Meant for GoodSample

Faith in the Midst of Crisis

Read: Genesis 47:13-31

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In Genesis 47:13-31, the famine deepens and the people of Egypt find themselves growing weary. With their money exhausted, they began to trade their livestock and eventually their land for food. In the end, they sell themselves into servitude to Pharaoh in exchange for survival. Joseph oversees this system, ensuring that while Pharaoh gains control, the people retain enough to sustain themselves. Amid this, we see another storyline unfolding. Jacob senses his life is nearing its end. He asks Joseph to swear an oath to bury him not in Egypt but in Canaan, with his ancestors. Joseph agrees and honors his father's wish to be laid to rest in the land of God’s promise.

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This passage illustrates the cost of survival during the crisis and the unshakable hope of God’s covenant. Joseph’s wisdom and diligence ensure Egypt’s survival but at a steep price for the people. They lose their wealth, their land, and eventually their freedom. Yet in the midst of this severe famine, we also see Jacob’s enduring faith. Although he lives in Egypt, his heart remains firmly anchored in God’s promises. Jacob’s character and trust in the Lord have continuously been pruned and refined. In his dying days, we see evidence of how Jacob finally trusts wholeheartedly in the steadfast character of God. His request to be buried in Canaan points to a greater hope: the certainty that Egypt is not his family's ultimate home. Jacob believes that God will one day bring them back to the Promised Land, even though it is not yet in their possession. This moment of faith stands in contrast to the temporary relief Egypt offers, foreshadowing the eventual oppression Israel will face in this foreign land.

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Jacob and Joseph provide us with two different pictures of faith. Jacob, for much of his life, resists God’s refining work. Only in his old age does he realize that God has always been guiding him. In contrast, Joseph consistently walks in the awareness of God’s presence, trusting His purposes even in difficult circumstances. Right now, in what ways are you like Jacob, struggling to surrender to God? In what ways can you be more like Joseph? Are you confident that God is with you? Ask the Lord to shape your heart to be more like Joseph’s, trusting in His promises and living with the full understanding that God is with you.