Genesis 47:1-12
1 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.” 2 And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”
And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” 4 And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, 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. 12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.
Joseph was a good provider for his family, leveraging the place God had put him over Egypt and its food stores to feed and house his own there in Goshen. After advice from Joseph to his father Israel to tell the Pharaoh he was a shepherd, an occupation below the Egyptians, he took five of his brothers to the king to have them repeat the same declaration after settling them in the lush grazing fields of Goshen given by Pharaoh to them. The king was so impressed with Joseph interpreting his dreams and saving his country from the famine that he was more than happy to give them that land and bless them there. He even went further to ask them to care for his own flocks as he entrusted them with even that as he realized that the God of Joseph was powerful and made them prosperous. When Joseph introduced his father, he was asked his age and found that Israel was one hundred and thirty. Not only that, but he heard that Israel’s ancestors lived even longer on their pilgrimage! They were given the best of the land in Goshen of Rameses as commanded by Pharaoh at Joseph’s hand and Joseph provided them with food as he had served bread to his brothers (Genesis 43:31) when they first sat down with him in Egypt and bowed to his authority over them as God had shown him in his dreams (Genesis 37:7-8, 9-10) before being sold into slavery and blessed to reign over the land under the Pharaoh. God had shown them such grace in His sovereign plan and leading through the suffering and tribulation of the circumstances! He does the same with us who are His people in Christ as well, allowing sometimes overwhelming circumstances to serve His purpose (Romans 8:28) for His glory and our good at the same time. Praise Him, our blessed Redeemer for His sovereign provision of our daily bread! We should likewise trust Him in trying times when we are hard pressed on every side (2 Corinthians 4:8-10), knowing He is leading us for His glory and our good.
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