The Chain of Command and the Lord of Lords

Serving the Master

(Genesis 47:13-31, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 11, 2015)

[13] Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. [14] And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. [15] And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” [16] And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” [17] So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. [18] And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “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. [19] 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.”
[20] So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. [21] As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. [22] Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
[23] Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. [24] And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” [25] And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” [26] So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's.

(13-26) Joseph was an honorable servant, making decisions for the good of his earthly master.

Tough times create opportunities for character development. They also present temptations that need to be rejected. Joseph had a plan for handling the famine. That plan was a condition of his appointment. He was a high-placed person in Pharaoh's administration, but he was not a man at liberty as we know it. Pharaoh, like almost all of the rulers of the world throughout history, was the absolute master of his territory. Should Joseph have become a freedom fighter to serve the interests of the Egyptian masses? That was not his role. He served God by saving the lives of many grateful people as he served the interests of his master, Pharaoh. As the story of tragedy and provision played out, the supreme ruler of Egypt became the owner of almost all the cattle, land, and even people in Egypt, and he allowed his subjects to keep eighty percent of the labor of their hands. Pharaoh became very prosperous, and the Egyptian people were thankful to be alive. Joseph was honorable in his service to the king, and he was able to provide for many people, including his family.

This was not Joseph's first job. He first served his father as an errand boy with a special robe, and he carried out that obligation in a way that proved to be a great annoyance to his brothers. He then worked for Potiphar, where he was the unjust victim of a false claim of sexual harassment. From there he secured an administrative position in a jail, where one of his fellow inmates, Pharaoh's cupbearer, was not true to his word in a timely manner. His current job as second-in-command in Egypt may have seemed like a great promotion, which it certainly was. Yet despite his honors, he never forgot that he served God, though within a chain of command.

[27] Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. [28] And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.
[29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” [31] And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

(27-31) Israel prospered in Egypt, but he did not forget that Egypt was not the Promised Land. He wanted to be buried in God's country.

One day, Pharaoh's hold on Joseph would be gone. Knowing that God was His Master above every other master on earth allowed Joseph, though actually a slave serving a despot, to serve Pharaoh with great freedom and integrity, as one who was working for the Lord and not for men. (See Colossians 3:12-25)

The day of death was swiftly approaching for Joseph's father, Jacob. Here was a man with an interesting employment history! He was about to leave all that behind. Though he and his family had done well in Egypt, he remembered the promises of God, and he made his son swear that when the time came, Jacob would be buried in the Promised Land. The eternal provision of God was worth more to him than all the treasures of Egypt. He served the Lord God Almighty.

We serve the King of kings above all, and one day every other authority that stands in His way will have to step aside, but right now the Lord demands that we serve our earthly masters with integrity and obedience. In any endeavor, we need to give serious consideration to the vows we have taken and be true to our word.

Whether you are working your first job in a family setting or local supermarket, or are completing your career in a high-level corporate or government position, you need to be true to the Lord by serving with honor. What you have agreed to in taking your current job? Are you aware of the non-disclosure agreements and non-complete clauses that were conditions of your employment? Whether you are new to the world of work or serving in your final position on this earth, you can learn from Joseph, and from Joseph's Messiah. (See 1 Peter 2:13-25)

Some principles for your consideration:

1. Know your chain of command and respect it.
2. Consider the promises you made and keep them.
3. Stay close to your most honorable friend and become more like him. (See Jesus for the best in loyalty, diligence, knowledge, wisdom, and courage.)

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 150:1b – Praise God in his sanctuary...

Gospel Reading—Matthew 26:17-25 – The Passover with the disciples