, as well as cows. They sold everything to Joseph in exchange for bread for that year.
What happened? They became poorer still. The people of Egypt had no money. Before, they had their horses and donkeys and whatever few animals they had; but now, in order to live, they had to sell all of these animals to Joseph. Joseph opened the stables and probably had to build more of them. People from all of the farms and all of the lands that were spread out across the country were coming with their animals and exchanging them for corn, for bread, during that year, in order to continue living.
Again, this is picturing God’s working in the world. He is operating in the world during the second half of the Great Tribulation. He is manipulating events and moving in circumstances, causing those whom He intends to save to be brought lower and lower. It is almost happening in stages: first you lose your money, then you lose your animals.
Yet, nothing is improving or getting better with the famine. It is continuing on, and there are still four more years to go. This is the third year, their animals are sold, but there are four years left. There is no end in sight for these people. They do not know how long it will last, so the cattle were brought to Joseph.
Now what do those cattle typify? Let us look at a few verses that deal with cattle. Back in Genesis 46:32, it says of Israel before they entered Egypt:
And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
To be a shepherd has to do with ministering the Word of God, with sharing the Gospel. They were feeding the cattle, which represent those who are under the hearing of the Gospel and are recipients of the Word of God. They are receiving God’s Word. This is one place where cattle are representing individual people who are hearing the Gospel.
Another place is Exodus 9:3-6, where we read (speaking of God’s judgment upon Egypt that will come many hundreds of years later):
Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel. And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land. And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.
Here, God makes a distinction between the cattle of Egypt and the cattle of the children of Israel. Also, look at Exodus 12:29, which says:
And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
The firstborn of Pharaoh is typifying those under God’s judgment, as is the firstborn of the captive in the dungeon. Likewise, the death of the firstborn of cattle typifies those that are under the judgment of God, sinners who, because of their sin, are under God’s anger and wrath. Cattle here are picturing people in general.
As the famine is going on, the cattle of Egypt are being brought to Joseph. All the livestock, all these cattle, are coming to be owned by Pharaoh and Joseph. That, in itself, is a picture of God’s salvation during the Great Tribulation, but then it goes on to say in Genesis 47:18-19:
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: 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.
This is the fourth year now. After two years, Jacob came into the land of Egypt; the third year, Joseph bought all the cattle in exchange for bread; now he is going to buy their lands. The people of Egypt are coming to Joseph, realizing that they have nothing but their land and their own bodies.
Which is better—to be bought for a servant or slave and to live, or to be free and die? This was the question that they were faced with. There had been a different system in Egypt prior to this time. Actually, it was this famine that consolidated power in Egypt and made the Pharaoh, who was upon the throne of that day, the mightiest ruler in the world, perhaps even the mightiest ruler that the world had ever seen. This is what gave him all the riches of his kingdom. All the people gave him their money, because they had no choice. He ended up with their money, then their animals, and now he is going to buy their land and them. This Pharaoh became the strongest Pharaoh ever to reign over the throne of Egypt.
This is quite a difference from when this Pharaoh first took the throne. Egypt had been a mighty power in that day, but they were not the mightiest. Then, when the famine started and all lands came to Egypt, they were exalted as the mightiest power upon earth. Even within Pharaoh’s own land, this would solidify his reign and the power of his throne. It is no wonder that, knowing how men pollute and pervert things, Pharaohs would later be looked upon as gods. Having such mighty power, Pharaoh easily became like a god to his people. It was during this time in the history of Egypt that its ruler obtained such great might and authority to rule over his people.
This is a nice history lesson, but what does it teach us? We have to keep in mind that Pharaoh is a picture of God. God is telling us that during the second half of the Great Tribulation, when He begins to work in the world by sending forth His Gospel outside of the churches and congregations to save a great multitude of people, God Almighty will receive glory and honor and be exalted as He never has been before. His throne will be lifted up on high as it never has been before. God is going to get to Himself glory.
Therefore, as Pharaoh, who is a man, a historical figure, is gaining in strength and riches and solidifying his kingdom under him, it is picturing the Lord God, who, during the Great Tribulation, will receive all kinds of spiritual blessings and obtain glory like He has never obtained before. God is working out His salvation plan to its completion. The saving of the great multitude will be a tremendous event and will glorify God like nothing ever has before.
A multitude that no man can number, a great multitude is being saved (Revelation 7:9). How? By God and His Word as it goes forth over the electronic media that God Himself raised up. His Word is not going forth through any institution, like the churches or like the nation of Israel. It is going forth by individual believers who are gathering together here and there, or are not gathering together at all but are simply under the hearing of God’s Word.
No man can claim any credit or glory—all the glory goes to God. No man can say that he is the one responsible for any of it. All credit for the salvation that is going on belongs to God. That is what is in view here as the entire world is made poor.
The people of Egypt realize their poverty and come to Joseph. They have sold everything—they have handed over their money, their animals—and then it says in Genesis 47:20:
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.
Let us look at one more passage. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we read:
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
We are bought by God, just as Egypt was bought by Joseph—lock, stock and barrel. He bought everything of theirs. All that they once owned, he now owns. It is just like we read here in 1 Corinthians: we are not our own, but we are God’s. We do not own ourselves; we do not own what we have in our bank account or our home or our possessions. We do not own anything; everything is God’s.
That is why God says to give of our money for the sending forth of the Gospel. He tells each one of us to give what we can. If it is two mites, give two mites. If it is more, give more. We are not our own, but we are bought with a price.
This is the beautiful picture in Genesis 47. These people of Egypt have just been bought, all of them. When is this taking place? During the second half of the famine, with three years yet to go. Joseph is buying them; Pharaoh owns them. Likewise, during this famine of the Great Tribulation, God is buying people all around the world. We are “bought with a price,” and that price is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ as He went to the Cross to pay the equivalent of an eternity in Hell for all He would save. That is how we have been purchased and bought. The famine in Joseph’s day is a wonderful historical parable.
God is letting us know that we are understanding things correctly when we read Revelation 7:9. This is after the 144,000 had been sealed, which are the firstfruits unto God, those who were saved during the New Testament Church Era. We read there:
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
To understand who they are, let us look at verses 13-14, which say:
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
These are the “great multitude, which no man could number.” This is what is in view as we are getting into the very good part of Genesis 47 and this historical picture that points to our day. It is the wonderful and great news that God is saving mightily across the face of the earth, across Egypt. Not one of the Canaanites came to Joseph. It does not say that some of them came; no, the people of Egypt came, but none of the Canaanites. God is saving tremendously in the world, but He is not saving at all in the church.